wee teach them to beleeue the wider we open them a doore to sinne But woulde you in deede finde out that doctrine that doth let loose the raynes of lycentious life and giueth liberty to doe what you will Looke then to our newe Romish religion that selleth sinnes for money and pardons for faultes both past and to come also Faith whereby wee apprehend this free iustification is Gods gift and therefore not easie for vs to get seeing wee cannot haue it at all vnlesse hee will giue it increase whereof the Apostles themselues craued of God because of themselues they coulde not get it But as much mony as will buy a pardon is not harde to come by Especially rich men might by their doctrine be bolde to sinne because money woulde buy pardons enowe Nowe whether the auncient faith of the Romans or this new Romish religion giue greater liberty to licentious life let the indifferent Reader iudge CHAP. VII BVT this our doctrine of iustification by faith in our Sauiour Christ Iesus without the workes of the Lawe that it may both the better be vnderstoode and more throughly be deliuered from the vniust reproches of such slaunderous spirits It shall not I suppose be amisse but verie necessary to declare what maner of persuasion this Faith is by the doctrine of the Apostles if any thing may out of these their writinges which doe any way concerne the Romans be brought to teach vs the same First therefore this Faith is not only a generall persuasion of Gods power mercie and such other things but euen a particular confidence and trust wherby we do not onely giue our assent or consent that GOD is mighty and mercifull but also we do with comfort applie particularly vnto our selues whatsoeuer greatnes and goodnes in generall persuasion we yéeld to be in God And this is plainly proued by thapostle vnto the Romans setting forth the faith of Abraham before our eyes as a perfect patterne of true faith in that he beléeued not onely in generally that God could or would do such a thing but euen particularly that he would and could performe his promise that he made vnto him concerning Isaac So shall thy seed be And so it came to passe that neither he considered his owne bodie now dead when he was almost a hundred yeares old neither yet the deadnes of Saraes womb But contrary to hope beleeued in hope that he should be the father of many nations Now this constancie of Faith cannot possibly be in any man or woman vnlesse they haue besides a generall persuasion and historicall assent to this that they heare that God is good a particular application and an inward féeling whereby they may say as their old translation bringeth in Iob saying This hope is laid vp within my brest Faith also must be if it be true and such as is required a constant confidence without doubting Not because that we can héer attaine to that perfection that our faith should haue no infirmitie but that all weaknesse in faith doth argue great want in the same Such was that Faith that héer the Apostle commendeth vnto vs in the example of Araham For Abraham was Fully persuaded assured or certified that what GOD had promised he was able to performe Now fully to be persuaded of a thing and to doubt of it are contrarie And Saint Peter willeth vs To trust perfectly in that grace that is brought vnto vs. wherby he doubtlesse meaneth nothing els then thapostle S. Iames when he opposeth Doubting or wauering against true faith Let him aske in faith nothing doubting But that faith must haue these properties that is that it must be a confidence and trust wherby assuredly and particularly we applie vnto our selues the comfort of Gods promises or of the examples of his mercie Thapostle in this Chapter doth farther teach vs I meane Saint Paule in the fourth to the Romans teaching circumcision to be A seale of the righteousnes of Faith A seale is set to the writing to take away all occasion of doubting from the same So are the Sacraments added to Gods promises if it were possible to make vs without all wauering in Faith And the writings whervnto seales are affixed contain for the most part particular benefits bestowed vpon them to whom they are made and sealed Euen so the Sacraments are to the godly assurances not onely that God loueth mankind or Christ is a Sauiour that taketh away sinnes and maketh attonement with God for them but also that God loueth vs and Christ saueth vs I say euery particular man and woman if they be faithfull haue within them this faith Which application of this benefit of Christ to themselues and to their consciences is beléeuing And they that can attaine to this haue attained to Faith and this their particular faith is sealed vp to them in the Sacraments But an assent to the historie hereof we may yéeld without comfort or consolation For so do the Diuels beléeue and tremble Yea let vs sée what an example of Faith thapostle in the viii of this Epistle setteth forth himself to haue I warrant you we shall find it neither mingled with doubtfulnesse nor resting onely vpon Gods generall promises But in wonderfull assurance he findeth and confesseth in himselfe to his vnspeakable comfort Gods great mercy in iustifying and sauing him For he is not only assured that none can lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen because God iustifieth and none can condemne because Christ died and rose againe and at Gods right hand maketh intercession for vs but also that nothing can separate vs from that loue wherwith God loueth And this he saith he is sure of This then is the auncient faith of the Romans That euery one should be fully perswaded in their owne mind for if in meates this perswasion must be then much more in the cause of our iustification and Trust perfectly without