fifth Capitall errour of the Papists in the Article of justification is concerning justifying faith which hath many branches 1. Concerning the nature of it viz. what it is and therein also they erre diversly 2. Concerning the subject of it both â—… and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the parties whose it is and the parts of the man wherein it is 3. Concerning the object of Faith 4. Concerning the act or effect of it which is to justifie where are three questions the first concerning the act it selfe whether it doth indeed justifie or onely dispose to justification the other two concerning the manner how it justifieth the former whether instrumentally as the hand to receive Christ who is our righteousnesse or formally as part of inherent righteousnesse The other whether faith doth justifie alone § II. As touching the first what faith is they hold justifying faith to be but a bare assent to all or any truth revealed by God which as it is in their opinion without speciall apprehension of Christ so it may be void of knowledge and severed from charity as they teach That faith in generall is an assent and that it may be defined to bee a firme and willing assent to every truth revealed by God grounded on the authority of God revealing it we willingly agree For hereby faith is distinguished from all other acts or habits of our minde And first from doubting in that it is an assent for in doubting the assent is withheld which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from whence is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as contrariwise to assent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And that faith is assent it is evident because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faith is a perswasion derived from the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to bee perswaded or to beleeve and a man is said to assent unto or to beleeve that of the truth whereof he is perswaded hence it is that the act of faith which is to beleeve is expressed sometimes by the Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 17. 4. 27. 11. Heb. 11. 13. but most plainely Act. 28. 24. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some beleeved the things which are spoken but some beleeved not Secondly from opinion in that faith is a firme assent or as Basil speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an undoubted assent for he that beleeveth the truth of God hath as it were put his seale unto it But opinion is the judgement of things contingent which may happen to bee false Sed fidei falsum subesse non potest but the subject of faith cannot be false Thirdly in that it is a willing assent from the forced beliefe of Devils and some desperate wicked men who beleeve that which they abhorre or as Saint Iames speaketh beleeve and tremble Iam. 2. 19. Mat. 8. 29. Fourthly from all other knowledge in that it is an assent to truth revealed or related by God and grounded upon the authority of God speaking in his Word for faith commeth by the hearing of the word So saith Saint Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith therefore is an undoubted assent of things heard in the assured perswasion of things preached by the grace of God And that is it which Bellarmine citeth out of Augustine quòd intelligimus aliquid rationi debemus quòd autem credimus authoritati that we understand any thing we owe to reason but that wee beleeve to authority All other firme assent is given to things either in themselves evident to sense or reason or to such as are manifested by discourse But the object of faith is not discerned by sence nor sounded by reason such as is the mystery of the holy Trinity and of the incarnation of Christ c. neither is faith of things seene Eye hath not seene nor Eare heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him And wheras the certainty of all other knowledge is grounded upon sence or experience and reason the certainty of this knowledge is grounded upon the authority of God speaking in his word For which cause the certainty of faith is greater than of any other knowledge For howsoever sense and reason may be deceived yet the ground of faith is unfallible which is the authority of God who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that cannot lye a God of truth yea truth it selfe whereupon Clemens Alexandrinus saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore it selfe is a firme demonstration because truth accompanieth Faith those things which are delivered God and Basill what is the property of faith an undoubted plerophorie or full perswasion of the truth of the words inspired of God which is not shaken with any reasoning either induced from naturall necessity or formed to piety And such is the certainety of faith that the Apostle defineth it that it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the subsistence which giveth a being to things which now have not a being which is nothing but an assured beleefe as the word is used 2 Cor. 9. 4. 11. 17. Heb. 3. 14. and the evidence of things not appearing or not seene which the Greeke Sholiast in mine opinion very well explaneth Faith it selfe is the subsistence or substance of things hoped for For because those things which are in hope are without subsistence as yet not extant faith becommeth the substance and subsistence of them making them after a sort to exist and to be present because it doth beleeve they are Faith also is the evidence and demonstration of things not seene And faith sheweth things to be visible which are not seene How in the minde and in hope beholding things which doe not appeare § III. But howsoever faith is an assent and is in generall so to be defined as I have said yet justifying faith is not a bare assent either destitute of knowledge or severed from charity or without speciall apprehension and application for these are three errors of the Papists now in order to be confuted As touching the first The Papists doe not onely hold that justifying faith may be without knowledge but that also it may better bee defined by ignorance than by knowledge This faith which is without knowledge they call implicite faith because they beleeving some one common principle as namely I beleeve the bâ—…ly Catholicke Church doe thereby beleeve implicitè whatsoever is to be beleeved that is whatsoever the Catholicke Church beleeveth and propoundeth to bee beleeved And therefore this they call also an entire faith because thereby a man doth not onely beleeve the written word but also unwritten verities which are the traditions of the Church of Rome and both of them not for themselves but for the authority of the Church propounding them to bee beleeved Now they teach that not only for Lay men it is sufficient to beleeve as the Church beleeveth which was
the Colliars faith so much commended by Cardinall Hosius and others for he being examined by a learned man what he beleeved answered I beleeve that which the Church beleeveth and being asked what the Church beleiveth answered againe that which I beleeve and so in a round that he beleeved what the Church beleeved and that the Church beleeved as he beleeved but also that it is the safest for all even for those that are learned to rest in this faith Especially when they are assaulted by Satan with whom they say it is not safe to contend by Scriptures but rather to oppose that onely article against him As the said learned man who had opposed the Collyar found by experience For he being afterwards assaulted by Satan when he was deadly sicke and being not able to defend himselfe by Scriptures he was faine to bâ—…ake himselfe to the Colliars faith which no doubt is the readiest way for them who professe a faith not conformable to the Scriptures to put the Devil to silence who will rest well content with such an answer whereas if they should stand to the Scriptures the Devill would be able to confute them As he did Luther whiles hee was a Papist in the question concerning the private Masse which he did not to teach him the truth but by true accusations to bring him to despaire § IV. This doctrine of the Papists concerning implicite faith is both absurdly false and notoriously wicked False in diverse respects First in that they say justifying faith may be without knowledge when as first of all faith it selfe is a kind of knowledge yea a kind of certaine knowledge yea of all others the most certaine knowledge as I have already shewed proving that it is that knowledge which we have by Divine relation or report grounded on the authority of God speaking in his word Secondly because faith oftentimes in the scriptures is called knowledge or acknowledgment as Ioh. 17. 3. This is eternall life to know thee the onely true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent Now we know God in the life to come by vision in this life by faith as their owne writers testifie Maldonat on that place what is the cause saith he that he seemeth to place eternall life in knowledge alone that is in faith onely And Ianseniâ—…s vita aeterna inchoativè imperfectè hic habetur cognoscendo Deum per fidem habetur autem in 〈◊〉 perfectè cognoscendo Deum per visionem Esai 53. 11. My righteous servant by his knowledge or acknowledgement that is by faith in him shall justifie many So 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. Eph. 1. 17. Col. 1. 10. 2. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 25. 3. 7. Tit. 1. 1. where by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the knowledge or acknowledgement of Christ and his truth is meant nothing else but faith 1 Ioh. 2. 3 4. hereby we doe know that we doe know him that is beleeve in him if we doe keepe his Commandements he that saith he knoweth him namely by faith and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Heb. 11. 3. By faith we understand or know that the worlds were formed by the Word of God where the act of faith is expressed by this term of understanding that which we beleeve 2 Cor. 5. 1. we know that is we beleeve for otherwise it cannot be known but by faith that after the dissolution of our earthly tabemacle we have an eternall habitation in heaven Thirdly because in the Scriptures faith and knowledge are so linked together that what we acknowledg we beleeve what we beleeve we know Ioh. 6. 69. we beleeve and know that thou art that Christ Ioh. 10. 38. that you may know and beleeve that the Father is in me and I in him Ioh. 17. 8. they have knowen surely that I came out from thee saith Christ unto his Father and they have beleeved that thou didst send me Eph. 4. 13. till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God 1 Tim. 4. 3. to bee received with thankesgiving of them which beleeve and know the truth 1 Ioh. 4. 16. we have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us Fourthly it is not possible that a man should beleeve acknowledge or assent firmely to that which he doth not know so much as by relation or hearesay how can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and by hearing knowen Rom. 10. 14. And who knoweth not that the assent of faith determineth the judgement to that particular which is beleeved As for example if I beleeve the resurrection my judgement actually assenteth to that particular But if I never have so much as heard or understood that God hath revealed such a thing that there shall be a resurrection how can I possibly beleeve it or actually assent unto it And therefore implicite faith is so farre from being a justifying faith that it is not so good as the bare historicall faith which not onely wicked men but the Devils themselves have For historicall faith hath in it an actuall assent and implyeth a knowledge at least by relation of that which is beleeved But implicite faith hath neither Fifthly to the implicite faith the definition offaith Heb. 11. 1. doth in no sort agree for as it is so farre from being the substance of things hoped for that it doth not so much as know what are the things hoped for so it is further from being an evidence of things not seene which implyeth a certaine knowledge of things by relation which are not seen or knowne by sence or reason Sixthly that which implyeth a contradiction is false and absurd but the profession of the implicite faith made by a simple man viz. that hee beleeveth whatsoever the Catholicke Church beleeveth implyeth a contradiction not onely because hee doth not beleeve every yea scarce any particular but also through his ignorance sometimes doth actually beleeve that which the Church doth not beleeve or doth deny credit to that which the Church beleeveth But here now is the speciall priviledge of implicite faith that although a man beleeve an errour as that God the Father is greater than the Sonne or ancienter than he or that the persons of the Trinity are divided by locall distance one from another it is no offence so long as he thinketh the Church beleeveth so and so saith Gabriel himselfe If any man doe beleeve thinking that the Church doth so beleeve though it bee erroneous he sinneth not so that hee doe not obstinately adhere to his errour as was said before notab 2. Yea saith hee that which is more this faith is meritorious for such an one should not onely not sinne but also by so beleeving that which is false hee should merit Thus not onely hee is said to beleeve who indeed doth not beleeve nor give assent to the truth but also he
