flesh Fecknam 2 That the holy Angels and Saincts of heauen may heare our prayers Salomon Ecclesiastes .ix. vers v. and .vj. For the lyuing know that they shal die but the dead know nothing at al neither haue they any more a rewarde for their remembrance is forgotten Also their loue and their hatred and their enuie is nowe perished and they haue no more portion for euer in all that is done vnder the sunne Fecknam 3 That onely fayth doth not iustifie S. Paule Rom. iij. vers xxviij and .xxx. Therefore we conclude that a man is iustified by faythe without the workes of the law For it is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith and vncircumcision through faith Fecknam 4 That euery sin is not mortall S. Iohn j. Ep. iij. vers iiij Whosoeuer committeth sinne transgresseth also the law for sin is the trāsgression of the law S. Paule Rom. vj. vers xxiij For the wages of sinne is death ▪ but the gift of God is eternall lyfe through Iesus Christ our Lord. To the right worshipfull Sir Frauncis Iobson Knight Liuetenaunt of the Tour Sir Henry Neuel knight and M. Pellam Lieuetenaunt of the Ordinaunce THere was deliuered vnto me vpon the .4 of March .1570 by a frend of mine a little pamflet written by M. Fecknam somtime Abbot of Westminster which he exhibited vnto your worshippes vppon demaund by you made of his liking of a godly Sermon preached by M. Goughe in the Toure the .15 of Ianuarie .1570 Which when I had red ouer I maruayled not a little bothe at the weakenesse of hys cauilling Obiections he vseth against suche godly poincts of Doctrine as he laboreth by forsing of Scriptures and Doctors to his purpose to ouerthrow and also at his boldnesse in offering the same vnto you For I thought vntill I had perused it that in so little a treatise so great ignorance of Scriptures of Doctors of the common Arte of Logicke which boyes after one or two yeares being in the vniuersities are not ignoraunt in could not haue ben foūd in him who carieth so great a name and countenaunce of learning Or at the least if his ignorance had bene such as by this I vnderstand it in dede to be that he coulde by politique silence haue concealed it and not by wryting to your worshippes men I doubte not but of perfecte knowledge and sound iudgement in al poynts of true religion reuealed both it and the weakenesse of their common cause which so fain he would support How be it for this latter in his Preamble he pretendeth some cause as the auoyding with your worships the opinion of obstinacie self wilfulnesse want of iust matter to mislike in the foresayd Sermon c and this in deede is but a bare pretence For the bitternesse of his stile and smothe scoffes which he vseth too oftē in so short a discourse vpon .iiij. point◠sheweth he rather by these cauils sought to rid his stomake of a litle choler than any thing else or to abuse and seduce your worships as men altogether ignorant in these questions But yet I will thinke the best as the rule of charitie teacheth me and conceiue hope of his conuersion for which also I pray with my whole harte And in case he blame me as not iudging rightly of this his writing being therunto requested by you let him waigh wel his owne last words in his preface vnto you say plainly whether a simple plain meaning may be gathered of them they be these More seking to satisfie your request and demaūd than to minister any occasiō of further argument What meaneth he hereby Is he rather moued with satisfying your request thā the cause it self he standeth in which he wold make appeare to the world to be the truth Or if the truth of his .iiij. assertions did more moue him than your requestes why feareth he least by his wryting occasion of further argument touching these questions be ministred If he know that he hath héere by good argument mainteyned a good cause then is there no cause why he should feare further debating but he ought like a good minister and teacher stand and offer him self ready prepared to the defence thereof yea though it were with daunger and losse of his lyfe But yf he bée guiltie in his owne conscience of the naughtinesse of the cause and his owne weake proues why doth he so much abuse your worships with a shew of confutation of the truth What iust causes and true occasions haue lead him to reprehend so godly points of doctrine taught by M. Gough I referre to the iudgement of any indifferent and learned Reader I haue vsed as much breuitie as I could in aunswering his arguments that the reading therof might not bée tediouse to you And last of all I thought good in mine own behalfe lest some might thinke amisse of me for mainteyning the quarrell made agaynst an other man as one desirous of contention vayne glorie c. to proteste vnto your worshippes that the earnest request of my very friend who knew me to haue a little spare time and M. Gough too be otherwise more