doubting on Gods grace Yea the auncient Fathers do not know any other faith for a true faith but onely this assurance and particular persuasion of the heart Ciprian calleth it A confidence of good things to come and proueth that it must so be S. Basil saith it is An approbation of that which is said with assent and without wauering with full assurance that it is true Which confident persuasion is manifestly against popish doubting neyther can it be without particular application of the promises to our selues which in their grosse diuinitie they finde to bee néedelesse Hilary will haue no doubt at all in our faith Neyther can a generall faith without applying particularly to vs Gods promises make vs abstaine from euill and doe that is good which Chrysostome saith is the worke of faith And this doth S. Ambrose plainely teach by the similitude of a phisition who although bee promise to heale all yet they that will haue helpe must seeke to
from thence And for proofe héereof let vs looke vpon some good worke and with indifferent iudgement let vs trie whether as it commeth from vs it can be perfect or not And what better worke can we finde then prayer which is that sweet sacrifice of perfume that God delighteth in If any man will say that he can offer vp vnto GOD his sacrifice without any wante or imperfection he proclaimeth thereby vnto the worlde that hee knoweth not what it is to pray or hath no feeling of his owne weakenes I speake not heere of popish prayers which are full of horrible blasphemies both in respect of him to whome they pray and of the mediatours by whome they seeke to obtaine and of the merite which they looke for because they haue numbred vp a certaine number of prayers Let the Church of Rome affoorde vs but one man that iustly and truely can say that he can at any time with sincere heart and vnpolluted lippes so earnestly and confidently as God requireth being lifted vp from earth and earthly cogitations talke with God and sue vnto him for necessarie graces onely or especially respecting Gods glorie without wauering in fayth or wandering in affections or forgetting that hee is talking with GOD and then we will yeelde that our works there may be perfection But if in so holy a worke wherunto our owne wantes may stirre vp vs to be the more sincere yet wee shall alwaies finde imperfection how then can our other workes be voyde of sinne But if any man in his excesse of folly and depth of ignoraunce eyther of that he can doe or of that he shoulde doe woulde make the worlde beleeue that he is able to offer vnto GOD the sacrifice of prayer without faulte or blemish his owne thoughtes will testifie against him his knowledge will accuse him and his conscience will condemne him that hee deceaueth himselfe and that there is no trueth in him For this is the perfection which we can looke for and which Saint Paule desireth to bring the Romans vnto not that they shoulde haue no sinne for that he knewe was impossible but that they should not let sinne raigne in this their mortall body that they shoulde thereunto obey by the lustes of it And that our prayer cannot be altogether voyde of wantes what can be more playne to proue then that which S. Paule himselfe teacheth the Romans that Wee knowe not what to desire as we ought For how can wee performe that perfectly which thing we knowe not howe to doe as we ought The spirit of GOD sendeth vp I confesse in deed requests for vs that is maketh vs to request with groninges vnspeakable But what is that to vs and to our nature to the perfection of our worke We are like bad tooles in a good hand I speake of the regenerate The toole being sharpened by the workeman hath an edge and can cut So we when God hath reformed our will by the spirit of regeneration haue a readines or desire to doe good But this edge if it méete with any thing that is harde as iron or stone is broken and made blunt or dull So is this our willingnesse or readinesse taken away when our carnall affections and desires doe oppose themselues So that although Gods spirite that worketh in vs and by vs is holye yet because it worketh by such euill instrumentes as we are looke howe much wee want of the perfection of our regeneration which heere cannot be perfected for whilest heere we liue we are but children and are not come to our perfect groweth so much must needes our worke want of the cleare light of the minde to direct it or of the sincere obedience of the heart to performe And because the Apostle â—newe thus much therefore that wee shoulde not be altogether discouraged in respect of the imperfection of our actions or the corruption of our nature he telleth vs that The lawe of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus marke that this Law of the spirit of life is in Christ not inherent in vs hath freed vs from the Lawe of sinne and death So that we haue no other remedie for our wantes and imperfections then that that holines which is in Christ shoulde by imputation become ours By the which in the ende that sanctification which by the spirit is heere begotten in vs shall be also fulfilled in vs as is promised afterwards For that righteousnes of the Law that there is spoken of that it is not or cannot be fulfilled of vs so long as we cary about vs this body subiect to sinne and correuption experience teacheth and I thinke the papists themselues that haue any shame will not deny For so long as we haue any lust or concupiscence which so long as we liue we shall haue Admit that lust were not sinne as the patrons of lust the papistes woulde haue vs to beléeue and falsly teach yet whilest that remaineth no body can say that the very righteousnes of the Law or whatsoeuer the Lawe required is fulfilled of vs. For