who dissenteth from the truth even from that which the Church doth hold § V Secondly they are absurd in saying that faith may better be defined by ignorance than by knowledge For notitia knowledge is the genus both of faith and of science whereas ignorance is a privation of knowledge It were therefore very strange if faith which is an habit of the mind should be defined by a privation and namely of that habit which is the genus of it Yea but saith Bellarmine faith is opposed to science and therefore better to be defined by ignorance than by knowledge I answere it is opposed to science not as a privation that it should bee defined by ignorance but as a species of the same kind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 contra divided for notitia as the genus is divided into science and faith the former being a knowledge of things either manifest in themselves which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or made manifest by discourse of reason which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter being a knowledge of things neither manifest to sence nor reason but knowne onely by relation from God where by the way you are to observe that the knowledge required in faith is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the cause such as is in science but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to beleeve the relation to be true and that whatsoever God revealeth is infallibly true And therfore by faith our judgements are captivated to yeeld assent to divine revelations though either they may be above reason or may seeme to be against sence or reason For though sence and reason may bee deceived yet the ground of our faith which is the authority of God cannot be deceived nec fidei falsum subesse potest neither can the subject of faith be false As for example the mysteries of the Trinity and of the incarnation of our Saviour bee above our reason the articles of the creation of all things from nothing and of the resurrection of the body seeme contrary to reason the article of eternall life contayneth such things as never eye did see nor eare heare neither did they ever enter into the heart of man and so of other articles of Christian religion which notwithstanding we doe firmely beleeve and undoubtedly know to be true as God hath revealed the same grounding this our faith and knowledge on the authority of God speaking in his Word This distinction of knowledge being acknowledged that the knowledge of faith is neither the certaine intelligence of things in themselves manifest to sense or reason nor that science which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the causes or attained by discourse of reason but onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the things revealed by God are infallibly true by reason of his authority who is Truth it selfe might serve as a sufficient answer to so many of Bellarmines arguments and allegations as seeme worth the answering But I will briefly examine his proofes which are allegation of Scriptures reason and testimonies of Fathers § VI. As for his allegation of Scripture the first place alleadged out of Esa. 7. 9. is not as Bellarmine alleageth it unlesse you beleeve you shall not understand but if you beleeve not you shall not be established or as the vulgar Latine which Bellarmine ought to stand to non permâ—…nebitis as contrariwise 2 Chron. 20. 20. if you beleeve in the Lord you shall be established or as the Latine securieritis Neither doth it follow that faith is not knowledge because without faith we cannot come to the certaine intelligence of that which we beleeve For as knowledge of the thing revealed goeth before faith so faith goeth before the exact understanding and comprehension In the two next places 1 Cor. 13. 2. 12. 9. where faith as he saith is distinguished as a severall gift from knowledge by faith is not meant justifying faith but the faith of miracles as I have else where shewed Neither doe wee deny but that knowledge may be a distinct gift from faith As that knowledge which is either principiorum or conclusionum which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is knowledge alwayes joyned with acknowledgement which is faith though acknowledgement implyeth knowledge alwayes Knowledge therefore may be without faith but faith cannot be without knowledge To the fourth out of 2 Cor. 10. 5. that where knowledge is there needs no captivating of the understanding I answere that faith being onely notitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and giving firme assent to that whereof it knoweth no reason yea though perhaps it seeme above or against reason subjecteth or captivateth the understanding to the authority of God The last is from those places wherein the obedience of faith is mentioned For saith he obedience in beleeving were not needfull if by faith knowledge were given to men I answere that in those places faith doth signifie the doctrine of faith that is the Gospell the truth which men are then said to obey Rom. 10. 16. Gal. 3. 1. Act. 6. 7. when they beleeve and professe it As contrariwise those who doe not beleeve are said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to disobey and that in opposition to beleefe Ioh. 3. 36. Act. 14. 2. 17. 5. 19. 9. Rom. 11. 30 31 32. 15. 31. Heb. 3. 18 19. 1 Pet. 2. 7. Neither should it seeme strange to Bellarmine that by faith men attaine to knowledge I meane to greater knowledge when he urging even now that place Esai 7. 9. said faith is a degree and way to knowledge § VII To the Testimony of Irenaeus if it were entirely cited I would subscribe For speaking of those words 1 Cor. 8. Scientia inflat dilectio autem adificat and having thereupon inferred that it were better to know but a little and to love God than in a conceit of great knowledge to bee found blasphemous against God hee repeateth the same againe Melius itáque est sicuti predixi nihil omnio scientem quempiaâ—… ne quidem unam causam cujusllbet eorum quae facta sunt cur factum credere Deo persever are in ejus dilectione quae honorem vivificat nec aliud inquirere adscientiam nisi Iâ—…SVM Christum filium Dei qui pro nobis crucifixâ—…s est quà m per quaestionum subtilitates multiloquium in impietatem cadere Where first observe that the knowledge whereof he speaketh is that whereby the causes or reasons of things are knowne And wee doe confesse that a man may and ought simply to beleeve God without such knowledge and secondly that he speaketh by way of comparison that it is better for a man to content himselfe with the knowledge of Christ alone joyned with love which is not to be accounted implicite faith for the Apostle himselfe determined to know nothing among the Corinthians but Christ and him crucified than affecting the knowledge of subtile and curious questions to fall into
impiety § VIII The place in Clemens Alexandrinus maketh wholly against the ignorance of implicite Faith For whereas one there excuseth his ignorance as many now a daies doe because hee was not booke-learned hee answereth though thou hast not learned to read yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for hearing thou canst not be excused because it is not to be taught Now saith he in the words which Bellarmine citeth faith is a thing belonging to the wise not according to the world but according to God such as are taught of God and it is learned without letters Faith therefore is to bee learned namely by hearing and therefore is a knowledge and they attaine unto it who are not worldly wise but such as are wise according to God and therefore such as have knowledge Neither can men as he saith excuse their ignorance or their want of faith because they are not booke learned for though they cannot read yet they may heare and by hearing faith commeth § IX Hilarie inquiring how we should so be one in the Father and in the Sonne as the Father is in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Father saith that in such mysteries habet non tam veniam quà m praemium ignorare that is non intelligerâ—… quod credas quia maximum stipendium fidei est sperare quae nescias it hath not so much pardon as reward not to know what thou beleevest For it is the greatest stipend of faith to hope for those things which thou understandest not For as the Apostle saith they never entred into the heart of man the things â—…hich God hath prepared for us And no doubt but it is a great commendation of faith when a man giveth glory to God undoubtedly beleeving that to be true which God in â—…he greatest mysteries hath revealed though he doth not comprehend the reason thereof The thing râ—…vealed hee beleeveth to bee true and â—…o knoweth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though hee doe not distinctly exactly and clearely comprehend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reason thereof which hee findeth to be incomprehensible What then saith Hilarie is there no office of faith if nothing can be comprehended Imò hoc officium fides profiteatur id quod credâ—… incomprehensibile sibi esse se scire yea saith hee let faith professe this officâ—… that it knoweth that thing to be incomprehensible to it selfe which it beleeveth § X. Out of Augustine he citeth five places wherein he teacheth nothing but what we freely confesse that the faithfull for he speaketh not particularly of the ignorant but of all the faithfull beleeve those things which they doe not comprehend or as hee speaketh in the first place quae certa intelligentia non possunt discernere which by certaine intelligence they are not able to discerne which in the second place he calleth intelligendi vivacitaâ—…em in the third intelligentiam mysteriorum which in the fourth place hee sheweth not to goe before but to follow after Faith For first by relâ—…tion wee know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what God revealeth then wee assent thereto and having assented we come afterwards more distâ—…nctly to understand it But he who seeketh not onely to know the thing but the reason thereof may as he saith in the fifth placâ—… be called rationalis that is a quaerist whereas a faithfull man should say Nescio qâ—…od credo I understand not that which I beleeve Vis scire saith hee Naturam Dei hoc scito quod nescias wilt thou know the nature of God know this that thou know'st it not For as elswhere he saith debemus credere quod intelligere nondum valeamus quà m verissimè dictum est per Prophetam nisi credideritis non intelligetis And in the Sermon even now alleaged Nobis sufficiat Let it suffice us to know concerning the Trinity what God hath vouchsafed to explaine what Christ hath beene willing to shew that onely I know when a thought shall arise and propound this question what is God and what is the reason that is the proper nature of the Trinity let it suffice us to beleeve that it is that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not rashly seeke the reason of the Trinity § XI That which he citeth out of Prosper and is the same which even now I recited out of Augustin is true that faith goeth before cleare understanding and men must beleeve that they may understand more clearely For as he truly citeth out of the Philosopher addiscentem oportet credere the learner must beleeve And as Augustine saith of unbeleevers non possunt discere