answere then hee did to them and so to all aduersaries of this Doctrine of the grace of God Nuâ— propter malos c Is the truth of this Doctrine to wit of praedestination to be forsaken or shall it bee thought worthy to bee cancelled out of the Gospell because of those that are wicked cold Let the truth be spoken especially where any question doth require it to be spoken that they may receiue it who are capable of it least haply while it is concealed in regard of those that are not able to receiue it they who are capable of the truth wherby falshhood may bee detected bee not onely defrauded of the truth but may be ouertaken with falshood And a little after Nonne potius est dicendum verum c. Is not the truth rather to be spoken that he which can receiue may receiue it than to be suppressed that not onely neither can receiue it but also he that is more intelligent may be made worse The enemy of grace is importunate and vrgeth by all meanes that it might be beleeued that it is giuen vnto vs according to our merits and so grace should now be no more grace and yet we will not speake that which by the testimonie of the Scriptures wee may speake for we feare forsooth lest if wee speake hee that cannot receiue the truth be offended and we feare not lest while we are silent he which is able to receiue the truth may be deceiued by error For either is praedestination so to be preached as the holy Scripture doth euidently declare it that in those that be praedestinate the gifts calling of God may be without repentance or else we must confesse that the grace of God is giueÌ„ according to our merits which is the opinion wisdome of the Pelagians And againe cap. 2 1. ibid. he saith Nimiae coÌ„tentionis est c. Itis too much peruersues to contradict praedestinatioÌ„ or yet to doubt of it Babylonius But you know that the late wise and judicious King IAMES of famous memory did inhibite and restraine the preaching of the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election Orthodoxus But in what respect His Maiestie did not restraine Preachers from the liberty of preaching the Doctrine of Praedestination it being a speciall part of the Gospell but rather to giue caution and direction at least to yonger Ministers and Diuines lest through want of mature judgment in the manner of opening that mystery and applying of it they might haply put a stumbling blocke before the inâ—udicious and ignorant hearer or those of weake consciences As Saint Aug. denies not but wisdome and discretion is to bee vsed in the preaching of it For saith he it is not so to be preached to the ignorant multitude as that the preaching of it may seeme worthy of reproofe Nam dolosi vel imperiti medici est c. It is the propertie of a deceitfull or an vnskilfull Physitian so to apply euen a wholesome plaster as that either it doe no good or else hurt This was the minde of his Excellent Maiestie of blessed Memory in that his iniunction to aduise all Ministers to play the faithfull and skilfull Physitians in in the applycation of so wholsome profitable and comfortable a plaster and Doctrine as the Church of England calls it Art 17 though the Appealer doth flout his Informers and those which call Praedestination a comfortable doctrine Appeale pag. 39. But otherwise his Maiestie himselfe of blessed Memory hath left His royall record of this Diuine Doctrine in his learned and Diuine Paraphrase of the Reuelation the 20 chap. in the latter end in these words The Booke of life was opened to the Elect that all those those whose names were written into it to wit Praedestinated and Elected for saluation before all beginings might then be selected for eternall glory Babylonius Neither doth the Authour here simply oppose or question the Doctrine of Praedestination and Election but as it is deliuered by the new Diuines as hee calls them to wit Caluin and his fellowes whom he chargeth with a two-fold error as touching Praedestination The first is that they teach especially Caluin that Gods eternall election and praedestination was irrespectiue and absolute without any respect or reference to Adams fall The second error of Caluin is in deliuering the doctrine of praedestination in such a rigid manner as he doth Orthodoxus For Master Caluin there needeth none other Apologie then his owne Workes or Writings which shall euer praise him in the gate For his workes and in summe his Institutions if a man snatch at them as the Aegyptian dog doth at Nilus for feare of the Crocodile not obseruing his grounds taken from Scripture nor well waighing his reasons no maruell if such snatchers prepossessed with a preiudicate opinion can as easily opeÌ„ their mouths against such famous Authours as the Dog can barke at the Moone-shine But perhaps hee had no more quarrel to holy Caluin then that fellow had to just Aristides who not knowing Aristides by face but onely by fame that he was a just man came to him vnwittingly to craue him to write downe his name for him that hee