is not able to worke the effecte of saluacion for which purpose it serueth vnlesse it be accumpanied with charitie the Mother of al vertues of which wordes S. Augustine gathereth a rule that when we find in the Scriptures faith commended for Iustificacion or saluacion we should euer vnderstād it meant of faith which worketh through charitie saying Hanc fidem definiuit Apostolus c. This faith hath the Apostle defined and determined to be it And in that sense both S. Augustine and other aunciente fathers cal that many times the trewe faith the Christian mannes faith and the faith in deede The trewe faith in respecte of the ende whiche is saluacion not bicause the faith whereby we onely beleue the Scriptures is not a trewe Faith. For we saie in the Creede of Athanasius that the Catholique Faith is a full perfecte and inuiolable Faith. A beleeuing faith and a sauing faith But it is perfecte in beleuing not perfecte in sauing And therefore it is not saide in the ende who so beleueth it shal be saued but vnlesse a man beleue and keepe it inuiolable he shal without doubte be damned For though he beleue the Scriptures in profession and keepe them not in deede that is if he beleue them in worde and mouth and trangresse them in acte and deede he shall not be saued Faith alone and of it selfe maie be perfecte for beleuing but the faith that is trewe and perfecte for sauing is euer accompanied neuer alone It is one thing then to haue trewe faith in assente and opinion which is faith in his owne nature and an other thing to haue faith in obedience of harte and affection which is faith accompanied with charitie and other vertues of whiche difference I onely putte the Reader in remembrance bicause I will more largely speake thereof in the. 7. Chapter of the second booke to the whiche I referre him Thus haue I thought good to open vnto the Reader what is properly meante by the name of faith alone August de Trinitate Lib. 15. cap. 18. in Euchirid cap. 8. and what it taketh of other vertues Sine quibus esse potest sed prodesse non potest Without the whiche it may be but it can not auaile nor attaine to the life euerlasting Faith properly is to beleue and to beleue is to assente to trewth This faith the age of S. Augustine S. Chrysostome and Vincentius Lirinensis did knowe and teache willing men for their saluation to ioyne vnto it charitie with other vertues If any man deuise an other faithe beside this he bringeth vs not the consent of Antiquitie but an inuention of noueltie As concerning the faith whereby miracles and wunderous actes are wroughte it is none other but the Catholique faith whereof I haue spoken Ioan. 20 which to aduance and commende God doth miracles in some that professe it through his name Whiche faith as both a good and ill man may haue so may both a good and ill man doo miracles as appeareth plainely by the wordes of Christe in S. Mathew and by S. Paule to the Corinthianes Math. 7. 1. Cor. 13. th one saying that many hauing done miracles shal be shutte owt of the kingdome of heauen The other affirming that a man maie be able to remoue mountaines and yet lacke charitie without the whiche he is nothing VVherein the controuersie of Iustificacion resteth and what is the rediest way to know how the same is wrought in vs. THE III. CHAP. THERE is emong parties at this time no greate controuersie touching the original cause of our Iustificacion For the Scriptures plainely shew and al men agree that it is God that iustifieth Rom 8. But the controuersy resteth specially in two pointes the first point first what our Iustification is and wherein it standeth whether it be onely a forgeuenes of sinnes paste or whether there be also required in it a change of the man and a newnes of life the secōd point The other pointe is how our Iustification is wrought in vs to witte albeit God iustifie vs yet how he worketh it in vs and by what meanes we comme to it by faith alone or by faith ioined with other vertues and Sacramentes which doubtes I thinke shal be much cleared if we consider our owne corrupte and sinfull estate and the cause thereof whiche is our carnall Birthe and descente from Adam By whom sinne entred into the worlde Rom 5. and by sinne death and so wente through all in whom all haue sinned Seing then that his fall was our fall and the cause of our vniustice if we vnderstande in what case he was created and what was in him loste wounded and weakened by sinne cōtraries being knowen by one rule and teaching we know also what our Iustification is Aristotle For the repairing of that which was in him loste is our restoring and the saluing of that which was in him wounded is our health the changing of the olde estate wherein through him we were borne is our renewing And our restoring healing and renewing is our Iustification Esai 53. Luc. 19. For Christ that came to iustifie sinners came to seeke and saue that which was loste and to make whole that which was wounded VVhat was loste in Adam by sinne and what is restored by Christe in our Iustification the comparing of Christ with Adam And in what thinges our Iustification standeth THE IIII. CHAPTER IT is a matter of vndoubted trewthe and confessed of all right beleuers that God created Adam in most excellent and perfecte estate For the Scripture saith in the person of God Gen. 1. Faciamus hominem ad imaginem similitudinem nostram Lette vs make manne after our image and lykenes Wherefore as God him selfe is wisedome trueth rightuousenes temperance loue strength vertue and in goodnes moste free so made he manne wise trewe rightuous and iuste temperate strong indued with perfecte loue vertuous and to all goodnes willinge and free Psal 48. But man vnderstanding not when he was in honor abusing his libertie to ill and transgressing Goddes commandement did not onely lose that perfect estate and beautie of vertues but broughte him selfe also into a base mortall and miserable condition fell into vices contrarie to the former vertues and became displeasant and hatefull vnto God his bodie condemned to death and his sowle vnlesse mercie had deliuered him to endlesse damnation And albeit it might suffise to say that he loste all the vertues wherewith he was by God indued yet to expresse some parte thereof particularly Prosper Aquitanus sayth Perdidit primitus fidem c. Contra Collatorē cap. 10. He loste first and chifely faith He loste continence he loste charitie he was berefte of wisedome and vnderstanding He was lefte without counsell and strength he dranke the poison of all vices and with the dronkennesse of his intemperance wetted through and soked the whole nature of man he loste profitable and
the olde came to seke and saue that was loste and to repaire that was by him decayed And then as Adam loste Faith Continence Charitie Wisedome and vnderstanding Counsell and strength Prosp suprà hope and humilitie so must all that companie of vertues with â—ther by him lost be restored in such as Christ of his especial grace reneweth and iustifieth For as Christ saieth of one man whome he healed so is it true in al whom he restoreth that he healeth not one part but the whole man. Ioan. 7. Deut. 32. Esai 53. His workes are perfecte and neither lacketh he power to cure all our griefes being God neither wil to doe it who for that cause became man. And as a man diseased deadly in al the principal partes of his body is not called a sound and whole man vntil the partes be al cured So the soule corrupted and made olde in Adam decayed in grace and bereft of Iustice can not be called a new creature vntil the salues of these vertues by the hand of our Phisition be laid vnto it and shew their operation in it For it is not said as many of you as haue ben baptised in Christe haue beleeued in Christe thought vppon him or heard of him Galat. 3. but it is said Christum induistis ye haue put on Christ that is to saie haue taken into you the vertues of Christ as before ye had the qualities and conditions of Adam Ephes 4. For that saith S. Paule is the true receiuing of Christ and his Gospel to put of the olde man and olde conuersation and to be renewed in spirite and minde putting on the newe which was created after the Image of God in iustice and holines Libro 1. cap 9. de pec meri remiss Christe saith S. Augustine Dat sui spiritus occultissimam fidelibus gratiam Geueth vnto his faithful a most secrete grace of his spirite which priuily he powreth euen into babes As Adam by a secret infection of carnal concupiscence infected and consumed all that came of his race He saith in the same booke Legimus iustificari Ibid. c. 10. c. We read that such be iustified in Christ as beleue in him through a secrete geauing and inspiring of spiritual grace whereby who so euer cleaueth vnto our Lord is made one spirite with him What Iustification is By all this we vnderstande that our Iustification importeth not onely an assente of minde and faith to beleue the Gospell of Christe neither standeth onely in remission of sinnes past which God mercifully forgeueth but requireth also a renewing of spirit and minde a change of lyfe and conditions â—it 3. that as in Adam we were disobedient seruinge sundrie lustes and pleasures leading our lyfe in malice and enuie hatefull hating one an other So in Christe forsaking vngodlines and worldely desires Tit. 2. we must liue soberly iustly and godly putting on vs as the chosen of God holie and beloued Coloss 3. the bowels of compassion mercie and gentlenes humilitie modestie and patience This it is to leaue of Adam and put on Christe which is our renewing and Iustification The kingdome of heauen is like vnto leauen Matth. 13 whiche a woman taketh and hideth in three measures of flower vntil the whole be leauened But as the whol paste is not leauened as long as any parte thereof remaineth in his olde tallage and taste euen so is not man translated from death to lyfe nor made a newe creature 1. Ioan. 3. Galat. 6. 2. Cor. 5. vntill the whole estate of his soule be refourmed And surely vntil he be made a newe creature he is not iustified Sicut fuit vetus Adam c. As the olde Adam was powred through the whole man and possessed the whole Bernard serm 5. de Aduent So nowe lette Christe haue the whole who hath created and redeemed the whole and shall glorifie the whole who in the Sabboth daie cured all the whole man. The olde man was sometime in vs that transgressour of Gods commaundemente he was in vs as well in hande and woorke as in mouth and heart But nowe if there be any newe creature in him the olde is past and contrarie to lewdnes in hande there is innocente life in the mouth contrary to arrogante pride there is the woorde of confession in the heart contrary to fleshly lustes there is charitie contrary to worldly glorie there is humilitie By which wordes of Sainct Bernarde we see sette before vs a true description of our Iustification by comparing togeather the corrupte estate of man in Adam and the repairing of the same through the Mediator of God and menne 1. Timo. 2. the man Iesus Christe For this repairing of mans corrupt estate Christe is often times in the Scripture compared with Adam and called an other Adam and the last man. Rom 5. 1. Cor. 15. Not an other Adam like vnto the firste but an other contrary to the firste suche as came to restore that which was lost by the first Rom. 5. For as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made iuste And as in Adam all men die so in Christe all shal be reliued And as by the synne of one all men came to damnation so by the Iustice of one all come to the Iustification of lyfe But as we were all condemned in Adam bicause we were naturally borne of him and thereby tooke his conditions so to be saued by Christe we must also be newe borne in him and put on vs his qualities And so do we see that our true Iustification is the recouering of that which we lost in Adam and what that was I haue shewed before The whiche Christe hath fully restored in such as truely take a new birth of him In the secoÌ„d boke the .xviij Chapter as I shall shewe toward the ende of this woorke where place shal serue to speake of the vertue and strength of our Iustification by Christe It is now to be shewed particularly how such as are borne in synne come to be iustified in Christ what the causes of our Iustification be by what meane God worketh it in vs and how we receiue it Of the causes of our Iustification The V. CHAPTER Ioan. 3. THE chiefe and principall cause of our Iustification is the great loue that God beareth vnto man who so tendred the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne Galat. 4. And to make vs his children sent the spirit of his Sonne into our hartes that is the holy Ghoste wherewith he hath sealed vs vp Ephes 1. and geuen it as a pledge of our inheritance And this hath he wrought Tit. 3. not for the workes of iustice that we did but according to his owne mercie The cause that deserued this owre Iustification at his handes was the death of his sonne Iesus Christe Rom. 5. Coloss 1. 1.
sinnes committed by them Tertullian expressing the same custome saith further that they made also a confession of their former sinnes Ingressuros baptismum c. Tertullia De Bapti Suche as wil come to Baptisme must by often petitions fastinges kneelinges and watching and with confession of all their former sinnes vse praier S. Augustine declaring the order of his time saith De fide oper ca. 6. that such as intended to take baptisme certeine daies before gaue their names in writing and were purged and cleansed by abstinence fasting exorcismes forbearing the companie of their laweful wiues And by these doo we vnderstande that suche as were christened being of perfect age were not only instructed in faith but also taught to doo penance to faste to praie to promise that they would liue according to Christ his teaching to feare God to loue him and to hope in him al which thinges were conteined in their instruction and doctrine of Baptisme whereof S. Paule maketh mention Hebr. 6. And being in this wise prepared they receiued that Sacrament and therewith their Iustificacion If any would not professe amendemente of life but continewe in damnable vice or in any vngodlie kinde of liuing beleued they neuer so wel they were not admitted to be christened as S. Augustine saieth Meretrices c. Common harlottes and stage plaiers De fide oper ca. 18 and other what so euer occupiers of common lewde doinges vnlesse they vndoe and breake suche bandes be not suffered to come to the Sacramentes of Christ But this the Reader maie see at large in the booke it selfe of S. Augustine intituled of faith and workes which is translated into englishe and sette furthe herewith The cheefe argumente whereof is to declare that it suffiseth not him that wil be baptised and iustified to beleue vnlesse he haue faith that worketh by charitie and vnlesse his life be agreable to that holy Sacrament Cap. 2◠Cap. 15. Cap 16. For where any of bothe faileth saith he there neither ought nor can any promise be made of life euerlasting And thus haue we seene how they receiued their Iustificacion who came to be christened and iustified when they were of perfecte age That our Iustification and the vertues whereby we receiue it be the giftes of God and come of grace THE IX CHAP. Of Grace BVT as a sinner is brought to the state of iustice by faith through feare of God hope loue penance and the Sacrament of Baptisme so is it trewely to be said and faithfully to be acknowleged that it is the free grace of God that worketh al these vertues in him without the whiche he is not able of him selfe to atteine not only to the state of iustice but not so muche as to right faith and loue of God or any other gifte perteining to his saluation Cùm sine gratia Dei. Concil Arausica Cap. 19. c. For seeing that mannes nature was not able to keepe saluation whiche it receiued without the grace of God how can it be able to repaire that it hath loste without the grace of God As many then as are made members of Christe by the Sacrament of Baptisme or falling afterward be restored by penance are moued and stirred therevnto not by their owne desertes but by the free mercie and grace of God whose gifte both trew penance and also Iustification is And therefore although it be said to sinners Acto 2. Zacha. 1. Exposi Episto ad Ro. incho Agite poenitentiam doo penance And Conuertimini ad me Turne yee to me Yet as S. Augustine saith Poenitentiae meritum gratia praecedit quòd neminem peccati sui paeniteret nisi admonitione aliqua vocationis Dei. Grace goeth before the merite of penance For no man would repent him of his sinne were it not by some admonition of Gods calling The wastefull sonne said Surgam ibo ad patrem meum I will rise and go to my Father Aug. Epistola 106. Quam cogitationem bonam quando haberet nisi ipsam illi in occulto pater misericordissimus inspirasset Whiche good thought when should he haue had vnlesse his most merciful Father had inspired it into him As many as sinne seuer them selues and straie from God and sure we are it can not be false that trewth said Nemo venit ad me nisi fuerit ei datum à patre meo Ioan. 6. no man cōmeth to me vnlesse it be geuē him of my Father What thing so euer man thinketh heareth or seeth whereby he is moued to good that motion commeth of God. Visorum suasionibus agit Deus God worketh in vs De spiri Lit. Cap 34. 2. Cor. 3. saith S. Austine by persuasion of suche thinges as we see not only to will but also to beleue he worketh it either outwardely by exhortacions of the gospel or inwardly For that no man can chuse what shal come into his mind The Churches sound doctrine of Gods grace De spirit Lit. Cap. 7. but it is in his owne wil to consent or disagree Without this helpe of grace no man is able so much as to thinke any thing that maie please God. As this commendacion of grace is plainely sette forth in the Scriptures so hath it ben in all ages faithfully tought by the Church Bicause as S. Augustine saith Hac cogitatio sancta c. This holy thinking keepeth the children of men vnder the defence of Goddes winges this thought bringeth no pride The Church commendeth good workes but it setteth grace before them Concil Arausi cap. 8. saying Debetur merces c. Rewarde is due to good workes if they be done but grace that is not due goeth before that they maie be done It teacheth that mannes Iustificacion is the effecte of grace Per ipsam gratiam iustificatur De spiri et lit c. 10. c. By grace man is iustified freely that is to saie no merites of his workes going before Otherwise grace is not grace It teacheth that no man dothe good workes before he haue receiued grace thereby to deserue Gods grace but that God geueth his grace first whereby man doth good workes afterwarde whiche thing S. Augustine declareth by two apte similitudes Non vt ferueat Li. 1. ad Simplicia Quaest. 2. calefacit ignis The fier doth not heate to be made hote it selfe but bicause it is hote Neither doth the whele runne well thereby to be made rounde but bicause it is rounde Euen so no man worketh well that he maie thereby receiue grace but bicause he hath receiued it For how can he liue iustely that is not iustified but grace doth iustifie that a iustified man maie liue iustely And further to shewe how necessary Gods helpe and grace is to euerie man and at all times the Church teacheth that God doth not giue his grace onely once and then leaue man to him selfe Aug. Epistola 106. de Cōcil Palest but assisteth
God make it easie and light especially bicause we are fure to escape the heauie and punishing hand of God. For so S. Paul saith Si nos ipsos diiudicaremus non vtique iudicaremur 1. Cor. 11. If we would iudge that is to say punish our selues we shoulde not be iudged Thus haue I shewed that suche as fall after Baptisme into greate and deadly sinne are restored againe and iustified by penance whiche hath that vertue by the woorde and promise of Christe Ioani 20. I haue also declared howe a sinner is brought vnto true penance And further I haue shewed the difference betweene penance that is required of suche as being of age come to be christened and of such as fal after Baptisme wherin it hath ben proued that sinners after Baptisme are restored again to the estate of iustice Theodor. sup Paul. 2. Cor. 7. by doing the worthie fruits of penance and not by Faith onely And seing that al Christian men now liuing were baptised in their infancie This is the Iustification that we ought specially to loke vnto by knowledge to learne and to practise by dede As for the Iustification of faith alone how so euer it serue for suche as are to be christened In the viij Chap. of the secōd booke whereof I shall speake hereafter it serueth not for vs that are christened alreadie Of the increase and perfiting of our Iustification wherein it is truely said that we be iustified by good workes and not by faith onely THE XII CHAP. IT is not inough for the obteining of lyfe euerlastinge that sinners be iustified and made of wicked righteouse Psal 83. Tit. 2. vnlesse they continue also and increase in iustice goe from vertue to vertue and liue soberly iustly and godly For as S. Cyprian saith Parum est adipisci aliquid potuisse Cyprian li. 1. ep 5. It is a small matter to be able to get a thing It is more to be able to kepe that is once gotten as in faith it selfe and the healthfull byrth it is not the receiuing but the keping of it that geaueth lyfe neither is it by and by the attaining but the perfiting that preserueth a man to God. This our Lorde taught by his owne instruction Ioan. 5. when he saied Lo thou art made a whole man nowe sinne not least some worse happe fall vnto thee Christe gaue him selfe for vs saieth S. Paule to the intent he might redeeme vs from all iniquity Tit. 2. 2. Cor 6. and cleanse vnto him selfe a singular and special people a folower of good workes If this effect folowe not in vaine hath Christe geauen him selfe to death for vs in vaine doe we receiue his grace and Iustification And not onely in vaine but to our great daunger and peril 2. Pet. 2. Luc. 11. Augustin epist 106. Better were it for them saith S. Peter neuer to haue knowē the way of iustice then after the knowlege of it to turne backe againe from the holy cōmandement that was deliuered vnto them He that is iustified is ryd of the vncleane spirite and his harte lyke to the swepte house But if the same stande emptie not inhabited by the holy Ghost nor filled with the fruites of iustice the vncleane spirite doth not onely returne agayne but also bringeth with him seuen other worse then him selfe who entre and dwel there and the later doinges of that man becomme worse then the firste were For as to him that hath Math. 25. there shal be geuen and he shall haue aboundance so from him that hath not euen that he seemeth to haue shal be taken awaye To haue the gyftes of God is to vse them as Theophilacte writeth vpon that place Theophil in ca. 25. Math. Math. 28 And he vseth Goddes grace that doth good workes to the which ende grace is geuen Christe sente his Apostles to christen all Nations and to teache them to keepe all that he had commaunded them He woulde not onely haue a people to knowe him Luc. 1. Ioan. 15. but such a people as shoulde serue him in holynes and iustice He saith to his Apostles Ego elegi vos posui vos vt eatis fructum plurimum afferatis fructus vester maneat I haue chosen you and placed you to thintent you should go and bring forth fruite and to thintent your fruit should remaine And in the same chaptre he saith in hoc glorificatus est pater Ioan. 15. vt fructū plurimū afferatis efficiamini mei Discipuli Hereby is my Father glorified that you may bring forth much fruit and be made my scholers geuing vs to vnderstande that they be Christes scholers that shew the fruite of his teaching and that God is glorified not onely in our calling but also in the fruite that commeth of our calling For this cause the Scripture saieth to such as are already called to the state of iustice Apoca. 22 Eccle. 18. Math. 5. Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc Let him that is iuste be iustified yet And also Let nothing let thee from continuall prayer and let nothing forbid thee to be iustified vnto thy death for Goddes rewarde abydeth for euer Blessed are they that hunger and thyrst after iustice saieth our Sauiour Apertissimè nos instituens c. Most euidently teaching vs Beda in solen om Sancto that we should neuer thinke our selues iuste inough but euer more loue and desire a daylie increase of iustice For true it is that Leo saieth Quantumlibet quisque iustificatus sit Leo ser 8. de Passio Aug. ser 15. de verb. Apo. Why increase of Iustice is called Iustificatiō c. Be a man neuer so much iustified yet while he is in this life he may be better and more tryed but he that increaseth not decayeth and goeth backewarde and he that getteth nothing loseth somewhat And bicause as in al artes vse maketh the artificer more skilful then he was so the continuance and practise of iustice maketh a good man readyer and more able to do well and thereby iuster then he was the Scripture calleth it Iustificatiō that is to say an increase of iustice and declareth in sundry places howe the same is obteyned S. Iames saieth Iacob 2. videtis quòd ex operibus c. You see that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely And he that saieth Eccles 18. lette nothing staye thee from continuall prayer nor forbid thee to be iustified to thy death teacheth that prayer is a meane to iustifie whiche Chrysostome expresseth in more playne woordes Chrysost Tom 5. de orand saying vtiampiam ac cultu Dei dignam miris modis oratio conciliat conciliatam auget Prayer doth meruelously winne and gette a good life and increaseth it when it is a gotten Christ him selfe calleth prayer fasting and asmosedeede our iustice and sure we are that he is iuste who doth iustice Math. 6. 1. Ioan.
