Howsoeuer that gracelesse wretch Boniface the eighth who instituted the first Romish Iubile giuing therein immunitie both from sinne and the punishment thereof would make the world beleeue that hee hath power to forgiue sinnes too Anton. part 3. cap. 8 tit 20. §. 2. The fruit of application Praefat. exhort ad Martyr ad Fortunatuâ— Job 19.25.26 Micah 7.7 â— Tim. 1.15 But as Antoninus Bishop of Florence writing that Historie sayth God only forgiueth sinne But to returne from whence for a few lines I haue digressed When we can in this sort apply vnto our selues the mercy of God and thus make a garment fitting our selues to couer therewith our shame of the wooll of the Lambe as Cyprian in one place prettily speaketh for so he calleth the Scripture Oh with what assurance will wee bee able with Iob to say I am sure my Redeemer liueth I shall see God in my flesh And with Micah I will waite for God my Sauiour my God will heare me And with the Apostle Christ Iesus came into the World to saue sinners whereof I am chiefe Notwithstanding for this cause was I receiued to mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on me all long suffering vnto the example of them who shall in time to come beleeue in hir 〈◊〉 eternall life But the Apostle sheweth in many places vnspeakeable comfort by applying to himselfe in particular the mercies of God in so much as hee assureth himselfe that none could charge Gods seruants to indanger them none could condemne them Rom. 8.33.35.38.39 Yea who shall separate vs sayth hee from the loue of Christ I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor the Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature is able to separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Thus wee see what wonderfull assurance and confidence they haue whom Gods Spirit guideth to apply vnto their wounded consciences the most Soueraigne salue of the promises and examples of Gods mercie Whereas others in the time of feare and danger languish in perplexitie Luk. 23 30. Bernard de Annunt serm 3. and could wish the mountaines would fall vpon them and the hills would couer them For truly sayth Bernard as it were speaking vnto God Non reponis â—leum misericordiae nisi in vase fiduciae Thou Lord puttest not the oyle of mercie but into the vessell of confidence This this I say is the faith commended by the Apostle this is the faith that iustifieth before God which beginning with knowledge of Gods mercy in Christ Iesus out of it gathereth confidence and boldnes And thus with good warrant out of the Word I trust wee may affirme that this faith which doth assuredly know and comfortably apply vnto vs the promised mercies of God causeth vs with boldnesse to stand before God without feare of condemnation yet not for the merit or worthinesse of the act of beleeuing but because the office yea the very nature of faith is to apprehend and take hold of Christ through whom wee are found righteous before God in that he is made vnto vs of God wisedome 1. Cor. 1.30 and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption as before I haue said The last wordes in this sentence What workes of the Law are meant whereof there is any question betweene our aduersaries and vs are these The workes of the Law Out of these arise two doubts The first is what Law the Apostle speaketh of in these wordes For some euen very ancient haue beene in that error that he speaketh of the Law ceremoniall as Origen and others Now the Romish Church not seeing how they might maintayne their doctrine of Merits and Iustification by workes vnlesse they were of that minde also were in former times of that mind too being glad that they might shrowd themselues vnder the name of ancient â—â—â—rs I need not speake in particular of these Popish Writers seeing Bellarmine confesseth as much as I say Nonnulli saith he è Catholicis Bellar. de Iustific l 1. cap. 19. docent per opera quae Apostolus à iustificatione excludit intelligi obseruationem legalium ceremoniarum Many of the Catholikes teach that by the workes which the Apostle excludeth from iustification the obseruation of the ceremoniall Law is meant But how many or how great in learning Not works ceremoniall Rom. 2.13 or accompt soeuer they be S. Paul affordeth vs proofe enough to conuince them of error When he saith The doers of the Law shall be iustified is there any colour of reason to imagine that they who obserue the ceremonies of the Law shall bee iustified Wee see in the first and last Chapters of the Prophet Esay Micah the 6. the 50. Psalme and in other places of Scripture that many who were most diligent performers of the ceremonies were notwithstanding misliked of God yea reproued for satisfying