quia nolunt credere they cannot learne because they will not beleeve and as the Apostle of the unbeleeving Israelites that the hearing of the word did not profit them because it was not mingled with faith All this notwithstanding no man can bee said to have learned that which he did not first conceive and in some measure understand as it is taught for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to learne doth also signifie to understand and then beleeveth that it is so and so beleeving what is taught groweth more distinctly and clearely to understand what he did beleeve But they which have but implicite faith doe not so much as know the particulars of the Catholike faith which are to be beleeved so farre are they from either learning or beleeving them § XII The brutish argument which he borroweth from Gregories allegory of the Oxen and Asses feeding together Iob 1. besides that it is to no purpose because allegories specially such as farre fetcht and not intended by the holy Ghost prove nothing is also depraved For Gregorie doth not say that by the Oxen are meant the learned by the Asses feeding by them men unskilfull and unlearned who simply beleeving doe rest in the understanding of their betters but that the Asses are said to feed with the Oxen because the more simple and dull who are not capable of high points meant by the Asses conversing with the prudent meant by the Oxen are fed with their knowledge or understanding § XIII To these few and weake authorities many pregnant testimonies of the Fathers might be opposed if it were needfull These few may suffice 1. Hilarie Nec enim quisquam quod non sapit loquitur nec quod loqui non potest potest credere Neither doth any man speake what he doth not conceive neither can he beleeve that which he is not able to utter 2. Hierome quae est ista simplicitas nescire quae credas What sillinesse is this not to know the things which thou doest beleeve 3. Chrysostome having recited very many heads of Christian religion all these saith hee and many more a Christian must know and of all these hee must bee able to render a reason to them that aske it 4. Augustine although no man can beleeve in God unlesse hee understand somewhat concerning God notwithstanding
or reason nor manifested by discourse and yet we doe know and are undoubtedly perswaded of the necessary and infallible truth thereof moved theâ—…unto by the divine authority of the propounder which is the Spirit of truth that is called faith which is as you heard out of Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an undoubted assent or full perswasion or assurance eui falsum subesse non potest the subject whereof cannot be false Where fourthly you see indeed that faith is distinguished against Science and evident intelligence but as a speciall under the same generall which is notitia knowledge And therefore the mysteries of saith which surpasse our reason though we doe not understand them by that knowledge which is of propositions either manifâ—…st in themselves or manifested by discourse yet wee know them to be undoubtedly true because of the authority of the propounder knowing whom we doe beleeve And therefore fifthly very absurd was he who said that faith may better be defined by ignorance than by knowledge § XV. Thus have wee seene the salshood of the popish doctrine concerning implicite faith now let us shew the wickednesse of it which consisteth in this that it is an horrible couzenage of the people to their perdition Here therefore two things are to bee shewed first that it is an egregious imposture and couzenage Secondly that it is extremely pernicious to the people Their cozenage stands in this that when they say that the faith required iu a lay man as sufficient to his justification is to beleeve or rather to professe himselfe to beleeve whatsoever the Catholike Church beleeveth though in particular he know not what the Church beleeveth their meaning is that the church of Rome and therein the Pope is not onely the whole materiâ—…ll object but also the formall object of their faith I say the whole materiall object For they teach that whatsoever is to bee beleeved is reduced to this one article of the Creed I beleeve the holy Catholike Church and that this faith is a more 〈◊〉 faith than if a man should say I beleeve the whole Scriptures For hee that beleeveth the Catholike Church beleevâ—…th whatsoever the Catholike Church propoundeth to be beleeved Now their Church propoundeth to be beleeved not onely tho whole written word both Apocryphall and Canonicall but the unwritten also which are the traditions of the Church They make the Church also the formall object of saith not onely which wee beleeve but also for which wâ—… beleeve whatsoever is to bee beleeved and so make the Church to be the rule and the principium or principle of their faith These are the grounds of their imposture But their cozenage especially consisteth in this that whatsoever excellencie they ascribe to the Catholike Church that they attribute wholly and onely to the Church of Rome and therein to the Pope For thâ—…s they expound that Article in their new Creed I beleeve the holy Catholike Apostolicall Church of Rome the Mother and Mistris of all other Churches out of which there is no salvation So excluding from salvation all those that have beene are or shall bee who live not in communion with and subjection to the Church and Pope of Rome This is the principall Nâ—…t whereby the greatest number of silly soules are cony â—…ch'd § XVI No doubt the Apostle by Catholike understood the Vniversall and not any particular Church fuch as the Church of Rome which was not then extant when the Creed was made as themselves doe â—…each And thereâ—…ore the Apostles themselves when they made the Creed were not of that Church And by holy Vniversall Church being an object of faith and therefore not seene they understand the universall company of the Elect which is the body of Christ containing not onely the Militant Church but also the Triumphant and not onely the Church after the ascâ—…ion of Christ but also before from the beginning of the world And not onely those who were or are under the Pope but also â—…hose who never acknowledged any subjection to the See of Rome such as were the Churches under the other foure Patriarâ—…es of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and Ierusalem and such as are the greatest part of Christâ—… at this day But if by Vniversall must be meant particular and if by Catholike must be understood Romane then by their doctrine from the company of them that are and shall be saved are excluded first the Church Triumphant secondly the Church which was from the beginning untill the Church of Rome was planâ—…d thirdly the foure 〈◊〉 Churches and others which acknowledged no subjection to the See of Rome in which were many Holy Martyrâ—… and the most of the godly and learned Fathers In all which time the Bishop of Rome was at the most but a Patriarch as others were untill 〈◊〉 that barbarous Tyraâ—…t in the yeare of our Lord 607. made him Vniversall Bishop and Head of the Vniversall Church the proper titâ—… of Antichrist fourthly all those Churches which since that time and at this day acknowledgâ—…â—…o subjection to the Pope as their Head which is the greater and better part of Christendome Now what a 〈◊〉 is this to perswade men that there is no salvation for those who doe not acknowledge the Pope to be their head that is who are not limmes and members of Antichristâ—… especially when the Scriptures teach that Antichrist prevailâ—… in them onely â—… that perish § XVII But although this be a grand imposture as a right reverend learned man hath shewed to teach men to beleeve that the Church of Rome alone is the Catholike Church out of which noâ—…e can be saved yet this is but halfe of their cozenage For 〈◊〉 article of the Church they expound as if it were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I beleeve that there is a Church as when it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I beleeve the commâ—…ion of Saints there mission of â—…nnes c. but as if it were said eredo Ecolâ—…sia oâ—… rather in Ecclesiam I beleeve the Church or in the Church as that which cannot 〈◊〉 and consequently beleeve whatsoâ—…er the Church teacheth or propoundeth to be beleeved making thâ—… Church 〈◊〉 formall object of their faith and principall rule or principle into which their faith is last resolved for which they give credit to the Scriptures themselves which receive their credit and authority from the Church Now by this Church they meane not the universall company of Catholikes for they are compared to Iobs Asses but the Prelates of the Church of Rome and among them the Pope who virtually is the Church in whom alone the prerogative of not erring resideth For a generall or Oecumenicall counsell which is the whole Church representative they say without the Pope may erre but the Pope himselfe alone without a councell cannot erre And therefore the authority of a generall councell and of the Pope together is no more
2 3. â—… ad 8. As bee was justified so are we lib. 5. cap. 2. § 6. Adam Whether his sinne bee imputed lib. 4. cap. 10. § 1 2. Whether originall sinne bee traduced from â—…im l. 4. c. 10. § 3. Whether the transgression and the corruption bee communicated after the same manner ibid. § 4. The comparison betweene the first and the second Adam ibid. § 5. Adoption That it is true lib. 4. cap. 10. § 18. Such as is our adoption such is our justification ibid. § 19. Adoption according to Bellarmiâ—…es 〈◊〉 is twofold of the soulâ—… and of the body ibid. § 20. No reall change in adoption but it is relative and imputative ibid. § 21. Affiance Whether it be faith lib. 6. cap. 4. § 9. 11. Assent It being firâ—…e lively and effectuall is faith l. 6. c. 1. 2. § c. 4. § 10. B Bellarmine His contradictions l. 3. c. 4. § 3. â—… 3. l. 4. c. 2. § 5. ad literam o l. 4. c. 9. § 7. l. 4. c. 10. § 1 2. l 5. c. 6. § 7. l. 5 c. 8. § 2. in fine l. 6. c. 3. § 7. â—… 6. c. 8. § 7. â—… 4. l. 6. c 9. sub finem ad literam * l. 6. c. 10. § 11 l. 6. c. 15. § 10. l. 8. c. 2. § 11. l. 8. c. 9. § 3. â—… 2. § 4. C Causall particles Not alwayes nor for the most part notes of causes l. 8. c. 5. § 14. 16. 17. Cause The Causes of iustification l. 1. c. 2. The Causes efficient principall God l. 1. c. 2. § 1. The Father § 4. the Sonne the holy Ghost ibid. The moving Causes l. 1. c. 2. § 2. The instrumentall Causes lib. 1. c. 2. § 5. c. The essentiall Causes l. 1. c. 3. The matter lib. 1. cap. 3. 1 c. ad 7. l. 4. The forme lib. 1. cap. 3. § 7 c. l. 5. The finall cause lib. 1. cap. 6. § 1 2 3 4. Charity That it doth not justifie as well as faith l. 4. c. 11. § 2 c. That it is not the forme of â—…aith lib. 4. cap. 11. § 5. Whether perfect in this life l. 5. cap. 7. CHRIST The mericorious cause of justification l. 1. â—… 2. § 4. Whether hee obeyed the Law for himselfe or for us l. 1. c. 4. § 10. Whether he merited for himselfe lib. 1. c. 4. § 11. Christs exaltation Phil. 2. 9. was his declaration to be the Sonne of God lib. 1. c. 4. § 11. 12. How many wayes hee is said to justifie us lib. 2. c 5. § 8. The righteousnesse of Christ is Gods righteousnesse l. 4. c. 2 § 2 3 4. Christs rightâ—…ousnesse the materiâ—…ll cause of justification l. 1. c. 3 4. vide Materiall and Matter Christs righteousnesse both the matter and merit of our iustification lib. 1. cap. 3. § 1. Concupiscence In the regenerate a sinne lib. 2. cap. 8. § 7 8. 9. lib. 4. cap. 4. § 12. lib. 7. cap. 6. § 14. Concupiscence going before consent a finnenne lib. 2. c. 8 9. Counsells The Counsell of voluntary poverty l. 7. c. 7. § 4. The counsell of single life lib. 7. cap. 7. § 5 6. D David Not iustified by inherent righteousnesse lib. 4. c. 8. § 15. Definition Of Iustification lib. 1. cap. 1. § 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lib. 2. cap. 2. § 1 2. The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 3. The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 4. The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 5. The signification of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 § 6. Dispositions Seven alleaged by Bellarmine to disprove justification by faith alone lib. 6. cap. 10 11 12. Whether any dispositioâ—…s bee indeed required by the Papists lib. 6. c. 10. § 4. Whether faith hope love as they bee dispositions bee graces lib. 6. cap. 12. § 6 7. E Efficient The efficient principall of justification God lib. 1. c. 2. § 1. The motives grace and iustice ib. § 2. The actions of the Father the Sonne the holy Ghost distinguâ—…shed ibid. § 4. End The end or fiâ—…ll cause of iustification both supreme the glory of God lib. 1. c. 6. § 1. and also subordinate viz. salvation § 2. certainety of salvation § 2. sanctification § 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How to be understood Gal. 5. 