3. And so muche the iuster the more iustice he doth By the same rule Leo speaking of almose saieth Leo. ser 3. de ieiun mensis 7. Leo ser 8. de ieiu men 10. Iacob 2. Gen. 22. Hoc pio impendatur operi c. Let that be bestowed vpon godlie woorke that can iustifie the harte and wasshe the conscience And in an other place Goddes will is saieth he to iustifie the poore by patiente suffring of labour and trauaile and the riche by the woorke of charitie Abraham was iustified by woorkes offering vp his sonne by woorkes I say of obedience bicause he obeyed the voice and commaundement of God. The Scripture saith of Moyses In fide lenitate ipsius sanctum fecit illum God made him holy by faith and mildenes S. Bernarde saith as much of humilitie Bernard ser 1. in die natal Sectamini illam quae sola potest saluare animas vestras folow her which alone is able to saue your soules Finally Leo ser 6 de Quadrages al good workes done in faith bring with them a Iustification Quia hac quaeper se sunt vilia fides efficit pretiosa quae ab infidelibus ministrantur etsi fuerint sumptu magna omni tamen iustificatione sunt vacua faith maketh those thinges pretiouse which of them selues be litle worth And such as are done by infideles though in coste they be great yet be they voide of al Iustification If the workes of infideles be voide of Iustification bicause they be done without faith then Christian mennes woorkes done in faith may iustifie By these places of the Scripture and auncieÌ„t Fathers it is proued that good works done in faith iustifie the doers And bicause no man can doo such workes vnlesse he be him selfe a good man Sequuntur enim iustificatum Aug de fide ope ca. 14. noÌ„ pracedunt iustificandum for they follow him that is made iust they go not before him that is to be iustified we must coÌ„fesse that beside the Iustification of the wicked whereby a synner of vngodly is made righteouse â—om 4. there is an other degree of iustice which both the Scripture and Fathers as I haue shewed call Iustification that is an increase of iustice whereby a iuste man is made iuster Whiche to make the thing more playne The secoÌ„d Iustification I cal the seconde kynde or degree of Iustification bicause it commeth after the Iustification of a sinner whiche is the firste degree of iustice And this kinde of Iustification whiche is an increase of iustice Lib. 2. coÌ„tra â—ulta supra ca. Oecom in c. 2. Iaco. is obteyned and gotten by godly life by fighting with vice saieth S. Augustine by workes of faith without the whiche after baptisme faith auayleth not but maketh vs also gyltie of greater sinne receyuing the talente and bringing no gayne of it By this meane it is truely said that a wicked man is iustified that is reconciled to God by grace through faith hope charitie penaunce and the Sacramente of Baptisme without anye woorkes of merite goyng before And truely is it saied also that suche as be already iuste may be yet iustified that is increased in iustice by good workes So is it true that faith without workes iustifieth and true also that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely the one being meant of man not yet baptised the other of suche as are baptised or christened And further woorkes of faith doo not onely increase a good mannes iustice in this life but also procure vnto the dooers life euerlasting Rom. 6. Whiche S. Paule calleth our ende And S. Augustine the perfiting of iustice Ser. 61. de ver De. et ep 106. saying Complebitur spes nostra our hope shal be fully accomplished in the laste resurrection of the deade and when our hope shal be fulfilled then shal our Iustification be fully accomplisshed And bicause our iustice be it neuer so well begonne and continued here yet before that time is neuer perfect and without that ende auaileth not I call that with S. Augustine the perfiting of our Iustification or the thirde degree and ende of our iustice To the which the Scriptures plainely declare that we must comme by workes of faith Rom. 2. Psal 61. Reddet vnicuique secundùm opera eius God shall render vnto euery man according to his workes What thinges a man soweth Gala. 6. the same shall he reape for he that soweth in flesh of flesh shall reape corruption But he that soweth in spirite of spirite shall reape euerlasting life Our sowing is our workes of which if they be ill we shall reape damnation if they be good we shall receiue life eternall And bicause it is said in sundrie places of the Scripture 2. Tim. 4. Epist 105. lib de gra libe arbi ca. 8. 9. that God will render life euerlasting to good workes and that as a iuste iudge we gather with S. Augustine that life euerlasting is the rewarde of good workes whereof I shall haue occasion to say more when I come to speake of that matter Lib. 2 cap. 13. In the meane time we see that as a man is called to the state of iustice by faith without workes which is Iustification so can he neither be increaced nor perfited in iustice but by faith and good workes which is also called Where is then faith alone Iustification So can he neither comme to the beginning but by faith hope and charitie as hath ben shewed neither to the middle nor th' ende but by faith and good workes ioined together And this difference marked and rightely applied doth not only geue light to sundrie Scriptures seeming otherwise darcke but also taketh away the difference imagined In the 10. chap. of the 2. booke to be betwene S. Paule and S. Iames S. Peter and S. Iohn concerning the doctrine of Iustification whereof I shall speake more largely in an other place VVhat good workes be and howe they be called ours THE XIII CHAPTER Three kindes of vvorkes in Scripture THE greate commendation and price which the Scripture geueth to good workes moueth me briefly to declare what workes they are that we call good where with God is so highly pleased We finde in the Scriptures three kindes of workes named Gala. 5. whereof some are called workes of the flesh other the workes of the lawe Ioan. 6. Gala. 5. The third kinde the workes of God and the fruites of the holy Ghost The workes of the flesh are fornication vncleanes vnchast life and other like the doers whereof shall not enioie the kingdome of God. Gala. 5. The workes of the lawe be such as a man doth by him selfe presuming of his owne power and strength without the helpe of God Aug. ser 15. de ver Apost Philip. 3. by commandement of the lawe for feare of punishement and not for loue of iustice Of which S. Paule
thinketh he is able to atteyne vnto it of him selfe albeit he neuer reacheth thereunto August in praesation Psal 31. and loseth the hope of al his trauayle bicause he presumeth of him selfe and God condemneth euen that presumption yet hath he a desire to lyue wel and a care to doe good workes But who so is persuaded that faith onely suffiseth to obteyne both Iustification and saluation let him be well ware leste he falle into the goulfe and saye Aug. ibid. Faciam ergo quicquid volo I will doo then what I liste for though I haue no good woorkes and doe no more but beleeue in God my faith shall be reputed to me for iustice If he haue so saied and determined with him selfe he is fallen in and drowned If he be yet but thinking thereof and wauering he is in daunger Further if it be true that the Philosopher saieth Aristote Ethic. lib. 2. cap. 8. that of twoo vices contrarie to one vertue the more daungerouse and greater vice is that whereunto menne are more geuen We doubte not but the greater number of men is rather prone and contente of them selues to beleue only and put the reste in Gods mercie then desirous to leade a seuere and strayte life and payne them selues with good workes Which thing the diuel wel knowing hath in sundry ages gone about to put this opinion in the heades of such as he could abuse Ca. 12. as I shal shewe hereafter Wherefore to auoide this goulfe whiche is most perillouse I wil declare that faith alone suffiseth not in any sorte of true vnderstanding to our Iustification or saluation That is to say that faith alone is neither able to iustifie and bring to the state of iustice him that is a sinner nor alone able to keepe and increase our Iustification when it is gotten nor able alone to bring him that is iustified to the perfection of iustice in life euerlasting In which three degrees consisteth the absolute and perfecte Iustification of man In the first Chap. as I haue shewed before VVhence the opinion came that onely faith iustifieth and of diuers kindes of mainteyning the same THE II. CHAPTER August de gratia liber arbit c. 7. Rom. 3. Gal. 3. THE opinion that moued some menne to thinke onely faith sufficiente to saluation tooke his firste grounde of misconstruing the wordes of S. Paule Homines enim non intelligentes c. For men saieth S. Augustine not vnderstanding these wordes of the Apostle we thinke a man is iustified by faith without workes of the law thought he said that it is sufficient for a man to haue faith although he liue yll and doe no good workes But God forbid the chosen vessel should be of that opinion And vppon this and other places of Scripture Aug. in praefat Psa 31. de fid oper c. 14. whiche also they misconstrued they perswaded them selues that a Christian man needed not to doe any good woorkes for that he might be saued by faith though he liued vngodlie Others when they sawe the Scriptures so euidently commending good workes Caluin in instit ca. de iustific ca. 10. Brent in confess VVirtēber de bonis operibus and setting foorth the necessitie of doing them being ashamed to mainteine that they were nedelesse to be done haue saied that men must liue godly to testifie and declare their faith but yet that their good woorkes deserue no rewarde of lyfe euerlasting neither can stand in the iudgement of God. And to minse this matter more finely some haue yet gone further And whereas the Catholike Churche folowing the manifest Srciptures hath euer taught that a sinner is iustified through the merite of Christ and his Sacramentes by faith hope charitie and penance they haue taught that he is iustified by faith only and although they graunt that he must haue both hope and charitie that shal be iustified yet is it faith onely saie they that striketh the stroke in the acte of Iustification hope and charitie standing by as lookers on but working nothing Into these three kindes of dangerous errours men haue fallen by teaching and beleeuing the Iustification of faith alone not onely barring the necessitie of doinge good woorkes and penance but also abasing the worthines of hope and charity and th'estimation and dignitie of Christ his Sacramentes Against the first opinion S. Augustine both preached and disputed in sundrie places of his learned woorkes and namely wrote his booke of faith and woorkes against the same which thou hast here gentle Reader together with this Treatie translated vnto thee Concerning the seconde which the Authors would faine haue appeare different from the firste and yet in effecte seemeth all one In the 2. Chapt of the firste booke I haue saied somewhat before and plainely proued that good woorkes doe not onely keepe and increase our iustice here but shal be rewarded also in the ende with life euerlasting whereof I shall saie more hereafter In the. 13. Chapter To the thirde opinion I shall nowe answere and euidently shew that it is not faith alone that worketh th'acte of our Iustification but that hope charitie and the Sacramentes haue their partes in working it also And by this shall the Reader perceiue that after their meaning it can in no wise be truely said that faith alone iustifieth And here must I aduertise the Reader that this thirde opinion is newe and lately come out of the forge neuer heard of to my knowledge before these our daies For as there hath ben in sundrie ages carnal men which thought them selues August de fid oper c. 27 and went about to perswade others that faith and the Sacramentes of Christ might saue a man without good workes so haue I not read of any that plainely said faith without hope charitie and the Sacraments of Christ can iustifie a man. And therfore as diuers or rather al the auncient Fathers haue in some places of their woorkes gone about to pul the one opinion out of mennes heades so do I not finde that they make any mention of th' other and much lesse that any one of them before this our age hath affirmed it to be true That Faith excludeth not Charitie in our Iustification that is to saie Faith alone iustifieth no man without the helpe and woorking of Charitie THE III. CHAPTER AND nowe to beginne with the moste excellente vertue that is in a Christian man Of Charitie Faith alone iustifieth no man without the helpe and working of charitie It hath ben declared before In the. 4. Chapter that our Iustification in Christe is but the restoring of that whiche was lost by Adam And as Adam sinned not onely by lacke of faith but rather and much more by lacke of good wil and right loue so is not a man once fallen restored againe by recouering onely righte faith vnlesse he recouer also righte loue The sinne of Adam was chiefely a peruerse desire
and luste through a loue settled where it should not be pulled from God and delyte heauenly and settled on him selfe and thinges transitorie And as that peruerse loue which is called luste made him of good and righteouse August in Praefat. Psal 31. August in Titul Psal 64. euill and sinnefull so in all that descende of his race yll loue and luste maketh an yll man and good loue which is called Charitie maketh a good man. Interoget se quisque quid amet inueniet vnde sit Ciuis Lette euery man aske of him selfe what he loueth and he shall finde whereof he is a Citizen That is to saie whether he be of the Citie of God or of the Diuell Charitie yt ys that altereth and chaungeth the hearte and the hearte is it that chaungeth the woorkes Muta cor mutabitur opus August Serm. 12. de verb. Dom. Change the heart saith S. Augustine and the woorke will be changed And howe the hearte is changed it foloweth Extirpa cupiditatem planta charitatem Roote out luste and ill desire plante charitie for as luste is the roote of all yll so is charitie the roote of all good No man is iustified but he that is made a good man and charitie it is that maketh a man good Aug. Enchi c. 117 For when the question is asked whether any one be a good man it is not demaunded what he beleueth or what he hopeth but what he loueth For who so loueth rightly without doubt he beleueth rightly Al men wil confesse that no man can be iustified vnlesse he know God be new borne of God translated from death of the sowle to lyfe fourmed of newe and graffed in Christe and finally made a new creature For who so euer remaineth without knowledge of God and continueth in the olde estate of Adam is the childe of anger in the state of iuste damnation and farre from iustice If then it plainely appeare that all these fiue pointes be wroughte in vs especially by charitie wee must needes confesse that charitie doth not onely worke but singularly worke in the acte of our Iustification To proue the firste and seconde pointe S. Iohn saith Euerie man that loueth 1. Ioan. 4. is borne of God and knoweth God. He that loueth not knoweth not God for God is charitie The thirde pointe he proueth by these wordes 1. Ioan. 3. Nos scimus We knowe that we are translated from death to lyfe bicause we loue our brethren he that loueth not remaineth in death August in expo epist ad Galat. Of the fourth point S. Augustine saith formatur Christus in eo qui formam accepit Christi Christ is formed in him that hath receiued the fourme and shape of Christ but he it is that receiueth the shape of Christ who cleaueth faste to Christe by a gostely and spirituall loue The fifte pointe is proued by S. Paule who taketh it for al one to be made a newe creature and to haue faith that worketh throughe charitie For as he saieth Galat. 5. In Christe Iesu neither circumcision Galat. 6. nor to be without circumcision auaileth ought but faith that worketh through charitie So he saith Neither circumcision nor to be without circumcision auaileth ought but the newe creature This being proued that man knoweth God is borne of God translated from death to life newe fourmed in Christe and finally made a newe creature by Charitie it is also proued consequentely that man is iustified especially through Charitie I go not abowte here to abase the excellente gifte of faith nor to saie charitie onely iustifieth excluding faith which is the foundation of all rightuousenes my intente is onely to shewe howe shamefull a diuorce they make that parte these so wel agreeing vertues in the acte of our Iustification whiche God hath ioined together Matth. 19 Leo serm 7. de quadrag For trewely it is saied Charitas robur est fidei fides fortitudo est charitatis Charitie is the force of faith faith is the strength of Charitie and then is the name trewe and trew fruite of bothe when eche remayneth sure and faste knitte to other Seing then that Iustification is the greatest fruite that can come of faith it foloweth that the same can not be had without thaid of charity Faith may be in a man without charitie but it maketh no man rightuouse and iuste but by charitie S. Augustine saith A man may beleue that Christ is Christ by faith without hope and charitie but he can not beleue in Christe whiche is as muche to saie as to be vnited and made a member of Christe without hope and charitie Aug. Ser. 61. De ver De. Qui credit in Christum c. who so beleueth in Christe by his beleuing Christe commeth vnto him and by some meanes he is made one with Christ and a member of his body which can not be done vnlesse hope and charitie be ioined also In which place three thinges are to be noted first he saith that faith alone is sufficiente for vs to beleue that Christe is Christe Next he saith that faith alone is not inough to make a man the member of Christ Thirdely he saith that faith hope and charity ioined together make a man the member of Christ Wherefore seing that to be iustified is nothing els but to be made a member of Christ it is a plaine matter with S. Augustine that faith only can not iustifie bicause it can not make a man the member of Christe And for as muche as that effecte is wroughte by the three vertues ioined together it foloweth also that hope and charitie worke in the acte of our Iustification as well as Faith. Faith can not onely iustifie no man without charitie but as S. Bernarde saieth dieth if charitie be pulled from it Bernar. Ser. 24. super Canti Mors fidei est separatio charitatis It is the death of Faith to be parted from charitie And he that diuideth them saith he is fideicida a murtherer of Faith. A deade faith can not geue life to the sowle Mortuam Apostolus definit eamesse Iaco. 2. And the Apostle S. Iames determineth that faith to be deade that worketh not by loue Quasi non habens animam ipsam dilectionem Bernar. Epist 42. Bicause she hath not loue whiche is her very sowle If faith when she is without charitie wanteth her sowle and life without the which she can doo no acte howe should she without charitie worke that greate acte of our Iustification To make the matter plaine we shall neede but one argument grounded vppon the wordes of S. Paule Gala. 5. In Christ Iesu neither circumcision nor to be without circumcision auaileth any thing but faith that worketh through charitie If that be the Faithe that auaileth whiche worketh through charitie then faithe alone destitute of charitie auaileth nothing If it auaile nothing muche lesse dothe it worke our Iustification For that is not onely somewhat but
est By the which onely he is trewly iuste who so euer is iust But to declare that his minde was not to make any such separation Ib. cap. 70. he saith it is the charitie that commeth from a pure harte a good conscience and vnsained faith He might allege for him th' authoritie of S. Ihon th'Euangelist who being required by his scholers a litle before his death to teach them some perfecte lesson Hier. li. 3. com in epist ad Galat. cap. 6. whereby they might liue well and haue cause to remembre him said my children loue one an other And when they looked for more he repeted the same againe and said It is our Lords commaundement and if there be no more done but that it is inough He should haue Prosper to say for him De vit contēpla li. 3. ca. 13 Charitie is a summarie and abbridgement of all good doings of the which euery good worke taketh his life without the which neuer man pleased God. S. Bede would say Homi. aestiua in lita maio Ser. 7. de Epipha Chrysost tom 1. fol. 176. Charitie is the principall vertue in so muche that without that vertue other principall vertues can not be Leo would call her the mother of all vertues and Chrysostome the mother of all goodnes And thus haue I proued not only that faith without charitie iustifieth no man but also that charitie hath a souereine working in the acte of our Iustification without the which faith auaileth nothing and so doth not faith alone iustifie nor exclude charitie An answere to obiections that be made to proue that faith alone iustifieth without charitie THE IIII. CHAPTER BVT leste the mainteiners of Iustification by onely faith should seeme to be without all ground and to exclude charitie without colour of reason they frame one especiall argument which for the readers better satisfaction I will put forth and answere here The argument is this We be iustified by faith without all workes of the Lawe Charitie is a worke of the Lawe Ergo we be iustified by faith without charitie To the which I answere with S. Augustine that their second proposition deceiueth them for that charitie is not onely a worke of the lawe but also the gifte of the holy Ghost in the newe testament Rom 5. S. Paule saith the charitie of God is powred abrode in our hartes through the holy Ghost that is geuen vs. 1. Ioha 4. And S. Iohn saith Moste dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue commeth of God. Vppon which wordes S. Augustines answere is De grat li. arb cap. 18. Cùm dicitur diligamus inuicem lex est Cùm dicitur quia dilectio ex Deo est gratia est When it is said Lette vs loue one an other it is the lawe when it is said for loue commeth of God it is grace He maketh this the greatest differēce betwene th' old and new testament that where as in the old God lead his people by terror and feare in the newe he geueth them plenty of his charitie and loue Contr. Adiman cap. 17. De spirit lit cap. 17. Item cap. 21. ca. 16. Haec est breuissima c. This is the shortest and plainest difference of both testaments feare and loue Ibi in tabulis lapideis There the holy Ghost wrought in tables of stone here in mens hartes And what be the lawes of God writen by God him self in mennes hartes but the presence of the holy Ghost who is the singer of God by whose presence charitie is powred abrode in our hartes which is the fulfilling of the law Thus doo we see that charitie is not onely a worke of the law but also the fruite of the holy Ghost the speciall token of the new testament wrought in our hartes by the holy Ghost And so hath S. Augustine answered this argument xi hundred yeares before they were borne that lately haue made it And whereas it is saied that faith onely iustifieth What it is truely to apprehēd Christe bicause faith onely apprehendeth Christe I aske what is meant by the terme of Apprehension If it be to beleue onely that Christ died for sinners that alone iustifieth no man for the Diuelles beleue it and tremble Iacob 2. bicause they hope not to be partakers of that benefite nor loue him that purchased it If to apprehend Christe be vnderstanded to dwell in Christe and to haue him dwell in vs it is not true that Christe is apprehended in that sorte by onely faith without charitie For it is saied 1 Ioan 4. God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him And Christ him selfe saith Si quis diligit me Ioan. 14. sermonem meum seruabit Pater meus diliget eum ad eum veniemus mansionem apud eum faciemus If a man loue me he will kepe my saying and my Father wil loue him and to him will we come and make our abode with him By these woordes let the Reader learne what it is truely and profitably to apprehend Christe He apprehendeth Christ truly Aug. ser 61. de ver Dom. tract in Ioan. 29. that is vnited and made a member of Christe whiche as I haue proued in the last Chapter can not be done without hope and charitie He apprehendeth Christ truely that cleaueth vnto Christ and the glue whereby the sowle is fastned vnto Christe saith S. Augustine is charitie Ipsum gluten est charitas In Psal 62 If it be said that faith apprehendeth the promise Christ hath promised lyfe euerlasting to suche as become his friendes Ioan. 15. Heb. 5. And they be his friendes that keepe his commaundements He is made a cause of life euerlasting but to such as obey him The promise is made to the children of Abraham that is to suche as haue the faith and obedience of Abraham whereof I shall speake at large hereafter Chapt. 23. And so is it true that faith alone neither apprehendeth Christe nor his promise profitablie vnlesse hope and Charitie be ioyned vnto it That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification THE V. CHAPTER Of Hope AS God requireth of such as come to his seruice that they stedfastly beleeue in him and with all their heartes loue him So doth he also require of them to repose al hope and affiance in him onely saying by his Prophete Iere. 17. Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man. And by the same Prophete Iere. 9. 1. Cor. 1. Psal 107. Psal 33. Let not the wise bragge in his wisedome neither lette the strong boast in his strength Nor lette the riche glorie in his riches But lette him that boasteth boast in our Lorde Wherefore as mans power to saue is vaine and he vnhappie that trusteth in it so happie is the man that trusteth in God. Of so great force is a
neither faith nor any of the rest sometime to hope sometime to Baptisme or penance without the rest somtime it promiseth rewarde of life euerlasting to faith without mention of good workes sometime to good workes saying nothing of faith and yet is there no one of them meant to be excluded or left out And therefore the godly reader wisely meeke and meekely wise when he seeth life euerlasting promised to euery one of these particularly A rule for the right vnderstāding of the Scriptures remembring that euery woorde of God is like true ioyneth them al together and truely beleueth that to the perfiting of our Iustification and Saluation there is required grace faith the feare of God hope charitie together with the Sacramentes of Baptisme and penance and also good workes as hath ben shewed before It is not the manner of the holy Ghost nor of the Catholike Church by affirming of one treweth to deny or take away an other but to ioine all trewth together S. Paule the true and earnest commender of faith preached in Asia publickly and priuately Act. 20. Testificans Iudaeis atque gentibus in Deum poenitentiam fidem in Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Protesting to the Iewes and Gentiles penance towarde God and faith in our Lorde Iesus Christ and there ioined he faith and penance together S. Augustine often times teacheth that we are saued by Baptisme intending not to exclude faith in such as be of perfecte age and therefore saith Baptismus qui semel adhibetur Ser. 30. de ver Do. per fidem mundat Baptisme that is geuen but once Note cleanseth by faith If this rule were marked and put in vre we were at a point not onely in this matter but in many other The Euchites waying the greate commendation that Christ in the Gospell geueth vnto praier Matt. 7. Luc. 11. saying Petite dabitur vobis Aske and it shal be geuen you And what so euer thinges ye aske in praier Mar. 11. beleue ye shall haue them and they shall come to passe vnto you were of opinion Theodor. li. 4. here fabul et hist. eccle li. 4. ca. 11. that praier alone was sufficient for a Christian man. They did sette light by Baptisme and said the holy Sacrament of the altare did neither good nor harme Whereby they tooke no fruit of theire praier and loste the benefit of the Sacramentes and theire owne saluation Lette them be taught by this example who seeming to extolle faith make light not onely of hope charitie and good workes but also of the very Sacramentes ordeined by Christ for our saluation Lette them take heed leste beside losing the benefite of Christes Sacramentes they be not founde voide of true faith also For what faith can we say that they haue or howe doo they beleue Christe Matt. 20. 2. Cor. 12. Act. 8. who being taught by his owne wordes to be Baptized if they be Hethen and by the wordes of S. Paule and S. Peter after Baptisme to doo penance when they haue sinned be carelesse to doo the one or the other It hath ben declared before In the 6. chapter that sinnes be forgeuen and we iustified by the Sacraments of Baptisme and penance It hath ben shewed also In the 11. chapt that faith is one of the partes of true penance and therefore penance can not exclude faith neither faith if it iustifie exclude penance For faith is either vnfained liuely and profitable De fid et oper ca. 16 such as S. Augustine termeth fidem Christianorum Christian mennes faith or els it is naked and deade such as bicause the Diuel may haue he calleth fidem Daemoniorū Iaco. 2. the Diuels faith The naked and bare faith iustifieth no man for if it could the Diuel might be iustified The liuely and Christian mans faith beleuing al scripture to be true and seing penance not only cōmended but also cōmanded can not passe it ouer but by praier obteineth it and so iustifieth Penance is the reuiuing of a sowle that is dead by sinne Aug. de trinit lib. 4. cap. 3. Anima Deo deserente moritur the soule dieth when God forsaketh it Resuscitatur per poenitentiam It is raised vp againe by penance Ho 20. in Gen. And bicause penance is the meane to receiue Goddes grace Chrysostome saith that vppon contrition of harte remorse and confession God doth not only geue the healing of woundes but maketh him a iuste man that was before loded with innumerable burdens of sinnes Constitu Apost lib. 2. ca. 23. Seing therefore the holy Ghost hath so prouided for vs that as S. Clement saith the Church of God is our peace and a quiet and calme hauen vnto the which sinners may be restored Ioan. 20. by absolution Seing also that Christ hath made that fauorable promise saying whose sinnes you forgeue they be forgeuen them De adulter cōiug li. 2. ca. 9. whereby as S. Augustine saith Per claues regni coelorum non dubitatur fieri remissio peccatorum There is no doubte but through the keies of the kingdome of heauen sinnes be forgeuen Lette no man presume through Iustification by faith to misprise or contemne the Sacrament of penance Lette no man leaue the sure for the doubtefull and vncerteine For as in case of necessitie men may enioy the inuisible grace of God Aug. super Leuiti Quaest 84. without the visible Sacramentes so is not the visible Sacrament to be dispised when it may be had Nam contemptor eius sanctificari nullo modo potest For the dispiser of it can by no meanes be sanctified inuisibly Faith can not onely iustifie no man where the contempte of Christes Sacramentes is but furder that very contempt maketh a man prophane and wicked as S. Augustine saith Sacramentorum vis inenarrabiliter valet plurimum Contr. Faust. lib. 19. cap. 11. ideo contempta facit sacrilegos impiè quippe contemnitur sine qua nō potest perfici pietas The vertue of Sacraments is of greate and vnspeakeable force and therefore if it be dispised it maketh men profane and wicked For wickedly is it dispised without the whiche godlines and pietie can not be perfited Seing then that the Sacramentes by the death of Christ haue that singular vertue whereby sinnes be forgeuen the passion of Christe applied vnto vs our woundes and ruptures tied vppe and rowlled by them as by medicinall bandes without the whiche we coulde not atteine to perfecte health how can it be said that faith alone can iustifie or exclude the vertue of them in our Iustification VVhat is the trewe meaning of these wordes in the Scripture vve are iustified by faith or saued by faith with other like THE VII CHAPTER BVT seing that all wordes of the Scripture be the wordes of God Of faith Iustifiing Rom. 3. Galat. 3. Ioan. 6. Lucae 7. writen by inspiration of the holie Ghost and therefore vndoubtedly trew if Faith
