leauing to the Pontificians let vs now come to pitch the certainty of saluation vpon the vnmoueable Rocke of the holy Scriptures Now for the Catholicke doctrine of the certainty of iustification we affirme against all Pontificians That this certainty is no probable coniecture no generall hope no plausible opinion no deceiâ—eable perswasion no vaine and hereticall presumption no speciall reuelation no peculiar donation to this or that Saint but that this certainety is the natiue and inbred propertie of a true iustifying Faith a perswasion that cannot be deceiued common to euery true beleeuer though after a different degree and measure in some greater in some lesser in some stronger in some weaker according to the measure of Faith and the mixture and allay of humane frailty fighting one against another in euery regenerate man as Iacob and Esau in the same wombe shaken with temptations not subdued sustaining long fight but euer at length victorious and when at the weakest yet it is certaine beleeuing though with vnbeliefe against hope beleeuing in hope aboue hope vnder hope For the confirmation of this truth we call the two Testaments to witnesse The Hebrewes haue three speciall wordâ— whereby they expresse the nature of true iustifying Faith as touching the certainety of it One is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Emun which signifieth Faith the roote whereof is Aman which signifieth to nourish to which Dauid alludes Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord and doe good so shalt thou dwell in the Land 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and thou shalt be fed by Faith word for word as Tremelius renders it And in the â—ixt of Iohns Gospell the Lord ioyneth beleeuing on him and feeding on him together as both one As St. Augustine saith Crede manducastâ— Beleeue and thou hast eaten Now this word which the Hebrewes vse for faith signifieth also truth or that which is firme stable or settled And what can bee more firme or certaine than truth The Prophet Esay hath a very elegant exposition of this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If ye beleeue not ye shall not be established To beleeue and to bee established both comming of the same roote in the originall Hence also comes the word Amen vsed in all languages which is a note of beleeuing and assenting to the truth and as it were sealing it vnto vs. And the Apostle vseth it for a note of certainty 2 Cor. 1. 30. For all the promises of God in Christ are Yea and in him Amen c. that is Most true and certaine Faith therefore is no doubtfull coniecture or wauering hope but a most certaine beleefe firme as truth it selfe Another word vsed by the Hebrewes for Faith is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betaâ—h which signifieth trust security confidence and affiance This word is vsed by Esay notably to set forth the confidence and securitie of Gods Saints as Esay 32. 17 where speaking of the full reuelation of the Gospell in the comming of Christ in the flesh hee saith Then the worke of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and assurance or securitie for euer as the vulgar Latine renders it Note here that the effect of the righteousnesse of Gods Saints is assurance and security in beleeuing The third word vsed in the Old Testament for beleeuing is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chassah which signifieth so to beleeue trust or confide in God as to make him our sure sanctuary and resting place vnder whose protection the Beleeuer is safe and secure as the Chicken vnder the wing of the Hen as we reade this word vsed in Ruth 2. 12. they are the words of Boaz to Ruth The Lord recompence thy worke and a full reward be giuen thee of the Lord God of Israel vnder whose wings thou art come to trust And Dauid vseth the same word in the same phrase of speech Psal. 36 7. How excellent is thy louing kindnesse O God! thâ—refore the childen of men put their trust vnder the shadow of thy wings As the Lord vseth the same comparison to the vnbeleeuing Iewes How often would I haue gathered you together as the Hâ—â— gathereth her Chickens vnder her wings and yee would not Thus we see the true nature of Faith as it is expressed by significant words in the Old Testament all of them setting forth the certainty and assurance of Faith in God So that the certainty which beleeuers haue of their iustification is not by any extraordinary reuelation bestowed vpon this or that Saint in particular but it is of the very essence nature of iustifying Faith it selfe and therefore in whomsoeuer this faith is there also is the certainty of Faith securely reposing it self in the bosome of Gods mercy and vnder the wings of his holy protection Come we to the new Testament where let vs begin with that excellent description which the Apostle makes of sauing and iustifying faith peculiar to the Saints of God of whom he setteth downe an ample Catalogue in the 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes Faith saith he vers 1. is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene The Greeke Text is very emphaticall and significant First therefore to acquit this faith from being that which the Pontificians would haue to be to wit a meere Historicall faith common with Reprobates and Deuils the Apostle shewes the obiect of it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things hoped for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 things not seene such as the Apostle meaneth 1. Cor. 2. 