doctrine of the Gospell is true and euery part of it that it teacheth vs the right way to heauen and that all things therin contained shal certainely be accomplished both for the condemnation of vnbeleeuers and for the saluation of beleeuers In regard hereof Christ saith He that receiueth his testimonie hath sealed that God is true As Paul sayde I consent to the Law that it is good So this beleeuer will say I consent to the Gospel that it is good Yea he will auouch with the same Apostle This is a true saying and worthy by all meanes to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners Herein also this faith agreeth with an hystoricall a iustifying faith And therefore those who in their hearts wil not assent to the truth of the gospel are meere Infidels though they liue in the Church yet they haue no faith at al. 3. A third degree is that he hath a desire in his heart of the pardon of his sin of the saluation of his soule through the merey of God merits of Christ. Euen as Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like vnto his though he had no care to liue the life of the righteous nor prepare himselfe for death as the righteous man doth And as the people of the Iewes who followed Christ from place to place whē they hard him speak of the bread which cōmeth from heauen giueth life to the world desired him euermore to giue that bread And yet many of them afterward fell from him Yea moreouer they which haue this faith may not onely haue this desire in their hearts but may also expresse it by prayer to God Almightie and by vsing the meanes of saluation They may seek to enter in at the straight gate and shall not be able As Christ saith many shall doe Herein they go beyond those that haue onely an hystoricall saith for many haue it yet contemne Christ and his merits neuer seeke for saluation by him rather feare him then loue him and with the Diuels beleeue and tremble Yet herein they come short of them who haue a iustifying faith for their desire is not so earnest nor so constant nor so effectuall Not so earnest for the desire of the elect is vehement and very earnest set foorth by hungring thirsting which are vehement and strong appetites in them that haue long wanted meate and drinke yea the strongest desires that can be found in man but these men haue a desire in a lesser measure Neither is their desire so constant for it comes but by fits and may soone be gone againe like to lightning which is a sudden flash and soone gone But the desire of the other is like the light of the Sunne which is permanent Their desire may be quenched before they haue fully obtayned the thing desired but the desire of the other can neuer be satisfyed till they be assured that they haue gotten the thing they wanted Nor yet is it so effectuall in vsing the meanes of saluation with such care diligence painefulnesse and constancie The one sort think no paines too great no labour too long the other thinke lesse will serue the turne and therefore leaue off or lessen their labour in vsing the meanes before they haue gotten sauing grace for their soules 4. The fourth degree is this They may haue an apprehension of Christ and his benefites an inward feeling of some grace and a perswasion of Gods fauour in Christ. So they are sayde to taste of the heauenly gift and to taste of the good word of God and to be partakers of the holy Ghost as was shewed before Which wordes must needes import a particular apprehension and an inward cense of some good receiued and some fauour expected As some of the Israelites tasted of the fruites of the Land of Canaan did thereby perceiue what a good Land it was and conceiued some hope of enioying it and yet neuer enioyed the Land but perished in the wildernesse So these beleeuers may haue a taste of heauenly gifts and an hope of enioying euerlasting glory and yet perish in the end And indeed these beleeuers could not haue receiued the word with such ioy as was spoken of before vnlesse they had an apprehension of Gods fauour and some sense of grace in their hearts Yet herein doe they greatly differ from the regenerate 1. In the seat and so in the synceritie of these graces for these beleeuers hearts are as stony ground they cannot receiue the worde into the bottome of their hearts nor suffer the rootes of it to goe deepe enough and so their faith graces are not rooted in the bottome of the heart but sticke in the superficies or vpper part of it All things in them are superficiall and they full of hypocrisie Whereas the iustifying faith and the sauing graces of the regenerate are like a solide body hauing three dimensions length breadth and depth and do possesse the deepest and lowest parte of the heart 2. In the reason and ground of this their apprehension And so it is nothing but vaine presumption for it is built vpon false and mistaken grounds they take the shadow for the substance doe ouerweene their owne graces and take their faith to be vnfayned their repentance to be sound and their regeneration to be effectuall when indeede they are not And so they are like vnto beggers who in their sleepe dreame that they are become very rich 3. In the measure and therefore their apprehension of heauenly things is compared to tasting because the heart doth as it were but with the tip of the tongue lightly taste these spirituall things and doth not feed on them Look what difference there is betwixt Cookes and others that taste meat before it be serued vp to the table the guests that eat the same at the table the same difference there is betwixt the vngenerate the regenerate touching the measure of grace which they receiue Though the regenerate do here receiue but the first fruits of the spirit do know in part and prophesie in part beleeue in part find no perfection in thēselues yet haue they a greater measure then the vnregenerate 4. In the sense iudgement of their want The one wanteth more and yet doth lesse discerne his want like the Angel of Laodicea who thought he was rich whē he was poore miserable naked The other wanteth lesse and doth better discerne his want and therefore will say with that man in the Gospell I doe beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And with the Apostles Lord encrease our faith Yea the one like a Pharisie is proude of that which hee thinketh he hath the other is humbled by knowing what he wanteth The one contenteth himselfe with that which he hath groweth secure and laboureth not to better his estate the other striueth to grow in grace as
he groweth in yeeres 5. The fift degree of this temporary faith is outwarde profession of the Gospell A man may haue an hystoricall or dogmaticall faith yet neuer make profession of it As many of the chiefe Rulers among the Iewes beleeued in Christ but because of the Pharisies did not confesse him But they who haue this temporary faith do professe Christ as long as they keepe it So did Iudas he called Christ his Master did follow him was content to acknowledge himselfe to be one of his Apostles and at his sending to go abroad to preach the Gospell So did Simon Magus he was baptized into the Name of Christ and continued with Philip as a Disciple of Christ. And so doe all those who be called and not chosen 6. The last degree of this temporary faith is outward obedience vnto the Gospell This was likewise in Iudas His cariage was so honest among the Apostles all the time of Christs passion that when Christ told them that one of them should betray him they did not suspect him any more then any of the rest yea euery one did as much suspect him selfe as Iudas and therefore euery one sayd Master is it I Yea they caused Iohn who then leaned on Iesus brâ—st to aske him who it was And Christ did manifest him by giuing him a soppe before they could tell who it was And so this faith doeth farre excell that dead faith whereof S. Iames speaketh which is destitute of good works Yet euen in this respect is it much inferior to a true iustifying faith In regard of outward obedience they differ three wayes 1. In the cause or fountaine whence it proceedeth The obedience of the one proceedeth from an heart which hath the corruption of it suppressed and restrayned but not mortifyed and the affections builded but not changed by regeneration But the obedience of the other proceedes from a pure heart and a good conscience the corruption whereof is not onely repressed and kept vnder but likewise mortifyed and the affections not onely brydeled but also changed by regeneration Yea and the man himselfe is in Christ become a new creature 2. In the measure for the one may yeeld obedience in many things yet seldome in all things he vsually taketh libertie to liue in some one grosse sinne or other eyther openly or secretly As Herode did many things which Iohn Baptist taught him yet continued still his whoredome hee would not put away his brothers wife though he was taught so to doe But the other is carefull to avoyde all manner of sinnes whatsoeuer and to performe all duties alike knowing that if hee faile in one point hee is guiltie of all And though sometime he fall by infirmitie yet he lyeth not long he riseth againe by repentance 3. In the continuance for the one continueth not long in his innocencie at last by one occasion or other his corruption will breake forth and carry him to some grosse sinne or damnable apostacie Iudas for a while liued ciuilly but at last was drawne through couetousnesse to betray his Maister Simon Magus for couetousnesse would haue bought and solde the giftes of the holy Ghost and beeing reprooued for that fault became a notorious apostate And therefore the righteousnesse of such is fitly resembled to the morning deaw which is dryed vp and gone as soone as the Sunne ascendeth on high But the other perseuereth in his vprightnesse vnto the ende hee hath a good begining and a good ending Euen as Iob who neither by the suggestions of Sathan nor by the losse of his goods nor death of his children nor diseases of his body nor aduise of his wife nor vncharitable censures of his friends coulde bee induced to sinne against God Now then seeing heereby you may discerne what this faith is how it differeth from a sauing faith examine yourselues of your faith to see whether it be this or no doe not content your selues with such a faith as is not able to saue your soules Aboue all things see that you haue a special application inward renouation for therein consisteth the very life and soule of sauing faith As you haue seene the nature and degrees of this faith so now see the continuance for it is here sayd They beleeue for a time A while they receiue this faith not alwayes they lose it in the end As they are hypocrites for want of synceritie in the bottome of their hearts so likewise are they temporizers for want of continuance in their courses The Rhemistes in their marginall notes on these wordes would haue this to be obserued against the heretikes as it pleaseth them to terme vs that say Faith once had cannot be lost and that he which now hath not faith neuer had Bellarmine and other Papists alleadge this place to prooue that true faith once had may be quite lost But we answere that the faith whereof Christ heere speaketh may be quite lost so as a man which once had it may want it afterward yet Christ doth not here speake of the true iustifying faith of Gods elect but of the temporary faith which may be in the reprobate as hath beene shewed before And this is apparant out of the words of the text For the persons who thus beleeue are compared to stony ground who by reason of the hardnesse of their hearts are no more able to bring forth fruite then stony ground is able to yeelde a good croppe of corne God forbidde that wee should imagine that any of the elect in the state of grace should be no better then these In the 15. verse Christ speaketh of them resembleth them to good ground and sayeth they heare the word with a good and honest heart do keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience Againe the persons here spoken of are sayd to want rootes and so their graces are like corne sowne on the top of a rocke which wanteth depth of earth to send downe and feede the rootes Now dare they say that true iustifying faith wanteth rootes or is it in any mans heart where it hath nothing to grow vpon Doeth not the Apostle teach that they in whose hearts Christ doth dwell by faith are rooted and grounded in loue And that they who haue receiued Christ Iesus the Lord are rooted and built in him and stablished in the faith True iustifying faith is the roote of all vertues on which they grow and from which they receiue life nourishment efficacy Augustine said of Abrahams offering of his sonne I commend the fruit of the good worke but I acknowledge the roote in faith And shall we then say that it hath no rootes it selfe Certaine it is that a true iustifying faith once had can neuer be lost for it is called a stedfast faith in Iesus Christ. It belongeth to that calling and is one of those giftes of God which are without repentance And so it hath beene reckoned long