can not worke our Iustification without charitie and other vertues howe is it then saied that the iustice of God commeth through faith of Iesus Christ into al and vppon al that beleue in him And in an other place By Faith God iustifieth the gentile What is meant by these wordes of Christ He that beleueth in me hath life euerlasting Thy Faith hath saued thee with many other like Wherevnto I answere There be two causes why it is saied through faith Tvvo Causes vvhy faith is saied to iustifie and by faith we are iustified To beginne with the first Faith is the beginning of iustice the roote of good workes the foundation wherevppon godly life is builded Aug. de praedesti Sanct. c. 7. Ex fide aūt ideo dicit iustificari hominem For this cause S. Paule saith a man is iustified by Faith not by workes for that Faith is first geuen whereby other which properly are called good workes by the whiche men liue iustely maie be obteined Without the direction of Faith no man can liue well nor doo good workes Aug. de fide operib cap. 7. Nisi praecedat fides vita bona sequi non poterit c. vnlesse Faith goo before good life can not folowe for what so euer a man shall doo with shewe of well doing excepte it be done for pietie and duties sake towarde God Cyril in Ioan. li. 4. cap. 9. 1. Cor. 3. Augu. de fide operib c. 16 it can not be called righteouse nor good Ianua via in vitam fides est Faithe is the gate and waie to entre into life Faith is the foundation whereuppon the whole building of a Christian and godlie life is laide Si autem Christus proculdubio fides Christi c. If Christe be the foundation vndoubtedly the Faith in Christ is the foundation for by Faith Christ dwelleth in our hartes For that cause the Bishoppes assembled at Magunce to reforme the state of the Churche and to directe the people to a Christian and godly life Concil Magun cap. 1. Rom. 5. Ephes 3. saide Initium actionis nostrae de fide esse decreuimus c. We haue determined that the beginning of our doing is of Faith whiche is the foundation of all good for without Faith we can not please God. By Faith it is that we haue accesse to Christ Faith is a meane to obteine and gette our Iustification Aug. de Spiri et Lit. ca. 29 Iustificatio autem ex fide impetratur c. Iustification is obteined by Faith. And by what meane S. Augustine doth there expresse Per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum Aug. de Spiri Lit. ca. 30. Per gratiam sanatio animae à vitio peccati By Faith grace is obteined against sinne and by grace the sowle is healed of that is amisse by sinne Bicause therfore Faith is the gate and entrie to life the roote of good workes whereof all iustice taketh his beginning the foundation whereupon godly life is builded the meane to obteine Iustificatiō and good workes without the which nothing pleaseth God the Scripture saith that by Faithe a man is iustified for of Faithe it maie be saide Haec porta Domini iusti intrabunt in eam Psal 117. This is our Lordes gate the iuste shal entre into it And here the Reader must be aduertised The Catholike Faith. Vincentius Lyrinēsis that by faith is vnderstanded the trewe Catholique faith whiche holdeth and beleueth onely that that the Catholique Churche hath holden from Auncient time vniuersally And what so euer it shall vnderstande to be brought in afterwarde of any one beside or against all the holy it accompteth that not to perteine to religion but to temptation To this Faith is all promise made and preeminence geuen in the Scripture This faith is the foundation of iustice If any other be brought in contrarie or diuerse from this Nō est fides Cyril suprà sed perfidia It is not faith but falsehod not the foundation of iustice and gate of life but the waie to destruction Symbol Athan. Aug. Euchi cap. 1. De fide ope ca. 14. Epist 105. De spiri et Lit. cap. 32. Aug. de fide et oper c. 16. For we sing in the Creede Vnlesse a man holde the Catholique Faith sounde and inuiolable he shal without doubt be loste for euer An other cause why the Scripture so speaketh is that wheresoeuer it is said a man is iustified by faith there is not meant a bare naked or solitarie faith but that faith that worketh through Charitie And therefore S. Augustine where he saith that faith is the foundation wherby Christe dwelleth in our hartes immediatly after addeth these wordes Porrò fides Christi illa vtique c. But that is verely meant the faith of Christ which the Apostle determined that hath her working through Charitie Iaco. 2. Mar 1. Lucae 4. Matth. 8. For it is not the Faith of diuels though they also beleue and tremble and confesse Iesus to be the Sonne of God that may be taken for the foundation and why so but bicause it is not the Faith that worketh through Charitie but suche as is wroong owt through feare The Faith then of Christe the Faith of Christian grace that is to witte the Faith that hath her working through charitie if it be laied in the foundation suffreth none to perish by which wordes it appeareth that Faith maie be without charitie but suche a Faith can not make Christ to dwell in vs. Againe that Faith voide of charitie is not the Christians but the diuels Faith. Thirdely that the Faith of Christ the Christians Faith and the Faith of grace is that which worketh through Charitie and that is it that muste be laide for the foundation in al that shal not perish And seing that no man will saie that Faith can iustifie other then suche as is the faith of Christ the faith of grace the Christian and not the diuels faith it remaineth that when it is saied in the Scripture a man is iustified or saued by faith we must vnderstand that faith onely that worketh through Charitie Charitie maketh the difference betwene good men and wicked diuels Charitie is the cause why a Christian man may be iustified by faith Aug. Epistola 105. Iacob 2. Mar. 1. Lucae 4. Matth. 8. and the diuell maie not Illa quippe fides est Christianorum non daemoniorum That whiche worketh through Charitie is the Christian and not the diuels faithe for diuels also beleue and tremble but doo they likewise loue If they had no belefe they woulde not haue saied thou arte the Holie of God thou arte the Sonne of God had they loue they woulde not haue saied what haue we to doo with thee Other saith then this S. Augustine commendeth not as able to iustifie Illa est laudabilis fides August serm 13. de verb. Apostol ipsa est vera gratiae
fides quae per dilectionem operatur That is the praise worthie faith that is the true faith of grace whiche worketh through charitie That faith it is that Christe requireth of vs whiche if we haue not we shal die in our sinne They be his owne woordes If you beleeue not that I am Ioan. 8. ye shall die in your sinne And let vs not thinke saith Cyrillus Cyril in Ioan. li. 5. ca. 23. that God made this threat onely vnto the Iewes Eadem enim nos quoque manet damnatio si non in Christum fide per per dilectionem operante crediderimus For the like damnation remaineth for vs also if we beleue not in Christ by faith that woorketh through charitie To teache vs this difference of faith and beleeuing Christe saith in an other place Ioan. 7. Qui credit in me sicut dicit scriptura flumina de ventre eius fluent aquae viua He that beleeueth in me in such sorte as the Scripture saith fluddes of liuely water shall flowe out of his belie By fluddes of liuely water as there S. Iohn saith is meant the holie Ghoste which they should receiue that beleeued in him Christe said not who so beleeueth in me but he that beleueth in me as the Scripture saith for that is the true pointing of the sentence Note as Theophilactus noteth there And who doubteth but that the Scripture beside faith teacheth vs also to loue Christe to hope in him to doe penance to receiue his Sacramentes and to liue godly If no man then be iustified without the holie Ghoste who powreth charitie into our heartes seeing the holie Ghoste is geuen to suche onely who beleue in Christe as the Scripture saieth the Scripture bidding vs not onely to beleeue in Christe but also to loue him it foloweth that they onely be iustified who haue faith working through charitie Theophil ibi in cap. 7. Ioan. Multi enim se putant credere sed non vt dicit Scriptura c. For many thinke they beleue but they beleue not as the Scripture saieth And so haue they folowed their owne sectes such as all heretikes be but he saieth the riuers shall flowe out of his belie that is the true faithful beleuer Although this place alone might suffice to teache the indifferent Reader what faith it is that pleaseth God yet do other Scriptures in sundry places put vs in minde that a bare and solitarie faith sufficeth not As Christe saied to Marie Magdalene Luc. 7. Fides tua te saluam fecit Thy faith hath saued thee so said he there of her also synnes be forgeuen her bicause she hath loued much And what is that to saye but that shee was saued by faith through charitie Beside that she shewed by her teares a greate penance and by comming to Christ being so notable a synner shee declared a greate hope Math. 9. The woman that was healed of the blooddy flyxe had not onely a faith but also so earneste hope that shee trusted shee shoulde be whole might she but once touch the skyrte or hemme of Christes garment Math. 15. Christe commended in an other woman faith but a great faith Hom. 34. in Gene. saying O woman great is thy faith bicause saieth Chrysostome he sawe in her such a constancie and perseuerance that coulde not be wearied And as S. Augustine saith De fide oper c. 16. He that looketh into the hart sawe that shee was chaunged and become a new woman and therefore whereas he had before called her dogge he saied not then O dogge but ô woman In Ioan. li. 10. c. 16. greate is thy faith Cyrill saieth that they be the faithfull who by sincere faith are graffed in Christe as branches in the vine And to declare what he meaneth by sincere faieth he saieth It is not inough for our sanctification vnlesse we cleane styll faste vnto Christe by charitie Oecomenius requireth in our Iustification a faith in deede 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a true faith In cap. 2. Iacob suche as can not be in an vncleane man a faith not only in assente whiche resteth in beleeuing trueth but a faith in affection that standeth in loue S. Hierome saieth Math. 9. that both in the woman that was healed and in the petie captayne or Centener Deuota Deo suo anima approbata est A deuoute soule to their God was allowed Aduer Luciferianos suche a faith as is hardely founde in them that beleeue well Be it vnto thee saith God according to thy faith that saying would not I heare for if it be done to me according to my faith I shal perishe And yet surely I beleeue in God the Father I beleeue in God the Sonne I beleeue in God the holy Ghoste By whiche woordes we vnderstande that S. Hierome thinketh it not inough to beleeue but requireth also with faith a greate and earneste deuotion whiche can not be without a greate and earnest loue S. Paule aduancing faith with singular commendation Heb. 11. and saying that al the Fathers were allowed and pleased God thereby commendeth that faith wherewith not onelye charitie but all other vertues were ioyned By faith Abel offered sacrifice Enoch liued godly Noe feared God. Ambulauit cum Deo. Abraham obeyed God forsooke his countrie and offered vp his sonne Moyses was content to suffer affliction Raab receyued the messengers sente to spie By faith the holy did woorke iustice suffred scorning and whipping yea chaynes and prison were stoned cutte in peeces and dyed by the sworde Suche a faith doth S. Paule commende a faith ioyned with religion and dutie towarde God with feare of God with obedience of Gods commandement with pacience with iustice with suffring of al griefe and paine yea death it selfe for Gods sake According to the same rule our Crede requireth a sound and Catholique faith S. Augustine the faith of Christe the faith of christian grace a faith of Christian men not such as may be in Diuelles Cyril a sincere faith S. Hierome a faith full of deuotion Oecumenius a true faith not onely in opinion but in hearte and affection All whiche thinges are comprised by S. Augustine in these fewe woordes It is the faith that hath her woorking through charitie that maketh a iuste and a good manne Abac. 2. Rom. 1. August de spirit et li. c. 32 Haec est fides ex qua iustus viuit This is the faith whereby the iuste man liueth this is the faith wherby men beleeue in him that iustifieth the wicked This is the faith whereby vaunting and boasting is shut out This is the faith whereby abundance and largesse of the holy Ghoste is obteined This is the faith whereby they are saued to whome it is saied Ephe. 2. Galat. 5. Abach 2. Rom. 1. The true meaning of those vvoordes The iust mā liueth by faith Leo ser 5. de collect Bed. in die natal Do. ad Sum. Miss by grace ye
are saued through faith Finally to conclude this is the faith that woorketh through charitie In whiche woordes beside other thinges it is to be noted that the faith whereby we are saued and the faith whereby the iuste man liueth is none other but the faith that worketh through charitie Which vertue saith Leo by her mixture and tempering geueth life euen to very faith whereby the iuste man liueth For the iuste man liueth by faith saith S. Bede not by that faith that is vttered onely by confession of the lippes but by that faith that woorketh through charitie And thus may we truely vnderstande what the Scripture meaneth as often as it is said by faith we are saued or through faith we are iustified That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding charitie c. And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth THE VIII CHAPTER BVT yet this satisfieth not all men An Obiection Rom. 3. Galat. 3. For some thinke still we are iustified by faith alone for that S. Paule saying we are iustified by faith and putting to it without woorkes of the Lawe semeth to them to saie as much as we are iustified by faith alone And that opinion they inforce the more bicause diuerse of the auncient Fathers haue vsed these woordes Faith alone iustifieth The Ansvvere To the whiche I answere that neither S. Paule nor any of the Auncient Fathers euer meant it in that sense which they haue taken it that is to exclude from Iustification Charitie hope penance or any vertue and gifte of God. S. Paule his wordes by them alleadged be in the Epistles to the Romaines and Galathians Aug. ad Simplicia li. 1. qu. 2. Et in exposit epist ad Rom. inchoat Primas in Praefa epist ad Rom. Aug. in Exposi 4. ca. ad Gal. The Argument and intent of his whole Epistle to the Romains as S. Augustine saith is this Vt de ipsorum meritis nemo glorietur c. That no man boast nor vaunt him selfe of the merite of his workes of which the Israelites were bolde to make their boaste that they serued the Lawe which was geauen them and thereby had receiued the grace of the Ghospell as a debt due vnto their desertes bicause they serued the lawe for which cause they would not haue the same grace geuen to the Gentils as vnworthy of it vnlesse they would receiue the Iewish Sacramentes The Galathians to whome the Gospell had ben preached were moued and solicited by Iewes whose desire was to bring them to carnal obseruances of the Lawe Aug. in Exposi 4. ca. ad Gal. Prima in argu ep ad Galat. Rom. 4. Galat. 3. as though saluation laie in the same To answere vnto bothe these boasting of them selues and of the woorkes of the law and exacting them of other as necessary to saluation In bothe these Epistles S. Paule saith no man is iustified by the lawe proouing the same by Abraham who was iustified before circumcision was commaunded and long before the law was geuen and therby doth barre and put of al workes of the Lawe from our Iustification as nothing auailing towarde the same But what the woorkes of the lawe be it is not a matter so plaine to all men Beside the rites and ceremonies commaunded by Moyses S. Augustine calleth all suche the woorkes of the Lawe as a man presumeth to doe of him selfe of his owne power and strength without faith and the helpe of God August de spirit et li. c. 29 Adhuc dubitamus quae sunt opera legis quibus homo non iustificatur si ea tanquam sua crediderit sine adiutorio dono Dei quod est ex fide Iesu Christi Doe we yet doubt what the woorkes of the Lawe are by whiche no man is iustified if he take them as his owne without 〈◊〉 helpe and gift of God which cometh by the faith of Iesus Christe These be the workes of the lawe Serm. 15. de verb. Apostol which in another place he calleth also the iustice of the law Lege Dei proposita c. When the lawe of God is laid before vs whosoeuer is proud and thinketh he is able to fulfil it by his owne power and strength if he do that the lawe commaundeth not for the loue of iustice but for feare of punishment this man concerning the iustice of the lawe is a man without blame In both places he calleth al suche the workes of the lawe and the iustice of the lawe that a man doth of him self presuming of his owne strength without grace and helpe of God. Ex lege quia in mandatis Aug. ibid. sua tanque de viribus suis It is the iustice of the law bicause it is commanded It is a mans own bicause it cometh as of his own strength Now as S. Paul doth truly barre and shut out from the procuring of our Iustification al rites and ceremonies of the lawe and also all morall workes that we doe of our selues without faith and helpe of God So if a man would reason that he barreth likewise charity hope penance and the Sacraments of the Church bicause a man is iustified by faith without workes of the law he should shew him selfe ignorant of the Scriptures and of S. Paules meaning These be no workes of the law For not onely charitie Galat. 5. ioy peace patience mildenes and faith but briefly al workes of charitie when they be done by faith by helpe of grace and the gifte of God are fruites of the holie Ghoste not workes of the lawe Lex spiritus vitae Rom. 8. They be the law of the holie Ghoste and of life perteining not to the letter that killeth but to the spirit that geueth life August de spirit et lit c. 17 Ad prudentiam carnis terrendam c. When the workes of charity are written in tables to make the wisedome of the flesh afraied it is the lawe of workes and the letter that killeth the transgressour but when charitie is powred into the beleuers heart it is the lawe of faith and the spirit that geueth lyfe to the beleuer S. Augustine saith woorkes that be done for feare onely by commaundement of the law are called the lawe of woorkes and the killing letter but when they be done by charitie which through the holy Ghost is powred into our heartes they be called the Lawe of faith and geue life to the doers They be called the lawe of faith and workes of faith bicause they are geauen by faith and with faith Aug. ibid. cap. 30. Per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum c. By faith grace is obteined against sinne by grace the sowle is healed from sinne Wherefore when S. Paule saieth a man is iustified by faith without workes of the Lawe Rom. 3. he saith nothing els but that a man is iustified by grace and not by him selfe For as he saith here Ephes 2. Rom. 3.
by faith a man is iustified so saieth he els where by grace yee are saued As he saith in this place non ex operibus legis Ephes 2. not by woorkes of the lawe So he saieth there Non ex vobis Dei donum est Not by your selues it is the gift of God. Rom. 4. So doth he saie Abraham was not iustified by his workes he deserued not Gods grace and his Iustification by his owne doinges he was not able to crake against God nor to presume of him selfe He had it not secundùm carnem by flesh and of him selfe but by promise and by faith from God. And thus it appeareth plainly that S. Paule by Iustification of faith without woorkes of the Lawe dothe not exclude charitie hope penance nor any vertue or gifte of God geuen by faith but onely barreth mannes owne presumption and pride mannes owne doinges without God with rites and ceremonies taught by Moyses Otherwise if it had ben his intent to exclude the giftes of God vertues and workes of faith we might saie with S. Augustine August in praefatio Psalm 31. Quomodo dicit Apostolus iustificari hominem c. How doth the Apostle saie that a man is iustified by faith without woorkes seeing that he saith in an other place that is the faith which woorketh through charitie we nede not then set the Apostle Iames against Paule but Paule himselfe against Paule And this much may suffice concerning the right vnderstanding of S. Paules wordes who as S. Augustine saith If he should meane that faith alone iustifieth he should not onely speake against S. Iames but against him selfe also For euen as God when he saith Deut. 32. A very apte similitude Videte quòd ego sim solus c. See that I am alone and there is none other God beside me spake not the same in the person of the Father onely meaning therby to exclude the Sonne and the holy Ghost as the Arrians vnderstoode it but did exclude onely creatures and all that is not God in like manner when it is saied by faith we are iustified there is no vertue or gifte of God barred nothing is excluded that is ioined and geuen with faith but that onely is shut owt whiche is repugnante contrary or strange vnto Faith. That whiche I haue saied of S. Paule serueth also for the trewe vnderstanding of the auncient Fathers who when they saie Faith alone iustifieth exclude some one thing whiche is repugnante or in the sense that they meant not necessarie to Iustification Basil concio de humilita S. Basill writing in the commendation of humilitie saithe Haec est perfecta integra gloriatio in Deo. c. This is the perfecte and sound boasting in God when a man doth not vante him selfe of his owne iustice but knoweth him selfe to be needy of trewe iustice and iustified by onely Faith in Christ He barreth as S. Paule doth the presumption of our owne iustice boasting and vanting of our selues not hope nor charitie which be Gods giftes which plainely to declare a litle after he saith these wordes Quid extollis te dic mihi c. Tell me why doste thou extoll thy selfe as it were for thine owne good doinges whereas thou shouldest render thankes to the geuer for his giftes Faith then iustifieth vs without our owne workes as of our selues Ephes 2. In cap. 9. Epistola ad Rom. but not without charity and the workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in S. Ambrose saith Sublatis omnibus neomenijs c. Al the festiual daies of the new mone the sabboth day and Circumcision the lawe of meates and offering of beastes taken away faith alone is placed for our saluation He excludeth the rites and ceremonies of Moises as S. Paule dothe saying that faith alone without them saueth The same answere serueth to the wordes of Chrysostom who expounding the place of S. Paule where he forbiddeth men to auoid Iewish fables Hom. 3. in Epist ad Tit. The Word Sola Alone is not in the Greeke saith Si fidei credis c. If thou credite faith why bringest thou in other thinges beside as though faith alone were not inough to iustifie why doest thou subiect thy selfe to voluntary bondage and put thy necke vnder the yoke of the lawe He saieth not why doest thou match with faith hope or charitie but why doest thou put thy necke vnder the yoke of the lawe And in an other place he saith Hom. 27. in cap. 8. Matth. vt iam neminem fugere possit c. So that no man can now be ignorant but that it is declared by these wordes that saluation euerlasting is geuen to men through faith not by the workes of the lawe he saith by faith and yet not alone excluding onely the workes of the lawe Arnobius writing vppon the Psalmes and reprouing the Nouatians heresy who saied that such as were once christened In Psal 106. Baptisme is called redemption bicause ther by vve be partakers of Christ his redemption if they did fall afterwarde coulde not be holpen nor restored againe by penance hath these wordes Thou saiste that such as be not yet redemed and Christened they through penance may attaine to pardon we saie they obteine pardon by Faith alone But suche as be redemed and christened come to enioye the mercy of their redemer not by Faith alone bicause they haue already beleued but by penance Of such as came to the Faith and desired baptisme the Church required not seuere nor straite penance such as was vsually inioined to sinners that after Baptisme fell againe and therfore he saith such were pardoned by faith alone that is to say without that kind of sharpe penance But how there was in them Faith alone the Reader may knowe by that I haue saied in the eighth Chapter where it is declared by Iustinus Martyr Tertullian and S. Augustine that the custome of the Churche as well before as after Arnobius his time was to receiue none to Baptisme but such as asked pardon of their former sinnes Ibidem Iusti Mar. Tertullia August Epito Diuino Decreto de poeniten promised a newe life and for certaine daies before theire Baptisme vsed fasting and praier The like wordes and in the like argumente vseth Theodoritus saying woundes that are made after Baptisme are curable Mary curable not by forgeuenes through Faithe onely as once it was but by many teares weping and wayling by fasting praier and labour measured according to the quantitie of the sinne committed To these I will ioine S. Ambrose bicause he agreeth with them in wordes and matter Gratia Dei in Baptismate In ca. 11. ad Rom. c. The grace of God in Baptisme requireth not sighing or morning or any worke but onely a profession with harte And in that sense he saith Iustificati sunt gratis In cap. 3. ad Rom. They are freely iustified bicause working nothing nor making no recompence
they are iustified by Faithe alone thorough the gifte of God. Quemadmodum autem c. In cap. 4. ad Rom. But howe can it stretch or apperteine to the person of suche as doo penance when he saith Blessed they are whose sinnes be couered sithe it is a matter well knowen that penitente persones gette remission of their sinnes by labor and sighing Arnobius Theodoritus and S. Ambrose saie that some men are iustified by onely Faithe that is to saie without penance they saie it not of all men but of suche as come newely to the Faith and be baptized Furder their mening is not that they are iustified without al penance for then should they gainesaie Christes preaching which was Mar. 1. In the 6. Chap. of this booke Ambros supra De fide oper c. 26. Poenitemini credite Euangelio Repente and beleue the Gospell and I haue shewed before that trewe Faith can not be without penance but they saie in Baptisme such are iustified without sighing or morning that is to say without sharpe and laboriouse penance as in the Churche they did who properly were called penitentes as S. Augustine saith Therefore as for our selues to whom all this question muste be referred being baptized in our infancie when they saie Note Faith alone that suche as falle after Baptisme can not be iustified by Faith alone but by penance They plainely saie towching vs already baptised that no man is nor can be iustified by Faith alone and so by them is this question ended concerning vs. But some man will say howe may it be plainely vnderstanded that by Iustification of faith onely which the auncient Fathers seeme in wordes to affirme their meaning was not to exclude and barre hope charitie and workes of faith Sum. Moral 80. cap. 22. To that they shal answere for them selues seuerally eche by their owne wordes S. Basil asketh Quid est proprium Christiani What is the peculiar propertie of a Christian man fides per dilectionem operans faith that worketh through charitie And toward the ende of the same chapter Matth. 5. What is the propertie of a Christian man that his iustice abunde in all pointes aboue the Scribes and Pharisees according to the doctrine in our Lordes Gospel what is the property of a Christian man to loue one another as Christ hath loued vs. By S. Basil then faith alone is not inough to make either a iuste or a good Christian man. S. Ambrose declareth his meaning in sundrie places but of many to take one he expresseth it in these wordes Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo c. In ca. 4. epist ad Hebre. Without faith it is impossible to please God but faith alone sufficeth not it is necessary for faith to worke through charitie and to vse conuersation worthy to be allowed of God. Chrysostom saith Ne fideles sola fide c. Hom. 70. in Matt. cap. 22. Bicause the faithful should not truste they might be saued by faith alone Christe speaketh of the ill mennes paines so doth he moue the infideles to faith and the faithful to good life And in an other place he saith Ad agenda opera festinemus Hom. in Gen. 47. neque enim aliter saluari nos possibile c. Let vs make haste to doo good workes for otherwise it is not possible for vs to be saued Theodoritus in like manner saith Epito Diuino Decre de seruato incarna In Ioan. li. 10. ca. 17. Et post Seruatoris aduentum Euen after the comming of our Sauiour all atteine not to saluation but such as beleue and frame theire life according to his diuine Lawes Christ plainely teacheth saith Cyrillus that such as go away from him whether it be that they fall in faith or in keeping of his commandements shal not onely bring forth no fruit but shall also suffer euerlasting fier And further he saith if onely faith were inough Cyril in Ioan. lib. 10. cap. 18. the multitude of Diuelles should not perish Assure thy selfe good Reader a whole booke much bigger then this treatie is could not suffice to holde the sayinges of the auncient Fathers like vnto these But seing that in the mouth of two Matt. 18. or three witnesses standeth euery worde I may say either these witnesses suffise or I know not what may suffise The opinion is such as ought to be remoued out of all Christian hartes De grati lib. arbit ca. 7. which as S. Augustine saith hath none other grounde but the misconstruing of S. Paules wordes of which he him selfe saith there God forbid that the Apostle should be of that minde It is such as no man can hold for true vnlesse he wil make many and euident Scriptures false For graunting it to be true that onely faith suffiseth falsa erunt illa quae obscuritatem ambiguitatemque non habent Aug. de fid et ope cap. 15. 1. Cor. 13. c. Those sayinges of Scripture shal be false which are neither darke nor doubtefull If I haue all faith in so much as I be able to remoue mountaines out of theire place and haue no charitie I am nothing what shall it auaile my bretherne Iaco. 2. if a man say he hath faith and haue no good workes can faith saue him And alitle after if thou wilt come to life Matt. 19. keepe the commandementes These saith S. Augustine with other there alleged shal be false Whiche inconuenience bicause no man can beare I will applie vnto faith touching our Iustification the wordes that Chrysostome vttered of praier Chrysost To. 5. li. 1. de orand Deum Neque sola temperantia c. It is neither temperance alone that can saue a man if other vertues lacke neither carefull prouision for the poore nor any other thing that is vertuousely done but all muste concurre and come together into our soules Marie praier is laied vnder all the reste as the roote and foundation to beare them vppe Euen so it may be truely said faith is the roote of all good workes and the foundation that is laid vnder godly life And yet can neither faith nor hope nor charitie alone iustifie All must concurre and comme together into our sowles and then is that excellent and diuine worke of our Iustification accomplished and not otherwise Howe Abraham was iustified VVhat his faith was and who be the true children of Abraham THE IX CHAPTER THE readiest and plainest waie to open matters doubtefull and to cleare that whiche is darke is to teach by examples Seing therefore the Scripture commendeth often vnto vs Abraham for an example and paterne of Iustification and saith Esai 51. Attendite ad Abraham patrem vestrum Looke to Abraham your father there is no better way for vs rightly to vnderstand that matter then to consider how Abraham was iustified and howe he atteined to that singuler prerogatiue to be commended by the holy Ghost Rom.