euen themselues confesse that lust is aswaruing from the Lawe and is not according to the direction thereof Whereby it appeareth that these wordes of righteousnes of the Lawe that must be fulfilled in vs are to be vnderstoode of that that shall be performed in vs héereafter and not of that righteousnesse that we can now attaine vnto I cannot therefore but maruell at our Rhemistes that by these wordes woulde prooue that we may fulfill the Law For besides that which I haue said that it must be vnderstood of the perfection which we shall haue the wordes themselues also teach vs that this is done not by vs for we cannot attaine to that holines but in vs now if Christ in vs fulfill the Lawe it is not thereby proued that our selues fulfill the Law or that it is possible that we should attaine to the perfect obedience therof I trust that it appeareth that the ancient faith of the Romans which was commended by S. Paul doth so proclaime our vnworthinesse and debase our owne workes if we will consider them how God in his iustice may iudge of them that we may iustly confesse with the people of God Wee haue all beene as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnes as filthy cloutes we all doe fade as the leafe and our iniquities as the winde haue taken vs away So that we alwaies haue good cause to pray that God whatsoeuer thing we take in hande should Forgiue vs our trespasses For as saith Saith Bernard we want trueth charitie and courage Yea and the more we looke into and the better we knowe our selues the more plainely shal we see that these will alwaies be heere vnperfect Reason saith hee fayleth through ignoraunce of the trueth will is weake because affection fainteth the flesh is vnable through scante of courage In so much as reason doth not well vnderstande what it
the phisition And why Is it not euery one that standeth in neede may haue the medicine applyed yes verily For it will not otherwise doe them any good Now saith he faith giueth vs this spirituall health which vnlesse the minde receiue withall the heart it doth no good but rather hurt As therefore it doth no good to a diseased body to know that he may haue helpe vnlesse the physicke be ministred to him euen so in these sicknesses of our soule the assaultes of sinne without this particular applicution there can be no helpe Let therefore Master Bellarmine tel vs if he will that his fellow Catholickes of the Romish stamp do hold it rather a presumption then faith To be assured of the promise of speciall grace or mercy yet will we rather holde fast that auncient faith of Rome approued also by sundry fathers then wander with them in their wauering opinion and desperate doctrine But our new Romish teachers can abide nothing lesse then that we should teach men to assure themselues by faith of their saluation And therefore they teach this faith to be but an assent not a confidence and that it may be a generall knowledge not a particular and vndoubted persuasion or trust that we are iustifyed by Christ They take for a patterne of their faith that faith that the diuels haue as before out of Saint Iames I taught that they beleeue yea feare and tremble And while they make faith to be but a bare assent they thinke it an easy matter to beleeue for in deed the most wicked may haue such a fayth by this meanes it commeth to passe that they speake euill of our doctrine which they knowe not For wee doe not teach that popish faith doth iustify which is but an historicall assent to those thinges that are spoken of GOD but we say that that assured persuasion which Sainte Paul commendeth in Abraham and whereof himselfe reioyceth And whereby we are kept by the power of GOD vnto saluation wee teach that that doth not onely iustifie vs before God because it apprehendeth and taketh holde of him by and in whom onely wee are accompted righteousse in Gods sight but God by it doth also purifie our heartes Because it cannot be but that wee will haue a delight in Gods commaundementes if once this assured and vndoubted persuasion of Gods eternall goodnesse towardes vs be planted in our heartes Although therefore we still teach constantlie with our Sauiour Christ his Apostles that fayth without workes doth iustifie speaking of a true fayth and an assured confidence which was the olde Roman fayth yet we wil also say with the new Romanistes that the fayth of the nowe Church of Rome or that fayth which the diuels may haue cannot iustifye But this doth nothing hinder our cause for wee accompt not that bastard Roman faith worthy the name of faith So that in this latter assertion wee yeelde to them And in the former wherein we affirme that faith as it is an assured confidence taking holde of Gods mercy in Christ doth iustifie I would they also woulde yeelde vnto the trueth CHAP. VIII WEe haue séene then the most auncient doctrine of iustification by faith grounded vpon the first promise of the womans seede that shoulde breake the head of the serpent taught by the Apostles who yet ment not thereby to open a gap to licentious life because they speak not there of a deuelish faith a popish faith a dead faith that may be fruitlesse but of such a persuasion and so assured a confidence setled in the heart of the faithfull as will not suffer them to be idle or vnoccupied in godly workes as occasion shall bee offered And if wee looke further into the doctrine taught by the Apostles we shall also learne out of it not onely that it is necessary to doe good works but also howe and to what ende wee shoulde doe them For if our affection in doing them be not sincere if our direction and rule be not Gods holy word if our intention and ende be not Gods glory and the performance of our dutifull obedience vnto our