6. l. 4. c. 11. § 3. 4. F Faith The instrument on oâ—…r 〈◊〉 of iustification lib. 1. cap. 2. § 7. Concerning it seven things considered 1. Thâ—… it iustifieth not as it is an habit or act in us but as the hand to receive Christs righteousnesse ibid. lib. 1. cap. 5. § 12. 2. It must therefore be such a faith as doth specially apprehend Christ. lib. 1. cap. 2. § 8. 3. It doth not prepare onely and dispose to iustification but it doth actually iustifie § 9. l. 6. c. 7. § 1 2. 4. It doth not iustifiâ—… absolutely in respect of its ownâ—… worth but relatively in respect of the object § 10. 5. The meaning of the question whether we be justified by faith or by workes § 11. 6. How faith is said to iustifie alone § 12. 7. That faith doth not sanctifie alone § 12. Whether the act of faith properly be imputed â—…torighteousnesse l. 1. cap. 2. § 7. cap. 5. § 12. That charity is not the formâ—… of faith l. 4. cap. 11. § 5. Of the distinction of saith that it is either formata or informis § 6. That faith is perfect Bellarmine produceth sixe reasons which are answered l. 5. c. 6. The full discourse of faith l. 6. The Popish 〈◊〉 concerning faith l. 6. c. 1. § 1. What faith is cap. 1. § 2. That it is not without knowledge § 3. against implicite faith lib. 6. cap. 1. § 3. c. The doctrine of implicit faith both falsâ—… for many reasons § 4. and absurd in that they say it may better bee defined by ignorance than by knowledge § 5. Bellarm. allegations out of the Scriptures for implicite faith § 6 of Fathers § 7. Testimonies of Fathers against it § 13. Bellarmines reason § 14. The doctrine of implicite faith wicked as being an egregious coozâ—…nage § 15 16 17. and pernicious to the people § 18. True justifying â—…aith cannot be severed from charity lib. 6. cap. 2. Our reasons I. Because hee that hath true faith is regenerate § 1. II. Because hee hath the Spirit of Christ dwelling in him § 2. III. Because hee is sanctified â—… 3. IV. Because hee is the true Disciple of Christ. § 4. V. Because true faith worketh by charity ibid. VI. Because true faith is formata ibid. VII Because if it be without charity it doth not iustifie VIII Because they who love not know not God ibid. 7. Other arguments out of Iames 2. § 5. 6. Other arguments defended against Bellarmine § 6. c. Testimonies of Fathers lib. 6. cap. 2. § 12. Bellarmines proofes that
have said before Christ justifieth not onely as hee is our Iudge but also as our Surety paying our debt and as our Advocate pleading for us The holy Ghost justifieth both as he is the Spirit of regeneration working in us the grace of faith and as the Spirit of adoption by applying unto us the merits of Christ assuring us of our justification and adoption The Ministers of the Gospell justifie as they are also said to forgive sinnes to beget men unto God and to save them ministerially as the Embassadours of Christ whose office it is to reconcile men unto God to preach and to pronounce remission of sinnes to them that beleeve and also instrumentally as the instruments of the holy Ghost to worke in them the grace of faith by which they are justified for faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 14 17. and Preachers are said to bee Ministers by whom you beleeve 1 Cor. 3. 5. Sacraments doe justifie as seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. And as the Ministery of the Word and Sacraments doe justifie ut manus dantis as the hand of God giving and applying Christ and his righteousnesse to the faithfull receiver so faith is manus accipieâ—…tis the hand of the beleever receiving Christ and his righteousnesse unto justification § VII But the second place is in his conceit more cleare viz. Esai 53. 11. where the Lord speaking by his Prophet concerning Christ saith My righteous servant shall by his knowledge justifie many and he shâ—…ll beare their sinnes where the verbe is in Hiphil Iatsdiq which signifieth shall make just Chemnitius indeed saith he goeth about to wrest this place also to the judiciall signification But in vaine for there are foure words which are manifestly repugnant to his interpretation But before wee speake of those foure words let us heare what Chemnitius saith Whereas Andradius saith he wresteth that sentence of Esay to prove that to justifie is to endue the minde with the quality of inherent justice it is great impudencie for there is presently added an exposition how that justification is to be understood because he shall saith Esay beare their iniquities where Chemnitius doth not so much as mention the judiciall signification of the word justifying after the manner of a Iudge but rather signifieth that Christ at his first comming did not justifie the Elect after the manner of a Iudge but as a surety in taking upon himselfe our debt and bearing our iniquities and as a Redeemer paying our ransome and so di charging us from our debt and from our bondage Neither doth it follow that it is not a judiciall word because in that place it signifieth not to justifie as a Iudge for besides the Iudge there are other parties also who doe justifie in a judiciall sense as namely sureties and advocates § VIII Now let us examine those foure words all which serve to prove that Christ in that place is not said to justifie after the manner of a Iudge which no man affirmeth and therefore Bellarmine fighteth with his owne shadow For we doubt not but that Christ may be said to justifie divers wayes first by his doctrine as our Prophet and Teacher in which sense Teachers are said to justifie Dan. 12. 3. secondly as our Priest both by his satisfaction and sacrifice propitiatory as Esai 53. 11. for so he saith and he shall beare their iniquities so Heb. 9. 26 28. and also by his intercession as our Advocate 1 Ioh. 2. 2. Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 9. 24. thirdly by his sentence as our king and judge at the last day Matth. 25. 34. The first word is by his knowledge that is as he expoundeth it out of Hierome by his doctrine Answ. Wee deny not but that Christ by his doctrine did justifie many working in them the grace of faith for even other Teachers who are but his Ministers doe also justifie others as Daniel speaketh not by infusion of righteousnesse but as the instruments of the holy Ghost to beget faith in the hearers or being as Saint Paul speaketh Ministers by whom they doe beleeve and beleeving are justified in the judiciall sense But Esay speaketh not of his doctrine but of his knowledge and that passively understood not for that knowledge whereby he knoweth all things but whereby hee is acknowledged to bee the Messias that is to say faith and so Pagnine Vatablus and Tremellius read scientia sui or agnitione sui that is by faith in him for so is faith often termed as 2 Pet. 1. 2 3. and 1 Tim. 2. 4. c. by which as it is said in this place of Esay hee doth justifie La rabbim that is as Paul speaketh Rom. 5. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the multitude of the Elect who beleeve in him how by bearing their iniquitiâ—…s that is the punishment due for their sinnes his sufferings being imputed to them if therefore justifying by faith doe prove justification by works or by inherent righteousnesse then this word proveth it § IX The second word is ipse justus by which word saith he is signified that Christ doth justifie not onely by teaching but also by just working and by imparting his righteousnesse unto us Answ. Christ his obedience or just working is proper to his person and inherent in him and therefore that righteousnesse which he performed in his owne person being both active and therefore transient and proper to his person and therefore without us cannot be imparted to us otherwise than by imputation To what purpose then doth he urge this word seeing Christ is just in justifying us as well by imputation as by infusion Forsooth to shew that Christ by his obedience and sufferings doth not justifie after the manner of a Iudge which no man affirmeth But what is his reason because it is not required to justifying after a judiciall manner that he who justifieth others should himselfe be just as if he should say it is not required that a Iudge should bee just contrary to that Gen. 18. 25. But God doth justifie us after the judiciall manner as a Iudge through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus and by forgivenesse of sinnes and that to this end to shew forth his justice that hee might bee just and the justifier of him who beleeveth in Iesus Rom. 3. 25 26. But this might better have beene objected against his owne exposition of the former word seeing he who is not just himselfe may by his doctrine justifie others Notwithstanding that which Bellarmine here áffirmeth concerning Christ is most true that it was necessary that he who should justifie others by his obedience should bee just himselfe howbeit he impertinently alleageth Rom. 3. 26. which speaketh of God justifying us not as a Mediator by his obedience but as a Iudge by his sentence But the true reason why the Prophet useth this word is in respect of the words following to signifie that Iesus Christ the righteous was made
in the first imaginary justification of the Papists or as we speake in our first regeneration is perfect seeing in our best estate in this life wee receive but the first fruits of the Spirit and in our first regeneration which is as it were our conception wee receive but the seeds as it were of Gods graces And therefore to imagine that in Infants newly Baptized having not so much as the use of reason there is perfection or full growth of Faith Hope and Charity when actually they neither can beleeve hope or love surpasseth all absurdity Especially when they acknowledge a great difference not onely betweene viatores which are in via that is the faithfull in this life and comprehensores which are in paâ—…ria that is the Saints in heaven but also among viatores themselves whom they distinguish into three degrees incipientes which are as infants proficientes which are as adolescentes and perfecti which are as adulti among whom none are so perfect but that still something may and ought to bee added their inner man being renewed from day to day 2 Cor. 4. 