Abraham Cypriae de Elemos S. Cyprian telleth Nam si Abraham credidit Deo. For if Abraham credited God and it was accompted to him for iustice doubtlesse he that according to Gods cōmandement geueth almes doth credit God and he that hath the trewe faith keepeth the feare of God. Thus haue I shewed that the Faith which was reputed vnto Abraham for iustice was that faith whereby he did credite vndoubtedly and obediently follow the wordes of God were they promises or were they commandementes as faithefull in the one as faithefull in the other By this Faith Abraham was made the Father of the beleuing by this faith Zacheus was made the childe of Abraham Gala. 3. by the same rule Qui ex fide sunt benedicentur cum fideli Abraham As many as be faithefull by this Faithe shal be blessed with the faithfull Abraham If all other Scriptures towching this matter were doubtefull and darke yet might the example of these two men so plainely set forth in both Testamentes suffice the meeke and godly Christian man trewely to vnderstande what apperteineth to Iustification That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paule and S. Iames concerning the doctrine of Iustification and howe they are to be vnderstanded THE X. CHAP. BIcause S. Paule saieth Rom. 4. Iacob 2. Abraham was iustified by faith and not by workes And S. Iames writeth that Abraham was iustified by woorkes and not by Faithe onely some haue thought ther was a contradiction imploied in the wordes of the two Apostles but the holy Ghost who ruled bothe their pennes and is neuer contrary to him selfe meante one thing in them both and by them both vttered one trewth well agreing with it selfe For the plaine declaration whereof it is to be vnderstanded 1 Cor. 4. Aug. in Praefa Psal 31. that our Iustification is compared vnto a perfecte building or vnto a fruitefull tree For as in building there muste be a foundation to beare vp the house and the tree muste haue a roote owte of the whiche the leaues and fruite maie spring and yet it is to no purpose to laie a foundation if a man builde nothing vppon it neither is it inough in a fruitefull tree to haue the roote withowt branches leaues and fruite See the first Chap. of this treatie euen so is there in our Iustification as it were a foundation and roote and a perfecte building and fruit The foundation and roote is Faith whereby we haue accesse to God and be made of wicked rightuouse Rom. 5. Ephes 2. Gala. 5. when I say Faith I meane not Faithe alone but accumpanied with charitie as S. Paule doth The building vppe or fruite of our Iustification is the continuance increase and perfection of iustice whereby such as are once iustified be made more iuste and in the ende perfited in iustice that is to say saued Of al which I haue saied sufficientely before Of the roote and foundation which is the entrie and first degree of Christian iustice S. Paule speaketh Of thincrease and perfection S. Iames. Rom 4. Iaco. 2. Rom. 5. Ephes 2. S. Paule saith we are iustified by Faith declaring what he meaneth by Iustification Habemus accessum per fidem in gratiam istam We haue accesse and comming to this grace throughe Faith. And when he saithe through faithe he meaneth especially through grace and throughe mercie Ephes 2. whereby Faith is geuen Tit. 3. It was not for the workes of iustice that we did but through his mercy he saued vs. All men are borne sinners called when they be sinners by grace called by grace iustified and made of sinners rightuouse Before our Iustification In Praesa Psal 31. S. Augustine his wordes maie be saied to euery one of vs Attenduntur opera tua inuentuntur omnia mala Thy workes are loked on and they be founde all euill Rom 6. If God shoulde rendre vnto these workes that is due he should condemne thee For the wages of sinne is death So was neither Abraham nor any man iustified by workes Workes done vvithout Faithe Neither Abraham nor any other could deserue Iustification by his workes For workes done without Faith and before God geue his grace in some degree deserue not at Gods hand either grace or reward of life euerlasting And thus do wee see in what sense S. Paule saied Abrahā was iustified by faith and not by workes He was first called by mercie and by grace without anie deserte of his woorkes going before The like he saith generally of al men that by grace they are called Rom. 5. Ephes 2. and by faith haue accesse to God and be planted in Christe and so iustified by faith and not by woorkes But here let the Reader take hede that he deceiue not him selfe For as before the grace of God Of vvorks don vvith faith and after God hath geuē his grace 2. Timo. 3. Luc. 1. no man is able to doe any woorke good and profitable towarde the life euerlasting so as many as are called receiued to Gods fauour and iustified be made able and meete to doe all good woorkes And as God calleth al men without iustice and holines So doth he call them to serue him in iustice and holinesse And as he found al men of them selues without good workes so did he suffer Tit. 2. Galat. 5. Ioan. 3. 1. Cor. 3. to cleanse vnto him selfe a people that should folowe good woorkes And suche good woorkes being the fruites of the holie Ghoste woorkes of faith done in God God working in man and man working togeather with God through the bountiful and liberal promise of God are rewarded with increase of grace and iustice here and in the life to come with perfection of iustice that is life euerlasting Apoca. 22 Eccles 18. See the 12 Chapt. of the firste booke Iacob 2. And bicause the Scripture calleth increase of iustice Iustification S. Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes that is to saie made more iust then he was strengthened and increased in iustice by woorkes In this sense he saith you see that a man is iustified by woorkes and not by faith onely And thus saith S. Paule truely a manne is called to iustice hath accesse to God and is made of wicked righteouse by faith deseruing it not by woorkes And S. Iames as truely saieth A man is iustified by woorkes that is a manne alreadie iuste is by woorkes made more iuste strengthened and increased in iustice Oecom in ca. Iaco. 2 There is faith saith Oecumenius that requireth no workes that goeth before Baptisme And there is faith that must be coupled with good woorkes and that is faith after Baptisme after whiche sense certaine of the Greeke Fathers saieth he vnderstoode S. Paule to speake of faith before Baptisme which bringeth a sinner to Chsist and iustifieth him without respect of any woorkes going before and S. Iames to speake of faith which is in a Christian man after Baptisme
Omnes mali Catholici c. Al euil Catholikes confesse Christ in wordes and deny him in deedes therfore be not ye as men carelesse bicause ye haue faith ioyne good life to right faith And to vnderstand the more plainly what iustice it is to haue faith without good workes let vs take the aduertisement of S. Augustine August de fid et ope cap. 26. Christ said Nisi abundauerit iustitia vestra c. Vnlesse your iustice be more abundant then is the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall not entre into the kingdom of God Iustitia eorum est dicere non facere c. Their iustice is to say and not to do and hereby he would haue our iustice surmount and be more abundant then theirs is both to say and to do If that be not there shal be no entrye into the kingdom of heauen The Phariseis iustice S. Augustine maketh this difference betwene the Pharisee and the good Christian man The Pharisee saith wel and doth it not he beleueth and worketh not the good Christian man doth both If it be true that the Scripture saith faith without workes is deade Iacob 2. August de fid et ope cap. 14. Rom 3. Rom. 11. In the 10. Chaptre Ambro. in cap. 3. ad Rom. Quousque fallūtur qui fide mortua sibi vitam perpetuam pollicentur How longe wil they be deceyued that promise them selues euerlasting life by a faith that is deade But here it may be said we are iustified freely and by grace And if it be by grace then is it not by workes otherwise grace is not grace I answere We are called to faith reconciled planted in Christe and so iustified by grace without respecte of anye woorkes going before as hath bene saied So saith S. Ambrose Iustificati sunt gratis c. Men are iustified freely bicause woorking nothing nor making no recompence they are iustified by faith alone through the gifte of God. He calleth the gifte of God our calling ad comming to faith and our Baptisme which as he saith in an other place Ambro. in cap. 11. ad Rom. August de spirit lit ca. 10. requireth not sighing or moorning or any woorke but onely a profession with the harte In the same sense saieth S. Augustine Per ipsam gratiam iustificatur gratis id est nullis suorum operum precedentibus meritis By grace is a synner iustified freely that is to saye no merites of his owne woorkes going before And note that he termeth his owne workes and workes going before What is to be iustified freely By his owne woorkes he vnderstandeth suche as a man dothe hym selfe without Goddes helpe He calleth suche woorkes going before as a heathen or synnefull man dothe before he hath receyued the grace of God withoute these woorkes Note S. Paule saieth a man is iustified freely and by grace that is to saye called to faith planted in Christe and made of wicked rightuouse But how is the iust man made more iuste and iustified yet for so must he be or els he loseth his iustice How is he saued Verely by grace and yet not without good workes for of them that haue receyued the faith and be iustified it is saied Reddet vnicuique secundùm opera sua Rom. 2. God shal render vnto euery man according to his workes Howe then doth S. Paule saye Gratia Dei vita aeterna Rom. 6. Obiection Ansvvere August de gratia lib. arbit cap. ◠Euerlasting life is the grace of God. Howe may these twoo stande together a man to be saued by grace and yet by good woorkes I answere with S. Augustine They stand well together Lyfe euerlasting is the grace of God and lyfe euerlasting is geuen as a rewarde to good woorkes bicause our good woorkes perteyne to the grace of God that is to say be the grace of God and so being saued by good woorkes we are saued by the grace of God the woordes of S. Augustine be these Aug. epist 105. Ipsa vita aeterna quae vtique in fine sine fine habebitur ideo meritis praecedentibus redditur tamen quia eadem merita quibus redditur non à nobis parata sunt per nostram sufficientiam sed in nobis facta per gratiam etiam ipsa gratia nuncupatur non ob aliud nisi quia gratis datur nec ideo meritis non datur sed quia data sunt ipsa merita quibus datur The very life euerlasting whiche in the ende shal be had without ende and therefore is rendered vnto merites Merites that go before yet bicause the same merites whereunto it is requited were not prepared of vs by our owne habilitie but made in vs by grace euen it selfe is called grace for none other respecte but bicause it is freely geuen And yet it is geuen to merites bicause the very merites them selues Ca. 1. 9 whereunto it is geuen were also geuen The like resolution he hath at large in his booke intituled of grace and free wil. So is it true concerning the entrye and beginning of our Iustification Rom. 3. that we are iustified freely by grace without any woorkes going before for our workes before grace coulde not be good Note Wel And in the continuance and perfyting of iustice whiche is life euerlasting we are also iustified and saued freely by grace and yet not without woorkes bicause our workes be not onely made good by grace but be also them selues the very grace of God. And here let the Reader learne of S. Ambrose and S. Augustine what it is truly to be iustified freely and by grace to the commendation of mercye whiche God geueth not to the derogation of good workes which God also geueth Wherefore if faithe withoute good woorkes can saue no man that hath tyme to doo them The iustification of faith alone as hath benne proued it is no where true as they meane it that faithe alone iustifieth It is not true in the entry of our Iustification and firste comming to Christe that faith alone without hope and charitie iustifieth If it were Iacob 2. Aug. Enchi cap. 8. 1. Cor. 13. then might the Diuel be iustified who beleeueth but neyther hopeth nor loueth then shoulde this Scripture be false If I haue all faithe and haue no charitie I am nothing It is not true in the continuance and increase of our iustice that faith may serue without good workes Math. 7. Ioan. 13. Rom. 2. Math. 25. Rom. 2. for if it mighte then were all the Scriptures false whiche a lytle before I alleaged It shall not be in the perfyting of our iustice and saluation that faith alone may saue for then shoulde it be false that God shall render vnto euerie man according to his woorkes then were the sentence that God shall geeue false wherein he shall saye Matt. 25. Come vnto me you blessed of my Father receyue the kingdome prepared for
sort that when God toucheth the harte of man by geuing vnto it the light of the Holie Ghost neither may the man him selfe do nothing at all when he receuieth that inspiration for he hath power also to caste it away and refuse it neither yet can he without the grace of God of his owne free will moue him selfe to iustice before God. Whereupon in the holie Scriptures when it is said Be you turned vnto me Zacha. 1. and I will be turned vnto you We are put in minde of our libertie When we answere Turne vs O Lord vnto thee Thren 5. and we shal be turned we do confesse that we are preuented by the grace of God. The manner of our preparation THE VI. CHAPTER VNTO this same iustice are men disposed whiles being stirred vp and holpen by the grace of God they conceiue faith by hearing and are freely moued towardes God beleeuing such thinges to be true as are by God reueled and promised and that especially that the wicked is iustified by God through his grace through the redemption which is in Christe Iesus And when they vnderstand them selues to be sinners turning them selues from the feare of Gods iustice wherewith they are profitably shaken to cōsider the mercie of God they are raised vppe into hope trusting that God wil be mercifull vnto them for Christes sake and so beginne they to loue him as the fountaine of al iustice and therfore are moued against sinnes through a certeine hatred and detestation that is through suche penaunce as is behouefull to be done before Baptisme finally when they purpose to receiue Baptisme they are moued to beginne a new life and to keepe the commaundementes of God. Of this disposition it is writen Hebr. 11. he that commeth vnto God must beleeue that he is and that he is a rewarder to those that seeke him Matth. 9. Againe Be of good comfort sonne thy sinnes are forgeuē thee Eccle. 1. Againe The feare of God driueth out sinne Againe Actor 2. Do you penance and let euerie one of you be Baptized in the name of Iesus Christe to the remission of your sinnes and you shall receiue the gifte of the holie Ghost Againe Luc. 24. Go ye therefore and teach all nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holie Ghost teaching them to keepe what so euer thinges I haue commaunded you 1. Reg. 7. Finally Prepare your hartes vnto God. VVhat the Iustification of the wicked is and what the causes of it are THE VII CHAPTER AFter this disposition or preparation the Iustification it selfe foloweth which is not onelie the remission of sinnes but also a sanctifying and renewing of the inward man through the voluntarie receiuing of grace and giftes whereby man is made of vniust iust of an enemie Ephes 1. a friend that he maie be the heire of life euerlasting according to hope The causes of Iustification Of this Iustification the causes are these The cause final is the glorie of God and of Christe and life euerlasting The cause efficient is our mercifull God who doth freely clense and sanctifie sealing and annointing vs with the holie spirite of promise Ephes 2. which is the pleadge of our inheritance The cause meritorious is his most deere the onlie begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christ who when we were ennimies for the exceding great charitie wherewith he loued vs hath deserued Iustificatiō for vs through his most holie passion on the tree of the Crosse and hath made satisfaction vnto God the father for vs. The cause instrumental is the Sacrament of Baptisme which is the Sacrament of faith without the which no man euer atteined Iustification Last of al the only cause formal is the iustice of God Not that iustice by the which God him selfe is iust but that by the which he maketh vs iust by the which when it is geauen vs frō God we are renewed in the spirite of our mind and we are not onely reputed iust but we are named iust and are iust in deede receiuing iustice in our selues eche man his according to the measure which the holie Ghost geaueth to ech particular man as his will is and according to the proper disposition and working of euerie man together with the holie Ghost For although no man can be iust but he to whom the merites of the passion of our Lord Iesus Christ are communicated yeat in this Iustification of a wicked man it is done whiles by the merite of the said most holie passion Rom. 5. through the holie Ghost the charitie of God is powred abroade in the hartes of those that are iustified and cleaueth fast in them Wherupō in Iustificatiō man receiueth with the remission of sinnes all these thinges faith hope and charitie powred in him together by Christe in whom he is ingraffed For faith vnlesse hope come vnto it and charitie neither doth it perfectely vnite a man vnto Christe neither doth it make him a liuely member of his bodie By reason whereof it is most truly saied that Faith without woorkes is dead and idle Iacob 2. Gal. 5. Againe In Christ Iesus neither to be circumcised nor to be without circumcision auaileth any thing but Faith that worketh by charity This Faith do the Catecumens require of the Churche according to the tradition of the Apostles before they receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme when they require that Faith that geaueth life euerlasting the whiche life faith can not geaue without hope and charitie Wherevppon they heare this saying of Christe foorthwith pronounced vnto them If thou wilt enter vnto life keepe the commaundmentes Matth. 19 And thus do they receiue a true and Christian iustice the whiche being geauen vnto them by Christ Iesus as the first stole in place of that which Adam lost both to him selfe and to vs through his disobedience such as are regenerated in Baptisme are by and by commaunded to keepe white and vnspotted that they maie bring it before the iudgement seate of our Lord Iesus Christ and so receiue life euerlasting How it maie be vnderstanded that the wicked is iustified by Faith and freely THE VIII CHAP. Rom. 5. Gratis NOVV whereas the Apostle saieth that man is iustified by faith and freely those wordes are to be taken in that sense which the continual agreement of the Catholike Churche hath alwaies holden and expressed which is that we be said to be therfore iustified by faith bicause faith is the beginning of mannes saluation the foundation and roote of all Iustification Hebr. 11. without which it is impossible to please God and to come vnto the felowship of his children And that we be said to be therefore iustified freely bicause none of those thinges whiche go before Iustification whether it be faith or woorkes deserueth the grace of Iustification Rom. 11. For if is be grace then is it not by woorkes otherwise as the same Apostle
we are iustified by it cleauing fast in vs the selfe same is the Iustice of God bicause it is powred into vs by God through the merite of Christe Neither is that to be omitted in this place that although there be so much ascribed vnto good woorkes in the holie Scriptures that Christe promiseth euen to him Matth. 10. that shall geaue a draught of colde water to one of his litle ones that he shall not lacke his rewarde and the Apostle witnesseth that that tribulation of ours which in this present life is but short and light 2. Cor. 4. woorketh in vs an euerlasting weight of glorie high aboue measure yet God forbid that a Christian man should either trust or glorie in him selfe and not in our Lorde whose goodnes is so great towardes all men that he will haue those thinges to be their merites which are his owne giftes And bicause we offende all in many pointes euerie man ought to haue before his eies like as his mercie and goodnes euen so his seueritie and iudgement neither ought any man to iudge him felfe although he knowe nothing by him selfe bicause all the life of men is to be examined and iudged 1. Cor. 4. by the iudgement not of man but of God who shall bring to light the hidden thinges of darkenes and make manifest the counsels of hartes Matth. 16 Rom. 6. and then shall euerie man haue his commendation from God who as it is writen shall render to euerie man according to his woorkes After this Catholique Doctrine touching Iustification the whiche vnlesse euerie man receiue faithfully and firmely he can not be iustified it hath pleased the holie Councell to adioine herevnto these Canons to the entent all men maie knowe not onely what to holde and folowe but also what they ought to auoide and flee THE CANONS OF THE SAME SESSION TOVCHING IVSTIFICATION THE FIRST CANON Note Reader the doctrine of the Catholike Churche is not as heretikes do slaunder it IF anie man saie that a man maie be Iustified before God by his owne woorkes whiche are done either by the power of mannes nature or by the doctrine of the lawe without the grace of God through Iesus Christe Accursed be he THE SECOND CANON IF anie man saie that the grace of God is geauen through Iesus Christe to this ende onely that man maie with the more facilitie liue iustly and deserue life euerlasting as though he were able by free will without grace to perfourme both the one and the other thowgh hardly and with difficultie Accursed be he THE THIRD CANON IF any man saie that man is able without the preuenting inspiration of the holie Ghoste and aide of the same to beleeue to hope to loue or to repent so as it behoueth that the grace of Iustification be geuen vnto him Accursed be he THE FOVRTH CANON IF anie man saie that mannes free will moued and stirred of God woorketh nothing together with him by assenting vnto God stirring and calling whereby he may dispose and prepare him selfe towardes the obteining of the grace of Iustification and that he can not dissent if he will but that being as a thing without life he doth nothing at all but beareth him selfe as a thinge that suffreth only Accursed be he THE FIFTH CANON IF anie man saie that mannes free wil is lost and extinguished after the sinne of Adam or that it is a thing of a title only or rather a title without a thing finally if any man saie that it is a deuise brought into the Church by Satan Accursed be he THE SIXT CANON IF anie man saie that it is not in the power of man to make his waies euyll but that God woorketh euyll woorkes euen so as he doth the good not only by permission but also properly and by him selfe in so much that the treason of Iudas be no lesse the proper woorke of God then the calling of Paule Accursed be he THE SEVENTH CANON IF anie man saie that all woorkes which are done before Iustification by what meanes so euer they be done are verily sinnes or that they deserue the hatred of God or that a man the more earnestly he endeuoureth to dispose him selfe to grace the more greuously he doth sinne Accursed be he THE EIGHTH CANON IF anie man saie that the feare of hell by the which feare we do flee vnto the mercie of God in sorowing for our sinnes or els absteine from sinning is sinne or that it maketh sinners the worse Accursed be he THE NINTH CANON IF anie man saie that the wicked is iustified by faith only meaning thereby that there is nothing els required which should worke withall towardes the atteining of the grace of Iustification and that it is in no wise necessarie that he be prepared and disposed by the motion of his owne will Accursed be he THE TENTH CANON IF anie man saie that men are iustified without the iustice of Christe by which he hath deserued for vs or that they are iust by the same iustice of Christ * Formaliter formally Accursed be he THE ELEVENTH CANON IF anie man saie that men are iustified either by the only imputation of Christes iustice or els by the only remission of sinnes excluding grace and charitie which is powred in their hartes by the holy Ghost and is inherent in them or also that the grace by the which we are iustified is only the fauour of God Accursed be he THE TWELFTH CANON IF anie man saie that the iustifying faith is nothing els but an affiance of the mercie of God forgeauing sinnes for Christes sake or that that affiance is the only thing by the which we are iustified Accursed be he THE THIRTENTH CANON IF anie man saie that to atteine the remission of sinnes it is necessarie for euery man to beleeue assuredly and without casting anie doubt of his owne infirmitie and indisposition that his sinnes are forgeauen him Accursed be he THE FOVRTENTH CANON IF anie man saie that a man is absolued from his sinnes and iustified for that that he beleeueth assuredly that he is absolued and iustified or that no man is truly iustified but he which beleeueth him selfe to be iustified and that by this beleefe onlie Absolution and Iustification is perfited Accursed be he THE FIFTENTH CANON IF anie man saie that a man being borne againe by Baptisme and iustified is bownd by faith to beleeue that he is assuredly in the number of the predestinate Accursed be he THE SIXTENTH CANON IF anie man saie of an absolute and infallible certaintie that he shall assuredly haue that great gifte of perseuerance vntil the ende vnlesse he haue learned it by special reuelation Accursed be he THE SEVENTENTH CANON IF anie man saie that the grace of Iustification cometh not but only to such as are predestinate to life and that all others which are called are onely called but do not receiue grace as who were by the power of God predestinate to
euil Accursed be he THE EIGHTENTH CANON IF anie man saie that the commaundementes of God are impossible to be kept euen of a man that is iustified and in the state of grace Accursed be he THE NINETENTH CANON IF anie man saie that there is nothing commaunded in the Ghospel besides faith that al other thinges are indifferent neither commaunded nor yet forbidden but free or that the ten commaundementes do nothing apperteine to Christian men Accursed be he THE TWENTETH CANON IF any man saie that a man being iustified and neuer so perfecte is not bound to the keeping of the commaundementes of God and of the Churche but onely to beleeue as though the Gospell were a bare and absolute promise of life euerlasting without anie condicion of keeping the commaundementes Accursed be he THE XXI CANON IF anie man saie that Christe Iesus was geauen by God vnto men onely as a redeemer whome they should trust and not also as a lawe maker whome they should obeie Accursed be he THE XXII CANON IF anie man saie that a man being iustified either maie without the speciall helpe of God perseuere in the Iustice receiued or that with the saied helpe he can not perseuere Accursed be he THE XXIII CANON IF any man saie that a man being once iustified can sinne no more nor leese grace and therfore saie that he which falleth and sinneth was neuer truely iustified or contrariwise that he maie in all this life auoide al sinnes euen venial sinnes vnlesse it be by special priuilege of God as the Churche holdeth of the blessed Virgin Marie Accursed be he THE XXIIII CANON IF any man saie that iustice receiued is not conserued and also that it is not augmented before God by good woorkes but that the Woorkes them selues are the frutes onely and signes of Iustification already gotten and not a cause of the same to be augmented Accursed be he THE XXV CANON IF any man saie that the iust sinneth in euerie good woorke at the least venially or which is more intolerable mortally and therefore deserueth euerlasting damnation and that he is not damned for that onely bicause God doth not impute those woorkes to damnation Accursed be he THE XXVI CANON IF any man saie that the iust ought not for the good woorkes whiche haue ben done in God to looke and hope for the euerlasting reward from God through his mercie and the merite of Iesus Christ if they shal continue euen vntill the ende in well doing and in keeping the commaundementes of God Accursed be he THE XXVII CANON IF any man saie that there is no sinne mortall vnlesse it be the sinne of infidelitie or that grace once receiued is lost for none other sinne be it neuer so grieuous and enormeouse excepte it be by the sinne of infidelitie Accursed be he THE XXVIII CANON IF anie man saie that when grace is lost by sinne faith is alwaies lost withal or that faith which remaineth is not true faith although it be not liuelie faith or els that he which hath faith without charitie is not a Christian Accursed be he THE XXIX CANON IF anie man saie that he whiche hath fallen after Baptisme can not rise againe by the grace of God or that he maie rise againe but so that he recouer the iustice loste by onely faith without the Sacrament of penauncee as the holie Romaine and vniuersall Churche taught by Christ our Lord and his Apostles hath til this daie professed kept and taught Accursed be he THE XXX CANON IF anie man saie that after the grace of Iustification receiued the fault is so forgeauen to euerie penitent sinner and the gilt of the euerlasting paine taken away in such sorte that there remaineth no gilt of temporall paine to be paied either in this worlde or els in the worlde to come in purgatorie before the way may be set open to the kingdome of heauen Accursed be he THE XXXI CANON IF anie man saie that a man being iustified sinneth whiles he woorketh well in respecte of euerlasting rewarde Accursed be he THE XXXII CANON IF anie man saie that the good woorkes of a man instified are so the giftes of God that they are not also the good merites of him that is iustified or that he which is iustified doth not by good woorkes whiche are done by him by the grace of God and by the merite of Iesus Christe of whome he is a liuely member verely deserue increase of grace life euerlasting and the atteining of the same life euerlasting so that he departe out of this life in grace yea and the increase of glorie also Accursed be he THE XXXIII CANON IF anie man saie that this Catholike doctrine touching Iustification expressed by the holy Councel in this present Decree doth in any wise derogate from the glorie of God or from the merites of Iesus Christe our Lord and doth not rather sett foorth the truth of our faith and finally the glorie of God and of Christe Iesus Accursed be he AMEN A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS OF THE TREATIE OF IVSTIFICAtion Wherein the Argumentes and the principal matters of the whole Treatie are conteined In the First Booke Chap. 1 VVhat is meant by the worde of Iustification And what degrees perfect Iustification and saluation hath in it Fol. 1. a. Chap. 2 VVhat is meant by the name of Faith and howe many kindes of Faith there be Fol. 3. a. Chap. 3 VVherin the controuersy of Iustification resteth and what is the readiest waie to know how the same is wrought in vs. Fol. 6. a. Chap. 4 VVhat was lost in Adam by sinne and what is restored by Christe in our Iustification And in what thinges our Iustification standeth Fol. 6. b. Chap. 5 Of the Causes of our Iustification Fol. 10. b. Chap. 6 That the Sacramente of Baptisme is the instrumente and meane whereby God iustifieth vs. Fol. 11. b. Chap. 7 Of Iustification of Infantes by the Sacrament of Baptisme Fol. 12. a. Chap. 8 Of the Iustification of suche as were christened being of perfect age and what was required of them Fol. 13. b. Chap. 9 That our Iustification and the vertues wherby we receiue it be the giftes of God and come of Grace Fol. 15. b. Cha. 10 That man hath free will whiche being holpen by grace Chap. 10 worketh in our Iustification and what it worketh Fol. 18. a. Cha. 11 That such as fal into sinne after Baptisme be iustified by penance Chap. 11 againe and what penance is required of them fol. 22. a. Cha. 12 Of the increase and perfiting of our Iustification wherein Chap. 12 it is truely said that we be iustified by good workes and not by faith onely Fol. 26. b. Cha. 13 VVhat good workes be and how they be called ours 29. b Chap. 13 Cha. 14 A brief rehearsal of so muche as hath ben hitherto saied in Chap. 14 the Treatie of Iustification Fol. 31. b. In the Second Booke Chap. 1 How dangerouse it is for a man to presume onely vppon