Lord and Lawgiuer whatsoeuer our worke be called in name or seeme in shew it is not in deede a good worke First therefore for our affection not onely our Sauiour Christ who is a heauenly and true teacher of all trueth telleth vs that the trée of our heart cannot bring forth good fruite vnlesse it I meane the tree be good it selfe but also S. Paul teacheth vs that the flesh that is that part of man that is not regenerate striueth against the spirit whereby he is brought to that that Hee doth not the good thing which hee woulde but the euill which he would not And that through The rebelling Lawe in his members rebelling I say against the lawe of his mind and leading him captiue vnto the Lawe of sinne which is in his members Nowe if we marke why the Apostle maketh this complaint and addeth that grieuous and pitifull exclamation O wretched man that I am we must confesse that he was forced thereto because that Although he woulde doe good and had delight in the Lawe of God concerning the inner man yet his rebellious fleshe did trouble and molest him so that he could not so freely so holily and sincerely serue God as he shoulde haue done And that is it that in the sixt chapter he perswadeth vs that we ought not to sinne because we are dead to sinne so that we should not any more haue to doe therewith but should haue our affections freed from the same and wholly bent to serue God in holines And for this cause afterwardes when he beginneth to come to exhortations he layeth this as the ground and foundation of al That we must offer vp our selues euen our owne bodies a sacrifice to God For if we beginne not with our selues euen with our owne affections to haue them sanctified whatsoeuer we doe cannot bee holy And therefore S. Peter also who plentifully exhorteth to the performance of Christian dueties yet telleth vs before that we are elect vnto Sanctification For heereby our affections are reformed that in doing of al our works we may do them with a good heart And afterward he saith Seeing your hearts are purified in obeying the trueth through the spirite to loue brotherly without fayning loue one another with a pure heart feruently In which wordes we cannot but see how sincere an effection the Apostle requireth in performance of this dutie of loue which must also bee a patterne for vs to doe all good workes by for thy heart not béeing sincere thy workes are not pure though they seeme good As for the second point which is that our workes if we will that God shoulde accompt them good should be commaunded in Gods word and agréeable to his will it may appeare to be the auncient faith
of the faithfull Romans because S. Paul teaching them to doe good workes seemeth to require nothing of them but loue which he saith is the fulfilling of the Law so that he would haue vs occupied in performing of loue to God and loue to man which God in the ten commandements requireth of vs and then we shall not faile but doe good works But this yet he teacheth more plainely in the shutting vp of that notable discourse in the fourtéenth Chapter Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne In which place Master Bellarmine wil haue vs by faith to vnderstand knowledge as also the Rhemistes teach vs or persuasion of conscience that the thing which we doe is good and lawfull But whatsoeuer we doe for the which we finde not our direction in Gods word what persuasion can we finde for the same in our conscience that God shall recken it among good workes Or rather why shoulde we not alwaies feare least God for such workes of ours should say Who hath required these thinges of your handes in which respect al the fathers in our good workes require faith And is not I pray you our good worke a flower of sweete sauour and a fruite of pleasant taste vnto the Lorde All men wil confesse it is so From what roote then must it come doubtlesse from no other but from that immortall seede that Saint Peter speaketh of The worde of God Whereby hee woulde also haue vs to growe And if S. Basil concerning the precepts of their monkish life doth think they must not be left vndone to take other workes in hand and that specially because that euery one knoweth not what is conuenient for them to doe but may as well choose that may be to his hurt and hinderance as to his helpe and furtherance then how much more should Gods lawes be in such accompt among vs who are by our profession regular hauing an expresse commaundement to doe that onely which God commaundeth that we would not for any thing adde vnto the same our owne inuentions or mingle with the same our owne traditions And if we suppose that one man may better see how to set downe rules of life then another how is it that we are so be sotted that wee giue not that glory to God that he knoweth better I say not then any but then all men what workes they are that please him best Or if we confesse him to haue that wisedom why doe we not follow then this his direction why do we not studie to keepe his commaundementes why doe wee weary our selues in our owne waies and wast our time in doing our owne workes Thirdly in euery good worke God also considereth to what ende it was done And principally we must respect Gods glorie Whether ye eate or drinke or whatsoeuer ye doe doe all to the glorie of GOD. And therefore Saint Paule findeth greate fault with the Romans or rather writing to the Romans that neyther the Gentiles when they knewe God did glorifie him as God and the Iewes by their sinnes dishonored the name of God And for that cause giuing to the Romans a caueat he willeth them to take heede of such as made deuision And why For they serue not the Lorde Iesus Christ but their owne bellies They seeke not to glorifie the Lorde but