themselues with that externall seruice What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices Esa 1.11 saith the Lord I am full of the burnt offrings of Rams and of the fat of fed beasts and I desire not the bloud of Bullocks nor of Lambs nor of Goates That also which the Apostle writeth of the effect of the Law written in mens hearts by reason whereof we haue thoughts accusing excusing cannot be vnderstood of the Law ceremonial But to come yet neerer to the purpose S. Paul euen in that place where hee handleth this question concluding the former part of this discourse and hauing proued Iewes and Gentiles to be transgressors of the Law either written or of nature thus saith Therefore by the workes of the Law Rom. 3.20 shall no flesh be iustified in Gods sight And lest we might make any doubt what Law hee meaneth of he yeeldeth a reason of his former assertion which maketh the matter plaine For by the Law is knowledge of sinne And yet that it may be more manifest what Law is here meant elswhere in plaine wordes he expoundeth himselfe Rom 7.7 I knew not sinne but by the Law For I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not lust Out of which wordes I reason thus The Apostle speaketh of that Law that maketh vs to know sinne but that is not the Law ceremoniall therefore the Apostle speaketh not of the Law ceremoniall Yea this place seemed to S. Augustine to haue such force as that thereupon he groundeth that which we teach August de Spir. lit cap. 8. Ac ne quisquam putaret hic Apostolum ea lege dixisse hominem iustificari quae in Sacramentis veteribus multa continet figurata praecepta c. And lest any man should thinke the Apostle to haue said that a man is iustified by that which in the old Sacraments haue many figuratiue precepts from whence commeth circumcision which children were commended to receiue he by and by sheweth what Law
the roote and heat and light from the Sunne but the question which is now to be answered is how the word iustified must here in these wordes of S. Paul be taken Phil. 3.5 I say then it is most likely that S. Paul being of the kindred of Israel of the tribe of Beniamin an Hebrew of the Hebrewes as hee was best acquainted with the Hebrew phrase so he would rather vse it then the Latine Nay this is more then likely because in this very Chapter before he hath vsed this very word according to the Hebrew phrase and in that sense that it hath commonly in the Scripture as our aduersaries themselues must needes confesse in his allegation out of the 51. Psalme It is therefore very absurd Rom. 3.4 that our aduersaries to confirme their sense of this word are forced so to vnderstand it as it is neuer or at the least very seldome vnderstood in the Scripture so that hardly they can alleage any testimonies where of necessitie it must bee taken in their sense whereas we are able to bring very many which they confesse must haue our sense Another absurditie I find in their interpretation Iustification and sanctification confounded by the Popish interpretation that they confound these two notable benefits which we haue by Christ that is our iustification our sanctification Of the first he speaketh in this place to the end of the fift Chap and of the latter he begins to speake in the sixt Chap. as to the end I need not stand long in proofe hereof Tho. of Aquine whom I know our aduersaries wil trust in a greater matter then this is shall testifie for vs in these wordes After the Apostle hath shewed that by the grace of Christ we are freed from sinnes past Tho. Aquin. in Rom. 6. Lec 1. as well that which hath beene brought in by the first man as that which by the Law aboundeth here he sheweth that by the grace of Christ power is giuen vs to resist sinne afterward And this he teacheth entring into his exposition vpon the sixt Chapter of this Epistle to the Romans prouing directly that which I haue said Now the confounding of these two benefits which the Apostle here and else-where distinguisheth is very absurd But here by the way I would aske a question of our Romish Masters what they thinke of these wordes of their Angellical Doctor For if it be true that he saith as it is indeed most true and well warranted by the Word it selfe then is it most false that our aduersaries here say that the Apostle speaketh of an inherent righteousnesse which I thus proue Inherent righteousnesse is for the auoiding of sinne to come but the Apostle speaketh not of the auoiding of sinne to come before the beginning of the sixt Chapter therefore before the beginning of the sixt Chapter he speaketh not of inherent righteousnesse The Minor which is onely by them to be denyed is taken out of the words of Tho. Aquinas Besides these