9 the things which the eye hath not seene which God hath prepared for them that loue him which fall not within the reach of that faith that is common to the wicked who are altogether hopelesse and loue not the Lord Iesus Christ. Therefore the faith here described by the Apostle is the faith of Gods elect alone who onely haue the hope of eternall life Secondly this faith is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the substance as also the vulgar Latine hath it or subsistence of things hoped for that is Faith makes those things that are hoped for to be so sure and certaine as if they were already in our possession Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much as an vnder-proppe or basis supporting and sustaining vs with constant patience in the assured expectation of those things hoped for as yet vnseene So that it signifieth a most stefast vnmoueablenesse of faith As 1. Cor. 15. 58. It is called also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an euidence demonstration or argument as the vulgar Latine of things not seene Now what is more sure and certaine than an euidence or plaine demonstration Whereupon St. Chrysostome vpon these words saith O what an admirable word he vseth saying the argument of things not seene for an argument or demonstration is in things most manifest Therefore faith is a vision of things not appearing and it brings vs to the same certainty to
if regeneration bee but begun then there is a childe of God at least newly conceiued if not newly borne and brought forth Such conception is a false conception of winde not of Gods spirit but of mans spirit so that if such proue all abortiues and dead borne it is no maruaile But the sons of God we cannot be till we be in Christ which is till we beleeue in Christ as Gal. 3. 26. Ye are all the children of God by faith in Iesus Christ therefore before this faith in Iesus Christ we are not the children of God no not so much as the Embrio in the first conception But the new creature must bee in Christ Iesus as the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 15. So when Christ himselfe speakes of regeneration to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. instructing him therein how it is begun in a man hee tels him in the continuation of his speech that this appertaines to those that beleeue in the son of man vers 15. and vers 16. For a man to be regenerate or made the son of God by adoption he must be in the son of God by beleeuing in him Where Christ also opposing faith to vnbeliefe saith those are condemned already that beleeue not hauing no part in the regeneration therefore before faith in Christ no regeneration at all no cleansing no sanctification but all condemnation Againe Christ is made vnto vs sanctification 1. Cor. 1. 30. vnto vs in him Of him are ye in Christ Iesus therefore while out of Christ no sanctification So the adoption of children is by Iesus Christ Ioh. 1. 5. therefore no sons no regeneration but in Iesus Christ. Likewise Ioh. 15. 2. Euery branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away So vers 4. As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in mee For without me yee can doe nothing Therefore while a man is out of Christ vntill by faith he be ingrafted into Christ the true Vine from whom hee receiueth the liuely sappe of a new life hee can doe nothing nothing that is good nothing that is acceptable to God no worke of new obedience or sanctification But some may say Regeneration is wrought by the Spirit of God in vs and so may be before faith in Christ and consequently before we come to be actually in Christ. To which I answer True it is that the Holy Ghost is the immediate efficient cause of our regeneration But how doth he worke regeneration in vs namely by working in vs faith in Christ which faith is the very immediate instrument whereby the Holy Ghost doth regenerate sanctifie and cleanse vs sith the Holy Ghost by this faith ingrafteth and vniteth vs into Christ in whom we are regenerate and made the sonnes of God Now that faith is the instrument of our regeneration and sanctification it is euident Acts 15. 9. 26. 