to pamper themselues Yea both Saint Paul and S. Peter also teach vs this lesson by their owne example giuing to him prayse glory and dominion And this glorifying of GOD is especially performed by consecrating vnto him the good grape of our holy obedience Euen by letting our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our Father which is in heauen Thus then we see that the auncient religion teacheth vs that no good worke can procéede from vs vnlesse the spring of our heart first be purged from the filth of sinne least our affections by that corruption shoulde be mingled like muddie water with sinfull cogitations and withdrawen from sinceritie in our action Then also that such onely are in déede good workes for doing whereof we haue warrant in Gods worde Lastly that in the said worke especially we must seeke Gods glory by seruing him in duetifull obedience for that the worke must be considered according to the ende whereunto it is directed and which we respected in doing the worke Augustine teacheth And if any of these be wanting either a sincere heart which cannot be without faith a direction out of the word or a godly ende the worke is not good whosoeuer worketh it or whatsoeuer shew of goodnes it seemeth to haue in the eies of men As on the contrary that which we doe according to Gods worde with a sincere heart desiring to walk on forward in all holy obedience that is in déede a good worke But it is almost a common receiued opinion of our new Romish Catholicks that the good intent maketh a good work Insomuch as many think it must needs be a good worke that a man or woman doth with a good purpose Neither yet do they measure this their intent or purpose with the true line of Gods worde but with the false measure of their owne imaginations And heereby it commeth to passe that the outward appearance of a good worke is taken of many to be an action acceptable to God although it be not either directed to the right end or commaunded in Gods word or done by him that hath the spirit of regeneration And this maketh them so grosly to teach concerning good workes because they would for the better credit of their workes commend the actions not only of the wicked but of the Infidels also that neuer knew God as if they might be perfect and void of sinne which is a thing as absurde to him that by the light of Gods spirit doth walk in the pathes of Gods word as if they would affirme that a wild vyne whilest it remayneth wild might bring forth a kindly grape a crab tree a good apple or from a foule and corrupt puddle might spring sweet and wholsome waters As for Gods Law because the waies therof are not roomy enough for such reelers and rouers to run in who according to their owne foolish phansies are alwaies hatching some new deuotions as not only the infinite swarues of their Religious orders as they falsly call those irreligious companies but also their innumerable toyes and superstitions whereby they would beare the world in hand that they please GOD and deserue his fauour doe plainley prooue they therefore now in the new Romish Religion commaund vnto vs many things whereof in the Scripture they can find no one commaundment no one example They quite forget the straight charge that GOD layeth vpon his people when he telleth them that They must not doe vvhat seemeth good in their owne eyes and concerning Gods Law That they must ad nothing therto nor
shoulde doe and the will hath no greate liking of that which it knoweth the coruptible bodie also is a burthen to the soule so that we cannot doe what we woulde Which true testimonie of S. Bernard doth sufficiently proue that in our works there cannot be perfection And S. Augustine as else where so in his booke intituled De perfectione iustitiae doth plainely proue that no man heere can be perfect So that we must be glad that the Lorde when he vieweth our workes accompteth that as done which if it be not done he pardoneth as S. Augustine writeth else where Who also teacheth vs that our perfection consisteth in knowing that héere we cannot be perfect why should we then dreame of that to be héere in vs which we cannot possibly attaine vnto or what meane we to say that is straight that agréeth not with the rule or that is perfect that néedeth mending But the new relligion of the Romish Church is that the works of the regenerate may be so perfect and holy as that they may be voyd of sinne and nothing in them to be reproued Yea and not that onely but also that by them they may iustify themselues merit or deserue eternal life because they can perfectly keepe the Law This is the doctrine which with common consent they teach And yet thēselues confesse that the loue of God cannot be perfect in vs neither so great as it ought to be But howe that agreeth with that which they also affirme that any man I suppose they vnderstand it but of the regenerate may fully and perfectly keepe the Lawe let the reader iudge To salue this sore Andradius Payuas taketh great paines in the place before alledged But I cannot but maruell that the strength of the trueth did not inforce him to giue glory vnto God and to be ashamed of that silly shift which he and before him the Iesuites of Colen are forced to vse in their censure For when they see that God requireth that we should loue the Lord our God with all our heart with all our soule with all our might and they confesse that to this loue of God or the keeping of this commaundement we cannot attaine they tell vs that God neuer would deale so hardly with vs as to require that of vs that we cannot doe and therefore that this commaundement doth but shew what we ought to wish striue for but that God meaneth not to tie vs to obey it in this life as for the fulfilling