us and vers 21. to make us the righteousnesse of God in Christ as he was made sinne for us Act. 26. 18. that by faith we may have remission of sinnes and inheritance that is that we may bee heires of the heavenly inheritance among them that are sanctified Ioh. 3. 18. He that beleeveth in Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not condemned that is as Paul speaketh Act. 13. 39. is justified but hee that beleeveth not him is condemned already That which Paul affirmeth Rom. 3. 21 22. now without the Law is manifested the righteousnesse of God being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets even the righteousnesse of God which is by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all and upon all that beleeâ—…e Saint Peter more plainely expresseth Act. 10. 43. unto him all the Prophets beare witnesse that every one which beleeveth in him receiveth remission of sinnes through his name § VIII Because the whole processe of the justification of a sinner is judiciall Rom. 8. 33 34. For the sinner summoning himselfe before the judgement seat of God as every one must doe that would bee justified his owne conscience being rightly informed by the paedagogie of the Law accuseth him the devill pleadeth against him the Law convicteth him and maketh him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 subject to the sentence of condemnation if God should judge him according to his Law But the sinner being instructed in the Gospell and the holy Ghost having opened his heart to beleeve appealeth from the sentence of the Law to the promise of the Gospell and from the tribunall of justice to the throne of Grace humbly intreating the Lord for Christs sake to pardon his sinnes and to accept of the merits and obedience of Christ as a full satisfaction for them Our Saviour sitting at the right hand of his Father maketh intercession and as an advocate pleadeth for him that forasmuch as he himselfe hath paid the debt and satisfied Gods justice for the beleeving sinner therefore the Lord not onely in mercy but also in justice is to remit his sinne and to accept of him in Christ. The Lord as a gracious and righteous judge imputing to the beleever the merits and righteousnesse of Christ absolveth him from his sinnes and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ that is to say justifieth him The beleeving sinner being thus justified in the Court of heaven is not at the first justified in the Court of his owne conscience that is to say is not yet perswaded and assured of his justification untill the holy Ghost by the ministery of the Gospell pronouncing remission of sinnes and justification to every one that beleeveth teacheth him to apply the promises of the Gospell unto himselfe which he sealeth unto him by the Sacraments The beleever being thus perswaded and in some measure assured of his justification giveth diligence by practising the duties of repentance and sanctification to confirme and increase that assurance more and more unto the end of his life labouring by all good meanes to make sure his election his vocation and his justification and so proceedeth from faith to faith The beleever having thus beene justified in this life both in the court of heaven and in the court of his owne conscience after this life namely at the day of judgement when our Saviour will judge of mens faiths according to the evidence of their works shall be justified that is pronounced happy and blessed These three degrees of Gods most gracious proceeding with the faithfull I have set downe not that there are so many degrees of justification so properly called For the first degree onely is that justification whereof wee treat which admitteth no degrees The other are degrees of the declaration thereof the former privately to the conscience of the faithfull the other publikely to the whole world CAP. III. The allegations of the Papists concerning the word justification the two first significations thereof assigned by Bellarmine § I. HAving thus explained the true sense and meaning of these words which in the holy Scriptures are used to signifie justification let us now examine the allegations of the Papists concerning the same Bellarmine therefore saith that the word justification meaning the Latine word is used foure wayes in the holy Scriptures meaning the vulgar Latine edition when as indeed neither the Latine edition it selfe nor the Latine word is in this question further to bee respected than as it is a true translation of the Hebrew in the Old Testament and of the Greeke in the New First saith he it is taken for the Law which teacheth righteousnesse and so is used Psal. 119. 8. I will keepe thy justifications and vers 12. teach me thy justifications c. This Bellarmine barely expoundeth without any further enforcing but Gregory Martin and our Rhemists urge it as a principall argument that the precepts of the Law are therefore called justifications because the observation of them doth justifie us and therefore exclaime against us that in our translations wee in stead of justifications doe read statutes or ordinances As though in translating the holy Scriptures we did professe to translate the Latine edition and not the Original Text. Now the word which in the old Testament is by the vulgar Latine interpreted justificationes and by the 72. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Chuqqim which when it is used alone signifieth undefinitely any of the precepts statutes or commandements of God but being used with other words of the like signification from which it is distinguish'd signifieth the statutes and ordinances of the Ceremoniall Law insomuch that the vulgar Latine in many places even where the Greek hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rendreth Ceremonias a as I shewed before which though the Latines sometimes call justificationes yet by the confession of the Papists themselves do not justifie And the like is to be said of Luk. 1. 