18. So that the very first and prime act of Gods sanctifying spirit in vs is to worke faith in vs by which faith in Christ as by a noble instrument the Holy Ghost vniting vs to Christ as members to the head doth regenerate vs and so makes vs the adopted sons of God And before faith in Christ we cannot say wee haue Gods sanctifying spirit in vs I say in regard of prioritie of time For this sanctifying spirit in the same moment that he sanctifies vs he workes faith in Christ in vs by which he regenerates and sanctifies vs. But they re-ioyne by a distinction and say that this repentance which prepares the way to faith and layes the foundation of regeneration is not acceptable to saluation but only to fit prepare vs thereunto and to make vs the more capable of it In this distinction they do much please themselues but they confound themselues in their distinction For they affirme againe that this precedent repentance of theirs is regeneration and sanctification and newnesse of life inchoatiue begun at least in part A bold assertion Is it regeneration begun and in part and being acceptable is it not acceptable to saluation Is not regeneration a worke of our saluation And though regeneration should be begun in this repentance in neuer so small a degree a worke it is of our saluation if it bee true regeneration Logicians know that Magis minus non variant speciem A man in the first conception is a man though imperfect and inchoatiue But they reply again That they do not say this preuious repentance is acceptable to saluation of itself but as i◠hath relation to faith cōming after whereby it becomes acceptable A pretty shift And yet they say again That repentance goeth before faith not in the precedency of time but in nature only in the order of causes Now if this repētance go before faith in the order of causes then repentance must cause faith so this absurdity wil follow That the effect must giue a form being at least a well being vnto the cause if so be faith the effect consequent of repētance as they say make the same acceptable But how doe they proue that this their repentance goes before faith in Christ in nature and in the order of causes They proue it out of Matth. 21. 32. where Christ taxing the infidelity of the Pharisees wherein they came behinde the very Publicans saith Iohn came to you in the way of righteousnesse and ye beleeued him not but the Publicans and the Harlots beleeued him and ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might beleeue him Hence they conclude That repentance must goe before faith as the cause of it alledging Christs words thus Ye repented not that ye might beleeue But leauing out him That ye might beleeue Him to wit Iohn Baptist as it is in the text which implieth what kinde of faith Christ there meaneth to wit an assent to the truth of Iohns doctrine The place thereby comes to bee preuerted For Credere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei is the faith of assent but Credere in eum that is in Christum is the iustifying faith So that by that place alledged if repentance goeth before faith in the order of causes then certainly that repentance is the cause of no other faith but the faith of assent there spoken of which is not all one faith with the iustifying faith But they which affirme thus yet confess that repentance doth not go before the faith of assent which they terme also the Euangelical faith but that its an effect consequent therof And here by the way I might take iust occasion to shew the absurdity of those that distinguish betweene Euangelicall faith and the faith of Christ as if Euangelicall faith were onely a generall assent to the truth of the Gospell whereas a generall assent and Euangelicall faith are as different as this and the faith of Christ are all one for Euangelicall faith looketh vpon the Gospell not onely as
a true history but as the mysterie of God in Christ it embraceth it as the Gospell preaching Christ the Sauiour yea preaching Christ to euery beleeuer of this Gospell in particular As Luk. 2. 10. 11. The Angels said to the Shepheards Feare not for behold I bring You good tidings of great ioy that shall be to all people For vnto You is born this day in the City of Dauid a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Note here is the Gospel preached to who I bring You good tidings And what is the tidings To you is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. Here we haue an exact summe of the Gospell which is Christ the Sauiour borne to vs. Now to beleeue this Gospell is an Euangelicall faith but such as cannot diuide betweene the Gospell Christ and such also as must needes apprehend and applie Christ by beleeuing in him For To You is borne this day a Sauiour which is Christ the Lord. To You this is a necessary relatiue part of the Gospell for Euangelium or good tidings imply not onely the party sending but also the party or parties to whom it is sent So that the faith of the Gospell must so beleeue the truth of the Gospell as that it leaue out no part of it But one part of it is that this Gospell is sent to You that is to all beleeuers For as much as the Gospell