absurdities we haue strong arguments whereby to refell their interpretation As first The Apostles meaning the intent and meaning of the Apostle who from the 16. verse of the first Chapter vnto these words proueth that all both Iewes and Gentiles stand in need of the mercy of God because they are all found guiltie before him The Gentiles not hauing the Law written All are sinners yet had such light of nature shining in their heart as taught them so far forth to know what was good and what was bad that they had their thoughts accusing one another when they did euill or excusing if they liued according to that knowledge But they walked not after that light neither followed that which their owne conscience told them was good â—â—m 2.15 they shewed not in their life the effect of the Law written in their hearts but might say with that vnhappy woman MEDEA Video meliora proboque deteriora sâ—quor I see and approue that which is better I follow that which is worse As for the Iewes among whom were the Lawes of God written in tables of stone and that they might neuer bee vnmindfull thereof they had their Priests for an ordinarie meane of their instruction yea the Prophets also as Gods extraordinary remembrancers to put them in remembrance of their duty and of Gods Law they I say who had greater helps to haue beene better yet liued so little according to that Law that the Apostle thus chargeth them Rom. 2.24 Rom. 3.20 The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles for you Hereupon the Apostle thus concludeth That by the works of the Law shall no flesh be iustified in Gods sight Vers 23. But the Apostle hauing thus proued that all haue sinned and are depriued of the glory of God will not leaue vs in that vncomfortable case but sheweth by and by how we are deliuered And as he hath taught vs that all both Iewes and Gentiles are transgressors of the Law and by transgression guiltie so now most comfortably he declareth how we shall be acquitted of our transgression Our deliuery from sinne that we may plead not guilty The question then being how we being breakers of Gods Law may appeare before our God and with confidence and plead not guilty This we can neuer doe by any inherent righteousnesse no goodnesse no holinesse that in this vale of misery while wee carry about vs this lumpe of sinfull flesh wee can attayne vnto may acquire vs before God but this must be by faith in Iesus Christ as the Apostle teacheth Now by this it is plaine enough that the Apostle saying wee are iustified by Faith and bringing this as the conclusion of all his former discourse should speake nothing to the purpose if he would here tell vs how we may liue righteously who must rather teach vs how we may be freed from the danger wherein hee hath proued that all men are And as the Apostle had in these words no meaning to shew how wee are inabled to walke in holinesse for of that he meaneth afterward to speake as before I shewed so the words themselues doe sufficiently confute our aduersaries as by this argument may bee proued The Apostle speaketh in these words of such Iustification as is not gotten or had by workes Not by workes but the Iustification in the Popish sence is only by workes therefore the Popish Iustification is not that which the Apostle mentioneth The Maior is plaine by the words of this text A man is iustified without workes The Minor they will not deny For that increase of righteousnesse which our aduersaries so much speake of is nothing else 2. Peâ— but to ioyne vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance and with temperance patience and with patience godlinesse and with godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and with brotherly kindnesse loue Such a continuall labouring to be adorned with all goodnesse Good
workes necessarie is the Iustification that is by inherent righteousnesse This I confesse is a goodly ornament vnto a Christian But if wee looke well about vs we shall find it too short to couer our imperfections and therefore must wee seeke otherwise to appeare righteous before God namely in the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ by whom wee haue forgiuenesse of sinnes And whereas the Apostle denyed that wee are iustified by workes would you not thinke hee spoke very absurdly to take this word as the Romish Church vnderstandeth it For to say a man is made godly without good workes and this they must say is as if I should affirme any thing to be burnt in the fire without heate Againe Iustification in our aduersaries sence is alwayes in doing For it is our regeneration or new birth our renouation or sanctification which can neuer bee perfected so long as wee are in this flesh and carry about