of it it shall bee after this life Woulde a man thinke that these men who brag so much of the fulfilling of the Law would now in good earnest confesse that God would haue them keep no more of the Law then they can God in like manner deliuered both the Tables of the commaundements with as great charge to keep the first as the second And in the first is all that comprehended euen that earnest loue that in these words is commaunded Therfore if we be tyed vnto the performance of loue towards men how can we be free to leaue or to doe our dutie toward God Yea Moses telleth the Israelites a litle before as it were by way of preface That these are the commaundements ordinances and Lawes which the Lord God commaunded him to teach them that they might doe them in the land whither they go to possesse it Among which this is one and the greatest as Christ himselfe witnesseth And shall we then trust them that tell vs that God gaue vs not that commaundement to require of vs the keeping of the same No rather let vs beleeue as the truth is that God who gaue vs this commaundement shall also and iustly may without note of crueltie require at our hands the performance of the same But when we see that it passeth our power to keepe it as our aduersaries truely confesse then must we learne to seek for our perfect obedience to him onely that did and could onely performe the whole Law And that is the lesson that Saint Paul teacheth vs when he saith The Law is a schoolmaster vnto Christ that we may be iustified by faith Agreeable vnto that also that the same Apostle taught the Romans That Christ is the end of the Law to righteousnesse to all that beleeue Now how litle this bastard brood that now is resembleth those auncient commended Romans let the Reader iudge CHAP. X. NOw as concerning the powers of our nature we humbly acknowledge that by our hereditarie corruption they are so stayned and polluted that nothing but sinne nothing but euill can come from vs or be in vs vntill God by his spirit of regeneration hath made vs new men for we cannot raise our selues from the death of sinne as Saint Austen teacheth And being regenerate yet there are in vs two men The new man weak and féeble better in truth in hart and courage then in hand or power called a new man when it is compared with the old man But when Gods spirit will in déed set forth how litle our strength is to stand against our spirituall enemies in this our spirituall battell then we are called children in respect of our weaknes Then also there is in vs the old man lusty and strong come to his full groweth Betwéene these two in the godly there is a continual strife As for the vngodly they are altogether old there is in them nothing new no new hart or affections no new mind or vnderstanding no good desires no godly motions Now this old man although in the regenerat he be but faint harted yet hath he so many helpes and so many oportunities and occasions to do euill and to annoy the new man that he is ouer doing neuer quiet alwaies striuing against the spirit Insomuch as he neuer séeth the new man the spirituall man the man that yeldeth it selfe to the spirit of God to be led therby indeuouring or attempting any good thing but straight way this old man opposeth himselfe with might and main so that he will neuer suffer the new man quietly or fréely to do any good But be the spirit neuer so willing yet will the flesh alwaies be found not only weak but also rebellious By this meanes it commeth to passe that although God of his great mercie by his good spirit haue wrought in his new borne babes a will readie to serue him and a desire or readynes to obey him yet is not this will of ours at any time frée or at libertie to performe the same either as we should or as we would For as Gods children are by the godly motions of the spirit stirred vp to do his will euen then presently doe the lust◠of the flesh which fight against the soule make a mutinie or commotion prouoking the members thereof to wrestle and striue against such holie cogitations So that it commeth many times to passe as it was in the
we must not onely be stirred vp and holpen as they say but euen made newe before wee can doe that which pleaseth God And as for those that are so caryed away with the plausible and pleasaunt sounde of free will I woulde request euen for Christ his sake that they woulde take a viewe of their owne waies and enter into their owne secrete thoughtes wordes and deedes and if at home they finde all well if they can as they wish and woulde if they be not sencelesse and secure in sinne keepe Gods commandements then let them stil beleeue that doctrine and followe such blinde guides But if they finde that the greatest shew of godlinesse that they can make can be but the performance of some externall worke whether it be in prayer or praysing of God or doing of any duety towardes our neighbours wherein euen the most wicked will perchaunce sometime shewe themselues more deuout then they let them not then be deceiued by any of these seducing wordes Cannot I abstaine from euill cannot I doe that which is good cannot I be occupied in good workes For although thou canst doe that worke which may in another be a good worke yet because the worke is not good that is not commaunded by God done by a godly man and directed to Gods glory and the doing of our own duety that worke I say which may in an other be praise worthy in thee may be sinne Thus therefore I say that it is no more in thy power to worke a good worke then to make new thy owne heart but both must be of God of whome we haue all our sufficiencie CHAP. XI BVt now concerning the Sacramentes there is not much as I can gather eyther in that Epistle written by S. Paule