16. untill they come to full peâ—…fection which is not to bee attained unto in this life Shall then not onely other viatores be perfect but incipientes also Now it is apparant that their justification is incipientium even of infants in Baptisme in whom if there be a totall deletion of sinne by infusion of righteousnesse then that righteousnesse which in Baptisme is infused is perfect neither can any thing be added to their Faâ—…th Hope and Charity But that there is no perfect inherent righteousnesse in this liâ—…e in any meere man whatsoever may thus briefly be proved In whomsoever is sinne in them is not perfect righteousnesse for perfect righteousnesse and sinne cannot stand together But in all mortall men there is sinne therefore in no meere or mortall man is perfect righteousnesse inherent CAP. VI. Bellarmines third argument that because the righteousnesse infused in iustification is perfect refuted § I. BELLARMINE his third argument whereby in the second place hee would prove the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to bee needlesse unto justification is because the righteousnesse which in justification is infused is perfect But his argument is unsufficient and his disputation is â—…ophisticall Vnsufficient for although our righteousnesse for the time to come should be perfect yet for the temission of sinnes past wherein in justification partly consisteth the imputatâ—…on of Christs satisfaction is absolutely necessary His disputation is Sophisticall wherin he argueth à posse ad esse and worse than so for where he ought to prove that the righteousnesse infused in our justification is perfect in all that are justified and so soone as they are justified hee proveth that in some men whom he accounteth perfect it may in some part of their life after thay have been good proficients be perfect But that is not the question but whether the righteousnesse which in the justification of a sinner is infused which they call their first justification be perfect or not for if it be unperfect and but begunâ—… it cannot possibly justifie a sinner before God but for all it the imputation of Christs righteousnesse will be most necessary But let us follow him in his proofe such as it is Inherent righteousnes saith he â—…onsisteth in these three especially faith hope charity if therefore these may be perfect in this life then oâ—…r inherent righteousnesse may be perfect Here againe he disputeth sophistically First because when he should prove that these habits of grace when they are infused to justify men as namely in baptisme are perfect and therefore that the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is needlesse hee proveth that they may bee perfect in some men in some part of their life secondly whiles hee proveth severally the perfection or rather the possibility of the perfection of this or that vertue for perfection of inherent righteousnesse is not proved by the perfection of any of these severally but of them and of all others joyntly For if there bee imperfection in any of those vertues or graces wherein inherent righteousnesse consisteth then is not the inherent righteousnesse perfect But let us see how he proveth them severally And first for Faith which he proveth may bee perfect in this life what it may bee in some choise men and in some part of their life it is not here questioned but whether it be perfect when men are first justified thereby The Apostles in some part of their life had a great and a strong faith yet for some time even after they were justified were by the censure of our Saviour but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men of little faith § II. But yet let us see how he proveth it may be perfect in this life This he endevoureth to prove by sixe arguments his first proofe is this If faith cannot be perfect in this life then it can never be perfect but it is not to be beleeved that so excellent a vertue shall never be perfect The consesequence of the proposition he proveth because in the life to come it shall not be perfected but evacuated or made void I answer first to the prosyl logisme or proofe of the proposition for first that which hee calleth the evacuating of faith is the perfecting of it It is eternall life to knâ—…w God but in this life wee know him by faith in the life to come by vision here as it were in a looking-glasse and obscurely there face to face here wee are in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or growing age wherein wee must still grow towards perfection there we come to our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and perfection here wee lead a mortall life there an immortall As therefore our mortall life is swallowed up of immortality wherby it is perfected and our growing yeeres by perfect age our obscure knowledge and as it were in a glasse by intuitive aspect so our faith in the life to come is to bee swallowed up in vision and our hope in fruition For faith and hope are not of things seen and enjoyed But when the things beleeved are seen and the things hoped for enjoyed then are faith hope broght to their consummâ—…tion and perfection Secondly if our faith shall be evacuated as hee speaketh in the life to come that is an evidence that in this life it is unperfect The Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 8. saith that our knowledge meaning the knowledge of faith shall bee evacuated or made void and of no further use for wee know saith hee in part verse 9. and wee prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be evacuated that is saith Augustine ut 〈◊〉 jam ex parte sit sed ex toto when I was a child I spake as a childe I understood as a child I reasoned as a child but when I became a man I evacuated
by that faith it selfe whereby he doth beleeve he is healed that hee may understand greater matters our understanding therefore proficit ad intelligenda qua credat fides proficit ad credenda quae intelligat eadem ipsa ut magis magisque intelligantur in ipso intellectu profioit mens profiteth or is a proficient to understand what it may beleeve and our faith profiteth to beleeve those things which it may understand and that the same things may more and more bee understood in the understanding it selfe the minde profiteth 5. Cyril Faith what is it else but the true knowledge of God 6. In the second tome of Athanasius there is a discourse against those who bidding men not to search the Scriptures but to bâ—… content with that faith which is among themselves which is the very case of the Papists at this day shall I saith the author of that discourse neglect the Scriptures whence then shall I have knowledge shall I abandon knowledge whence then shall I have Faith Paul cryeth out how shall they beleeve if they doe not heaâ—…e and againe faâ—…th is by hearing and hearing by the Word of God therefore heâ—… that forbiddeth the Word stoppeth up hearing and expelleth faith But saith hee a little after they who goe about to establish their owne opinions restraine men from the Scriptures in pretence that they would not have them to be so bold to have accesse to them which are unacce â—…ible but in very truth that they may avoid the conâ—…utation of their wicked doctrine out of them 7. Fulgentius fides vera quod credit non nescit etiamsi nondum potest videre quod iper at credit True faith is not ignorant of that which it beleeveth although as yet it is not able to see that which it doth hope and beleeve 8. The master of the sentences Fides non potest esse de eo quod omnino ignoratur Faith cannot be of that whereof a man is altogether ignorant Neither can a man beleeve in God unlesse hee understand somwhat seeing faith commeth by hearing the Word preached Nec â—…a quae prâ—…us creduntur quà m intelliguntur penitus ignorantur cum fides sit ex auditu Ignorantur tamen ex parte quia non sciuntur Neither are those things which are beleeved before they bee understood altogether unknowne seeing faith commeth of hearing yet in part men are ignorant of them because they have not the science of them 9. To these wee may adde the authority of the Creed it selfe that is as the Papists themselves doe teach of all the Apostles consenting together wherein they thought it not sufficient to teach men to professe their beleefe in that one article I beleeve the holy Catholike Church but in all necessary points that are to bee beleeved first concerning God both in Himselfe and in his Works in Himselfe both in respect of the nature of the Deity and of the three persons in Trinity the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost in his Workes of creation and government and of redemption Then concerning the Church and the severall prerogatives thereof viz. the Communion of Saints the forgivenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the body and life everlasting And further teach every particular Christian to say and that with Christian resolution Credo I beleeve these particulars which cannot be done either with truth if indeed he doe not beleeve each particular or with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or confidence which is meet unlesse a man doth not onely beleeve all those particulars but also knowe that hee doth beleeve them And lastly by this forme of profession I beleeve they teach and confirme that of Habac. 2. 4. that the just shall live by his owne faith and not by the faith of others § XIV Now I come to Bellarmines reason although I have already answered it in part In him that beleeveth saith he there are two things apprehension and judgement or assent Apprehension goeth before faith and is not knowledge unlesse it be distinct and plaine and that is not needefull to faith Now the judgement or assent saith he is twofold for either it followeth reason and the evidence of the thing and is called knowledge or else the authority of the prâ—…pounder and is called Faith Therefore saith he the mysteries of faith which surpasse reason we doe beleeve we doe not understand And therefore faith is distinguished against science and is better defined by ignorance than by knowledge Answ. This discourse is to prove that faith may be without knowledge for whereas two things concurre to faith apprehension and assent knowledge is required in neither c. But I answere that these things are not well distinguished by Bellarmine For first apprehension or conceiving of the object is the common act of the understanding going before all judgement of the understanding whatsoever For it is not possible that the understanding should judge of that which it hath not apprehended or conceived And yet behold implicite faith is so farre from being a true justifying faith that it hath not so much as this first and common act of the understanding in it For it doth not so much as apprehend or conceive the particular things to be beleeved Secondly judgement and assent are not to bee confounded For judgement is more generall and belongeth to those things that wee doe not assent unto as well as to those which wee doe For when wee have in our mind apprehended conceived or understood any proposition or thing propounded then wee judge of it either as false and then wee dissent from it or as doubtfull and then wee withhold our assent and suspend our judgement or as true and then wee assent to it But this assent thirdly is not to be confounded with faith because it is more generall For either we assent to a proposition faintly imagining that perhaps it may be otherwise as in contingent propositions which so are true as that they may bee false And then our judgement of them and assent to them is called opinion or wee assent firmely as being perswaded that it cannot be otherwise and this is called knowledge Now a man knoweth a proposition to be true and is assured that it cannot be otherwise being perswaded thereunto either by the evidence of the thing or by the infallible authority of the propounder Of the thing being either manifest in it selfe to sense and experience or to reason and then it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or intelligentia whereby without discourse men know things so to be which is noeticall or axiomaâ—…icall judgement of a proposition in it selfe manifest or else manifested by discourse as of questions syllogistically concluded and this judgment or knowledg is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the science of conclusions which we know cannot possibly be false the premisses being true But when a thing is neither manifest in it selfe to sense
