in this Councell A free-will they must haue though they confesse it to be weake and feeble And such a free-will wee easily grant them as loth to incurre their Anathema for saying that free-will is altogether lost and extinguished by Adams fall The praise which Vega their Interpreter giues to Richardus learned saying as he cals it of free-will wee also with its proper limitation admit of When thou hearest saith he that free-will is a captiue vnderstand nothing else but that it is weake and depriued of the vertue of its natiue power Being thus weake then how should it dispose it selfe to receiue grace No saith the Councell as also their Schoole-men Free-will being weake it must be stirred vp moued and helped by grace and then it disposeth it selfe freely to receiue the grace of iustification So free-will as the God Baal being asleepe must bee awakened and stirred vp by Gods grace Well but what grace of God is this I pray you that thus moueth mans free-will as the waight that sets the wheele a going Surely I can learne no more from the Councels own mouth who knowes full well how to temper her words but that this mouing grace of God is some sound in the eare whereby Popish faith is conceiued Or else when God toucheth mans heart by the illumination of the Holy Ghost according to that of Gabriel Biel who saith that the will in the acts of it doth presuppose the acts of the vnderstanding and the vnderstanding wee know must be informed by hearing or by speciall illumination But in generall this grace they call the first grace or a grace that is freely giuen differing from the second grace which they call a grace that makes a man gracious and acceptable They say this first grace is freely giuen because no merit goes before it neither is this any sauing grace because as they confesse all men are alike capable of it and many receiue it that neuer come to saluation This is that grace which Arminius cals his sufficient grace But Aquinas saith plainly that this first grace is not the grace of the Holy Ghost for to the grace of the Holy Ghost hee attributeth the merit of Condignity but to that grace whereby the will disposeth it selfe the merit only of Congruitie But this first grace being once receiued and entertained by free-will cooperating with it a man disposeth prepareth himselfe to merit the second grace by way of Congruity And yet Aquinas speaking of this grace saith Deus non dat gratiam nisi dignis c. God giues not grace but to the worthy yet saith hee not so as being first worthy but because hee by grace makes them worthy O miserable perplexity If God giue grace to none but to the worthy then they were worthy before hee gaue them grace but if they were not worthy before he gaue them grace how doth he giue grace to none but to the worthie But whatsoeuer this first grace is wherby the will is first moued Aquinas tels vs what it is not namely that it is not the grace of the Holy Ghost for the merit that proceedeth of the grace of the Holy Ghost is of Condignity but the merit that proceedeth from free-will moued by the first grace is onely the merit of Congruity farre inferiour to that of Condignitie But that we may not lose our selues in this Maze let Vega and Soto tell vs the Counsels minde in this point as being themselues most priuie to it Onely the worst is wee finde them two of opposite opinions in this point of merit by Congruitie Vega admitteth merit of Congruity after the first grace disposing a man to the grace of iustification But it is pretty to note the vafrous and subtile elusion and euasion that he findeth against the streame of Fathers and especially of St. Augustine in this point For whereas they as himselfe confesseth shut out all kind of merit from iustification teaching that it is freely giuen to all Vega turnes the Cat in the pan and saith Loquuntur de gratia iustificationis c. They speake saith he of the grace of iustification as it comprehends all the gifts of God belonging to our iustification whereof in that proposition a little before hee makes the first grace to be one And so take iustification as it comprehends the first grace in it it excludes all merit because no merit goes before the first grace as the most of them teach but taking the grace of iustification alone by it selfe which is the gratia gratum faciens the grace that makes a man accepted it may bee questioned saith he whether that may not fall vnder the merit at least of Congrnitie Whereupon hee inferreth his fourth proposition which is That faith and other good workes whereby wee are disposed vnto the second grace by which wee are formally iustified and made acceptable to God doe by Congruitie merit such grace and our iustification Yea Vega ibid. saith Alia sunt merita ex congruo quae in peccatoribus reperiuntur quae nullâ— praemio digna sunt quia fiunt ab hominibus Deo ingratis exosis sed tamen eiusmodi ex se sunt vt Congruum sit diuinam bonitatem condeceat ea ex liberalitate benignitate sua acceptare vt trahat peccatores ad suam gratiam Of another sort are those merits of Congruitie found in sinners which are worthy of no reward as being done by men not liked nor beloued of God but yet of themselues they are such that it is Congruous and meete and beseeming the diuine goodnesse out of his liberalitie and bountie to accept them that hee may draw sinners to his grace But Soto on the other side shutteth out all manner of merit of Congruity going before iustification Pergimus pro ingenio nostro constituere c. Wee proceede saith Soto according to our capacitie to define that before iustification which is wrought by that grace that makes a man accepted there is in mans workes no merit either of Condignitie or of Congruitie But a little after hee makes a full amends for it saying Cum autem quis c. When a man begins once to be in the state of grace to wit of iustification then may hee merit both for himselfe by Condignitie and for others by Congruitie Other merit of Congruity going before the grace of iustification Soto confesseth he findes no foundation of any vnlesse that of St. Augustine alleadged by Thomas Fides meretur iustificationem that faith meriteth iustification But Soto would haue this put among St. Augustines retractations whereas by Merit in that place is meant not either any Congruity or Condignity termes vnknowne to the ancient Fathers in any such sense but onely the meanes or instrument to procure or acquire grace And as Soto himselfe a little after acknowledgeth St. Augustines meaning expressed by himselfe by the word Impetrare iustificationem That whereas he saith
and the other side that it made not against them The Decrees being not vnlike an artificiall indented picturetable which to him that lookes full vpon it presents one kinde of forme or face to him that stands on the one side another forme and to him on the other side a third Or like a plaine picture which hanging on the wall although the posture of the face be set one way yet it seemes to cast equall aspect vpon euery one in the roome Thus is verified that of Guido Clemens Priest and Cardinall of St. Potentiana who saith that in the Church of Rome there is quaedam radix duplicitatis simplicitati columbae contraria a certaine roote of doublenesse which is contrary to the doues simplicitie To conclude this point of Popish preparation it is so farre from fitting and disposing a man to receiue the grace of iustification grace of iustification being rightly vnderstood as it is a maine impediment and stumbling blocke in the way vnto it For whereâ—â— this preparation of theirs aduanceth mans free-will and other naturall powers to the attainment of grace what doth this else but puffe a man vp with a conceit of himselfe that he is in a better state than indeed he is as hauing something â—ft in him which being helped by some motion of common â—r I wot not what grace is able to leade him to the full posâ—â—ssion of grace and so of glory Gregory faith well Hee that â—owes not his disease how doth he seek to the Physitian for the greater the fault is being the sooner acknowledged it is the more speedily â—â—ended but the lesser sinne while it is deemed to be as it were none 〈◊〉 all is so much the worse and more securely kept in vro If Saint â—â—ul speaking in the person of a regenerate man as exercised â—â—th the combate betweene the flesh and the spirit comâ—â—aines that in him that is in his flesh dwels no good thing â—â—en what good thing can there be in any vnregenerate man â—o dispose him to any grace whose imaginations of his heart â—â—e onely euill continually They are euill and onely euill and that continually onely euill If corrupt Nature haue yet any thing left â—o brag off if any free-will to this grace whereof we speake â—â— here is that conuicting power of the Law that makes sinne out of measure sinfull That casts a man downe in the sense of his misery causing him to cry out Wretched man that I am â—â—o shall deliuer me from this bodie of death How shall a man come to Christ wearie and laden that he may be refreshed How comes the vngodly to be iustified if hee bring any meritto dispose him thereunto How shall the Law then be our Schoolmaster to bring vs to Christ who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Wee need none other testimony to conâ—ince this Pontifician puffe-doctrine of preparatory workes to bee at the least Cousin germaine to that of the Pelagians than the Councell of Trent it selfe The Pelagians held that some men vsing the reason of their owne will haue or doe liue in this world without any sinne To this agreeth that Canon of Trent If any shall say that all workes done before iustification howsoeuer they bee done are truely sinnes and deserue the hatred of God let him be accursed Compare now the Pelagian and Pontifician doctrine together and one egge is not liker another