Gods mercy and to doe no good workes Fol. 33. b. Chap. 2 VVhence the opinion came that onely Faith iustifieth And of diuers kindes of mainteining the same Fol. 34. b. Chap. 3 That Faith excludeth not Charity in our Iustification 36. a Chap. 4 An Aunswere to Obiections that be made to proue that Faith alone iustifieth without Charitie Fol. 40. a. Chap. 5 That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification Fol. 41. b. Chap. 6 That Faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification Fol. 43. b. Chap. 7 VVhat is the true meaning of these woordes in the Scripture VVe are iustified by Faith or saued by Faith. Fol. 47. a. Chap. 8 That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding Charitie And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth Fol. 51. a. Chap. 9 How Abraham was iustified VVhat his Faith was and who be the true children of Abraham Fol. 56. a. Cha. 10 That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paul and S. Iames concerning the Doctrine of Iustification Fol. 60. a. Cha. 11 That Faith alone without good workes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by Grace Fol. 62. b. Cha. 12 VVhat they were who in sundrie ages haue taught that men should be saued without good vvorkes Fol. 65. b. Cha. 13 The cause why good works are don and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the world to come with life euerlasting and why thei be so rewarded 67. a Cha. 14 An Answere to certaine Obiections made against the reward of good workes Fol. 72. a. Cha. 15 VVhat assurance of his Iustification and saluation a Christian man may haue in this life Fol. 75. b. Cha. 16 Of the fruites and ende of our Iustification and what strength in wel doing God geueth thereby where it is truely receiued and effectually put in vre and the waie to come to it Fol. 80. a. FINIS CERTAINE TREATIES OF THE AVNCIENT HOLY FATHERS TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF good woorkes Namely A Treatie of S. Augustine whiche he Intituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same matter Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian of Almes dedes Al newly translated into English by Thomas Coppley esquier Tobia 12. Bona est Oratio cum Ieiunio Eleemosyna magis quà m Thesauros auri recondere Quoniam Eleemosyna à morte liberat ipsa est quae purgat peccata facit inuenire vitam aeternam Prayer is good with Fasting and Almes better then to hide vppe treasures of golde For Almes deliuereth from death and shee it is which purgeth sinnes and maketh to finde life euerlasting LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO The Translatour to the Reader THE loue that naturally men beare to peace and quiet is so great that there can fall no controuersie emong such as be of the better sorte but they seeke meanes euer to compounde and pacifie it Either they referre the decision of it to the Iudge ordinarie of the lawe or if they mistruste th' execution thereof either bicause the iudge doth not fullie vnderstande the matter or els for that they thinke him partiall of either side they seeke the arbitrement and sentence of some good man whome they thinke bothe to vnderstande perfitely right and iustice and take him to be affectionate of neither parte In which doing they flee not from the lawe but seeke the true and right vnderstanding thereof without affection at his handes I considering this order Christian Reader and moued with the Charitie that should binde vs all 2. Cor. 5. waying with my selfe the great controuersie that hath benne in this age about sundrie pointes of Religion namely in the article of our Iustification seing also that the matter tendeth not to the losse of patrimonie or landes but to the plaine disherison of life euerlasting and that emong vs who all professe to be the children of peace I haue bene desirouse to propounde some meane of Pacification And bicause I see the trauaile that sundrie men haue taken as it were pleading in this cause hath not ended the controuersie either bicause the doers were thoughte to be parties of the one side and thereby affectionat either bicause being borne in this age and liuing in the time of the controuersie they had not the autoritie and credite of Iudges I haue thought good to moue all such as finde in them selues either controuersie or doubt concerning that matter to putte their owne opinion in arbitrement and compromisse Not calling them hereby from the holy Scriptures which as a Soueraine lawe the diuine wisedome hath lefte vnto vs but leading them to the true vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures vttered by such as God hath placed in his Churche Ephe. 4. Danie 12. to be Pastor us and teachers to instructe manie to rightuousnes I offer for Arbitrators not men of this age such as may be thought any waie partiall or suspected but such as in all mens iudgementes and for all respectes be or should be without exception For the principall pointe of Iustification I offer S. Augustine a reuerend and most lerned Bishop in the Catholike Churche not onely in high estimation in all Christian Regions emong all estates and degrees during his life but also for his excellent vertue worthely after his death taken for a Saincte and for his singuler learning and knowledge in holy Scriptures taken for one of the foure Doctours and that the principallest of the Latin Churche as one meete whome all learned menne should followe as a lanterne and light in decision of matters of greatest weight Who also in expounding of the holy Scriptures may be the more safely trusted for that he had in all his writinges a speciall care not to seeke his priuate and singular opinion in the vnderstanding of them Lib. Confess 12. cap. 25. as appereth by his owne woordes saying that God hath terribly geuen vs warning that wee should not drawe his truthe to our owne priuate construction leste wee were depriued of it Luther in Sermone Germa ad mulieres partus Infelicita afflictas Phi. Melanc in decla de S. Augustino Caluinus Institut cap. 18. And therefore hauing his opinion thou arte sure to haue the opinion of that moste learned age that he liued in Againe bicause that time framed vnto it selfe no newe doctrine thou knowest also by him what was the opinion of the Church before his time euen from the Apostles vnto his age And bicause he hath not ben contraried in that matter of any godly and learned before this oure age yea and in this our age is highly commended of suche as haue bene of greatest credite euen of the contrary side thou knowest by him what hath bene the opinion of the Churche in all times
A TREATIE of Iustification Founde emong the writinges of Cardinal Pole of blessed memorie remaining in the custodie of M. Henrie Pyning Chamberlaine and General Receiuer to the said Cardinal late deceased in Louaine Item certaine Translations touching the said matter of Iustification the Titles whereof see in the page folowing Prouerb 4. Ne declines neque ad dexteram neque ad sinistram Turne not aside to the right hande nor to the lefte RESPICITE VOLATILIA COELI ET PVLLOS CORVORVM LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO Beside the Treatie of Iustification in this Volume are comprised these Translations First the Sixte Session of the Generall Councell of Trent whiche is of Iustification with the Canons of the same Session Item a Treatie of S. Augustine that famouse Doctour by him entituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome Of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil Of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same Argument Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian that blessed Martyr Of Almes deedes All newly translated into English by Thomas Lorde Coppley The Preface to the Reader AS all Scripture inspired by God is profitable to teache and instructe in rightuousenes 2. Tim. 3. to the ende that a godly man maie be perfecte instructed to al good woorkes so is there no pointe or article thereof more expediente for a Christian man to seeke more necessary to find and know more comfortable rightly to vnderstand and more profitable to remember and practise then is the trewe and right knowledge of his Iustification and the maner how the same is atteined We are sure by the Scripture that a wicked man and his wickednes bothe like are hateful vnto God Neither can there be looked for any other thing Sap. 14. then heauy punishement and iust damnation where the anger and displeasure of God is vnpacified once iustely deserued and not taken awaie by some meanes to his contentation We doubt not also but that all men are borne naturally the children of anger that is to saie Ephes 2. in Gods displeasure and indignation as branches of a condemned stocke a thral kinde and bonde race of one man Rom. 5. by whom sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so wente through all in whome all haue sinned And what can be so pleasaunt to a captiue as to vnderstande truely the way and meanes of his deliuerance or so comfortable to a person bonde and thrall as to know not onely how he maie be made free but also how he maie be brought in speciall fauor with his Lorde by whom onely he must liue or els perish Finally how he maie be made a childe a sonne Ephes 2. and heire to him vnto whom he was a stranger before And bicause no man 1. Ioan. 1. be he neuer so rightuouse and iuste Aug. de ciuitate Dei. li. 21. cap. 16. Galat. 5. Ioan. 5. Cypria de Elcemos liueth here without sinne and fewe there are of that happy estate that fal not into damnable and mortal sinne the doers whereof shall not possesse the kingdome of God sith also a law is appointed vs by our Physition that once made vs hole who saied Thou arte made hole nowe sinne no more we were as S. Cyprian saieth driuen to â—â—arowe straite hauing a precise lawe of innocency prescribed vnto vs neither coulde the weakenesse of mannes frailtie tell what to do if God of his mercy had not appointed a waie and meane how man that by sinne falleth from iustice after his Baptisme may be restored to rightuousnes and iustice againe Further it suffiseth not a Christian man to be made rightuouse and to be set in the state of iustice vnlesse he continewe and perseuere in the same Matth. 24 for he shal be saued that continueth vnto the ende Also he muste increase in rightuousenes Apoca. 22 Leo Sermon 8. de passio Do. for so the Scripture teacheth vs Let him that is iuste be yet iustified for trewely is it saied Quantumlibet quisque iustificatus sit habet tamen dum in hac vita est quo probatior esse possit melior Qui autem non proficit deficit qui nihil acquirit non nihil perdit Euery man be he neuer so much iustified yet maie he while he is in this life be more tried and better and who so encreaseth not faileth and goeth backeward and he that getteth nothing loseth somewhat For whiche causes it behoueth vs not onely to knowe how we are made iuste and rightuouse but also how we be restored to Iustice when we fal and how we maie continewe and increase in rightuousenes when we be restored and finally attaine to saluation and glory which is the ende of Iustification and without the which all Iustification in this life auaileth nothing but rather turneth to a heape and increase of our damnation bicause as Oecumenius saith Oeco in 2. cap. Iaco. Like vnprofitable seruantes we receiue our maisters mony and make no gaine thereof that is to saie we receiue his grace in vaine This being vnderstanded 2. Cor. 16. how necessary and profitable the knowledge of this Article is and seing also that a man runne he neuer so fast yet if he runne out of the way he neuer commeth to the right end of his iourney to the intente thou be not induced to iudge amisse in so greate a matter and to thee so necessary I haue Christian Reader with the hope of Gods helpe indeuoured my selfe to laie before thine eies particularly as briefely and plainely as I coulde the maner of our Iustification in Christ with the circumstances belonging to the same Grounding my selfe chiefely in al pointes through the Treatie vpon the Scripture and holy Worde of God. 2. Petr. 1. Aug. lib. Confess 12 cap. 25. And bicause the same neither is nor ought to be of any mannes priuate interpretation for he that goeth abowt to drawe it to his owne priuat sense shall be depriued of it I haue taken suche construction thereof as the holy Ghost hath deliuered and taught his Church and suche as the auncient Fathers of sundry ages and places agreeing togethers haue lerned in the Church and vttered in their writinges to teach other Emong whom I haue especially and moste of all other folowed the auctoritie of S. Augustine as wel for that he hath writen most largely of this matter as also bicause suche as be of the contrary parte in moste credite Luthe Philip. Melan. Calui Institut cap. 18. 1. Tim. 3. and haue written in this time confesse that in the Doctrine of the Churche he is a moste faithefull declarer of antiquitie Intending therby to discharge my selfe as teaching nothing but that I haue learned in Goddes Church the state and piller of truthe and geeuing thee thereby good occasion I trust readily to beleue that thou shalt heere reade But as I haue declared vnto thee that the right knowledge of this pointe concerning
our Iustification is to a Christian man most necessary and comfortable so must 〈◊〉 aduertise thee that the mistaking and wrong vnderstanding thereof Aristo Ethic. is most dangerouse For as the Philosophers saie that euery vertue is besette of eche side with a vice contrary to it so S. Augustine writeth that the true Doctrine of Iustification Aug. in Praesa Psal 31. hath of eche side of it a deepe and dangerouse fall so that who so goeth out of the streight waie thereof on the right or lefte hand falleth downe hedlong and casteth awaie him selfe Into the one danger and of the one side they fall that presume of themselues thinking to be iustified by them selues by their owne strength and rightuousnes without the helpe and grace of God. August suprà Of them he saith Si se in audaciam quandam c. If a man lift him selfe vppe vnto a boldenes of presumption and presume of his owne strength and iustice and purpose in his minde to fulfil iustice and to doe all that is commaunded in the lawe offending in nothing and thinke to haue his life in his owne power that he slide no where faile no where stumble no where see darcke and dymme nowhere and attribute this to the power of his owne will although peraduenture he fulfil al things that seeme iust in mennes sight so that nothing be founde in his life that may be blamed of menne yet God condemneth the very presumption and vaunting of pride The other hedlong fall is on the contrary side and into it suche men fall as pretending their owne infirmitie and weakenes do no good deedes and trust and presume onely to be saued by Gods grace and mercie though they liue vngodly of whome also S. Augustine saith in the same place Si se infirmitati c. August vbi suprà If a man yelde himselfe vppe to his owne weakenesse fully and wholy and bende himselfe to this cogitation to say bicause the mercy of God is readie for all sinners vnto the ende in what so euer sinnes they continue if they beleue that God deliuereth God forgeueth so that no wicked men that haue faith and beleue shal perish that is to say none of them shall perish that say to them selues what so euer I doe with what so euer outrages and shamefull dedes I be distained sinne I neuer so much God of his mercy deliuereth mee bicause I haue beleued in him he then that saith no such menne perish by that euil thinking is moued to sinne freely And the iust God vnto whom mercy is songe and iudgement not mercy onely but iudgement also findeth man yll presuming of him selfe and abusing Gods mercy to his owne destruction and of necessity such a one must be damned And somewhat after that he saith Quid igitur fit What shall we then doe If a man iustifie him selfe and presume of his owne iustice he falleth If a man considering and thinking upon his owne weakenesse and presuming of the mercy of God haue no care to cleanse his owne life of his sinnes and drowne him selfe in all the goulfe of lewd doinges he falleth also Presumption vppon his owne iustice is as it were the right hand The thinking that sinnes escape vnpunnisshed is like the left hand Let vs heare the voice of God saying to vs Turne not aside to the right or left hand Prouer. 4. Presume not to come to the kingdome by thine owne iustice presume not to sinne through the mercy of God. These be good Christian Reader the two perilouse and deadly daungers that men may fall into if they doe not rightly vnderstande the true doctrine of Iustification Whiche falles being so dangerouse God graunt all men carefully to eschew Wherin to helpe thee iudge vprightly I haue taken in hande this trauaile trusting by Gods grace so to leade thee Via Regia that is in the true and high waie that thou shalt not nede to fall of either side if thou wilt vprightly waie and with the feare of God consider such thinges as thou shalt finde here alleaged And bicause I can not hope to atteine any good much lesse so great a good but by his geuing of whom commeth al good I wil beginne with the prayer which S. Augustine intending to preache of the same matter made desiring thee to pray for mee as he did his hearers for him selfe Primùm infirmitatem meam c. First of al saith he I commende my weakenesse to your prayers Ephes 6. as the Apostle saith that woordes may be geauen me in opening my mouth so to speake vnto you as it be not perilouse for me to speake and may be holesome for you to heare And this request I make vnto thee Gentle Reader not onely for mine owne sake who neede the same but for thine also that thou maist perceiue howe great helpe and assistance thou needest at Gods hand for thy parte if thou wilt profitably reade or speake of this matter of whiche so vertuouse and excellently learned a Bishop thought him selfe not able nor meete to speake without the healpe of godlie prayers A BRIEF TREATIE OF MANS IVSTIFICATION THE FIRST BOOKE VVhat is meant by the worde of Iustification And what degrees perfect Iustification and saluation hath in it THE FIRST CHAPTER RIGHT order of teaching requireth that sithens mine intent is to shew how a man is iustified I shoulde first declare what is meant by the worde of Iustification Three degrees of Iustification in Scripture Rom. 4. of which the holy Scriptures seme to speake after three sortes and manners The first kinde is called the Iustification of a sinfull or wicked man of which S. Paul speaketh saying Credenti in cum qui iustificat impium reputatur fides ad iustitiam Faith is reputed for iustice vnto the partie that beleueth in him which iustifieth the wicked Whiche wordes S. Augustine expounding saith To iustifie the wicked In exposi quarund propos ex epistola ad Rom. Aug. in Psal 7. in ep 120. Rom. 8. is as much to saie as to make of the wicked a godly man. And in an other place he saith When a wicked man is iustified of wicked he is made iust And sith all Iustification commeth of God Deus est qui iustificat It is God that iustifieth of these places and manie other that might be alleaged to this purpose we may gather and saie that Iustification in this kind is the gifte of God whereby a wicked or sinfull man is made godlie and rightuouse An other degree or manner of Iustification the Scripture also acknowlegeth Apoc. 22. saying Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc Let him that is iust be iustified yet And let him that is holie be yet made holier And in an other place Non impediaris orare semper ne vetêris vsque ad mortem iustificari Eccle c. 18 quoniam merces Dei manet in aeternum Let nothing let thee to praie euer and let nothing forbid thee to be iustified
vnto thy death bicause Gods rewarde abideth for euer By which wordes it is not meant that a wicked man in whome no goodnesse is should be made rightuouse and godlie but that a good and a iuste man should be made iuster and better For as we saie truely that water is warmed not onely when it is of colde made luke warme but also when it is of warme made hotter so saith the Scripture that a man is iustified when he increaseth in iustice and of good and rightuouse is made iuster and better Rom. 2. Of a thirde degree of Iustification it is said Non auditores legis iusti sunt apud Deum sed factores legis iustificabuntur The hearers of the lawe be not iust before God but the doers of the lawe shall be iustified Where the worde of iustifiyng dothe neither signifie the comming to iustice which maketh a wicked man rightuouse and iuste neither the increase of iustice whereby a good man is made better but an ende and perfection of iustice wherevnto by Gods iust iudgement of the which S. Paul there speaketh such shal atteine as keping them selues in the state of iustice once receiued or recouering the same by penance continue and perseuer in doing iustice vnto the ende This is the ful and perfect Iustification of man who being borne in sinne is called to the state of iustice and increasing therein by continuance is at th ende perfited in iustice in life euerlasting For neither doth it auayle him to beginne wel if he doo not continue and increase neither is it ynough to continue for a tyme if afterwarde he fall away For then doth he lose the ende and perfection of his iustice without the which the beginning and middle auayleth not In this sorte doth S. Augustine speake of mannes Iustification For concerning the twoo first degrees thereof he sayth thus Aug. contra â—ulia lib. 2. 〈◊〉 de ciuita Dei li. 21. cap. 16. Iustificatio in hac vita c. Iustification is geueÌ„ vnto vs in this life by these three things first by the wasshing of regeneration whereby al sinnes are forgeuen after that by fighting with vices from the gylte wherof we were discharged and assoyled Thirdely while our prayer is heard wherein we say forgeue vs our offences In which wordes is comprised not onely the entry and beginning of our Iustification which he calleth Baptisme but also the increase of vertuouse and godly lyfe whiche he termeth a conflicte and fighting with vice wherevnto he ioyneth prayer for the forgeuenesse of sinne when we fal And this calleth he our IustificatioÌ„ in this life saying further in an other place Lib. 21. de ciuit Dei cap. 16. Quisquis cupit c. Whoso euer desireth to escape the paynes euerlasting lette him not onely be baptised but also be iustified in Christe We doubt not but that suche as are baptised be also iustified For where S. Paule saith Abluti estis ye are wasshed cleane 1. Cor. 6. he saieth also iustificati estis ye are iustified And yet saieth S. Augustine that beside Baptisme a man muste be iustified meaning by Iustification the continual conflicte with vice wherein consisteth a godly and a vertuouse lyfe and increase of iustice Of the third degree whiche is the ende and perfiting of our iustice Aug epist 106 〈◊〉 sermo 61. le ver Doâ— he saith Complebitur spes nostra c. Our hope shal be fully accomplisshed in the resurrection of the deade and when our hope shal be fulfilled then shal our Iustification be fulfilled and accomplished Thus doth our Iustification rightly vnderstanded as it is coÌ„plete and perfect comprise in it selfe a beginning of iustice an encrease and an ende In this sort do the Scriptures in sundry places speake of it Note the Authours Intente For this cause I haue in al this Treatie to make the matter playner to vnderstande deduced three degrees of Iustification comparing the same with S. Augustine to a perfecte buylding which beside a foundation hath lodging to dwel in And to a fruiteful tree which hath not onely a roote but fruit also comming of the same And albeit al these three degrees make but one absolute and perfecte Iustification in euery man that is saued yet doth the Scripture in sundry places speake seuerally and in diuers maner of wordes sometyme of the beginning and entree sometyme of the increase sometyme of th' ende and perfection of our iustice whereof may grow obscuritie and occasion of errour to suche as vnderstand not nor marke not this diuersitie in degrees of iustice Marke this diuersitie For it is not one thing that God requireth of him that first commeth to his seruice and of him that continueth his seruant and in th' ende trusteth to be rewarded by his seruice By meane of which difference it is truly sayd in the Scripture Rom. 3. Iacob 2. a man is iustified by faith without woorkes and also it is truly said a man is iustified by workes For as a synner is called and set in the state of iustice by grace without any deserte of woorkes done before So no man can continue in Christ increase in iustice and comme to the perfection thereof in life euerlasting without good workes as in processe of this Worke more plainely shal appeare VVhat is meant by the name of faith and how many kindes of faith there be THE II. CHAP. BIcause in al this discourse of Iustification I shal be occasioned often tymes to speake of faith I thinke it necessary as I haue already shewed what is meant by the worde of Iustification so likewise to declare briefly what is meant by the name of faith to th' intent that when the Reader shal see any thing alleged concerning faith he may the better iudge of it S. Augustine saieth there be twoo kindes of faith one whereby we beleue that whiche is said to vs An other whereby we keepe promisse in that we say to other August de spirit lit ca. 31. De hac fide nunc loquimur quam adhibemus cùm aliquid credimus non quam damus quum aliquid pollicemur Nam ipsa dicitur fides Tvvo kindes of faith We speake nowe of the faith which we vse when we beleeue any thing not of the faith whiche we geue when we promyse any thinge For that also is called faith But it is one thing when we say he gaue no fayth nor credite vnto me and an other when we saye he kepte not faith with me For the one is as muche to saie He beleeued not that which I said the other he did not that which he said By this faith whereby we beleue we be faithfull vnto God by the other whereby that is perfourmed which is promised God also is faithful vnto vs. For so saith the Apostle God is faithful who doth not suffer you to be tempted further then you are able 1. Cor. 10. Seing therefore there be but two kindes of