6. where Zachary and Elizabeth are said to have walked in all the Commandements and justifications of the Lord where the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the translation of Chuqqim and signifieth the statutes of the ceremoniall Law as being distinguished from the Commandements of the morall Law but of the Greeke word I have spoken sufficiently before Chap. 2. § 5. If therefore the force of the Latine word justificationes bee urged I answer that the observation of the morall Law can justifie no man that is a sinner and much lesse the observation of the ceremoniall And the conclusion which they inferre from the force of the word that the precepts of the Law are called justifications because by the observation of them men are justified is directly contrary to that of the Apostle that by the workes of the Law no man living is or can be justified § II. But if they bee justifications whose are they For so they argue If good workes say they bee the
confesse our selves to be sinners But the pharisaicall Papist if he be once justified as by their doctrine all are for a time at the least who either are baptized or absolved hee must thinke that in him there is no sinne nothing that God can justly hate And therefore farre bee it from him to make such a confession as this or to cry out with the Apostle Wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death Rom. 7. 24. § IX His second reason to prove this allegation to bee imperitnent is this Because although Esay should speake of all that is of that whole people yet hee doth not speake of all at all times but onely of the people of the Iewes at that time who for their extreme wickednesse were delivered into captivity as appeareth by the words following verse 10. Zion is a wildernesse Ierusalem a desolation the Temple burnt c. Answ. These words doe prove that the Prophet in this place doth not speake in the person of the wicked Iewes that lived in his time before the desolation of Ierusalem but of the remnant of the faithfull and penitent Iewes who being in captivity bewaile their sinnes and lament the desolation of the Temple and City And therefore what is said of them may be extended to the faithfull in all times being as these were humbled before God for their sinnes as penitent suppliants § X. His third reason because the Prophet speaking onely of the wicked of that time meaneth not all their workes as though all were sinnes for then Bellarmine must confesse that the best workes of the unregenerate are but splendida peccata but such as they accounted to bee their righteousnesse as their sacrifice and new-moones and other ceremoniall observatious wherein they placed their righteousnesse which because they were not 〈◊〉 with a good intention nor as they ought are worthily compared but not by them to a menstruous cloth and are rejected by God Esa. 1. 11. Answ. Here Bellarmine taketh for granted that the Prophet speaketh of the workes of the wicked onely of that time which I have disproved Or if hee had spoken of the wicked it were more probable either that they should place their righteousnesse in morall workes if they had any rather than in ceremoniall or if they placed the top of their righteousnesse as hypocrites many times doe in ceremoniall observations that they would compare those things which they so highly esteemed to menstruous clouts But hee speaketh of all the persons All wee and therefore including the righteous if there were any at all among them as some there were both before the captivity and in it and of all their righteousnesses and therefore not of their ceremonials onely but also of their morals Neither might they performe the chiefe of their ceremonials during their captivity being in a forraine land § XI Secondly that the good workes of the faithfull in this life are not purely and perfectly good I prove because in all our best actions there is a mixture of evill either by the absence or defect of some good thing which ought to bee therein or by the presence of some fault or corruption which ought not to be in them And this I prove first out of Exod. 28. 36. 38. where the high Priest who was the figure of Christ is appointed to weare on his forehead a plate of pure gold which is also called an holy coronet Exod. 29. 6. Levit. 8. 9. engraven with this inscription Holinesse of the Lord and so the 72. translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Lord that is of Christ who is the Lord our righteousnesse The end wherefore he was to weare it was that Aaron might beare the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel should hallow in all their holy gifts And it was alwaies to be on his forehead that they the holy gifts might be accepted before the Lord where we are plainly taught that in all our best actions and holy services which wee performe to God there is iniquity which must bee taken away by the holinesse and righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us otherwise they cannot in themselves be accepted of God § XII Secondly out of Eccl. 7. 20. There is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not that is who in doing good sinneth not For if the meaning were onely thus as Bellarmine would have it that none are so just but that sometimes they sinne according to that 1 King 8. 