All workes done before iustification are not truely sinnes say the Trent-Fathers therefore the workes of the Pelagian heretickes done before or without iustification whatsoeuer or howsoeuer done are no sinnes as they taught Shall St. Austine be vmpire in this case Pelagianorum sententia est sine vllo peccato aliquos homines iam ratione propriae voluntatis vtentes in hoc saeculo vixisse vel viuere Optandum est vt fiat conandum est vt fiat supplicandum est vt fiat non tamen quasi factum fuerit confidendum est Qui seipsum talem putat ipse se decipit veritas in eo non est non ob aliud nisi quia falsum putat It is the opinion of the Pelagians that some men by vsing the reason of their owne will haue and doe liue in this world without sinne It were to be wished so it were to be laboured for it is to be prayed for yet not to be beleeued as if it were so He that thinkes himselfe such a one deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him for no other cause but because he deemeth falsely And in another place hee saith Si Gentilis inquis nudum operuit nunquid quia non est ex fide peccatum est Prorsus in quantum non est ex fide peccatum est non quia per seipsum factum quod est nudum operire peccatum est sed in tali opere non in Domino gloriari solus impius negat esse peccatum Nam quamuis bona malè tamen facit ideo negare non potes eum peccare qui malè quodlibet facit Fructus bonos non facit arbor mala An dicis hominem infidelem arborem bonam If a Heathen saist thou shall couer the naked is it therefore a sin because it is not of faith Certainly in as much as it is not of faith it is sinne not in regard of the worke it selfe which is to clothe the naked is it a sin but in such a worke not to glory in the Lord only the wicked man denieth this to be a sin For although he doth good yet he doth it ill therefore thou canst not deny that he sinneth that doth any thing ill An euill tree doth not beare good fruit Doest thou call an vnfaithfull man a good tree Note here St. Augustine condemnes all workes for sinnes that are not done in the state of grace but in the state of nature and infidelity Therefore St. Augustine is anathematized of the Church of Rome for saying that all workes done before iustification are indeede sinns But whereas the Pontificians may obiect that St. Augustine condemnes onely such workes as are done without faith and not those Pontifician workes of preparation wherof faith as they affirme is the roote I answer St. Augustine speaketh honestly without equiuocation for hauing to do with the Pelagians those enemies of the grace of God hee opposeth the state of grace against the state of nature shewing that whatsoeuer a man doth in the state of nature before he be in the state of grace it is sin stiling euen the best workes of these heathen moralists but splendida peccata glittering sinnes Now whatsoeuer is done before iustification is done in the state of nature consequently it is sinne in St. Augustines sense because it is the bad fruit of a bad tree As for that first grace whereby the Papists teach a man is stirred vp to prepare himselfe for iustification it doth not set a man ipso facto
in the state of grace hee is for all that faith of his a meere naturall man still And therefore that faith which they speake of going before iustification is not freed from the imputation of sin whereas that sauing faith whereof St. Augustine speaketh is that which doth actually not dispose vnto but possesse a man of the state of grace which is the verie state of iustification as we shall see in the due place hereafter Therefore Popish preparation vnto iustification is nothing else but meere Pelagianisme both Pelagians and Pontificians ioyntly holding that all workes done without or before iustification are no sins CHAP. III. The Catholicke faith touching preparation to iustification THe Romish faith concerning such preparatorie workes to iustification the Catholicke faith of Christs Church doth renounce and disclaime as hereticall and antichristian for these reasons First because the holy Scriptures teach no such thing but the cleane contrarie The Scriptures teach no merit of Congruitie they teach not that free will being stirred vp and helped by I wot not what first grace a man is thereby disposed to receiue iustification but the flat contrary Ioh. 1. 12. As many as receiue Christ and such are they as beleeue in him are made the Sonnes of God But doth not this grace come by some disposition in mans nature as by his free will assisted and so cooperating with the grace of God for the attaining of iustification No such thing For verse 13 Christ teacheth that those Sonnes of God are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Where note a direct opposition betweene Gods grace and mans will in the worke of Regeneration or Iustification mans will being by a negatiue vtterly excluded from any copartnership with God Not of the will of man but of God So Titus 3. 5. Not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercie he saued vs c. Where all humane workes going before Iustification all merits of congruitie are excluded from disposing a man to receiue iustification for not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his mercie hee saueth vs. And Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse Note God iustifieth the vngodly therefore not the righteous not the meritorious by Congruitie vnlesse vngodlinesse and sinne can merit iustification at Gods hand as St. Augustine said of Adams sinne Foelix culpa quâ— talem meruit Redemptorem It was a happie sinne that merited such a Redeemer Whereas besides some places of Scripture which they peruert to their purpose they obiect the examples of the Eunuch Acts 8. and of Cornelius Acts 10. by which they would proue their workes of Congruitie as Vega alledgeth them Vega may remember what he said in another place before where hee produceth St. Augustines authoritie to proue that these two were true beleeuers before the Apostles came and preached vnto them which also Vega himselfe subscribeth vnto confessing that these two had grace and faith before sauing onely the difference is in the acception of grace and faith wherein the Pontifician egregiously equiuocateth the true nature whereof wee shall hereafter discouer But say that neither the Eunuch nor Cornelius before they were instructed by the Apostles had the grace of iustification doth it therefore follow that those workes of theirs did by Congruity merit iustification at Gods hands or that they were thereby prepared to iustification Why did not then Esau's teares merit the blessing ex congruo or why did not Ahab's repentance merit by Congruity not onely a repriuall of punishment but an absolute pardon of his sinne for they did quantum in se fuit as much as in them lay Or else according to Romes doctrine God must be vniust or at least wanting in his natiue goodnesse For further cleering of this point come we to the ancient Fathers to whom also this doctrine of merit of Congruity and of Condignity was altogether vnknowne This Vega himselfe is forced to confesse where making this obiection Why did the Fathers saith hee no where vse this distinction of merit of Congruity and Condignity to which he answereth If all things which neuer were in vse among the Fathers are to be condemned we shall be forced to condemne many things which all Catholickes now receiue And the Philosopher should haue said in vaine Scientias fieri per additamenta that Sciences are brought to passe by addition But he addeth Neither are we to grant that this distinction of merit of Congruity and Condignity was altogether vnknowne to the Fathers They acknowledged the things although they vsed not the termes saith Vega seâ—ing they diuersly vsed the word of Merit as either strictly or largely whereof we shall speake more largely hereafter In the meane time let vs see what workes of preparation the ancient Fathers taught or inioyned as necessarie to dispose a man to iustification by way of merit taken in the largest sense as Vega at least would haue it But before we come to set downe the ancient doctrine of the Church concerning this point I must premonish the Reader seriously to note this one thing in the Fathers That when they speake of grace and faith whereby a man is iustified they meane nothing else but sauing grace and iustifying faith not now preparing a man vnto but actually placing and possessing him in the state of iustification and saluation They meane nothing lesse than any such first grace preparatory and euen common to wicked men which neuer come to partake of the second grace as the Romanists doe teach The Fathers admit of no such meane betweene sauing grace and faith and betweene sauing faith and iustification betweene any first second grace as differing in kinde but vnderstand one sauing effectuall grace Indeede St. Augustine speaketh of a first and second grace but by the first he meaneth that of iustification by the second that of sanctification differing no more but as the roote and the branch the tree and the fruit Or St. Augustine acknowledgeth no other first grace but that which is giuen to the elect in this life saying Coronat in nobis Deus dona misericordiae suae sed si in ea gratia quam primam accepimus perseueranter ambulemus God crowneth the gifts of his mercie in vs but if in that first grace which we haue receiued we walke with perseuerance Ambrose saith He that dare preach that the grace of God is giuen according to mens merits preacheth against the Catholike faith Therefore this doctrine of merit of congruity was no Catholicke doctrine in Saint Ambrose his dayes nor doth he meane any other grace but that of iustification All the preparation this holy man alloweth is where he saith Duce Deo venitur ad Deum by God leading vs we come vnto God And St.