to the Romans excepting that onely that is in the fourth Chapter that Abraham receiued the signe of circumcision the seale of righteousnes of faith eyther in S. Peter his first Epistle but that in the third chapter when he saith Whereto the baptisme that now is answering that figure not the putting away the filth of the flesh but the confident demaunding which a good conscience maketh to GOD saueth vs also by the resurrection of Iesus Christ In the former of which two places the Apostle doth plainely testify that Abraham being iustified before by faith did afterwardes receiue the signe of circumcision to seale vp in and vnto him this righteousnes by faith Which saith because it hath respect vnto the promises we see therefore that this was the vse and office of circumcision vnto Abraham to confirme vnto him the promises of God And that other place out of S. Peter doth partly confirme vnto vs the selfesame vse of baptisme For when Noah and his company sawe that the same water that drowned others and swallowed them vp into the depth did saue them in carying the Arke wherein they were aboue the waters this must néeds assure them not onely of Gods power but of his goodnes also and readines to performe his promise in sauing them from perishing by water And in like sorte the water in baptisme assureth that little flocke that is truely belonging to Christ his holy catholicke Church figured by the Arke of the forgiuenes of their sins And as not the water that caried the Arke was the efficient cause of their sauing which Master Belarmine absurdly imagineth for the water was as apt to haue drowned them as the other no neyther yet the Arke it selfe although it might more properly be so estéemed because in it they were caried aboue the water but God saued them by the Arke vpon the water So is it in baptisme as S. Peter teacheth vs in that he saith that it saueth by the resurrection of Iesus Christ I say not by it selfe but by the resurrection of Iesus Christ From whom onely it hath the vertue and efficacy by whome onely it turneth to our good And as al perished in the same water which by carying vp the Arke saued them that were therein all I say that by faith beléeuing the promises were got into the Arke euen so the water in baptisme though it outwardly put away from all that are washed therein the filth of the flesh yet is it not in deed profitable to any but to such as haue that righteousnes and holines of Christ Iesus sealed vp thereby vnto their owne consciences Whereby it appeareth most plainly that the sacraments doe not giue grace or worke righteousnes in vs or of themselues because they are receiued of vs do make vs holy But as the Apostle S. Paul saith of circumcision Circumcision verily profiteth nothing except you keepe the Law so may we truely say of our Sacramentes that not the receiuing of our Sacramentes but the holy obedience springing from our faith that is sealed vp vnto the godly in the Sacramentes is the thing that is acceptable to God commended before men and comfortable to our owne consciences For as in that place alledged hee reckoneth them onely truely circumcised that keepe and fulfill the Lawe and haue that true circumcision of the heart and that the godlesse howe so euer they haue receiued in their fleshe the outwarde marke or signe yet are in deed vncircumcised euen so howe solemnly so euer the faithlesse and fruitelesse flocke haue receiued the Sacramentes of our sanctification and redemption which is in Christ yet if they bring not forth such fruites of the spirite as doe testifie and shew that inwarde washing away of the filth of sinne they haue Baptismum fluminis the washing of the water non flaminis not of the holy Ghost they haue the signe of Gods grace but not the substance thereof the visible token but not the inuisible grace But the Sacramentes are vnto such as seales set to a blanke wherein because dothing is contayned therefore by these seales there is nothing assured Nowe out of this which hitherto I haue saide we see that the Sacramentes haue these two vses to assure vs of the performance of the promise of grace and to preach to vs repentaunce for our sinnes past and holines in the rest of our life that is to come But our now Romish Catholickes who are neuer content that eyther themselues or other should eate within the teacher of the word of God doe wander farre out of these listes teaching that our Sacramentes haue in them that grace which they signifie and doe giue the same grace to all men at all times if men be not a let vnto themselues euen Ex opere operate that is in respect of the worke it selfe because the Sacraments are receiued of them Wherby they doe such iniurie vnto Christ as we that professe the name of christian men and women should be ashamed of For that sauing from sinne which God by the ministery of the Angel proclaimed should be by his sonne whom for that cause he called Iesus our Sauiour because he shoulde saue his people from
