and although the people to whom the lawe was geuen namely the Iewes fantised vnto them selues a certayne foolishe satisfaction by outwarde shewe of holynes which grew through their negligence in not serching diligently the spirituall nature of the law which requireth as is shewed the entire inclination and naturall obedience of the whole man Although the Iewes I say fantised by thys occasion such a satisfaction yet that nothyng hindered the purpose of God who saw their blynde presumption from establishyng thys new couenaunt which for hys truth sake he promysed shoulde be a perfecte reconcilement betwene hym man The which couenaunt in déede is nothyng els but the accomplishment or ende of 〈…〉 ld couenaunt and yet called new in respect of the olde promise and for that the same is now deliuered a new and consummat by the mediatot hymselfe To the which couenaunt he séeketh no other conditions then that which from all eternity he had appoynted And that whereunto the whole drift of all hys trauell both before the lawe and in the lawe and new vnder grace had the onely respecte as vnto the appoynted ende that the glory as of ryght apperteyned myght be onely hys namely vppon the condition of hys owne truth that is to say that as God is true so can he not but accept the satisfaction of Christ the promised séede for the full and omnisufficient raunsome of all them that take holde of the same vnto whom of his free fauour he had bound hymselfe by promise concernyng the same in promising that he should iustifie the multitude and beare away theyr sins And Paule declaryng the order of the performaunce of that promyse affirmeth that thys iustification is the frée gyft of God in respect of Christ apprehended by fayth For thus he writeth to the Ephesians By grace are you saued through faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of workes least any man should boast hym Now forasmuch as it is here declared to be the frée or liberall gift of God in that hée sayth By grace or fauour which argueth the fredome of the gift Therefore hath the expectation of man for the attainement thereof onelye to awayte vppon the frée bountye or liberalitie of God and from thence onelye to acknowledge the same receiued without all desert seeing it is geuen of grace or fauour The meanes also whereby it is receaued or applyed vnto man is euidentlye declared in that hee saith through faith whereby fayth appeareth to bée the instrument which vnto man is geuen of God to take holde of the promises wythall And because ambitious man shoulde haue no colour to thinke him selfe anye furtherer or fellowe worker in this worke he addeth this playne exception and not of your selues to exclud all opinion of mans helpe touching the same Whereunto also for greater euidence of his meanyng he addeth as it were a repetition of the same sentence in other forme of wordes In saying it is the gift of God not of workes whereunto finally he addeth the reason or cause why God so fréely geueth it and why he so earnestlye excepteth man with all his workes from helping towardes the same namely least any man should boast hym that is that vnto man should not be left so muche as the Image or colour of any cause to pretend title to any part of the glory of that worke that the same may be wholy reserued to God alone Now forasmuche as fayth is here expressely taught to be the meanes which apprehendeth the promyse therefore it is by necessary consequence gathered that onely fayth apprehendeth the promyses of God and so onely fayth iustyfieth And now because the waight of thys whole matter dependeth greatly vpon the true vnderstanding of these woordes grace fayth iustification or ryghteousnesse and woorkes therefore I thynke it expedient to bestow some trauell in seuerall declaration of euery of them And first touching Grace forasmuch as in the Scripture it is taken in three senses at the least therefore it is expedient that all be declared to the end it may be more apparant in what sense it is vsed in this place wherefore in this first and principall sense it may thus be defined Grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God iustifiyng the elect thorough fayth in Christ Now forasmuche as I know the aduersaries will neuer admitte thys definition because it is the ouerthrowe of their rotten building Therfore somewhat to arme the willing reader against the charmes of their wrangling shiftes I will séeke by the scriptures to prous the truth of the same by the parts therof whiche are these first that it is a frée beneuolence of the will of God secondly that it iustifieth the elect through fayth in Christ Now for the first part namelye that grace is a frée beneuolence of the will of God it is thus proued Saint Paule to Timothy sayth thus VVho saued vs and called vs wyth an holy calling not accordyng to our deedes but accordyng to hys owne purpose and grace And agayne the same Paule to the Ephesians sayeth thus VVho hath predestynate vs to bee adopted thorough Iesus Chryst vnto him selfe accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll Note that in the former place hs affirmeth our saluation to bée geuen accordyng to hys grace or fauour And now in thys place he affirmeth the same to bée geuen accordyng to the beneuolence of hys wyll whereby it is euident that his grace or fauour and the beneuolence of his will is all one thyng And Paule to the Romanes affirmeth it to bee freelye done for he sayeth All haue sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and are iustyfied freelye by hys grace And therefore grace is ryghtlye sayde to bée a frée beneuolence of the wyll of God whiche was first to bée proued Now touchyng the second parte namely that grace iustifieth the electe through fayth in Chryst it is thus proued by these woordes of the Apostle That wee beyng iustyfied by grace shoulde bee made heyres according to the hope of eternall lyfe Note here that hee sayth we are iustified by grace And in the second to the Ephesians hée sayth thus For by grace are you saued thorough fayth Wherby it is euident that by grace through fayth we are iustified which was secondly to be proued Now I suppose the truth of this definition is sufficiently confirmed which being the first and principall signification of grace namely that whereby ryghteousnesse is geuen vnto man thorough faith the rest do require the lesse trauell Of the which the second groweth from this first thus Forasmuch as all they whyche are iustified by grace through fayth are by the free spirite of God regenerate into a new lyfe which bréedeth suche disposition or habite as bryngeth forth good-workes and holy cenuersation in them Therefore those good gyftes of God are also sometimes called grace Finally that fauour which Christ hath with God hys
geue no further power but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde which Pelagius neuer denyed but not to conuert or renew the same wherby grace hath at their handes such straight alowance that vnlesse frée will geue it leaue it is Iacke out of office and can do nothyng so that with them both frée wil is he that ruleth the roste whereby they differre a litle in childishe shewe of wordes but nothyng in the substaunce of the heresie This grace which the Papistes haue hunted out is lyke a sleuelesse Iacket hangyng in the ayre which euery man may at hys owne choyse either slyp on or leaue vntouched And yet Paule in playne wordes affirmeth that it is neither in hym that willeth nor in hym that runneth but in God that pitieth wherby it is euident that grace doth not only as they imagine inuite the mynde vnto Christ neither as they dreame is it a certaine generall grace common vnto all men whiche euery one that lysieth hath free will power to recaue or refuse But it is in déede that frée fauour of God in respect of Christ which not onely moueth the minde but also by his spirite doth clearely turne renewe and regenerate the same accordyng to these sayinges of the Prophetes Thus saith Elia heare me O Lord that this people may knowe that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their hartes agayne nowe at the last And agayne Ieremy sayth O Lord turne vs vnto thee and so shal we be turned Agayn God by Ezechiell sayth I will plant a new spirite within your bowels that stony hart wil I take out of your bodye and geue you a fleshy hart And agayn by Zacharie he sayth I will turne them also for I pitie them Here is both taught that God turneth the hart also the cause therof namely his mercy For I pity them saith he according wherunto Dauid cryeth make me a cleane hart O God and renue a right spirit within me And agayne Inclyne my hart vnto thy testimonies And Salomon crieth Incline O Lord the hearte of thys people that they may obey thy commaundements Hereby appeareth that the frée fauour or grace of God is such as first moueth the mind then renueth turneth the same and draweth it to consent thereunto according to thys saying of Christ no man commeth vnto me vnlesse my heauenly father draw him Surely the Papistes shew themselues the naturall heyres of Pelagius in this theyr definition of grace As by thys which Augustine writeth vnto Innocent the Byshop of Rome is euident Pelagius sayth he fearyng to be accursed in the Palestine counsell dyd aforehand accurse all such as sayde they coulde lyue vprightly wythout grace But by grace he vnderstoode nothyng els but the giftes which he imagined was bestowed vppon vs in creation as frée choyce reason will. c. by which subtility the Palestine Byshoppes beyng decaued dyd absolne hym in which déede Saint Augustine doth excuse then for theyr vpright and simple dealyng for when they heard hym confesse the grace of God they could thereby vnderstand no other grace then that which the Scripture acknowledgeth namely the fauour of God whereby we be regenerate and grafted into Christ By which wordes of Saint Augustine it appeareth that all other significations of grace hereunto