vnited to this Spouse wee are endowed with all his goods Being vnited to this head wee receiue the rich influence of spirituall life and motion quickning euery member Yea that which is the summe of all wee put on Christ hee becomes wholly ours being made vnto vs of God wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption and all in all Now true it is that this vnion is not only internall inuisible reall and peculiar to Gods elect but also externall visible nominall and common to all Christians So that although all Christians in Common as well Hypocrites and false Professors as the sincere and faithfull may claime a share in this vnion so farre forth as it is externall and visible as beeing wrought by externall and visible instruments the Word and Sacraments wherof all Christians are in common partakers yet onely the Elect and Faithfull are partakers of the internall and true reall vnion with Christ as being wrought by a most powerfull Agent the Spirit of Christ and by a most actiue instrument the Faith of Christ. So that Faith in the hand of Gods spirit is the principall yea and sole immediate instrument and meane to vnite vs vnto Christ euen as the spirit in man is the meane to vnite the body and soule together CHAP. IX Of the other Romanâ— Catholicke euasions to elude and frustrate the euidence of Scriptures concerning sole Faith in Iustification FOrasmuch as the holy Scriptures doe abound with cleare euidences to proue our Iustification by Faith alone in the only imputation of Christs righteousnesse apprehended and applyed by Faith altogether excluding workes from hauing any thing to doe in this worke it stood therefore the Church of Rome vpon to vse all art and wit of men and Angels I meane bad Angels to blunder these Chrystall fountaines by their distinctions and to sophisticate the pure simplicitie of truth with their faire false glosses and farre-fetcht interpretations To beginne with the Epistle to the Romanes where the Apostle in setting down the doctrine of Iustification doth so often attribute Iustification to faith without workes or without the works of the Law opposing faith against works grace against merit the Law of Faith against the Law of workes as being incompatible meanes or instruments to iustification The Pontificians can easily reconcile all by vnderstanding the opposition to bee betweene Faith and eyther those workes of the Law which are ceremoniall or those which are done before a man haue Faith but not of those workes which are done in the state of grace after a man haue receiued faith as is intimated in the eight Chapter of the Sixt Session of the Councell of Trent Wherupon * Vega reckoning vp sundry opinions as of some that take those workes excluded by Paul not only for legall and ceremoniall but morall and naturall of others that say St. Paul spake of workes going before Faith and St. Iames of workes comming after Faith c. At length addes his owne opinion spun like a copweb out of the subtiltie of his owne braine and all vpon the preposition Ex diuersly taken of Paul and Iames as this quaint Franciscan hath obserued For this preposition Ex saith he in Paul signifieth merit and debt but in Iames only co-operation and co-efficiency as where Paul saith that no man is iustified ex operibus by workes hee should meane none is iustified by the merits and due deserts of his owne workes And where Iames saith That a man is iustified ex operibus by workes and not ex fide tantum by faith only he should meane that workes do concurre vnto iustification and not faith alone But wee shall not want a broome to sweep downe this subtile webb But let vs adde first another of his webs which hee also fasteneth vpon his Trent-Fathers namely That Paul speakes of the first iustification from which precedent workes are excluded And Iames of the second Iustification in which subsequent workes are included Now for Vega's first reason and note vpon the preposition Ex it is no lesse really absurd than seemingly subtile For if Paul by saying Neminem ex operibus iustificari None is iustified by workes should meane by the merit or due desert of his workes then consequently by saying hominem ex fide iustificari that a man is iustified by Faith he should meane that man is iustified by the merit and due desert of his Faith which Vega himselfe in the selfe same place denyeth Thus the nimble Spider is wrapped and intangled in his owne webbe And as for the Trent-Fathers conceipt of Pauls first and Iames second Iustification wee shall by and by see the vanitie of it For indeede the iustification which Paul ascribeth to Faith without workes and that which Iames attributeth ioyntly to workes with Faith are so different as they differ not in degrees of first and second but in a most opposite respect as much as Iustification in the sight of God differeth from Iustification in the sight of man As wee shall more plainely shew anon Now for Pauls iustification by faith without workes it is cleare that all workes are excluded without exception not onely legall and ceremoniall and morall done before the state of grace but those also done in the state of grace none are excepted of what nature soeuer Paul shuts all out from iustification for if any be iustified by workes yea by workes of grace then Abraham for Abraham is propounded not onely as a particular beleeuer but as the father and figure of all the faithfull But Abraham was not iustified by workes not by any workes not by his best workes done in the state of grace This the Apostle proues manifestly Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not instancing of Abraham but beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse So that Abraham is iustified not by working but by beleeuing To this purpose Gregory surnamed the Great Bishop of Rome vpon the seuen penitentiall Psalmes in the fourth of them to wit Psalme 51. vpon these words Et exultabit lingua mea iustitiam tuam you must pardon the vulgar barbarisme of the Latine the true English is And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousnesse saith Iustitia Dei fides est the righteousnesse of God is faith And hee instanceth Abraham Abraham beleeued God saith he and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Quia iustus ex fide viuit Because the iust doth liue by faith Si ergo iusti vita fides est consequens est eandem fidem esse iustitiam sine qua quisque esse iustus non potest If therefore the iust mans life be faith it followeth that the same faith is that righteousnesse without which no man can be iust Or saith hee the righteousnesse of God is that he will not the death of a sinner For it seems iust with man to reuenge his wrong but it is the righteousnesse of God to pardon the penitent So he As therefore
thousand such like being all but vntempered mortar to build their Castle of Vncertainty in the Ayre The conscience in this case being like the vncleane spirit in the Gospell which seeking rest and finding none in the wauering Vncertainty of Pontifician faith taketh vnto himselfe seuen other spirits worse than himselfe and so the conscience becomes more vncleane more vnsettled than it was before Now in the further laying open of this mysterie of Vncertainty if wee should follow the infinite perplexities and windings which we find in their most authenticke Commentaries vpon this point we should tread an endlesse Maze as tracing them in their vncertainties Vega writes a large Commentary vpon the forecited ninth Chapter of this Councell of Trent And Soto spends foure large Chapters vpon it No maruaile to see men wander wide in a wildernesse of vncertainty But wee will deale with them as the Prophet saith concerning the wilde Asse A wilde Asse vsed to the wildernesse that snuffeth vp the winde at her pleasure in her occasion who can turne her away All they that seeke her will not weary themselues in her moneth they shall finde her So these Pontificians wandring in the wilde disconsolate desert of doubtfulnesse and distrust snuffing vp the winde of vaine opinions at their pleasure cannot bee auerted from their aberrations and for a man to pursue them by the foote were to weary himselfe hee shall easily finde them out in their moneth when and where they disburthen themselues of the fruit they trauailed withall We will therefore onely touch those weighty reasons which they bring for the establishing of their vncertainty Soto hath reserued and marshalled this point of Vncertainty together with the arguments of it in the latter end of his third and last booke de natura gratia as being his Romane Triarij to helpe at a dead lift And indeede the maine doctrine of iustification hath such an inseparable relation to this point of Certainty as this being denied and remoued the whole doctrine of Faith falleth to ground And therefore comming to this point we may well apply the Prouerbe Ad Triarios iam res redijt The matter comes now to be tryed by the Triarij