with vs this bodie subiect to sinne Heere wee are militant and striuing after wee must looke for the crowne Heere we are Pilgrimes after this wee shall be Citizens and rest in ioy For now wee know but in part wee prophecie in part 1. Cor. 13.9 10. But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be abolished And as our knowledge is but in part euen so yea much more is our obedience heere very maimed and vnperfect That Paul himselfe confesseth Our inward man is renewed daily sayth he 2. Cor. 4.16 And hee whose prayse is in the Scripture for wisdome doth verie aptly liken the way of the righteous to the morning Pro. 4.18 that shineth as the light that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day By which fit similitude Salomon setteth forth vnto vs the continuall increase in godlinesse that an inherent righteousnesse that I may so terme our maimed and vnperfect obedience can bring forth Saint Bernard pithily and prettily expresseth as much comparing man in respect of his fall vnto one that falleth vpon a heape of stones and in the myre too Bernardus de Coena Domini Cecidimus super aceruum lapidum sayth he in luto vnde non solum inquinati sed etiam vulnerati grauiter quassati sumus lauari quidem cito possuinus ad sanandum vero opus est curatione multa We haue falne vpon a heape of stones and in the mire so as wee are not only defiled but wounded also and sore bruised Wee may quickly be washt but to heale vs there must bee long time By washing away our myre he meaneth our Iustification which he saith may soone be but by healing our wounded and bruised nature he vnderstandeth our sanctification Aug. de Trinit lib. 14. cap. 17. which is long in doing Therefore most truly sayth Saint Augustine Sanè renouatio ista non fit in momento Truly this renewing or new birth is not wrought of a sudden And now to adde an Assumption to that proposition that righteousnesse of which Saint Paul speaketh Iustification already perfited Rom. 5.1 is alreadie in them that are iustified We are iustified sayth hee as speaking of a thing alreadie perfited as also elsewhere being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God The same Apostle telling the Corinthians that Fornicatours Idolaters c. shall not inherit the Kingdom of God applying this vnto them 1. Cor. 6.11 saith Such were some of you but you are iustified These reasons then being wel considered of giue vs to vnderstand that there is so great difference betweene that sence of this word Iustification which our aduersaries would haue and that which is agreeable to the Apostles meaning as that their exposition of this word heere cannot be good and true But as I mislike and that iustly of that they teach so is it needful I should shew what is the true meaning of this word We seeke no strange signification of the word neyther force it to any other then that in the Scriptures most commonly it hath and most properly belongeth vnto it This I might proue by infinite testimonies I will produce but some few Hee that iustifieth the wicked sayth Salomon and hee that condemneth the iust Prou. 17.15 euen they both are abomination vnto the Lord. In like sort in Esay God by that Prophet denounceth Esa 5.23 Woe to them that iustifie the wicked I know our aduersaries will not say that woe shall be to them that shall make a wicked man righteous and reforme his vngodlinesse but to such as call euill good or good euill Esay 5 20. The Prophet Dauid acknowledgeth his sinnes to be verie great that GODS faithfulnesse in shewing mercie to him may bee confessed that thou sayth hee maist be iustified in thy sayings which words the Apostle in this verie Chapter alleadgeth as before is said But that God standeth in need to be iustified in the Popish sence our aduersaries dare not for shame say To be short the Prophet Dauid prayeth thus Enter not into iudgement with thy seruants O Lord for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified In all which and infinite moe places that I might produce the word iustifying is so taken as that a man is absolued or acquited that hee is pronounced not guiltie and so must it in these words be vnderstood when the Apostle sayth wee are iustified by faith that is by faith wee stand before GOD and may plead not guiltie For confirmation of that which I haue said I vse this argument Saint Paul speaketh heere of such Iustification Iustification bringeth peace Rom. 5.1 as maketh vs to haue peace with God For so are the words of the Apostle Being iustifi'd by faith wee haue peace with God But Iustification in the Popish sence maketh vs not to haue peace with GOD and in our sence it bringeth peace with God therefore Saint Paul speaketh not of Iustificatiō in the