applyed are but subtill and false shiftes to darken the truth withall And is not thys the very shift of the Papistes For how much soeuer they séeme to accompt of grace they meane nothyng lesse thereby then the frée beneuolence of the wil of God in respect of Christ but in déede they meane theyr Philosophicall grace their infused habit which must helpe nature to hatch her broode of good workes whereby to be iustified if frée wyll be so curteous as to geue her leaue Neyther do they onely erre about the matter or substaunce of grace as appeareth but also about all the effectes thereof For all those which are but in déede diuers effectes or proprieties of the fauour or grace of God they accompt for seuerall graces as where the grace of God preuenting vs doth stirre and moue the mynde vnto goodnes that accompt they for one seuerall grace after the which first motion and as it were iogging of the mynde to awake the same from the deadly sleepe of rebellious contempt there worketh another effect of the same grace which performeth the same thyng whereunto the other prouoketh for it turneth and altereth the vnwillyng mynde and geueth lyfe agayne vnto the dead séede of originall obedience so that the mynde which before dispised to obey any of the heauenly motions of the first prouoking effect of grace is now by thys other effect so chainged and clearely altered that it beginneth to hate the fleshe whereunto onely before it wholy and willingly obeyed so that now it hungereth thirsteth and gredely desireth the full repayre of the lost obedience which before it could not but vtterly abhorre and in respecte of thys effecte of grace which thus chaungeth and turneth the mynde is grace it selfe called workyng grace which is not so called as though thys effect were a seuerall grace onely furnished wyth that qualitie but it is so called to put a difference betwene thys effect of grace and another which immediatly followeth the same Because that thys effect of grace worketh euer in such a subiecte as neuer willyngly consenteth to the worke of the same for vntill it hath chaunged the mynde the mynde can consent to no godlynes and so soone as it hath turned the mynde then is the worke of thys effect finished which once performed then forth wyth appeareth that other effecte of grace wherof I spake namely that as in the conuerted mynde grace willeth worketh the workes of true godlynes so doth the regenerate mynde both wyll worke the same and thys effect of grace is called cooperant grace or grace working together And wyth the first of these two effectes of grace doth the mynde méete onely passiuely because it is by it vnwillyngly subdued to suffer the workyng of the same and is sayde in the passiue voyce to bée renued or to be turned But with the second of these two effectes the mynde doth meete both passiuely and actiuely pasiuely in that it is drawen to wyll and woorke ryghteousnesse and actiuely in that beyng drawen it willingly wylleth and worketh the same And all these seuerall effects of grace doe the Papystes to builde vp their baggage accompt for seuerall graces and not for the seuerall effect of one and the same frée and vndeserued fauour or grace of God whereby in respect of Christ we are reconciled They also accompt grace making acceptable and grace fréelye geuen for two seuerall graces and yet Saint Paule affirmeth that if it bée not frée it is no grace But it is good reason to géeue them leaue to erre that séeke for no truthe for so they may mysse that they care not what they finde for
of the whole Scripture together may bee acknowledged For we may not wrest such sense out of the Scripture by vrging the outward barke of some particular places therein as shall set them at strife with all the reste of the body of the Scripture and so imagine the spirite of truth at warre with hym selfe Wherefore for the first sorte let these authorites serue Euery man shall enioye good according to the fruites of his mouth and after the workes of his handes shall he bee rewarded Agayne The sonne of man shall come in the glory of hys father with his angels and shall reward euery man according to his deedes And agayne God is not vnrighteous that he should forget your worke and labour that proceedeth of loue which loue ye shewed towardes his name in that ye haue ministred vnto the Sainctes and yet minister These examples may serue for their argument of thys sort Well say they seing that mans rewarde is accordyng to hys workes it appeareth that in workes there is merite and that to mans iustyfication woorkes are requyred Here I myght briefly aunswere that all these woordes are spoken of woorkes comming after iustyfication whyche is not the matter in questyon betwene vs for the question is about woorkes goyng before iustification for the purchase thereof But for their great ouerthrow Let it bée imagined that these promyses are made to woorkes goyng before iustification and yet get they nothyng thereby for we answere they reason from a generall to a species which in an affirmatiue concludeth fasly as for example If one seyng a liuyng creature shoulde reason thus yonder is a liuyng creator therefore it is a man For as of liuyng creatures there be diuers kindes wherof mā is but one so of rewardes there bée dyuers kyndes whereof merite or desert is but one For some rewardes are frely geuē of loue or fauor some through hope of further benefite and some of merite desert or duetie c. So that as vntruely thys is concluded that because it is reward therfore it is merite or duety as the other namely because it is a liuing creature therefore it is a man for in déede this rewarde is of grace or fauour and not of merites or woorkes As by these oft rehearsed wordes of Paule is euydent For of fauour sayeth he yee are saued thorough fayth and not of your selues it is the gift of God and not of woorkes least anye man shoulde boast hym And although thys well considered wyth the definytion of iustyfication in the. 8. chapter doth fullye expresse what sense in these authorities maye well bee allowed yet shall the same in more larger forme of wordes bee declared thus Forasmuche as mans iustificatyon is a free remission of sinne and imputatiō of righteousnesse vnto man thorough fayth in Chryst therfore that the ryghteousnesse of the iustyfied by this free grace might be declared and the bountifull liberalitye of Gods mercye made manyfest to the prayse and glorye of hys grace for thys cause is the rewarde declared vppon the outwarde worke as vppon the outwarde wytnesse of the inward righteousnesse of fayth to the open declaration of the truth of Gods promyses concernyng the womans séede namely Christ By the Prophet Esay hée sayth thus Hee shall iustifie the multitude for hee shall beare awaye their synnes And agayne the people shall bee all ryghteous and possesse the lande for euer The flower of my plantyng the woorkes of my handes whereof I wyll reioyce And agayne that they myght bee called trees of ryghteousnesse A plantyng of the Lordes for hym to reioyce in Wherefore for thys cause namely that the chosen myght bée declared to be ryghteous in the eyes of all the worlde and the triumph of Gods grace or fauour thereby celebrated by the open performaunce of these hys promisses that hée might be iustified in his sayinges and ouercome when he is iudged In consideration hereof I saye he openly pronounceth the fauourable rewarde accordyng to the open manifest works or fruites of the righteousnesse of fayth induyng them with the rewarde of righteousnesse whiche rewarde is of fauour in respect of Chryst apprehēded by fayth and yet pronounced vppon the woorkes as vppon that outwarde fruite whereby the inwarde righteousnesse of fayth is declared whiche hée doth to thys ende that the elect maye bee declared to be iustyfied and the performaunce of his promyses in Chryst made apparaunt so that for thys cause namelye to iustyfie Gods promyse concernyng thys free and mercifull deliueraunce in the sighte of all men to the encrease of the glory of hys grace that as all men heard the promise so all maye witnesse the performaunce thereof For thys cause I say is the fauourable rewarde pronounced according to the outwarde workes or fruites of the ryghteousnesse of fayth wheras if it had beene pronounced accordyng to the fayth no man coulde haue witnessed the true performaunce of the promyse And thys is the cause why the fauourable rewarde is declared vppon the woorkes And not that the workes are the cause of the rewarde For the only end of Gods actiou herein is as Paule testifieth the prayse of the glorye of hys grace whiche is also euydent by this saying of the Phrophet Ezechyell And ye shall know that I am the Lord when I shall doe good to you for myne owne names sake and not accordyng to your most wycked offences By whyche wordes it appeareth that God wyll not onely be ryghteous in the performance of hys frée mercifull promise but hée wyll haue all the worlde both sée and wytnesse the same for hée sayeth in thys promyse you shall knowe that I am the Lorde c. So that hereby God hath promysed to declare hys frée fauour in suche an outwarde subiect as man may bée able to sée and wytnes the fulfilling therof in that he sayeth ye shal know and yet therewyth all he geeueth a determinate caueat that that subiecte wherein hys goodnesse shall be declared shall not be the cause of his goodnesse expressyng playnely what shal be the cause thereof namely hys owne glory Affirming that it shall be for his owne names sake Not onely exceptyng workes from being the cause but also to expresse their great néede of mercye to couer their spottes shewed them touchyng their owne nature howe foule they bée in saying And not accordyng to your most wycked offences And in both the other places before rehearsed out of Esay where he promiseth to make all hys people ryghteous and that they should be called trees of ryghteousnesse This is specially to be noted that in both those places he affirmeth their righteousnesse shall bée the flower of hys plantyng the woorkes of hys handes and not of their owne addyng thereto the cause thereof namely for hym to reioyce in That is accordyng to Saynt Paules woordes For the prayse and glorye of hys grace And to thys ende are all the woorkes of GOD done that hee may