in whom resided the maine shocke dint and vpshot of the battaile As Soto saith Sentio ego pro mea exiguitate ingenij c. I am of opinion according to the slendernesse of my capacity that if there were no other argument that wee are not iustified by faith alone than that hence it would follow that a man is certaine he is in the state of grace wee should for this onely cause deny iustification by sole faith such is the euidence saith he that faith makes no man certaine of his saluation Et tamen aduersarij c. And yet the aduersaries saith hee by their peruerse argumentation doe euen hence especially reason and conclude that we are iustified by faith alone because otherwise no man were sure of his iustification for such a strong euidence do they take it that euery one ought to be certaine of his saluation Thus Soto And on the other side Luther saith Etiamsi nihil praeterea peccatum fuisset in doctrina Pontificia c. Although there had beene no other fault in the Pontifician doctrine than that they taught that we ought to stagger and wauer mis-deeming and doubting of the remission of sinnes of grace and our saluation yet we had iust cause to separate our selues from that Infidell and mis-beleeuing Church So he The case therefore standing thus betweene Certainty and Vncertainty in the matter of saluation that thereupon depends the winning and losing of the field it concernes both sides to bee no lesse sollicitous of the well managing of their forces if not much more than the ancient Romanes and their opposite enemies the Albanians when both sides resolued and concluded to pawne their perpetuall liberty and state to each other vpon the successe of one conflict betweene three twin-brethren called Horatij on the one side and other three twin-brethren called Curatij on the other First therefore let vs take a view of the state and strength of the Pontifician party To omit their many distributions of certitude as eyther in regard of the obiect or of the subiect or some diuine some morall c. wherein both Soto and Vega doe infinitely confound themselues take wee notice first in generall what kinde of certitude they admit and allow of and what they reiect and disallow The certitudes or certainties which they allow of are these First a certitude of Catholicke Faith to wit a generall Faith concerning the truth of all things reuealed in the Word of God c. which certitude they call a firme and certaine assent though obscure to the generall truth of Gods Word And this they call the certitude in regard of the obiect the assent whereof cannot be deceiued So that they confesse a certaine generall certainty And this is suitable and proportionable to that kinde of Faith which they hold namely a generall Faith So that their generall certainty stands vpon very good reason for how can their certainty be any other but generall when their faith is no other but generall for as he said As the man is so is his strength So as the faith is such is the strength of it Certitude therefore being the property of faith as wee shall shew hereafter then faith being generall the certitude thereof can be no other than generall Secondly they doe also seeme to admit of a certaine particular certainty of faith but with such limitation as they make it to bee a most vncertaine certainty such as may be either true or false To this purpose Vega defining certainty to be a certain assent void of all doubting whose proper obiect is truth hereupon he thus inferreth Itaque licet certi nequeant propriè dici de suae gratia nisi qui se certò verè credunt esse in gratia tamen certò assentiri se esse in gratia omnes illos possumus debemus asserere qui absque vila cunctatione trepidatione id sibi de se persuadent siue vere hoc seâ—tiant siue falso Therefore saith hee though none can properly be said to be certaine of their grace but those that certainly and truly beleeue that they are in the state of grace yet we may and ought to affirme that all they doe certainely assent they are in the state of grace who without all doubt or feare doe perswade themselues hereof whether their opinion herein be true or false Et non nunquam c. And oft times saith hee Philosophers and Diuines doe so abuse these termes as that they affirme that all that haue a certaine assent of any thing are absolutely and simply perswaded thereof Quamobrem c. Wherefore the Fathers to wit of Trent in this ninth Chapter doubted not to say that Heretickes and Schismatickes doe boast of the certainty of the
speakes properly and iudiciously in applying the Scriptures none is more cleare than hee in this matter So that in the very same Sermon out of which Vega pickes so much matter as he thinkes makes for him Bernard doth confute Vega's mis-conceit of his meaning confirming that truth which wee auouch For where Vega leaues off Bernard goes on and saith Propter hoc data sunt sign a quaedam indiâ—ia manifestas salutis vt indubitabiâ—e sit eum esse de numero Electorum in quo ea signa perman serint Propter hoc inquam ques praesciuit Deus praedestinauit conformes fieri imaginis Filij sui vt quibus certitudinem negat causa sollicitudinis vâ—l fiduciam praestet gratia consolationis For this cause saith he there are certaine signes and manifest tokens of saluation giuen that it might be indubitable out of all doubt that he is of the number of the Elect in whom these signes doe abide For this cause I say whom God foreknew he also predestinated to bee made conformable vnto the image of his Sonne that to whom the cause of sollicitude or fearfulnesse doth deny certainty the grace of consolation might giue euen a confident assurance So Bernard Whence we see that whereas immediatly before he had said that which Vega alledgeth for his owne purpose alledging authorities of Fathers as Satan did the Scriptures by peece-meale Generationem istam quis eâ—arrabit c. Who shall declare that Generation to wit of Gods Children whereby they are both begotten and preserued in grace that they cannot fall away as Bernard there excellently sheweth Quis potest dicere Ego de electis sum c. Who can say I am one of the elect I am one of the predestinate to life I am of the number of Sonnes Quis hâ—t inquam c. Who I say can say these things the Scriptures gain-saying Nescit homo c. Man knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred Whereupon he addes Certitudinem vtique non habemus sed spei fiducia consolatur nos ne dubitationis huius anxietate penitus cruciemur We haue not certainty but God doth comfort vs with a confidence of hope lest we should be altogether tormented with anxiety of doubting Thus farre Vega alledgeth out of Bernard But note here Bernard speakes not of vncertainty in regard of faith but in regard of humane frailty which he cals the cause of sollicitude or fearfulnesse and so he concludes not leauing Gods Children in a miserable vncertainty sith they haue many infallible and manifest signes and tokens of their saluation that they are without all doubt in the number of Gods elect hauing the grace of consolation to make them confident that they are predestinate to bee made conformable to the Image of the Sonne of God although they want not in the meane time the clogs of carnall infirmities that doe often impeach and checke their Cheery and Christian confidence while the beames of faith are ouer-clouded with the vanishing vapours of fleshly feare vntill the storme of the afflicted and conflicting conscience be ouer and the cloud wasted by the prepotent sunne-beames of grace which will not long be eclipsed or suspended from shining vpon the faithfull soule But of Bernards authority for the point of certainty more clearely anon where his eyes are not dazeled or deceiued by a false light at least by a mis-apprehension and mis-application of the true light Now to conclude Vega's arguments from the 11. Chapter to the end of his 12. Booke he yeeldeth thus farre That a man may come by some signes to haue some probable coniecture and opinion of his predestination and perseuerance in grace The title of his 11. Chapter is in these words Ex beatitudinibus Euangelicis probabilis potest colligi nostrae alâ—orum praedestinationis seu perseuerantiae opinio By the Euangelicall beatitudes there may bee gathered a probable opinion of our owne and others predestination or perseuerance And those seuerall beatitudes hee mustereth vp in so many Chapters to the end of the Booke as Humility Meeknesse Mourning Hunger and Thirst after righteousnesse c. as they are laid downe Matth. 