so many of the Fathers and of your owne writers SECT XVI BVt to conclude least I might seeme ouer-much to exceed the lâ—ngth of a Postscript I knowe your Priests do confidently tell you that they haue all the ancieÌ„t Fathers on their side against vs Euen as Eutiches and Dioscorus insolently bragged 1. that the Fathers taught their errour And as the Arians falsly pretended that Dyonisius Alexandrinus was of their opinion And as the Pelagians alledged Clemens Alexandrinus Ambrose Arnobius Chrysost others as maintainers of their heresie I haue therfore giuen you a tast of that vntruth euen in those Controuersies touched in these sermoÌ„s The like hath bene done by others and may be done againe in other Controuersies Doe not therefore belieue those their vaine brags Againe whereas they boast much of vnitie doe make it a marke of the Church and would thereby proue themselues to be the true church you may by these few points euidently see that they haue many iarres and contentions about the chiefest points of faith As the Arians long agoe were noted not onely to differ in opinion from the orthodoxall fathers of the Church but likewise to differ much one from another and that in many points of religion So may it now be obserued that the papists doe not onely varie from vs but likewise dissent many waies one from another And that not onely in ceremonies and circumstances or matters of lesser moment as they charge vs to contend among our selues but likewise in the substantiall points of mans saluation in the very forme nature and properties of a iustifying faith And lastly whereas you all pretend that you haue that true faith in Iesus Christ which is able to saue your soules I would wish you to consider that all those doe deceiue themselues therein who doe not testifie their faith by their workes as the Apostle teacheth Much hath bene written and that by sundry men in times past touching the bad maners of Rome we who reade those reports and doe knowe the maner of your conuersation may well imagine that sinfull deeds are the proper fruites of poperie And that papists wheresoeuer they be whether at Rome or else where are all alike prophane in their behauiour I know that like pharises you are very strict in obseruing humane preceps as not to eate an egge in Lent not to doe any worke on one of the superstitious holydaies abrogated in our Church not to go out of the doores before you haue blessed your selues with the signe of the crosse not to take the better hand of a crosse standing in the high way side not to speake of a dead man vnles you say God haue mercy on his soule Yet are most of you very carelesse in keeping Gods commandements Where may we finde more vngodly swearing more impious profanation of the Sabboth more wilfull disobedience to lawfull authoritie more beastly drunkennes and disordered drinkings and swaggering more filthy whoredome more wastfull gaming more bitter rayling and vncharitable back-byting then is to be seene in the Recusants and non-communicants of this Countrey And so infectious is sinne that theyr bad example doth corrupt the mind and manners of manie about them Doe these hope to be saued by their good works Will these be accounted confessours of their Religion And yet keepe no good conscience in their conuersation Augustine said truely That they are good Catholiks who follow both sound Faith and good manners Why then should we account them good Catholickes who haue neither sound Faith nor good manners The Lord of his mercie open your eyes that you see his truth and some out of Babel And also worke true faith in your hearts that you may through his Sonne inherite his euerlasting kingdome Amen FINIS 1 Deut 6. 3 4. 31 12. 13. Math. 17. 5. 2 Isai 28. 23. 66. 2. 5. Ier. 6. 18. 9. 2 10. 1. 3 Math. 11 15. 13 9. 43 Math. 15 10 Luk. 14. 35 4 Act. 13. 16 15. 13 Reuel 〈◊〉 7. 11. 17. 5 Nehâ—m 89. Luk. 51 Lâ—k 15 1. 21. 38. Act. 10 33 13. 7 44 Act. 16. 14 6 Ieh 8. 47 18. 37 1. Ioh. 4. 6 7 Ioh 10. 27 8 Deut. 33. 3 9 Luk. 8. 21 10 Luk. 11 28 11 Math. 7 24 Luâ— 10. 42 12 Ier 23 22 Act. 2. 41 1. Cor. 14 24. 25 13 Act. 4. 〈◊〉 15. 7 Rom. 10. 17 14 Act. 10. 44 Gal. 3. 2. 5 15 Reuel 3. 20. 16 〈◊〉 Tim. 4. 16 â—…am 1. 21. 17 2 Châ—o 24. 19. 23. â—…em 9. 30. Ier. 26. 4. 5 18 Deut 18. 19 Math. 10 14 15. Math 12. 42 19 Act 15. 21. 20 Luk 4 16. 21 Act 17. 42 44 17 2 〈◊〉 4 22 â—ustin Maâ—tye apolog 2 Teâ—â—ull apolog c 39 Origen in â—x od â—omil 7. 23 Colon caâ— 9 Laoâ—ic cap 16 â—â—ul lan ca 19 Magâ—â—t cap 25. 24 Bernatdinâ—de Senâ—s de obseruaâ— sabb serm 1â— cap 3. Tollâ—t instruct sacerdoâ— lib. 〈◊〉 ca 6 Vaux catech cap 3. 25 â—hom Wassingh hist Augt in Exwar â—…1 p 43. Idoâ— dagm Neustr p 472. De Henrico 3. Math. 26 8. Ioh 12 4. Math 20 15. Nâ—hem 4 7 8 2 Tim 3 6 2 Tim 38 Tit 1 11 〈◊〉 Pet 2 3. 1. Sam. 28. 7. Epist. 48. ad viacent Leges principum rectè imploraâ—i aduersus hostes fider modo id fiat animo corrigendi non studio vindicandi August epist 48 Vides epist 50. 60. 61 127 167. 2 P. Martyr comment in Iudic 21 19 21 fol. 177 Simler comment n Exod 20 8 3 Orat in Christi natruit paulo pâ—st â—itium 4 Contra 〈◊〉 orat z prope finem 5 Apud Dadâ—ae loc comâ— tit â—estus dies 6 In psal 32 â—onc 1 In solitracâ— 3 De decem chord cap 〈◊〉 7 Toletan corcil 3. 1. Canon 22. 8 Can. 35. Vides Flac. Illyâ—is catalog test verit in Leo 4 9 Verae religionis homines etiam solennia eorum conscientia potius quà m lasciuia celebraÌ„t c. Siccine exprimitur publicum gaudium pet publicum dedecus haeccine solen es dies principium decent quae alios dies non decent Apologet cap. 35. 10 Sozom. hist l. 8 c 20. 11 In Genes 24 homil 47 in 〈◊〉 homil 55. mino 12 Can. 53 54. 13 Ludou vâ—ues de institut faem lib. 1. c. 11. Catech. Rom part 3. cap. 7. p. 351. Iudolph de vita christi part 〈◊〉 c. 66. A. Tho Aquâ—… Hugo cardio Ferus in Math 14. Iansen concord euangel cap 59. 14 Polydor vitgil de inuent lib 5. c 2 〈◊〉 8 Vaux catech cap 3 15 Nâ—tum ist omnibus nugaces turpes saltationes ab episeopis solere compesci Contr epist. Parmen lib 3 cap 6. 16 Hiero. nim epist. Tranquilin Augustin cpiss 19 coÌ„ Crescon lib. 2 cap. 31 32 Dionys. Alexandr apud Enseb hist. lib. 7 cap. 23. Quis te non videat in me apertum iactaâ—e conuitium
I am good They may here behold and if they please take a tast of the meate wherewith his Maiesties subiects are daily fed Though their diet be homely yet I hope it is holesome though the manner of teaching be plaine yet is it profitable especially for such people as I am appointed to instruct My iudiciall hearers can testifie that these sermons were sutable to my ordinary teaching and that in penning them I haue altered very little either for matter methode or stile I thinke few will complaine of the vnprofitablenes of our labours but those who doe reioyce thereat and would haue vs remoued lest our labours should become more fruitfull hereafter who would rather haue the countrey still remaine addicted to popery and impiety then brought to the obedience of the Gospell How fruitfull our labours haue bene your Lordship can better iudge then any of them Yet must we needes confesse that the fruitfulnes thereof hath bene and still is greatly hindered by two sortes of persons namely by popish priests and profane Pypers The priests like Samballat and Tobiah hinder vs in edifying the Lords Temple and labour to pull downe as fast as we build vp like the old seducers they creepe into houses and lead captiue simple women laden with sins and led with diuers lusts They withstand vs as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses Yea they subuert whole houses teaching things which they ought not for filthy lucre They are sent by the Pope to recouer if it were possible the reuenews rents tributes which once he had out of this kingdome who hauing no other meanes wherby to liue haue raised a gainefull trade of seducing and through couetousnes doe make marchandise of the peoples soules Though it pleased his Maiestie to banish them yet as a Witch was found in Endor after that Saul had banished all out of Israel So now vpon diligent search many priests might be found in these pants Though they lurke in secret corners and dare not shew their faces yet may we traâ—e them by their footesteps and take notice of their presence by their practises euen as we may discerne where a snaile hath crept on the wall by the slime which it leaueth behind it Who maryeth our recusants who baptizeth their children but they Not one recusant is maryed not one of their children is baptized by our ministers Shall we thinke that they who hold Matrimonie to be a sacrament would liue together as man and wife and neuer be maried Can we imagine that they who hold baptisme to be absolutely necessarie to salnation will suffer all their children to remaine vnbaptized Therein they verifie the Poets saying In vetitum nefas gens humana ruit Before we had any statute lawe against mariages and baptizings by popish priests it was a rare thing to heare of any one who offended that way But since that law was made it hath bene a rare thing in this countrey to heare of a Recusants mariage solemnized or a Recusants childe baptized by any of our ministers So as if our law-makers had foreseene the issue it may be they would haue forborne the making of that law least as Solon thought of a law to be made against Parricides they should put men in mind of such an offence What is the reason of this their wilfulnes Not onely impunitie our lawes made against them being like an vntimely birth dead assoone as borne and wanting execution which is the life of them but especially because the priests doe euermore excite them to disobedience and will canonize them for holy confessours for that their contemptuous breach of our lawes And whence commeth it that scarce one of an hundreth of all our Recusants and non-communicants would come to take the oath of allegiance when they were therevnto lawfully called but because the priests disswade them from it by authoritie of the Popes bulles and by warrant of the Cardinalls bookes Augustine acknowledged that through feare of the imperiall lawes put in execution not onely some few persons but likewise many whole cities who formerly had bene Donatists became right Catholikes So if our lawes might be duely executed if not against all papists yet against the priests I doubt not but within a while we should drawe most of the people to due conformitie All their bookes haue bene answered all their dispersed pamphlets confuted and many disputations haue bene graunted them Seeing then that after so many conuictions they remaine obstinate I hope all will acknowledge with the same Father that wee may lawfully craue the execution of the lawe against the enemies of the faith if it be done with a minde to correct and not with a desire to reuenge Moreouer I cannot but lament and with griefe of heart complaine that still in this part of the countrey the course of religion is exceedingly hindered the fruites of our labours greatly frustrated the Lords Sabboth impiously profained by publike pyping by open and lasciuious dancing on that day That it is not consecrated as holy to the Lord but rather kept as a feast of Bacchus and Venus That pyping should put downe preaching that dancing should draw the people from their dutie That for one person which we haue in the Church to heare diuine seruice sermons and catechisme euery pyper there being many in one parish should at the same instant haue many hundreds on the greenes Our learned and late diuines doe teach that the virgines of Israel giuing themselues to dancing on their feast day did thereby abuse it And that it was no maruaile if at the same time they were all ranished for the punishment of that their sinne Gregory Nazianzen exhorted his people to celebrate their feastes diuinely and not by dancing And accounteth the vse of it and such like things an hethenish maner of celebrating feastes Isidor Clarius thought that gamsters players and dancers sinned more haynously and should be punished more gâ—…sly then he who gathered stickes and 〈◊〉 the â—â—wes who gathered manna on that day Augustine taught that it was better for men to dig and delue and for women to card and spin then to dance wantonly on the Sabboth which he ment not of the Iewish Sabboth onely but also of the Christian Sabboth because in the same places he exhorted christiaÌ„s to keepe their sabboth spiritually end not carnally as the Iewes did by idlenes and dancing The councell of Toledo forbad that custome of the common people on their holy daies And charged Priests and Iudges to suppresse that bad custome in all their prouinces Leo 4. with 67. Bishops in a Synode at Rome decreed that priests should admonish men and women not to gather companies together on their holy daies after the maner of Pagans to dance and sing filthie songs And that those who were admonished and would not cease should be suspended from the Communion Yet the greatest part of our people spend more then
Peters preaching Did not the Iaylor beleeue by hearing of Paul Though all doe not beleeue who doe heare because some heare amisse yet is hearing Gods ordinance to beget faith Those then that desire faith must heare and receiue the worde Those that may heare and will not cannot beleeue Wofull is their case who heare not at all for whence can they haue faith if they heare not Feareful is their case who hear seldome they haue no faith or a weake faith But happie are they who heare often and well they beleeue and shall be saued 2. Another thing is to be obserued in respect of the Diuell namely what an enemie he is vnto faith for he takes away the word as it is entring into mens hearts lest they should beleeue This is the very cause why he is so busy in hindering the worde because hee would keepe men from faith And no maruell though he be a deadly enemie vnto faith he knowes that the word will not profite the hearers vnlesse it be mixed with faith He knowes that by faith we are iustified in Christ that by faith we obtaine remission of sinnes and euerlasting life Very loath he is that we should enioy these blessings and therfore will do what he can to hinder vs of faith which is the hand whereby we receiue them He knowes that without faith it is impossible to please God And that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Vnwilling he is that we should better please God then himself doth but gladly would he make all our actions sinfull like his He knoweth that faith is the shield whereby we quench all his fiery darts that it is the victory whereby wee ouercome the world one of his Champions And therefore wil seeke to keep this weapon out of our hands lest himselfe his champion be foiled therwith We may now say with the Apostle All men haue not faith And no maruell seeing the Diuell is a spightfull foe against it and will hinder as many from faith as possibly he can At the end of the world as Christ fore-told the son of man shall scarce find faith on the earth Let it not seeme strange for as at all other times so then especially will he keepe men backe from faith his wrath shall then be great because hee shall know his time is short Doe not therefore imagine that it is an easie thing to get faith and that thou canst beleeue when thou list thou canst not haue faith but in despight of the Diuell so long as he can hinder thee by any meanes thou shalt not beleeue The Lord must enable thee to frustrate his attempts and must bestow this gift on thee against his will otherwise thou canst neuer receiue it But the more he labours to keepe vs from faith the more earnestly should we labour to obteyne it the more he hateth it the better should we loue it If it were not a most excellent grace he would not hinder vs of it 2. The other end why hee taketh away the word is this Lest they should be saued Where also two other like things may be considered one in respect of the word and faith another in respect of the Diuell 1. In respect of faith and the word that they will bring men to saluation For whereas Christ saith the Diuell takes the word out of mens hearts lest they should beleue be saued he therby insinuateth that if the word enter into the heart do there abide worke faith in it the man shall be saued And so he shall indeed For the Gospell as Paul saith is the power of God vnto saluation to euery one that beleeueth to the Iew first and also to the Graecian And it pleased God by the foolishnes of preaching to saue them that