dixerit quod gratiam bene operaÌ„di fides mereatur negare non possumus Imo gratis dedisse confitemur Si autem ex fide quomodo gratis Quod enim fides meretur cur non potiùs redditur quà m donatur Non dicat hoc homo fidelis quia cum dixerit vt merear iustificationem habeo fidem respondetur ei quid habes quod non accepisti Cum igitur fides impetrat iustificationem sicut vnicuique deus partitus est mensuram ipsius fidei non gratiam dei aliquid meriti pracedit humani sed ipsa gratia meretur augeri vt aucta mereatur perfici Dutie is rewarded to workes of fauor it is freely geuen wherby also it is called grace But if any say that fayth of well doing may deserue grace we can not deny but we confesse him to haue geuen it frely But if it be of fayth how is it freely that which fayth deserueth why is it not rather repayed then freely geuen A faithfull maÌ„ may not say this for if he say I haue fayth that I may deserue iustification it shall be answered vnto him what hast thou that thou hast not receaued Therfore when faith obtaineth iustificatioÌ„ according as God hath diuided to euery maÌ„ the measure euen of the same fayth there goeth no merites of man before the grace of God but the grace it selfe deserueth to be encreased that being encreased it may deserue to be perfected Now forasmuch as S. Augustine doth vse here the word dutye which is also an vsuall word with many of the Fathers in this matter therefore I thinke it conuenient to say somwhat concerning the meaning therof wherfore the word dutie or debt is taken in two senses or meanings The one for recompence or merite of labour or workes as when an hired seruant hauing finished his appointed labour doth chalenge his hire Duty or debt in that respect is merite or desert And in that sense doth S. Paul take the word where he sayth To him that worketh the reward is not counted of fauor but of dutie The other sense or meaning therof is best declared by an example thus Admitte one maÌ„ beholding an other in extreme miserie through such debt as he by no meanes is able to satisfie and he seing the penury of this man moued by compassion taketh vpon him the debt promising freely the discharge thereof and for sure confirmation of his promise herein to the néedy wretch he geueth him his obligation vnder his hand seale This being demaunded by the poore soule at the appoynted time may be in a sort called dutie or debt though not in respecte of desert or merite yet in respect of the frée gifte confirmed by the geuers hande writing and in this signification the worde dutie or debt inferreth no desert or merite but contrariwise the condition being knowne it doth make apparaunt the frée bountifull and liberall grace of the geuer and if the aduersaries woulde be content in this sorte to vnderstand the worde duety or debt in this matter as of right they oughte they had long a goe geuen ouer thys wicked vaine brag of merite Where-fore now to returne againe to the aucthoritie of the Fathers The foresayd Augustine in his booke concerning nature and grace writeth thus Haec igitur Christi gratia sine qua nec infantes nec oetate grandes salui fieri possunt non meritis redditur sed gratis datur propter quod gratia nominatur Therefore this grace of Christ without which neither yong nor olde can be saued is not recompenced to merites but it is frely geuen for the which cause it is called grace and fauour And againe Mortis autem regnum in homines vsque adeo dominatum est vt omnes in secundam quoque mortem cuius nullus est finis poena debita praecipites ageret nisi inde indebita dei gratia aliquos liberaret For the kingdome of death did so raign ouer all men that also into the second death whereof there is no end deserued punishment would driue all men headlong if the vndeserued fauour of God shoulde not deliuer some from thence Again Augustine Per ipsam quippe iustificamur gratâ—sâ— id est nullis nostrorum operum praecedent bus mertis alioquin gratia iam non esset gratia For by grace we are freely iustified that is without any merites of our woorkes going before or els grace is not grace And againe colligimus non iustificari hominem praeceptis benae vitae nisi per fidem Iesu Christi hoc est non lege operum sed lege fidei non litera sed spiritu non factorum meritis sed gratuita gratia VVee gather that man is not iustified by precepts of good lyfe but by fayth of Iesus Chryst that is not thorough the lawe of woorkes but by the lawe of fayth not by the letter but by the spirite not by merites of woorkes but thoroughe free fauour or grace And agayne Nullis nostris praecedentibus meritis sed praeueniente nos misericordia Domini Dei nostri iustificamur VVee are iustified by no foregone merytes of ours but by the mercye of the lorde our God preuenting vs. And again Et exultate subaudis in Domino Quare Quia iam iusti Vnde iusti Non meritis vestris sed gratia illius And reioyce namelye in the Lorde VVherefore because nowe yee bee ryghteous By what meanes bee yee righteous not by your merytes but by his grace Agayne Coeli id est Apostoli enarrant gloriam Dei positam in Christo Iesu per gratiam in remissionem peccatorum oÌ„nes enim peccauerunt egent gloria dei iustificati gratîs per sanguineÌ„ ipsius quia gratîs ideo gratia noÌ„ est enim gratia nisi gratuita quia nihil boni ante feceramus vnde talia dona mereremur magis quia non gratîs inferretur supplicium ideo gratîs praestitum est beneficium Nihil praecesserat in meritis nostris nisi vnde damnari deberemus ille autem non propter nostram iustitiam sed propter suam misericordiam saluos nos fecit per lauacrum regenerationis The heauens that is the Apostles declare the glorye of GOD placed in Chryst Iesu for the remission of synnes thorough grace for all haue synned and stande in neede of the glorye of God and are iustyfied freelye thorough hys bloud And because it is freelye done therefore it is fauour for it is not fauour vnlesse it bee vndeserued for no goodnesse wrought wee before wherewyth to deserue so excellent gyftes but rather because punyshment shoulde not bee duelye executed therefore was the benefite franckly geeuen for in our merites there went nothyng before but that for whyche wee ought to haue ben damned but hee saued vs not for our owne ryghteousnesse but for his owne mercye by the fountayne of the newe byrth And agayne Sed vt iustificentur praecedit vocatio
quia no est meritorum sed gratiae Dei. But that men should be iustified their callyng goeth before whyche is not of merite but of the fauour of god And agayne Propter nomen tuum domine viuificabis me attendite quantum potestis gratiae commendationem qua gratîs salui facti estis propter nomen tuum Domine viuificabis me non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tuo da gloriam propter nomen tuum Domine viuificabis me in tua iustitia non in mea non quia ego merui sed quia tu misereris nam etsi meum ostenderem meritum nihil abs te mererer nisi supplicium auulsisti merita mea inseruisti dona tua Lorde thou shalt quicken mee for thy names sake Marke diligentlye the commendacion of that grace whereby yee are freelye saued Lorde for thy names sake shalt thou quicken mee not vnto vs Lorde not vnto vs but vnto thy name geeue the glorye Lorde for thy name sake shalte thou quicken mee in thy ryghteousnesse not in myne not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast mercye on mee for if I shoulde shewe my meryte I shoulde deserue nothyng of the punyshment thou hast weeded oute my merytes and haste ingraft thy free gyfte And agayne Ipsa est perfectio hominis inuenisse se non esse perfectum That is mans perfection to knowe himselfe to bee vnperfect And agayne Sicut nulla sunt tam detestanda facinora quae possunt gratiae arcere donum Ita nulla possunt tam praeclara opera existere quibus hoc quod gratîs tribuitur per retributionis iudicium debeatur vilesceret enim redemptio sanguinis Christi nec misericerdiae Dei humianorum operum praerogatiua succumberet si iustificatio qua fit per gratiam meritis praecedentibus deberetur vt non munus largientis sed merces esset operantis Lyke as there is none so detestable outrages as can restraine the free gyft of grace so can there bee no woorkes so excellent that this whyche is freelye geeuen shoulde bee dewe vnto them by actyon of debte for then the redemptyon of Chryste shoulde in deede bee nothing woorth neyther shoulde the worthynes of mans woorkes bee inferyor to the mercye of GOD if the iustification whiche is geuen of grace shoulde bee a debt dewe vnto merites so it shoulde not bee the larges of the geeuer but the dewe hyer of a laborer And agayne Augustine sayeth Nec quisquam dicat meritis suorum operum aut meritis crationum suarum vel meritis fidei suae traditam Dei gratiam putetur verum esse quod illi haeretici dicunt gratiam Dei secundum merita nostra dari quod omnium est falsissimum Let noe man say that for the merites of his workes or for the merites of his prayers or for the merites of his faith the grace of God is deliuered vnto hym And so that whiche those heretyckes saye bee countēd true namelye that accordyng to our merites the grace of God is geeuen then the whiche nothyng can bee more false And agayne Gratias agamus Domino saluatori nostro qui nos nullis praecēdentibus meritis vnlneratos curauit Let vs geeue thankes vnto oure Lorde and Sauyour whyche healed vs beyng wounded wythout any foregone merytes of oures Possunt quidem dicere remissionem peccatorum esse gratiam quae nullis praecedentibus meritis datur They may in deede affirme remission of sinnes to be grace whiche is geuen to no foregone merytes Agayne the same Augustine wryteth