5. in all which Chapters Vega doth but fight with his owne shadow where wee leaue him and come to the Catholicke truth CHAP. XVII Of the certainty of Catholicke and true iustifying Faith in regard of the certainty of predestination vnto grace and perseuerance therein vnto glory BEing now by Gods grace to speake of the certainty of sauing Faith in regard of predestination and perseuerance that we may not seeme to build without laying first a foundation it is requisite first of all to lay downe the true state of the Doctrine of predestination as wee finde it reuealed in the Scriptures And so much the rather because the Pontificians haue so miserably mangled it seeking by their cunning vnderminings to blow vp wherein they are very expert Pioners and so to throw downe the most goodly frame of Christian Faith like those their typicall Babylonian Edomites who said of Ierusalem the type of Gods Church and Chosen Raze it Raze it euen to the foundation thereof For the Church of Christ consisting of all the Elect is mainly founded vpon the eternall decree of Gods predestination So that in this case wee are not to forbeare to speake the truth because carnall minded men haue from time to time carped and cauelled at this Doctrine as wee reade in the Councell of Trent For as St. Augustine saith Nuâ— propter malâ—s vel frigidâ—s huius sententiae nempe praedest â—â—ationis veritas deserenda aut ex Euangelio delenda putabitur Dicatur verum maximè vbi aliqua quaestio vt dicatur impâ—llâ—t capianâ— qui possunt ne forte cum tacetur propter eos qui capere non possunt non solum veritate fraâ—dentur verumetiam falsitate capâ—â—â—tur qui verum capere quâ— capiatur falsitas possunt that is Is the truth of this Doctrine â—o wit of predestination to bee for saken or shall it be thought worthy to be cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked and cold Let the truth bee spoken especially where any question doth inforce it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it leâ—t haply when it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth whereby falshood may be detected be not only defrauded of the truth but may be taken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum vt qui potest capere capiaâ— quam â—â—cendum vt non solum id ambo non capiant verâ—â—â—eâ—iâ—m qui est intelligentior ipse sit peior Instat inimicus gratiae atque vrget modis omnibus vt credatur secundum merita nostra dari ac sic gratia iâ—â— non sit gratia Et nos nolumus dicere quod teste Scriptur◠〈◊〉 dicere timemus enim videlicet
thy self-loue the loue of yaine glory the loue of thine own felicity more than of the glory of God a thousand secret corruptions lurking in the secret corners of thy selfe-deceiuing heart Nay besides this thou canst not number vp so many good dueties which thou hast done as this all-seeing Iudge can number and set before thee greater and weightier duties which thou hast altogether omitted And more than that too this Iudge can muster vp vnto thee whole Legioâ—s of sins which thou hast committed the least whereof all the men in the world with all their merits their arrogant works of supererogation the fained treasure of the Church with Masses and Dirges and whatsoeuer else man or Angel can deuise cannot possibly appease the wrath and satisfie the iustice of this Iudge for For if all the Creatures in the world could satisfie Gods iustice for one sinne wherefore dyed the innocent Lambe and the only Sonne of God Well thâ—n in this case what wilt thou doe whither wilt thou flye where wilt thou seeke reliefe for thy perplexed spirit where comfort for thine appalled conscience where a sanctuary for thy soule now pursued with the hue and cry of diuiâ—â— iustice and reuenge of hell and Satan of the guilt of thy tormenting conscience for sinne Thy good workes and merits They cry guilty before Gods throne of many imperfections defects corruptions If thy actuall transgressions which are many if thy totall omissions of dueties which thou oughtest to haue done should bee silent yet euen thy best actions which thou bringest to pleade for thee would and must tell the truth and become a full grand Iurie to bring-in the verdict of thy condemnation And then thou shalt be found such as the Gospell hath doomed who pleading their great workes before the Iudge receiued this sentence I know you not depart from mee yee workers of iniquitie Dost thou not thinke it safest now to bee of thy Brother or thy Father Bellarmines minde who howsoeuer as a member of the Papall State he writ mainely against the truth of iustification yet one time speaking his conscience and vttering his priuate iudgement said Propter incertitudinem propriae iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere Because of the vncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and the perill of vaine glory it is most safe to repose our confidence in the only mercy and fauour of God Only herein be vnlike this Brother or Father of thine For this sentence of his standing in his workes shall rise vp in iudgement against him at the latter day for all his lyes spoken through hypocrisie but let it teach thee so to renounce all thy supposed merits as reposing thy selfe in the only mercies of God and merits of Christ thou mayst flying from Babylon finde mercy and saluation in the great day of the Lord Iesus Let me hereunto adde a passage or two one out of Augustine his Manual which Booke though it bee fathered vpon some other Author yet the chiefe matter of it is confessed to bee collected out of Augustines Workes In omnibus aduersitatibus non inâ—eniâ— tâ—m efficax remedium quà m vulner a Christi in illis dormio securâ—s requiesco intrepidus Christus mortuus esh pro nobis Nihil tam ad mortem amarum quod morte Christi non sanetâ—r Tâ—ta spes mea est in morte Domini mei Mors eius meritum meum refugium meum sâ—luâ— vita resurrectio mea meritum meum miseratio Domini Non sum meriti inops quamdiâ— ille miserationum Dominus non defuerit Et misericordiae Domini multâ— multus ego sum in meritis Quanto ille potentior est ad saluandum tanto ego securier Peccaut peccatum grande multorum sum mihi conscius delictorum nec sic despero quia vbi abundauâ—runt delicta superabundauit gratia In all aduersities saith hee I find not a more effectuall remedy than the wounds of Christ in them I sleepe securely in them I rest without feare Christ dyed for vs. There is nothing in death so bitter which cannot be cured with the death of Christ. All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my demerit my refuge my saluation life and resurrection my merit is the Lords mercy I want no merit so long as the Lord of mercies is not wanting And while the Lord is rich in mercies I am rich in merits The more able he is to saue the more am I secure I haue committed some haynous sin and am guilty of many trespasses yet I despaire not because where sins haue abounded there grace hath also superabounded And in the 23. Chapter Inter brachia Saluatoris mei viuere volo mori â—upio Betweene the armes of my Sauiour it is both my will to liue and my wish to dye Another passage to this purpose I finde in Gregory in the conclusion of that singular worke of his Morals where speaking of mans good workes and good intentions concludeth thus Si de his diuinitus districtè disâ—ntimur quis inter ista remanet salutis locus quando mala nostra pura mala sunt bona quae nos habere credimus pura bona esse nequaquam possunt If saith he we be strictly-sifted by God concerning these things what place would bee left for saluation in them seeing that both our euill actions are simply euill and the good things which we beleeue we haue cannot be simply good Which place of Gregory beeing alledged by Luther to proue none can bee certaine that hee doth not alwaies mortally sinne although Iohn Bishop of Rochester would haue Gregory to meane not all workes but only such as we vainely boast of as Sixtus Senensis relateth Yet Gregories meaning is easily discouered by the title or contents prefixed to the said Chapter in these words Quod Sâ—nctus Grâ—gorius in his quae iam recta intentione protulit vanae gloriae vel laudis humanae fauorem subrepsisse sibi formidat pro recompensatione operis postâ—lat orationem loctoris that is That St. Gregory in those things which he did with a right intention feareth lest some affectation of vaine glory or humane applause might haue crept in vpon him and for a recompence of his worke desireth the Readers prayers And it is plaine also by the whole tenure of that Chapter that Gregory durst not trust his best workes vpon the tryall of Gods strict iudgement seeing that a mans best intentions are subiect to bee tainted with secret pride and vaine glory And the said Bishop of Rochester may seeme too sharpe in his censure the sequell whereof tends to a flat condemnation of Gregories best intentions as if he had beene directly conscious of pride in them whereas Gregory onely feareth least some such corruption might haue secretly stollen in vpon him And to confirme this and put it out of all