might with the rest of the enuious Citizens consent to his banishment by their law of Ostracismon because he so much excelled others in honesty It may be he neuer read Caluins workes much lesse his Institutions to catechise him in the grounds of religion Or perhaps hee hates Caluin as Ahab did the Prophet Micaiah because his Doctrine is altogether against his Interim-religion with all his confederate Intermiists Orwhatsoeuer is the cause Thus did Heretickes by catching at the outward rinde and barke of some one part of Scripture maintaine their Heresies But I maruell what the Appealer could reade or heare of Master Caluin that hee should write so contemptuously of him sauing that he was a holy man faithfull and painfull in his calling exercised with continuall preaching writing watchfull prouidence in gouerning a man of great learning dexteritie of wit sincerity of judgment of great piety equity and sobriety of life a true patterne and precedent of vertue Therefore as Christ said Many good workes haue I done among you for which of these doe yee stone me so for which of Caluins vertues doth this Authour tongue-smite him The most noble and judicious King IAMES of happie Memory thought not so slightly of that learned Diuine while he prefered his Commentaries vpon the Scriptures before all others It were to be wished that the Authour going about to oppose such a worthy and famous man had imitated the heathen Academicke Carneades who intending to write against the positions of Zeno the Stoicke did first purge his stomacke and pectorall parts with white hellebore lest some malignant humour possessing the stomacke might distemper and imbitter his style which is no lesse a disparagment to a professed Christian Diuine than was wont to be of old to the Heathen
for losse of faith he must meane iustifying and sauing faith and not that faith of the Romane Church hee alledgeth the 16. Article in these words After we haue receiued the holy Ghâ—st we may depart from grace giuen fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee way rise againe and amende our liues Now in all due remembrance to my blessed mother the Church of England is it not as lawfull for mee her Sonne to take her in a good sense as for another in a bad And if it be lawfull for me to interpret her words according to the letter it is one thing recedâ—re a gratia another excidere one thing to depart aside as out of the way erroniously another 〈◊〉 fall quite away and to abandon the way at least for the time to fall quite away from grace nor doth the Article speake of a totall falling away but of such slips as are recouered by repentance against the Doctrine of Nâ—â—atus as is there expressed It being one thing to fall into sin of infirmitie another to fall away from grace totally But if by departing be meant a totall falling away then how doth this accord with the Scripture that saith If such as were once enlightned c doe fall away it is impossible they should be renewed againe to repentance Againe for the words of the Homilie alledged by the Appealer they containe a wholsome admonition to pietie and perseuerance therein but they mention no totall falling away from true and sauing grace in any one particular true beleeuer Therefore by departing is meant some other thing then any totall falling away from grace so that howsoeuer wee imbrace and adore the generall Doctrine of the Church of England our deare Mother yet whatsoeuer she saith we must not presently take it at the first rebound according to our priuate fancie which what it affects and inclines to it can easilie as the corrupt stomacke assimilate euen wholesome meates and cause them to corrupt or as the Naturall thinkes the bells ring that which hee imagines so apt is mans fancie to take words rather by the sound then by the sense to feede his pre-conceiued opinion yet as neither the Church of England her selfe auoucheth or concludeth any thing for Doctrine and matter of Faith but so farre as is consonant to the word of God so that her Doctrines are to be called the Doctrines of God rather than of the Church so neither are we to measure her Doctrines but by the onely line and rule of the Scriptures But by the Scriptures there is either no totall falling away from grace or if there be as from the common grace it must necessarily be finall too for it is impossible saith the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 such as fall away should be renewed againe to râ—pentance Therefore the Church of Englands words speaking of dâ—pâ—â—ting from grace and yet of returning againe cannot be understood of a totall falling away of particular persons from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 grace so that it appeaâ—es the Appeallâ—r hath wrested the words of the Article to his owne fancie he should first conclude out of the Scriptures that there is a falling away from grace totally But if the Scriptures teach the contrary let no man fasten such a reproach vpon