agaynst the heresie of extollyng mans merytes Vnde supradictam Epistolam ad Sextum Romanae Ecclesiae praesbyteron co ntra nouos haereticos Pelagianos noueritis esse conscriptam qui dicunt gratiam Dei secundum merita dari vt qui gloriatur non in Domino sed in seipso glorietur hoc est in homine non in Domino VVhereupon vnderstād that the forenamed Epistle to Sixtus an elder of the Churche of Rome is wrytten agaynst the Pelagians the newe heretickes whyche affirme the grace of GOD to bee geeuen accordyng to merytes that hee that gloryeth shoulde not glory in the Lorde but in hym selfe that is in man and not in the Lorde Woulde not the same Augustine think you if he now were lyuing attribute the same name of heretickes vnto the Papistes whiche in this poynt affirme Pelagians heresie Yes assuredly but heare him further Thus writeth hée in an other place Sed Pelagianis non immeritò anathema dicimus qui tam sunt inimici gratiae Dei quae venit per Iesum Christum Dominum nostrum vt eam dicant non gratîs sed secundum merita nostra dari ac si gratia non iam sit gratia Neyther do wee vnworthely accurse the Pelagians whyche bee such enemies vnto the grace of God which commeth by Iesus Chryste oure Lorde that they affirme the same not to bee frely geuen but accordyng vnto our merytes as thoughe grace were nowe no grace And agayne Nulla ne ergo sunt merita iustorum sunt planè quia iusti sunt sed vt iusti fierent merita non fecerunt iusti enim facti sunt sed sicut dicit Apostolus iustificati gratîs per gratiam ipsius Then are there no merytes of the ryghteous yes in deede are there because the doers be ryghteous but that they shoulde be made ryghteous their merytes wrought not that they in deede bee made ryghteous but as the Apostle sayeth they are iustyfied freely by hys grace And agayne hée affirmeth Deum nullis meritis hominum gratiam suam dare That GOD geeueth hys grace in respect of noe mans merytes And agayne Chrisostom saith thus Et si millies moriamur si omnes virtutes animae expleamus◠nihil dignum gerimus ad ea quae ipsi a deo percepimus Although we should dye a thousand tymes and thoughe we should accomplish all the vertues of the mynde yet doe we nothing worthy of those things whiche wee receaue of GOD. Agayne Bernard in his 53. Sermon Hoc totum hominis meritum si totam spem ponat in eo qui totum saluum fecit This is the whole merite of man if hee put hys whole trust in him that hath saued the whole Unto this place may be applyed all the aucthorities rehearsed in the 8. Chapter about the iustification of fayth Hauing now shewed what mans merite or deserte is I think it now conuenient to procéede to the consideration of those authorities which I put in the seconde sorte namely such places of Scripture as eyther seeme wyth outward sounde of wordes to take iustification from fayth or attribute the same to woorkes through coulor whereof some of the aduersaries reason thus Paule say they hath nothing more strongly to proue iustification of fayth then that the Scripture imputeth faith vnto Abraham for righteousnes wherefore if now we can shewe that God also in the Scriptures imputeth
father and in respect of which wée are beloued of the father is also called grace for Iohn sayth we haue receaued grace for grace that is we are receaued into the grace of God the father for that grace or fauour whiche he beareth vnto Christ his sonne And this is the thyrd and last signification of grace which being shewed it séemeth not inconuenyent to note somwhat agayne of the pestilent doctryne of your abusing deceauers concernyng grace séeing their errour about the same is the mother and nursse of that presumptuous traytor and ambitious rebell I meane the doctrine â—fiustification of woorkes whiche to fill the pursses of the wicked spoyleth the Maiestie of God of the finall end of hys labour namelye of the triumph and glory of hys free and bountifull fauour and maketh the treasure of the death of Chryst of vyle and contemned price Wherefore to the hatchyng of their hainous errours about the effectes thereof necessytie constrayned them to deuise false and counterfayte matter or substaunce or the ground of the same accordyng whereunto they thus define it Gratia est habitus a deo in animam infusus bonitatis et charitatis eius similis quo illum habens gratus deo redditur et facit opera illigrata et meritoria Grace is an habyte lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God by hym infused into the miride wherewyth hee that doth possesse it is made acceptable to God and woorketh workes both merytorious and acceptable vnto hym For the vnderstandyng of the whiche definytion it is necessary first to shew what they meane by thys woorde habyte wherefore any propertye or qualytye whyche by infusion education exercise custome or any other way is perfectly attayned is called habyte whereby this definition euen at the first taste sauoureth of the soyle that bred it for in the whole Scriptures of God there remayneth not so muche as the cooloure of proofe hereof that the genus or generall woorde vnto that grace wherby wée are saued should be an habite of the mynde that is to say a qualitye by education exercyse or infusion made perfect in mynde Thys diuinitie is pycked out of Aristotles Ethickes where it is taught that the habilityes powers of the mynde are strengthened by habit that is to say by a perfection therein attayned through exercise made easye and ready to be performed whyche wythout the same were very difficulte or not to be done Whiche beyng considered I thynke it not amysse somewhat to note the treacherye of thys their heythenesse definityon wyth shewes beautified to the sale beyng in déede nothyng els but a paynted sepulchre conteyning onely a stynckyng caryon of Pelagius filthy and corrupt heresie thoughe aboue all thynges they must séeme to dissent from hym and hys doctrine And therefore at the first in that they affirme grace to be an habite infused into the mynde they thereby thinke with a pleasaunt profer in the begynnyng to dasell the eyes of the worlde from suspition of their ioynyng handes with hym the substaunce of whose heresye beyng well weyed is neuerthelesse one and the same wyth this doctrine wherefore great connyng was to be vsed in this matter seing hys hatefull errour remayned with great detestatyon condemned of the fathers and therfore they must seme at the least in some superficiall tryfle as stout enemies to dissent from hym Wherefore where his cunning was by Saint Augustine detected that though hée vsed the name of grace yet hée ment nothyng therby but onely nature Now these meÌ„ to auoide this open vew of vnitie wyth his condemned heresie At the first gate or entrie séeke such colerable passage as dissenting from the shew of his woordes maye neuerthelesse embrace the substaunce of hys heresie wherefore not to seme that they accoumpt grace to be nature they terme it an infused habite thinkyng thereby to make it apparaunt that they meane not any naturall power or habilitye And yet agayne in that they affirme it to bée lyke vnto the goodnesse and loue of God they thynke themselues to haue géeuen a substauntyall shew why all they that be therewyth adorned shoulde be acceptable vnto God Namely by reason of that lykenes and similitude to the goodnesse loue of god And this forsooth they terme Gratia gratum faciens That is grace whyche maketh man acceptable by whiche reason it must folow that the loue wherewyth God accepteth vs must come after thys grace and come in respect thereof And yet S. Iohn sayth hée loued vs first And Saint Paul affirmeth that our acceptatioÌ„ with God commeth in respect of his owne mercy And this is here to be noted that in man hym selfe they place this theyr grace wherby he is made acceptable vnto God makyng hym therby a cause of his owne saluation which errour Pelagius held the falshode wher of appeareth partely by that whiche is sayd before in the profe of the first part of the true definition of grace where it is euident that that grace whereby we be iustified is a frée beneuolence of the will of god Wherby it is manifest how falsly it is sayd the we are iustified by any habit powred into our myndes seyng it is by the fauour or grace whiche is in God and not in our selues wherby he receiueth vs into his mercy But this definition of theirs is as I sayd before grounded vppon Aristotles Diuinitie Now for further profe of their ioynyng with Pelagius in the substaunce of hys heresie herein it is nedefull to compare the conclusion of both the doctrines together in this point Pelagius affirmed that the begynnyng of all good workes proceded from our selues namely from the frée will and election of man and that grace dyd onely helpe the possibilitie of nature that these workes might more easely be performed Now the Papists and Scholemen bycause as I sayd before they must seme to dissent from him in somethyng affirme that the begynnyng of good workes procedeth not froÌ„ nature as he affirmed but from grace Mary this soueraigntie they attributed to nature that in the will consisteth frée power choyse eitther by geuyng place vnto grace to bryng forth good workes or els by resistyng the same to omit theÌ„ And I praye you from wheÌ„ce commeth this will seing they cal it frée could they haue erred more if they had with Pelagius affirmed the firste cause of good workes to come from nature no assuredly for they place the principall cause in frée wil whiche they place in nature and vnto grace though in wordes they geue it the first place yet alowe they it no further power but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde leauyng the whole soueraignty vnto nature Namely fre wil and choyse to admit or not admitte the same so that in this matter they differre from Pelagius onely herein in that hee affirmeth the first cause of good workes to consiste in nature and the Papistes affirme it to consiste in grace But yet vnto that grace they
