minde But if in the heart it bee not then can it not haue the application that I spoke of Faith must bee in the heart Against this their opinion I thus reason Iustifying faith is in the heart Popish faith is not in the heart therefore Popish faith is not that iustifying faith My Minor is the doctrine of the Papists and of Bellarmine among other as is said before The Maior or first proposition S. Paul will proue for me sufficiently so that it may not be denyed Rom. 10 10 Gal. 4.6 With the heart a man beleeueth vnto righteousnesse What can be more plaine Because you are sonnes saith the same Apostle elsewhere God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts And what worketh it thereby The Apostle telleth vs Whereby wee cry Abba Father And how learne wee this lesson of the Spirit First the Spirit teacheth vs to beleeue and to haue confidence and then this faith bringeth forth prayer as a fruit For How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Rom. 10.14 The Eunuch after Philip had instructed him in the faith asked if he might not be baptized Philip made answere Act. 8.37 38. If thou beleeuest with all thine heart thou maist Arator therefore a Christian Poet who wrote about 1100. yeeres since hath these wordes Arator in Act. lib. 2. Corde salus credentis erit confessio voce In the heart is the saluation of the beleeuer the confession is in the mouth To be short vnfaithfulnesse is by the Apostle assigned to the heart Hebr. 3.12 Take heed brethren saith he lest there be in any of you at any time an euill heart and vnfaithfull to depart away from the liuing God therefore by the Law of contraries faith must be in the heart too A third fault that I find with this definition is that they say it is assensus solùm An assent onely No true faith without knowledge Bellar. de Iustific l. 1. cap. 7. as before out of Bellarmine I shewed whereby their meaning is to exclude knowledge as a thing nothing at all required in faith In so much as Bellarmine shameth not to affirme that fides melius per ignorantiam quà m per notitiam definitur Faith is better defined by ignorance then by knowledge But herein the common prouerbe is verified plus vident oculi quà m oculus Mo eyes see more then one For the Vniuersity of Colen in their Censure Censur Colon explic Dial. 4. written against Monhemius though they were Papists and in other points aduersaries to the truth yet in this write farre otherwise then Bellarmine doth Fidei ratio in firma notitia consistit The definition say they of faith standeth vpon firme knowledge We cannot herein speake more contrary to Bellarmine then they haue done Yet true it is that Bellarmine in the Booke and Chapter last alleaged by mee granteth that in faith there is a kinde of knowledge for he saith there are in him that beleeueth two things Bellar. de Iustif l. 1. c. 7 assent and apprehension which apprehension he saith is notitia rudis confusa A rude and confused knowledge A knowledge belike such as his sight was Mar. 8.24 who saw men walking like trees sauing that this knowledge is not like to bring forth so good an effect as his vnperfit sight did 25. For he soone after was restored to his sight and saw euery man a farre off cleerely but they who seeke for faith in this confused knowledge shall neuer finde it An vnknowing knowledge the Papists brag of And if you desire to know what this confused knowledge is wherewith they content themselues you may giue a great ghesse thereof by that which they tell vs of the Colliars faith holden for a true faith in the Romish Church commended by Staphilus that slanderous Apostata approued also by Stapleton who translated that idle pamphlet Staphilus his Apologie The Colliar told the Deuill he beleeued as the Church beleeueth and the Church beleeued as he did But further what the Church beleeued or himselfe either he could not tell This is that confused knowledge then that they would men should content themselues withall to bee able to speake of the Church in generall but not of the particular doctrine thereof to call God Father but not to know by what meanes hee is our Father to say wee beleeue in Iesus Christ not vnderstanding any thing of his person or office And thus not to know how to apply vnto our selues the comfort of these or any other generall points is a found faith with our great Masters of Rome But though Staphilus say the Deuill was ouercome with that answere and put to flight yet sure I am that God requireth greater knowledge and therefore giueth his word and appointeth his ministerie for the instruction of his people A particular knowledge is needfull Exod. 12.26 Neither did Moses suppose such a generall knowledge would serue the turne when hee so straitly chargeth the Israelites to instruct their children in the true cause of their feast of Passeouer When your children saith he aske you what seruice is this you keepe Then shall yee say It