it as Ioab did Abner vnder the fift ribbe as being in none but him that vainely boasteth and braggeth of the assurance of his iustification Indeede if this assurance were nothing else but a vaine confidence and boasting they say something But while they ioyne this certainty and assurance of Faith with vaine boasting they plainly discouer their masked hypocrisie by mixing and confounding the pure gold of Faith with mans drosse as if they were both one to be faithfully assured and vainly confident But this assurance whatsoeuer it is it must be in Heretickes and Schismatickes Catholickes must haue nothing to doe with it as being a vaine confidence Yet vaine as it is they confesse it to be a great and vehement enemy to the Catholicke Church to wit the Romane-Catholicke Church In which Church none must so certainly beleeue the remission of his sinnes as to exclude all doubting especially in regard of his owne indisposition and infirmity being fearfull of his owne grace and no maruaile if such be full of fearfull doubtings that build their saluation and iustification vpon their inherent grace But the conclusion is peremptory iust like the Serpent's in the third of Genesis beginning smoothly but ending roughly like the Sotherne winde Yee shall not dye at all So Trents conclusion is that no man can know by the certainty of faith whether he haue the grace of God or no. Furthermore the same Councell for the confirmation of the said Chapter to vphold their tottering vncertainty of faith hath planted three or foure Canons full charged with Anathemaes As Can. 12. Si quis dixerit Fidem iustificantem nihil aliud esse quam fiduciam diuinae misericordiae peccata remittentis propter Christum vel eam fiduciam solam esse qua iustificamur anathema sit If any man shall say that iustifying Faith is nothing else but a trust or confidence in the mercy of God remitting sinnes for Christ or that this confidence or trust is that onely whereby we are iustified let him bee accursed Faith is then something else than a trust or confidence in Gods mercy What else namely a diffidence in Gods mercy And Can. 13. Si quis dixerit omni homini ad remissionem peccatorum assequendam necessarium esse vt credat certò absque vlla haesitatione propriae infirmitatis indispositionis peccata sibi esse remissae anathema sit If any shall say that it is necessary for euery man for the attainining the remission of sinnes to beleeue certainly and without any doubting of his owne infirmity and indisposition that his sinnes are remitted let him be accursed Note here another by-blow at the certainty of Faith but seeming to bee laid vpon the shoulders of humane frailty and indisposition as if remission of sinnes depended vpon our owne strength and disposition But I maruaile why the Pontificians so much distrust their owne indisposition about the certainty of iustification when they so much dignifie their naturall disposition vnto iustification saue onely that for the loue of their worldly pompe pleasure and profit one speciall proppe whereof is their vncertainty causing the simple seduced people to rest wholly vpon their Priest Pope and Purgatory as their last Sanctuary of their troubled soules they are not disposed to giue God the glory and to seale to themselues the comfort of iustification by the certainty of Faith which certainty of Faith they must needes extreamely hate when to disgrace it they are faine to disparage their owne strength and disposition which otherwise they do so much deifie adore And as if mans disposition in the state of grace being accompanied and assisted with grace came short of that disposition which goes before grace and as if mans disposition were not as able to confirme him in grace as to prepare him vnto grace But wee will not enuie them their indisposition to the assurance of grace no more than wee admire that grace of theirs which can giue no solid comfort and assurance to the soule and conscience But let vs heare what Trent further saith Can. 14. Si quis dixerit hominem à peccatis absolui ac iustificari ex eo quod se absolui ac iustificari certò credat aut neminem verè esse iustificatum nisi qui credat se esse iustificatum hac solâ— fide absolutionem iustificationem perfici anathema sit If any shall say that a man is absolued and iustified from sinnes in that respect that hee certainly beleeueth hee is absolued and iustified or that none is truely iustified but hee that beleeueth he is iustified and that absolution and iustification is perfected by this sole faith let him be accursed Note here that the Councell of Trent differeth not one haires breadth from denying faith it selfe to bee absolutely necessary to iustification as wee shall more plainly discouer her minde herein hereafter And Can. 15. Si quis dixerit hominem renatum iustificatum teneri ex fide ad credendum se certò esse in numero praedestinatorum anathema sit If any shall say that a man regenerate and iustified is bound by faith to beleeue that hee is certainly in the number of the predestinate let him bee accursed And to conclude the 16. Canon is also annexed as a blade in this reede Si quis magnum illud vsque in finem perseuerantiae donum se certò hâ—bitâ—rum absoluta infallibili certitudine dixerit niâ—i hoc ex specialireuelatione didicerit anathema sit If any shall say by an absolute and infallible certainty that he shall certainly haue that great gift of perseuerance vnto the end except he shall know this by speciall reuelation let him be accursed Thus haue we set downe the whole mysterie of Pontifician vncertainty of faith in grosse as wee finde it ingrossed in the Councell of Trent For the further vnfolding whereof let vs consult the authenticke Commentaries of the Councell But first obserue we here what a deale of paines they haue bestowed about this one point of Vncertainty and that partly for the reasons formerly alledged in the beginning of this Chapter but principally doe they impugne this bulwarke of the Certainty of faith because it is a maine opposite to all their humane inuentions wherewith as so many ragges they haue patched vp their meritorious Capuchin-garment of iustification As the learned Chemnitius hath well obserued in his Examen vpon this point saying Nec sanè nullae sunt causae c. Nor is it without cause saith hee that the Pontificians doe so eagerly contend for the maintenance of their Vncertainty for they well perceiue that the whole negotiation of Pontifician Merchandize is sustained by this meanes For the conscience seeking some certaine and firme consolation when it heares that faith it selfe euen when it apprehendeth Christ the Mediator ought to doubt of the remission of sinnes it begins to deuise a masse of inuentions as vowes pilgrimages inuocations of Saints Pardons Dispensations Croisadoes Buls Masses and a
remission of their sins when notwithstanding they certainely knew that that certainety was rather a most vaine perswasion of their Iustification And so Vega concludes Neque dubium quin latinè possimus dicere apud Haereticos nostrae tempestatis non esse suae gratiae opinionem sed certitudinem Nor do we doubt but that we may say in plaine termes that the Heritiques of our time haue not an opinion of their grace or iustification but a certainety Note here iudicious Reader that the Pontificians doe allow of a certaine vncertaine particular certainety of Faith namely such as may bee eyther true or false They might better haue said iust nothing sauing that they cautelously put this clause by way of preuention that if a particular certainty of Faith bee neuer so manifestly proued yet it may proue at hap-hazzard eyther true or false And this Vega would demonstrate by a distinction saying There is a two-fold certainty Per se or Quoad nos Eyther a certainty in regard of the truth it selfe beleeued or in respect of our apprehension which may be deceiued according to the Councels own Text. In a word in his fift Chapter following hee sets downe foure limitations of certainety that are extra controuersiam without all controuersie allowed of the Pontificians First that euery man may haue a knowledge of his iustification by diuine reuelation and that this hath been truly reuealed to some holy men although but to few and them Gods greatest familiars as the blessed Virgin and the Apostles Secondly it is certaine that all righteous men may by some certaine signes and probable arguments or tokens and coniectures attaine to a probable notice and opinion or as they call it a coniecturall certitude of their iustification Thirdly saith he it is certaine that no mortall man without diuine reuelation can attaine in this life to the certainety of euidence of his iustification Fourthly it is also certaine that no man can without diuine reuelation certainely know anothers iustification vnlesse haply when he shall haue baptized a childe To these limitations wee may here adde the substance of that which Vega sets downe in the 46. Chapter of the same booke the title whereof is Possunt vir◠spirituales certitudinem assequi de sua gratia Spirituall men may attaine a certainty of their grace and iustification By spirituall men he vnderstandeth those that liue in a state of perfection as they terme it Yet this