of it This call they a fayth sufficiēt vnto saluation is not this a pestilent and wicked doctrine that such as haue no touch of godly feare nor any féelyng of true godlynes should be sayd to possesse all true faith necessary to saluatiō where it is proued before in the proffe of the true definition of fayth that one of the properties of true fayth is to purifie the hartes of all thē that possesse it Let this both touchyng the description of true fayth and the counterfaite faith of the Papistes suffice and let vs procede to shew in what sense the righteousnes or iustification is to be taken which fayth by grace apprehendeth For the doyng whereof it is necessary to shew how diuersly the word righteousnes is vsed Sometyme it is vsed for that common righteousnes whiche naturally cleaueth vnto man wherby euen in the heathen the opposition of generall vertues and generall vices was vnderstand and the contrary estimation of both therby generat And this righteousnes is common to all men In another sense it is vsed for that outward righteousnes which by the good fruites or workes of suche as bee already iustified is apparaunt in the eyes of men Therefore in neither of these senses is the worde righteousnes or iustification taken in this place wherfore that which here is ment may thus be defined Iustification is a frée remission of sinne imputation of righteousnes vnto man through fayth in Christ The truth of this definition is proued by these words of Paul Abraham beleued God and that was imputed to hym for righteousnes To him that worketh the reward is not counted of fauor but of duty but to hym that worketh not but beleueth on hym that iustifieth the vngodly hys faith is counted to him for righteousnes euen as Dauid describeth the blessefulnes of the man vnto whom God ascribeth ryghteousnes without deedes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne by these wordes of Paul it is plaine that God iustifieth the vngodly whiche beleueth by forgeuyng hys vnrighteousnes and couering his sins and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym without deedes and that it is fréely done Saint Paule also declareth for all sayth hée haue synned and are destitute of the glory of GOD and are iustyfied freely by hys grace therefore is iustyfication ryghtly saide to bée a frée remyssyon of sinnes and imputation of ryghteousnesse vnto man through faith in Chryst Thus hauing declared what iustification or ryghteousnesse is truely gathered out of the scryptures of God I wyll also briefly note what the Papistes and Scholemen accompt it to be wherein you shall perceaue the building thereof to be wholy raysed from their deuysed grace whereof is sufficyentlye spoken Thus wryteth the mayster of the sentences Mors ergo Christi nos iustificat dum per eam charitas excitatur in cordibus nostris For the death of Chryst doth iustifie vs when as by it charitye is stirred vp in our heartes By whiche woordes it appeareth that hée affirmeth the death of Chryst no otherwyse to iustifie vs but by excitation or styrring of the mynde vnto good woorkes by them to bée iustyfied so that in déede they accompt iustificatyon to signifie nothing else but a certayne qualitie or vertue or infusion of a certayne habit into the mynde inclyning or mouyng the same to goodnes that by the workes thereby produced righteousnes may be attayned Whyche assertion of theirs affirmeth ryghteousnesse to come of oure selues through our owne woorkes onelye addyng thys exception that first through the merite of Chryst a certaine habyt or preuentyng grace doth inclyne the minde to the execution of those workes whereby iustification is attayned whiche is both by the true definytion of iustification false and also by the manifest woordes of Saynt Paule whiche so many tymes affirmeth iustification to consist in the free imputation of righteousnesse vnto man through faith Abraham sayeth he beleued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse It appeareth that these men accompt the generall power or vertue of God whereby hée produceth and conserueth hys creatures and whereby euen in the heathen certaine morall or ciuill good woorkes are wrought to further the doers thereof vnto iustificatyon Thus are some of them not ashamed to dreame that suche as bée not regenerate may do suche good woorkes as maye merite the first grace as they call it whereby the mynde beyng styrred hath by their doctryne frée wyll to admit the same whichebeyng once admitted certayne woorkes of suche perfection are thereby produced as in a sort bée acceptable to God and do meryte the fauour of Chryst and in a sort do iustyfie though not by full and exact worthinesse yet by a certayne conuenyencye or congruencye ay they call it accordyng whereunto they name these woorkes congruent merites That is to say suche merites as in equitie deserue fauour though they satisfie not the extremitie of the lawe And these first works they call preparing workes meanyng that suche prepare the doers vnto regeneratyon Thys their diuinitie séemeth to bée gathered oute of thys sentence in the ciuyll law Summum ius Summa iniuria extreme ryght is extreme wrong And therfore they wyll scan wyth God the equitie of the lawe inferryng thereupon that by the power of nature man is able to fulfill the commaundement in asmuch as appertayneth to the substaunce of the worke required therein though not fully in suche sort as the intent of the commaunder requireth that is though the doyng thereof procéedeth not from loue and the spiryte they bée able to satisfie the equitie as it were of the commaundemēt though not the rigor or extremitie thereof and hereby appeareth howe fully agayne they haue wallowed themselues from euill to worsse till at length they be perfectly tumbled agayne into a Pellagian heresie for by what soeuer good worke nature hath power and frée wyll before iustificatyon to meryte the first grace wythall seeyng by that first grace once obtayned iustification doth by their congruence follow it is of necessity that that first meritorious work is the cause of thys their iustificatyon and so nature hath of it selfe in equitie power to iustifye The horrible error of which doctrine is more then euident by that whiche hath bene shewed before aswell by the true definition of iustification as by the fourth and fifth chapters where the filthynes of corrupt nature is euidently declared Let thys touching the true signification of righteousnes or iustification and the errors of the Papistes about the meaning therof suffice Now resteth somwhat to be said concerning workes Wherefore in one signification workes are those thynges which by practice of arte are done and apparantly remayne as all thyngs wrought by any handy craft are called the workes of the doer In another signification workes are the actions of men produced by the willyng motion of the mind which
et in lege possit deleri hoc decreuit vt solam fidem poneret per quam onmium peccata aboleret vt quia nulla spes per legem omnibus hominibus erat dei misericordia saluarentur Because sin began to be increased by the craft of the aduersary that man through the restraint mought bee found more giltie God of hys mercifull goodnes alwayes carefull for man that that which without law was transgressed might in the lawe be blotted out decreed this Namely to appoint fayth onely to be the meane whereby he would extinguish the sinne of all men that seing no hope was left to any man in the lawe they might by the mercy of God be saued Agayne the same Ambrose In Christo Iesu data est gratia quia hoc constitutum est vt qui credit in Christum saluus sit sine opere sola fide gratîs accipiens remissionem peccatorum In Christ Iesu is grace geuen forasmuch as this with God is decreed that who so beleueth in Christ is saued by fayth only without worke receauing freely forgeuenes of sinnes Agayne Hillarius vpon the 8. of Mathew hath these wordes Sola fides iustisicat onely fayth doth iustifie Notwithstandyng these authorities of Scriptures and fathers yet do the aduersaries kéepe styll theyr brasen faces and stoutly sweare it stare it out that none but heretickes and schismatickes affirme that onely faith iustifieth Truely gentle reader if thou béest not setled in error thou cāst not but see their wicked and shameles facing in crying out that we corrupt the scriptures and that none of the fathers gathered out any such sense or meanyng of them concerning which matter thou hast heard diuers of them tell theyr owne tales Now it is here principally to be noted that wher mans iustification is a free remission of sinnes and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym through fayth in Christ it may be that because the phrase of the Scriptures of these aucthorityes attribute the same so many tymes to fayth that therefore some myght gather thereby that fayth is the efficiēt cause of mans iustification which is not so for the efficient cause is onely God euē as sinful mā destitute of Gods grace is the materiall cause and as the declaratiō of Gods iustice righteousnesse in performaunce of hys free promyse to the encrease of the glory of hys grace is the finall cause And forasmuch as vnto this worke two instrumentes were requisite the one to be vsed by God whiche was Chryst of whom hée made the sacrifice and offeryng the other to be vsed by man whiche is fayth Therefore that fayth beyng as I saide the instrument whiche taketh holde of the promyse hath relation vnto the obiecte of fayth Namely vnto Chryst and the promyse and so hath the title of iustification imputed vnto it for so sayth the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and God imputed that to him for righteousnesse Whyche Paule dyuers tymes rehearseth to shewe that fayth is not the efficient cause of iustificatyon but the obiecte of fayth Namelye Chryst and the promyse And that fayth receyueth the tytle thereof onelye by imputation and not by proprietie of nature Namely because it is