is the sacrifice of the Lords Passeouer 27. which passed ouer the houses of the children of Israel in Aegypt when he smote the Aegyptians preserued our houses Ioshua also thought it not enough that Gods people should haue a generall perswasion that God was good but hee tooke order that his particular benefits should bee remembred euen of their children Iosh 4.6 7. And when Ioshua would that Moses should forbid Eldad and Medad Num. 11.29 to prophecie in the Host Moses answered Would God that all the Lords people were Prophets and the Lord would put his Spirit vpon them wishing a more speciall knowledge vnto them then was ordinary among Gods people And the Apostle prayeth that the Colossians may be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding He addeth his reason Coloss 1.9 that you may walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things 10. giuing vs thereby to vnderstand that without particular knowledge of his will in all things we cannot please him But what stand I vpon this point Doth not Saint Peter who they say was the first Pope and therefore that he commandeth they will confesse must bee obeyed require such knowledge in euery Christian 1. Pet. 3.15 that they may be readie to giue answere to euery man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them Shall wee then content our selues against so many expresse testimonies of the word with that rude and confused knowledge of Bellarmines or the Colliars faith so well liked of Staphilus But what reason haue they so to reioyce in this dimme light Why this generall knowlege is so praised of Papists Ioh. 3 20. like such as haue sore eies and therefore hang
is And we may with the greater boldnesse claime this righteousnesse that is in Christ because that wee being by faith made one with Christ ImputatioÌ„ of Christs iustice and married vnto him hee by right of marriage is made partaker of our sinnes to ease vs of the heauie weight of that burden and we in regard thereof too haue an interest in his righteousnesse 1. Cor. 1.30 For he is made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption Which imputation of Christs righteousnesse howsoeuer our aduersaries doe much mislike Rom. 4.3.22 Rom. 4 5.24 yet Abraham had it and it is a righteousnesse that belongeth to all that beleeue Saint Bernard though he saw not all things yet he saw much sweetnesse in this most comfortable doctrine so much condemned in the Romish Church â—er Epi. 90. Assignata est sayth hee homini aliena iustitia qui caruit sua Anothers righteousnesse is assigned to man for that he wanted his owne And a little after Cur non aliunde iustitiae quum aliunde reatus Why may not we haue righteousnesse from another seeing guiltinesse is from another Againe Tutior est mihi donata quam iuuata That which is giuen mee is safer then that which is bred in mee And thus I trust I haue sufficiently proued that sinne being abolished and the condemnation thereof taken away and we appearing before God in Christ his righteousnesse Gen. 27.27 which is vnto vs as Esaus garment which was vnto Isaak of a sweet fauour we I say stand as not guiltie and haue peace with God Rom. 5.1 through Iesus Christ our Lord. The second difference betweene our Aduersaries and vs is of the word Faith For explanation whereof What faith is meant I will not enter into consideration of all the significations that this word hath but onely search how in these wordes it must be taken Our aduersaries say it is Assensus solum firmus certus Bellar. de Justific l. 1 cap. 5. ad ea omnia quae Deus credenda proponit A constant and sure assent only vnto all things which God would haue vs beleeue This is the faith that our Aduersaries say S. Paul speaketh of when he telleth vs we are iustified by faith Stapleton our Countriman indeuoureth out of S. Augustine Stap. Antid in Rom. â— 17. â—â—ug de â—â—ir lit cap. 32. To beleeue God to proue the sufficiency of this definition And to this end he alleageth these wordes Nulli dubtum est eam fidem commendari ab Apostolo qua creditur Deo No doubt the Apostle commendeth that faith whereby we beleeue God These wordes wee confesse are S. Augustines and as he speaketh them most true but by Stapleton wrested from their right and naturall sense For whereas in the former Chapter this Father had spoken of two kinds of Faith Cap. 31. To beleeue in God the one whereby we beleeue God the other wherby we beleeue in God now in this Chapter he intreateth first of the former commending such as beleeue God and that which hee teacheth rather then other Masters And that this is Augustines meaning himselfe can best tell Cap. 32. We must inquire saith this Father what faith the Apostle so greatly commendeth for euery beleeuing is not good For whence is that Brethren beleeue not euery spirit but try the spirit 1. Ioh. 4.1 whether it be of God And so he goeth forward to proue that euery doctrine is not to