than of the Pope alone It is the Pope therefore alone that cannot erre who hath an heavenly and infallible judgement who is the supreame Iudge in all controversies the chiefe and onely authenticall interpreter of the Scriptures so that no point of religion is to be held for truth but what he determineth no text of Scripture to be held the word of God in any other sense than hee holdeth yea that a text of Scripture urged against them in another sense than he holdeth is not the word of God but rather of the devill By which meanes the Pope is stept into the roome of Christ and and is undoubtedly become Antichrist So that the implicite faith of the Papists whereby they professe themselves to beleeve what is propounded by the Church meaning especially the See of Rome that is to say the Pope to be beleeved and consequently whereby they professe themselves to beleeve in the Pope as the principall rule principle and foundation of their faith is the very character and marke of the Beast whereby men are branded to destruction § XVIII The which doth also prove the other point viz. how pernicious the doctrine of implicite faith is as tending to the perdition of the seduced people which I will also prove by other reasons For under the name of implicite faith they commend unto the Laity damnable ignorance that having blindfolded them they may lead them as it were by the nose whither it pleaseth them To them it is sufficient to beleeve what the Church beleeveth though they know little or nothing of the Churches beleefe If one of them be called before the Commissioners hee shall say enough and defend himselfe sufficiently when he answereth that he is a Catholike and that he will live and dye in that faith which the Catholike Church doth teach and that this Church can give them a reason of all those things which they demand And thus according to Christs promise Luk. 12. 12. the holy Ghost for sooth teacheth every unlearned Catholike to give sufficient reason of his faith But it is evident that those who live in ignorance doe live in a state of damnation or as the Scripture speaketh doe sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death First because they live without God as it were Atheists in this world For they that know not God have not God Secondly because they are void of all grace whereby they might hope to be saved For knowledge being the first of all graces where that is wanting all the rest are absent Againe without faith there is no saving grace for faith is the mother and roote of all other graces and without knowledge there is no faith as I have already shewed For how can t they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and by hearing knowne Knowledge is as it were the first step towards faith and all other graces and therefore he that hath not that in some measure hath not made one steppe in the way that leadeth to eternall life Thirdly because they are not Christs sheepe nor Gods children For I saith our Saviour know mine and I am knowne of mine Ioh. 10. 14. They shall know me every one of them saith the Lord from the greatest to the least of them Ier. 31. 34. All Gods children shall be taught of God Esai 54. 13. Ioh. 6. 45. every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to mee saith our Saviour and none else All Gods children have the unction from the holy One and they know all needfull things 1 Ioh. 2. 20. 27. Ioh. 16. 13. Fourthly because it hath all the respects of evill in it For it is not one ly a sinne but the cause of all sinne and errour a punishment and the cause of punishment both in this life and in the world to come A sinne repâ—…oved and condemned Ier. 4. 22. 9. 3. Hos. 4. 1. â—… Cor. 15. 34. For it a sacrifice was ordained Levit. 4. 2. yea all the sinnes for which sacrifices were offered were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… that is ignorances Heb. 9. 7. The cause of sinne Errant qui operantur mulum They erre that sinne and none erre but by ignorance as Augustine saith Non erratur nisi per ignorantiam whence sinners are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as are ignorant and doe erre Heb. 5. 3. Ignorance is the mother of all errours Regnum ignorantiae saith Augustine regnum erroris Ignorance also is a fearefull punishmentâ—… when God doth punish men with blindenesse of heart Esai 6. 9 10. and sendeth upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the efficacy of errour 2 Thâ—…s 2. 11. It is also the cause of punishment for the people that understandeth not shall bee punished Hos. 4. 14. as of captivityâ—… Esai 5. 13. of destruction Hos. 4. 6. it maketh men subject to the curse of God Psal. 79. 6. Ier. 10. 25. and to eternall damnation 2. Thes. 1. 8. If our Gospell bee hid saith the Apostle it is hid to them that perish 2 Cor. 4. 3. For if it bee eternall life to know God and Christ our Saviour then not to know God and our Saviour is to misse of eternall life Qui ea quâ—… sunt Domini nesciunt a Domino nesciuntur saith Gregory Paulo attestante qui ait si quis autem ignorat ignorabitur The Councell of Rhemes denyeth that they can bee saved who doe not understand the Creed and the Lords Prayer And againe no man can bee saved without faith and no man can beleeve that which he doth not know nor hath heard Augustine ipsa ignorantia in ets qui intelligere noluerunt sine dubitatione peâ—…catum â—…st in eis autem qui non potuerunt pâ—…na pecâ—…ati Ergo in utrisque non â—…st justa excusatio sed justa damnatio Hierome Ignoratio Scripturarum ignoratio Christi Origen â—…aith the Devills possesse all those that live in ignorance § XIX All this notwithstanding the popish Impostors detaine the people in ignorance they have taken away the Key of knowledge and shut up the Kingdome of Heaven against their followers for neither they goe in themselves neither suffer them that faine would enter to goe in They forbid them to reade the Scriptures which are able to make them wise to salvation 2 Tim. 3. 15. which our Saviour therefore commandeth them to search Ioh. 5. 39. They suffer them not to heare them nor yet the divine service otherwise than in an unknowen tongue contrary to the rule of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14. and wherefore all this partly that their errours and abominations should not be seene for he that evill doeth hateth the light and as theeves by night wish the light of Gods Word to bee put out or at least to bee hid under a Bushell and partly that they may bee Lords over the peoples faith and may make them beleeve what they list
that they may rule them at their pleasure that they may lead them whither they please For hee that walketh in darkenesse knoweth not whither he goeth may as easily bee led up and downe as Sampson after his eyes were put out But those that are of God doe wish that the people of God may increase in knowledge of God 1 Thes. 1. 10. that they may be perfect in understanding 1 Cor. 14. 20. that they may abound more and more in knowledge Phil. 1. 9. For not to be proficients in knowledge they esteeme a great fault Heb. 5. 11 12. 2 Tim. 3. 7. that the Word of Christ may dwell in them richly in all Wisedome Col. 2. 2. 3. 16. that they may bee able and ready to give an answere to every man that asketh a reason of that hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3. 15. for where men of all other professions can give a reason of that which they doe professe it is a great absurdity as Chrysostome testifieth for a man professing himselfe a Christian not to bee able to give an account of his faith that they may trye all things and hold fast that which is good 1 Thes. 5. 21. that Husbands may be able to instruct their Wives and housholders their families Deut. 6. 7. 11. 19. Yea Moses the Man of God wished that all the Lords people were Prophets Num. 11. 29. § XX. And as the godly have wished so the Lord hath promised that in the Church of Christ there should bee plenty of knowledge Esa. 11. 9. Ier. 31. 34. and that all the faithfull should bee taught of God Esai 54. 13. And this was verified in times past in the primitive Churches and is at this day in all true Churches and where it is not in some measure verified as it is not in the Church of Rome that is not a true Church Not to speake of the present times I will produce one Testimony of the ancient Churches In which it was usuall to bee seene that the points of Christian Religion were knowne not onely to the Teachers of the Church but also to all manner of artificers and handicrafts men of women likewise not onely such as were lettered but those of the meanest sort even servants and handmaids and not onely Citizens but also Countrey people as Husband-men and laborers had this knowledge who might bee found conferring of the Divine Trinity of the Creation of all things and having better knowledge of the nature of man than Plato or Aristâ—…tle Finally the Papists by their doctrine of implicite faith do bereave the faithfull of their chiefe rejoycing For thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindnesse judgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I delight saith the Lord. So much of the first question CAP. II. Prâ—…ving that a true justifying faith cannot bee severed from Charity and other graces § I. THE second question concerning the nature of faith is whether a true justifying faith may be severed from Charity and from all other graces of Sanctification The Papists hold the affirmative we the negative The reasons of our assertion that true justifying faith is ever accompanied with Charity and other graces and cannot indeed be severed from them are manifold and manifest My first reason is this All that are regenerate and borne of God have Charity and other graces of sanctification All that truly beleeve in Christ or which is all one that have a true justifying faith are regenerate and borne of God Therefore all that truely beleeve in Christ have charity and other graces of sanctification The proposition is thus proved Regeneration consisteth in the infusion of graces of sanctification and therfore they who are regenerate are indued with those graces Seondly regeneration is the renewing of a man according to the image of God in true holinesse and righteousnesse Ephes. 4. 24. both which are comprehended in Charity The former being the love of God the other of our neighbour Thirdly the Papists themselves doe teach that when men are regenerated in baptisme there is with faith infused Charity Fourthly as he that hath Charity is borne of God and knoweth him so he that hath not Charity knoweth not God and much lesse is borne of him 1 Ioh. 4. 8. The assumption All that have a true justifying faith are regenerate and borne of God For first whosoever beleeveth that I â—…â—…vs is the Christ is bome of God 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Secondly as many as receive Christ by faith to them he gave this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this priviledge or prerogatiye to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve on his name who are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Ioh. 1. 12. 13. Thirdly All that doe truely beleeve are the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus Gal. 3. 26. Fourthly Faith is a grace of regeneration which the holy Ghost doth ingenerate and infuse when hee doth regenerate as the Papists themselves confesse Neither is it of nature or from our selves but it is the speciall gift of God Ephes 2 8. for no man can truly say that is with a lively and unfained assent of the heart that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. To beleeve that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of the living God flesh and bloud hath not revealed to any man but God the Father who is in heaven Matth. 16. 16 17. No man saith our Saviour can come to me that is beleeve in me Ioh. 6. 35. except the Father who hath sent me draw him Iohn 6. 44. and except it be given unto him by my Father vers 65. and how given as a proper fruit of election For justifying faith is the faith of the elect 7 〈◊〉 1. 1 given unto us when we are called according to the purpose of God and his grace given unto us in Christ before all secular times 2 Tim. 1. 9. For those whom God giveth to Christ by election they come unto him by faith Ioh. 6. 37. and so many as are ordained to eternall life beleeve Act. 13. 48. § II. Secondly Whosoeverâ—…have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them are â—…udued with Charity and other graces which all are the fruits of the Spirit who is the Spirit of grace and contrarywise they who have not Charity have not the Spirit of Christ. For the Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of love God is love and he that abideth in love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 Ioh 4. 16. but he that loveth not knoweth not God and much lesse dwelleth in him vers 8. All that