that wherewith man taketh holde of Christ and the promise whiche I thought worthy the notyng Thus hauyng shewed the nature of the newe couenaunt touchyng mans iustification and that fayth is the onely meane required in man to the attaynement thereof it followeth Cap. 9. ¶ To know the certayne tokens of that fayth wherunto iustification is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faythfull the works required in the law FAyth beyng the gift of God as Paule to the Phillippians affirmeth for vnto you sayth he it is geuen not onelye to beleue in Christ but also to suffer for hym fayth I say beyng the gyft of God is accompanyed wyth newnesse of lyfe which possesseth suche beautyes of Gods grace as forthwyth kyndle the soule or mynde wyth desire of true obedyence vnto God by ingraftyng hym both into the similitude of the death of Christ whereby he dyeth vnto sinne and also into the similitude of hys resurrection whereby hée ryseth vnto a newe lyfe beyng sure that the olde man of synne is crucified that henceforth hée shoulde no more be seruaunt to sinne So that now she trayneth hys affection towardes the thynges aboue from the thynges on the earth in that hée is dead to synne his life béeing hydden in Chryst wyth God whereby hée laboureth to mortifye the affectiōs of the earthly members as hauing put of the olde man with hys workes and put on the new whiche is renued in knowledge after the Image of God shapen vnto righteousnesse and true holines laboring not to greue the spirite of God by whom he is sealed vnto the daye of redemption but knowing himselfe the temple of the holy ghost laboreth to clense and purifie the same Whiche desire is not now kindled in hym as in respecte of merite but as proper and peculiar vnto the faith which through grace hath takē the possession of the mind wherby he is trāsformed into the similitude of Chryst so that where before he yelded himselfe seruant vnto all the workes of the fleshe now contrarywise he laboureth to pursue all the woorkes proper vnto the spirite Beyng certayne that the grace of God whyche bringeth saluation vnto all men hath appeared and teacheth hym that hée shoulde denye vngodlinesse and worldly lust◠and that he should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present lyfe Séeyng Chryst gaue him selfe for him to redéeme him from all vnrighteousnesse to purge hym peculiar vnto him selfe feruently geuen to good workes that so he might walke worthy of the Lorde in all thinges that please being fruitfull in all good woorkes and increasing to the knowledge of God because hée is hys workemanshyp created in Chryst Iesus vnto good woorkes whiche God ordayned that he shoulde walke in them Now forasmuch as these be the proprieties or fruites belongyng to regeneration whyche entreth wyth true fayth Therefore presentlye where soeuer she taketh place shée maketh her selfe knowne by these effectes and forthwith vpon her arriuall begynneth fight with the olde man of sinne and déedes of the same And whereas before whilèst the strong armed man namely the deuill kept the pallace that is possessed the soule or mynde all thinges were in peace that is man slumbred in security féelyng no fight in conscience Now so soone as a stronger commeth in place namelye the holy ghost furnishyng the minde with true faith whereupon newnes of lyfe and true godlinesse atténde Then foorthwyth entreth man into the christian fight for presently all the forenamed graces are encountred by the deuyll and the corruptyon of hys sinfull and rebellious nature according to these sayinges Hostis noster adhuc in hac vita nos positos quanto magis nos sibi rebellare
of the faythful are such workes as proceede from a heart purified through fayth Now into the other Schole or ballaunce let vs lay the workes required in the law whose definition is thus gathered out of the iiij Chapter The workes required in the law are such as proceede from the full obedience willyng desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man vnto righteousnes Thus wayed in the ballaunce it is euident that euen the very good workes of the faythfull compared with the workes of righteousnes required in the law are founde farre to lyght to satisfie the same For asmuch as the law can alow none but such as procede from a full obedience willyng desire and naturall pronesse of the whole man That is to say the lawe can alowe no workes but such as should be wrought by naturall strength desire vnto righteousnes But the good workes of the faythfull bee not so but contrarywise they are wrought through the frée grace of GOD purifiyng the heart by fayth whereupon it foloweth that the good workes of the faythfull examined by the iustice of God are insufficient to satisfie the law and haue no strength but vnder the shilde of mercy So imperfect are the best and most purest workes of the iustified that being examined by the seueritie of the law they are vnable to abide the presence thereof Thus hauyng shewed the certayne tokens of that fayth whereunto righteousnes is imputed and the difference betwene the workes of the faithful and the workes required in the law it foloweth Cap. 10. ¶ To knowe what iustificatiō or righteousnes it is whiche the scripture attributeth to workes and also what fayth it is against whiche S. Iames speaketh and why Iustification is imputed to fayth and not to workes HOw diuerslie the worde righteousnes or iustification is taken in the Scriptures is by the viij chapter declared where it is euidently proued that iustification being taken for the frée imputation of righteousnes vnto mā wherby in the sight of God he is discharged of giltiship cōmeth onely through fayth in Christ without respect of mans worthines or workes by the frée beneuolence of the will of God to the prayse and glory of his grace And that the iustification or righteousnes of woorkes is nothing els but the declaration of the same righteousnes of fayth by the outwarde fruites thereof which aunswereth that which is first in this chapiter required Yet notwithstanding the ambitious pride of the aduersaries is neither ashamed nor afeard to hold plée as it were with God for a part of the glory of mans iustificatiō arrogantly challenging the same as a deserued duetie purchased by theyr workes The contrary wherof as in the viij chapter it is manifestly proued so is the feareful error thereof by the iiij chapter euidently disproued For it is there plaine that al the workes of corrupte nature are as direct contrary to the law as death vnto life darkenes vnto light or colde vnto heat And yet out of that hatefull hourd must they of force take their counterfeit store Séeing they wil néedes haue workes to iustifie for that enferreth that those workes must goe before iustification and so be wrought before the man be righteous which can be nothing but the fruites of a wicked man for vntill he be righteous he is wicked and by their doctrine he can not be righteous vntill the worke haue made him righteous therefore whilest he is wicked it must néedes be that he do the worke which shall make him righteous which is impossible as by the Scriptures doth euidently appeare Thus writeth Paul to the Phillippians That ye may be pure without offence vntill the day of Christ filled with the fruites of righteousnes which fruites are in you by Iesu Christ vnto the glory praise of God. Here in these wordes of Paul we may learne the efficient cause the formall cause the materiall cause and the final cause of good woorks by which causes it doth euidently appeare that before iustification no good workes can be wrought and that the ende of good woorkes is not to iustifie the doers of them but onely to the glory and prayse of god Wherefore let vs consider his woordes first in that he sayth that ye may be pure and without offence he sheweth what is the office of a christen man namely to labour for such pure and vnspotted conuersation as no offence may iustly be gathered by the same He sayth moreouer Vntill the day of Christ to shewe that the endeuour towardes goodnes must haue continuance through the whole course of the life Hauing thus shewed both the office of a christen man and the terme of his continuance in th execution thereof he goeth forward to shew what furniture is necessary in him to the performance of that office in saying Filled with the fruits of righteousnes Here he sheweth wherwith he must be filled that must be pure and without offence namely with the fruit of righteousnes that is with good workes And as he teacheth in these wordes that good workes are the furniture of a christen mā so doth hée also teache in the same woords both the formal cause the material cause of good woorkes for in that he sayeth wyth the fruites of righteousnes he sheweth that righteousnes or iustificatiō is the formal cause of them which as a good trée bryngeth forth her good fruite He also sheweth that the materyall cause of any good worke is that it is a fruite of ryghteousnes whereby it is clearer then the Sunne that there can be no fruite of ryghteousnesse vntill the brynger forth thereof be transformed into a trée of righteousnes neither can the material cause haue her being vntil first the formal cause bée generate for the trée must bée before the fruite And in thys place doth Paule open the wordes of Esay in the. 61. chapter where he sayeth they shall be called trees of ryghteousnesse whyche cause Paule doth insinuate by expressyng the effect in that hée sayeth filled wyth the fruites of ryghteousnesse which imployeth that the bryngers forth of those fruites must néedes bee tréees of ryghteousnesse whereby it is euydent that no woork is good but that which is brought forth by a righteous man seeyng that it is the fruite of righteousnesse but none is a righteous man vntill he be iustified therefore can none bring forth good workes but suche as bee alreadye iustyfied Wherupon it followeth that before iustificatiō no good woork can be wrought Paule goeth forwarde and sayth whiche fruites are in you by Iesus Chryst Here doth he euidentlye declare what is the efficient cause of good woorkes namely Iesus Chryst so that where before hee had taught iustification or righteousnes to bee the formall cause of good woorkes and the fruites thereof to be the materiall cause for that hée woulde leaue no doubt concernyng the effycyent cause therefore he addeth whiche fruites are in you by Iesu Chryst Where thys is also to be noted fully