be beleeued and thereupon affirmeth by way of conclusion that which Stapleton alleageth that the Apostle commendeth the faith whereby we beleeue that God saith But after remembring that S. Iames commandeth to aske in faith Iam. 1.6 of that faith he saith This is the faith whereby the iust man liueth This is the faith whereby a man beleeueth in God who iustifieth the wicked And thus wee see how vntruly Stapleton dealeth in the allegation of his proofe out of Augustine for to iustifie their definition of faith But against this their definition of iustifying faith The Popish definition agreeth not to iustifying faith only we haue diuers reasons For first the rules of Logicke teach vs that in all definitions wee must take heed that the definition extend no furder then to the thing that is defined and therefore are such differences therein to be vsed as may distinguish that which we would define from all other things for otherwise a man shall not know by the definition what a thing is and so the definition shall not doe that for which end only it is made But this their definition of iustifying faith extendeth further then to the thing defined For it comprehendeth the faith which may be and is in many wicked ones who neither are nor euer shall be iustified because euen they may assent to all the articles of Religion as daily experience proueth sufficiently August de verb. Dom. ser 61. S. Augustine besides the place before alleaged elsewhere also speaketh of two sorts of faith the one is to beleeue God the other to beleeue in God But in his Sermons of the time he mentioneth three kinds of beleeuing August de Temp. ser 181. Hebr. 11.6 First to beleeue that God is and this is one step to God as the Apostle to the Hebrewes teacheth vs He that commeth to God must beleeue that God is The second is to beleeue God that is to say that which God teacheth and this S. Augustine doth worthily commend as is said but yet of it he affirmeth August de Temp. ser 181. that credere vera esse quae loquitur multi mali possint Many euen euill men may beleeue it is true that God speaketh Now the third sort is of such as beleeue in God which onely is that which in the Creede we confesse and is auaileable to iustification euen by Augustines iudgement as whoso readeth his words must needes acknowledge Now our aduersaries rest but vpon the second sort of beleeuing and seeke no further Which is much like as if a sicke man should be perswaded that a Physicion hath skill enough to helpe him and the Apothecary hath drugs enow to doe him good but reapeth not the fruit of the Physicions counsell nor getteth any good of the Apothecaries store because he neither followeth the Physicions counsell nor receiueth any medicine from the Apothecary For such a generall perswasion without a particular application profiteth little For this assent which is in their faith must not be cordis voluntatis Bellar. de Iustific l. 1. c. 4 5. of the heart or will as Bellarmine vntruly teacheth vs and others too but only mentis intellectus Of the minde or vnderstanding in so much as he maketh the minde or vnderstanding to be the seat of faith noting it for a second point of difference betweene vs and them that wee say faith is in the heart which they deny and place it only in the
hauing power to iustifie therefore faith only iustifieth The Maior I haue shewed before is not to bee denyed of any Papists because that they seeke not to ioyne with faith any thing in the matter of Iustification but only workes As for my Minor Stap. Antid in Act. 3.10 it is granted by Stapleton in the words before alleadged that the Apostle excludeth Workes from hauing power to iustifie absolutely that is to forgiue sinnes Thus haue we one more on our side then we hoped for and so may be bold I trust to conclude Now although this cloud of witnesses is sufficient I hope to cleere vs from any sinister imputation of euill dealing as if wee would teach that is strange and not heard of but of late dayes yet we haue in this point a better testimonie then all men can affoord vs. For the assurance of this Doctrine is this that the holy Ghost sealeth vp this confidence in our hearts Rom. 8.16 and Gods Spirit beareth witnesse with our Spirit that wee are the children of God and hauing receiued the Sprit of adoption we are bold to cry Abba Father This this I say is the argument that more perswadeth the children of God then all that men can bring This argument did so conuince euen the very conscience of Saint Paul Phil. 3.8.9 That the righteousnesse of the Law was as I may so say but lothsome to him in comparison of that righteousnes which he longed after by Christ This righteousnesse whoso hath a true feeling of he doth but laugh to scorne the idle disputations of them that seeke to proue it must bee had by Workes But I am not ignorant how our Aduersaries doe what in them lyeth to elude the testimonies of God