beleeue And therefore the Evangelist saith These things are written that yee might beleeue and in beleeuing haue life through his Name The word bringeth vs to faith and faith to life euerlasting If we get the one we cannot fayle of the other Oh what an heauenly comfort is this to a beleeuing soule Cannot the Diuel by all his practises and pollicies hinder the worde from working faith in thy heart feare him not he cannot possibly hinder thee of eternall saluation in heauen Looke what assurance thou hast of thy present faith the same assurance mayst thou haue of the future saluation of thy soule If thou now beleeue thou shalt receiue the end of thy faith which is the saluation of thy soule But if Sathan so take the worde from thee that thou dost not beleeue neuer looke for saluation in heauen Onely he that beleeueth shall be saued 2. In respect of the Diuell hee is an vtter enemy to the saluation of mens soules he taketh away the word and hindereth them from faith that so hee may preuent their saluation This is the end of both the former The Diuell is enuious vnwilling he is that any of vs should enioy that glory in heauen which he hath lost As hee droue Adam and Eue out of the earthly Paradise so doth he what lyeth in him to keepe vs from the heauenly Paradise He goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure As the Ammonites Moabites Amalekites and many other heathen people would haue hindered the Israelites from entering into the land of Canaan So the Diuel all his Angels seeke to hinder vs from the Kingdome of heauen And as the Israelites subdued them before they could get possession So must wee through the mightie power of Christ subdue the Diuell before wee can enioy that most happy and glorious Kingdome Lastly to conclude all the poynts touching these hearers See what excellent things they lose who suffer the Diuell to take the worde out of their hearts They loose saith which is much more precious then gold as Saint Peter saith And hereafter they shall lose the saluation of their soules which is more worth then all the world For as CHRIST sayeth What aduantageth it a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule You may thinke it little danger to suffer the Diuell to take the worde out of your heartes And it may be some had rather haue it taken from them then the least parte of their worldly riches but know that it is a precious Iewell If you keepe it you retaine all grace and happinesse with it If you leaue it you lose all goodnes with it Oh then when you haue heard it make much of it and keepe it safely and be content rather to lose any thing yea all things that you haue then lose it If you did truely know and would duely consider the danger of this losse you would be more carefull to keepe the word and more afrayde of losing it You who haue Deedes of your Lands and Leases of your houses are very carefull to keepe them safely you will keepe them vnder locke and key and that
and growe for a while but not long if heate drought doe come it will be parched and wither away for lacke of moysture Such is the case of some hearers their hearts being mollified in part somewhat soft aboue but very hard below toward the bottome will not suffer the word to take any deepe rooting in them It may enter into their harts yet it cannot pearce into the bottome of them It may be some rooting yet very ebbe and shallow It may prosper for a while and they make some profession of it yet not long And in regard hereof they become vnprofitable hearers So as from hence we may obserue a double danger and inconuenience of an heart that is not throughly mollified to the bottome It both hindereth the rooting of the word and also the fruitfulnes of it 1. It hindereth the rooting of the word so as it cannot possibly go deepe enough the word should descend to the bottome of the heart and there take rooting and be continually nourished with the moysture of it but it cannot descend so farre vnles it be throughly mollified Not onely they whose hearts are altogether hard as was the hart of Pharaoh when he heard Moses and Aaron and the Scribes and Pharises when they heard Christ but also they whose hearts are softened onely in part are vnprofitable hearers As not onely those rockes which be bare on the top and altogether hard and haue no manner of soyle and moysture aboue but likewise those which be couered with a litle moysture and earth aboue but not much are vnfit to receiue seede The one will not receiue the seede at all nor suffer it to sprout or shoote forth a blade the other will cause it to sproute and shoote forth a blade but neuer to beare a ripe eare So they who haue hearts altogether hardened will not heare or at least not receiue the word of God at all into any part of their hearts but those who haue hearts partly soft and partly hard may receiue the word and retaine it for a time but will neuer bring forth the fruites of it Wherefore the holy Ghost saith in the Psalmes and it is applyed by the Apostle to the hearers of the Gospell To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts Because the hard hearted can neuer heare the word of God so reuerently and effectually as they ought to doe the Lord biddeth vs not to harden but to soften our hearts if we will heare his voyce The harder the heart is the more vnprofitable shall be the hearing the softer the heart is the more profitable shall the hearing be Againe this hardnes will cause men to deny the word in time of tentation The moysture and softnes aboue is the cause of receiuing the word with ioy and beleeuing for a time but the hardnes and drinesse below is the cause of reuolting afterward When Gods hand was heauie on Pharoh he somewhat relented humbled himselfe and confessed his sinne but as soone as it was remoued he returned with the dogge to his vomit and became as obstinate as euer he was before So if a mans heart be mollified onely in part he may relent while he heares the word and may embrace it with peace but in time of persecution may grow as hard as euer he was before euen as yron is soft in some measure while it is in the fire but becommeth hard againe when it is cold Let vs not therefore content our selues with an vpper softening but see that our hearts be softened to the very bottome that they may melt like waxe at the fire as good king Iosiahs heart did when he heard the lawe read I knowe that none of our hearts are so soft as they should be But if thou feelest thine owne hardnes doest mislike it desirest earnestly that it may be more and more mollified and doest vse all good meanes for the further mollifying of it thy heart either is alreadie or shall be within a while so softened as it may receiue the word profitably to thy saluatiō If Goates blood being warme can soften the hard Adamant doubt not but the blood of Christ can sufficiently mollifie thy heart though it were as hard as a rocke If thou pray earnestly vnto God to take away the stony heart of thy body and to giue thee an heart of flesh be assured that he will performe it seeing he hath promised it by his holy Prophet 3. Let vs now come to the third propertie of these hearers They belieue for a time Mathew and Marke say they endure for a season that is they endure in their faith but a while They doe belieue yet not long But it is to be considered what kinde of faith this is Though the Papists teach that there is but onely one kinde of faith yet may we find many seuerall distinct kindes thereof in the holy scriptures There be foure kindes of faith One is proper and peculiar to Gods elect and to the regenerate The rest are common both to the elect and the reprobate That which is proper and peculiar to the elect is a true iustifying faith whereby a man doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for the pardon of his sinne and the saluation of his soule This is called by S. Paul the faith of Gods Elect because onely they and all they be endued with it And therefore it is said that as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeued Though all of them doe not receiue it at the same time but some sooner some later yet is there not any of the Elect but at one time or other they doe receiue it This is called an vnfayned faith or a faith without dissimulation or hypocrisie because it is not counterfaited and is a faith in deed and in truth and is seated not in the tongues or the head but in the bottome of the heart This faith is said to purifie the heart and is called the faith of the Saints because none haue it but those who be sanctified By this faith are we now iustified without the workes of the law and by this must we be saued as the Apostle proueth at large in his Epistles But this is not the faith here spoken of Againe there be other kindes of faith which be common both to the Elect and reprobate And these are either extraordinarie or ordinarie Extraordinarie as the faith of working miracles whereof the Apostle speaketh saying If I had all faith sothat I could remoue mountaines and had not loue I were nothing Iudas the childe of perdition had this faith as well as the rest of the Apostles for he wrought miracles as well as they And many shall say to Christ haue not we in thy name cast out diuells and by thy name done many great miracles to whom he shall answere I neuer knew you depart from
aâ—…oe by that ancient Father Augustine and thereby proued neuer to fayle By this faith we are iustifyed as the Apostle plainely and often teacheth and our aduersaries cannot denie though they hold that we are not iustifyed by it alone Now if we be iustified we shall also be glorified Yea whosoeuer thus beleeueth shall not be confounded The Saintes doe keepe this faith in the hottest persecution that can befall them And therefore in describing the cruell tyrannie and grieuous persecution vnder the greate beaste which opened his mouth to blaspheme GOD and his Tabernacle and them that dwell in heauen and made warre against the Saints led many into captiuitie and killed many with the sword The holy Ghost breaketh forth into these speeches Here is the patience and the faith of the Saints because the Saints doe not loose but keepe and expresse their patience and faith in such afflictions Neyther can Sathan by his tentations depriue them of faith as appeareth in the example of Peter Sathan desâ—red to winnow him as wheate yet for his comfort Christ told him that hee had prayed for him that his faith might not fayle Christs prayer was not in vaine Hee at another time acknowledged to his Father that he heard him alwaies And therefore though Peter did afterwardes fall most grieuously in denying his Maister and that with an oathe and with cursing himselfe yet did hee not loose his faith It remayned in his heart though hee did not professe it with his mouth Neyther could this be a singular prerogatiue to Peter for Christ hath as well prayed for others as for him not onely for all the Apostles but likewise for all those that should beleeue in him through their word And therefore in the midst of all afflictions and tentations they shall be kept constant in faith Hee who gaue them faith will make them to continue their faith as he who made them good will make them continue in goodnes He is so faithfull that he will not suffer them to be tempted aboue that which they be able to beare but will giue them the issue with the tentation Their faith may be assaulted but not destroyed weakened but not wasted ecclâ—psed but not extinguished hidde and couered as the Sunne vnder a cloude and fire raked vnder the ashes but not abolished The act of it may be lost for a time but not the habite for if their faith may fayle and they perish why did the Apostle say that after they beleeued they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance vntill the redemption of the possession purchased by Christ And how is it true that they are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation And if iustifying faith may not be lost then it is certaine that if any fall away and vtterly loose their faith they neuer had it Diuers of Christs Disciples did seeme to beleeue in him yet afterward forsooke him and thereupon he said to them there are some of you that beleeue not And the Euangelist addeth a reason for Iesus knewe from the beginning which they were that beleeued not and who should betray him As if there were some of his Disciples that beleeued and some beleeued not namely those that tooke offence at his doctrine and forsooke him as also Iudas the traitour Euen while they followed Christ they wanted this faith Doth not S. Iohn say of reuolters they went out from vs because they were not of vs for if they had bene of vs they should haue continued with vs. Who then doe fall away from the Church but only those who indeed were neuer of the Church were in it but not of it And who are they that liue in the Church and be not of it but those that want a true iustifying faith for by it we are made members of Christ and incorporated into his mysticall body the Church But as for the faith spoken of in this my text it may be lost yea it is of such a nature that seldome it is kept to the end of a mans life Inward tentation by the diuell or outward persecution by men may rob the owners of it It is like to corne growing in the house top which may flourish for a while in the spring time but in heate and drought of summer will wither away And herein consisteth a maine difference betwixt iustifying and temporary faith the one is perpetuall the other for a time And no maruaile thogh it continue not long seeing it is built on temporary causes namely these three 1. It ariseth from curiositie for these beleeuers will heare and learne receiue and professe the Gospell for the newnes of it As the Iewes reioyced for a â—…me in Iohns light especially for the noueltie of it And as the Athenians would heare Paul preach and would know the meaning of his doctrine because as they said he brought certaine straÌ„ge things to their eares And they gaue theÌ„selues to nothing but to tell and heare some newes Bernard noted diuers sorts of persoÌ„s who desired knowledge of heauenly matters seueral ends for which they desired it And the first was of theÌ„ who desired knowledge onely for this end that they might know and this is fowle curiositie Now you know that a wonder lasteth not loÌ„g They who haue curious heads and itching eares after noueltie will not long like the same thing but as the Israelites at the first liked their Manna because it was a strange kind of meate but afterward loathed it wheÌ„ they had bene a while fed with it So these men at the first hearing of the Gospell for the strangenes of the doctrine may admire it receiue it with ioy and professe the faith thereof and yet afterward waxe wearie of it 2. It often ariseth from pride and vaineglory Because others doe condemne the enemies of the Gospell but doe like and loue honour and commend those that beleeue it professe it liue accordingly they to get credit honour among men will professe the faith of Christ submit themselues to his holy Gospel EueÌ„ as the Pharisies did fast and pray and giue almes to be seene and praised of men These persons as Bernard said desire knowledge that themselues may be knowne and this is foolish vanitie which men cannot escape the girding taunt of the scoffing Satyricke Scire tum nihil est nisi te scire hoc sciat alter It doth thee nought auayle to knowe vnles thy knowledge others knowe Those that embrace and professe religion for this end cannot continue constant If the time should come that true Christians should be reuiled and euill spoken of should be made as the filth of the world and the ofscouring of all things as the Apostles were these men would renounce their faith 3. It often proceedeth from couetousnes for the getting and keeping of wealth and riches that they may clime vp to high