Popish sence but in ours My Minor only is to be proued for I haue alreadie shewed that the Apostle auerreth the Maior and that hath two parts the one negatiue wherein I deny Iustification in their sence to bring peace with God the other affirmatiue that in our sence it doth That Iustification as it is a doing of good workes and a liuing righteously so farre forth as mans frailetie will permit which is the sence that our aduersaries say belongs to this word heere cannot procure our peace with God I proue because the perfection of the Law which wee are commanded to obserue and keepe is such as man can neuer attaine to the fulfilling thereof None can fulfill the Law For who is hee that can so rule his affections by the Spirit that hee can in all sincerity and soundnesse serue the Lord Not any Man but Christ could euer doe it as the godly most plainely confesse The reason is because the Law commandeth perfection and our weakenesse is not able to performe it The Apostle teacheth vs so much saying
minde But if in the heart it bee not then can it not haue the application that I spoke of Faith must bee in the heart Against this their opinion I thus reason Iustifying faith is in the heart Popish faith is not in the heart therefore Popish faith is not that iustifying faith My Minor is the doctrine of the Papists and of Bellarmine among other as is said before The Maior or first proposition S. Paul will proue for me sufficiently so that it may not be denyed Rom. 10 10 Gal. 4.6 With the heart a man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse What can be more plaine Because you are sonnes saith the same Apostle elsewhere God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts And what worketh it thereby The Apostle telleth vs Whereby wee cry Abba Father And how learne wee this lesson of the Spirit First the Spirit teacheth vs to beleeue and to haue confidence and then this faith bringeth forth prayer as a fruit For How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 The Eunuch after Philip had instructed him in the faith asked if he might not be baptized Philip made answere Act. 8.37 38. If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou maist Arator therefore a Christian Poet who wrote about 1100. yeeres since hath these wordes Arator in Act. lib. 2. Corde salus credentis erit confessio voce In the heart is the saluation of the beleeuer the confession is in the mouth To be short vnfaithfulnesse is by the Apostle assigned to the heart Hebr. 3.12 Take heed brethren saith he lest there be in any of you at any time an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God therefore by the Law of contraries faith must be in the heart too A third fault that I find with this definition is that they say it is assensus solùm An assent onely No true faith without knowledge Bellar. de Iustific l. 1. cap. 7. as before out of Bellarmine I shewed whereby their meaning is to exclude knowledge as a thing nothing at all required in faith In so much as Bellarmine shameth not to affirme that fides melius per ignorantiam quà m per notitiam definitur Faith is better defined by ignorance then by knowledge But herein the common prouerbe is verified plus vident oculi quà m oculus Mo eyes see more then one For the Vniuersity of Colen in their Censure Censur Colon explic Dial. 4. written against Monhemius though they were Papists and in other points aduersaries to the truth yet in this write farre otherwise then Bellarmine doth Fidei ratio in firma notitia consistit The definition say they of faith standeth vpon firme knowledge We cannot herein speake more contrary to Bellarmine then they haue done Yet true it is that Bellarmine in the Booke and Chapter last alleaged by mee granteth that in faith there is a kinde of knowledge for he saith there are in him that beleeueth two things Bellar. de Iustif l. 1. c. 7 assent and apprehension which apprehension he saith is notitia rudis confusa A rude and confused knowledge A knowledge belike such as his sight was Mar. 8.24 who saw men walking like trees sauing that this knowledge is not like to bring forth so good an effect as his vnperfit sight did 25. For he soone after was restored to his sight and saw euery man a farre off cleerely but they who seeke for faith in this confused knowledge shall neuer finde it An vnknowing knowledge the Papists brag of And if you desire to know what this confused knowledge is wherewith they content themselues you may giue a great ghesse thereof by that which they tell vs of the Colliars faith holden for a true faith in the Romish Church commended by Staphilus that slanderous Apostata approued also by Stapleton who translated that idle pamphlet Staphilus his Apologie