certainety is so rarely found among such as after much adoe and wauering this way and that way Vega being vncertaine what to thinke of this certainety at length hee is resolued vpon the point and giues vs a rare instance of Saint Anthony whose birth of faithull and religious Parents whose Christian and holy education whose firme faith in beleeuing all which the Church of Rome beleeueth whose care not to offend but to please God in all things whose voluntary pouerty whose inoffensiue and innocent life full of charity whose humility whose dayly comming to Masse and frequent Shrifts whose watchings and fastings and other infinit deuotions induced Vega to thinke that this certainty of saluation may haply bee found in some spirituall men But hee must bee a St. Anthony at the least who is possest with this certainety So few receiue this gift as Christ said of continency No not Martyrs themselues saith Vega Chapter 43. His words are Neque adduci possum vt credam aliquem Martyrem aut babuisse aut habere potuisse certitudinem de sua iustificatione c. Nor can I bee induced to beleeue saith hee that any Martyr eyther had or could haue the certainety of iustification vnlesse God reuealed it vnto him as also their perseuerance and crowne of blessednesse layd vp for them that so they might the more cheerefully and couragiously persist in their confession With these limitations doe the Pontificians confine their allowance of the certainty of Iustification First it is only generall not speciall or particular Secondly if particular there be any they say it may be true or false Thirdly this speciall certainty is giuen to none but by speciall reuelation and that to some speciall choyce persons as the blessed Virgin and the Apostles Fourthly iust men may haue some coniectural signes and probable opinions of their iustification Fifthly if any had this speciall certainty then certainly St. Anthony a priueledge which not euen the holy and faithfull Martyrs are capable off without speciall reuelation saith Vega. His reason is because euen Heretickes may be Martyrs and constantly dye for Christ. This is the state of Pontifician doctrine about certainety and vncertainety of faith in iustification Against which we oppose the truth of Catholick doctrine concerning the certainety of Faith First to their first limitation we oppose That the certainty of Faith is not generall but particular and speciall Secondly to the second that this certainty cannot be false but alwayes infallibly true and that not onely in regard of the truth of Gods word in generall which certainty may be in dogmaticall and historicall Faith but also of Gods speciall promises in Christ which it is the property of sauing faith certainely to apply and appropriate to the beleeuer that vndoubtedly they belong to him in particular Thirdly to the third that neyther this certainety is simply and only a speciall diuine reuelation nor peculiar onely to a few but it is the proper vertue of sauing and iustifying Faith and is in euery true beleeuer in whom true sauing faith is found Fourthly to the fourth that this certainety in euery man iustified is no coniecturall matter gathered by probable signes but a certaine cleare firme euidence of Faith Fiftly to the fift As for St. Anthony much might his priueledge be as hauing the Patronage of Pigs Cattel which the Priests do solemnly on St. Anthonies day blesse in his name and so they are free from all diseases and disasters all the yeare after and therefore the Pigges Masters or Dames are very Hogs if they requite not the Priests paines with the best Pigge But for all St. Anthonies workes of deuotion if they had beene of a far higher and holier nature they make but little for this euidence of certainety but rather the contrary For the more a man confides in his good workes the more vnsettled he is in the certainety of iustification And for Martyrs I meane Christs Martyrs if they haue not this certainty then none euer had it As for Heretickes they cannot dye for Christ while they dye in the quarrell of their Heresie Thus we haue the state of the question on both sides As for Veg's fourth allegation in his fifth Chapter forementioned That no man can certainely know but by speciall reuelation whether another man be iustified or no this is impertinent to the present purpose and so we leaue it extra controuersiam But display wee our forces now in the open field and try we our cause by the dint of truth First that
the Pontificians should so stiffly stand for their vncertainty of Faith they haue great reason in regard it is the strongest supporter vncertaine as it is of the Tower of Babell as we touched before It is the troubled Sea where Romes Peter-men finde the best fishing As the Iewes said of Christ if we let him thus alone all the world will goe after him and the Romanes will come and take away our kingdome so the Romane Pontificians may say If we should allow of certainty of Faith all the people would forsake vs and wee should lose our Kingdome What would become then of the merchandise of soules of Purgatory-Masses and Dirges and Trentals so rich a trade in Romes Court if the People might purchase saluation by faith yea and rest assured of it without any dependance of humane inuentions But let vs examine the former limitations of Pontifician certainty apart First they admit only of a generall certainty but no particular And reason good for as wee said their Faith is onely generall And this their certainty they place in the vnderstanding as they do also their faith The obiect of this certainty is the generall truth of Gods Word So that this is such a certainty as the very Diuels and damned may haue for they beleeue and tremble Why but because they are certainly perswaded of the truth of Gods Word And as the Pontifician faith is common with the wicked so also their certainty which is the fruite of such faith Secondly in that they say that certainty may bee true of false according to the disposition of him in whom it is this is absurd For how can a thing be certaine yet false vnlesse it be certainly false or a false certainety Certainety and falshood are incomparible and meerely opposite Indeede it is one thing to bee certaine another to seeme certaine which seeming certainty is nothing else but opinion Thirdly that they deny certainty of faith in iustification but by speciall reuelation this agreeth with their maine doctrine of faith which indeed hath no other certainty in it than such as is in the reprobate and whereas they restraine their speciall reuelation to some few this shewes the iniquity of Pontificians in making a Monopoly of Gods grace and indeede a meere nullity of sauing Faith Fourthly their probable coniectures of their iustification are altogether abhorrent from the nature of Faith in Christ and meere illusions Such probabilities are impossibilities of saluation But it is a good reason for the Pontificians why they should deny certainty of Faith if the best certainty be onely coniecturall probability Fiftly say they only spirituall men liuing in the state of perfection as deuout St. Anthony may haue a certainety of saluation built vpon his good life This is another strong reason why Pontificians exclude certainty of Faith of saluation seeing it is rather grounded vpon good workes To these they adde two other reasons why no man can be certaine of his iustification because say they no man by the euidence of faith can bee certaine of his predestination For indeede if a man cannot by faith be certaine of his predestination he cannot bee certaine of his iustification The reason is good Lastly say they a man cannot be certaine of his iustification that is not certaine of his perseuerance in grace to the end But no man say they can be sure of perseuerance Therefore no man can bee sure of his saluation These two last reasons are inferred vpon the fifteenth and sixteenth Canons of the Councell of Trent Thus haue we in generall as it were in a light velitation or skirmish spent a small volley vpon the Pontifician forces which march against certainety of faith Come wee now to ioyne the maine battaile wherein wee will obserue this order of sight first wee will shew the weakenesse of those arguments they bring for their vncertainety secondly we will make good and fortifie those arguments authorities and reasons wherewith the Catholike truth of the certainty of faith is maintained and confirmed First for the Pontifician reasons and allegations for their vncertainty of faith wee finde sundry of them set downe in the history of the Councell of Trent together with the answers vnto them forced from the Canuase of the opposite parties some holding that the opinion of certainety of grace was an intolerable arrogancy others that that certainty in its kinde was meritorious The first of these were for the most part Dominicans grounding their opinion of vncertainty vpon the authority of Thomas Aquinas