reioyce and haue glorye in them Whereby it appeareth that hys glory and not mans works is the cause of the rewarde And that workes doe nothyng else but declare that that man vppon whom the frée rewarde and performaunce of the mercifull promyse is bestowed is righteous and hath by fayth attayned the promyse The rewarde is declared vppon workes as vppon that onely subiecte whiche was able to manifest the righteousnesse of fayth And to make the performaunce of Gods mercifull and frée promyse apparaunt to all men that hee myght be iustified in his saying and ouercome when hee is iudged Hauyng nowe shewed in what sort al places of the scrypture which attribute rewardes vnto woorkes are to be vnderstand excludyng vtterly mans merite or desert according to the true nature of grace and fayth expressed in the. 8. Chapter and also agreable vnto the ende of Gods purpose expressed both by these places before rehearsed oute of the prophets and also by Paul namely reseruyng vnto hys free fauour grace the whole prayse glory of thys woorke as the final cause thereof hauing shewed thys I wyll returne to shew what price mans woorkes are of by the scriptures and how the ancient fathers accompted of them First it is sayde in Genesis the imagination of mans heart is euill euen from hys youth And it is sayde in Iob. beholde hee founde vntruth in hys seruauntes and in hys Angelles there was follye howe muche more in those that dwell in houses of clay and whose foundatyon is but duste And agayne How may a man compared vnto GOD bee iustyfied or how can hee bee cleane that is borne of a woman beholde the Moone shyneth not in comparyson of hym and the Starres are vncleane in hys sight then howe muche more man that is but corruption and the sonne of man that is but a woorme And agayne VVho can say my heart is cleane I am pure from sinne And agayne Enter not into iudgement with thy seruaunt for in thy sight shall no man liuyng bee iustyfied And agayne Though thou washe thee wyth Nitrus and take thee muche Sope yet thyne iniquitie is marked before mee sayeth the Lorde GOD. Agayne VVe are all as an vncleane thyng all our righteousnesse are as menstruous clothes Agayne All men are liers Agayne The hart of man is wycked vnsearcheable Agayne VVhat is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he shoulde be ruste beholde he found no stedfastnes in hys Sainctes yea the heauens are not cleane in his sight how much more is man abhominable filthy which drinketh iniquitie like water Agayn All the children of men are vnrighteous yea all their workes are vnrighteous and there is no truth in them Agayne In my fleshe dwelleth no good thinges And agayne All haue gone out of the way all haue bene made vnprofitable Agayne There is none righteous no not one they are all become abhominable there is none that doth good no not one And Christ hym selfe sayth VVhē you haue done all that is commaunded you say you be vnprofitable seruauntes Upon the which wordes of Christ it shall not be amisse to note what one of the Popes owne Cardinals Thomas de Vio writeth Neta parabolam pro memoria et conclusionem pro documento si seruando onmia praecepta sunnis inutiles nec habemus vnde superbiamus quid sentiendum de nobisipsis est qui non omnia seruamus qui multorum rei sumus sed quid de nobis dico quum nullus dicere possit quod debeham feci nisi qui exemptus est a dicendo dimitte nobis debita nostra Quod ergo dicitur quum fecer t is omnia non dicitur quòd facturi essent omnia sed quòd si etiam facerent omnia sed quòd quum merita habuerint facientium omnia praecepta recognoscant se seruos inutiles vt a fortiori recognoscant se minus quà m inutiles hoc est debiteres reos multorum quae debebant seu debent facere Note the parable for remembrance the conclusion for your learning if in keeping all the commaundementes we be vnprofitable and haue nothing to be proud of what shall we thinke of our selues which do not keepe all which be giltie in manie of them what I say shall we thinke of our selues when none of vs all can say I haue done that I ought vnlesse any be priuiledged from saying forgeue vs our trespasses VVherfore where it is sayd when ye haue done all thinges it is not therefore sayd as though they could do all things but for this cause that though they could do all thinges and though they could haue the merites of such as performe all the cōmaundements they must acknowledge them selues vnprofitable seruantes that by a much stronger argument they might acknowledge thē selues lesse then vnprofitable that is detters and giltie of many thinges which they ought and are bound to do Which thinges Gregorye well vnderstood when he sayd Humana iustitia diuinae iustitia comparata iniustitia est quia lucerna in tenebris fulgere cernitur sed in Solis radiis posita tenebratur Mans righteousnes compared with the iustice of God is wickednes for euen a candle is seen to shine in the darke but being set in the beames of the Sunne it is darkned Hauing now shewed by these authorities what is the worthines of mans workes it plainly appeareth what merite is in them namely the merite of damnation And touching the opinion of the fathers concerning merites Thus writeth Origen Sicut hoc quod subsistimus non potest intelligi quia ex operis nostri mercede subsistimus sed euidenter dei munus est quod simus gratia conditoris qui nos esse voluit ita et si haereditatem promissonum dei capiamus diuina gratia est non alicuius debiti aut operis merces As it can not be vnderstand that we be that which we now be for the hire of our owne worke but that we be is euidently the gift of God and the fauour of the creator which would haue vs to be euen so although we may receaue the inheritance of the promise of God it commeth of the fauour of God not being the hire of any dutie or worke And thus saith S. Augustine writing vpon these wordes of the 30. Psal Deliuer me in thy righteousnes Quis inquam est qui scruatur gratis is in quo non inuenit seruator quod coronet sed quod damnet non inuenit merita bonorum sed inuenit merita suppliciorum VVho is he I say that is saued frely Euen he in whom the Sauiour findeth nothing to crowne but to condemne no merite of good thinges but desert of punishment Againe the same Augustine in his epistle to Pauline Operibus debitum redditur gratia gratis datur vnde nuncupatur si quis autem
righteousnes vnto workes haue not we our iustification of fayth and workes and not yours of faith onely It is sayde of Phinées in the 106. Psal that his acte was imputed to him for righteousnes And likewise in Deutronomy of hym that deliuered his neighbors pledge that it shal be righteousnes vnto him before the Lord his god And likewise S. Iames saith was not Abraham our father iustified by workes in offering his sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Whereupon they conclude that as man is not iustified by workes so is he not iustified by faith without workes flatly agaynste S. Paule who concludeth playnely that man is iustified of fauour through fayth without workes where he telleth both the finall cause of that liberall gifte namely the prayse and glory of the grace or fauor of God and also he telleth the reason why he so vehemently excludeth workes namely least any man shoulde beast that is through blinde presumption should challenge any part of the glory of that worke which God hath reserued to himselfe for his speciall triumph Now if the aduersaries will néedes vrge that the worde righteousnes or iustification hath the same signification in these places by thē alleged that it hath in Paule Doe they not teare in sunder the spirite of truth and set him at warre with hymselfe forasmuch as by the rigor of wordes they be contrary Paule sayth fiatly and affirmeth it by manye discourses that faith without worke iustifieth and that by workes no man liuing shall be iustifyed but these aucthorities affirme the contrary that these men by workes were iustifyed Now if they will néedes affirme that both in Paul and in these places which they alledge the worde righteousnes or iustifycation hath one sense is not this a doctrine that eyther must accuse Paule of ignorance of the sense of the auncient scriptures or of error in his owne and robbe God of his finall triumph namely of his glorie and vtter spoylinge man of the assuraunce of Gods fauour in Christ for if his assuraunce therof bee once ioyned with the condition of hys owne desert or workes surely he falleth by and by into one of our Phisitions new found Agewes A triple tertian quotidian he can neuer know when he is without a fitte Surely it were to hard for Peter Lumbard him selfe with both his foundations of hope to spy out a time to finde him selfe cleare from a fitte if for one masse whyle on the Sunday his imagination coulde mocke him that he were créeping to godward The true testimony of his conscience might assure him that all the rest of the wéeke after he were gallopping to the deuilward The Lord hath blessed hys elect from such assuraunce Wherefore let vs now reuerently with Paule haue respect vnto the finall ende of Gods woorke in this cause Namely to hym onely to yelde all the glorie and to man assuraunce and vndoubted possession of his fauour in Christ And we shall easely sée in these places no contrarictie but most swéete consent Let vs follow the rule of the auncient fathers in serching the truth of doubtfull sentences Thus sayth Hillarius Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed reiest sermo subiectus The meaning of wordes is to be gathered by the causes of the speaking for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Agayne Ierome vppon the Epistile to the Galathians saith thus Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed non medulla non in fermonum folus sed in radice rationis Neither let vs thincke that the gospel consisteth in the wordes of the Scripture but in the meaning not in the barck but in the pith not in the leaues of wordes but in the roote of the meanyng Wherfore let vs in folowing the Coūfell of these auncient fathers séeke such meanynges and sense of these Scriptures as may expresse their consent with the rest of the Scriptures And haue respect vnto the finall cause of Gods purpose Namely as I haue often said that vnto hys fauour and grace for this so frée a benifite all prayse and glory may redoūde That al workes wrought by man before iustification be nothing els but the euill fruite of an euill tree it is before euidently proued And so vtterly vnable to abide the presence of gods iustice Wherby it foloweth of necessitie that the woorkes alleged in these their authorities were not there meant for works going before iustification as causes therof but in déede for such workes as folowyng the same declared manefestly the righteousnesse which to the doers of them was offrée fauour through fayth imputed For that the workes of a man by fayth already iustified be in the sight of God allowed for ryghteous by not hauing sinne imputed vnto them it is not onely not denyed but most constantly affirmed For how can it be otherwise but that God in beholdyng in them hys owne moste glorious Image wherewith throughe grace in respect of fayth they be clothed He muste both acknowledge it and delight therin But that their spottes and blemishes are nowe couered wyth the righteousnes of Christe this commeth not to them either by them selues or in respect of them selues but onely by grace or fauour through fayth as is shewed before For they beinge the workes of a man already by fayth iustified and clothed in the righteousnes of Christ Therfore they thereby clothed in the same righteousnes hauing theyr spottes and blemishes through mercye therewith couered are acknowledged for righteous They are accepted for good fruite because they were brought forth by a good frée So that fayth by apprehendyng of Christ and his righteousnes in the promise through grace and fauour attayneth mans iustification So the workes or fruites of the righteousnes of the same faith do manyfestly declare and witnes the doer of them to be righteous That is as fayth apprehēdeth righteousnes in the frée promise for man so the workes or fruites of that righteousnes of fayth doe declare and testifie that hee is iustifyed Wherefore whersoeuer in the Scriptures man is sayd to be iustifyed by workes the meaning is that he is by workes declared and knowen to bée a righteous man And not that the workes were the cause of his righteousnes This being thus considered ther appeareth betwene Paule and the aucthorities by them alledged no strife but most swéete agréement For as Paule telleth the meanes howe a man is iustifyed so the other shew and declare howe man is openly knowne to bee righteous or iustifyed Now marke gentle reader how this doctrine tendeth fully to that end where unto Saint Paule directeth hys course Namely that the whole glorie may redound to GOD alone and that man may haue a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ Firste in that by iustifycation of workes this onely is to be vnderstand that man
so by hys abondant mercy he rayseth vs vp agayne The mercy of God farre excedeth hys other works Iohn 4. Rom. 8. Gen. 3. All creatures vnder heauen reuerence God in their kindes sauing onely man. The Sunne The Moone Starres The Ayre Lightning Thunder Hayle Snow Rayne Wynde The earth declareth the magnificence of god Beastes Fishes Foules Birdes in the ayre Trees Plantes A glasse wherein man may beholde himselfe Rom. â— Act. 14. Gen. 3. Gene. 22 Psal 135. Esay 19. Exod. 6. Leuit. 29. Deut. 6 Leuit. 19 God commaundeth vs to loue him God commaundeth vs to loue hym Definition of loue What it is to loue the Lord our God. Rom. 13 Deut. 6 Math. 5 Deut. 6. Leuit. 19. Definitien of the law Mans corrupt nature Man can not satisfy the law A false and corrupt doctrine God freelyâ— and of hys purpose procured mans redemption Gene. 3 As God is true so did he bind him self to perform mans deliuerance God renued his promyse for the resto ring of mankinde Gene. 22. Gene. 28. Gene. 3 Gene. 22. To the children of Israell God first gaue the law Two offices of the law The outward office of the law The spirituall office of the law 1. Cor. 15 Rom. 3 2. Cor. 3 Rom. 7 Rom. 4 Rom. 5 Gal. 3. Rom. 7 Gal. 3. An obiection of the papistes An answer Rom. 8. Cor. 2. De spiritu lite Cap. 36. Lib. de bono mortis Cap. 3. Super cantica ser 50. Lib 3 contra duas epist. Pelag. cap. 2. De lit et spi ad Marcellinum cap. 17. Asollico epist. 200. Expo quarundam epist. ad Rom .x. In lib. exposit epist. Paulâ— ad Galatas Super Ioan. tracta 3 cap. 1. The law doth shew 〈…〉 nne but not take away sinne The geuing of the law was horrible fearefull Exo. 34 Gal. 3. Esa. 7. Mich. 5 Gen. 49. Daniel 9. Esa. 53. Zac. 9. Esay 62. Zac. 9. Christ is the full raunsome and reconcilement â—or mans trangression 1. Cor. 15. Adam the first man made vs bond to 〈◊〉 And Christ the second man hath made vs free from sinne Ozee 13. Col. 2. Christ is our Aduocate to the father Esa. 53. Eph. 2. By Grace we are saued thorough faith and not of our selues Only fayth apprehendeth the promises of god Sola fides Grace Fayth Iustification Righteousnesse workes Definition of grace 2. Tim. 1. Eph. 1. Rom. 3. Titus 3 Eph. 2. Grace defined by the papistes Definition of habit Pelagians hereby 3 Reg. 18. Lament 5. Ezech. 11. Psa 51. Ioh. 6. Fayth diuersly taken in the scriptures Math. 13 The definition of faith Ebr. 10. 〈◊〉 Ioh. 5 In Mat. 5. De spirit et litera cap. 3 Act. 15. The opinion of the Schoiemen and Papistes of Fayth Sent lib. 3 distinct 23. Cap 1 The vnformed fayth of the Papistes The formed fayth of the Papistes Righteousnes how it is taken in the Scriptures and also Iustification Definition of iustification Rom. 4. Iustification taught by the Papistes Definition of workes Inward workes Outward workes Definition of good workes Math. 5. Works are a testimony of mans election 2. Peter 1. The errors of the Pa 〈…〉 s abo 〈…〉 workes Preparing worke of congruent merite There is no middle estate betwene God and the Deuill Eph. 2. Coll. 2. The work of the worker workes of Supererogation Blasphemy to Christes death and passioÌ„ Penaunce Christ Satisfaction Rightcousnes is un 〈◊〉 unto vs by the f 〈…〉 〈…〉 o sence and good will of God. Onely fayth attey neth 〈…〉 cation Ioh. 4. Only fayth John. 6. Fayth Fayth Fayth Ioh. 11. Fayth Ioh. 12. Fayth Act. 10. Only fayth Act. 16. Fayth Rom. 3. Fayth iustifieth without the vewes of the law Rom. 4. Fayth Fayth Fayth iustefieth Fayth iustefyeth without workes of the law Faith saueth Fayth iustiuÌ„eth Rom. 11. Gala. 2. Gal. 3. Abac. 2 Gal. 3 Gal. 5. Fayth and not workes iustiuÌ„eth vs Titus 3. Augustide tempore serm 61 Solafides Faith alone Exclusa est gloriatio Solafides Rom. 3. Only fayth Sola fides Fayth noly Sermon 7. Sola fides Fayth only Serm. 8. Sola fides Chrisostom in priore ad Timoth. Cap. 1. Homel 4 Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth only Serm de fide et lege Sola fide Basilius homilia de humilitate Ambrosuâ— Roma 4. Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth only Rom 4. Sola fides Only fayth Rom. 9. Sola fides Only fayth Rom. 11. Solaf ides Only fayth Fayth only 1. Cap. 1. epi ad Corinth Sola fides Fayth only Sola fides Fayth is not the efficient cause of our iustification but God only Newnes of life Rom. 6 Rom. 6. Col. 3. Eph. 4 Col. 3 Eph. 4 1. Cor. 6. Titus 2. Col. 1 Eph. 2. Mar. 12. Luke 11. Gre. lib. 24 cap. 12. moralium The deuill is a great enemy to a vertuous good life Rom. 7 True fayth is knowen by good workes Tit. 3. Good workes are the fruites of good fayth Ephes 1. True fayth must be witnessed by deedes De vocatione gentium lib. 1. Cap. 8 Good workes Rom. 8 Good workes De 12. abusionibus Cap. 7 Definition of faythfull workes The good workes of the law The good workes of the faithfull Good workes follow iustification not iustification worke Eph. 2. Libro de fide et operibus cap. 14. In euangel Ioh. trac 86. Two thinges required to euery good worke Ose 6. Ose 4. Mat. 12. Iob. 23. Psal 119 we cannot leade a pure christian life without the knowledge of the will of god Phil. 1. 1. Cor. 2. Psal 119. Affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes Man of his owne nature hath affection to rebession and Iust to all wickednes The Papistes haue builded a labirinth of error and a maâ—e for their owne confusion Such scriptures as promising reward to workes procure men to laboure for the same are aunswered and expounded An answer to the argument of the papistes Eph. 2. Esay 53 Esay 60. Esa. 61 Esa. 60. 61. Eph. 1. What price and value our workes is accompted of in the scriptures Gen. 8. Iob. 4. Iob. 25. Pro. 20 Psal 143. Iere. 1 Esa. 64. Iob. 15 3. Esor 4. Rom. 7. Rom. 3. Cardinall Caietan If no man can do that he ought I pray you what place leaueth this Cardinall to vndue workes or workes of sunetero gation Thus can God vse his enemies to make them sometimes confesse the truth agaist them selues Morah lib. cap. 28. The opinion of y fa. thes concerning merits Origenes Rom. 4. Augustin in Psal 30 We haue no fayth that can deserue grace for it is freely geuen vs of God. There goeth no merites of man before the grace of God. Dutie or debt hath two senses He that laboureth is worthy of his hire A debt that groweth of loue not of duetie Where this worde debt or duetie is truely vnstand there no desert is looked for De natura gratia Cvp 4.