profitably occupied forced me to say somwhat in way of an aunswere to M. Fecknam that I speake nothing of the truth of the common cause of religiō which of it self ought to moue any man zelous in Gods religion to take pen in hand agaynst any that shall séeke to impugn the same Thus much I thought good to let you vnderstand of the occasion of my dealing herein and partly also for a péece of an aunswere to such talke as M. Fecknam in his preface directeth specially too your worships The Lord Iesus confirme you in all truth daily encreasing his knowledge and all other good giftes in you Amen 1 That it is not impossible to keepe Gods commaundements BEfore I come to your proues allegations I must say a word or two of your coloured art and goodly shew you make in your first proposition It is the fashion of Rhetoricians as you know especially when their cause is not all of the best therfore misdoute the euent of their action so to behaue them selues in their Exordium that they may at the least purchase thus much that they may be heard some by one meanes some by an other the worst is not by procuring an euill suspicion too his aduerse partie So is your dealing in this present case to be better heard peraduenture or to make your cause séeme to bée better you geue forth that in M. Goughes doctrine of the impossibilitie of kéeping Gods commaundementes he followeth the race of the Maniches and the Valentinians A gréeuous accusation yf it were true and worthy to cause his doctrine to bee reiected yf all that you speake were a Gospell But peraduenture you thought you hadde the sexton of Paules in hand when you presented this your writing to the worships of these in déede worshipfull godly gentlemen The matter is thus not
many yeres since a good companion minding to recreate him selfe with the sexton charged him selfe with a baskette heauy laden as he made the matter appeare directing his way through Paules Churche because it was the shorter where he was mette of his mate and demaunded why in that solemne time he passed thorough that place so charged a thing not to bée endured the circumstaunces beyng considered This companion desired him to lette him passe for that hée was heauye laden with certayne plate and therefore the gladder too take the shorter way The sexton woulde not bée persuaded but alleadging the Quéenes profite caused him to sette downe his baskette and sente immediatlye for suche as too whome it appertayned to haue the view of such matters who thinking to haue found some â–ª greate matter as they had bin enformed by the sexton willed the basket to be opened and what found they for a cupbourde of plate a basket of hornes Thus had he his iest at the sexton but you M. Fecknam thankes be vnto God haue not to do with a sexton they doo well see your horny plate but bycause you your selfe deceyued your selfe thinking it to be plate they haue vsed this charitable way that it may be shewed vnto you that they are in deede but hornes And therefore this horne will nothing moue them as I trust vntill you bée able to shewe that the denying of frée will to the establishing of the grace of God wherby wée are iustified from sinne and saued from infirmitie is the doctrine of Maniche or Valentinian This I remember Valentinian and his say that to vs qui ab Ecclesia sumus opera necessaria esse aliter enim impossibile est seruari which are of the Churche woorkes bée necessarie for otherwise it is impossible to bée saued and that teach you sâ—ipsos verò non per opera sed propterea quòd ex natura spirituales sunt penitus omnino saluari doceÌ„t but they teach that they them selues are wholy altogither saued not by workes but bycause of nature they bee spirituall and this teacheth not M. Gough Therfore that glose might well haue bin lefte out yf you hadde more thought vpon the truth of the matter how well you might haue alleaged it than onely for a cloke of your self barely to alleage it For to proue M. Gough a Manichean or any of his fellowes in his heresies it will bée hard for you and as impossible as to fulfill the law but to prooue you a Pelagian it is easie enough and as easie as in Christ Iesus for M. Gough and vs to kepe the lawe But to prooue you suche a one is not my chéef purpose my mind is rather to conuince your heresie and bring you to the flocke of Christ yf it so please God too giue you the eyes of vnderstanding and a hart to repent Therfore to doo the dutie of good ChristiaÌ„s let vs yeld our selues vnto God to be gouerned by his spirit submit our selues in huÌ„blenes to his word without al vayne opinion of wel or euil defending a question arrest our selues vpon his Prophetes Apostles which haue and doo shew vs the way to walke in and minister vnto vs the true light whereby wée may chase a way al these darknesses This waye if wee take no doubt he will shew vs the truthe if we reiecte