him in euery good acte that he doth fateantur gratiam Dei adiutorium etiam ad singulos actus dari Lette them confesse that Gods grace and helpe is geuen euen to euerie good acte and deede I doo more willingly recite the wordes of S. Austine in this pointe bicause the moste learned in all ages since haue folowed the same iudgement and manner of teaching not onely Presper Aquitanus in Italie Fulgentius in Africa and S. Bede in this our country of Englande The teaching of the Churche cōcerning the grace of God in al ages but also the moste learned schole menne As Hugo de sancto Victore S. Thomas Bonauentura and other Whereby the Reader maye vnderstande what hath benne the teaching of the Church in all ages concerning the grace of God. As this grace of God is it whereby man is moued to al thinges that he doth wel so it is also the cause that worketh in him true penance and thereby Iustification For shyning vppon the soule of a sinner and geuing lighte to that darcknes it moueth the same to prepare him selfe and to receyue the working of God in such manner as I haue shewed before By grace God inspireth faith into our hartes whiche no man can haue without his speciall gifte Ioan. 6. No man can comme vnto me saieth Christe Augustin Tract 27. in Ioan. vnlesse it be geuen him from my Father Of whiche woordes S. Augustine gathereth Ergo credere datur nobis Then euen faith is geuen vnto vs. When S. Paule preached in Macedonia God opened the harte of a woman called Lydia to geue heede vnto suche thinges as were said by him Act. 16. Many other heard S. Paule as wel as shee but God gaue her the grace to beleue his woordes To you it is geuen saieth S. Paule Philip. 1. for Christes sake not onely to beleue in him but also to suffer for him And as these and other sayinges prooue that faith is Gods gyfte so of the feare of God it is sayd by the Prophete Timorem meum dabo in corde eorum Ierem. cap. 32. vt non recedant à me I will geue my feare in their harte to th ende they shall not goe from me Dauid knowing that it is the gyfte of God prayeth for it saying Psal 118. Confige timore tuo carnes meas Pearce my flesh through with thy feare If hope were not the gifte of God it should not be saide Tu Domine singulariter inspe constituisti me Psal 4. Thou Lorde haste placed me in hope singulerly Neither woulde S. Paule haue said 2. Thes 21 God our father hath loued vs and geuen vs comforte euerlasting and good hope in grace 1. Ioan. 4 Rom. 5. Charitie commeth of God. powred abrode in our hartes through the holy Ghoste which is geuen vs. What shal I say of penance whiche God geueth vnto sinners to knowe the treuth 2. Tim. 2. and to amende and gette out of the snares of the Diuel of whom they be holden captiue at his pleasure It is God that geueth a newe harte and putteth a newe spirite in the middest of vs that taketh away the harde stonie harte and geueth a softe harte and tender as fleshe Ezec. 36. And what is that greate change of harte and minde from euil to good but repentance And to commende his grace and make it appeare as it is very grace in deede he saieth non propter vos ego faciam This wil I doo not for your sakes but for my holy names sake Here it may be said If our Iustification and what so euer apperteineth vnto it A doubte be the gyfte of God and procede of grace what parte hath man therein and what is there lefte for him to do To this question I shal answere in the next chaptre And hereby maye the Reader vnderstande that the grace of God is neither hydden nor obscurely preached by the Churche in the Doctrine of Iustification seing that both our Iustification it selfe and the meanes wherby we comme vnto it be truely ascribed specially vnto grace That man hath free wil which being holpen by grace worketh in our Iustification and what it worketh THE X. CHAPTER GOd worketh mannes saluation by his grace Of free will. but he worketh it in him by hī selfe that is to say with his own cōsent and by his free wil He worketh in al his creatures causing the earth to bring forth grasse the trees theyr leaues and fruite the beastes to doo according to their kinde But these effectes he worketh in them by his owne power without them that is without any consente of them And this is the difference betwene beastes that wante reason betwene the insensible creatures and man Man as S. Augustine saith Serm. 11. de verb. Aposto Iren. li. 4. cap. 72. In the 4. Chapter Nec vt pecora factus est was neither made as beastes were nor made lyke a tree nor made lyke a stone but was made after the Image of his Creator That is as I shewed before indued with reason and wil And therefore although there may be in man corrupte wil and deceyued reason yet whatsoeuer he doth he woorketh it thorough will and reason Iren. li. 4. cap. 71. Liberum eum fecit Deus ab initio saieth the aunciente Father Ireneus God made man free euen from the beginning hauing aswell his owne power as his owne soule to doo Goddes will and minde voluntarilie and willingly not compelled by God. For there is no force vsed of Goddes parte The wooman when she had offended framing an aunswere to excuse her selfe sayde not Serpens coegit me Chrysosto Hom. 17. in Genes the serpente forced me and I eatte but what sayde shee The serpente deceyued me there is no necessitie nor violence but will and arbitremēt August de grat lib. arbit cap. 2. And bicause no man should doubte hereof Reuelauit nobis per Scripturas suas sanctas God him selfe saith S. Augustine hath reueled vnto vs by his holy Scriptures that there is free will in man. And howe he hath reueled it I put you in remembrance not by mannes saying but by Goddes woorde Firste bycause the very commaundementes of God coulde doe man no good vnlesse he had free will by the whiche he might doo them and atteyne to the rewardes that be promysed And in the same place Further there be so many commaundementes whiche doo in a manner by name speake vnto our will Rom. 12. Psalm 31. Prouer. 1. Prouer. 3. as that Noli vinci à malo Will thou not be ouercomme of yll Be not made lyke a horse and a mule in whome there is no vnderstandinge Forsake not the counselles of thy mother Be not wise in thyne owne conceyte and after manye other Scriptures there alleged he concludeth thus Surely where it is saied will not this and will not that and where in the admonitions that God geueth the worke of
thee without thy knowledge he iustifieth thee by thy wil. And in an other place he saith further That Christes worke in our Iustification is our woorke That Christe woorketh it not without vs that we woorke togeather with Christ our owne Iustification and saluation Credenti in eum qui iustificat impium Tract 72. in Ioan. To the beleuer in him that iustifieth the wicked faith is accompted for iustice In this woorke we doe the woorke of Christe For the very beleefe in Christe is Christ his worke This he worketh in vs Philip. 2. but assuredly not without vs. And alleaging the place of S. Paule that willeth vs with feare and tremblinge to worke our owne saluation he saith Operante in se Christo By Christes working in man togeather with Christe man worketh his owne saluation euerlasting and Iustification Eusebius Emisse ho. 9. de Pasc And this God worketh in vs not onely to commend his mercie but also to shewe his iustice Iusto ordine qui per calliditatem Iust order requireth saith Eusebius that man who by the subtil crafte of the malitiouse serpent was not forced but seduced to his destruction should be againe by the wisedome of a louing redemer not compelled but lead to saluation and he that semed to haue fallen by his owne wil should be repaired againe by his owne will that there might be place for vertue and rewarde Therefore he pulleth him not awaie by force but rather by iust good will inuiteth and instructeth him to lyfe for the louing gentlenes of the prouoker longeth for the merite of the agreer and the fauour of the most curteouse Physition requireth the consent of his sicke patient What can be more plainely saied then this Man is iustified by his owne free will. He geueth his assente and agreement vnto it He getteth merite and rewarde by his assente This is the righte teaching of Christes Churche neither to derogate from Goddes grace nor to pull away mans seruice in our saluation The holy Ghost saith Philip. 2. it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doo The holie Ghost faith also in the same place with feare and trembling worke your owne saluation Non est volentis Rom. 9. neque currentis c. It is not in the willer nor in the runner but in God that taketh mercy And yet saith S. Augustine Enchiri cap. 32. Proculdubio si homo c. Without doubt if a man be of suche age that he is once able to vse reason he can not beleue hope nor loue vnlesse he will neither can he come to winne the price of the high callinge of God vnlesse he runne with his will. How is it then neither in the willer neither in the runner but in God that taketh mercy but after this sorte bicause the very wil it selfe as the Scripture saith is prepared by God By this order is our saluation wrought Neither God worketh it alone without man neither man without God can atteine to any degree thereof God firste prepareth the will and maketh it meete to serue him and the will directed and holpen by grace is able to doo all good And by this rule faith and workes saith S. Augustine are both the giftes of God and faith and workes are both the doinges of men Retract Li. 1. ca. 23 Vtrumque nostrum est propter arbitrium voluntatis vtrumque tamen datum per spiritum fidei charitatis vtrumque ipsius est quia ipse praeparat voluntatem vtrumque nostrum quia non fit nisi volentibus nobis Either of bothe is ours for free willes sake and yet either of bothe is geuen by the spirite of faith and charitie Either of bothe is his bicause he prepareth the wil and either of both is ours bicause it is not done but by our will. Psal 134. Though God by him selfe doo all that liketh him in heauen and in earth yet hath it pleased him to aduance man to that dignitie as to make him a worker together with him in his owne saluation 1. Cor. 3. Aug. in Psal 77. Non solùm operatur remissionem peccatorum The grace of God doth not onely worke remission of sinnes but also maketh the spirite of man a worker with him selfe in the doing of good workes Quando enim cum spiritu Dei operante c. For when with the working of Gods spirite the spirite of man worketh together then is that fufillled which God hath commaunded And by this doo we see what free will worketh in Iustification First it is saued deliuered and prepared by grace Then doth it ioine and worke together with God. It worketh the same thing that God worketh It beleueth It hopeth It loueth It runneth and getteth the price of the heauenly calling It fulfilleth the lawe God standeth at the dore knocking and it openeth God openeth the eare Aug. de spiri Lit. ca. 30. Apoca. 3. Esai 50. Ephes 2. 2. Cor. 5. and it doth not gainesaie him nor goeth backewarde God inspired good thoughtes and willingly it executeth them God prepareth good workes and it walketh in them It liueth not nowe vnto it selfe but Christe liueth in it and it liueth vnto him that died to saue it And thus farre haue I spoken of Iustification which is the reconciliation of a sinner whereby as S. Paule saith we haue accesse to God and of wicked are made rightuouse especially by grace through the Sacrament of Baptisme and other giftes of God before rehearsed without any workes of iustice going before to deserue the same That suche as fall into sinne after Baptisme be iustified by penance againe and what penance is required of them THE XI CHAP. IF such as haue receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme Of Penance and thereby remission of all sinne coulde keepe them selues in that happie estate of innocency and vprightnes there were no neede to say any more in this argument For al men that liue this day in Christian Regions were christened in their infancie and by their Baptisme made heires in hope of euerlasting life Tit. 3. But if there had ben none other prouision made for man but once to saie vnto him Ecce sanus factus es Lo thou arte made whole Ioan. 5. Cypria de elcemo Gen. 8. nowe sinne not leste some worse happe fall vnto the. We had ben driuen to a narowe straite neither coulde mannes frailety tel what to doo who being prone to ill euen from his youth was in daunger by sinne to lose Gods grace and then to stande without hope of remedie For this cause God hath prouided penance Chrysost Ho. 27. in Gen. Quam humano generi nostro ob ineffabilem misericordiam suam concessit Whiche throughe his vnspeakeable mercy saith Chrysostome he hath graunted vnto mankinde which benefite he accompteth so greate that in an other place he reckeneth it emong the most excellent giftes that euer God bestowed vppon man saying Chrysost Ho. 34.
men are workers together and helpers with God. To these we geeue commendation and that none otherwise then the holy Scriptures and auncient Fathers doo The Catholike doctrine slaūdered And hereby the Reader maie see how vntrewly it is saide that the Catholike Doctrine teacheth men to presume of their owne workes or to thinke they be able to doo well without the grace of God yea howe farre they are that so saie from knowing what good and godly workes are A briefe rehersall of so much as hath ben hitherto saide in this Treatie of Iustification THE XIIII CHAPTER IN the Preface of this treatie after that I had shewed howe profitable and necessary the trewe knowledge and doctrine of Iustification was I did by the wordes of S. Augustine put the Reader in minde of two great daungers In Psal 31. which that most learned and godly Father calleth hedlong falles sayinge that who so speaketh of this matter vnlesse he keepe the streight high waie going neither to farre on the righte hande nor on the lefte may easily fall him selfe or bringe his hearer into one of them The one perill is the presumption of mans owne iustice to thinke that he maie be iustified and liue godly without the helpe of grace which danger he saith is as it were on the right hande The other perill is the presumption vppon Gods mercy to thinke that a man though he liue ill dooing no good workes yet shal be saued by faith that peril he saith is as it were on the lefte hande To shewe the good Christian Reader who desireth to go the streight way howe he may auoide bothe daungers the falling into either whereof is the losse of life euerlasting I haue taken this trauaile in hande wherein I trust I haue nowe saide inough to keepe him from the daungerouse fall on the righte hande hauing declared at large howe litle cause man hath to presume of his owne iustice who descending of the corrupte race of Adam borne in sinne and in daunger of the diuell hath no hope to aspire to the state of iustice whiche Adam loste to him selfe 1. Timo. 2. and for all vs but onely by mercie of the mediatour of God and menne the man Iesus Christe who gaue him selfe a raunsome for all by whose grace we are freely iustified Rom. 3. Ephes 2. without respecte of any good woorkes going before or deseruing that mercy at his handes I haue shewed that the chiefe and original cause of our Iustification was the exceding loue of God Ephes 2. who when we were deade in sinne gaue vs life againe in Christe The cause that procured vnto vs the benefite of our Iustificatiō to be the merit of Christs death Rom. 6. who died for vs when we were sinners Colos 1. pacifiyng by the bloud of his Crosse all that is in heauen or in earth I haue declared that our Iustification is wrought in vs by grace and atteined by faith through the feare of God hope charitie penance and the Sacrament of Baptisme And this much haue I said of the first degree of our Iustification Ro. 5. whereby we haue accesse to comme to this grace making with the Scripture and aunciente Fathers for plainer vnderstanding three degrees of our Iustification and saluation The seconde and thirde degrees of our Iustification whiche are increase of iustice in this life and perfiting thereof in the life to comme I haue proued to be gotten and obteined by faith and good workes I haue also declared that not only faith the feare of God hope charity and penance but also our good workes and all thinges any waie helping to our Iustification be the giftes of God and made ours by the assent and working of our free will which is first healed and made strong by grace and the speciall helpe of God. And bicause no man liueth without sinne and fewe without greate and mortall crimes whereby the grace of Iustification is loste I haue shewed that the waie to recouer it againe is by the Sacrament of penance which is also the gifte of God for that he moueth a sinner to change and amende his life Math. 3. and to doo the worthy fruites of penance without the whiche motion no man euer did profitable penance And thus haue I proued that all Iustification in euery māner commeth from God and is receiued and wrought in man through grace 1. Cor. 3. by his owne will and consent whom it hath pleased God to haue a worker together with him not empeyring thereby but muche auancing his owne glorie for that he is meruelouse Psal 67. not onely in him selfe but also in his holie Rom. 3. And so haue I truely and faithfully excluded al boasting of man in him selfe geuing glory to God. For I haue so set forth the free wil of man and commended good workes that the indifferent Reader may truly say Omnia ex Deo. 2. Cor. 5. All is of God to th ende that who so vanteth and boasteth 1. Cor. 1. may vante and boaste in God. THE SECOND BOOKE DECLARING THE SECOND DANGER Howe daungerouse it is for a man to presume only vpon Gods mercy and to doo no good workes THE I. CHAPTER August in prafatio Psalm 31. HAVING thus shewed the waye to auoyde the one daunger whiche is on the righte hande and playnely declared that no man is iustified by him selfe nor hath to presume of him selfe bicause it auayleth a man nothing to eschewe one peril and to perishe by an other contrarie to it that is as the Poete saieth to escape Charibdys and be drowned in Sylla Augu. de fid et operib c. 14. Iam illud videamus c. Let vs nowe consider that other pointe whiche muste be shaken owt of good and religiouse hartes leaste putting cocke in the hoope by an yll securitie and carelesnes they lose their saluation if they thinke faithe onely fufficiente to obteyne it and take no care to holde them selues in Gods waye by doing good woorkes By whiche woordes S. Augustine moneth vs to auoide the other daunger on the lefte hande of presuming in Gods mercy alone Willing no man to thinke he may be saued by faith and beleeuing onely if hauing tyme thereunto he neyther lyue godly nor doo good woorkes And this perill is so muche the more to be wayed and carefully to be eschewed bicause as he saieth in the same woorke that is the moste daungerouse opinion of all August de fid opeca 27. whereby menne are made beleeue that lyue they neuer so lewdely and shamefully yea and continue in that kinde of lyfe yet if they doo no more but beleeue in Christe and receyue his Sacramentes they shall come to euerlasting life I cal this with S. Augustine the moste daungerouse opinion of al bicause it is the greateste enemy of godly life and good woorkes without the whiche no man shal be saued For he that putteth affiance in good life and
it is as S. Augustine and Prosper Aquitanus say Aug. tra in Ioan. 72. Prosper de promis part 2. cap. 30. l'e fide oper cap. 14. De gratia lib. arbit cap. 7. Epist 107. Enchi c. 8. Aug. de fide oper ca. 14 a greater worke then to make heauen and earth or to bring a deade man to life againe The argument is not mine but suche as S. Augustine vseth and repeteth almost as often as he speaketh of Iustification Saying that S. Paule by these wordes hath decided and determined the matter Non quamlibet fidem qua in Deum creditur c. It is not euery Faith whereby a man beleueth in God that the Apostle determineth to be healthfull and Euangelicall but that is the Faith saith he which worketh through charitie wherevppon he auoucheth that the Faith which some take to be sufficiente for their saluation auaileth nothing in so muche that he saith If I haue all Faith in suche sorte that I be able to moue hilles owt of theire places and haue no charitie I am nothing I woulde seeke a plainer decision if any thing coulde be more plainely spoken He saith S. Paule hath defined that there is but one Faithe auailable to witte the faithe that worketh through charitie He saith Ser. 15. de ver apost De fide oper c 14. all other Faithe what so euer it be auaileth nothing He saith and that verie often that Faith destitute of charitie maie be not onely in euill men but also in the diuell him selfe And calleth it fidem damoniorum the faith of diuelles And leste any man should saie that albeit good workes are done by charitie yet is all to be imputed to faithe whiche is the cause that worketh al Note vvel S. Paule saith on the other side that faith it selfe taketh her doing and working of charitie For as they know that vnderstand the Greke tongue á¼Î½ÎµÏγουμÎνη is a participle of passiue significatioÌ„ and rightely shoulde he translate the wordes of S. Paule who shoulde saie That faith in Christ Iesu is auailable whiche is made actiue and doing thorough charitie For if we will speake of the nature of faithe as it is by it selfe it is vndoubtedly In the 2. Chapt. to vnderstande and assent vnto trewth as hath ben shewed before And bicause all knowledge be it of the Scriptures or the articles of our Crede maie be not onely in il men but in diuels also Faith is not able of her selfe to make a man iuste and righteouse vnlesse shee take vnto her hope and charitie and so be made actiue and doing by the one to hope in God by the other to loue God and man. whiche conclusion concerning charitie S. Augustine maketh In Praefa Psal 31. Ergo si nihil mihi prodest fides sine charitate c. If faithe then auaile me nothing without charitie and charitie wheresoeuer it be muste needes be working faithe it selfe by charitie hath her working Reason in man is the thing that maketh the difference betwene him and al brute beastes which be called brute bicause they lacke reason For which cause Reason as the principal power of the sowle is called of the Philosopher εντελÎχεια the forme and perfection that maketh a man. In like manner charitie is the thing that maketh the difference betwene faith and faith betwene the faith of a good and an ill man betwene the faith of good Christians and vncleane diuelles As S. Augustine saith at large in a learned and godly Sermon able to satisfie any indifferente Reader not onely in this point but in the whole matter of Iustification Quid pertinet ad fidem Aug. ser 16. De ver Aposto Iaco. 2. Credere What belongeth to faith to beleue But lette there yet further be a difference made betwene this faith and the faith of vncleane Diuelles For the Apostle S. Iames saith the Diuelles also beleue and tremble if thou doest but onely beleue and liuest without hope and haste no charitie the Diuelles beleue also and tremble And a litle after first therefore make a difference betwene thy faith and the Diuelles faith Whereby wilte thou make the difference Mar. 1. Matt. 8. Luc. 4. The Diuelles said Christ was the sonne of God through feare S. Peter said it through loue Put hope then to faith And what hope is there without some good conscience put vnto hope it selfe charitie And somewhat after that Therefore make a difference of your faith then are ye of the predestinates of the called and of the iustified And in the same Sermon to conclude he saith Gala. 5. Therefore if there be in you faith that worketh through loue now belonge you to the predestinates to the called and to the iustified Let that faith therefore growe in you that is working by charitie for faith working by charitie can not be without hope Now if charitie be it that maketh the difference betwene faith and faith as S. Augustine proueth and if that which maketh the difference betwene any one creature and al other be the perfection life and sowle of that creature Then is charitie not an instrument to serue faith but the life and sowle of faith without the helpe and mouing whereof faith neither iustifieth neither worketh any good acte in the beleuer The Euangelist saith Ex principibus multi crediderunt in eum Ioan. 12. sed propter Pharisaeos non confite bantur vt è synagoga non eijcerentur dilexerunt enim gloriam hominum magis quà m gloriam Dei. Thei had faith vvithout right loue Many of the chiefe rulers beleued in him but they confessed him not bicause they would not be caste out of the Synagoge For they loued the glory of men more then the glory of God. The scripture saith they had faith and yet no man I thinke will say they were iustified who neither confessed Christe and also loued the worlde better then God. And what lacked there in them Ser. 16. de ver Apos to make them belonge to the predestinates to the called and iustified as S. Augustine saith but onely right loue to make that faith actiue and stronge to loue the glory of God more then the glory of men whiche vnlesse God gaue them afterwarde that faith nothing auailed them Only charitie rather then only faith Wherefore if a man were disposed to make a diuorce betwene faith hope and charitie which no good man euer did he might say by these and other reasons that charitie alone rather iustifieth and haue S. Augustine to say with him whose wordes these are Charitas inchoata De natura gra cap. 70. inchoata iustitia est c. An vnperfect charitie is an vnperfect iustice a well increased charitie is a well increased iustice a great charitie is great iustice perfect charitie is perfect iustice And in the same booke he saith of charitie Ca 38. ib. Qua vna verè iustus est quicunque iustus
right and constant hope in God that nothing perteining to saluatiō can be auaileable to him that wanteth it Aug. Enchi cap. 8. No true charitie can be without it No faith can iustifie but by the helpe and direction of it A good mans faith is the substance of things that are to be hoped Hebr. 11. Take awaie hope then from faith and faith must nedes fainte and quaile The thing that kepte the Fathers of whome S. Paule speaketh so faithfull to God was that they had a strong hope and trust to enioye his promises And that which was said of Moyses may be truely said of them al Hebr. 11. Aspiciciebat ad remunerationem They looked to the rewarde which can not be without hope The Diuelles beleue and tremble Aug. Enchi cap. 8. but as S. Augustine saith they neither hope nor loue In like manner euil Christians may beleue and yet remaine stil vngodly and voide of iustice bicause they want hope and loue I haue proued before that faith without charitie iustifieth no man Propter quod Apostolus Paulus Aug. ibid. For which cause the Apostle Paule commendeth the faith which hath her woorking through charitie Quae vtique sine spe esse non potest Which can in no wise be without hope For sith a man may beleeue that whiche he hopeth not for what auaileth him to beleeue 1. Timo. 2. that Christe is the Sauiour of all men vnlesse he hope also to be partaker of that saluation Or howe shoulde he be moued to loue him for the benefite of our redemption if he trust not to enioy it And therefore saith S. Augustine Nec amor sine spe Euch. c. 8 nec sine amore spes nec vtrumque sine fide Neither is there loue without hope nor hope without loue nor both without faith And so doth faith woorke our Iustification through hope and loue So is it true that fides spes August epist 121. charitas ad Deum ducunt faith hope and charitie leade vs to God to whom we are assured not to come if either of the three want in vs. And therefore as it is saied Ephes 2. Rom. 8. by grace are ye saued through faith So is it also said Spe salui facti sumus By hope are we saued Hope ioyning with faith and charity ingēdreth an affiance in God and maketh a strong hoping faith vnto whiche affiance euerlasting life is promised Qui habet fiduciam mei haeredit abit terram Esai 57. possidebit montem sanctum meum He that hath affiance in me shall inherite the earth and possesse my holie Hill. So dothe S. Paule call hope the safe and sure anker of the sowle Heb. 6. Whervnto as many as flee for refuge haue a most strong comforte For as the ancor staieth the shippe so doth hope the sowle faith would be weake and charitie colde if hope mainteined and staied them not S. Paule saieth to the Colossians Coloss 1. Gratias agimus Deo Patri We geue thankes to God and the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christe euer praying for you For that we heare of your faith in Christe Iesu and of the loue you beare towarde all the holie Propter spem quae reposita est vobis in coelis For the hopes sake that is laid vppe for you in heauen He maketh the ende of our hope the marke wherevnto both faith and charitie haue their respecte And if the Philosophers sayinges be true that the ende is it whiche is last done Hope by some reason is the principall vvorker in our Iustification and first in our intente a man may reason vppon this place that in the acte of our Iustification Hope dothe not onely worke but hath the chiefe place and principal woorking Bicause his obiecte is the ende wherevnto faith and charitie referre all their dooinges and consequently the cause that moueth faith to beleeue and charitie to loue without the direction of hope faith and loue may be fruitlesse A man may haue faith and doe good woorkes August in Praefat. Psal 31. and yet lacking a right hope he shall not be a good man For saith S. Augustine Quid si de ijs omnibus bonis operibus c. What if by all these good woorkes either thou hope for that is to be hoped but not at his hande of whom it shoulde be hoped or hope after that is not to be hoped though it be at his hande of whome euerlasting life is to be hoped To put an Example For thy good workes thou hopest to get thy selfe a worldly felicitie Thou arte a wicked man. And therfore he saith in the same place Corrige fidem dirige fidem Correcte thy faith directe thy faith And what is the direction of faith but to referre and applye it to life euerlasting which we ought to hope and trust for in al our doinges If faith then can not iustifie vnlesse it be rightly directed and direction of faith is hope howe shoulde faithe iustifie without hope Ser. 16. de ver apost Adde ergo fidei spem Therefore put hope to faith saieth S. Augustine And what hope is there without some good conscience put charitie then also to hope These three ioyntly together beginne to woorke our iustice These three increase our iustice These three bring vs to the rewarde and perfection of iustice faith hope and charitie leade vs to God fide spe charitate colendus est Deus By faith hope and charitie God muste be serued Et nos fide spe Aug. epistol 121. charitate cum capite nostro sumus in coelo By faith hope and charitie we be in heauen with Christe our heade Ench. ca. 2 6. August in Psalm 26 enarr 2. let vs make no diuorce betwene these vertues whome God hath so ioyned to worke our iustice and saluation But as we be assured that without hope the acte of our Iustification is not wroughte so it behoueth vs to vnderstande howe hope muste be nurisshed and mainteyned The lesson is shorte but of greate proffite vttered by him that had good experience thereof August in praefation Psalm 31. Cupiditas refrenetur charitas excitetur Lette luste be brydeled lette charitie be stirred vp The very charitie of a man that worketh well geueth him the hope of a good conscience For good conscience is it that beareth hope As an yll conscience is all in dispayre so the good conscience is all in hope We see then that it is charitie and godly life which fostereth and mainteyneth hope And as without hope faithe suffiseth not for whiche cause it is saied by S. Augustyne Putte hope vnto faith Augu. ser 16. de ver Apost so hope without charitie wil not be had For what hope is there without some good conscience Put charitie then to hope also Thus is faith directed and stayed by hope hope mainteyned by charitie and a man made acceptable to God by all three