the Church of England casting durt in his Mothers face as teaching otherwise then her heauenly Husband hath taught in his Word Babylonius But where doe the Scriptures teach that a man cannot fall away from grace and saâ—ing 〈◊〉 after he once hath it Orthodoxus In many places and that so pregnantly and definitiuely as the very Aduersaries of this truth confesse it may be waued and taken indifferently either way whither for a penny as we say their OpinioÌ„ or Gods Truth Babylonius But if Scripture say and gainsay how shall we beleeue them or how shall we reconcile them Orthodoxus Very easily for as there is but one truth so if wee first pitch vpon that truth where wee finde it clearely and positiuely laid downe in the Scripture then whatsoeuer places of scripture seeme to contradict yet the sense thereof must of necessitie bee reduced to that positiue truth For the purpose 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because hâ— is borne of God Here is set downe a positiâ—e truth Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne and the reasons are annexed first for the seede of God remaiâ—eth in him and secondly because he is borne of God he cannot sinne But this seemes a hard and a darke saying doe not Gods 〈…〉 sinne yoâ— surâ—ly for In many things we 〈◊〉 all saith Saint 〈◊〉 but the same Apostle cleares the sense in his 5. Chapter of the Epistle Verse 16 17. There is a sinne vnto death and there is a 〈◊〉 not vnto death now Gods children commit sinne which is not vnto death whereof ver 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death he shall aske and he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death But of the sinne that is vnto death of that the Apostle speakes ver 18. Wee know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death Now Gods child sinneth not vnto death that is falleth not from faith as Saint Augustinâ— vnderstands this sin vnto death neither totally nor much lesse finally for the seede of God remaineth in him The seede of God is the holy Spirit of God by which as a holy and liuing seede wee are begotten and borne of God This seedâ— is that annointing whereof the Apostle speakes 1 Iohn 2. 27. The annointing which yee haue receiued of â—im abideth in you and therefore yee shall abide in him Therefore none shall be able to seduce you v. 26. Now if thâ— the annointing abide in vs if the seede of God remaines in vs how then can we fall totally much lesse finally from grace for the Spirit of grace remaineth in vs. So long as this seed of God remaines in vs and being once receiued it abideth with vs Gods regenerate cannot so degenerate as by falling from grace to cease to be his sonnes He that is of the blood royall yea who is descended immediately from the Kings owne loynes cannot cease to bee the Kings sonne for the seede and blood of the King is in him And yet though a Kings sonne may degenerate from his Fathers vertues notwithstanding his Fathers blood bee in him yet the bâ—gotten of God as they haue his seede alwaies remaining 〈◊〉 them so it is an actiue quickning and pregnant seede springing vp to life eterâ—all wherin Gods child groweth in grace till he be a perfect man in Christ Iasus Againe this seede of God is immortall as the Father is immortall Now as a mortall father begets a mortall son So the immortall God can beget no sonne but is immortall as his Father is It is impossible for the
immortall God to dye no not for a moment Of this nature also is the borne of God hee cannot fall away totally that is dye in his spirituall life no not for a moment for hee is borne of that Father the seede of that God remaineth abideth in him and neuer departeth from him which is immortall and cannot dye This truth that the borne of God are preserued from euer falling from grace is confirmed by many other cleare places of Scripture if time would permit to recite them Now this being so cleare a proofe if any places of Scripture seeme to be opposite they are so onely in sound not in sense For proofe the Scriptures are full of admonitions the onely proofes that they bring for their opinions against the positiue truth to take heede of falling away from the grace of God as Heb. 12. 13. So 1 Cor. 10. 12. He that think he standeth let him take heed lest he fall the like also of exhortation if any man be fallen as Ezech 18. and elsewhere all which places must not so be taken as if Gods children did at any time fall away totally from grace but they are as so many Preseruatiues and Antidotes as so many directions to keep Gods childe in his way they are a part of those meanes which God hath ordained to preserue vs in the way from falling Hereupon I remember Saint Augustine saith excellently alledgâ—ng these words Reu. 3. 