onely assent to the doctrines but also doe beleeue that the things which we aske to be done shall be accomplished by God which we call an assurance Stella also as plainely maketh two kindes of Faith There is a faith saith he whereby we beleeue whatsoeuer is to be beleeued and this is a theologieall vertue There is another faith which is a certaine confidence to wit that whereby we beleeue that the Lord will giue vs that which we aske of him I could produce more witnesses speaking to the same purpose but I spare them till I come to speake of the seuerall kindes by themselues yet consider that not onely the ancient Fathers but likewise some great Clearkes in the late Romish Church haue made diuers kindes of faith Why then should we be condemned as Heretikes for teaching the same SECT VII LEt vs now come to the seuerall kinds of faith in particular And let vs first coÌ„sider a little touching iustifying faith It may be you will mislike two things in that description of it which I set downe in one of the precedent sermons The one respecteth the nature of it the other respecteth the persons that be endued with it because some of your side teach contrary therevnto 1. Touching the nature of it I shewed that by it a Christian doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for his present iustification and for his future saluation I know it as well as you that many of your learned meÌ„ teach the contrary and therefore I feare that you will rather beleeue them then me The Rhemists say that to apprehend Christs righteousnes by faith is a phâ—ntasticall apprehension of that which is not And that it is a false faith And afterward that the Apostle knewe not speciall faith the forged faith of Protestants whereby euery one of these new Sect-maisters and their followers as it pleaseth them in the meeknes of their spirit to tearme vs beleeue their sinnes are remitted and themselues shall be saued And else-where that a speciall faith is a forged faith that neither Paul nor Iames nor any other sacred writer euer knewe or spake of any such faith Cardinall Bellermine maintaineth that Faith is neither Fiducia an assurance of Gods mercie or the Pardon of a Man 's owne sinnes nor yet Notitia a cknowledge of such thinges but but onely a firme and certaine assent to the truth of those things which God hath propounded to be deliuered Doctor Stapleton calleth them Heretickes who place the whole nature propertie vertue and greatnes of faith in a particular applicatien of Gods geuerall promises to Belieuers Indeed that which they say is true if there were no other faith taught in the word nor wrought in the hearts of Christians then that which is generally taught and found in the present Romane Church But they which vnderstand the word aright and are iustified by Faith do know and feele another kinde of faith farre surpassing that Bellarmine doth much wrong vs and more trouble himselfe in this point then needed He saith that they differ from vs in the obiect of iustifying faith because we whom he commonly calleth by the name of Heretickes doe restraine it to a sole promise of a speciall mercy And afterward spendeth many chapters in prouing that the obiect of a iustifying faith is not a speciall mercy but all things which God hath reuealed For we doe not hold that the promise of a speciall mercy to a man in particular is the obiect of a true iustifying faith vnder the new testament we finde none such made to any of vs The generall promises of mercy in Christ are the material obiects which being indefinitly propounded it is an acte of faith to make a true Christian to apply them particularly to himselfe But to come to the matter now in question It may easily be proued that a iustifying faith is not onely an assent to the truth of things reuealed in the word but likewise an apprehension and particular applying of the generall promises of Gods mercies and Christs merits for the remission of sinnes In the scriptures faith is called a receiuing of Christ. And a receiuing of the promise Can there be a receiuing of a thing without application was Christ receiued generally of all together for all together and not particularly by euery one for himself When Thomas saide to CHRIST My God and my Lorde Did not he especially and particularly applye Christ and his benefites to himselfe who was GOD and Lorde to all true Christians Yet Christ gaue it the name and Tytle of Faith saying vnto him Because thou hast seene mee thou belieuest And maketh that his faith the very same with their faith who were blessed for belieuing when they had not seene Yea with the faith of Gentiles For Augusti thinketh he did thereby preach and commend the faith of the Gentiles When Paul saide Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee Did hee not applye particularly to himselfe Christ and his benefites yet this hee did by that faith whereof hee spake immediately before euen by that faith in the Sonne of God whereby he then liued Is not Christ that bread which must nourish our soules and is not Faith the eating of him as himselfe declareth at large Ioh 6. Whervpon Augustine said What preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly belieue thou hast eaten And can there be any eating vnlesse there be be a speciall Application of the meate to the person that is fed Doth not euery one pray in particular for speciall mercie And is not euery one to belieue that what he asketh he shall obtaine And certaine it is that whosoeuer doth worthilie by Faith receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper hee doth by faith particularly receiue Christ and all his benefites and particularly applyeth all the promises of Gods mercies in him Bellarmine confesseth that they agree with vs that Faith is necessarily required for the profitable receiuing of the Sacrament And is there not an Analogie betwixt the signes and the thing signied Looâ—…e then how wee receiue the outward Signes so must wee by faith receiue the thing signified As therefore euerie one doeth particularly with his owne hand receiue to himselfe and for himselfe the outward signe So euery one that belieueth doth particularly receiue to himselfe and for himselfe Christ and all his benefites Let vs come to the Fathers It may be some of you will neither yeeld to scriptures alleadged by vs nor yet to any reasons vnles you may heare the Fathers speake as we doe That godly Martyr Cyprian said that although a man daily rehearsed all the articles of the creede Yet he doth not beleeue in God who doth not place in him onely the assurance of his whole felicitie he holdeth that faith is a confidence or assurance and not in generall of the happines and saluation of
all Gods children but in particular of his owne happines This his assertion doth so gall the Papists that Pamelius said it must be read warily because he knewe that if it were reade in the very sense which the words did beare and the author meant without some corrupt glosse contrary to his meaning it would iustifie our doctrine of faith and make most of the popish crew who haue no confidence of their owne saluation but an assent to the truth of Gods worde to be a company of vnbelieuers The same Father saith That how much Faith we bring thither to receiue so much we draw of Gods ouerflowing grace This is appointed of God saide Ambrose that hee who belieueth in Christ should bee saued without works by faith only receiuing freely the remission of sinnes To the like effect speaketh Hesychius Grace of mercie is both offered and also apprehended by faith alone without workes Augustine maketh Faith the hand whereby euery one must lay holde of Christ now sitting in Heauen Is not that more then a bare assent to thinges reuealed Is not this a speciall Application When the same Father stirred vp his owne soule with these wordes Let my soule say yea let it altogether confidently say Thou art my God who doth say to my soule I am thy saluation c. Did hee not in particular appropriate and apply to himselfe the generall fauours and mercies of God and made him who was God ouer all to be his God in particular And when he sayd Behold we belieue in Christ whom we receiue by faith In receiuing we know what we thinke we receiue a little and are fed in the heart he shewed the nature of faith to be rather an apprehension and application then an assent Chrysostome writing of the promises made to the Patriarches and of the maner how they receiued them saith thus They did by faith alone conceiue a certaine assurance of them seeing them a farre off before foure generations they had such a certain perswasion of them that they did euen salute them as Sea-faring men doe a farre off see the Cities desired which they salute before they enter into them Thou seest that this they receiued is to expect and haue confidence of them If therefore to haue confidence is to receiue We also may receiue them Wherein he declareth the nature of faith not to consist onely in an assent giuen to the truth of things reuealed but a confidence and assurance of the promises of God made to man And that by this confidence beleeuers are saide to receiue the promises And that as they then receiued the promises by that their confidence so also we now by the like confidence are to receiue them Damascen expounding the Apostles description of faith that it is the ground of things hoped for hath these words Faith is an vndoubted and vniudge-able hope as well of those things which are promised vs of God as of obteyning our petitions If then any man may particularly aske the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes and the saluation of his owne soule he may in particular beleeue that his owne sins shall be pardoned his owne soule saued Bernard is plentifull this way thus he saith If thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot be blotted out but by him against whom onely thou hast sinned thou doest well but yet adde more that thou also beleeue this that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee by him Is not this a speciall faith Is not this more theÌ„ an assent in generall to things reuealed Is not this the faith so much impugned by our late papists And for a speciall application of Christs merits vnto vs for the pardon of a mans owne sinnes and the saluation of his owne soule he speaketh as plainely But that Caine was not of the members of Christ nor had any thing to do with the merit of Christ that he might presume the same to be his he would haue called that his owne which was Christs as the member doth that which is the heades Thereby teaching that the true beleeuer being a member of Christ doeth call that his owne which is Christs and doth without sinne presume that the merit of Christ is his in particular And therefore in the next words he saith thus of himselfe Whatsoeuer is wanting vnto me from my selfe I boldly take it vnto me out of the bowels of the Lord Iesus because they flow out with mercy Let vs descend to the Popish writers we may finde many of them to iumpe with vs herein Ferus was commended by Sixtus Senensis to be a man excellently learned in the diuine Scriptures whose equall in the office of preaching the Gospell the Catholicke Churches of the Germaines haue not in this our time Yet doeth hee in many places condemne the Popish description of faith and approue ours That is not alwayes faith whith we call faith we call it faith to assent to those things which be deliuered in the diuine histories and which the Church propoundeth to be belieued The Scripture speaketh farre otherwise of Faith For according to the Scriptures faith is nothing else but a consideÌ„ce of Gods mercy promised in Christ. And he bringeth Abrahams example for proofe thereof And of this faith saith hee mention is made in the Gospell where it is sayd Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God shall not bee condemned The faith which the Scripture commendeth is no other thing then to trust to the free mercy of God this is the true faith whereby the iust man liueth this alone is it which God requireth of vs. An example of this faith we haue in the Centurion for we do not read that he rehearsed the Articles of faith but that he came to Christ with great trust These wordes make so much for vs that Sixtus Senensis sayd of them that hee seemeth to allude to the error of them who teach that iustifying faith is nothing else but an assurance of Gods mercy forgiâ—ing our sinnes through Christ. And Dominicus Soto tooke vpon him to confute him in that poynt but Michael Medina defended him against Soto And else-where he speaketh as fully for vs To belieue in Christ saith hee is not to know his works for Sathan knoweth this neyther is it to remember or thinke with himselfe that Christ hath suffered and risen againe for euen vngodly men remember these things and thinke of them and yet are made nothing better But it is with certaine sure and stedfast trust to take hold of Christ and all his benefits and to sticke to them with all the heart all the soule and all the strength Pighius in his booke of controuersies dedicated to the Pope Paulus 3. doth teach that although Faith as it is vsually taken by ecclesiasticall writers bee that habite of the minde whereby we do certainly and without any doubting assent to those things which for our saluation are reuealed of God to his Church