46. those words that doth good were superfluous for there is no just man that doth not good But his meaning is that there is no just man upon earth who doing good sinneth not that is which doth good so purely and perfectly as that hee doth not sinne therein For to the perfecting of a good worke many things must concur the want of any whereof is a sinne The truth of this doth best appeare in the particulars Prayer is a good worke and so is the hearing of the word c. but there is no man doth so pray or so heare the word but that when hee hath done he hath just cause to pray unto God to forgive his defects and defaults both in the one and the other And in this sense Luther did truly hold that justus in omni opere bono peccat that a just man sinneth in every good worke Not that the worke in respect of its kind or per se is a sinne as if wee said that prayer c. is a sinne but per accidens because in that good worke there happeneth a defect which defect is a sinne not mortall to them who are in Christ but veniall And thus Augustine also seemeth to understand this place For speaking of the imperfection of charity in this life hee saith that so long as it may be increased profectò illud quod minus est quà m debet ex vitio est ex quo vitio non est justus in terra qui faciat bonum non peccet assuredly that which is lesse than it ought to be is out of vice by reason of which vice there is not a just man upon earth who doth good and sinneth not by reason of which vice no living man shall bee justified before God and in another place more plainely hee saith peccatum est cum charitas minor est quà m esse debet it is a sinne when charity is lesse than it ought to bee § XIII Thirdly such as is the tree such is the fruit The tree is corrupt in part For even in the best there is the Old man and the New the flesh and the Spirit betwixt which there is a perpetuall conflict so that wee cannot doe the things wee would and much lesse as we would but all even our best actions are stained with the flesh which is such a law in us that when wee would doe good evill is present with us
lively effectuall faith which worketh by love and therefore I say againe this whole dispute of the seven dispositions is meerely impertinent § IV. But some will say doe you require no preparative dispositions going before justification I answer that in adult is we doe but that no way hindereth the truth of our assertion concerning justification by faith alone wee doe confesse that to the begetting of justifying faith preparative dispositions are ordinarily required in adultis in those who be of yeares wrought partly by private education and use of other private meanes as reading meditation conference c. and partly by the publicke ministery both of the Law and of the Gospell by which first our minds are illuminated to know God and our selves and what wee shall bee in Christ if wee beleeve in him Secondly hee mollifieth our hearts and humbleth our soules ordinarily by the ministery of the Law and extraordinarily by afflictions either outward or inward which are the terrours of a distressed conscience by which when the Word will not serve the Lord draweth men as it were with a strong hand that being thus humbled we may become fit auditours of the Gospell In which the Lord to the humbled and prepared soule revealeth his unspeakeable mercies in Christ stirreth us up by the ministers of reconciliation to accept of his mercie in Christ intreating and perswading us in the name of God and in Christs stead that wee would be reconciled unto God The holy Ghost having thus knocked at the doore of our hearts at length in his good time he himselfe openeth our hearts to receive Christ by faith working in our judgments a lively assent to the doctrine of salvation by Christ and by it both an earnest desire in our hearts to be made partakers of Christ which is the desire of application and also in our wils a setled resolution to acknowledge him to be our Saviour and to rest upon him alone for salvation which is the will and purpose of application Having thus received and embraced Christ by a lively assent or beliefe and so having the condition of the promise which is faith in the next place wee proceed to actuall application by speciall faith which is farther to be confirmed by the Sacraments which are the seales of that righteousnesse which is by faith and by the practise of piety or leading of a godly life whereby wee are to make as our election and calling so also our justification sure unto us § V. But come we to his argument drawne from the seven preparative dispositions And first for faith he saith he shall not need to prove that it doth justifie because we confesse it but that it doth not justifie alone Answ. That justifying saith which is a grace infused in our regeneration we deny to justifie by way of disposing that faith which goeth before regeneration and is not infused we deny to justifie at all And such is that faith whereof he speaketh and therefore hee reckoneth without his host From our assertion he should rather have concluded thus That which is but a preparative disposition to justification doth not justifie at all that faith which goeth before regeneration is but a preparative disposition to justification as Bellarmine teacheth therefore that faith which goeth before regeneration doth not justifie at all Or thus a preparative disposition to justification doth not justifie but faith as all confesse doth justifie therefore it is not a preparative disposition to justification § VI. Yea but he will prove by authority of Scriptures by testimonies of Fathers and by reason that faith doth not justifie alone because it is but the beginning of justification and therefore other things must accompany and follow it to perfect our justification Answ. That it is the beginning of sanctification and the root of all sanctifying graces I have already confessed But the concurrence both of other inward graces and of outward obedience unto sanctification doth not hinder but that faith doth justifie alone Neither doth faith justifie as the beginning of justification only first because there are no degrees of justification before God for in the first act it is perfect and to that act continued throughout this life faith as I shewed before out of divers of the Fathers sufficeth I say sufficeth to justification and therefore is not the beginning onely but also the continuance and consummation thereof for as in the first act it justifieth so also in the continuance of justification for by it we stand and by it we live and so long as we have faith it is imputed unto us for righteousnesse even from faith to faith as it was to Abraham after he had long continued in the faith § VII His first proofe is Heb. 11. 