11. Tene quod habes c. Hold that thou hast least another take thy Crowne now that these things are so spoaken euen to the saints that shall perseuere as if it were vncertaine that they shall perseuere they ought not to heare this otherwise to whom it belongeth not to bee high minded but feare Hence also it was saide to the Apostles If yee shall abide in me himselfe speaking it who knew full well that they would abide in him And by the Prophet If yee be willing and will hearken vnto mee when himselfe knew in whom he would worke euen to will And many such things are spoken for the vtility and profit of this secret least any should be puffed vp but that all euen thâ—se that runne well should feare So he Nothing can be added to it Againe when wee reade of any Apostates and such as make shipwracke of faith as 2 Tim. 2. Himeneus and Alexander and the like then haue recourse to that saying of Saint Iohn 1. 2. 19. where speaking of Antichristian reuolters saith They went out from vs but they were not of vs for if they had ben of vs they would no doubt haue continued with vs but they went out that it might be made manifest that they were not all of vs. For there is a common temporarie faith a commoÌ„ grace a common illumination whereof the Apostle speakes Heb. 6. from which men may fall away totally and finally as Iudas and Iulian and others but the sauing grace the iustifying faith which is proper to Gods elect is of the foundation of God which standeth sure vpon which they that are built shall neuer fall away as Aquinas in Rom. 8. ver 30. whom he hath iustified them he hath glorified To this purpose I remember a saying or two of Saint Augustine Fides Christi c. The faith of Christ the faith of Christian grace namely that faith which worketh by loue being put in the foundation permits none to perish And in another place Nic nos moueat c. Nor let it moue vs saith he that God doth not giue this perseuerance to some of his sonnes For there are some who because of a temporarie grace receaued are called of vs the sonnes of God and yet with God they are not so of whom Iohn speaketh They went out from vs but they were not of vs they were not of the number of sonnes no not when they were in the faith of sonnes For the sonne of promise perisheth not but the sonne of perdition Those were of the multitude of the called not of the small number of the elect And againe in the 9. Chapter reciting Christs words Si man eritis in verbo meo c. If ye abide in me then are yee my Disciples indeed he saith Therefore because they had not perseuerance as also being not Christs Disciples indeede so neither were they the sons of God indeed euen then when they seemed to be and were called so Therefore we call those both the elect Disciples of Christ and the soâ—â—â—s of God because they are so to be called whom being regenerate to wit sacramentally and in our account wee see to line godly but then they are indeede that which they are called if they abide in that for which they are so called But if they haue not preseuerance they are not truly called that which they are called and are not Thus we see Saint Augustine following the rule of Gods word hath truly laid downe the state of the perseuerance of Gods saints in faith and grace distinguishing all along betweene sauing grace and common temporary grace betweene iustifying faith and common historicall faith betweene the outward ordinarie calling of Christians and the inward effectuall calling betweene the externall regeneration and the internall betweene the sonnes of God in mens account or in appearance and those in Gods account and in truth And in this sense not otherwise is that to bee vnderstood which the Appealer vrgeth of all that are baptized of whom we professe wee beleeue that they are regenerate and in the state of grace who comming afterwards to liue lewdly and so to dye the Author by their example would proue both a totall and finall falling away from grace True it is that Baptisme is called regeneration but Sacramentally and so all children baptised are said to be regenerate and so generally wee beleeue they are saved while we iudge them to be in the state of grace in regard of the common sacred Ordinance of God which is alwayes effectuall if it be accompanyed with the effectuall and inward working of the Spirit of God and received by a saving faith wrought by the same Spirit I say all children duely baptized we beleeue to be made the members of Christ and heires of the kingdome of heaven and to be saved dying before the committing of any such sinnes as might giue vs occasion to judge and beleeue the contrary This is the pious faith of the Church and of Christians Yet though in our accompt many are called by receiuing the outward Ordinances of God and the externall ordinary meanes of salvation notwithstanding in Gods account few are chosen And the chosen are onely those that are truely saved in Gods account The Lord knoweth who are his As aboue Saint Augustine speaking of the impious after baptisme saith Fuerunt isti c. Such were of the multitude of those that bee called not of the small number of the Elect. Babylonius But Saint Aug as our Authour alledgeth him both