his scholler would haue been ashamed to haue taugh it to any Christians CHAP. VI. SAint Paul hauing planted and proued this doctrine of iustification by faith in Christ as he doth in the fourth chapter of this Epistle to the Romans and else where in many places hee then teacheth that in respect of this grace we should be so far from being imboldened to sin that on the contrary we are the more bound therby to holines of life For whosoeuer is dead to sin must not liue to sin But we if we be not baptised into Christ are dead to sin Therfore such as are baptised into Christ may not liue to sin or in sin Yea it is good reason that the seruant obey his Master but we are Gods seruants by promise in baptisme therefore him we must obey then we cannot obey him which God hateth forbiddeth and punisheth but we must serue God our Master in holines and righteousnes And whereas no man euer more plainely taught our frée iustification in Christ without our workes or merites or any inherent righteousnesse euen by the forgiuenes of our sinnes then the Apostle S. Paul both in this epistle and else where yet no man more earnestly and effectually then he exhorteth to holines of life good workes and all Christian duties sinne and security haue not a sharper enemie then he is S. Peter also teacheth vs that Christ his Owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree Whereby he sheweth the satisfaction that he hath made to be the attonement betwéene God and vs and that without vs he hath done it himselfe I say in his owne body hath paid that price and taken away the condemnation due to the sinne that we haue committed Hee hath done it vpon the trée by his death and passion purchasing thereby eternall redemption What can the Apostle say more plainely to teach vs that the satisfaction for al our sinnes is alreadie perfected so in and by Christ that our owne workes can be nothing auayleable to satisfie for them or that there is not to that vse any neede of them What then Séeing he beareth our sinnes shall we lay loade vpon him and by our sinne and vngodly life doe what wee can to make his burthen heauier No no he hath done all this that wee who by this benefite of Christ are dead to sinne should liue to righteousnesse For if GOD bee our God wee must be his people If hee bee our louing Father hee looketh that wee shoulde be his obedient children If he bee our gratious Lorde and Master we must not be vngracious but duetifull seruantes For as God doth couenant with vs to bee our God so do we also by vowe and promise binde our selues vnto him to bée his seruantes And this also doth the Apostle Saint Peter teache vs who in the first Chapter hath plentifully set forth Gods greate merrie towardes vs euen in this question of our free iustification as also in this place he hath done and yet wil not in any wise that any Christian duties should of vs be vnperformed but exhorteth vs to bee occupied in them as we may see Chap. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. and to accompt them as a debt that we owe vnto God and must pay him For we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them Saint Marke reporteth vnto vs that our Sauiour Christ preachd often forgiuenes of sinnes as in his third and fourth Chapters it may appeare which forgiuenes of sin doth quite ouerthrow that inherent righteousnes and iustification by worke that the papistes striue to establish And yet the same S. Marke doth register and record among many other godly exhortations that our Sauiour Christ made to his disciples this necessary caueat Take heed watch and pray for you know not when the time is By all which this doth appeare that sanctification and holines must followe iustification and forgiuenes of sinne for we are washed that we should not againe defile our selues with the filth of sin and that Gods loue doth more effectually tie vs to obey him and to indeuour our selues to doe his will And looke howe much the more we are instructed and assuredly perswaded of the free loue of God so much the more will our inner man be inflamed with loue to him againe I say euen with such loue as will thrust vs forwardes to walke in good workes And this is notably proued by our Sauiour Christ who gathereth that the sinfull woman in S. Luke felt That many sinnes were forgiuen her because she loued so much And thus we sée that the auncient Roman faith was this that such as haue receiued and felt Gods free grace in forgiuing their iniquities as in trueth they are so in duety they must be alwaies ready to serue him So that I may boldly say with S. August It can hardly bée that he that beléeueth well should liue euil But our popish spiders out of this sweete flower doe gather their poyson They burtheÌ„ this doctrine which in expresse words is taught by S. Paul and the effects of it by S. Peter also that we are iustified by faith without the workes of the Law with this slaunder that it is a doctrine of liberty and occasion of licentious life a hinderance to good workes And thus this doctrine which they cannot confute with reason they couer with shame and reproches And that which they cannot with all their learning proue false by this shameles shift they seeke to make odious Far otherwise did the ancient fathers both speak write Iustinus Martyr lerned of the Apostle S. Peter to say that faith profiâ—eth our hearts Ciprian saith to cease from sin that beginneth of faith Tertulian affirmeth that faith sheweth vs the way whither to licentious life No but by which we must come to God Basil ascribeth vnto it great force to allure draw and perswade the mind because as in another place he telleth vs it strengheneth the powers of the same it obtayneth getteth indeuour in vs and Gods helpe which both are necessary in al our works Epiphanius writeth that it preserueth euery faithful man he meaneth from euil no doubt And Theophilact telleth vs that faith in Christ is truely a holy and perfect worke and doth sanctifie or make holy him that hath it And on the other side that such as lead an vncleane life are not truely faithfull who professe that they know God but in workes they deny him By all which it is plaine to see that these holy fathers did thinke that faith doth both quench all the firie dartes of the wicked and nourish or maintaine within vs the good motions of the spirit and so is as it were the fountaine from whence doth spring whatsoeuer good work we can performe But the papistes would beare the worde in hande that the more