Yet vnto this faith assent of reason and the minde that it may be called a perfect faith there ought also to be adioyned a certaine sure and firme trust of the heart whereby the belieuing soule doth so stay vpon trust to the worde and truth of God that without all doubting whatsoeuer it is he hath it as sure as if he held it in his handes And hee further addeth that this is the Faith and not that assent of reason which the Lord euery where required of them whome hee vouchsafed to heale Of that he spake when he saide Daughter be of comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole And this is the same Faith which maketh prayer effectuall which Christ and Iames require in them that pray Didacus Stella hauing distinguished of faith that there is one to belieue whatsoeuer is to be belieued called a Theological vertue another is a Considence by which we belieue that the Lorde will giue whatsoeuer we aske He saith that without this faith 1. this Confidence our sinnes cannot be forgiuen For although a man belieue all thinges contained in holy Scriptures to be true and all things which the Church belieueth yet if he shuld not trust and most certainly belieue that they shall be forgiuen him they should neuer be forgiuen him And saint Iames saith Let him aske in faith nothing doubting To the like purpose doth he afterward distinguish of faith describe the later kinde saying Faith is taken two wayes One way for the habite of belieuing according to which we doe assent to the trueths of the Scripture And this is the Faith without which it is impossible to please God And this is one of the three Theologicall vertues 1. Cor. 13. And by this faith a belieuer differeth from an Infidell There is another faith which is called a Confidence whereby a man asketh of God confidently hoping and belieuing most certainly that he shall obtaine of the Lord that which he asketh Which faith is needefull for him that prayeth otherwise hee shall neuer obtaine any thing If this be the faith required of them that pray aright it is the faith of all Gods Saints and of them which are iustified for they pray often and are heard And if this man write truely then those who teach and haue no other faith then an assent to the truth of things reuealed can neuer obtaine pardon of their sinnes nor haue their petitions graunted Tollet taught and that out of Euthymius that Faith in many places of scripture is takeÌ„ Not for the assent of the minde but for the assuraÌ„ce of the will Iansenius also writeth the same Therfore most rightly as appeareth it may be saide that by the name of Faith in the Gospells wheÌ„ saluation or the obtaining of those things which wee desire is ascribed vnto it both these are comprehended both that firme assent in things to be belieued concerning God and Christ and also a Confidence conceyued from his goodnesse c. For these two doe so cleaue together that neyther can there be any Confidence without Credulitie neyther can Credulitie without Confidence obtayne any thing of God And to the same effect afterward thus These two to wit Credulity and Confidence seeme to be included together in the name Faith when it is set downe that the Lord saâ—d According to your Faith be it vnto you That the meaning may be As ye belieue that I can heale you and for this doe trust that I will heale you So be it vnto you If then by the testimonie of these Authors Faith bee often so taken in the Scriptures And if this be the only Faith whereby we obtaine such things at the handes of God Why should wee be condemned as Hereticks for teaching such a faith Ought not we to haue such a faith in Christ for the saluation of our soules that those men had in him for the curing of their bodyes Though Stapleton denie this speciall Considence yet hee acknowledgeth that for one and the same faith Christ gaue them both outward inward health Paulus Burgensis saith that Abraham by the Faith which was imputed to him for Righteousnes did not onely belieue that he should be the Father of many Nations but rather that he his seed should obtaine euerlasting life in heauen In Genes 15. Addit 2. The Diuines of Colone taught that through the faith of the word of God working in vs true Contrition and Repentance and other works of preuenting grace we are iustified as by a certaine cause preparing and disposing vs. But through the Faith whereby without doubting we doe firmely trust our sinnes are forgiuen vs through Christ wee are iustified as by a cause receiuing it And also adde further that the Righteousnes of Christ is the cause of our Iustification not as it is out of vs in him but as and when the same is imputed vnto vs for Righteousnes yet so that it be apprehended by faith Cassander who was so highly esteemed for learning and wisedome that two Romane Emperors Ferdinand and Maximilian 2. sent to him for his aduise howe to compound the controuersies in religion approueth their opinion saith that Booke was greatly commended of all the Learnedst diuines through Italy France as a Booke that excellently relateth the summe of the Ancients opinion touching religion out of whose writings the booke is as it were confirmed And with great approbation citeth these words out of it Wee confesse it to be true that it is altogether required for the iustifying of a man that a man doe certainly belieue not onely generally that for Christ sinnes be forgiuen to them that be truely penitent but also that they be forgiuen to the man himselfe for Christ by faith Hee also alledgeth out of the Ratisbone booke these words We call a liuely faith a motion of the holy Ghost whereby they who truely repent are lifted vp to God and doe truely apprehend mercie promised in Christ that now they truely perceiue that they haue through the free goodnes of God receiued remission of sinnes and reconciliation for the merits of Christ and doe crye Abba Fâ—ther And therevpon hee inferreth that rightly agreeably to the scriptures it is saide that this is the nature of a Iustifying Faith that it perceiue that feeling of Gods fauour which the holy Ghost worketh in vs. And further addeth that to obtaine Iustification Such a Faith is required whereby a man after the example of Abraham doth not doubt of the promise of God through distrust but aboue hope belieueth vnder hope that God will impute to him that belieueth in him who raised Iesus from the dead this Faith to his iustification and will not impute his sinnes to him An example whereof as he saith we haue in the cure of corporall diseases which beareth an image of the inward cure For there Christ required a Faith whereby a man did belieue that Christ
was endued with that power that he was able to heale him and trusted that such was his goodnes that he would cure him Cardinall Bellarmine after hee had written very much to prooue that Faith is only an assent to the truth of things reuealed and not an assurance or speciall application of the promises doth at last ouerthrowe all and yeelde to vs. For thus hee writeth of vs they say rightly that euery one may by faith applye to himselfe the generall promises For as I doe belieue by the Catholicke faith that Christ dyed for all So by the same faith I doe belieue that hee dyed for me who am one of them What need we any better witnes then hee who before was our greatest aduersarie Doth not this lay open the nature of Iustifying faith to bee the same that wee teach Is a particular application of generall promises no more then a bare assent to the truth of things reuealed By that faith whereby I beleeue Christ dyed in generall for all doe I also beleeue that hee dyed in particular for me And yet shall wee say that a speciall faith is a forged faith that it is against the nature of faith to apprehend and apply particularly to my selfe the promises of God and the merits of Christ Yet for all this the Cardinall will not graunt that any man is to beleeue the pardon of his owne sinnes in particular because the generall promises are not absolute but conditionall euen with the condition of faith as we acknowledge And therefore demaundeth how a man can absolutely beleeue that his sinnes are forgiuen him seeing he caÌ„not learne by any worde of God that hee hath such a faith as is required for the obteyning of the pardon of sinnes And saith that none which beleeue are saued vnlesse they beleeue as they ought to beleeue But therein the Cardinall doth not onely contradict himselfe but likewise many of his fellowes who teach that there is but one faith at all that the dead and Catholicke faith are all one as was shewed before If some beleeue as they ought to beleeue and some beleeue not as they ought haue they all one and the same faith If some so beleeue as by beleeuing they shal bee saued and some so beleeeue as by beleeuing they cannot be saued shall wee say they haue all one and the same faith Then may wee also say that Peter and Iudas had one and the same repentance The Cardinall here sheweth that they do indeede beleeue as they ought to beleeue who haue faith which worketh by loue Yet else-where he laboureth to prooue that a true and Christian faith which by way of disposition iustifyeth the vngodlie may be separated from charitie and from other vertues How repugnant are these things one to another Againe hee that beleeueth may know that he hath faith orherwise Paul would not haue bidden the Corinthians to proue themselues whether they were in the faith Augustine sayd Euery one doth see faith to be in his owne heart if he do belieue or not to be if hee doe not beleeue And that no man can see faith in another but euery one may see it in himselfe The Cardinall saith They beleeue as they ought who haue faith working by loue yet may a man easily know whether hee haue loue or not Therefore sayd Augustine Let a man looke to his heart and see if he haue charitie and then let him say I am borne of God Yea let not any one aske another let euerie one returne to his owne heart if he there finde brotherly charitie hee may bee sure hee hath passed from death to life Would hee haue sayd thus if a man could not haue knowne whether he had charitie or not Michael Medina as Sixtus Senensis testifyeth in defending Ferus against Soto saith There is no man which doubteth but that wee may know true loue and faith to be in vs. Seeing then that by charitie a man may know as the Cardinall teacheth whether hee beleeue as hee ought to beleeue and seeing a man may know whether he haue charitie or not hee may also know whether hee beleeue as he ought and if he beleeue as he ought then by the Cardinals owne confession he may particularly apply to himselfe the generall promises and certainely beleeue that his owne sinnes are pardoned And to conclude this poynt seeing this speciall faith hath such testimony not onely from the diuine Scriptures but likewise from the ancient Doctors of the Church and also from the late Romish writers doe not condemne it as hereticall but seeke earnestly for it as the speciall meane of your saluation SECT VIII THere remaineth another point to be considered touching the persons that be endued with a iustifying faith I taught that it is proper to the Elect. Notwithstanding I knowe that Cardinall Bellarmine goeth about to confute Caluine for holdin that Faith and true righteousnes is proper to the Elect Yet doth he not bring any one argument to proue that it is not proper to them but onely laboureth to proue that faith may be lost Touching this point we will acknowlâ—dge that the best faith which many of the popish prelates doe teach is common both to the reprobate and Elect. The reprobate may giue an assent to the trâ—th of things reuealed as well as the Elect. But there is another faith besides that and more excellent then it as I haue proued before and that is peculiar to Gods Elect. No maruaile though those papists who knowe it not or will not acknowledge it doe hold that there is no faith peculiar to Gods Elect. If they knew the nature of a iustifying faith they would not contend with vs about the persons who haue it Though many haue not written of this point yet besides the texts of scripture alleadged we haue the testimonies of some Augustine as was declared before saith that the faith which worketh by loue onely the seruants of God haue only the Saints of God onely the sonnes of Abraham by faith onely the sonnes of loue the sonnes of promise Will any say that the reprobate are the seruants and saints of God or the beloued sonnes of God or sons of promise If once they were such they should alwaies continue such For as the Apostle teacheth whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not yea he keepeth himselfe and the wicked toucheth him not Is God the father of the wicked said Augustine God forbid The same father said that the faith of the praedestinate either doth not fayle at all or if there be any of them whose faith fayleth it is repayred againe before this life be ended But as for those that finally fall away from faith out of doubt saith he at that time when they liued well and godly they were not to be reckoned in that number for they were not seuered from that masse of perdition by the prescience predestination of God And therefore