in this booke and in his Gagge deliuereth it as an Article of the Creede Credendum est quosdam de filâ—is perditionis non accepto dono persuerandi vsque in finem in fide quae per dilectionem operatur incipere vinere aliquandiu iuste fideliter vinere et postea cadere c. That some may fall away quite from that faith which worketh by loue And you see the words there Iustè fideliter and postea CADERE are set downe in Capitall letters as being most remarkable Orthodoxus It is a faire flourish indeed I remember the place quoted in his former booke nor doth hee in this vary from that But I must tell you the Authour besides his misquoting of the * booke hath not dealt altogether so squarely with Saint Augustine herein as hauing broken off the chiefe corner of this stone which else would stand firme and vniforme with the entire fabricke of Saint Augustines building For Saint Augustine speaking there of perseuerance to admonish the truely faithfull to be the more carefull in the constant pursuit of it he setteth downe the sentence thus PROPTER HVIVS VTILITATEM SECRETI Which words the Appealler leaues out credendum est c. Which words are the maine qualification and seasoning of the whole sentence that is in regard of the benefit of this secret Credendum est c. Which wee may translate wee are to suppose as well as we must beleeue But if wee must beleeue it it is propter huius vtilitatem secreti a phrase which S. Augustine often vseth vpon this purpose And wherfore would Saint Augustine haue vs to thinke or beleeue so but to containe vs the better within the bounds of feare and humilitie in regard of our humaine frailtie as he specifieth both a little before and after this sentence And elsewhere hee saith expresly to the purpose God iudged it better to mingle somâ— that should not perseuere among the certaine number of his Saints that they for whom securitie in the tentation of this life is not expedient might not be secure Babylonius But Saint Augustine saith that a man may fall from that faith which worketh by loue and so dye in that fall Orthodoxus Besides the former qualification PROPTER HVIVS HVIVS VTILIT ATEM SECRETI and besides our former allegations out of Saint Augustine he doth in another place speake conclusiuely with an asseueration saying The faith of those which worketh by loue doth in very deede either not faile at all or if their bee any whose faith doth faile it is repaired before this life be ended and the iniquity which came betweene being blotted out perseuerance is reckoned euen vnto the end Now if this be true that faith worketh by loue either faileth not at all or if it doc any whit faile it is repaired in time then his former speech of the falling away from faith working by loue is to be vnderstood not really of true faith working by loue but as it is in apparance to our sense as hee saith formerly of the sonnes of God Yea Saint Augustine is so copious in this point of perseuerance of Gods Saints that I maruell any man that hath read Saint Augustine of these points would euer meddle with him in this matter to wrest one bare mangled testimonie against so many pregnant proofes of this truth And to conclude this clause with Saint Augustine who saith nothing but vpon the expresse ground of Scripture Christ saying saith he Rogaui pro te c. I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not let vs vnderstand as spoken to him which is built vpon a Rocke and so the man of God not onely because he hath obtained mercy to be faithfull but also because faith it selfe doth not faile He that glorieth let hiâ— glory in the Lord. And againe God doth worke in his Saints a will to perseuere that because they shall not perseuere vnlesse they both can and will therefore both the power and will of perseuering is by the bountie of Gods grace giuen vnto them therefore the weaknesse of mans will is helped that by Gods grace it might be firmely and vnseperably vpholden and therefore though weake yet it should not faile nor be ouercome by any aduersitie And he that holds the contrary hee calls him Inimicum gratiae Dei an enemy to the grace of God Babylonius But iustifying faith may be diminished and consequently wholly abolished Orthodoxus It doth not necessarily follow Faith indeede may be saide to be diminished in regard of the act operation externall fruits sense and apprehension of it but not in regard of the habit and substance of it To illustrate this a little The seede cast into the ground lyes there hid appeares not for a good space is it therefore dead waite a little and so it begins to sprout and spring forth and by degrees commeth to a mature haruest The sappe in the winter lyes hid in the roote and the withered vine seemes dead with cold yet the cold blowne ouer and sommer approching so the goodly leaues it puts forth and goodlier clusters vnto a full vintage The Sunne ecclipsed by the Moones interposition or by some blacke cloud from our aspect yet wee know it keepeth his course looseth none of the natiue light