The Colliar told the Deuill he beleeued as the Church beleeueth and the Church beleeued as he did But further what the Church beleeued or himselfe either he could not tell This is that confused knowledge then that they would men should content themselues withall to bee able to speake of the Church in generall but not of the particular doctrine thereof to call God Father but not to know by what meanes hee is our Father to say wee beleeue in Iesus Christ not vnderstanding any thing of his person or office And thus not to know how to apply vnto our selues the comfort of these or any other generall points is a found faith with our great Masters of Rome But though Staphilus say the Deuill was ouercome with that answere and put to flight yet sure I am that God requireth greater knowledge and therefore giueth his word and appointeth his ministerie for the instruction of his people A particular knowledge is needfull Exod. 12.26 Neither did Moses suppose such a generall knowledge would serue the turne when hee so straitly chargeth the Israelites to instruct their children in the true cause of their feast of Passeouer When your children saith he aske you what seruice is this you keepe Then shall yee say It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer 27. which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israel in Aegypt when he smote the Aegyptians preserued our houses Ioshua also thought it not enough that Gods people should haue a generall perswasion that God was good but hee tooke order that his particular benefits should bee remembred euen of their children Iosh 4.6 7. And when Ioshua would that Moses should forbid Eldad and Medad Num. 11.29 to prophecie in the Host Moses answered Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit vpon them wishing a more speciall knowledge vnto them then was ordinary among Gods people And the Apostle prayeth that the Colossians may be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding He addeth his reason Coloss 1.9 that you may walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things 10. giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that without particular knowledge of his will in all things we cannot please him But what stand I vpon this point Doth not Saint Peter who they say was the first Pope and therefore that he commandeth they will confesse must bee obeyed require such knowledge in euery Christian 1. Pet. 3.15 that they may be readie to giue answere to euery man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them Shall wee then content our selues against so many expresse testimonies of the word with that rude and confused knowledge of Bellarmines or the Colliars faith so well liked of Staphilus But what reason haue they so to reioyce in this dimme light Why this generall knowlege is so praised of Papists Ioh. 3 20. like such as haue sore eies and therefore hang
something before them to keepe the brightnesse of the light from them Our Sauiour Christ yeeldeth the reason in these words Euery man that doth euill hateth the light neither commeth to the light lest his deedes should be reprooued Our aduersaries teach so many doctrines which cannot abide the light of the word and touchstone of truth they haue deuised and daily doe deuise so many fruitlesse workes and blind deuotions so many false and wil-worshippings and superstitious seruices repugnant to the Sacred Scriptures and so little sauouring of that obedience that is eyther commended in the godly or commaunded in the word that to cloke the wickednesse and abomination in many but folly and vanitie in the best of these their deuices they are forced to tell the people that ignorance is the mother of Deuotion for so they may lead them into a very dungeon of Superstition and that a folded vp faith is good enough for them Stapl. Antidot in Act. 16.31 Nec aliam simplex idiota Christianus habere tenetur neither is a simple and vnlearned Christian bound to haue any other faith Is not this the way to make fooles and idiots of Christians This this I say is the way to cast men into a gulfe of Idolatries Mat. 23.15 and to make men two-fold more the children of hell then you are And then with an Iöpoean you reioyce that Ignorance hath hatched many Deuotions A mother worthie of such badde Daughters Now this assent being proued to bee no true iustifying faith for thereby wee only beleeue that which God teacheth not in God as in our Creed we professe let vs step a little forward and see what this faith is which we affirme doth iustifie And if wee rightly consider thereof True faith we shall find two things necessarie for one that beleeueth the one is Knowledge the other is the Application of that our