6. Hee that commeth to God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him Therefore faith is the first motion of comming to God which wee willingly confesse But he should have done well to have told us what is meant by comming unto God For to come unto Christ is to beleeve in him Ioh. 6. 35 37 44 65. And if that bee the meaning of the holy Ghost in this place then to come unto God is to beleeve in him by speciall faith otherwise the Apostle should enunciate idem per idem And then the meaning is this hee that would beleeve that God is his God and that he will be gracious unto him must first beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him Or thus wouldest thou beleeve that Christ is thy Saviour then must thou first beleeve that hee is the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him Or it may be that the word come in this place is to bee expounded by the word seeking He that will come unto God that is hee that will seeke God must beleeve that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seeke him For these words comming returning seeking which properly betoken the actions of the body are by a Metaphore translated to the actions of the soule whereby is meant sometimes our conversion and turning unto God Deut. 4. 29. 30. 2 Chron. 15. 4. Esa. 9. 13. Hos. 3. 5. 5. 15. cum 6. 1. 7. 10. And if that bee the meaning of this place then nothing else can bee gathered from it but that faith is the beginning of our repentance and turning unto God Sometimes the whole study of piety whereby wee endevour to know God and to serve him 1 Chro. 28. 9. If thou seeke him that is if thou endevour to know and to serve him with an upright heart and with a willing mind 2 Chron. 14. 4. 15. 12. 17. 4. Act. 17. 27. Psal. 119. 2 3. whereupon godly and religious men are said to bee seekers of the Lord Psal. 22. 26. 24. 6. 40. 16. Esa. 51. 1. And thus faith is the beginning of all piety
that which is lesse than it ought to be is faulty or vicious By reason of which vice there is not a righteous man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not By reason of which vice no man living shall be justified before God By reason of which vice if we shall say that we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And for which though we be never so good proficients we must of necessity say forgive us our debts c. § XI Secondly hee replyeth that the Law which prescribeth love requireth no more but that we should love with our whole heart But that this not onely may be done but also should be done in the new Testament the Scripture doth witnesse Deuâ—… 30. 6. Answ. The Phrase of loving with the whole heart being legally understood according to the perfection prescribed in the Law doth signifie as it soundeth neither can be performed by any mortall man though regenerate because he is partly flesh and partly Spirit Neither can more than the Law requireth in this behalfe be performed in our Country For as August saith in the life to come our love shal be not only above that which here we have but also far above that which we either aske or think Notwithstanding it can be no more than what the Law requireth with all our heart with all our soule and with all our minde For there doth not remaine in us any thing which may be added ad totum to that which is all for if any thing remaine which might bee added then it is not totum all But the phrase is many times Evangelically understood as in the place quoted to signifie not absolute or legall perfection but the integrity and uprightnesse of the heart which is the Evangelicall perfection as I have shewed elsewhere and shall againe ere long declare § XII Thirdly he replyeth that the Scriptures teach that men may bee perfect in this life And to this purpose alleâ—…geth Gen. 6. 9. 17. 1. Matth. 5. 48. 19. 17. Phil. 3. 15. 1 Iohâ—… 2. 5. The use of the word in these and some other places is to bee distinguished For in the most of them it is not opposed to imperfection and so many places are impertinently alleaged but either to hypocrisie and so it signifieth up right and sincere as Gen. 6. 9. 17. 1. Or to partiality when wee are good to some but not to others as Matth. 5. 48. Be you perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect doing good to men of all sorts both good and bad both friends and foes or to infancy and childhood and so it signifieth adultus a growne man and so it is used 1 Cor. 14. 20. Heb. 5. 14. and so in the place cited Phil. 3. 15. Where the Apostle acknowledging that he had not attained to perfection but still labouring to bee a good proficient exhorteth so many as are perfect to be of the same minde with him that is to strive towards perfection as having not yet attained to iâ—… In 1 Iohn 2. 5. the phrase is varied In him that keepeth Gods word the love of God is perfected that is perfectly knowne hereby we know that we are in him And so is the word used Iam. 2. 22. 2 Cor. 12. 9. There remaineth onely the answere of Christ to the justitiary Matth. 19. 17. If thou wilt bee perfect c. Which as I have shewed before our Saviour fitteth to the disposition of that justitiary whom having a great conceit of himselfe that he had kept all the commandements of God from his youth he thought good to discover and unmaske by a commandement of tryall If thou wilt saith hee bee perfect that is If thou wilt approve thy selfe to be a perfect observer of the Law as thou pretendest goe and sell that thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow mee For if thou refusest so to doe thou shalt bewray thy selfe to bee a meere wordling preferring the love of the world besore the love of God and desiring to retaine thy earthly wealth rather than to obtaine the heavenly treasure § XIII His third sort of testimonies is of such as doe testifie that some have kept the Commandements of God and namely those of loving with the whole heart and of not coveting And to to this purpose he alleageth the examples of David of Iosiah of Asa and his people of Iosuah and others whom hee doth but name of Zachary and Elizabeth of the Apostles and namely of Paul and in conclusion of Ezechias and of Abraham Answ. All these were sincere and upright keepers and observers of the Law but none of them were perfect and perpetuall fulfillers of it none of them wâ—…re wâ—…thout sinne David was a man according to Gods owne heart in respect of his uprightnesse and integrity 1 King 3. 6. and for that and not for any absolute perfection he is commended in the places alleaged Psal. 119. 10. 1 King 14. 8. Act. 13. 22. 1 King 15. 5. And yet for all this David was a sinner and in many of his Psalmes bewayleth his manifold sinnes desiring the Lord not to enter into judgement with him for if hee should neither he nor any other could be just in his sight placing his justification in the remission of his sinnes and in Gods acceptation of him imputing unto him righteousnesse without workes Iosias also was a godly and upright king but yet not without fault in that hee harkened not unto the Words of Necho from the mouth of God but presumptuously fought against him 2 Chron. 35. 22. Of the people under Asa no more can be gathered but that with upright hearts and willing minds they entred into a covenant to seeke the Lord in sincerity and truth Of Asa himselfe the Scripture indeed doth testifie that his heart was perfect that is upright before the Lord all his dayes Notwithstanding in the same place it is said that the high places were not taken away and in the next Chapter three sinnes of his are recorded that hee had relied on the King of Syria and not on the Lord that being reproved therefore by the Prophet Hanani he committed the Prophet to prison that in his sickenesse he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians That which is said of 〈◊〉 doth not concerne the observation of the Morall Law but those politicke precepts which the Lord had given to Moses and Moses to Iosuâ—…h concerning the utter destruction of the Canaanites whom the Lord had delivered into his hands Of Zachary and Elizabeth it is said first that they were just before God that is upright and secondly that they walked in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse which latter they might doe and yet bee farre from that perfection which the Law requireth For Paul professeth of himselfe that even before
wee ought to thinke our selves mercifully dealt with if wee escape the punishment which by the Law of God is due unto us But here it will bee said if the master shall bee pleased to promise rewards unto the servant for his service well performed may not the servant expect the promised reward I answere that what reward soever shâ—…ll in this kinde be either promised or given it is wholly to be ascribed to the Masters bounty and not to the servants merit § VII For the third That which is done of meere duty by a servant to his Lord there belongeth no reward in justice as deserved by him But all that we who are the servants of God can doe though we should doe all that is commanded is done of meere bounden duety to our Lord. Therefore to all that we can doe though we should doe all that is commanded there belongeth no reward as justly deserved by us But when we have done all that is commanded I speak by supposition as our Saviour doth we must no lesse truely than humbly confesse that wee are unprofitable servants that is as is manifestly gathered out of the parable such as cannot deserve so much as thankes of our Lord. If therefore our gracious Lord shall be pleased out of his bounty freely to promise and according to his promise graciously to reward our imperfect obedience which he might justly punish it is not our merit but his great mercie that he doth not punish it more that he doth accept of it as well pleasing unto him in his welbeloved but most of all that he doth most graciously and undeservedly reward it From whence I reason thus Whosoever are unprofitable servants they doe not merit noâ—… deserve the reward of eternall life of their Lord. All the faithfull though they should doe all that is commanded are unprofitable servants Therefore none of the faithfull though they should doe all that is commanded doe merit or deserve at the hands of God the reward of eternall life And if they who doe all that is commanded cannot merit then much lesse they whose obedience is defective as the obedience even of the best is So saith Hierome si inutilis est qui fecit omnia quid de illo dicendum qui explerenon potuit § VIII The assumption is proved first because our Saviour commandeth his Apostles to confesse as the truth is that when they have done all that is commanded they are unprofitable servants and therefore they who neither doe nor can doe all are impudent lyars when they professe themselves to be profitable servants Secondly by a comparison of earthly Lords and servants For if earthly Lords and masters owe not so much as thankes to their servants who are indeed their fellow servants for all the service which they can doe though they doe not give them the will and the power to doe them acceptable service how much lesse doth God who being our absolute Lord doth also give us will and power to serve him owe unto his servants the reward of the kingdome of heaven And if servants by doing all possible service to their earthly masters who are but their fellow servants cannot deserve so much as thankes at their hands how much lesse can wee who serve the Lord of Lords deserve the kingdome of heaven at his hands by our unperfect and defective service of him Thirdly from the antithesis or opposition that is betweene debitum and meritâ—…m duety and merit For hee that doth but his duety though he performe his whole duty cannot merit a reward of his Master but must confesse himselfe to be an unprofitable servant how much lesse can they merit an heavenly reward at the hands of God who performe not their whole duty but faile in many particulars both by omission and commission as the very best of us doe § IX To avoid the force of this unavoidable argument Bellarmine seeketh many evaâ—…ions which he would gladly father upon the Fathers of the Church For he saith there be foure egregious expositions given by the Fathers none whereof make against the merit of good workes The first of Saint Ambrose that of our selves and by nature we are unprofitable servants â—…apt and unable to fulfill Gods Commandements which our Saviour would have us humbly to acknowledge though by grace we become profitable and therefore as he saith agnoscenda est gratia sed non ignoranda natura Reply Ambrose doth not speake of our corrupt nature neither is it his meaning that by nature wee are unprofitable servants by grace profitable but that by nature wee are servants and by grace sonnes For by nature corrupted wee are not the servants of God but of sinne and Satan But he understandeth the meaning of our Saviour to be that the children of God who are in the state of grace should not glory in their workes as if by them they did merit any thing of God quia jure Domino debemus obsequium because by right we owe obedience to God Neither should we thinke our selves exempted from continued obedience because we are sonnes for as we are sons by the grace of adoption which we are to acknowledge so by nature and creation whereof we are not to be ignorant we are servants As therefore thou who art a master dost not content thy selfe with one worke of thy servant and then biddest him sit downe and eate but having done one worke thou exactest of him another vers 8. So God doth not require the use of one worke in thee but whiles we live we must alwaies work Secondly our Saviour doth not speake of naturall men as being unprofitable because unapt to fulfill Gods Commandements but directeth his speech to the faithfull and namely to his owne Apostles and Disciples who study and endeavour to keepe all Gods Commandements which without grace cannot be done requiring them to make this humble and true confession that even when they have done all that is commanded they are but unprofitable servants such as are described in the parable who deserve nothing at the hands of their master because in doing all that is commanded they doe but their bounden duty and that excludeth merit For debitum non est meritum Yea but Bellarmine proveth out of 2 Tim. 2. 21. that by grace men become profitable to God For he that purgeth himselfe shall become a vessell profitable unto the Lord. Answ. The Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fit for the master of the house to use for the benefit of the houshold and fitted for every good worke But that our piety or obedience bringeth no profit to God I have shewed before And this is the very second exposition of this place which though repugnant to this present assertion Bellarmine himselfe doth commend in the second place For so hee saith § X. We are commanded as Bede expoundeth this Text to acknowledge that we bring no profit to God but that what good thing
as much as this place is often alleaged by the Papists to prove that eternall life is the wages or hire due to good woâ—…kes I will therefore shew first that it maketh not for them secondly that it maketh against them For the first I affirme that from parables nothing can be proved that is besides the scope of them The scope of this parable is to shew that many who are first shall be last and the last first and that many are called but few chosen as appeareth both by the last verse of the former Chapter for proofe whereof this parable is propounded for so he saith vers 1. For the kingdome of heaven c. And also by the sixteenth verse of the Chapter which is the reddition of the parable So the last shall be first and the first last for many be called but few are chosen The first are they who were called early in the morning and hired for a certaine wages or hire viz. for a penny by the day But the first in the sequele of the parable became the last If therefore it bee alleaged that to these eternall life was given for the hire of their labour I say it is not onely besides but also contrary to the scope of the parable which was to shew that those who were first câ—…lled were of the many that are called but not of the few that are chosen and consequently not of the few that are saved The penny therefore that was promised by the housholder and received by these workemen doth not signifie eternall life as Saint Basill supposeth For though they received the penny yet because they were called but not chosen they missed of eternall life Thus therefore I argue Eternall life was not received by these workemen for they were called and not chosen The penny which was promised was received by these workemen vers 10 11 14. therefore the penny which was promised is not eternall life And this may be gathered out of the parable it selfe First because these weâ—…e meere hirelings who would not worke but for a certaine hire led onely by reward for the obtayning whereof they trusted in their owne merits Secondly because after they had received their penny they envied their fellow workemen whom the Lord rewarded not according to their merits but according to his owne bounty to which they trusted and not to their owne merit Thirdly because they murmured against the housholder as if he had not dealt with them according to their desert who had wrought twelve houres and had borne the burden and the heate of the day Fourthly because being sharpely reproved by the Lord of the vineyard they were sent away with indignation saying to one of them which was intended to all take that which is thine and bee gone but whither doth hee bid them goe Basil guesâ—…eth whither they who be on the left hand shall be commanded to goe And this may further be proved by conference with the like place Luk. 13. 30. where our Saviour having told the Iewes who were first called that they should bee excluded out of the kingdome of God and the Gentiles from all parts of the world should be admitted saith and behold there are last which shall be first meaning the Gentiles and there are first meaning the Iewes which shall be last that is excluded out of the number of them that shall bee saved For as elsewhere also he saith Many are called Matth. 22. 14. of which number was hee that comming without his wedding garment was cast into utter darkenesse vers 13. but few are chosen § VII For the second that this parable maketh against them I prove thus If this reward whatsoever it be were rendred according to merit and according to justice as a just and deserved reward then there would have beene a due proportion observed betweene the labour and the reward so that a greater reward should have been given to the greater labour and a lesse to the lesse But here the unequall labours of 12 of 9 of 6 of 3 of one houre the same reward is given viz. to every one a peny not according to the merit of the labourers for then dividing the penny into twelve parts to them that were called at the third hourâ—… nine parts of a penny to them that were called at the sixth houre halfe a penny to them at the ninth houre the fourth part of a penny to them at the eleventh houre but one twelfth part of a penny should have beene given but according to the good pleasure of the housholder who alleageth he might doe with his owne what hee plealeth and therefore would give to him who wrought but one houre and that in the coole of the day as much as to him that wrought twelve having boâ—…ne the burden and the heate of the day Whereupon Prosper as you have heard inferreth that whereas God did make those who were called at the eleventh 〈◊〉 equall with the first he did it to commend the excellencie of hâ—… grace not paying a price or hire to their labours but powring forth the riches of his bountie upon them whom he chose without workes that they also who tooke great paines and received no more than the last might understand that they received a gift of grace and not wages of workes For as Râ—…dulphus Ardens speaking of these words vers 13. diddest thou not agree with me for a penny let no man saith he thinke that God is by covenant as it were bound to us to pay what he hath promised For as God is free to promise so also he is free to pay especially seeing as well the merits as the rewards are his grace For God in us doth crowne nothing but his owne grace who if he would deale strictly with us there would no man living bee justified in his sight Whereupon the Apostle who had laboured more than they all saith I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not condigne to the future glory shall bee revealed in us ergo hac canventio nihil aliâ—…d est quà m voluntaria Dei promissto therefore this agreement is nothing else but Gods voluntary promise Ferus also writing on these words saith this parable doth teach us that it is grace and not debt whatsoever is given unto us of God and that where is no debt or duty but all is given of grace there no wrong is done And further that you may see how little this parable maketh for merit-mongers wee may observe that as divers of the Fathers understood by the first the Iewes at least the justitiaries among them who the Lord having made a covenant with them of workes that for their dayes labour hee should give them a penny expecting reward according to their merit were of the first made last so by the last the faithfull among all nations with whom the Lord hath made the covenant of grace not promising to pay them according to the merit of their
opere Eleemosynis containing an effectuall exhortation to the workes of charity from the reward that God hath promised and will graciously bestow on those that are forward in these workes Nusquam Dominus meritis ad premium deerit God will no where bee wanting to our good workes to reward them To them that overcome in peace he will give a white crowne for their actions and to them that overcome in persecution hee will redouble a purple crowne for their suffering Where hee saith no more being rightly understood than tâ—…e Preachers of the Gospell use to say upon the like occasion His allegation ouâ—… of Hâ—…larie Regnum Dei vitae nostrae stipendiis quaramus is a grosse mâ—…aking of stipends for merits which are contraries For merits in his owâ—…e conceit are mens workes stipends are the rewards which God gâ—…veth to our workes And this absurdity is increased by our Ieâ—…uites translation set forth in capitall Letters Let us saith he endevour to puâ—…chase the Kingdom of heaven by the price of our good life so that in his learning quaerere is to endevour to purchase and stipenâ—…ia vitae nostrae is the price or merit of our good life The words are spoken by way of exposition upon Matth. 6. 33. Where our Saviour having disswaded us from seeking inordinately the things of this life directeth us what wee are first to seeke But first seeke the Kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and all these things shall bee added unto you all these things that is stipendia vitae nostrae the stipends of this life of ours which God hath promised to give to them that seeke his Kingdom and his righteousnesse as the petty rewards of our piety For those things that hee calleth stipends must either bee stipends by us given to God or by us received from him But the former is absurd if not blasphemous therefore by the stipends of this life wee are to understand 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the things of this life as food and apparell c which God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were by way of advantage or surplusage addeth to these to whom hee giveth his kingdome and righteousnesse which they first sought for so hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if the kingdome of God which with these things is to bee sought were by them to bee purchased then the righteousnesse of God by which wee are justified and entituâ—…ed to that kingdome that is the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ should also bee purchased by Gods temporall gifts for so hee saith seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and therfore it rather than they should be called stipendium or merces which the Papists themselves deny it being gratia onely aâ—… they confesse and not mâ—…rces As for those other words which Bellarmine citeth De nostro igitur est beata illa aeternitas promerenda c. I presume that hee himselfe would not subscribe unto them as they sound as if wee attained to heaven by any thing that is properly ours and from our selves But Hiâ—…ari's meaning may bee gathered from that which went before For writing upon Matth. 7. 22. Many shall say to mee in that day Lord Lord have not we prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name cast out Devils c. saith that Christ condemneth the hypocrisie of counterfeit Preachers who though they were voâ—…d of sanctifying grace yet because they prophesied and wrought wonders in his Name did therefore promise to themselves the kingdome of heaven quasi verò eorum aliquid proprium sit quae loqâ—…ntur aut faciunâ—… as if any of those things which they say or doe were their owne they beâ—…ng but the instruments of God by whom hee speaketh and worketh for the good of others and therefore both the word and the worke is not theiâ—…s but Gods But if wee desiâ—…e to attaine to that blessed eternity prâ—…standum aliquid est ex proprio at bonum velimus malum omne vitemus totoque affectu praeceptis caelestiâ—…us obtemperemus wee must doe something of our owne that wee will that which is good and shun all evill and with all our affection obey the heavenly precepts which though they be not from our selves yet may be called ours as being our workes and properly tending to our owne good To the testimony of Ambrose Nonne evidens est meritorum aut praemia â—…t sâ—…pplicia post mortem manere wee readily subscribe understanding by merits according to the language of the Latine Fathers workes with relation to reward whether good or bad To the testimony of Ierome Denarius quasâ—… indalgentia veri principis â—…mnes per baptismum omittit de carâ—…ere I am nostri laboris est pro dâ—…versitate virtutum diversa nobis praemiâ—… praeparare I answere that hee diâ—…puting against Iovinâ—…an who held equality of rewards in the life to come using for his argument one and the same day-peny which was given to unequall labours answereth that unus denarius noâ—… est unum prâ—…mium one peny is not one and the same reward sed unâ—… vita ac una de gehenna libe ratio but one life and one deliverance out of hell But as at the granting of a Princes pardon men that are guilty of divers crimes are all released out of prison and every one according to his labour or his workes is in this or that state of life Even so the penny as it were the pardon of the true Prince by baptisme releaseth all out of prison Now it must bee our lâ—…bour according to the diversity of virtues to prepare unto our selves divers rewards His meaning is that in the life to come which as it is eternall is one and the same to all there are divers degrees of glory Whereas therefore wee have deliverance from hell and title to heaven by the true Princes pardon it being purchased for all true beleevers by the merit of Christ which in Baptisme is equally applyed to all the faithfull it must therefore bee our endevour by labouring for a greater measure of grace to prepare as it were for our selves a greater measure of glory For the Lord doth crowne his own graces in us with glory and the greater graces with greater glory And although both the life it selfe and the degrees of glory therin as to sit some on Christs right hand and some on his left in his kingdome are prepared by God as it is said Matth. 20. 23. and by our Saviour who therefore ascended into his fathers house wherein are many mansions that hee might prepare or provide a place for each of us Ioh. 14. 2 3. yet we may be said after a sort to prepare for our selves greater rewards when wee labour to be endued with greater graces To the testimony of Paulinus Tuarum tibi praemia se debere virtâ—…tum justus jâ—…dex agnoscet I onely answere this because I have not the booke that although it bee