the while onely our sense misseth it till anon it breake forth with a fresh luster and glory The soule while the body suffereth a kind of dâ—liquium or fowning though now it exercise not the organicall operations 〈◊〉 the body yet we know the soule is inâ—ue and whole still without any substantiall diminution so that the body being reuiued with some aqua caelestis the soule actuates euery organ and member of it afrâ—sh as before The ship as that wherein Christ slepâ— may be euen couered ouer with waues and giuen for lost as in the Disciples sense and apprehension but Christ being awakened and commanding a calme the ship comes safe to the Port. The fire raked vp close vnder the ashes though you neither see nor feele it yet so it is preserued till the morning to feede vpon new fewell A man in a deepe or dead sleepe may seeme dead but awakening hee feeles himselfe the more refreshed after his sounder sleepe So is faith It is a seede though but as a graine of mustard seede well may it lye hid for a time yet the while it is but fastning the root the more firmely to bring forth the better and more abundant fruite It is the sappe which in time of wintery persecutions and afflictions coucheth close to the heart roote but the sommer of Gods comforts returning it displayeth it selfe in leaues and fruits shewing plainly it was not dead though to our sense it seemed so It is the Sun inlightning the soule which though ecclipsed from our sense by some interposition of transitory temptation yet retaines his full light holding on his insensible course and when this nubecula pertransibit when
second grace and subtile equivocation of Merit of congruity and condignity This is Romes sophistry and the very Mystery of iniquity In the next place by their wills assenting vpon Gods moving of it they meane an assent of beleife of the truth revealed in the Scriptures namely a generall historicall faith as Sess. 6. chap. 6. And as * Soto plainly commenteth vpon it so And. Vega also For by the way it is to be observed that in that whole Session there is not once the least mention made of credere in Deum to beleeue in God which is the Act of true iustifiyng faith And therefore no maruaile if the Councel be not ashamed to confesse in the front and title of the 15 chap. and so in the chapter it selfe that by euery mortall sin the grace of iustification is lost but not faith So that their Romane Catholicke faith is one thing and their grace of iustification another Now summe vp all this together concerning this worke of God vpon mans freewill and the totall is That God doth no more but moue and stirre and call vpon the will not by that inward and effectuall calling according to his purpose but by an outward ordinary common calling which is no more but as a kinde of Monitor to the will Nor is God here said by this grace to giue faith but to stirre the will to an historicall assent of faith generally beleeuing the things reuealed to be true by their wills cooperation with their first grace which is no more any sauing grace then their faith occasioned by it any iustifying faith Thus wee see how the Church of Rome by her crafty mincing and malicious mangling of the grace of God in mans free iustification how by robbing from the worke of Gods grace to â—â—rich their Freewills co-worke she vtterly frustrateth Gods grace and euacuateth his glory making a meere mocke of both For doe but weigh these two together in the scales one against the other Gods grace and Mans freewill and the difference according to Romes vniust estimate will easily appeare Grace onely stirreth and moueth say they but the will is actiue and by its cooperation assenteth grace only calleth after a common and ordinary maner iust like the vniuersall grace but the will disposeth and prepareth it selfe grace is freely giuen onely in this respect by preuenting the will in stirring and mouing but not in iustifying the sinner but the wills selfe-disposition and preparation to iustification is a merit of congruity meriting the second grace to wit of iustification a farre greater grace I wis then the first grace the onely grace freely giuen of God So that Romes merit of congruity arising from her well disposed freewill is of more value and vertue then Gods free mercy for this giueth onely the first grace freely a sorry and slender grace but that meriteth a farre greater grace euen of iustification it selfe Here then euery man may easily judge of Romes egregious hypocrifie insolent sacriledge and false-fingering who while shee would seeme to giue the preeminence to Gods grace onely by colouring it ouer with the title of grace as of first grace and preuenting grace and the like in the meane time she aduanceth her owne freewill aboue the skies yea aboue grace aboue God and all Fulfilling that which Bernard saith It is high impiety to attribute to God that which is lesse and to our selues that which is more excellent Now if a man should neuer so much seeme to ascribe