those who have not Charity have not faith who as the same Apostle saith professe themselves to know God but in deeds deny him which also is against himselfe for how saith Chrysostome can such a man be said to beleeve that denieth God Therefore saith he the wicked deny the faith not in heart or mouth but indeed and of them saith he writeth Saint Gregory whose testimony he alleageth directly against himselfe Eos non veraciter credere non habere veram fidem quinon bene operantur that they doe not truely beleeve nor have a true faith who doe not worke well And therefore those that worke ill as those doe who are without Charity and namely those who provide not for their domesticks shew that they have no true faith But this he salveth with another testimony of the same Gregory that many enter into the Church because they have faith and yet want the wedding garment because they have not Charity Where by faith we are to understand the profession of faith which many make who have not Charity But by the wedding garment we are according to the Scriptures to understand rather Christ and his righteousnesse as I have shewed heretofore put on by a true and lively faith for he that was without the wedding garment wanted faith as well as charity The Authour of the unfinished Worke in Chrysostome faith Nuptiale vestimentum est fides vera quae est per Iesum Christum justitiam ejus the wedding garment is the true faith which is by Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse But will you heare one of their owne Writers upon Matth. 22. what is saith he that wedding garment to wit that whereof Paul speaketh when he saith put on the Lord Iesus Christ. This garment is inwardly put on by faith when thou puttest on Christs righteousnesse to cover thy sinnes c. § VII The second out of Ioh. 6. 64. Iudas though he professed the faith is yet said not to have beleeved because he wanted Charity and therefore they who want Charity want faith Bellarmine answereth that he is said not to beleeve because at that time he had lost his faith I reply Iudas though he professed the faith yet he never had true faith and therefore never lost it For from the beginning Iesus knew who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him for this cause saith he in the next verse I said unto you that no man can come to me that is beleeve in me vers 35. and 64. unlesse it be given unto him of my Father which hee insinuateth had not been given to Iudas whom from the beginning he knew to be no beleever § VIII Hee that saith hee knoweth God namely by faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh of the knowledge of familiarity and friendship of which the Lord speaketh to the wicked Matth. 7. 25. I know you not whereunto I reply that if he speake of such knowledge it is the knowledge of faith and cannot be had but by faith and so the argument standeth in force Howbeit unfitly doth he alleage the Lords not knowing of the wicked to prove the meaning of our knowing of him If he speake not of the knowledge of faith the argument is the stronger for if he be a lyar that only saith that he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements then much more is hee a lyar that saith hee knoweth God by faith and keepeth not his commandements Beda indeed expoundeth this knowledge of God of the love of God which is a fruit and consequent of our faith hocest Deum nosse quod amare but others of faith as Gregory speaking of this place notitia quippâ—… Dei ad fideâ—… pertinet Oecumenius maketh this verse to bee of the same signification with the sixth verse of the first Chapter If we say that we have fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are lyars and that which Saint Iohn there calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion here hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commixtion or conjunction Thus therefore hee saith Saint Iohn having said before that those which beleeve in the Lord have communion or fellowship with him here hee setteth downe evidences of our communion with him In this wee know that wee know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which hee had said before that wee have conjunction or communion with him if wee keepe his Commandements And this saith hee hee more fully sheweth by the contrary but hee that saith I know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or I have communion with him and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar This then is â—…is meaning he that saith I know God that is I have Communion with him by faith and doth not keepe his Commandements hee is a lyar But whether wee understand the words of communion by faith or of faith according to the usuall pâ—…rase of the Scriptures puting knowledge for faith as I noted before or of knowledge it selfe the argument is unanswerable For if wee cannot truely bee said to know Christ that is to beleeve in him unlesse wee keepe his Commandements then it is evident that true faith cannot be severed from Charity For this is love if we keep his Commandements 1 Ioh. 5. 3. againe if hee that saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandemenes bee a lyar much more he that saith hee beleeveth in God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar as I said before To this adde Tit. 1. â—…6 which Bellarmine cited against himselfe those that professe themselves to know God but in workes deny him they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unbeleevers Ioh. 3. 36. or as the vulgar Latine incredibiles or as Thomas Aquinas non apti ad credendum § IX Fourthly 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Every one that bâ—…leeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God and therefore undoubtedly hath charity Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh de fide formata as Saint Augustine expoundeth and so doe wee for whosoever truely beleeveth hath fidem formatam For the Apostle no doubt speaketh of a true lively saith and such there is none but that which the Papists call formatam which worketh by love And therefore the argument holdeth that whosoever hath a true lively iustifying faith is borne of God or regenerated by the Spirit of sanctification and therefore is undoubtedly endued with charity § Fifthly Iam. 2. That faith which iâ—… without workes is dead A true lively justifying faith is not dead Therefore â—… true livâ—…ly â—…ustifying faith is not without works Bellarmine saith he hath explaned this in his third argument that faith is said to be dead not as a mâ—… is said to bee dead who after death is not but as a body is said to bee dead which after death is but liveth not For saith he Life is not of the
Rom. 4. 16. And because they beleeve that justification consisteth in this certaintie therefore it woâ—…ld follow that justification is impossible But if faith necessarily must bee joyned with charitie and good workes so that otherwise it is not faith but a shadow or counterfeit of it then it followeth that justification in that it dependeth upon a true faith doth also depend upon works and upon love which is the fulfilling of the Lawe and consequently that no man can be certaine of his justification but that justification is a thing altogether impossible And in this argument he doth so please himselfe that he concludeth with this Epiphonema forsooth so stable is the dogmaticall building of heretikes that on each side it threatneth ruine I answere briefly by distinction that justification is either before God in foro coelesti or in the Court of our owne Conscience Before God when the Lord imputing the perfect righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner absolveth him from the guilt of his finne and from damnation and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as an heire of eternall life and this properly is the justification of a sinner That justification which is in the Court of Conscience is not justification it selfe but the assurance of it Howbeit commonly men are then said to bee justified and to have pardon of sinne when the pardon is sealed to their owne Conscience I deny therefore that our justification before God consisteth in the assurance thereof in our owne conscience for those which truely beleeve are justified and blessed whether they be assured thereof or not or that it dependeth upon our charitie or our owne good works but that without respect of our charitie or any worthinesse in us the Lord doth freely and of his meere grace even when wee deserve the contrary justifie us so soone as wee truely beleeve in Christ that and no other being the condition of the covenant And howsoever the assurance of our justification before God if we were to be justified by our owne obedience were impossible because to our justification before God perfect and complete obedience is required which to us by reason of the flesh is impossible yet the assurance of our justification in our owne conscience is not impossible but is ordinarily obtained by the children of God by some more by some lesse because it doth not depend upon the perfection but upon the uprightnesse of our obedience If wee have a true desire an unfained purpose a sincere endevour to walke before God in the obedience of his commandements though wee faile contrary to our desire and purpose in many particulars wee may thereby make our election our calling our justification sure unto us For by our works our faith is demonstrated and our justification knowne to our selves and others in which sence Saint Iames saith we are justified by works § XI In the seventh place Bellarmine addeth the consent of the Fathers into whose minde hee saith this absurditie never entred that faith cannot be where charitie is not And yet for all this bragge he is not able to produce any one pregnant testimony plainely affirming that true faith or justifying faith may bee without charitie wee doe not deny but that the faith of Hypocrites and of all other wicked and impenitent sinners which is not a true and a lively but a counterfeit and dead faith which not properly but catachrestically or rather equivocally is called faith is severed from charitie and from all other graces of sanctification And such is the faith which the Fathers say may bee severed from charitie But though hee hath not cited any one pregnant testimony against us yet one hee hath cited for us in plaine termes avouching that they doe not truely beleeve nor have true faith who doe not live well and to the same purpose I cited Augustine and divers others of the Fathers CAP. IV. Whether justifying faith may be without speciall apprehension of Christ. § I. THe third error of the Papists concerning the nature of justifying faith is that they hold it may be as without knowledge and without charity so also without any speciall apprehension or application of Christ to the beleever But the Scriptures unto justification require that wee should beleeve in Christ. For howsoever by that faith which justifieth wee doe beleeve whatsoever God hath revealed in his Word neither hath any man a justifying faith who denyeth credit to any thing which hee findeth to bee revealed by God notwithstanding as it justifyeth it onely respecteth Christ either directly and expressely or indirectly and by consequence Christ himselfe being as I shall hereafter shew the proper object of justifying faith For the promise of justification and salvation in the Gospell is not made to the beliefe of other things but onely to true faith in Christ. For God so loved the world that hee gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wildernesse that they who were bitten of the fiery serpents by looking on the brasen Serpent which was a figure of Christ should bee healed even so the Sonne of man was to be lifted up upon the Crosse that whosoever being stung by the old serpent the Devill looketh upon him with the eiâ—… of a true faith that is beleeueth in him should not perish but have eternall life which truth is acknowledged by the Master of the sentences quem Deus proposuit propitiatorem per fidem in sanguine ipsius i. per fidem passionis ut â—…lim aspicientes in Serpentem aneum in lignâ—… erectuÌ„ à morsibus serpentum sanabantur Si ergo recto fidei intuitu in illum respicimus qui pro nobis pependit in ligâ—…o à vinculis Dâ—…laboli solvimur i. peccatis As therefore they who were bitten by the same eyes wherewith they looked upon the brasen serpent beheld all other things which were subject to their view but were cured by looking upon the serpent and not by beholding any other thing so wee by the same eye of the soule which is faith doe beleeve all other things which God hath propounded to bee beleeved his Word being the objectum adâ—…quatum of our faith but we are justifyed and saved by beleeving in Christ and not by beleeving of any other thing In so much that if we should beleeve all other things and did not beleeve in Christ our faith would not justifie us And therefore in the Scriptures justifying faith is ordinarily called faith in Christ and sometimes the faith of Christ and sometimes his knowledge whereby is meant not that Christ is the subject but the proper object of justifying faith which is a truth so manifest that no Christian ought to doubt of it For all true Christians are so called because they beleeve in Christ and by beleeving in him doe hope to bee saved by him § II.