it why should he not farther punish vs with blindnesse So then to come to your first position That it is not impossible to keepe Gods commaundements I wil aunswere youre places of the scripture alleadged and your Doctors and there withall shewe oute of them both the contrarie that it is impossible and so shall I shew I trust that in that article M. Goughe hath taught no vngodly point of doctrine and so will I do consequently with the residue And that it may be more plainly and euidently done that there may be no occasion of doubte in any braunche of my doctrine I wil first shewe howe they are impossible and by what meanes and after howe they are possible and howe they may be fulfilled This done I shall sufficiently aunswere youre places alleadged and if GOD so will take awaye this vayle from before youre eyes which is a let vnto you that you can not sée Touching the firste S. Paule dilating and amplifying his probation of the free iustification which we haue thorough the tender mercie of GOD in Christe Iesus sayeth in this wyse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For that that was impossible to the Lawe in as much as it was weake bicause of the fleshe God sending his sonne in the similitude of sinfull fleshe and for sinne condemned sinne in the fleshe The wordes are but fewe and therefore easie to be remembred nay therefore better to be considered God sent his owne sonne Why To condemne sinne in the fleshe Why so Bicause it was impossible to the lawe wherefore in as much as it was weake bicause of the flesh Why then we may conclude that the Lawe is a burden and so gréeuous a burden that neither wée nor oure Fathers were able to beare and that bycause of oure weakenesse Hereof it is that he sayth in an other place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. For if there had bin a law giueÌ„ which could haue giuen lyfe surely rightuousnesse should haue bin by the Lawe It is the woorke of grace to saue and quicken the receyuers whereof althoughe they were extréeme enemies to the wholesome doctrine of the holy scriptures they become fréends It is not the worke of the doctrine which whosoeuer heare and reade without the grace of GOD they are made worse enemies Therefore the grace of God is not in the nature of free will and in the lawe and doctrine as the peruerse Pelagian dothe deceyptfully beleeue and teache but at euery moment it is giuen by his good wil and pleasure of whom it is sayd Thou o God sendest a gracious rayne vpon thyne inheritaunce For we lost both frée wil to loue god by the greatnesse of our first sinne and the lawe also and the doctrine thereof although it be holy and good and iust yet it killeth if the Spirite do not quicken by which spirite it commeth to passe that not by hearing but by obeying neither by reading but by louing it is obserued For the Lawe without grace is but a letter it remaineth to conuince sin but not to gyue saluation So sayth the Apostle For yf there had bin a lawe gyuen whiche could haue giuen lyfe surely rightuousnes shuld haue bin by the lawe But the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should be giuen to them that beléeue Of this letter he sayeth in an other place The letter killeth but the spirite quickeneth Thou hast the letter but thou dost not fulfill the letter And why dost thou not fulfil the letter Bycause thou presumest of thy selfe thou extollest thy
filthie in the sight of God as M. Gough dooth filthily terme theÌ„ Christ would neuer haue made for them such a glorious promis nor prouided for them such a crowne of glorie nor reserued for them his finall iudgement in the which iudgemeÌ„t not the fayth but the works of men shal be examined But M. Goughe doth coÌ„temptuously abuse the gifts of god the works that himself hath wrought in his chosen elect doth miserably coÌ„found the good works of idolaters with the good works of theÌ„ that be his faithful and elect people which works he so much estéemeth being done in faith for his sake as not to suffer a cup of cold water to go vnrewarded I muse therefore at the sutteltie of this opinioÌ„ or rather at the sensible absurditie of it faith only or sole faith to iustifie For if he meane by faith onely faith without penance faith without baptisme then his doctrine is ageinst the couÌ„sell of Peter who answered the Iewes asking of the Apostles what they shold do to be saued saying PoenitentiaÌ„ agite et baptizetur vnusquisque vestruÌ„ in nomine Iesu Christi in remissioneÌ„ peccatorum vestroruÌ„ Do ye penance and let euery one of you be baptized in the name of Iesu Christ that your sins may be remitted If he mean by faith only faith without hope then he is ageinst the Apostle saying Spe enim salui facti sumus For by hope we are saued If he mean by faith only faith without feare then is he ageinst the saying of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Timor