things reuealed the other respecteth the mercy and goodnes of God in Christ offered to penitent sinners Bernardinus de Senis out of Alexander Halensis saith that credere Deo hath the truth of God for his obiect and so we beleeue him because we thinke those things to be true which he speaketh but credere Deum respecteth his power as he is omnipotent and the Creator but credere in Deum hath respect to his goodnes wherevnto we come through loue Pighius naming but two of these three for he ioyneth two of them together saith the one doth properly respect the truth of God for an obiect the other doth rather respect the goodnes of God as it is after a sort through naturall loue now made ours The faith which made Abels sacrifice acceptable to God was a iustifying faith yet Erasmus said God accepted his sacrifice because he did with a sincere heart trust his goodnes And we heard before out of Iansenius that the faith by which meÌ„ are saued obtaine their requests doth not onely comprehend a firme assent in things to be beleeued but likewise an assurance conceiued and arising from his goodnes Can these be one and the same habite who differ so much in their speciall and proper obiects 4. They differ in their proper and immediate effects For first the one iustifieth the other doth not iustifie That there is a faith which iustifieth Paul teacheth at large and in many places We conclude saith he â—hat a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law And to him that worketh not but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnes And know that a man is not iustifyed by the workes of the lawe but by the faith of Iesus Christ. I need not proue this seeing the papists confesse with vs that there is a Faith which iustifieth though they contend with vs about the maner how it iustifieth That there is a Faith that iustifieth not the Apostle Iames teacheth Namely a dead Faith a faith without works such a faith as the diuels haue Augustine teacheth vs which is the Faith which iustifieth Namely the faith qua credimus in Deum whereby we belieue in God and which is the Faith which iustifieth not namely Fides quacredimus Deo wherby we giue credit to God wheÌ„ he saith we belieue the Apostle but wee belieue not in the Apostle because the Apostle doth not iustifie the vngodly but vnto him that belieueth in him who iustifieth the vngodly his faith shall be reputed for Righteousnesse As if Credere Deo which is an historicall and dogmaticall faith were not sufficient to â—…stifie vs but credere Deum which is to haue a special confidence in God as before was declared Not only Augustine but likewise Bernard and the M of sentences doe teach that the diuels credunt Deo doe belieue all things to be true which God hath reuealed which is a right historical faith And yet I hope the Papists will not say that the diuels are iustified For then might they holde with Origen that they shall be saued Lumbard hauing shewed the difference betwixt these three Credere Deo credere Deum and credere in Deum doth say of the last By this faith the vngodly is iustified that afterward Faith it selfe may beginne to worke by loue Because a man is iustified by it and not by eyther of the other two and because it doth worke by loue not before it iustifie but rather begins to worke by loue when it hath iustified And therefore doth not iustifie by vertue of charitie whereby it worketh Are you then so simple to belieue that the Faith which iustifieth and the faith which iustifieth not are all one That two men hauing one and the same Faith the one of them should bee iustified by his Faith and the other should not be iustified by his If they bee one and the same Faith whence comes this great difference in theyr proper and immediate effects But the other faith is without good workes as Saint Iames teacheth and this is called by him a dead faith The Councell of Trent acknowledgeth that it may most truely be said Faith without Workes is dead and idle And what faith is this but euen an hystoricall faith Ferus wrote that by Faith whereby wee assent to those things which be deliuered in the diuine hystories and which the Church propoundeth to be belieued the schoolmen call vnformed Faith and Iames calleth a Dead-faith But what faith is that which is dead and wanteth his substantiall forme Truely saith he it is no faith but a vaine opinion And then afterward describeth a iustifying faith as being another kinde of faith Though Dominicus Soto went about to confute his description of a iustifying faith yet did he not mislike any thing which hee spake of the hystoricall vnformed and dead faith And so by his silence doth iustify him heerein as may appeare in Sixtus Senensis Now the faith with workes and the faith without works doe so much differ that the one is properly called a faith and a true faith the other is not called a faith but only by equiuocation Therefore Augustine said hee doth not belieue Jesus to be Christ who doth not so liue as Christ hath commanded Iames saith 26 Shewe me thy faith by thy workes and I will shewe thee my faith by my workes As if neyther of them had any true faith vnlesse they could shewe it by their workes Whervpon Thomas Aquinas gaue this glosse Shew me thy faith As if hee should say Prooue vnto mee by some certaine signes that thou hast Faith thou canst not proue it when workes be wanting wordes are no sufficient witnesses And in another place hee saith That vngodly men seeme to haue true faith when indeede they haue not Gregory 1. once Bishop of Rome telleth vs That we ought to make knowne the truth of our faith by the consideration of our life for then are wee beleeuers in truth if that which we promise in words we fulfil in works And froÌ„ him the Councell of Mentz protested that hee doth truely beleeue who exerciseth by working that which he beleeueth If then the one of these bee a true Faith indeede and is truely and properly so to be called and the other is not a true faith indeede and improperly so called how can they be one and the same faith No more then a working horse and an idle painted horse are one and the same Againe these two doc so differ as that the one is called a liuing Faith the other is called a dead Faith That which iustifieth and bringeth forth good works is called a liuing Faith So the iust man is sayd to liue by Faith And Paul sayd I liue by the Faith in the Sonne of God Ferus hauing described the nature of a true Iustifying faith that it
is nothing else but to trust to the free mercy of God he addeth further This is the true Faith whereby the iust man liueth But that which iustifieth not and is destitute of good works is tearmed a dead Faith by the Apostle Yea as the body is dead without the spirit so is faith dead without workes But the Rhemists Cardinall Bellarmine Coster the Iesuite and others doe answere that the Apostle doth not compare a dead faith with a dead man but with a dead body And therefore as a dead body is a true body so a dead faith is a true faith But they must knowe that although the Apostle compare a dead faith not to a dead man but to a dead body yet he compareth it to the dead body of a man which is no true humane body indeed because it wanteth the soule which is the forme of it The Philosopher will teach them That when the bodye is dead there is neyther foote nor hand but onely by equiuocation for all the parts of the body are defined by their office and facultie therefore when they lye dead they are not the same but onely retaine the shadow and shew of the name Though a dead body haue the earthly and materiall parts yet it is not the true body of a man nor the same body that it was before seeing it wanteth his forme life and actiuitâ—e operation and motion So a dead faith hath some materiall parts of a true faith as knowledge vnderstanding and assent yet it is not a true faith indeed because it wanteth speciall application which is the soule of faith It wanteth actiuitie charitie and obedience which are the life of it Didimus Alexandrinus did othâ—rwise take the words of S. Iames then these papists doe for thus he writeth It is to be marked that seeing faith is dead without good workes it is now no faith at all for a dead man is not a man at all Their owne friend Ferus is as peremptorie against them and for vs. Faith without charitie saith he hath indeed the tytle of faith but if thou wilt not speake obscurely of that matter it is not in that sort faith as a body without a soule is a man as a candle put out is light or as a tree cut downe is a tree What kind of light is that which doth not shine and giue light what kinde of fire is that which is not kindled what kinde of man is that which neyther seeth nor heareth nor feeleth nor moueth What kinde of tree is that which hath neyther rootes nor boughes nor bringeth forth fruite Such a kinde of faith is that which is without charitie namely a dead Faith as Iames nameth it How then can any man iustly say that these two are both one and the same faith Lastly they differ in their effects because the one procureth the saluation of our soules namely that liuely and speciall faith which worketh by loue for of that it is sayde Whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And by grace wee are saued through faith and not of our selues But the other the Historical faith destitute of works cannot saue any man so teacheth the Apostle And that all those places cannot bee vnderstood of one the same faith all writers giue euidence Augustine said not that faith of the Diuels who beleeue and tremble and confesse Iesus to bee the Sonne of God is that foundation which suffereth none to perish but that faith which the Apostle saith worketh by loue Now what he took to be the faith of the Diuels I haue before shewed Credunt Deum credunt Deo they haue an historicall faith to beleeue all things to be true which hee hath reuealed Non credunt in Deum they put no confidence in him so want a speciall iustifying faith that should saue them So Bernard writeth He that beleeueth in God shall not be confounded And therevpon inferreth that the Diuels though they beleeue God yet they doe not beleeue in God in whom whosoeuer beleeueth shall not be confounded because they doe not put their hope in him Now who that hath any vnderstanding in Religion will say that the faith which is able to saue a mans soule and the faith which is not able to saue a mans soule are both one in kind in nature and substance And that those who are tormented in hell can truely say that while they were on earth they had the very same faith which brought the Saintes to the Kingdome of heauen By that which hath bene spoken touching this point you may vnderstand what a kinde of faith is taught by the greatest Doctors in the Romish church what is the best faith which they require of the people euen an hystoricall faith to giue assent to the truth of things reuealed Which faith as hath bene prooued may be in wicked men in Reprobates in men out of the state of grace in men that shall goe to hell Yea such a faith as is found in the very diuels of Hell What saluation can be obtained in that Church whose preachers teach no better faith Who would be ledde by such guydes I knowe that they would make a difference betwixt the faith of their right Catholickes and the faith of diuels because the one hath Charitie alwayes accompanying it the other wanteth Charity But they might consider that according to their doctrine this maketh no essentiall but a meere accidentall difference Seeing they teach that the same assent to the truth of things reuealed is in some with charitie and in others without charitie it euideÌ„tly appeareth that according to their doctrine Charitie is not a proper immediate necessary and essentiall propertie of it but meerely accidentall Indeed wee hold that Charitie is a proper necessary effect of a iustifying faith so as faith is no sooner wrought in the heart of any but forthwith hee is endued with loue He cannot but loue him in whom he belieueth and of whose loue and fauour he is perswaded And therefore charitie though it do not make yet it may declare the essentiall difference and the nature of this faith But seeing it is no such necessary effect of their assenting faith it can neyther make nor declare any essentiall difference of it And therefore he who wanteth charitie may haue the same faith in substance that hee hath who is endued with Charitie Bellarmine going about to proue that true faith meaning theyr assenting faith may bee separated from loue draweth one Argument from the proper reason nature of them both If they cannot be seuered saith he 46 It is eyther because the one is of the reason or being of the other or that the one doth necessarily arise from the other Not the first because Faith charitie are not one vertue but two And besides that haue diuers subiectes actes and obiectes For faith is in the vnderstanstanding Charitie in the will Faith belieueth
God here bestoweth on man yet are they greater enemies to it and seeke more to disgrace it then any other gift or grace whatsoeuer Some haue thought so basely of it as they haue taught it was too mean a grace for the Virgine Mary to be endued withal Though Augustine sayd Mary was more blessed by perceiuing the faith of Christ then by conceiuing the flesh of Christ. Yet Albertus Magnus who as Hosius saith was not without cause called Gteat goeth about to proue that she had not faith at all but a certaine kinde of knowledge aboue faith Such a knowledge and puritie as neuer any had in the way but the Angels haue in heauen Oh consider that this is the Dâ—uels pâ—llicie and practise that if he cannot make men otherwise to thinke then that faith is absolutely necessarie to saluation hee then stirreth vp some to teach them a false and insufficient faith because hee knoweth that will no more profite them then no faith as all Wherefore searce out the true faith and seeke for it SECT XIII IN speaking of that Faith which is called Temporary and may be lost I touched a question whether true Iustifying Faith may be quite lost And the rather because some popish writers alleadge that place to proue that it may bee lost Not to say any thing of those reasons and texts of Scripture then produced by me to proue that true faith cannot be lost I will now for your further satisfaction set downe the testimonies of diuers learned men approoued by your side who consent with mee in this poynt Augustine taught that those who haue this faith shall neuer perish but shall certainely be saued The Faith which worketh by loue suffereth no man to perish said he So in another place when he exhorted men to a true and right faith so to beleeue in Christ as that they loued him Not to beleeue in him as the Diuels did who though they beleeued yet did not loue Christ and therefore saide to him What haue wee to doe with thee thou Sonne of God But so to beleeue him as wee loue him and say not What haue wee to doe with thee but rather say Wee belong to thee thou hast redeen ed vs. He therevpon inferreth that all they which thus beleue are as liuely stones of which the Temple of God is built and as those neuer putrifying plancks and timber of whieh the arke was made that could not bee drowned in the Flood If they that thus beleeue cannot perish then their faith cannot be lost for they are kept and saued by faith If any will answere that if they keepe their faith they shall not perish but they may lose their faith and so perish Let them heare the same Father in plain tearms denying that For speaking of the praedestinate he saith These mens faith which worâ—eth by loue eyther doth not fayle at all or if there be some of them whose faith fayleth it is repayred before this life bee ended and the iniquitie which came betwixt being blotted out they are reputed to haue perseuerance vnto the end And further teacheth that they whose faith finally faileth were neuer of the number of the elect nor of the number of Christs Disciples Yet more plainely afterward Christ therefore praying for these that their faith might not faile without doubt it shall not fayle vnto the end and therefore it shall continue vnto the end neyther shall the end of this life finde it otherwise then continuing This hee speaketh of them who were called according to Gods purpose as the words immediately going before doe testifie In whom as there hee saith the gifts and calling of God are without repentance And in this respect hee there preferreth the state of the praedestinate aboue the estate of Adam in Paradise And sheweth that this gift of perseuerance is more needfull for the praedestinate now because