from faith secondly hee perverteth the question as if the Apostle disputed that Abraham was not justified by workes without faith or not proceeding from the grace of faith as they forsooth thought who to their owne strength attributed righteousnesse As though either Abraham had any good workes which did not proceed from grace or the Apostle would busie himselfe to prove that he was not justified by such as he had not or as if the justitiaries among the Iewes did attribute righteousnesse to their owne strength when the Pharisee himselfe Luk. 18. 11. gave thankes to God for it or as if they thought that Abrahams righteousnesse proceeded from his naturall strength when they knew that God did chuse Abraham and by his preventing grace called him out of Ur of the Caldeans where they served other gods Thirdly hee doth againe contradict the Apostle in saying that Abraham had glory with God which the Apostle plainely denieth the word in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth not glory but glorying or boasting If Abraham saith the Apostle was justified by works then had he wherof to glory or to boast but he had no cause to glory or to boast before God Fourthly his contradicting of the Apostle maketh against himselfe For if Abraham had beene justified by workes done without grace hee had more cause to glory and that before God than if his workes proceeded from grace For in that case it might have beene said to him what hast thou which thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why dost thou glory or boast as if thou hadst not received it wheras therfore the Apostle denyeth that Abraham had whereof to glory before God he is to be understood as speaking of his workes proceeding from grace by which if Abraham had beene justified he had whereof to glory but not before God But being justified by faith without workes all matter of glorying was taken away By what Law of workes No but by the Law of Faith Rom. 3. 27. For by grace we are justified and saved not by workes lest any man should boast Ephes. 2. 8 9. And that this contradiction maketh against himselfe appeareth further by that which himselfe saith in the same Chapter out of Rom. 4. 4. But unto him that worketh the reward is not imputed according to grace but according to debt Whence he proveth that by workes which the Apostle excludeth from justification he meaneth such workes whereto not grace is given but wages rendred And such are onely those saith hee which are wrought by the onely strength of free-will For to the workes which are wrought by grace that which is rendred is not simply merces wages but it is also grace yea grace rather than wages If therefore Abraham had beene justified by workes done by the power of his owne free-will and not by grace hee might have gloried that he had made God a debtour unto him But to Abraham his faith was imputed unto righteousnesse and therefore his reward was of grace and not of debt For to him that worketh that is fulfilleth the Law of God the wages is not reckoned of grace but of debt as being due ratione pacti in respect of the covenant Doe this and thou shalt live But to him that worketh not that is that fulfilleth not the Law which the Apostle maketh to have beene Abrahams case but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Rom. 4. 4 5. § VII And this also confuteth the doctrine of the Papists concerning the merit of good workes proceeding from grace unto which Bellarmine here saith the reward is not rendred as of debt but onely to such as are wrought by strength of nature But he and his fellowes when they treat of merit ascribe to works of grace merit of condignity In respect whereof the reward of eternall life is due unto them in justice not onely in respect of Gods promise or covenant but even in respect of the workes themselves For every good worke proceeding from charity absolutely deserveth as they teach eternall life insomuch that heaven is no lesse due to the good workes of the faithfull than hell to the sinnes of the wicked § VIII As to the example of Abraham so to these three places Gal. 2. 16. Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. wherein all workes of all men are generally excluded from the act of justification Bellarmine answereth that in them all those workes onely are excluded which are done before faith But we will speake of them severally And first to that Gal. 2. 16. Bellarmine saith that in that Epistle there are two questions handled the former speciall whether the ceremonies of the Law doe belong to Christians so that without them they cannot be saved The other generall whether by the Law and strength of Nature justification can happen to any man without grace and without the faith of Iesus Christ. Vnto both which the Apostle answereth negatively And afterwards he saith that the state of the Question in that Epistle is whether workes doe justifie without faith Whereunto I reply that no such question is mentioned in that Epistle nor the contrary concluded as being altogether heterogeneous and besides the purpose of the Apostle which was to reclaime the Galathians from their errour who thought that besides faith the workes of the Law must concurre to justification For both the false teachers who seduced them were Christians who lest they should suffer persecution for the Crosse of Christ perswaded them to bee circumcised Gal. 6. 12. and the Galathians themselves who were seduced did not cease to bee Christians neither were they perswaded to renounce the faith of Christ but were made to beleeve that unto their faith in Christ they were necessarily to joyne the workes of the Law that by them both they might be justified Against this assertion the Apostle disputeth directly proving that a man is justified by faith and not by the workes of the Law But if he had disputed against the other that workes without faith in Christ doe justifie or that workes done by the knowledge of the Law only by the strength of nature doe justifie without faith in Christ his disputation had beene to no purpose For the Galathians and their Teachers would in their owne defence have answered that they did not from justification exclude faith in Christ God forbid but did adde unto faith the observation of the Law desiring as the Papists now doe to bee justified not by faith alone but both by faith and workes together And therefore as in the Epistle to the Romanes so here the question is not whether wee bee justified by workes without faith in Christ which asserâ—…ion never any Christian held but whether by faith without workes which the Galathians and their teachers would have with faith to concurre unto the act of justification To which purpose call to minde the words in the very place
is needlesse a Mat. 8. 16. 14 l 31. 16. 8. Luk. 12. 28â—… Bellarmines sixe proofes that faith is perfect First because it is perfect either here or never b Iohn 17. 3. c â—… Cor. 13. 9. 10. 11 12. d Lib. de perfect justitiae His second reason because it is more precious than gold e 1 Cor. 11. 19. f Rom. 5. 3 4. g Iam. 1. 1â—… h Iam. 1. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 7. His third reason because some beleeve with their whole heart i Psal. 12. 2. 1 Chro. 12. 33. 38 Hos. 10. 2. k Psal. 32. 2. Ioh. 1. 47. l Act. 8. 37 38. His fourth reason because Abrahams faith was perfect m Col. â—… 2. n Heb. 10. 22. His fifth and sixth reasons His sixth reason o 1 Thes. 1. 5. p Phil. 3. 14. Of hope De iustis l. 2. c. 7. § Denique de His first reason that châ—…rity is perfect from the testimony of Augustine a Aug de Nat. Gr. cap. 42. b Ibid. cap. 70. c Epist. 29. ad Hieronym d Tract 41 in Ioan. Aug lâ—…b de perfectione iustitiae e Haec est nunc nostra iustitia qua currimus esurâ—…entes ad peâ—…fectionem plenitudmemque justitiae ut ea posteâ—… saturemur Testimonies of Scripture alleadged by Bellarmine first Ioh. 15. 13. f in Ioan. 15. Christs love greater than that of Martyrs by way of appreciation g Tit. 2. 13. 14 h De recta fide ad Theodosiam i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dialog 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 k Advers haeres lib. 5. l De 〈◊〉 Do â—…nicae Sacram c. 6. Christs love greatet than that of Martyrs by way of intension m Luk 9. 51. n Luk. 22. 15. o Mat. 10. 39. 16. 25. Mar. 8. 35. Christs love greater than that of Martyrs in respect of extension His second proofe 1 Ioh. 2. 5 p 2 Cor. 12. 9. q 1 Iohn 2. 3 4. His third proofe Eccl. 47. 8. His fourth proofe Places which mention perfection Answer generall Answer particular to Mat. 5. 48. Answer to 1 Cor. 2. 6. Phil. 3. 15. Phil. 3. q v. 12. 13 14 15 r De perfect iustit s In paraphrasi Bellarmines conclusion De iustif l. 2. c. 7. §. Quartâ—… Bellarmines fourth argument that we are not by Christs righteousnesse formally iust a See Lib. 1. c. 5. §. 2. b 2 Cor. 5. 21. c Rom. 7. 24. Bellarmines consession Bâ—…llarmines fifth argument that we should be as righteous as Christ himselfe d Lib. 1. c. 3. §. 9. Bellâ—…rmines sixth argument that in Adam we did not lose imputed righteousnesse e Prosper de voc beat l. â—… c. 24. f Rom. 1â—… 29. g Depraedest 55. c. 16. Bellarmines seventh argument if by imtation we bee iust then Christ is a sinner h Vid. supr l. 5. c. 1. §. 4. c. i Joh. 1. â—…9 k Apoc 5. 12. l De iustif l. 2. c. 10. Bellarmines second syllogisme that after iustification we are called iust m 2 Cor. 5. 21. n Gal. 3. 13. o Supr c. 1. §. 4. c. How we are called iust His eighth argument out of the Canticles the S pouse of Christ beautifull in herselfe p Snpr. c. 4. n. 3. Bellarmines proofes that the Spouses beauty is her owne q Psal. 51. 6. 45. 11. 13 r Cant. 1. 5 His ninth â—…rgument 〈◊〉 the heart must be cleane before it can ice God tenthly because Christ redeemed us that we might be holy s Tit. 2. 14. t Luk. 1. 74. 75. The Papists errour concerning faith What fâ—…ith is how in generall it may be defined Faith is an assent The Greek fathers make assent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the genus of faith Clemens Alex. Basâ—… Theodoret. and Augustine saith that credere est cum assensu cogitare de praedestin 55. c. 2. a Act. 16. 14. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Luk. 16. 31. 20. 6. Rom. 8. 38. 2 Tit. 1. 12. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Iohn 3. 33. f Rom. 10. 17. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 h De utilit credendic 1. i Heb. 11. 1. k 1 Cor. 2. 9. Esai 64. 4. l Tit. 1. 2. Deut. 32. 4. Iob. 14. 6. m Stromat l. 2. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 o Heb. 11. 1. p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oâ—…cum § That justifying faith is not without knowledge q Bellarm. de â—…ustif l. â—… c. 7. §. judicium Of Implicite Faith r Fides Carbonarii s Advers prolegom Brentii De authoritate Scripturae l. 3. The doctrine of implicit faith confuted first as false t Maldonet in Ioan. 17. 3. u In Ioan. 17. 3. * Gabr. Bicl in 3. Sentent dist 25. art 1. not 2. coroll 4. In tantum valet fides implicita ut dicunt aliqui quòd si habens eam faâ—…sòopinaretur Patrem majorem velpriorem filio c non peccat dummodo â—…unc errorem pertinaciter non defindit hoc ipsum credit quia credit ecclesiam sic credere Sic Innocent Hostiensis Ioan. Andreas Panormitanus in Rubric de summa Trinit fid Cathol Rosella fides nun 2. apud Azor. inftit moral lib. 8. c. 7. 8. Gabr. Biel. in 3. Sent. dist 25. art 3. dub 1. Si quis credit putans ecclesiam sic credere etiamsi erroneum fuerit non peccaâ—… dummodo tamen pertin aciter non adâ—…aeret ui supra dictum notab 2. Imo quód amplius est haec fides meritum facit Nam talis non solùm non peccaret sed etiam sic creden do falsum mereretur The second absurdity that faith may be better defined by ignorance than by knowledge x 1 Cor. 2. 9. Bell. de justif l. 1 c. 7. Bellarmines proofes out of the Scriptures The first out of Esa. 7. 9. The second and third 1 Cor. 13. 2. and 1 Cor. 12. 9. y 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost. Oâ—…cum c. The fifth where obedience of faith is mentioned The testimonies of Fathers Iraen l. 2. c 45. Melius est nihil omninoscientem credere Deo perseverare in ejus dilectione quae hominem vivificat quam per quâ—…stionum subtilitates multiloquium in impietatem cadere Thus cited by Bellarmine z 1 Cor. 2. z Clemens Alexandrin Padagog l 3. c. 11. pag. 110. a Rom. 10. 17. Hilari l. 8. de Trinitate Augustine b Epist. 102. ad Evodium c Lib. 4 contr epist. fundamcap 4. d Tract 27. in Ioan. e Serm. de Temp. 189. qui est de Trinitate f De Agone Christiani c. 13. g Serm. de temp 189. Prosper De vita contempl l. 1. c. 19. h Heb. 4. 2. i Grègor Mor l. 2. c. 25. k De trinit l. 8. l Conâ—…r Luciferian m Homil. de bapt Christi n August in Psal. 118. conc 18. o Cyril Alex. in Ioan. l. 11 c. 16. p Athan. p. 248. q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 t Fulgentius â—…ontr Arianos P. Lombard l 3. Sent. dist 24. C.