Christ will judge And thus his reasoâ—… standeth those who are blessed of God that is justified for whom this kingdome waâ—… prepared and this iâ—…heritance purchased they are to inheriâ—… this kingdome But you are such as appeareth by the fruits for your excercising the workes of charity and mercy towards my poore members and that for my sake is a plaine evidence of your election justification and redemption and accordiâ—…g to this evidence I judge of you come therefore inherit the kingdome c. But to this allegation I have answered twice before The second place is out of the same Chapter Verse 21. In which there is no causall particle eâ—…pressed in the originall neither is it any desert but duety of the servant to be faithfull neither any debt or duety of his Lord but his houâ—…y and largesse in rewarding of his fidelity in few things with making him ruler over many things The third place is Apoc. 7. 14. Thesâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…hey who came out of great tribulation c. therefore they are 〈◊〉 the Throne of God In alleaging whereof Bellarmine leaveth out that which is most maâ—…riall that they had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore they are before the Throne of God which sheweth that they stood before the Throne of God not in their owne merits but in the merits of Christ by which they were justified That which is said of their tribulation doth not insinuate their desert as though thereby they had deserved to bee before the Throne of God but the order of their afflictions going before their glorification and the consecution of eternall life following thereupon for as it is said of our Saviour Phil. 2. that hee having humbled himselfe unto death the Lord did therefore exalt him Verse 9. and Luke 24. 26. that hee was first to suffer those things and so to enter into his glory so of the faithfull it is likewise said that through much tribulation they must enter into the kingdome of God Act. 14. 22. And this is the answere which Calvin giveth to some of these places that they signifie ordinem consequentiae magis quam causam For whom God haâ—…h appointed to salvation for them he hath prepared the way of obâ—…dience and patience that therein they make walke towards their Countrey which is â—…eaven good workes therefore and afflictions are not the cause of salvation but the way to it § XVI But saith Bellarmine Christ could not more plaiâ—…ely have expressed that good workes are the causâ—…s of salvation than when hee said for when I was hungry you did c. especiâ—…lly seeing hee â—…seth the same forme of fpeech against the wicked for I was hungry and you did not c. In which the cause of damnation is noted I answere that our Saviour if hee had meant that good workes are the meriâ—…orious cause of salvation hee was able to have expressed it in as plaine termes as Bellarmine dothBut his intent in these reasons which hee giveth was not to set downe the causes of salvation or damnation but the notes and markes of them who are to bee saved or condemned as the evidence according to which hee pronounceth sentence Yea but Bellarmine will prove that the particles for and because are truely causall By what reason Forsooth by a circular augmentation becâ—…se good workes are causes And how did hee prove good workes to be causes Because these particles are causall To prove that workes be causes meaning meritorious causes he alleageth three Texts of Scripture 2 Cor. 4. 17. Gal. 6. 8. Phil. 2. 12. Two whereof I discussed before in their due place where he endevoured to prove that good workes aâ—…e necessary necessitate efficiâ—…tiae as causes of salvation viz. 2 Cor. 4. 17. lib. 7. cap. 5. § 7. and of this eighth booke cap. 2. § 21. and Phil. 2. 12. lib. 7. cap. 5. §5 That of Gal. 6. 8. he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape life everlasting maketh against him rathâ—… than for him For as in the naturall harvest the increase is not to be ascribed to the ploughing and sowing but to the blessing of God so much more in the spirituall § XVII But that these particles are not alwaies truely and properly causall Calvin sheweth by a notable instance God had promised Abraham when hee first called him out of Vr that in him that is in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed This promise the Lord often renewed as appeareth in his story which againe hee confirmeth by oath Gen. 22. 16. 