the praise of Sampsons Acts against the Philistims to Dalilah because she awakened and stirred him vp will any beleeue him It is against all reason The case here is alike betweene grace and freewill Freewill is a sleepe bound hand foote in the cordes of sinne but grace comes and awakenes it bids it arise whereupon the will begins Sampson-like to rowse it selfe to shake of the bands to prepare and dispose it selfe to the atchieument of some great worke Whither then deserueth greater praise grace awakening or freewill so brauely acting Though I confesse my shallow wits would neuer haue beene able to haue sounded the depth of this profound mystery to haue discerned a cleare difference betweene their first grace giuen of gratuity and their freewills merit of congruity but that they haue told vs plainly without equinocating that the second grace which they obtaine by their merit of congruity is of farre greater value then the first grace though bestowed of free gratuity But I feare I haue exceeded the bounds of my promise and purpose for breuity But pardon mee I haue ben in the perplexed Labyrinth of the Councell of Trent Now by that we haue said wee may see what reason any maÌ„ at leastwise so mighty lie protesting and professing himselfe to be no Papist as the Appealer doth hath so much to countenance yea to plead for the Councel of Trent in the point of freewill so as I dare say no Lawyer would doe in a case so corrupt not for the best fee though I know not what fee or feeling Maister Mountagu hath for playing Romes Proctor except it be his blind affection and some pale faced hope sith therein Rome hath laid the foundation of that her Babylonish fabrick of the mystery of iniquity and of all her meretricious merits So that I cannot see how such men can be excused from high impiety against God and euen joyning hands of fellowship with that most impious and blasphemous confederacy against the glory of God and the grace and truth of Iesus Christ. Babylonius Good words I pray you A man might speake as much for the Councell of Trent as you doe against it but for my part I will not vndertake that quarrell now I desire that you will show the true difference betweene the Councell of Trents Doctrine of freewill and that which you take to be the true Doctrine For is there any other Doctrine of freewill then that of the Church of England and of the Protestants which the Appealer makes all one with the Doctrine of the Councell of Trent Orthodoxus Sir for my words they are the words of truth and sobernesse For our Protestant Doctrine of free-will to be all one with the Councell of Trent God forbid it we deny it for Romes Doctrine to be all one with ours Rome forbids denyes and accurseth Nor doe I see how the Appealer will escape the Popes direfull excommunication for daring so to comment vpon the Trent Councell expressly forbidden by the Pope without speciall authority But I know not what speciall authority hee may haue from the Pope to doe this Nor can the Councell of Trent haue any other patronage then colourable pretence and sophisticall showes which are the best arguments the Appealer is able to bring for Trents Doctrine whereas the allegations against it feare no colours sith armed with truth it selfe But to satisfie your desire according to my weake capacitie I am not vnwilling As I noted before mans
free these miserable captiues out of that tyrant Pharaohs more then Aegyptian bondage Againe in the Acts of the Apostles where it is said that our hearts are purified by faith which some as Aquinas vnderstands of illuminating the vnderstanding by faith others of the purification of the soule and heart from sinne by faith as we are said also to be sanctified by faith that is in Christ. Now this faith is the first worke of Gods grace wrought in the heart that is in the whole soule in our first conuersion by which faith the vnderstanding is inlightned and with it the will and all the other faculties of the soule are sanctified For the heart in Scriptuee is taken oftentimes for the whole soule with all the faculties of it As Ephesians 1. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vulgar Latin renders it word for word Illuminatos oculis cordis vestri the eyes of your heart being illuminated that is the eyes of your vnderstanding And Math. 13. 15. Least they vnderstand with their heart So for â—â—e will Act. 7. 39. The Israelites in their hearts turned backe into Egypt that is in their wills So Acts 11. 23. Bernabas exhorts that with purpose of heart that is of will they would cleaue vnto the Lord. The heart is also taken for the memory as Luke 1. 66 All that heard laid vp those things in their hearts So Deut. 11. 18 Yee shall lay vp these my wordes in your hearts Sometime for the affections as loue feare and the like So Mat. 6. 21 Where your treasure is there will your heart be also your loue your ioy your hope yea and feare too And Psa. 62. 