For if these be in vs Ser. 16. de ver apost then doo we belonge to the predestinate to the called and to the iustified Whiche is also expressed by the woordes of S. Paule where he saith Finis praecepti est charitas 1. Tim. 1. c. The perfyting and ending of the commaundement is charitie that commeth from a cleane harte De doctr Christian lib. 1. c. 40 from a good conscience and an vnfayned faith In which place S. Augustine saith The Apostle putteth in good conscience in steade of hope Wherefore if the commandement be geuen to make man perfect in such perfection as he may haue in this life and the ende and perfecting of the cōmandement lyeth in these three vertues the greatest perfection that man may reache vnto in this life is gotten by faith hope and charitie And our greatest perfection in this life is our Iustification for our glorifying apperteyneth to the life to come That faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification THE VI. CHAPTER Of the Sacramentes AS faith doth not barre hope and charitie from working our Iustification so doth it not exclude the SaSramentes of the Church instituted by Christ in the newe Testamente Whiche Sacramentes be not only requisite to the iustifying of a sinner but doo worke also in him remissiō of sinne bring and restore him to rightuousnes and geue life euerlasting Baptisme saieth S. Peter 1. Pet. 3. saueth vs. Concerning the Sacramentes of the Altar Christe saieth He that eateth my fleshe Ioan. 6. and drinketh my bloode shall lyue for euer He saieth also of the Sacramente of Penaunce whose sinnes you forgeue Ioan. 20. they be forgeuen them The like may be said of the rest of which S. Augustine maketh this general rule putting a differēce betwene the Sacramentes of the olde and newe Testament Sacrament a noui Testamenti dant salutem August in Psal 73. Sacramēta veteris Testamenti promiserunt Saluatorem The Sacramentes of the newe Testamente geue saluation the Sacramentes of the old Testamente promised a Sauiour S. Bede whom I allege for honours sake both bicause he was a singular lighte of our Country and also bicause he was in all his writinges an exquisite and moste diligent folower of S. Augustine saieth Bed. Hom. in feri 3. Pascha The Apostles were sente Qui cunctis per orbem nationibus c. Who shoulde both preache the woorde of life to all nationes through the worlde and minister the Sacramente of faith by whiche men mighte be saued and atteyne to the ioyes of the heauenly country The reason why so high and excellente a vertue should be in the Sacramentes August in Psal 56. et idem in Psal 103. is bicause they take their force of Christ his Death and Passion Percussum est latus pendētis de lancea profluxerunt Ecclesiae Sacramenta The side of Christ hanging on the Crosse was stryken with a speare and the Sacramentes of the Church came flowing out And as they issued and flowed out of his side so doo they applye and geue vnto vs the benefyte of his bloode and passion Augu. exposit epist ad Roma inchoat Such as vvere christened Were signed vvith the Crosse Illud Sacrificium c. That Sacrifice to witte the whole Sacrifice of our Lorde whiche after a manner is then offred for euerie one at what tyme he is christened and signed if he sinne againe can not be offered S. Augustine saith that the Sacrifice which Christe made for all vppon the Crosse is offred after a sorte for euery one particularly when he is baptized For as he died for al and paide the price and ransome of his bloode sufficiente for all so is his passion auayleable and applyed vnto such as receyue the healthful Sacramentes of his passion Augu. ad arti falsò sibi imposit artic 1 Cuius mors non sic impensa est humano generi His death was not so bestowed vpon man kinde that euen they that neuer shoulde be regenerate or christened should also be partakers of his redemption but in such sorte was it geuen that it whiche was by one onely example and paterne done for al in general should by a special Sacramente be celebrated and done in euery one by him selfe Let no man therefore assure him selfe of his Iustification by faith or other meanes The Sacramēt of penance without the helpe and benefite of the Sacramentes whiche God hath prouided first to applie his death and passiō vnto vs as we haue seene proued and nexte he hath also prouided them to be bandes to bynde and rowle vp our woundes in this life to staye and ease the ruptures and breaches of our soule August in Psal 146. Alligamenta medicinalia c. The Sacramentes vsed here for the tyme by which we haue confort be medicinal bandes of our contrition and rupture Perfecta sanitate detrahentur When our healthe shal be perfect which shal be in heauen they shal be pulled of but we should not atteyne and comme to that were we not rouled and bound vp S. Augustine saith that the Sacramentes for the tyme of this life be our medicines and salues to keepe vs in health and for the life to comme so necessarie that no man should atteine thereunto without them Here some man will say Obiection how should the Sacramentes be so necessarie for our saluation Is it not writen that by faith God purifieth and maketh cleane the hartes of men Act. 15. Ephe. 2. Ioan. 6. Is it not in S. Paule by grace are ye saued through faith Did not Christ him selfe say he that beleueth in me hath life euerlasting With many like sayinges wherein faith is commended without any mention made either of hope charitie or Sacramentes Yeas verely Answere they be all the wordes of God and al trewe but these are not onely the wordes of God nor onely trewe The holy Ghost hath vttered the trewth of God in the Scriptures where and by what wordes it liked that diuine wisedome Al are inspired from God and all to be beleeued alike but not all together nor all in one place And therefore as we beleeue it is vndoubtedly trewe he that beleueth in me Ioan. 6. hath euerlasting life so doo wee likewise beleue it to be trewe If I haue all faith and haue no charitie I am nothing 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 8. Ioan. 3. as trewe doo we thinke that also by hope are we saued and no lesse true Vnlesse a man be borne againe by water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen As true doo we take that to be Luc. 13. vnlesse ye doo penance ye shall all perish after a like sorte After this manner doth the Scripture somtime speake of faith and attribute Iustification vnto it Note wel making no mention of hope charitie or penance Sometime it seemeth to geue the like preeminence to charitie mentioning
Aug. ad Simpli li. 1. quaest 2. August ad Simpli ib. de fide oper c. 14 August ser 61. de ver Dom. Ephes 4. which must be ioyned with good workes as Abrahams faith was or els iustifieth no man Grace goeth before saith S. Augustine but good woorkes folowe Euerie man that wil be saued must be made a member of Christ whiche is done through faith hope and charitie and of this incorporation speaketh S. Paule but it is not inough for vs to be made members of Christ vnles being knitte in the bodie we increase in all thinges in Christ who is our heade Of this increase and growing speaketh S. Iames It is not inough for vs to be called and iustified we must also be glorified Rom. 8. and that shall not be vnlesse we be conformed and made like vnto the Image of Christ by godly lyfe which S. Iames speaketh of Al this is comprised in our perfit Iustification As it is necessarie for our saluation that we be made members of Christ which S. Paule calleth our Iustification so is it necessarie for the same end that we do good workes which S. Iames calleth our Iustification In praefat Psalm 31. If Abraham had offred his sonne without faith saith S. Augustine the worke had nothing auailed him what so euer it were If he had kepte his faith and not offred his sonne when God bad him his faith without woorkes had ben dead and shoulde haue remained like a roote barren and drie without fruite When S. Paule had taught that we are iustified by faith meaning thereby as hath ben declared Suche as vnderstode him not thought he had said faith had ben sufficient for a man though he liued yl and did no good workes And bicause this opinion was then sprong vppe Aug. de fid et oper cap. 14. the other Apostles as S. Iames S. Peter S. Iohn and Iude in their Epistles directed their intent specially againste the same earnestly affirminge that faith without woorkes auaileth nothing So did S. Peter exhorte menne to pietie 2. Pet. 3. and good conuersation against the comming of Christe warninge them that there were many thinges in S. Paules Epistles darke and harde to vnderstande which the vnskilfull and vnstable did peruerte to their owne damnation sayinge further that who so lacketh good conuersation 2. Pet. 1. is blinde and gropinge with his hande Therevppon did S. Iames call him a vaine manne that thoughte faith without woorkes mighte saue him Iacob 2. and called faith without woorkes a deade faith and the Diuelles faith Therevppon didde S. Iohn speake as muche in the commendation of Charitie as S. Paule had donne of Faith saying He that loueth not remaineth in deathe 1. Ioan. 3. not that these Apostles did teache contrary to S. Paule but bicause that S. Paule was misconstrued Their preaching was one For as S. Paule dothe saie Rom 3. Ephes 2. Iacob 1. by faith a manne is iustified and by grace are ye saued not of your selues So saieth S. Iames Euery good thinge that is geauen and euery perfite gifte commeth from aboue And seeing that Faith Hope Charitie and good woorkes be the giftes of God and the fruites of grace Ephes 2. S. Iames saying that we are iustified by woorkes disagreeth not with S. Paule that saith we are saued by grace Ephes 2. 1. Ioan. 3. And when S. Iohn saieth charitie commeth of God and we knowe we are translated from death to life bicause we loue our brothers he saieth no more then S. Paul doth Galat. 5. that in Christ Iesu neither circumcision nor to be without circumcision auaileth aught but faith which worketh through charitie So did S. Paule S. Peter S. Iames and S. Iohn being mooued to speake by one spirit agree in one minde concerning our Iustification S. Paule commendeth the foundation roote and beginning of it S. Iames th' increase the fruite and perfection of the same without the which the foundation should be voide and the roote barren and drie Iacob 2. Galat. 3. God graunte vs to beginne with Abrahams faith and to increase with Abrahams woorkes that faith may ioyne with our woorkes and by woorkes our faith may be perfited that we may be blessed with the faithfull Abraham That Faith alone without good woorkes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by grace THE XI CHAPTER BY this it is euidently declared that as faith in the beginning of our Iustification and comming to Christe excludeth not hope charitie penance nor baptisme so in our continuance and growing in Christe and saluation it excludeth not good woorkes but must haue them ioyned with it as time and oportunitie may serue the beleuer to do them or els the hope of his saluation is presumptuouse and vaine For if Abrahams faith excepte he had offered his sonne when he was byd August in praefation Psal 31. should haue ben deade lyke vnto a baren and withered roote as S. Augustine saith he being the example and paterne of our Iustification what can we looke for if we haue faith and care not to doo good woorkes which God commaundeth He that heareth my wordes Math. 7. and doth them not saith our Sauiour shal be lykened to a foole that hath buylded his house vpon the sande They are the dooers not the knowers whom he calleth happye If you knowe these thinges you shal be happie Ioan 13. when ye doo them They are not the hearers of the lawe Rom. 2. that are iuste before God but the dooers shal be iustified If faith woulde serue without good workes they should not be reiected who shal say at the daye of iudgement Math. 7. Lorde in thy name we haue preached in thy name we haue caste out diuelles and in thy name we haue done many greate wounders whiche can not be done without faith Math. 25. Neither shoulde the fiue foolishe virgins be shutte out at the mariage and therefore saieth Cyril Cyril Cateche 15. Trust not vppon that thou haste a lampe onely but keepe it burning truste not vpon this alone that thou haste faith but keepe thy faith burning that thy lighte may shyne before men through good workes leste for thy sake Christe be blasphemed And a litle before Howe shall we gette saieth he into the kingdome of heauen I was hungry saieth Christe and thou gaueste me meate to eate Learne the way for here needeth no allegory If thou doo these thinges thou shalt reigne if thou do not thou shalt be condemned beginne therefore nowe to doe these woorkes and continue in faith Leo. Ser. 3. de Epiphan Cypria ad Quiri lib. 3. cap. 96. Aug. Ser. 31. de ver Apost by right faith and good workes we attaine to the kingdom of God saith Leo. Factis non verbis operandum c. We must worke by deedes not by woordes saith S. Cyprian for the kingdome of God standeth not in talke but in vertue
you And he will shewe the cause Chrysosto Hom. 41. in Gene. August Serm. 49. de verb. Dom. for that they haue done the woorkes of mercie there rehearsed But bycause neither all these Scriptures nor anye one syllable of them can be false therefore it is false that fayth alone iustifieth meaning by fayth alone to shutte out eyther hope charitie penaunce the holye Sacramentes or vertuouse life and good workes from our perfyte Iustification VVhat they were who in sundrye ages haue taught that men should be saued without good workes THE XII CHAPTER IF nothing els could make vs think that godly life were nâ—cessarily required in a Christian man and workes of faith a greate and singular helpe to the atteyning of our saluation the diligente practise of the Diuel were sufficiente to make vs beleue it who beside his particular trauayle and persuasion whiche he vseth seuerally with euery man to turne him from wel doing hath also in sundry ages moued such as by his sleyghtes he coulde abuse to teach and openly persuade in derogation of good workes that the same were not auayleable August de fid ope cap. 14. De praedestin SaÌ„ct cap. 7. Euseb Eccles histo lib. 2. ca. 1 cap. 13. Theodore here fabis compen lib. 1. Iren li. 1. cap. 20. or not necessary for a Christian mannes saluation When S. Paule was most diligent to sowe the good feede teaching the right faith of true Iustification the Diuel was as busie to intermengle his cockle and darnel emong it making men that vnderstode not S. Paule beleue that he sayde it was sufficiente for a man to haue faith though he lyued yll and dyd no good woorkes Symon Magus who was taken for a God taught his followers to care litle for the Prophetes nor to feare the threatninges of the lawe but bad them like free men to doo what them lysted for they shoulde atteyne saluation not by good doing but by grace Whereupon suche as were of his secte boldelye gaue them selues to all luste and intemperate life Carpocrates saied men should be saued by faith and loue Theodo ib. Iren. li. 1. cap. 24. as for all other thinges they were of them selues indifferent and by opinion of men sometyme were taken for good sometyme for yl but nothing was naturally euill Valentinus and his scholers say Theod. vbi suprà Iren. li. 1. cap 1. they neede no works for that knowlege may suffice to saluation and therefore such as be emong them moste perfite without all care and feare doo what so euer is by Gods lawe forbidden It is saied of Eunomius August de here ad Quodvult De. ca. 54 that he was so farre an enemy to good conuersation that he plainely auouched no man shoulde take hurte by any sinne what soeuer he commmitted or continued in so that he were partaker of the faith that he taught Euen in S. Augustines tyme th' enemy of good life persuaded carnal and dissolute men to think Note August de fid ope cap. 1. cap. 27. that liued they neuer so il continuing in great sinne and not so much as professing amendement yet if they beleued in Christe and receiued his Sacramentes they should be saued But as the serpente in all these tymes wente aboute by his craftie to seduce whome he coulde 2. Cor. 11. Ioan. 17.18 so did not the holy Ghoste withdrawe his care and helpe from the Churche mouing at the first S. Peter S. Iames and S. Iohn to redresse by their Epistles the errour which vnstable heades had falsely gathered of S. Paules true preaching and afterwarde inspiring the learned Bisshoppes of euerye age to note and condemne the heretiques aboue named moued also S. Augustine againste the corrupte opinion of sundry in his age to write this learned Booke Of faith and woorkes whiche is delyuered thee herewith to put thee in remembraÌ„ce of the enemies craftes and sleightes For as by enuye of hym deathe came into the woorlde Rom. 5. so by the same enuye to turne Christian men from life euerlasting Ephes 2. he hath gone aboute in sundrye ages and yet doth to pul from them good workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in His desyer is specially to take from vs faith and the professing of Christe but bicause he dareth not attempte that by playne and open meanes Leo. ser 4 de collect Sciens Deum non solùm verbis c. Knowing that God is denyed not onely by woordes but also by deedes he hath taken charitie from many men from whom he could not take awaye faith Note He vnderstandeth to well that as charitie is the life and strength of faith so pulling awaye the one he shal be able either to drawe the other after or els to make it deade and vnprofitable to him that keepeth it Which if he may obteyne and make vs beleue that faith alone iustifieth taking away hope charitie penance and the vertue of Christes Sacramentes from woorking our Iustification and good workes from helping our saluation what doth he els but bring the Gospel which S. Paule calleth the stronge and mightie power of God Rom. 1. to a naked and bare name Therefore seing we knowe his slyghtes and haue learned them not only by report of other ages 2. Cor. 2. but also by the lamentable experience of our owne let vs to resiste him put on al the whole armor of God Ephes 6. 1. Thess 5. that we may be able to stand against him that lyeth in wayt for vs. Let vs not only take in hande for our defence the buckler of faith but also to saue the whole body put on the lacke of faith and charitie and take for an helmet hope of saluation not leauing of the breaste plate of iustice Ephes 6. nor the gyrdle of truth For he that goeth to that fraye hauing but a buckler maye take a deadely wounde for lacke of a helmet or breast plate and if he so doe he may be founde giltie of his owne death bicause he was warned to arme him selfe in all partes and to put on a complete harnesse The cause whye good woorkes are donne and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the worlde to come with life euerlasting And why they be so rewarded THE XIII CHAPTER AS I haue shewed that good workes must necessarily be done of such as wil be saued so wil I now declare for what ende they should be done and what fruite and profite they bring to the doers Vt curent bonis operibus praeesse qui credunt Deo. Tit. 3. To the intent that suche as beleue God may haue a care to be chiefe doers of good woorkes The holie Ghost saith of them Haec sunt bona vtilia hominibus They be good and profitable for men Tit. 3. If we aske to what ende he saith Pietas ad omnia vtilis est 1. Tim. 4. promissionem habens
fruit of Iustification is to leade a godly and vertuouse life here and the ende to enioye life euerlasting To woorke this effecte Christe gaue him selfe for vs to ransome vs from all iniquitie Tit. 2. and cleanse to him selfe a speciall people that should followe good workes To this ende was his grace shewed vnto al men teaching vs to renounce wickednesse and worldely desyres Ibid. and to liue soberly iustely and godly in this worlde looking for the blessed hope and comming of our Sauiour Math. 4. Math. 19. This effecte was wrought not onely in Christes Apostles who at his calling through grace forsooke all that before they looued in the worlde but also in sundrie others mentioned in the Scripture of whome it maye truely be sayd that being once brought to Christe Gal. 5. and made his they crucified theire fleshe Gal. 2. with the vices and concupiscences liued to Christ and Christ in them Marie Magdalene of an vnchaste wooman was made so vertuouse and constant in God that when Christ his Apostles forsoke him she went not awaye And after his ascension as probable histories testifie as wel she as Lazarus Ioseph of Arimathia and others forsaking Iudea sayled into other countries where they did continually leade a solitary Tit. 2. seuere and strayte life looking as S. Paule saieth for that blessed hope and comming of our Sauiour The multitude of the beleuing which were as we know thousandes agreed all in one harte and one minde Act. 4. Were so full of charitie and true loue that suche as were possessioners solde theire landes and houses to helpe them that had neede The fruit of Iustification was so great and wrought so great a chaunge generally in Christian menne 1. Pet. 4. as S. Peter saith that such as remained stil heathen maruayled at them that they would not do as they did in banketting dronkenes and confusion of ryot Euse li. 3. Eccles histor c. 32. Plinius in epist Plinius secundus being a heathen man and Lieutenant in a prouince where he sawe many Christian men martyred was by the good example of their life moued to write to the Emperour and to signifie that there was none offence founde in them other then that they songe Hymnes early before daye to Christ their God but as for whoredome and other like crimes he said they tooke them for vnlawfull and vtterly eschewed them Tertullian writing in the defence of Christian men in his tyme against the heathen saith in sundry places of that boke that the magistrates being heathen neither did nor could charge the Christians with murder inceste adultery sorcery conspiracie againste Princes or other notoriouse crimes but onely laide to their charge that they were Christians Bonus vir Caius Seius sed malus tantùm Tertulli in Apolog. quia Christianus Such a one is an honeste man but he is nought onely bicause he is a Christian And a litle after Quae mulier quà m lasciua quà m festiua Qui iuuenis Tertul. ibi Qui Lucius quà m amasius facti sunt Christiani ita nomen emendationi imputatus What a woman howe wanton howe pleasante what a yong man What a Lucius howe amorouse are become Christians So the very name is accompted for amendement S. Augustine saith it was seene in his tyme that common harlottes and stage players sodenly conuerted prooued suche Ad Simplician li. 1. Quaest 2. that they passed the colde Christians not onely in patience and temperance but also in faith hope and charitie By al which examples we see that the grace of Iustification where it is truely and vnfaynedly receiued is that Leauen whereof Christe spake Math. 13. which being put into three measures of meale leueneth the whole that is to say geueth it a newe tallage and taste other then it had before Rom. 6. 1. Pet. 4. Qui enim mortuus est iustificatus est à peccato for he that is deade is iustified from sinne and he that is iustified is deade from sinne By these examples we see it true that S. Paule saieth The Gospell is the power and might of God Rom. 1. for that the Gospel wherein Iustification is preached being truely and effectually receyued maketh them that so receyue it strong and so strong that as S. Augustine maketh the comparison August de correp grat c. 11. 12. many Martyrs haue shewed them selues to haue more perfite faith hope charitie better and more stronge freedome of will then Adam had for he had receyued the power not to sinne vnlesse he would neyther to forsake God vnlesse he would but he had not the perseuerance nor will to continewe in any of both and therefore he forsooke the good and became sinnefull These receyued by grace not onely the power to resiste synne but also the perseuerance and will so to continue Aug. ibid. cap. 12. Denique ille Adam terrente nullo c. Finally Adam when no man put him in feare yea and againste the commandemente of God that did put him in feare vsing his free will stoode not faste in so greate felicitie in so greate facilitie and ease of not sinning These Martyres when the worlde did I will not saye put them in feare but cruelly rage that they should not stande stoode faste in faith Whereas Adam sawe present before him the goods that he should leaue these did not see the goods that they were to receyue This is the strength in well doing whiche the grace of Iustification truely receyued and faithfully putte in vre geueth vnto Christian men by the whiche Christe is stronge in vs. Seing therefore that Christe Iesus is all one yesterday Heb. 13. and this daye and for euer howe is it that we finde not in our selues the strengeth in well doing whiche we commende in them Neyther the fruite of Iustification whiche S. Paule commendeth in the Romaines that is holinesse and vertuouse life suche as Plinie being a heathen man and Tertullian euen by the confession of the heathen saieth was commonlye founde in Christian menne What shall we saye but that God offereth it 2. Cor. 6. See the 7. chapt of this .2 Booke Cypria de simplicit Praelator and we will not receyue it We receyue the grace of God in vaine we geue not the credite to Gods woordes that they did we haue not the faithe of Abraham faithfully to beleeue and obediently to doo all that God biddeth vs to doo We beleeue his promises and care not for his commaundementes and therefore be faynte in faith and without hope and charitie To redresse this let vs firste beginne with the foundation and beleeue concerning our Iustification as they did Tertullian saieth that onely Christian menne were the innocente and godly lyuers and sheweth the cause Nos ergo soli innocentes quid mirum si necesse est Tertull. in Apologe Enimuerò necesse est innocentiam à Deo edocti perfectè eam nouimus vt Ã