they are assaulted with so many and so great Tentations And at last concludeth the faithfull man not onely because he hath obteyned mercy that he may be faithfull but also because his faith it seâ—fe fayleth not When he glorieth let him glorie in the Lord. Beda rehearseth the words of Augustine touching the efficacie of Christs prayer in keeping the faith of them who be called according to Gods putpose from fayling reckoneth faith as one of those gifts of God that are without repentance and faith they are without repentance because they are stedsastly fastened without changing And those who beleeue are taught of God and none of them shall perish because Christ looseth none of those whome the father hath giuen him Gregory the great did very fitly distinguish of Gods gifts and shewed the difference betwixt them in regard of continuance There be some gifts of his without which a man cannot attaine to life There be others by which holines of life is declared for the profit of others for meekenes bumilitie patience faith hope charitie are his gifts but those without which men can neuer come to life but prophecie the gift of healing diuersitie of tongnes interpretation of speech are his gifts yet such as shew the presence of his power for the correction of the beholders In those giftes therefore without which men cannot come to life the holy Ghost doth alwayes abide in his preachers or in all the elect But by the other he doth not alwayes abide To the same effect hee likewise speaketh else-where saying The holy Ghost according to certain vertues doth alwayes abide in the harts of the Saintes But according to other hee doth come and goe away goe away and come againe For by Faith Hope and Charitie and other graces without which a man cannot come to Heauen he neuer forsaketh the hearts of the perfect Bernard propouâ— ded a question How any of those who are vnited to Christ by faith can be cut off from him as vnfruitfull branches are cut off from the Vine Seeing be that is coupled with Christ is one spirite with him And answered it by distinguishing of faith that there is a dead faith a fained faith a perueâ—se faith and a right faith And therevpon inferred that hee whoÌ„ had any of the three former might be cut off but he who had the last could not be cut off from that Vine Hee shall abide in Christ and beare fruite and the Father will purge him that hee may beare more fruite Most of the learned Papists seeme to come neere vnto vs in this point Though Stapleton teach that saith cannot be lost by euery mortall sinne but by sinning often and falling often into the same sinnes it may be lost As the rootes of a Tree will not wither if onely one twig be pluâ—ked away but if all be plucked away they will dye Yet is he contradicted by all his fellowes Thomas Aquinas acknowledgeth that faith remaineth in men when they fall from holynes to sinne Whereas some helde that man sinning
and of a professed Christian become an Infidell but he who hath a true Justifying faith cannot quite loose it he may fall in outward shew onely still retayning faith in his heart so did Peter in his fall as shall afterward appeare but he who falleth away indeed and in truth totally and finally neuer had this iustifying faith Marcellinus Bishop of Rome seemed to fall into infidelitie when he sacrificed to Idols did he then loose his faith was he then become an Infidell indeed Then may the Bishop of Rome not onely erre in matters of faith but likewise quite loose his faith and become an Infidell yea an Infidell then may be the head of the Romane Church To auoyd this inconuenience Bellarmine answereth that he was neither Hereâ—icke nor Infidell but onely in outward acte for feare of death did sacrifice to Idolls As if he kept faith in his heart when he performed the outward act of an Infidell And of Liberius another Bishop of Rome he likewise saith That though it be true that he subscribed to the Arian heresie yet hee was no Hereticke but onely sinned in outward acte as Marcellinus did Why then may we not say that a Iustified beleeuer though hee through feare fall to the outward act of Infidelitie yet still keepeth faith in his heart Moreouer the testimonies which I alleadged out of the Fathers are absolute generall as well against the losing of faith by infidelitie as against the losâ—oâ—g of it by sinne But if any did fall to Infidelitie not onely in outward act but also in hart totally in deed in truth they were iudged by the Fathers neuer to haue had this faith Augustine said that those who doe not perseuere but so fall away from Christian faith and conuersation that the end of this life finde them such out of doubt at that time when they liued well and godly were not to be reckoned in the number of the elect and of them who are called according to his purpose So hee writeth of the Discciples which forsooke Christ at Capernaum That they were called Disciples the Gospell so speaking and yet they were not Disciples in truth because they abode not in his word According to that which he saith If yee abide in my Worde yee are verily my Disciples Therefore because they had not perseuerance As they were not truely the Diseiples of Christ So neyther were they truely the sonnes of God Euen when they seemed to bee and were so called And if they were not truely the Sonnes of God they had no faith For by Faith are we made the Sonnes of God as the scripture teacheth Yea the same Father professedly expoundsng the place of Iohn where those Disciples are mentioned saith They were to be reckoned among vnbelieuers though they were called Disciples If any suspect that I wrest his wordes contrary to his meaning Let him reade Maldonatus a Papist who writeth that 52 the Disciples which beleeued not when they followed Christ were Iudas and the murmurers And that Augustine and Beda doe thinke that those which went backe neuer had faith no more then those which S. Paul said were turned backe after Satan But of what faith must this be vnderstoode What faith did those Disciples and othe Reuolters want when they were taken for Disciples and Christians Was it an Hystoricall or assenting faith The Iesuites will not yeeld that Castor holdeth that all in the Church haue such a faith yea though they be as Tares among wheat bad fish among good foolish virgins wanting oyle in their Lamps as the guest wanting a wedding-Garment and like the incestuous Corinthian Bellarmine auoucheth that all in the Church are such beleeuers though they be wicked ones and instanceth in the forenamed Parables as if all the persons noted therein had that faith though they wanted charity good works Those Disciples and other reuolters before their backe-sliding were in the Church and yet wanted faith As Christ himself Augustine and others haue taught And therefore seeing that by the doctrine of the Iesuites they could not want an historicall and assenting faith they must needs want another faith namely a true iustifying faith But of all others Michael Medina is most plaine and copious in this point as in parte I declared when I spake of a temporary faith yet more may be added to shew his resolute opinion that none haue true faith but they which keepe it to the end According to Christian veritie saith he onely that is to be iudged a true faith which hath the efficacy of obtayning saluation According to that Hee that beleeueth in mee hath eternal life And afterward he addeth That true faith indeede doth consist with true loue but that onely is called true loue by a moral truth which hath perseuerance and continuance And that the Scripture neuer called the faith of them who beleeue for a time to be true saith And that those who are damned neuer had true faith And in conclusion he asked Soto whether he is to be called faithfull or a friend who should be ioyned vnto him for an houre by frieÌ„dship and faith which if he will not say because continuance and constancie is of the nature and being of true faith and charitie then cannot such offenders be called true beleeuers in Christ. Cardinall Bellarmine holdeth against some who then liued that Christ did not onely pray that Peter might continue in faith and in the fauour of God vnto the end but that he also prayed a little after for the perseuerance of all the Apostles yea also of all the elect Ioh. 17. Holy Father keepe them in thy Name whom thou hast giuen me How then can the Faith of any of the Elect faile Shall wee thinke that Christs Prayer was not heard Doth not hee else-where acknowledge that the Father heard him alwayes Was his prayer effectuall against the losse of grace and faith by sinne not against the losse of them by Infidelitie Then was his prayer heard but in part How can they proue that difference SECT XIIII IN prosecuting this point I produced Peuer for an Example who though he denyed his master with an Oath yet still kept Faith in his heart And least any should thinke that this was a speciall priuiledge in Peter I shewed that Christ prayed for others as well as for him Now if there be any who imagine that Christ prayed for them after a different maner and to another end let them remember what I alleadged before out of Augustine touching Christs prayer for all the elect namelie That Christ praying for them that their Faith might not fayle without doubt it shall not fayle vnto the end and therefore shall continue vnto the end neyther shall the end of this life find it otherwise then remayning But because that Bellarmine and others doe teach that Peter did quite loose his faith and the righteousnes thereof I will
let you see the testimonies of all sorts of writers to the contrary Tertullian said his name was changed and he was called Peter for the strength of his faith but he ill deserued that name and Christ erred in giuing him a name not agreeable to his nature if hee quite lost his faith Againe hee speaking of Christs prayer for him thus saith of those words That thy faith might not fayle that is that so much might not be permitted to the Diuel that his faith might be endangered Whereby it is shewed that both are with God both the shaking of faith and the protection seâ—ing both are asked of him The shaking is from the Diuâ—ll the protection is from the Sonne And surely the Son of God hath the protection of faith in his owne power which hee asked of his Father of whom hee receiueth all power in heauen and earth If his faith was not endangered by the diuel but protected and kept safe by God through the prayer of his Son how can any truely say that hee lost his faith Hillary taught as is testifyed by Sixtus Senensis that Peter in denying his Maister lost not the firmenesse of his faith because although through the trembling of his flesh which he could not brydle his tongue burst forth into the deniall of Christ yet a firme faith of confessing Christ vnto Martyrdome did not depart from his heart I might also vrge that which not onely he elsewhere but likewise Ambrose together with him hath written in excuse of Peters denyall That he denyed him not to be God but denyed that he was only a man Though Ierome Theophylact do confute them because so to excuse the Apostle were to make his Maister a lyar who told him before that hee should that night denie him thrice Yet doth Maldonatus excuse them both And thereby they plainely declared that they were farre from thinking that hee lost his faith Augustine alleadged the prayer of Christ for Peters faith against the Pelagians who held that man could not continue in grace and in faith vnlesse mans free will did concurre with Gods grace Dare thou say that Christ praying for Peter that his faith might not faile that it should haue failed if Peter would haue had it to faile that is if hee would not haue had it to continue vnto the ende As if Peter any way willed any other thing then Christ prayed for him that he might will But because the will is prepared of the Lord therefore his prayer for him could not be in vaine Therfore when he prayed that his Faith might not faile what else asked he but that hee might haue in faith a most free a most strong a most inuincible a most perseuering will Prudentius that ancient and Christian Poete thus wrote of Peters denyall With mouth his Maister who deny'd Hee for that cryme did weepe When innocent his minde remainde And Faith his heart did keepe Leo Bishop of Rome thus saith of Peter The right hand of the LORD IESVS CHRIST was present which took thee vp as thou was falling before thou was cast downe And thou receiuedst streÌ„gth to staÌ„d in the very danger of falling The Lorde saw in thee not that thy Faith was fained nor thy loue turned from him but that thy Constancie was troubled Weeping abounded when affection fayled not and the fountaine of Charitie washed the words of fearfulnes Neither was the remedie of abolishing deferred where there was not iudgement of will Theophilact doth make this paraphrase of the wordes of Christ to Peter Luke 22. 32. Although within a short time thou must be shaken yet thou hast the seedes of faith lying hid Although the spirit or winde of the inuader shall strike off the leaues yet the roote shal liue and thy Faith shall not fayle Bernard said Though Dauid be branded with the marke of horrible crimes though the chiefest of the Apostles bee plunged into the depth of denyall Yet is there none that can take them out of Gods haÌ„d And in an other place Peter when he sinned he lost not Charitie He sinned rather against veritie theÌ„ against charitie when he told a lye that hee was not his in deede whose wholly he was in heart And therefore the loue of Truth did presently wash away the denyall of falshood When hee could not be plucked out of Gods hands wheÌ„ he had charitie when he was wholly Christs in hart did hee euen then at that instant want faith Surely no. These things appertaine not to vnbelieuers Beda ascribed such vertue to Christs prayer for the confirmation of Peters faith that he thus expounds them I haue by praying kept thy faith safe that it shall not fayle when Satan tempteth thee The Maister of Sentences resoluing the question whether Peter had the faith of Christs Passion when hee saw with his owne eyes CHRIST as man to suffer Answereth That he had faith of his Passion not in that hee belieued that man suffered but in that he belieued hee was God that suffered thereby signifying that he had not lost his faith at the time of Christs Passion Caietane sayd Peters confession of faith failed when he thrice denyed Christ but his faith failed not because hee denyed through feare not through incredulitie Tollet also that Peter neither denyed him to be Christ nor cast away his faith but denyed that he knew him Catharinus likewise that Peter could not lose his faith for the Lord had peculiarly prayed for him that his faith might not faile And least it might be thoght that he praied for that Sea only and not for his person he called him by his old name Simon To wit for thee Simon particularly Maldonatus vpon these wordes All yee shall be offended by me this night saith that Christ did not signifie that the Apostles should loose theyr faith For none of them lost it No not Peter himselfe who denyed him Although some olde Authors were wont so to speake as if hee lost his faith Not distinguishing the confession of faith from faith it selfe and the denyall of Christ from the losse of faith which are farre different things And so afterward The vulgar error of them is to be taken heede of who thinke that Peter lost his faith For he lost not his faith but denyed it which diuines say is another thing And besides this he saith their opinion is false who think that Peter lost his faith by denying He denieth with his mouth but kepâ— it in his heart as we haue heard Ambrose teaching on Psalm 43. See then what a clowde of witnesses wee haue against Bellarmine But it would make any man to wonder to behold his inconstancy in this point For he plainely contradicteth himselfe eueÌ„ like a right Iesuite holding the affirmatiue or negatiue as it best serued his present purpose When hee would proue that faith and iustice may be lost