10 If riches increase set not your heart vpon them Thus wee vse to reduce all these streames of the soule to the heart as the prime fountaine as when we say an vnderstanding heart a wise heart a willing heart a valiant heart an humble heart a loving heart and the like Now the heart being taken for the soule and all the faculties of it and being the very seate and subiect wherein faith resides for with the heart man beleeveth to righteousnes and Christ dwelleth in our hearts by faith then the heart being purified being sanctified by faith consequently the whole soule with all the faculties the vnderstanding will memory affections are at the same instant with the heart purified and sanctified by faith as the first act and worke of Gods grace in vs. Hence it is euident that the prime worke of Gods grace in the conuersion of a sinner is not a slight and slender worke as a bare stirring mouing or helping of the will to prepare and dispose it selfe to receiue the grace of iustification but it is a mighty and powerfull worke so that thereby the stony heart harder and heauier then the hardest rocke or highest mountaine is remoued and a new heart a new vnderstanding a new will a new memory new affections all new in the qualities of them are put insteed thereof By this prime worke of grace that most excellent grace of faith is wrought in the heart whereby the whole man is sanctified Babylonius Sir by the way now you touch vpon a point which as I haue heard is much controuerted among Diuines namely about the subiect or seat of faith in what faculty or power of the soule it resideth some placeing it in the vnderstanding onely some in the will onely but few as you doe in the whole soule and euery power of it as the soule is said by the Philosopher to bee whole in the whole body and whole in euery part of it Orthodoxus And you giue a very pregnant example to illustrate this truth that faith doth so fill and quicken euery faculty of the soule as the soule doth the body And the comparison holds well for Saint Augustine calls faith the soule of the soule because it giues life to the whole soule as the soule to the whole body And the Scripture saith that wee liue by faith and faith by Christ as Gal. 2. 20. Indeede those of the Church of Rome are of different opinions in this point Dominicus Soto sets it downe as a definitiue decree of the Trent Councell It is decreed that the intellectuall power is the subiect or seat of saith And this suits well with Romes faith being historicall and so proper to the vnderstanding faculty Notwithstanding when they consider of the danger of placing faith in the vnderstanding least it should follow that therefore faith ought not to be an implicit and ignorant blind faith but a cleare and vnderstanding faith they fly to the will rather placing faith in that not for any good will but to suppresse the knowledge of faith which Romes Owle-eyed religion cannot brooke And therefore Bellarmine would haue faith to be defined rather from ignorance then from knowledge and so shuts it out of the vnderstanding and shuffels it into some blinde corner of the will But see the mischiefe of it while they would auoid the gulfe they fall vpon the rocke For if they place faith in the will they must of necessity allow it one speciall property of sauing faith namely assiance and considence in Gods promises in Christ a thing most hatefull to the Church of Rome therefore in conclusion of two euills chusing the lesse that they may rather exclude confidence from faith then science sith they can noe otherwise chuse they rather pitch vpon the vnderstanding then the will wherein to place their faith So that by their good wills they could be content for the auoiding of the inconueniences of an illuminate and confident faith to croud it into some corner of the inferiour part of the soule But for sure worke they haue taken a safer course by excluding and banishing not onely from the soule or any faculty of it but out of the verge and lists of their Romane Catholicke Church and that with a direfull Anathema the true sauing and iustifying faith But whereas you say few Diuines place faith in the whole soule and in euery power of it they are neither few nor those of small authoritie The prouinciall Councell of Colen which was a little before the Councell of Trent although charged by Andreas Vega to speake too broad and too Protestant-like in the point of faith and iustification by imputation saith that true iustifying faith is seated not onely in the vnderstanding but also in the will The learned and ingenious Cardinall Contarenus about the same time writing of iustification saith that the first act or motion of faith begins at the will which obeying God and faith causeth the vnderstanding to assent to the things deliuered of God without doubting and so to trust in Gods promises and of them to conceiue a firme affiance which pertaines to the will and that this faith as it were in a circle begins at the will and ends in the will So that he confineth not faith to the