Bonauenture and the Schoole-men Also vpon reason saying That God would not make man certain of grace lest swelling with pride and opinion of himselfe he should dispise others as knowing himselfe to bee righteous and others notorious sinners Also that Christians would grow sleepy sloathfull and carelesse of good workes In which respect incertitude of grace was profitable yea meritorious For perturbation or trouble of minde is that which at first afflicts men but to those that haue learned to beare it it becomes at length meritorious Besides they cite places of holy Scripture as out of Saloman That man knowes not whether hee be worthy of hatred or loue out of the Booke of Wisedome That a man must neuer be free from feare of sinne that it is pardoned out of the Apostle That wee must worke out our saluation with feare and trembling and that St. Paul professeth of himselfe that though his conscience did not accuse him yet he was not therfore iustified These reasons and testimonies besides many others saith the History did chiefly Seripandus Vega and Soto alledge and amplifie out of the Fathers On the other side saith the History Catarinus with Marinarus did out of the same Fathers alledge places to the contrary that it might appeare that the Fathers as they saw occasion did attemper their Sermons to the present occasions sometimes to animate the doubtfull and deiected sometimes to represse the presumptuous still submitting themselues to the authority of the Word of God They said to wit Catarinus and Marinarus that as often as Christ is obserued in the Gospell to forgiue sins so often he said Be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiuen thee And that it seemed absurd that Christ would minister to any man occasion of presumption or pride or to depriue all of that which might be matter of profit or merit Also that the Scripture bound vs to giue thankes to God for our iustification which vnlesse â—e before we haue receiued with what face yea with what affection shall we giue thankes Sith it is folly to acknowledge a benefit which thou knowest not whether it bee giuen thee or no. Surely St. Paul doth clearely enough affirme this certainety when he would haue the Corinchians sensible that Christ is in them vnlesse they be reprobates and when he saith that therefore wee haue receiued the spirit of God that by him wee might vnderstand what is giuen vs of God
ought to be affraid of their perseuerance and that none can arrogate to himselfe such a great certainty as this vnlesse it happen vnto him by diuine reuelation the Fathers haue opened in those words of the 13. Chapter Veruntamen c. But let them that thinke they stand take heede lest they fall and so vnto the end of the Chapter Thus wee haue the state of Pontifician Doctrine touching the certainty of iustification in regard of predestination and perseuerance For the maine substance of these Trent-Fathers Decrees and Canons touching predestination and perseuerance wee shall trye what truth is in them when we come to set downe the opposite doctrine of the Catholicke Faith In the meane time let vs a little weigh the moment of Vega's arguments for the defence of the Councell In his second Chapter of his 12. Booke Of the vncertainty of predestination and perseuerance after a goodly flourish and triumphall tripudiation as if the field were already won before he had strucke stroke he saith Habemus certissima fortissima argumenta c. We haue most certaine and strong arguments whereby to confirme and defend the Doctrine deliuered here by the Fathers and to vanquish the contrary heresies And first to proue this definition of the Fathers saith he Non omnis c. Not euery one that is iustified is predestinate We haue many places of Scripture to serue our purpose prouing that there haue been many in the state of grace and afterwards haue fallen from it and at length damned For example Saul that was elect to be King of Israel is said 1. Sam. 9. 2. to be electus bonus an elect and good man so that there was not a better than he among all the children of Israel Now saith Vega being said to bee bonus electus elect and good as the vulgar Latine hath it it is manifest that he was then in the state of grace for the Scripture saith hee doth not adorne men with such prayses which are out of the state of Gods grace But saith he Saul afterwards fell and was reiected and damned I answer Saul is there called an elect man in that he was a choice and goodly tall young man proper of personage insomuch as none was found comparable to him for personage and stature for hee was taller by the head and shoulders than any of the people Doth this proue that hee was one of Gods eternall election Or doth God elect men to saluation for the goodlinesse of their person No wee see the contrary 1. Sam. 16. 7. That Saul dyed a reprobate and desperately we easily grant it But that Saul euer was in the state of grace Vega saith nothing yet to the purpose to proue it nor euer can he I rather maruaile why Vega omitted a more probable argument to proue Saul to haue once been in the state of grace to wit because the Spirit of the Lord comming vpon him he was turned into another man An argument which some other Pontificians vrge yet Vega alledgeth St. Augustines censure of Saul who concludes him to bee a reprobate saying The example of this Saul makes against some proud heretickes which deny that any of the good gifts of the holy Ghost may be giuen to those that doe not appertaine to the condition of Saints Which saying of that worthy Father doth plainly proue that Saul was neuer of the number of Gods Saints and that euen wicked and reprobate men may haue notwithstanding some speciall gifts of the holy Ghosts and yet be neuer a whit the nearer to the state of grace Saul was said to be changed into another man when Gods Spirit came vpon him not in regard of conuersion from sinne vnto God or from a wicked life to the state of grace but of a priuate man whose thoughts reached no higher than his fathers Asses hee was made a Prince and endowed with Princely qualities of wisedome and courage the gifts of Gods Spirit whereby hee was enabled for such a weighty gouernment Yea we are not affraid to put this case to the tryall euen of a Bishop of Rome Gregory the last good Bishop of Rome saith thus of Saul Saul electus dicitur non secundum gratiam sed secundum iudicium Bonus dicitur vt diuinae aequitatis dispositio commendetur Bonum profectò est quicquid est iustum c. Saul is said to bee elect not according to grace but according to iudgement He is called good that the disposition of diuine equity might be commended That indeed is good whatsoeuer is iust c. And he illustrates this by the instance of Ecclesiasticall Pastors Per iustitiam quippe Dei Pastores reprobi c. For by the iustice of God reprobate Pastors are permitted to climbe to the regiment of holy Church but they which are euill by their iniquity are good by diuine dispensation and now by the secret ordination of God they are elected who at the last in the vniuersall iudgement shall be reprobated Therefore a reprobate shepheard because by diuine dignation he is appointed to that office may bee called elect and because he is iustly permitted hee may bee called good And because hee is thought fitter than others to execute Gods iudgements therfore none is said to be better than he among the children of Israel Seeing therefore it cannot be proued that Saul was euer in the state of grace but the contrary is manifest euen by the iudgment of him who was once Bishop of Rome no maruaile if he dyed a desperate Reprobate Hereunto Vega addeth Salomons example that being endued with extraordinary wisedome from God and so standing in the state of grace he afterwards fell away and Vega laboureth to proue that Salomon dyed a Reprobate For answer that God gaue such wisedome to Salomon this proues him no more to be in the state of grace than that which was giuen to Saul This wisedome giuen to Salomon was famous indeede but for ought we finde it was no other but a naturall and morall wisedome and knowledge whereby he might the better iudge that great people committed to his charge as Salomon himselfe saith 1. Kings 3. 9. and know the nature and property of all creatures as 1. Kings 4. 29. 30. 31. c. Not that I deny but that Salomon might now be in the state of grace and no doubt but he was but that hee was not therefore in the state of grace because of his extraordinary wisedome giuen vnto him For doe not wee know that for a naturall and morall wisedome euen Heathen men as many Pagan Philosophers haue farre excelled many of Gods Saints Againe as we deny not but that young Salomon was now in the state of grace so we deny that hee euer fell totally away from this estate It is true he fell fearfully but not totally for marke what the Scripture saith expresly 1. Kings 11. 4. It came to passe when Salomon was old that his wiues turned away his