Domini expellit peccatuÌ„ naÌ„ qui sine timore est non poterit iustificari The feare of God expelleth sinnes for he that is without feare can not be iustified if he meane by faith onely faith withoute charitie he is then contrarie to the minde of S. Paule him selfe which sheweth what kynd of fayth doth iustifie fides quae per dilectionem operatur that faythe whiche worketh by charitie that is not sole nor onely faythe Wherfore yf Master Goughe will buyld vppon this terme sole or onely and yet neuerthelesse meane by his sole and only fayth fayth with penance faith with Baptisme fayth with feare fayth with hope fayth with loue and charitie then I say that the same fayth can no more be sayd to be onely or alone than a King or Prince beyng in the middest of his Nobilitie may bee sayd to be there onely or alone 4 That euery sinne is not mortall MAster Gough towards the end of his sermon did very constantly affirme that euery sinne committed by a Christian man is a deadly and a mortall sin and that no sinne is veniall no not an ydle thought as light as men made of it much like vnto the old heresie of Iouinian which to make all sinnes equall made euery sinne likewise a deadly sinne whome S. Austen condemned more than a thousand yeare ago as appeareth in his .6 Tome de haeres Haeres 82. M. Fecknam Let vs confer herewithall two sayings of the scripture the one of S. Iohn which sayth as well of himselfe and of euery iust man as of a sinner Si dixerimus quoniam peccatum noÌ„ habemus ipsos nos seducimus veritas in nobis non est If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truthe is not in vs Meaning that the iustest man a liue is not withoute sinne Now if this sinne be as M. Goughe teacheth deadly mortal and damnable sinne which separateth the soule of man from God and condemneth it to hell fire let vs sée how a man may be called iust which daily committeth such damnable sinne Nay let vs repeat againe that commeÌ„dation of iustice which S. Luke giueth to Zacharie and Elizabeth saying Erant autem iusti ambo ante Deum incedentes in omnibus mandatis et iustificationibus Domini sine quaerâ—la That is they were both iust before God walking in all the commaundements and iustifications of our Lorde without blame He giueth thrée speciall notes of their true and perfecte rightuousnesse the one that they were iust not in the sight of men but before God him selfe the second that they kept all the commandements which M. Gough saith is impossible to kéep the third that they were with out blame and therfore without mortal damnable sinne If M. Goughe neuerthelesse wil say that S. Iohn speaking of him selfe and of iust men ment by sinne a damnable sinne he must then of very force make betwéene him S. Luke the Euangelist a manifest contradiction for no maÌ„ that sinneth damnably is without blame kéepeth the commaundements and is iust in the sight of God. To this may be added the saying of S. Iames where he describeth concupiscence to make a sinne in vs besides mortall sin saying CoÌ„cupiscentia cuÌ„ conceperit parit peccatum peccatuÌ„ verò cùm consummatuÌ„ fuerit generat morteÌ„ that is CoÌ„cupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne but sinne when it is finished begetteth death signifying hereby that sinne is then mortall and deadly when a man committeth it with full consent other circumstances For if a light passion or carnall thought stealeth vpon a man by soden delectation without consent the same is not a sinne which engendereth death but a venial sin To this place alludeth S. Austen where he speaketh of concupiscence that remayneth in those which be regenerate saying Ab illo rebellante si non letaliter sed venialiter tamen vincimur That is Of that sinne concupiscence rebelling agaynst vs we bée ouercommed although not deadly yet for al the venially It foloweth Et in his contrahimus vnde quotidie dicamus dimitte nobis debita nostra And in these veniall sins we gather by means wherof we may say daily forgiue vs Lord our trespasses Again in his boke de spirit lit he writeth thus of venial sinnes Sicut non impediunt à vita aeterna iustum quaedam peccata venialia sine quibus haec vita non ducitur sic ad saluteÌ„ eternam nihil prosunt impio aliqua bona opera sine quibê° difficillimè vita cuiusque pessimi hominis inuenitur that is Like as some veniall sins do not let a iust man froÌ„ life euerlasting without the which this life is not lead so some good workes do nothing profit a wicked man vnto life euerlasting without the which the life of euery naughtie man is hardly found I might bring here for venial sinne one of Martine Luthers Assertions whom I am sure M. Goughe will rather worship than deny for the pure loues sake which he beareth to his religion but I will not presse him so far only this I wil say that Luther did hold there was a sinne which was not a mortall and damnable sinne For he maketh euery good worke of a Christen man to be a sinne Marie sayeth he a sinne that is veniall His article was Quod omne opus