18. When Abraham had upon tryall in an excellent manner and measure approved both his faith and obedience unto God By my selfe have I sworne saith the Lord that because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy sonne thine onely sonne in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed becausâ—… thou hast obeyed my voice Here both in the beginning of the oath and in the end the causall particle is used shall wee therefore say that Abrahâ—…ms obedience did merit that all the nations of the earth that is Abraham himselfe and all the faithfull in all nations should bee blessed in the promised seed God had long before made this gracious promise to Abraham without respect of this or any other his workes and had this act of obedience never beene the promise of the promised seed in his posterity would have beene performed so that the grace and love of God was the onely cause why hee promised to send his owne Sonne who should take on him the seed of Abraham and not Abrahams obedience All that can truely bee said is that upon this obedience God tooke occasion to renew his promise and to confirme it by oath for the further confirmation of Abrahams faith So that his obedience was so farre from being the cause of the thing promised as it was but the occasion of renewing the promise But Bellarmine in this example mentioneth onely that inferiour promise concerning the multiplication of Abrahams seed and saith that as God did promise it so he would have him to merit it by his good workes even so the Lord having predestinated all the Elect unto Glory yet his pleasure is that they should attaine unto it by their owne merits Which cleane overthroweth the grace of election which which was without respect of workes and also of salvation For if our election or salvation be of workes or merits then is it not of grace And if this answere of Bellarmine be good then may it in like manner bee applyed to that part of the Oath concerning the promised seed namely that Abraham by his obedience had merited that in the promised seede the faithfull of all nations should bee blessed which is no better than blasphemy It is true that God hath elected us that wee might bee holy and that by the
the other that which is given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 4. 4. for debitum non est gratuitum If eternall life bee gratia gratis data si gratis datur then is not due by desert And if the good worke also be grace how can it deserve a reward and so great a reward from him that gave it For Bellarmine hath taught us in the beginning of this seventeenth Chapter that if the worke bee much lesse than the promised reward it should not be a merit of condignity in respect of the worke If saith hee the Master of the vineyard should promise to a labourer for his dayes worke not the day-peny but an hundred crownes and yet the heavenly reward given to a good worke doth incomparably surpasse the unequall proportion that is betweene an hundred crownes and a daies worke § VI. In his second argument he trifleth egregiously He saith there is a proportion betweene the fountaine and the river running from it Grace is the fountaine Ioh. 4. 14. and eternall life is the river which maketh glad the City of God Psal. 46. 5. where according to the Latine it is thus read Fluminis impetus laetificat Civitateâ—… Dei which Bellarmine himselfe expoundeth thus Fluminis impetus laetificat Civiâ—…taem Dei i. Non timebit populus Dei quando turbabitur terra ergo c. Literally the place is understood of the Brooke Kidron and of the city of Ierusalem But if it must bee allegorized then as by the fountaine grace is to be understood according to that of Ioh. 4. 14. so by the river should be understood perseverance and increase of grace running to eternall life as the sea wherein the course of all rivers endeth And therefore such as is the proportion of the fountaine to the sea such is of grace or of a gracious worke to eternall life This was his first analogy the second is no lesse ridiculous Moreover saith he there is a proportion betweene the ascent and descent of water for it doth ascend as high as it doth descend and therefore the grace of the Spirit which descended from heaven will ascend as high No doubt if it be conveyed in a close conduit pipe § VII His third Reason Eternall life is the day-peny of those that labour in the vineyard Matth. 20. But the day-peny is the just hire of the dayes labour So is eternall life The day-peny which was given to those that wrought but one houre doth signifie eternall life which is thereby proved not to bee an hire rendred as due to equall labour but as a free reward bestowed by the bounty of the Lord who â—… may doe with his owne what he pleaseth For if it were the just wages for the whole dayes labour then he that wrought but one houre should have had but one twelfe part of the wages His fourth Reason Seed in vertue physicall is equall to that thing wherof it is the seed and containeth it Grace is the seed and eternall life that whereof it is the seed therefore iâ—… vertue morall Grace is equall to glory Answ. This argument is grounded upon a similitude of grace and seed which are not like in those things for which this comparison is brought For neither is seede the meritorious cause of that whereof it is the seed as hee supposeth grace to bee nor grace the seminall cause of eternall life for seed is the materiale principium But grace meaning grace inherent is neither the materiale principium nor the meritorious cause nor any other cause of salvation unles it be 〈◊〉 sine qua non which is no cause Yea but gracâ—… saith he is called the seed of GOD 1 Ioh. 3. 9. Answ. The seede of God properly is Gods word sowne in our hearts as the seede of our new and spiriâ—…uall life in this world This seede conceived by the power of the Spirit is the grace of regeneration as the materiale principium of our spirituall life meant in that place of S. Iohn which alwaies abideth in the childe of God who being once borne of God is never unborne againe The fruits in respect whereof it is called seed are the fruits of a godly life For the seed of Gods Word being sowne in our hearts and there conceived and taking root fructifieth and bringeth forth increase in some thirty in some sixty in some aâ—… hundred fold The grace of regeneration therefore is called seed in respect of the fruit of good works which it bringeth forth in this life And further the doing of good workes is compared to sowing of seede which hath relation to the great harvest as also the committing of the dead bodies of the faithfull to the earth For even as he that casteth his seed into the ground doth it in hope of increase at the next harvest or as hee that committeth the dead body to the earth as seede doth it in hope of increase at the great harvest so hee which soweth in righteousnesse to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reape everlasting life And as the seed cast into the ground is not cast away but is recompenced with increase at the harvest And as the body though sowne in corruption doth not perish but riseth in incorruption at the great harvest so he that soweth the seed of good workes though hee may seeme to cast them upon the waters as Salomon speaketh hee shall not lose thereby but hee shall bee rewarded an hundred-fold and at the great harvest hee shall inherit everlasting life But as the increase in harvest is not to bee asscribed to the merit of the sower but to the blessing of God and as the raising of the dead body to incorruption at the last day is not to bee attributed to the merit of committing it as seed to the earth but to the merit and power of CHRIST in whom wee are made alive againe so the reaping of everlasting life at the great harvest is not to bee asscribed to our merit but to the merit of Christ who hath purchased it for us and to the undeserved mercie of God who crowneth his owne graces in us So if wee sowe to our selves in righteousnesse wee shall reape in mercie as the Prophet speaketh § IX His fifth argument concludeth nothing to the purpose Eternall life saith hee is a certaine supernaturall action in respect of the Object and of the principles bâ—…th efficient and formall But merit which consisteth in love is also a supernaturall action in respect of the Object and of the principles both efficient and formall therefore they have aproportion betweene themselves and the one leadeth to the other as the right way to the end Answ. I grant that the grace of sanctification is the right way to glorification but no meritorious cause thereof That there is a proportion of likenesse in the respects mentioned but no proportion of equality And that
the person or of the whole man who is Adopted to be the sonne of God Neither doth the Apostle speake of the adoption of the soule nor yet of the adoption of the body but of the redemption of the body from the servitude of corruption into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God which is not the adoption of the body but the fruite of the adoption of the whole man which here by a Metonymy is called adoption The former he proveth by the latter not to be imputative but inherent The adoption of sonnes which we expect in the redemption of the body shall be most true and inherent in the body it selfe that is to say immortality and impassibility not putative but true therefore the adoption which now we have in the spirit by justification is also true not putative but inherent Ans. In this similitude he should rather have said that as the adoption of sonnes which we doe expect at the redemption of our bodies that is at the resurrection is the everlasting inheritance whereunto wee were adopted as sonnes which a true and glorious inheritance though not inherent in the body but enjoyed by the whole man as adherent unto him so the adoption which we now have in the Spirit by justification which is the entituling of us to this inheritance is a true adoption though not inherent but wrought by imputation of Christs merits unto us But suppose the adoption of the body as hee calleth it were inherent how doth it follow that the adoption of the soule as hee calleth it should also be inherent he saith it must bee so Otherwise saith he as wee expect the redemption of the body so also we should expect the redemption of the soule which the Papists had neede to doe whose soules shall bee in purgatory at the last day but from thence to be delivered at that day by a gaole-delivery but I say it followeth not for the adoption which is imputative is a most true adoption and wee need no other but the accomplishment thereof which is our full redemption As for that adoption which he supposeth to bee inherent it is a meere fancie § XXI Now let us see what may from that proposition which was agreed upon betweene us be truly inferred on our part Such as is our adoption such is our justification but our Adoption is imputative and not by inherencie For as I have shewed heretofore these foure benefits reconciliation redemption justification and adoption doe not import any reall mutation in the subject but relative and imputative for when God imputing to a beleever the merits of his Sonne forgiveth his sinnes which made him an enemy to God a bondslave of sinne and Satan guilty of sinne and damnation the childe of the Devill and receiveth him into his favour maketh him Christs freeman accepteth of his as righteous admitteth him to bee his sonne he is said to reconcile to redeeme to justifie and to adopt him not by working any reall or positive change in the party but relative or in respect of relation To be a father and to be a sonne are relatives when a man therefore hath first a sonne hee becommeth a father which hee was not before not by any reall change in himselfe but by a new relation which before he had not When a man is adopted he becommeth the sonne of another man whose sonne he was not before not by any reall mutation but onely in regard of relation For if the party adopted by God should by adoption bee really changed then God who adopteth should also seeme to bee really changed which is impossible because he is immutable For as he which is adopted becommeth the sonne of God which hee was not before so God when he first adopteth any man becommeth his father which hee was not before Here therefore seemeth to bee a change as well in God adopting as in the party adopted not reall for that is not possible but relative onely which is a manifest evidence that as our Adoption so our justification is not any reall change wrought in us by infusion of any inherent quality but a relative change wrought without us by imputation of Christs righteousnesse CAP. XI Bellarmines arguments proving obliquè or indirectly justification by inherent righteousnesse and first because faith is not the integrall and onely formall cause of justification § I. ANd these were all the arguments which Bellarmine hath produced to proove diâ—…ectly his assertion concerning justification by inherent righteousnesse now follow two other ranks of proofes whereby he doth obliquè indirectly and by consequence prove the same by disproving two assertions which it pleaseth him to father upon us The one that faith is the onely formall cause of justification the other that justification consisteth onely in remission of sinnes For if faith be not the integrall cause formall of our justification but that with it charity and other graces doe concurre by which as well as by faith we are justified formally then it followeth that wee are justified by inherent and habituall righteousnesse which consisteth in the habits of faith aud charity and other graces And if justification doth consist not onely in remission of sins by which our soules are cleansed from sinne but also in the renewing of us according to Gods image by infusion of righteousnesse by which our soules are not onely purged from sinne but also adorned and beautified with grace then it followeth that we are justified by inherent righteousnesse The former question he disputeth lib. 2. de justif c. 4. the title whereof is fidem non esse integram formalem caussam justificationis that faith is not the whole formall cause of justification This opinion hee confesseth none of us doe now hold though falsly hee would lay it upon Luther and Melancthon for we deny faith to bee the formall cause of justification at all and yet this is it which he and all of his side evermore object unto us to make us odious to the world as though wee required nothing to make us formally and inherently righteous but onely faith And for this cause though wee hold not this assertion yet hee thinkes good to confute it as if we held it § II. Of his proofes onely the first serveth to prove that with faith charity doth concurre unto justification It is taken out of Gal. 5. 5. 6. the fifth verse containing the latter part of the Antithesis between justitiaries who were apostates from the doctrine of grace and the true prosessours of the Gospell For the former looked to bee justified by the Law that is by obedience performed to the Law and so were fallen from grace but the latter looked not to be justified by the Law but by faith that is by Christs righteousnesse apprehended by faith Of this Antithesis the latter part agreeth to us the former to the Papists And therefore I marvell to what purpose he alleaged the fifth verse unlesse it were to