he produceth Peters example to proue it as if he lost both He sorteth him with Adam as if he lost his faith and iustice in the same manner that Adam did at his fall brought himselfe to the same estate though hee recouered his former state as well as Adam Yea herein the Cardinall equalleth Peter with the diuel with Saul with Iudas with Simon Magus Though hee make him vnlike to them in the recouery of it because hee got his faith againe but they could not Yet for the manner of loosing it and for his present estate after it was lost till it was recouered againe he maketh him altogether equal with them Yet at other times and vpon other occasions he teacheth the coÌ„trary When he pleadeth for the pope that his holines cannot erre he auoucheth That Christ by his Prayer obtained this priuiledge for Peter that hee should neuer loose true Faith though hee was tempted of the diuel Which he maketh more then the gift of perseuerance because hee is saide to perseuere to the ende who falleth and riseth againe and so is found faithfull in the ende But the Lord obtained for Peter that he could not euer fall so farre as belonged to Faith And brings in diuers Fathers to testifie this And afterwards answering them who alledge Peters denyall to proue that the Pope may erre Hee saith that Peter denyed Christ with his mouth not with his heart And therefore Peter lost the confession of faith but not faith it selfe And confuting them who held that Faith was onely in the brest of the Uirgine Mary at the time of Christes passion Hee saith it is not probable that the Apostles then lost their faith seeing Christ sayde to Peter I haue prayed for thee that thy Faith might not faile Is this man to be credited who is so vncertaine in his opinion and so contrary to himselfe Is there such double-dealing to be found in the great Oracle of Rome Did hee thus write of forgetfulnes or of wilfulnes and set purpose wherein will you belieue him In the negatiue or in the affirmatiue Both are taught by him A wise man finding him so contrary to himselfe will belieue him no further then hee soundly proueth the thing which he writeth SECT XV. IN the last poynt of the Sermons touching the diuersitie of Fruite brought foorth by the hearers of Gods word I confuted the obseruation of some Papists who thence would proue the excellencie of virginitie before widow-hood or Mariage As if the hundred-folde belonged to Virgins sixty-fold to Widowes and thirty-folde to Marryed persons If those 3. reasons which then I alledged will not satisfie you I will adde more 1. That collection cannot be warranted by any word or circumstance in the Parable but onely from the exposition of some few Fathers And therfore the Rhemists spâ—ake presumptuously in saying that this difference of fruits is the difference of merites in this life and that an hundred fold agreeth to Virgins when as no sillable nor word in all the Parable doth import so much when as all the force of the argumeÌ„t dependeth on the interpretation of some fewe Fathers And Bellarmine writing of Euangelicall Councels had no reason to place the argument drawne thence among testimonies of Scriptures but should rather haue sorted it with the testimonies of the Fathers 2. The Fathers who so expound it doe not giue the litterall sense of the place but deliuer an allegoricall or anagogicall exposition of it As Maldonatus acknowledged saying that Augustine and the Fathers spake so not interpreting the Scripture but preaching to the people Now the best learned among the Papists as Sixtus Senensis Bellarmine and others doe teach that no forcible arguments can be drawn from any sense but onely from the literall sense because that which is gathered immediately from the words is certainely the meaning of the Holy Ghost but it is not alwaies certaine that other senses bee intended by the Holy Ghost 3. There is not any one Father saue onely Ierome who so expoundeth it as the Rhemists doe That an hundred folde agreeth to Virgines but eyther expound it in the same maner that I did or otherwise apply those differences of fruite then Ierome did Will they forsake all the the rest of the Fathers follow one Were they not sworne according to the decree of the Councell of Trent and according to the Bull of Pius 4. neuer to expound Scripture but according to the vnanimous consent of the Fathers Would they or will others wittingly and wilfully forsweare themselues that so they may crosse vs and get some shew of patronage for the dignitie of their vnchaste votaries And whom doe they follow Euen him that of all the Fathers is least worthy to be respected in this point being very partiall and no indifferent Iudge of this matter Beatus Rhâ—nanus said All the old writers and especiall Ierome himselfe were little indifferent to mariage chiefely esteeming virginitie and chastitie It is certaine that Ierome for this cause was euill spoken of at Roma When hee had written his bookes against Iouinian in commendation of virginitie aboue mariage they so displeased many as that Pammachius his olde scholesollew fignifying so much to him by a letter he was faine to make an apologie for himselfe And they who found fault with him for that were neyther meane nor base nor few Erasmus saith that hee alwaies exceeding much fauoured virginitie and for that was more vnequall to mariage then certaine Bishops would haue had him Yea and that his bookes offended many beccause he seemed to be more forward in the commendation of virginitie then hee ought and harder against mariage But although that hee by that his application did preferre virginitie before mariage yet doth he acknowledge that marryed persons are good soyle do bring forth one sort of those fruits namelie thirtie fold And whereas some in those dayes as more vnequall to mariage as hee thought referred the 100. fold fruite to Martyrdome and 60. fold to Virgins 30. fold to Widowes hee blamed them for it saying If the coniunctions of mariage bee holy why are they excluded from good fruit And so he ouerthroweth the force of Bellarmines argument drawne from hence to prooue that single life is an Euangelicall councell That which Christ doth not command saith he but commend he counselleth Now in the opinion of Ierome Christ doth here commend mariage though not commaund it and it yeeldeth good fruite as well as single life though not altogether so great store And therefore if the one be an Euangelicall Councell the other also is But now I will shew that the rest of the Fathers doe otherwise exopuÌ„d the wordes then Ierome did And therefore hee being alone must not be followed Cyprian alluding to the words giueth indeed an allegoricall exposition yet hee saith that the first number 100. folde
mortally after he had receyued a formed faith That faith was lost and another habit of informed faith was infused of God in steede of it He thought it was not conuenient to say any gift of God should bee bestowed on man for the practise of mortall sinne therfore he holdeth that after mortall sinne committed by a Belieuer the same habite of faith remaineth which was in him before And how can any of them say otherwise who teach as I shewed before that the faith which is in a man before grace before his repentance and conuersion is the selfe-same habite in number that is in him after grace and conuersion The Councell of Trent decreed that Faith is lost by infidelitie and by euery mortall sinne though faith be not lost yet the receiued grace of iustification is lost As if a man could not loose his faith by any mortall sinne but onely by infidelitie And that by mortall sinne a man might loose his former grace of iustification yet not loose his faith And according to that rule Bellarmine writeth that there is no sin which doth necessarily exclude faith but that which is opposed vnto it which is infidelity And this is manifestly testified by experience For we see among the Catholickes manie publicke sinners Murtherers Fornicators Thieues druÌ„kards who without all doubt giue credit to all those things which the Church propoundeth to be beleeued Coster the Iesuite likewise as the best Physitions by intemperancie breaking the Rules of theyr arte doe not thereby loose the skill and knowledge of Physicke So a Christian who against the testimony of his owne conscience doth sinne contrary to the lawes of faith neyther looseth his faith nor ceaseth to bee Christian. And seeing that by faith belieuers differ from Infidels if sinners want faith they should be Infidels and be separated from the Church after the manner of Infidels And yet sinners belâ—g to the church as Taâ—es are in the same fielde with wheate Good-fish in the same Net with bad But by the way consider what kinde of persons they acknowledge for true belieuers euen the worst that almost can be Publike sinners Murtherers Fornicators Theeues Drunkards Such as ought for theyr leawd liues to be excommunicated Such as be tares among wheate A man may finde as holy beleeuers as these in Hell Is this that faith which S. Iames would haue a man to shewe by his workes It is true indeede that their Assenting faith may bee found in such vngodly persons for it is found in the very diuels Yet a true sauing faith wherof the question is cannot be found in any such persons as keepe a continued course in the practise of these sinnes True beleeuers may somtime sinne of infirmitie yet not of wilfulnesse Thogh they fall yet they arise again and doe not long continue in sinne Cyprian asketh how any man can say hee belieueth in Christ who doth not that which Christ commanded him to doe As if hee had no true faith who wanteth obedience That is true Faith 16â— saide Beda which doth not contradict that in maÌ„ners which it speaketh in words They might therefore better say Such sinners neuer had true faith at all and so cannot loose that which they neuer had Againe obserue what their beleeuers loose by their mortall sinnes Though they loose not the habite yet they loose the forme of faith Yea they loose the life of faith for now it is become a dead faith seeing it wanteth good workes Yea they loose the grace of iustification and so become guilty againe of all theyr former sinnes They might as well loose faith it selfe such a faith as is lost will doe them no good What an absurditie it is to hold that a formed faith and an vnformed faith a liuing faith and a dead faith a iustifying faith and a faith that iustifieth not are one and the selfe same faith hath bene sufficiently proued already Yet to this absurditie are they driuen that so they may maintaine the vnitie of faith in all sorts of beleeuers When as they should rather acknowledge that their assenting faith and a true iustifying faith are distinct kindes and that those who liue and continue in grosse sinnes though they may haue the former yet they neuer had and therefore cannot possibly loose the later Michael Medina one of their owne Church doth stiffely maintaine it that though an vnformed faith doth not vanish away by mortall sinne yet that sound faith which Christ requires in the Gospell cannot stand with a peruerse continuance in haynous offences And proueth it by the testimonies of S. Paul And therefore that they onely haue a true faith who stil continue in wel doing But although that most of our aduersaries teach that faith may not bee lost by deadly sinne yet they hold it may bee lost by Infidelitie as if Infidelitie were not a deadly sinne And if this be so then Bellarmines arguments whereby he would prooue that faith may be lost are altogether impertinent and fall to the ground of themselues seeing they are drawne from a relapse into sinne not into Infidelitie When the Lord spake by his Prophet That if the righteous man did forsake his righteousness and commit iniquitie hee shall dye for the same which is the Cardinals first argument He spake not of a falling from righteousnes into Infielitie but of a falling into mortall sinne as they call it When Christ said Eueâ—y branch that beareth not fruite hee will take away hee vnderstood not of any reuolt to Infidelitie but of the sinnes of omission in which men fayle in their duties The like may be said of Christs words that iniquity should abound and charitie waxe cold And of Pauls beating of his body and bringing it into subiection which bee other of his arguments for that purpose He also endeuourth to proue it by 8. seuerall examples of persons who lost their faith Yet all of them are in the same maner impertinent The bad Angels and Adam before their falles had no such faith as now wee haue nor any such promise of perseuerance yet dare hee not say that any of them fell to Infidelitie For the Diuels haue their assenting faith as before I haue proued but it is apparant touching the rest whom hee alleadgeth Wall the Cardinall say that Saul Dauid Salomon Peter and Iudas fell froÌ„ faith to Infidelitie Became they Pagans by their falls Did they not still prosesse the same God that they did before Did they denye the trueth of his word Why then will hee produce their examples to prooue that a man may lose his faith seeing he himselfe before taught that faith cannot bee lost by any mortall sinne but onely by Infidelitie Let the Cardinall therefore eyther alter his opinion or bring more pertinent proofes But may true faith be lost by infidelitie may a iustified beleeuer become an Infidell a Iew a Turke a Pagan surely no. A man may quite loose their assâ—â—ting faith