bonum sit peccatuÌ„ veniale that euery good worke is a veniall sinne The seueritie therefore of M. Goughes doctâ—in is in this point very auster rather Stoicall than christian like much preiudiciall to the libertie of the Gospel which otherwise he professeth magnifieth with great solemnitie For now he maketh euery light fact euery idle woord euery vaine thought a heinous capital crime a mortall and damnable sinne a trespasse deseruing euerlasting pain perpetual tormeÌ„t He maketh euery maÌ„ at least .vij. times euery day to offend God damnably For Salomon writeth of the iust man septies in die cadit iustus the iust man doth fal .vij times a day to deskant no further of the numbre That is by M. Goughes iudgement a iust man euery day .vij. times doth sinne mortally damnably he is .vij. times a day the soÌ„ne of perdition vij times a day the bondslaue of Sathan notwithstanding he is iust righteous which is an absurde contradiction a Doctrine fondly grounded vppon mere possibilities If this be the state of iust men and righteous men mercifull God helpe vs that be suche pore and miserable sinners Uppon this opinion must nedes folow that wicked Caine and iust Abel the elect Isaac and the reprobate Ismael the welbeloued Iacob the hated Esau Iohn the rebuker of sinne and the viperous generation of the Pharisâ—es Simon Peter the true coÌ„fessor of Christ and Simon Magus the malitious denyer Iohn the blissed Euangelist and Iudas the curssed traytor were for the tyme of this present life being all here vppon earth sinners and therfore by M. Goughes position all daily in mortal and damnable sinne al in like miserable case all in like state of perdition hauing their soules by mortal sinne euery day .vij. times at the lest in most wretched wise deuided from God seperated from him the only life therof As if they had bin al very infidels no more appertaining to the sinceritie of faith and the frutes thereof than the Paynimes the Heathen people Of whome we can say no more than that euery sinne they do is a mortall and a damnable sinne But this is the new found way of persuasion to exhort a sinner to repentance to preache that he can not chuse but euery day sin damnably to exhort a man to good works to preach that they be all filthy abhominable in the sight of god to exhort a man to charitie to preach the only faith or sole faith doth iustifie to exhort one maÌ„ to pray for an other here in earth to forbid the one man shall desire an other to pray for him in heauen to exhort euery maÌ„ to kéep Gods commandements to say that it is impossible for any man to kéep them Would God M. Gough I wish it with my whole hart had both the grace to preache the gift to vnderstaÌ„d more souÌ„der doctrine more to the glory of god more to the edefying of meÌ„ and then more not to my liking only but other mennes too in the mean time I can not only nothing like it but also must find fault with it in so much as your worships do require and demaund my lyking I coÌ„clude therfore hauing not in ample wise but coÌ„pendiously touching these .iiij. points of controuerâ—ie truely and sincerely declared vnto your worships y iust causes which I haue to mislike with M. Goughes sermon which I could not do at the same time when you first demauÌ„ded of me neither now wold take vpon me but if ye had assured me of frée leaâ—e of licence I refer the rest of my minde in confuting the rest of his Sermon to the discrete wisdome of your worships al charitably to be coÌ„sidered Desiring this and requesting that before the contradiction absurditie of these propositions may better agrée together M. Gough to say that the coÌ„mandements of God be ouer heauy and impossible to be obserued S. Iohn to say that they be not heauie And Chryste to say that they be swéete and light And S. Luke to say that Zacharie and Elizabeth kept all the commaundementes Maister Goughe to say the fayth alone or onely fayth doth iustifie S. Paul to say that faith woorking by charitie doth iustifie and S. Iames to say that workes also do iustifie and not faith only â–ª M. Gough to say that no sainct nor Angell in heauen can heare our prayers the Angel Raphaell to say that he offered vp the prayers of Tobie and our sauior Chryst to say that the Angels do reioyce vpon euery sinners repentance which can not reioyce vnles they know wherfore Master Gough to say that euery sinne is mortall and that we be euery day deadly sinners in the sight of God. S. Iames to say that there is a sinne before it be mortall and damnable sinne And S. Luke to say that Zacharie Elizabeth were iust euen in the sight of God Beside the testimonies of auncient fathers which do constantly and vniformly stand on my side He hauing for his opinions the reliques of old condemned and now reuiued heresies of the Maniches Eunomius Vgilantius Iouinian ageinst whom the said Fathers did many hundred yeares a goe wryte as their Monuments can amplie testifie I desire I say to make my humble sute vnto your worshippes for my selfe and my prison followes both that hereafter we may not be haled by the armes to the church in such violent manner ageinst our willes ageinst al former example ageinst the doctrine of your own syde Luther Bucer Bullinger Zwinglius Oecolampadius Melancthon and the reste euery one writing and earnestly persuading that al violence be taken away in matters of religion there to heare such Preachers as care not what they say so they somewhat say ageynst the professed fayth of Chrystes catholike Church there to heare a sermon not of persuading vs but of rayling vppon vs This if your worshippes will encline vnto for charitie sake wée shall haue too render you most humble thankes and whatsoeuer els wée may doo in this our heauie tyme of imprisonment Here ensueth the answere to these Assertions and Obiections of M. Fecknam Made by L.T. ¶ An Answer to certeine Assertions and Obiections of M. Fecknam sometime Abbot of Westminster which he made of late against a godly Sermon of M. Iohn Goughs preched in the Toure the .xv. of Ianuarie 1570. Fecknam 1 That it is not impossible to kepe Gods commandements S. Peter Act. xv vers x. and .xj. Now therefore why tempt ye God to lay a yoke on the disciples neckes which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare But we beleue through thâ—â—â—ace of the Lord Iesus Chryst to be saued â—â—en as they do S. Paule Rom. viij vers iij. For that that was impossible to the law in as much as it was weake because of the flesh God sending his owne sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the
difference is betwixt iustification and sanctification you should doubt whether sanctification were a piece of iustification or an effect of iustification Let vs then sée whether workes that follow doo conâ—erre any thing to the Iustification Marke I pray you the controuersie betwixt you and master Goughe The question is not whether good woorkes are necessarie to walke in Whether we are bound to walke in the feare of GOD after that he hath manifested vnto vs his election and called vs to embrace his frée mercy and Iustification I say the question is not whether we ought to do well that GOD may be glorifyed by vs But whether a man being already iustified his woorkes afterward may giue encrease of Iustice I pray you Sir after that Quéene Marie had made you Abbot of Westminster dyd you the office of an Abbot that you would be a more Abbot or to do your duetie to the which the Quéene of hir grace hadde called you For therefore shée bestowed it vpon you that you should doe the duetie and not dy doing the duetie to become a more Abbot So fareth it with the children of God Of this whole lumpe of earth which he made of this masse which we call Adam he of his free mercie and goodnesse hathe chosen some whereby he will bée glorified in this world by the good woorkes which they shall do before the face of men When this election of his beginneth to be manifest to euerye chosen when he moueth the hearts of his after they haue long slept in sinne to remember that they are hys that he hathe slayne hys Sonne for them that they are deliuered from the whole cursse of the lawe Is it not requisite thinke you that they walke worthie his vocation That they make sure their vocation Naye doe they in this their course in any parte delyuer them selues from the cursse of the lawe Doe they pay that raunsome which was paide before What is the iustice or Iustification of GOD Redemption and remission of sinnes in the bloud of christ Was then the bloud of Chryst answearable to all the Lawe did there remaine no parte vnpayde For whome then did he all this Not for him selfe for there was no guile found in his mouthe For whome then For the faithfull to whome God dothe giue this Faith not of merite but of grace Haue they then all the iustice of Christe haue they that which Christe dyd in his bodye put vppon them May they say as he sayde Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorie May they say death is swallowed vp in victorie May they say there is no condemnation to vs whiche are in Christe Iesus what remayneth then that they walke according to the Spirite not according to the fleshe that they glorifie God before men whiche hath already made them the children of god Not to do ageyn y which is done alreadie for that is impossible not to ioyne a piece to Christes as thoughe it were not perfect For he left no piece vnpayed But to receyue by faith that iustification that God doth giue them without the workes of the lawe For workes sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum they followe a man iustified and goe not before him that is to be iustified Effectus autem non praeiudicat causae as you knowe The effect neuer preiudiceth the cause Thorough al the course of our liues we worke bicause we are iustified and we do not worke that we may be iustified And this is the meaning of the Apostle in this place not as thoughe workes were to be ioyned with faith to deserue some thing For then should wée receyue reward due and not grace And thus much touching M. Goughe his argument Now to your Obiection Firste I maruayle that M. Goughe will allowe this terme Only when it is not expressed in Canonicall scripture Next I am sure that there is nothing equiualent vnto it for faith without the workes of the lawe and fayth onely or fayth simplie withoute workes be not of one like condition You néede not maruayle much if you would rightly consider it Paules whole disputation standeth vpon twoo Subiecta one Praedicatum as the people are twoo to whoÌ„ he addresseth his doctrine and must agrée in one The subiecta are these works or the Law fayth or Christ The Praedicatum is Iustification If then reasoning à diuisione the one be put away what remayneth If I reason thus Of all liuing creatures there is one that is risibile apte to laugh it is not Brutum any brute beast Therefore it is Homo man If I reason thus I say is not this consequent comprehended in Consequenti Therefore onely man is risibilis So likewise Paule reasoneth there is one thing which iustifieth It is not works therfore it is fayth Doth it not nowe folow that being but one and that one faith that we may wel conclude that faith only iustifieth And so adde we nothing to the scripturs which you séeme to lay to M. Goughes charge by a taunte but finde it in the verie letter although not literallie And in so doing we make no new inuentioÌ„ So taught before vs Theophilact whose wordes are these vt autem haberi pro comperto queat posse hunc deum qui impiè vixerit non solum à tormentis eximere sed iustum reddere illud subdit credenti autem in eum qui iustificat c. Num igitur est hic quippiam allaturus Fidem duntaxat that is But that it may be certaynely knowen that God can not onely deliuer froÌ„ torments but also iustifie him which liued wickedly he addeth that but to him that beléeueth in him which iustifieth c. Must he therfore also bring some thing Faith onely â–ª And Origenes vppon this same place whiche M. Goughe alleaged sayeth thus Nunc tam velut conclusionem suarum assertionum ponens in hoc loco dicit Vbi est ergo gloriatio tua Exclusa est â–ª per quam legem operum Non sed per legem fidei Arbitramur enim iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem ita vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur etiamsi nihil ab eo operis fuerit expletum Nowe making as it were a conclusion of his assertions sayeth in this place where is then thy reioysing it is excluded By what law of workes No but by the lawe of faith for we suppose or conclude that maÌ„ is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law and he sayeth that the iustification of only faith is sufficient so that a maÌ„ beléeuing onely may be iustified although that no work be don of him I will not alleage here Hierom on the 4. of this Epistle Conuertentem impium and agein vt omnes qui ex Gentibus c nor Amb. j. Cor. xj hoc constitutum est à Deo. c. nor Bernard ser. 22. super Can. Quamobrem
indetted or endaungered by this meanes vnto God thus much we get sayth he that we must néedes say euery day forgiue vs our trespasses And he sheweth not in this place what it is in it selfe but what it is in the electe S. Augustine in an other place calleth these leuia peccata light sinnes not simplie but comparatè by comparison Of the sinnes of this lyfe sayth he Quaedam grauia mortifera sunt quae nisi per vehementissimam molestiam humiliationis cordis contritionis spiritus tribulationis poenitentiae non relaxantur Haec dimittuntur per claues Ecclesiae Some are greiuous and deadly which are not released but by most vehement sorowe of humilitie of the harte and contrition of the spirit and tribulation of repentaÌ„ce These are remitted by the keyes of the Church Sunt autem leuia peccata minuta quae deuitari omnino non possunt quae quidem videÌ„tur minora sed multitudine praemunt There are light sinnes and small whiche can be eschewed by no meanes whiche trulie séeme to be lesse but they ouercharge by reason of the multitude And marke this by the way a most playne contradiction to your first question Quae deuitaâ—i non possunt which caÌ„ not be eschewed and sine quibuâ— non potest ista vita duci without the whiche this lyfe can not be lead and yet you say the coÌ„maundements may be fulfilled Posse implere Legem to be able to fulfill the Lawe is Posse non concupiscere to be able not to couet or lust NoÌ„ potes non â—oncupiscere thou art not able not to couet or lust Ergo non poâ—es Legim implere therefore thou arte not able to fulfill the Lawe And so might you haue had regard to Christes wordes â—uae apud homines impossibilia sunt apud Deum possibiliâ— sunt those things whiche are impossible with men with GOD be possible And a little after Sic ergo quà muis minuia sunt ist a peccata tamen quia multa sunt vt congregata aceruum faciant quo te prâ—mant bonus est Deus qui etiam ipsa dimittat sine quibus non potest ista vita duci So then although these be little sinnes yet bycause they be many that thei being gathered togither make a heape to ouerpresse thée God is good who forgiueth theÌ„ also without which this lyfe can not be passed You sée by this place that remission is giueÌ„ to them both and debtes they are both But bicause he is more readie to forgiue the one than the other he calleth them in this place grauia leuia grieuous or weightie and lighte in other places venalia laetalia venial and deadly I wis you know that these wordes be of comparison and not de simplici existentia as the Philosophers call them that is to declare what those smaler faults be of their own simple existence or proper nature I can not tell how little you make of remissioÌ„ of sinnes But by his similitude he bringeth they would kill you if remission came not the sooner And in the ende as I alleaged before of his sermon he concludeth that bycause they destroy the temple of God they should take héed and be readie to cry and call Forgiue vs our trespasses Ageyne in his Booke de Spiritu litera he writeth thus of veniall sinnes Sicut non impediunt à vita aeterna iustum c. Lyke as some veniall sinnes doe not let a iust man from lyfe euerlasting withoute the which this life is not led So some good workes do nothing profite a wicked man vnto life euerlasting without the which the lyfe of euery naughtie maÌ„ is hardly found You may sée by this place and by the coÌ„parison he maketh that bothe this place the other you alleaged before are so to bée expounded and taken as I haue sayde For surely no sinne is able to cast the childe of God whom he hath elected chosen out of the fauour of God out of the kingdome of heauen which is his inheritance gotten giuen him by Christe For the counsels of God are without repentance So likewise it shall auayle the wicked nothing at all that he hath some good workes For he is the child of wrath the sonne of perdition As for the faulte of youre reasoning I let it passe you may thinke with your self how well you deale making such Arguments these sins are not deadly to the elect iust Therfore they are not deadly à secuÌ„do adâ—aceÌ„te ad primuÌ„ negatiuè Socrates noÌ„ est Phâ—losop academicê° ergo noÌ„ est Philosophus Socrates is no Academical Philosopher therfore he is no philosopher or M. FeknaÌ„ was not Abboâ— of Osne therfore he was no Abbot for you haue brought neuer a place directly prouing what they are in theÌ„selues What you could bring oute of Luther I know not when I see it I will answer it if I caÌ„ Non iurauâ— in verba Lutheri I haue not sworne to credit euery woord that Luther writeth And sure it is some thinges he writte extaÌ„t in print before he was well persuaded in many points of souÌ„d doctrine Now touching the austeritie of M. Gough GOD make vs all ageinst vice austere and not to flatter our selues in our concupiscences we can not hate sinne to much nor coÌ„demne sinne to grieuously I would I might I by the worde of God persuade my selfe that sin were no sinne meÌ„ might liue more at libertie But yet I think my selfe blissed that he hath called me to the libertie of his Gospell which is frée remission of my sinnes sinful lyfe in the bloud of Christ Iesus and a calling to walke after the spirite and not after the fleshe It is time and highe time for vs M. Fecknam to beate downe sin and not to séeke meanes howe we may cloke sinne Let it appeare in his owne nature that we may be ashamed of him put not a Lyons skin vppon an Asse Call white white and blacke blacke good good and bad bad So shall we take héede that we fall not to often and if it can not otherwise be but we must fall seuen times yet that we may learne to feare thereby and not to make a fleabyting of it If we do so we shall bée more like to Abell than Cayne to Isaac than Ismaell to Iacob than Esau to Iohn than to the Pharisies to Simon Peter than to Simon Magus to Iohn than Iudas in no miserable state in no euill condition in state of saluation not perdition Christ of his mercie releasing our infirmities If the iuste man did fall only if there were no more but so that he sinned sinned deadly then were he no iust man thou were he in as euill case as Paynimes and heathen people But in that he falleth and ryseth vp ageyne as Dauid teacheth vs he is better than Paynymes better than the Heathen as good as Habel as Isaac as Iacob as Iohn as Simon Peter