containeth the couenant of grace betweene God and vs God and man being the parties interessed in this Couenant mutually in Christ the Mediator Therefore the Euangelicall faith is not a bare generall assent to the truth of the Gospell but a particular affiance in Christ the summe of the Gospell and so it apprehendeth and applieth this good tidings which is to beleeue the Gospell indeed For that generall faith which they call an assent when it goes no further it makes no difference betweene the Gospell and the Law and other parts of the word of God but beleeueth them all indifferently as a true history when it is called an historicall faith But when faith comes to put a difference pitching vpon the speciall obiect the Gospell and so this faith becomes an Euangelical faith then it is so the faith of the Gospell as it is also necessarily the speciall faith of Christ whom it apprehendeth layeth hold vpon vnlesse a man can so diuide between Christ the Gospel as the Gospel may be Gospel without Christ or so diuide the Gospell from it self as that we may beleeue it to be good tidings not to vs in particular Whereas the beliefe of the Gospell consists in the apprehending and certain applying of the good tidings therof vnto vs To You is born this day a Sauiour to You is this word of saluation sent This is the Gospell and this is to beleeue the Gospell by applying it to vs to whom it is sent If we do not beleeue it sent to vs we do not beleeue the Gospell for it is so far a Gospell or good tidings to vs as we beleeue it to be sent to vs in particular Nor is this faith of the Gospell a certain or rather vncertaine swimming in the brain that perhaps or probably or possibly God may be merciful vnto vs in Christ A doctrine bred of the spawne of Trent This is a wandring imagination hatched in mans braine hauing no ground of truth or agreement with the faith of the Gospell Thus we see if Euangelicall faith be none other but the faith of Christ and in Christ as we haue sufficiently proued then it followeth that the distinction betweene Euangelicall faith and faith in Christ being vnsound and groundlesse the whole doctrine of the precedency of repentance before faith in Christ as a necessary and acceptable preparatiue thereunto doth euen mole sua of it selfe fall to the ground For the authors of such a doctrine must needes confesse if they will be guided by reason that there is no repentance but faith must goe before it for to cause it as either Legall faith must go before it to cause Legall repentance or Euangelical faith must go before to cause Euangelicall repentance Now if there be no Euangelicall faith to goe before and cause Euangelicall repentance but the faith of Christ then in vaine is any repentance deuised to goe before and cause faith in Christ. This Eagle-eyed faith of Christ hath no sooner glanced vpon the Sun of Righteousnesse but instantly by the force thereof a dreery cloud being raised causeth a gracious but sad shower of repentance to descend from those windowes and floud-gates of the now heauenly Soule to refresh the poore sinner now hungring and thirsting after the liuing waters They say also that the faith to wit Euangelicall faith which is the cause of their Repentance going before and causing the faith of Christ is a generall assent or a generall faith of the truth of the Gospell But how can this generall assent beget in mee a particular Repentance vnlesse with this assent I haue also a particular affiance in the promise of the Gospell of Christ applying it to my self The Gospell saith To you is borne a Sauiour Christ the Lord. I beleeue this to be true But how shall this beliefe moue me to Repentance vnlesse I beleeue that this Sauiour is borne to me in particular Ahab had not so easily repented if Gods iudgements being layd neuer so close to him hee had not beleeued the truth of them in particular towards himselfe So the Nineuites For particular Repentance in euery man must arise from a particular apprehension and application of the Word of God towards himselfe As for their reasons forcing Repentance to goe before Faith in Christ they are very poor and beggarly as that otherwise it leades me to presumption A very friuolous and false surmise For sauing Faith doth no sooner lay hold on Christ with the one hand but withall it layeth the other hand vpon the sinner the subiect wherein it is arraigning him at Gods Tribunall iudging condemning him for that sinner whom Christ came to saue Faith doth no sooner looke on Christ with the right eye but it presently reflects on the sinner with the left eye The reason is because it is impossible I should beleeue Christ to be my Sauiour but withall I must beleeue and acknowledge my selfe to bee the sinner which I cannot truely do but it will necessarily breed in mee that Repentance to saluation not to bee repented of For a Sauiour and a wretched sinner are relatiues which not euen the thought of man can diuide or sunder one from another And so here their reason why such Repentance must needes goe before faith is found faultie which is say they because if Repentance went not before faith in Christ then faith in Christ would proue to be presumption Therefore we haue shewed that in true faith in Christ there is alwaies true Repentance as the prime and immediate fruite of Faith So that rather the