and all good men and as much as they can to dimme the verie light of our consciences that wee should not see this comfort Bell. de Iustif l. 1. c 25 Annot. in Iam. 2.24 And therefore Bellarmine seemeth to make some answer to some few places alleaged out of the Scriptures and Fathers against them So doe the Rhemists too in their Annotations vpon the new Testament But all in vaine the Sunne of truth shineth so cleere that all they can doe is not sufficient to dimme the light thereof For this word Faith only being so commonly vsed as it is teacheth vs that nothing but faith is that which by our Sauiour Christ iustifieth For it only cannot be said to doe it if eyther Law of Ceremonies or of the Commandements the workes eyther of the vnrighteous or of the faithfull bee ioyned with it And therefore though our Aduersaries would sometime exclude one thing from iustifying sometime another yet so long as they exclude not all but faith in Christ Iesus from being cause of our Iustification they seeke but to deceiue vs. Aug de fide operibuc 14. Good workes necessarie when we are iustified Aug. de fide operibus cap. 14. Yet I denie not but workes as S. Augustine sayth doe follow him that alreadie is iustified though they goe not before him that is to be iustified For they are as a little before I said out of Thomas of Aquine the execution and manifestation of our righteousnesse but no causes therof In which sence the Fathers very often especially Saint Augustine in many places hauing shewed plentifully out of the Apostle That we are iustified by faith without the workes of the Law Yet withall he giueth vs to vnderstand that Hoc non agit vt percepta ac professa fide opera iustitiae contemnantur hee goeth not about thereby to make vs contemne the workes of righteousnesse we once hauing receiued and professed faith No we when once we are iustified are Gods workemanship Ephes 2.10 created in Christ Iesus vnto good works which God hath ordained that we should walke in them Againe they tell vs some of the Fathers speake of faith as it is Dogmaticall for our profession or Religion and that in such sence only they affirme Faith only to iustifie because it is the true and not a false faith that must saue Of which I sayd somewhat before when I alleadged the words of Leo for confirmation of our Doctrine But yet somewhat more to explane the matter wee must consider that faith hath two respects Outward Doctrine The one as it is an outward thing which is taught or wee may reade of it in Bookes That pierceth the eares it hath also consent of the minde and vnderstanding when we yeeld to the truth therof But this though a true faitht yet vntill it be planted in the heart and beleeued iustifieth not As for example the Deuill may and did know the true faith as when he said Iesus the Sonne of God Mat. 8.29 Mark 1.24 what haue wee to doe with thee Againe What haue we to doe with thee Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy vs I know what thou art That holy ome of God We reade also elsewhere in Saint Marke Mark 3.11 When the vncleane Spirits saw Christ they fell downe before him and cryed saying Thou art the Sonne of God And Saint Iames sayth plainely Iam. 2.19 The Deuils beleeue that there is one God and tremble But our Aduersaries will grant that although it is a Catholicke faith that the Deuils haue yet it furthereth them not to saluation That faith in Christ Iesus doth iustifie is a true faith that is a true Doctrine yet no doubt acknowledged of many that shall neuer find with comfort the sweetnesse thereof But when this perswasion is well rooted in the heart Inward assurance so that it maketh vs to rest and repose our selues vpon God which we call beleeuing in God then doth it iustifie Thus then although it is most true that it must be a Catholike not an Hereticall faith that saueth yet euen that true Catholike faith doth not quicken it doth not sanctifie or iustifie vnlesse to our endlesse comfort we receiue the same into the heart And so as the Catholike faith is only auaileable so vntill it be receiued into the heart it helpeth not and then it only iustifieth But many things are out of the Scripture obiected against this Doctrine whereby the simple and such as are not acquainted with the Word Heb. 3.14 neyther by long custome haue their wits exercised to discerne both good and euill as the Apostle to the Hebrewes speaketh may soone be deceiued For to such as haue not iudgement to trye Metals euen Tinne will seeme Siluer and Copper Gold because in colour they are somewhat like To say nothing of such places it may bee dangerous in these our euill dayes lest thereby some that desire to know the truth by the name of Scripture wrested to a wrong sence may be led into errour And yet to speak of euery particular place alleadged would bee verie tedious for they are many I haue therefore thought good to draw them into some few heads and so