knowledge Knowledge That knowledge is necessarie to attaine to faith if we had no other proofe yet this were sufficient that God vseth so many wayes for the instruction of his people that by Ignorance they should not erre Hee giueth his Law to bee a rule of life and Religion appointeth his Priests to teach the same and to supply their negligence hee sendeth his Prophets extraordinary Messengers to iogge his people vpon the elbow so putting them in minde when they did amisse And hath hee not ordained the Ministerie Ephes 4.13 1. Cor. 14.26 that wee may meete together in the vnitie of faith and knowledge of the Sonne of God The sundry gifts that GOD hath giuen vnto his Church ought all to bee imployed to the edifying thereof Luk. 1.17 Iohn the Baptists office was to make readie a people prepared for the Lord as the Angell doth foreshew or as Zacharie his father sayth Luk. 1.76 To prepare the way of the Lord that is to make men fit to beleeue in Christ And how doth he execute this his function Euen by giuing knowledge of saluation vnto Gods people 77. by the remission of their sinnes Our Sauiour Christ thus speaketh vnto the Iewes Ioh. 10.38 If I doe the workes of my Father then though you beleeue not mee beleeue the workes that ye may know and beleeue As if he would say Vnlesse you know you cannot beleeue and therefore consider of my workes that you may know and so beleeue To this purpose also Act. 15.7 is that which Saint Peter said Among vs the Apostles God chose out me that the Gentiles by my mouth should heare the word of the Gospell and beleeue Now it is most plaine that men heare vnlesse they bee such forgetfull hearers as S. Iames misliketh that they may know Iam. 1.24 and so beleeue But that I may bee short Knowledge is so necessarie for such as beleeue as that it is taken for faith it selfe and that by one that did know better how to speake of these matters Ioh. 17.3 then all our Romish Rabbies This is life eternall sayth Christ to know thee to bee the only very God meaning that it is life eternall to beleeue God to bee the only verie God and whom hee had sent Iesus Christ and such speeches are common in the Scripture But as meate how good so euer nourisheth not but such as eate it and Physicke be it neuer so medicinable helpeth not but such as receiue it Euen so Application second thing required in faith if this knowledge be not applyed to the grieued or wounded conscience the offendour shall neuer haue peace with God therby The Apostle hauing handled at the ful the example of Abraham and set forth his constant faith with the comfortable effect it had That it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Rom. 4.22.23.24 then teacheth vs by application what vse we must make thereof It was not written for him only that it was imputed to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed which beleeue in him who raysed vp Iesus our Lord from the dead Notably for this point Benard de Annunt Serm. 1. Saint Bernard writeth Si credas peccata tua non posse deleri nisi ab illo cui soli peccasti in quem peccata non cadunt bene facis If thou beleeue thy sinnes cannot be done away but by him against whom thou hast only sinned and who himselfe is not subiect to sinne thou dost well Here is a good and a Christian knowledge now marke what vse wee must make of it Sed adde adhuc sayth he in that verie place vt hoc credas quia per ipsum peccata tibi donantur Hoc est testimonium quod perhibet Spiritus Sanctus in corde tuo Dimissa sunt tibi peccata tua But yet adde this sayth good Bernard that thou also beleeue that by him thy sinnes are forgiuen thee This is the testimonie that the holy Ghost beareth in thine heart Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Heere wee haue a particular application of that generall knowledge before mentioned And out of this place of Bernard wee are by the way to note how the Romish Church which would though most vniustly bee counted the true Church hath this long time deceiued the world in making men beleeue the Pope hath power to forgiue sinnes Man cannot forgiue sins whereas Saint Bernard most plainly and to the Scriptures most agreeably doth teach that God only can forgiue sinnes both because our sinne is a breach of his Law and himselfe cannot sinne Fye therefore vpon that man of sinne who being himselfe full fraught with sinne and ouerloden with wickednesse dare take vpon him that office that belongeth only to our Sinne-lesse GOD. He only can make cleane that which is conceiued of vncleane seed Job 14.4 and besides him none He I say hee only can truly make this Proclamation I I am he that putteth away thine iniquities Esa 43.25 for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes