Deuills beleeue and quake for feare if the wicked without good workes haue a true faith then the Deuill likewise hath a true and reall faith you say it is great impudencie in Heretikes and a hard shift to say that the faith of which the Apostle disputeth all this while is no true or properly called faith at all Let vs see whether this impudencie and heresie may not bée cast vpon Sainct Iames himselfe by the euidence of his owne words What auaileth my Brethren if a man say he hath faith and hath no workes Iacob 2. vers 14. By this beginning it is not obscure what manner of faith Sainct Iames meaneth placed in a certaine vayne vaunt of wordes and not approoued by any workes For that faith which hath no workes is a fayned faith But of that faith which wanteth workes Iames speaketh as it is cleere by the very wordes wherefore it is manifest that the Apostle doth speake here of a fayned faith the which is more manifest of that which followeth For he speaketh of such a faith which doth not helpe the naked and poore but in words wishes only vers 15. Go in peace warme you and be you filled yet performeth nothing that they desire This is a fayned faith the which Iames also because it wanteth deedes he calleth it a dead faith vers 16. Then he concludeth that the same is a true faith which can bee shewed by workes when as the same is no such faith it followeth that it is no true but a dead and a sayned faith But that which he subioyneth taketh away all doubt For wilt thon be taught what faith Iames doth denie to be effectula to righteousnes and saluation vers 19. You may know that of that of these words Thou doest beleeue that there is one God Thou doest well the Deuills beléeue and tremble He speaketh of that faith which falleth into the Deuills themselues But that faith is faiued counterfaite and dead Therefore this is that faith whereby alone Iames doth denie vs to be iustified Augustine in his Booke De fide operibus cap. 14. Iames is greatly agaynst those which are so wife to thinke that faith is auaileable to saluation without workes that he compareth them to Deuills Hereby it appeareth that Sainct Augustine meant that S. Iames meant not a true faith except the Deuills faith be a true faith You adde further that it is the same faith that S. Paule defined Hebr. 11. and the same that is called the Catholike faith Oh how you mistake the Scriptures and being a faithles generation doe not knowe what a true faith meaneth Is this faith without workes a true faith Is this faith the same faith which the Author of the Epistle to the Hebr. doth meane Why then was not the Deuil canonized among the Saincts why was he not reckoned among Abel the rest By the vertue of that faith specified by the Apostle many were stoned cut in sunder being killed with the sword were slaine they wandred vp downe in sheepes cloathing and goates skinnes being destitute oppressed and euill intreated Hebr. 11. vers 37. Therfore I maruell you are so shamelesse to affirme that this faith which S. Iames affirmeth to bée common with the Deuills and that faith which in the Epistle to the Hebr. is made only proper to the Saincts is all one Mary true it is say you that it is not that speciall faith which the Heretikes fayne only to iustifie to wit when a man doth firmly beleeue as an Article of his faith that himselfe shal be saued this speciall faith it is not whereof the Apostle here speaketh for neither he nor S. Paule nor any other sacred writer in al the holie scriptures euer spake or knew of any such forged faith You binde it solemnely with Mary that it is not the speciall faith which the Heretikes fayne only who be those Heretikes The Apostles trow we which as the Creede which hath their name taught vs this speciall faith I beleeue in God the Father and not wee beleeue Or the Prophet Dauid Psal 63. vers 1. O God thou art my God earely will I seeke thee c. Or S. Augustine De ciuit Dei lib. 1. cap. 29. Deus meus vbique praesens est vbique totus nusquam inclusus My God is euery where present euery where whole no where inclosed or shut vp Or it may be S. Paule is that speciall Heretike who doth specially countenance this speciall faith Galat. 2. vers 20. I liue in the faith of the sonne of God which hath loued me and hath giuen himselfe for my sake Heare whether Chrysostome bee not accessarie with him in this heresie as you call it writing vpon Genes Hom. 34. S. Paule sayth Christ hath loued me O Paule the benefite that is common to all thou vsest as peculiar to thy selfe yea verely sayth S. Paule For albeit that sacrifice were offered for al mankinde yet for the loue that I beare toward him the thing that was done to all I accoumpt as proper and seuerall to my selfe alone Thus the manner of the Prophets is to do and say O God my God notwithstanding he is the God of all the world but this is speciall and peculiar to loue of things common to make things peculiar Thou saiest Christ hath loued me what saiest thou Hath Christ loued thee only and no man els No saith Paule he hath loued al mankinde but I owe him thankes as if he had loued me alone had giuen himself only for me Now by this time I think you sée what cause of blushing you haue which lay impudencie to our charge in saying That neither S. Paule nor any other sacred writer in al the holy scriptures euer spake or knewe of any such speciall faith which you call forged because in your Annotation vpō the 24. vers of this 2. cap. you referre vs to the Rom. 2. I will set downe your owne wordes Rhemists Annot. Rom. 2. vers 13. Not the hearers This same sentence agreeable to Christes words Mat. 7.21 is the same very ground of S. Iames disputation that not faith alone but good works also do iustifie Therefore S. Paule howsoeuer some peruersly conster his wordes in other places meaneth the same that S. Iames. And here he speaketh not properly of the first iustification when an Infidel or ill man is made iust who had no acceptable workes before to be iustified by of which kind he specially meaneth in other places of this Epistle but he speaketh of the second iustificatiō or increase of former iustice which he that is in Gods grace daylie proceedeth in by doing all kind of good works which be iustices and for doing of which he is iust in deede before God and of this kind doth S. Iames namely treate Which is directly agaynst the Heretikes of this time who not only attribute nothing to the workes done in sinne and infidelitie but esteeme nothing at all of all Christian mens workes
only For otherwise Origen would haue conuinced your folie in Epist Rom. cap. 3. lib. 3. Vbi est gloriatio tua Exclusa est Dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem Likewise Hesychius in Leuiticum lib. 4. The grace of God is giuen only of fauour and is receiued and embraced by only faith Chrysostom vpon the Epistle Galat. cap. 3. Illi dicebant qui sola fide nititur execrabilis est c. The false Apostles sayd whosoeuer stayeth himselfe by only faith is accursed Contrariwise S. Paule that whosoeuer stayeth himself by only faith is blessed These with others are witnesses of our sound and Catholike doctrine of our iustification by faith only as these Fathers are playne in this poynt so contrarie to their manifest wordes you would forge an other sense The false Apostles among the Galathians did not shut out grace nor Christ but as Chrysostome before alleadged testifieth that the Apostle S. Paule iudged them to be blessed which stayed vpon faith only I allow not your instance of the theefe whom you make emptie of good workes whose faith in that most short time was vnspeakablie effectuall in making it selfe manifest by good workes for he reproued the blasphemies and wickednesse of the other theefe he detested his former offences with an assured and altogether a marueilous faith in the very ignominie of the Crosse all the rest of the Disciples holding their peace he acknowledgeth Christ to be an euerlasting king and calleth vpon him as a Sauiour but the acknowledging of sin the inuocation of God the Father in Christ and giuing of thanks are most excellent works of the first Table Likewise in-the Pharisie what can you reproue wherein your selues are not to be reprehended he vaunted of his works you boast of your merites he bragged of his kéeping of some parte of the lawe you glorie in your workes of supererogation that you fulfill all the measure of obedience due to God with an ouer plus of righteousnesse he ascribed all this to the grace of God you arrogate part to your freewill As in this your glose you talke of the cooperation of your fréewill Your preparations whereas S. Paule 2. Cor. 3. vers 5. saieth that wee are meete it is of God Philip. 2. vers 13. For it is God that worketh in you both the wil and the déed according to his frée good wil. 1. Cor. 12. ver 3 No man can say the Lord Iesus but by the spirit of God If the Pharisie were now aliue he would shake you by the hands as his youger brethren you Iesuites hearing you thus to rufflle not onely in your dispositions and preparations to iustice but much more if the sound of the meritorious cause of your greater iustice and saluation by the Trumpet of your Annotations might come to his eares Vers 25. Rahab This Apostle alleadgeth the good workes of Rahab by which she was iustified and S. Paule 11. Hebrewes sayth she was iustified by faith which are not contrarie one to the other for both is true that she was saued by faith as one sayth and that she was saued by her workes as the other saith But it were vntruely sayd that she was saued either by only faith as the Heretikes say or by only good works as no Catholik mā euer sayd But because some Iewes Gentil Philosophers did affirme they that they should be saued by the works of Moses law These by their moral works Therefore S. Paule to the Romans disputed specially agaynst both prouing that no workes done without or before the faith of Christ can serue to iustification or saluation Aunswere YOur marginall note is the abridgement of your whole Annotation S. Paule nameth faith and S. Iames workes causes of iustification but neither the one faith only nor the other workes only I aunswer S. Paule named faith as the instrumentall cause of our iustification but the efficient cause he nameth the grace of GOD as he restifieth Ephes 2. vers 8. for you are saued by grace through faith and not of your selues it is the gift of God And S. Iames maketh workes as the effects of iustification S. Paule disputed not only agaynst vnbeleeuing Iewes and Gentill Philosophers but agaynst beleeuing Iewes that beleeued in Christ and ioyned with grace the Ceremonies of the law yea and the moral workes of righteousnesse to whom the Apostle sayth Galat. 5. vers 4. Ye are made voyde of Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law and ye are fallen from grace Rhemists Annotation vers 26. Faith without workes is dead S. Iames as the Protestants fayne sayth that faith without good works is no faith and that therefore it iustifieth not because it is no faith For he sayth that it is dead without workes as the bodie is dead without the soule and therefore being dead hath no actiuitie or efficacie to iustifie or saue But it is a great difference to say that the bodie is dead and to say it is no bodie euen so it is the like difference to say that faith without workes is dead and to say that faith without workes is no faith And if a dead body be notwithstanding a true bodie then according to S. James comparison here a dead faith is notwithstanding a true faith but yet not auaileable to iustification because it is dead that is because it is onely faith without good workes And therefore it is a great impudencie in Heretikes and a hard shift to say that the faith of which the Apostle disputeth all this while is no true or properly called faith at al it is the same faith that S. Paul defined and commended in all the 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes and the same which is called the Catholike faith and the same which being formed and made aliue by charitie iustifieth Mary true it is that it is not that speciall faith which the Heretikes fayne onely to iustifie to wit when a man doth firmly beleeue as an Article of his faith that himselfe shall bee saued This speciall faith it is not whereof the Apostle here speaketh for neither he nor S. Paule nor any other sacred writer in all the holy Scriptures euer speake or knewe of any such forged faith Aunswere YOu would fayne build an argument vpon a similitude but you know such similitudes do rather illustrate then prooue a matter and such argumēts do either limpe yea rather halt downe right then runne roundly on al fower Howsoeuer you please your selues in comparing faith vnto the bodie and good workes to the louse yet the wise and learned haue rather likenet true faith to the soule and good works to the bodie for as the bodie hath no life of it selfe but only of the soule euen so works haue no life of themselues but only of faith But a dead faith with you is a true faith so is a fire without heate a true and a reall fire of such a faith S. Iames sayth in this Chapter vers 19. Daemones credunt contremiscunt The
toward iustification saluation coÌ„demning them as vncleane sinfull pharisaical which is directly agaynst these other Scripture and plaine blaspheming of Christ and his grace by whose spirit cooperation we do them 13. Shall be iustified Of all other Articles deceitfully haÌ„dled by Heretikes they vse most guile in this of iustification specially by the equiuocation of certaine words which is proper to all contentious wranglers and namely in this word Iustifie Which because they finde sometime to signifie the acquiting of a guiltie man of some crime whereof hee is in deede guiltie and for which hee ought to bee condemned as by mans iudgement either of ignorance or of purpose often a very malefactor is deemed or declared and pronounced innocent They falsly make it to signifie in this place and the like wheresoeuer man is sayd to bee iustified of GOD for his workes or otherwise as though it were saied that God iustifieth man that is to say imputeth to him the iustifice of Christ though he be not indeed iust or of fauour reputeth him as iust when indeed he is wicked impious and vniust Which is a most blasphemous doctrine against God making him either ignorant who is iust and so to erre in his iudgement or not good that can loue and saue him whome he knoweth to be euil And a maruelous pitifull blindnes it is in the Churches aduersaries that they should thinke it more to Gods glory and more to the commendation of Christes iustice merits and mercy to call and count an ill man so continuing for iust then by his grace and mercy to make him of an ill one iust indeed and so truly to iustifie him or as the word doth heere signifie to esteeme and approue for iust indeede him that by his grace keepeth his lawe and commaundements for that the keepers or doers of the commaundements be iust and so reputed it is plaine by the correspondeÌ„ce to the former words Not the hearers are iust but the doers whereupon S. Augustine de Sp. lit ca. 26. tom 3. hath these words wheÌ„ it is said The doers of the law shal be iustified what other thing is said then The iust shall be iustified for the doers of the law verely are iustified for the doers of the law verely are iust Aunswere YOu erre not knowing the Scriptures for the Apostle in that Rom. 2. vers 13. applying that vniuersall accusation of man-kind doth seuerally apply the same both to Gentiles and Iowes and because the Iewes gloried in the law he vseth a preuention against them that the same law doth not excuse them but condemne them because not to heare the law but to kéepe the law doth iustifie We confesse a righteousnesse which hé that is in Gods grace dayly procéedeth in according to the Scripture 1. Iohn 3. vers 7. He which doth righteousnesse is righteous meaning that they are not iust which abstaine from vices but they whch do righteous things See also in another place Apoc. 22. vers 11. Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc He which is iust let him be more iustified We are not ignorant that there is such a righteousnes but we deny vtterly that by this righteousnes we do obteine eternall life the which neither Moses nor Ioshua nor Dauid neither any other hath obtained but by faith imbracing Christ as the Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes doth most manifestly declare For by the works of the law no flesh is iustified Galath 2. vers 16. Also in another place he saith Blessed is that man to whome righteousnes is imputed without works Rom. 4. vers 6. If we attribute nothing to the works done in sinne and infidelitie I hope we haue the Apostle partner with vs Rom. 14. vers 23. But whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin and Hebr. 11. vers 6. But it cannot be that any man can please him without faith if to ward iustification and saluation we say Christian mens works are nothing auaileable we haue S. Paule to hold with vs Gal. 2. vers 21. For if iustice be by the law then Christ died without cause Otherwise we say the works of the Godly to be the gift of God to please God and that a most ample and largere ward is promised and shall be performed vnto them Yet that they are not perfect as the law of God requireth neither void of all fault for that contagion of sin which hath corrupted our nature neither can be vtterly extirped in this life But the Lord doth so approue the Godly mens works as he doth entertaine the Godly themselues For although Gods children do labour with many diseases of sin notwithstanding God doth loue them for Christes sake so God doth allow our works albeit not altogether perfect he rewardeth them testifiech that they are acceptable vnto him But that any man should say that the works of the Saincts are nothing but vncleane sinfull pharisaicall we neuer said so for in the Saincts and regenerate there be most excellent gifts of the holy Ghost as faith hope loue patience humblenes meekenes peace ioy temperaÌ„ce hatred of sin desire of righteousnes these such like God doth accept of in his children and of mercy doth crowne his good gifts in them Gregor Moralium lib. 9. cap. 14. Omnis humana iustitia iniustitia esse conuincitur si districtè iudicetur All mans righteousnes is conuinced to be vnrighteousnes if it be narrowly iudged In this article we vse no deceit neither guile and are no more wranglers then the holy Scriptures holy Fathers And the God himselfe of your Schoolemen Thomas in Galat. â— lect 4. Opera non sunt causa canaliquis sit iustâ—us apud Deum sed potius sunt executiones manifestationes Works are not the chuse why any maÌ„ is iust before God but rather the executions and manifestatioÌ„n of iustice see Aug. de verb. Apost Sâ—â— 15. Hier. lib. 1. aduers Pelagian Bernard in Cantic Ser. 73. Si iniquitates obseruauerit If he shall marke the iniquities yea euen of the elect who sholbe able to abide it And againe Memorabor iustitiae 〈◊〉 solius ipsa enim est mea nempe fact usâ—es mihi tu iustitia a Deo I will make mention of thy righteousnes only for that it is mine to wit thowart made vnto me righteousnes 〈◊〉 God The Apostle Acts. 13. vers 39. he saith that we are iusected by Christ from all those things first which we could not be iustified by the law of Moses God doth not accompt him iust or impute righteousnes unto him that still continueth in his sins your blindnes is great that 's 〈…〉 yâ— cleere light of the scriptures Psal 〈…〉 thou shalt mark out iniquities 〈◊〉 Lord Lord who shal be able to abide the same Prophet coueteth the 〈◊〉 to be blessed to whoÌ„ the Lord doth 〈…〉 without works Psalme 32. 〈…〉 Rom. 4. vers 6. FINIS