must it bee inherent In vs No but in iustification which is the subiect of this inherent formall cause For if inherent grace bee the formall cause of iustification then by way of relation iustification is the subiect of inherent grace For wee speake here of the formall cause of iustification not of the formall cause of man as if hee were the subiect wherein iustification is a quality inherent But to answer their mis-applyed philosophicall diuinity The forme of a thing is not alwayes a quality inherent as in the subiect where it is but sometimes it is onely inherent and extrinsicall by way of relation As that I am the sonne of such a man the formall cause hereof is not inherent in me but it is originally and relatiuely from my father that begate mee giuing a being to my sonship respectiuely to him So a man set at liberty by the fauour and meanes of another the very forme of his freedome was the others act in freeing of him not inhering in him that is freed but rather adhering vnto him Yea the Pontificians themselues confesse and Vega for one that the formall cause of mans redemption is a thing extrinsicall to wit the oblation of Christ on the Crosse and that the free fauour of God for the merit of Christ is the formall cause of remission of sinnes If therefore the forme of our redemption and remission of sinnes is not within vs but without vs why not as well the forme of our iustification the cause whereof is Christs redemption and the effect of it remission of sinnes In a word it is not with a forme as with an accident the being of an accident is the in-being of it Not so of a forme where being or modus essendi consists not necessarily in the inhering in the subiect whose formall cause it is but it may as well be extrinsicall by conferring a vertue and power whereby the Causatum receiueth the formality of its being But to leaue Philosophy and return to Diuinity it is yet in question whether the matter of this iustification be within vs or rather without vs. The Romane-Catholicke faith teacheth that it is within vs but the Catholicke faith concludeth that the formall cause of our iustification is without vs not within vs. This is that Catholicke doctrine which the Scriptures teach when they ascribe our iustification to faith apprehending that which is without vs where by apprehending is not meant a bare vnderstanding or knowing as Soto in the name of his Romane-Catholickes would haue it but it is also a laying hold vpon and applying of the thing beleeued We haue shewed afore how the Pontificians take the word Imputation namely for a participation of Christs righteousnesse so farre forth as thereby some other righteousnesse being merited is infused into vs and inherent in vs. But the true Catholickes hold otherwise that imputation is of a thing without vs being apprehended and applied by faith So that the thing imputed is that which is by faith apprehended As it is said of Abraham that hee beleeued God and his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse Rom. 4. 3. Now the obiect of Abrahams faith was God yea God promising in regard of which obiect Abrahams faith is imputed to him for righteousnesse Not the act of Abrahams faith being but an instrument but the obiect of it is imputed As we may say we are iustified by the act of faith relatiuely to the obiect Christ not for the act of it Abraham beleeued God and his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse But how is this sufficient to iustifie a man to beleeue God or the promise of God that it should be said to be imputed to man for righteousnesse I answer To beleeue Gods promise is to haue an eye of faith vpon Christ who is the substance of all Gods promises and in whom all the promises of God are Yea and Amen 2. Cor. â— 20. So that God in Christ is the obiect of faith imputed to the beleeuer for righteousnesse But here an obiection crosseth my way cast in by the aduersary of the truth Vega who saith Dixi c. I said that this faith of the Mediator is that to which for the most part and chiefely the Scriptures doe attribute our iustification yet we beleeue also saith he that faith taken generally as it relieth vpon diuine truth may also iustifie a man Nor are wee in that errour wherein some are to thinke that the onely faith of iustification promised or of saluation in Christ doth iustifie vs or is imputed vnto vs for righteousnesse For saith he Noahs faith of the future deluge as Paul witnesseth was imputed to him for righteousnesse and he was appointed the heire of righteousnesse which is by