perfecto magistro reuelatam fideliter custodimus vt ab incontemptibili dispensatore mandatam We alone be the innocente lyuers what maruayle if it muste needes be so In deede it muste of force be so We that haue learned of God innocencie and good life bothe knowe it perfectely bycause it is reueled by a perfyte Maister and we keepe it faithfully bicause it is commaunded by an officer that maye not be despised Take this lesson Christian Reader learne of Christ for thy Iustification not onely to beleeue but also to lyue godly and vertuously whiche lesson as thou seeste they kepte whom thou canst not but commende and so shalte thou be like them whome thou doeste rightely commende Thou knowest by that which hath benne saied before in the twelth chaptre of this second Booke what a false and dissolute doctrine concerning Iustification is able to doo When Simon Magus Carpocrates and Valentinus had taught that menne might be saued by grace fayth and knowledge without good woorkes they re scholers gaue them selues to luste and licentiouse lyfe To auoyd that mischiefe beleue assuredly this godly and learned saying Non dormiētibus prouenit regnum coelorum Leo. ser 2. in Epipha ser 5. ibid. sed in mandatis Dei laborantibus atque vigilantibus vt si dona illius irrita nō fecerimus per ea quae dedit mereamur accipere quod promisit The kingdome of heauen commeth not to sleapers but to such as labour in Gods commandementes and watche to th' ende that if we make not his giftes ydle and voide by such thinges as he hath geuen we may deserue to receiue that which he hath promised The right and assured way to come to this fruite of Iustification Miche 6. is to followe the counsel of the Prophete To do iustice to loue mercie to walke carefully in Gods sight Circūspiciat se omnis anima Christiana Leo. ser 1. de Qua. drag Let euery Christiā soule saith S. Leo looke about it selfe and by straite examination discusse the inwarde thoughtes of her harte let it see that no debate cleaue there that no couetousnes settle let chastitie driue away incontinencie let the light of truth driue away the darckenesse of lying c. Let pride asswage let humilitie be taken in let anger amende let vengeance cease and wronges be forgotten Aug. Ser. 15. de ver Apost The like counsel geueth S. Augustine Proficite fratres mei c. Increase my bretherne serche your selues euer without guyle and flattery Especially folow one shorte rule which he maketh for euery man Augustin Tract 6. in epistol Ioan. saying Interroga cor tuum si est ibi dilectio fratris Examine thy harte whether the loue of thy brother be there Si inueneris te habere charitatem habes spiritū Dei. If thou finde that thou haste charitie thou haste the spirite of God And then if his spirite that raysed Iesus from the deade dwell in you Rom 8. he that raysed Iesus from the deade will also geue life to your mortall bodies And thus do we see that the way to examine and trie our selues and thereby to iudge of our Iustification is not only to serche whether we haue faith but also whether we loue 2. Cor. 7. and liue godly Perficientes sanctificationem in timore Dei. Doing holinesse in the feare of God. The Conclusion and ende of the VVoorke THVS haue I nowe by Gods helpe finished the second parte of this Treatie wherein mine intente hath ben to aduertise the Christian Reader See the Preface how to eschewe the second great or rather most dangerouse fal on the lefte hande whiche S. Augustine willeth all that teache or speake of Iustification to beware of Aug. in praefat Psal 31. The perill is for men to presume only of Goddes mercie dooing nothing them selues towarde their owne saluation whiche opinion he saieth if any man folowe leadeth him vndoubtedly to euerlasting ruine of sowle and bodie And bicause the onely or readiest meane to leade a man to that fall is to thinke that faith alone may suffise to iustifie and saue vs I haue at good length prooued that faith alone is not inough to bring a sinner from sinnefull estate to Gods fauour nor of wicked to make him righteouse without the woorking and helpe of hope charitie penance and the Sacramentes of Christ wherein I haue ben the longer bicause this opinion is lately crepte into the worlde and nowe spred farre and wide For albeit in times past some thought they might be saued without good woorkes yet did they not saie they might be saued without the Sacramentes De fide oper c. 27 As by this booke of S. Augustine thou maiest see And so all be it they waded deepe inough to drowne them selues yet wente they not so farre into the bottomelesse goulfe as sundrie haue done in this our age who saie that nothing woorketh in the acte of our Iustification but onely faith And therevppon haue brought in this proposition and made it a common speache emong them selues and theirs Faith alone iustifieth excluding therby from the acte of our Iustification not onely hope charitie and penance but also the very Sacramentes For if faith alone iustifie a sinner and make him of wicked rightuouse then is there none of these requisite or necessary for that effecte whiche neuer anie aunciente man learned that I haue seene didde maineteine I haue further declared that faith alone can continue no man in the state of grace muche lesse increase him in iustice and least of all bring him to the ende and perfectiō of iustice in life euerlasting without the helpe of good woorkes And so is the opinion of Iustification by onely faith in trueth and deede disprooued and founde vntrue in no sense maintenable as they take it I saie as they take it For although certaine aunciente Fathers sometime vsed these woordes Faith alone iustifieth yet doe they not meane thereby as these doe to exclude any of the vertues afore named or Sacramentes as I haue plainely shewed In the .18 Chapt. of this secōd booke I haue according to my promise in this whole Treatie affirmed nothing of my selfe that whiche I haue saied I haue prooued by euidente Scriptures folowing euery where the interpretation of suche as God hath placed in his Churche Ephes 4. to be Pastours and Doctours to the perfiting of the holie and to the building vp of Christes body which is his Churche The labour hath ben bestowed to the ende that the godly man whiche is the Christian man might be perfite and sownde 2. Timo. 3. readie and instructed to all good woorkes Whiche God graunte thee and mee with thee good Reader Once the beste exhortation and righte encouragemente to doe good workes See the .23 chapter is truely to thinke and beleeue that no man hauing time and opportunitie to doe them shal be saued without them Thus endeth the Seconde Booke of this
Treatie of Mans Iustification The Praier of the Churche Omnipotens sempiterne Deus da nobis fidei spei charitatis augmentum vt mereamur assequi quod promittis fac nos amare quod praecipis Almightie euerlasting God geue vs increase of faith hope and charitie and to the intent we may deserue to come to that which thou promisest make vs loue that that thou commaundest through Iesus Christe our Lorde Amen TO THE READER TO the intente Christian Reader thou maiest vnderstande both that the doctrine of Mans Iustification declared vnto thee in this Treatie is consonant and agreable to the assured and vndoubted doctrine of Christes Catholique Churche by long and mature deliberation by most exact and diligent * Aboute this onely mater the Bisshops and Doctors had lxxx seuerall meetinges and conferences before they concluded trauaile expressed and sette forth to the worlde in the late General Councell holden at Trent and also that the saied moste Reuerende and Learned Assemblie of Bisshops Doctours and Fathers defined nothing in this matter but suche as most expressely agreeth with the holy Scriptures and consent of the Auncient Fathers here in this Treatie laied before thee to this intente I saie and for these causes thou haste here to this Treatie annexed the Sixt Session of the saied Councell with the Canons of the same translated into English worde for worde In the which the whole doctrine of Iustification is most exactly plainely and withal shortly taught declared and comprised THE SIXTH SESSION OF THE GENERAL COVNCEL OF TRENT HOLDEN THE THIRTENTH DAIE OF IANVARIE IN THE YEARE OF OVR LORDE 1547. A DECREE TOVCHING Iustification The Preface FOR so muche as there is at this present a certaine erroneous doctrine sowen in diuers and sundrie places concerning Iustification not without the losse of many sowles and greuous decaie of vnitie in the Church to the praise and glorie of Almightie God tranquillitie of the Church and saluation of sowles the Holie Oecumenicall and Generall Councell of Trent lawfully assembled in the Holie Ghost the right Reuerend Lordes Iohn Maria de Monte Bisshop of Preneste and Marcellus Priest by title of the holie Crosse in Hierusalem Cardinals of the holie Churche of Rome and Legates Apostolike de Latere being in it Presidentes in the behalfe of our most holie Father in Christe and Soueraine Lorde Paulus by the prouidence of God the third Pope of that name intendeth to set out to all the Faithfull of Christe a true and sound doctrine of Iustification Heb. 12. which Iesus Christ the Sonne of iustice the beginner and ender of our Faith hath taught the Apostles haue deliuered and the Catholike Church by suggestion of the holy Ghost hath continually kept streightly forbidding that no man from hence foorth be so bold as to beleue preach or teach otherwise then is ordeined and declared in this present Decree Of the insufficiencie of our nature and of the Lawe towardes Iustification THE I. CHAP. FIRST of all the holie Councell declareth that to vnderstand the doctrine of Iustification wel and sincerely it behoueth euerie man to acknowledge and confesse that after what time all men had in the preuarication of Adam lost their innocencie and were made vncleane Rom. 5. Ephes 2. and as the Apostle saieth by nature the Sonnes of wrath as it is expressed before in the Decree concerning originall sinne they were so muche the bondslaues of sinne and in such subiection to the deuil and death that they could not be deliuered or rise againe out of it neither the Gentiles by the strength of nature neither yet the Iewes them selues by the letter of the law of Moyses albeit that free will was not vtterly quenched in them though the strength of it were much weakened and decaied Of the dispensation and Mysterie of the coming of Christe THE II. CHAP. WHerevpon it came to passe that the heauenly Father the Father of mercies and God of all comfort when that blessed fulnes of time was come sent vnto men Christ Iesus his owne Sonne Galat. 4. who was declared and promised vnto manie holie Fathers both before the law and in the time of the lawe to the ende that he should redeeme the Iewes which were vnder the lawe and that the Gentiles which folowed not iustice Rom. 9. Ephes 2. 1. Ioan. 2. might laie hand on iustice and that all men might receiue the adoption of Sonnes This Iesus hath God set foorth an appeacer by Faith in his owne bloud for our sinnes and not only for our sinnes but also for the sinnes of the whole worlde VVho they are that are iustified by Christe THE V. CHAPTER HOwbeit although he died for all men yet do not al men receiue the benefite of his death but they only to whome the merite of his passion is communicated For as in deede men should not be borne vniust vnlesse they were descended and borne of the seede of Adam for so much as in that descente they do gather by him an vnrighteousnes of their owne whiles they are conceiued euen so they should neuer be iustified except they were borne againe in Christ bicause in that second birth by the merite of his passion grace is geauen vnto them by the which they are made iust For this benefite the Apostle exhorteth vs to geaue thankes at all times to the Father which hath made vs woorthie to be partakers of the lotte of Saintes in light Colos 3. and hath deliuered vs from the power of darkenes and hath transposed vs into the kingdome of his welbeloued Sonne in whome we haue redemption and remission of sinnes A description of the Iustification of the wicked and the manner of it in the state of grace THE IIII. CHAPTER BY the which wordes is described and declared the Iustification of the wicked that it is a translation from that state in which man is borne the sonne of the first Adam into the state of grace and adoption of the sonnes of God by the second Adam Iesus Christ our Sauiour The which translation after the publishing of the Gospel can not be made without receiuing the water of Baptisme or the purpose to receiue it as it is written Ioan. 3. Except a man be borne againe by water and the Holie Ghost he can not enter into the kingdome of God. That it is necessarie for such as be of age to prepare them selues to receiue Iustification and from whence Iustification commeth THE V. CHAPTER THE holie Councell declareth moreouer that the beginning of Iustification in such as be of age is to be taken of the preuenting grace of God through Christ Iesus that is to say of his calling whereby they are called without anie their owne merites that they which were turned away from God through sinnes may by his stirring and helping grace be disposed to conuerte them selues vnto their owne Iustification by yealding their consent freely and woorking together with the grace of God in such
hath chosen vnto him selfe Of the gifte of perseuerance THE XIII CHAPTER THE like maie be saied of the gifte of perserance wherof it is writen Matth. â—0 24. who so perseuereth vntil the ende he shall be saued the whiche thing can not be had from anie other then from him which is able to stay him that standeth that he maie continually stand and to set him vp againe that falleth No man maie promise him selfe any thing of certaintie with an absolute certaintie although all men ought to settle and repose a most sure hope in the helpe of God. For God excepte they do not their parte according to his grace as he hath begon a good woorke Philip. 1. so will he ende it woorking in them to will 1. Cor. 8. 1. Cor. 10. Philip. 2. and to make perfecte How be it let them that thinke them selues to stande take heede that they fall not And let them with feare and trembling woorke their saluation in labours in watchinges in almesdeedes in praiers and offeringes in fastinges and chastitie For knowing that they are regenerated in hope of glorie and not as yet in glorie they haue cause to misdoubt of the battaile whiche remaineth with the flesh with the worlde and with the diuel in the whiche battaile they can not be conquerers vnlesse with the grace of God they obey the Apostle Rom. 8. saying We be debters not to the flesh to liue according to the flesh for if you liue according to the flesh you shall die but if you shall mortifie the deedes of the fleshe by the spirite you shall liue Of them that are fallen and of their recouer THE XIIII CHAPTER NOW such as are through sinne fallen from the grace of Iustification whiche they had receiued maie be iustified againe if when God stirreth them to rise they will procure through the merite of Christe to recouer the grace loste by the Sacrament of Penance For this manner of Iustification is the recouering of him that is fallen whiche the holie Fathers aptly termed the second boord after shipwracke of grace lost For in deede for them that fal into sinnes after Baptisme Ioan. 20. Christ Iesus hath instituted the Sacrament of Penance when he saied Take ye the holie Ghoste whose sinnes ye forgeaue they are forgeauen them and whose ye reteine they are reteined Wherfore it is to be declared that the penance of a Christian man after his fall differreth verie much from that whiche is done before Baptisme and that in this penance is conteined not only a ceasing from sinnes and a detestation of them or a contrite and humbled hart but also a Sacramentall confession of the saied sinnes at the leste in purpose and to be made at time conuenient and the absolution of a Priest There is also conteined in this penance a satisfaction by fastinges almesdeedes praiers and other godlie exercises of spiritual life not for the paine euerlasting which is forgeauen either by the Sacrament or els by purposing of the Sacrament together with the offence but for the temporall paine the whiche as the holie Scriptures teache vs is not alwaies forgeauen wholly as it is in Baptisme to suche as being vnthankefull for the grace of God Ephes 4. whiche they haue receiued haue sorrowed the holie Ghost and haue not ben afraied to violate the temple of God. Of this penance it is writen be mindefull from whence thou art fallen Apocal. 2. 2. Cor. 7. Matth 3. Luca 3. do penance and do the former woorkes And againe That sorrowe whiche is according to God woorketh penance towardes a stable saluation And againe Do ye penance and do ye the woorthie frutes of penance That by euerie mortal sinne grace is lost but not Faithe THE XV. CHAP. AGainst the craftie wittes of certaine men whiche through swete talke and faire wordes do seduce the hartes of innocentes Rom. 16. it is to be holden that the grace of Iustification once receiued is lost not only by infidelitie by the whiche Faith it selfe is lost but also by any other mortal sinne although faith be not lost Herein do we defend the doctrine of Gods lawe which excludeth from the kingdome of God not onely Infidels but also the faithfull 1. Cor. 6. being fornicatours adulterrers wantonnes buggerers theeues couetouse drunkerdes euillspeakers extorcioners and al others which do commit mortal sinnes from the which they maie with the assistance of Gods grace absteine and for which they are seperated from the grace of Christ Of the fruicte of Iustification that is to saie of the merite of good woorkes and of the consideration of merite THE XVI CHAP. WHEN men therfore are by these meanes iustified whether they do continually keepe the grace once receiued or whether they do leese it and recouer it againe the wordes of the Apostle are to be set before them Abound ye in euerie good woorke Hebr. 10. knowing that your labour is not void in our Lord. For God is not vniust that he will forget your woorke and loue whiche ye haue shewed in his name And 1. Cor. 15. Leese not your affiance which hath a great reward And therefore to such as woorke well to the ende and hope in God we ought to set foorth life euerlasting both as a grace mercifully promised vnto the Sonnes of God through Christ Iesus and as a wages faithfully to be paied according to the promise of God him selfe to their good woorkes and merites For this is that crowne of Iustice whiche the Apostle saied 2. Tim. 4. was laied vp for him after his conflicte and running whiche he saied should be rendered vnto him by the iuste iudge And not onely to him but also to all them that loue the comming of Christe For seing that the selfe same Christe Iesus doth continually sende downe by influence into them that are iustified as the head into the members and as a vine into his branches a vertue the whiche vertue goeth before accompanieth and foloweth their good woorkes without the whiche their woorkes could not possibly be acceptable to God and meritorious we ought to beleeue that there lacketh nothing els in such as are iustified wherfore they maie not be thought by their good woorkes whiche are done in God to haue satisfied the lawe of God so muche as the state of this life requireth and truly to haue deserued life euerlasting which they shal enioy when the time cometh if so be that they depart out of this life in grace for so much as Christe our Sauiour saieth Ioan. 4. If any man shall drinke of this water which I shall geaue him he shall not thirst for euer but it shall be made in him a fountaine of water springing to life euerlasting And thus neither is our owne proper iustice so taken to be our owne as though it proceded from our owne selues neither is the Iustice of God either vnknowen or resused For that Iustice which is called ours bicause
touching the questiō of our Iustification Which he decideth thus farr to wit whether faith without good woorkes may saue a Christian man or no. The occasion of S. Augustines Treatie of saith and vvorkes Where vnto he was moued by a corrupte opinion of some menne in his time For whereas whole countries then were not yet fully conuerted to Christe and therefore diuers of al ages as they were brought to the faith came yearly to be christened some were of opinion that as manie as would beleeue the right faith though they liued vngodly yet might be receiued to Baptisme and be saued through faith and the Sacramentes without good workes Against whome he wrote this godly and learned Booke entituled De Fide operibus of faith and woorkes prouing therein at large that faith without good life can saue no manne And bicause the value and estimation of good workes hath been and yet is called in question to wit what accompte God maketh of them and whether any reward be geuen vnto them especially of life euerlasting and whether they be necessarie and able to healpe vs to attaine the same I haue also chosen certaine Arbitrators touching the especial and chiefe workes commended by Christe as Praier Fasting and Almes dedes And those suche men that in their handes thou mayste without daunger put thine opinion and iudgement For Praier I haue chosen S. Chrysostome for Fasting S. Basil and S. Leo for almose deedes S. Cyprian and S. Leo againe The first and second Confessors but so liuing for certaine yeares that they daily looked to be Martyrs The third also a Confessor but such as in his life by a Generall Councell of 630. Bishops was called S. Leo and since his death hath ben so taken of the Churche Concil Chalcedo Sess 3. and hath also for his most excellent learning bene surnamed Leo the Greate The fowrth a flower of the worlde in his life for vertue and learning and in his death a moste constante and vndoubted Martyr S. Cyprian and S. Augustine liued in Africa S. Basil in Asia S. Leo in Europa S. Chrysostome parte of his life in Asia parte in Europa And so by these doo we heare as it were speaking in them the voice of the whole Catholike Church 1. Tim. 3. which is the piller and staie of truthe against the whiche no man well aduised will frame him selfe a singular opinion For vnto the Churche is the holy Ghost the teacher of al trueth promised Ioan. 15. 16. which promise no priuate man hath Their Antiquitie is suche that the latest and lowest of them al liued within 400. yeres after Christe Peruse and way without affection gentle Reader the Treaties of these holy Fathers I might require thee also to stand to their decision bicause there is no exception to be taken against them But that I leaue to Gods gracious working and thine owne good will bicause I take not vppon me to be Iudge of the cause but a motioner toward peace Only this muche I saie of them that whereas Iudges should be voide of hatred freendshippe enmitie and pittie Salust de bel Catil these men are suche For as S. Augustine saieth of them and of others like Nullas nobiscum Aug. contra Iulia. Lib. 2. vel vobiscum amicitias attenderunt vel inimicitias exercuerunt Neque nobis neque vobis irati sunt neque nos neque vos miserati sunt Quod in Ecclesia inuenerunt tenuerunt Quod didicerunt docuerunt quod à patribus acceperunt hoc filijs tradiderunt They neither regarded friendshippe nor were at enmitie with vs or you they were neither angry with vs nor you nor tooke compassion of vs or of you Looke what they founde in the Church that they held suche as they learned they taught what they receiued of their Fathers that deliuered they to their children Take therefore Christen Reader if thou be a childe of the Churche these thy Fathers lessons Aske thy Fathers saieth the holy Scripture and they will shew thee Deut. 32. enquire of thy Elders and they will tell thee These be thy Fathers these be thy Elders These are suche of whom Christe saied he that heareth you heareth me Lucae 10. he that dispiseth you dispiseth me These are the high Pastours of Christes Church of whom Christ saied Matth. 18. he that heareth not the Churche let him be to thee as an Heathen and Publicane These are the lightes of the Church of whom Christe saied You are the light of the worlde Matth. 5. Acto 13. whose predecessours saied also of them selues that they were placed to be a light to Nations to woorke saluation euen to the vttermost of the earth Of whome also an other saied He that knoweth God harkeneth vnto vs. 1. Ioan. 4. He that is not of God harkeneth not vnto vs. In this we trie the Spirite of Truthe and the Sprite of Errour If thou wilt then be lead by Truthe and not seduced by Errour harken to these holy and learned Fathers all Bishoppes and chiefe Pastours in the Churche of Christe in that time and age whiche the Aduersaries them selues accompte for the purest Let these hardely be thy Arbitrers in decision of these present controuersies They lacked no learning to know the Truthe They wanted no vprightnesse to write as they knewe They can not be partiall They knewe neither parties They liued taught and flourished in the time of Truth by the Aduersaries owne Confession To speake farder in the commendation of these most holy and learned Fathers it were but a vanitie There nedeth no candle when the day light shineth Where good wine is there nedeth no garland to hange out These Fathers commends them selues All the Christian worlde reuerenceth them and crediteth them as holy Fathers as most learned Doctours as singular lightes of the Churche of Christe bothe Greke and Latin. To whom this publike testimony of all Christendome suffiseth not to him nothing will suffise Reade therefore Christian Reader Vse and peruse And reading these remember that thou readest not any writer of late yeares any priuate learned man any particular Iudgement or doctrine But that thou readest in these the doctrine of the primitiue Churche Auncient and generally approued Fathers briefely the publike Testimony and common voice of all Christendom And that not certaine of their sayinges culled out from the whole but their whole and full Treaties word for word as they wrote them laied before thee Last of all not any suche writinges as they wrote by waie of controuersy as against an Aduersary but partly a settled and deliberated doctrine such as S. Augustines Treatie is partly Homelies and sermons made and pronounced to the whole people suche as all the rest are in whiche kinde of exercise the Pastour of Goddes people will be most aduised what he speaketh and muche more what he writeth To make an ende Thou hast hitherto hearde learned men prouing and debating matters now in controuersy
thinges also whereof we reioyce in other mennes doinges Let vs therefore most deerly belooued imbrace the blessed soundnes of moste sacred vnitie and let vs enter this solemne fast with an agreyng purpose and consent of wel disposed mindes Nothing is sowght of any man which is hard or sharpe neither is ought commaunded vnto vs which excedeth our forces either in chastesing our selues by abstinence or in large bestowing of almes Euery man knoweth what he is able and what he is not able to doo Let them selues waie their owne abilitie let them selues taxe themselues as they thinke reasonable to the ende that the Sacrifice of mercy be not offered with heauinesse or accompted among our losses or hinderaunce Let that be imployed in this charitable woorke whiche may iustifie the harte clense the conscience and which finally may both profit the taker and geeuer Happy truly is that minde and with admiration to be reuerenced which for the looue of wel doing doth not feare the decaye of his gooddes and mistrusteth not for his sake to geue of whome he receyued that which he geueth But for so muche as this magnanimitie is proper to fewe and it is also godly and full of piety that no man forsake the care of suche as he is charged with we not preiudicating or meaning to hinder the more perfit doo by this rule exhort you in generall that you accomplishe the commaundement of God euery man according to his portion and habilitie For it becommeth beneuolence to be chereful and so to temper it selfe in largesse that both the refection of the poore may reioyce therin and the houshold not be greeued for want of sufficiency But he that geueth seed to the sower 1. Cor. 9. will also geue bread to eate and will multiplie and increase the grayne of your righteousnes Let vs fast therfore the fourth and sixth daye of this weeke But on the Satterdaye let vs celebrate the Vigill together at the Monument of the most blessed Apostle S. Peter by whose merites and prayers we confidently trust the mercy of our God shall be bestowed vppon vs through Iesus Christe our Lorde who liueth and raigneth world without ende Amen Thus ende the Sermons of S. Leo Pope of Rome A SERMON OF ALMES DEEDES MADE BY THAT BLESSED MARTYR S. CYPRIAN Bisshop of Carthage in Afrike in the yeare of our Lorde 230. GREAT and manifolde most deerly belooued bretherne are the diuine benefits whereby the large and abundant clemency of God the father and Christ his Sonne hath wrought yet daily doth worke for our saluation As that the Father for the sauing and quickening of vs sent his sonne to restore vs and that the sonne would be sent and vouchesafe to become the sonne of man to make vs thereby the sonnes of God. He humbled him selfe to reise vp the people The benefits vvhich Christ hath bestovved vpon vs. that before laye ouerthrowen He was wounded to heale our woundes He became bond to drawe forth into liberty vs that were bond He indured to dye that dyeng he might geeue to mortall men immortalitie Great and manifolde are these giftes of Gods diuine mercy But yet what a prouidence is that howe great a clemency of Christe that by healthfull meane it is foreseene to our hand and prouided howe man once redeemed may the more fully be preserued For when our Lorde comming Christe a redemer and a lavv maker had healed the woundes which Adam had borne and cured the olde poisons of the serpent he gaue a law to man being healed and charged him to sinne no more lest by sinning of newe worse might fal to him thereof Then were we narrowly beset and brought into a great straight by hauing Innocency prescribed vnto vs. Then knewe not the infirmitie and weakenes of humane frailtie what to doo except the goodnes of God yet once againe helping had by teaching vs the woorkes of righteousnes and mercy opened a certaine way to keepe and preserue our health and saluation now gotten by wasshing awaie with almose deedes all suche what so euer filthe wee happen afterward to gather or to brede The holly Ghost speaketh in the Scriptures and saieth By almose deedes and faithe sinnes are purged Tobie 4. Not those sinnes which were before committed and growen vpon vs. For those are purged with the blood of Christe and * he meaneth Baptisme Eccles 3. sanctification Againe he saieth As water quencheth fier so dooth almose quenche sinne Heere is it also shewed and proued that as by the washing in the healthfull water the fier of hell is quenched so by almes and iust woorkes the flame of our offences is alayde and suppressed And for that remission of sinnes is once geeuen in Baptisme diligent and daily well working following after the manner of Baptisme doth againe enlarge vnto vs Gods pardon This also dooth our Lorde teache in the Gospell for when his disciples were noted that they eate and did not first washe their handes he aunswered and saied Lucae 11. He which made that is within made also that is without but geue you almose and beholde all thinges are cleane vnto you Teaching and shewing therby not so much the handes to be washed as the hart and the inward filth rather then the outward to be clensed For asmuch as he which hath clensed that is within hath also made cleane that is without and the mind being purged beginneth also to be cleane both in skinne and bodie But teaching and instructing farther by what meane we maie be made pure and cleane he added that almose must be don Him selfe being merciful teacheth and admonisheth that mercy be donne Hovv vvoundes after Baptisme maie be cured And bicause he seeketh to keepe whom he hath deerely bought he teacheth how such as are defiled after the grace of Baptisme may againe be purged Let vs therfore derely belooued bretherne acknowledge the healthfull gifte of Gods sauour and to the clensing and purging of our sinnes let vs who cannot be without some wound of cōscience cure our woundes with spirituall medicines Neither let any man so flatter him selfe of his pure and vnspotted hart that presuming on his innocency he thinke him selfe not to neede the applying of any medicine to his woundes considering that it is written Who shall glorie that he hath a chast hart or who shall glorie him selfe to be cleane from sinnes 1. Iohn 1. And againe when S. Iohn in his Epistle allegeth and saieth 1. Ihon. 1. If wee saie wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no truthe in vs. But if wee confesse our sinnes our Lord is faithfull and iust who will forgeue vs our sinnes Now if no man can be without sinne and who so euer wil say him self to be blameles is either prowd or foolish how necessary how gentle and bountiful is the mercy of God whiche knowing that euen the healed should not yet afterward want their wounds gaue helthful remedies to the new