faith in that he beleeued God fore-telling the floud and a hundred yeares before it came began to build the Arke for the safety of his house And to Abraham also as the history of Genesis plainely teacheth it was imputed for righteousnesse because hee beleeued that his posterity should bee multiplied as the starres of heauen So that hence hee concludes that not onely to faith in Gods promisâ—â— in Christ is righteousnesse imputed but to faith in generall beleeuing Gods truth such as is not in the compasse of Gods promises in Christ but either speculatiue precepts or morall doctrines or other Propheticall predictions or historicall relations So that by the Pontifician doctrine other faith besides that in Gods promises in Christ may be imputed to a man for righteousnesse As Noahs faith in building the Arke against the floud and Abrahams faith in beleeuing Gods promise concerning the multiplication of his seed I answer that no faith is or can bee imputed to a man for righteousnesse but that which hath respect vnto Christ and the promises of God in him But Noahs faith in preparing the Arke to saue himselfe and his family from the floud was imputed to him for righteousnesse True this confirmeth the Catholicke doctrine of the imputation of faith as it lookes vpon Christ for what was the Arke but a Sacramentall type of Christ as Augustine saith Christus figuratus est in Noe in illa Arca orbis terrarum Quare enim in Arca inclusa sunt omnia animalia nisi vt significarentur omnes gentes Christ is figured in Noe and in that Arke of the whole world for why in that Arke were included all creatures but that all Nations should be signified by them And there hee applies that promise to Abraham Gen. 22. 18. In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed And for Abrahams faith in Gods promise what seed of Abraham was this in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed Was it not Christ Yes Christ so saith Augustine in the forenamed place Christus in â—a prophetia occultus erat in quo benedicuntur omnes gentes Christ saith he was hid in that prophesie in whom all the Nations are
blessed But the Apostle or rather the holy Ghost by the Apostle is the best interpreter of that prophecie Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made Hee saith not and to seeds as of many but as of one And to thy seed which is Christ. And this was that promise of God which Abraham beleeuing his faith was counted to him for righteousnesse as it is there in the sixt verse euen as Abraham beleeued God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Therefore Vega's diuinitie hath very much failed him in propounding these two examples of Noah and Abraham to proue the iustification of his generall Faith whereas we plainely see both these Patriarches faith had speciall and principall reference and respect to Christ Iesus And therefore their faith was reckoned to them for righteousnesse For the other examples which Vega there addeth in generall out of the eleuenth to the Hebrewes they are all of the same nature and all confirme this infallible and vndeniable truth That the promises of God in Christ and Christ alone with all his righteousnesse is the obiect of that Faith which is reckoned to Abraham to Noah and to euery beleeuer for righteousnesse Here then comes in the true formall cause of our iustification namely Christ himselfe with all his righteousnesse which being apprehended by faith it is imputed vnto vs for righteousnesse This is it that giues a true being to iustification Iustification therefore consists in the imputation of Christ and his righteousnesse comprehending also all the promises of God in him apprehended by faith Now concerning this Catholicke doctrine of imputation of Christs righteousnesse by faith the Scriptures are very pregnant in the proofe of it This Gospell hath testimonie before the Law in the Law and in the Prophets and is confirmed by Christ and his Apostles Before the Law to omit other examples wee haue two famous ones that of Noah and Abraham of whom wee spake euen now who are layd downe for exemplary patterns yea and liuely types to all beleeuers Noah before the floud and Abraham after the floud and before the Law which St. Paul doth especially note to put a difference betweene faith and the workes of the Law in the point of iustification In the Law also we haue two principall types liuely shadowing this doctrine of imputation The first we finde in Leuiticus 1. 4. And hee shall put his hand vpon the head of his burnt-offering and it shall bee accepted for him to make attonement for him The burnt offering waâ— a figure of Christ sacrificed for vs vpon the crosse the man that brings this burnt-offering is a type of euery true beleeuer and the hand which hee putteth on the head of the sacrifice is faith laying hold on Christ and as it were owning him for our proper sacrifice which God accepteth to bee an attonement for vs a sacrifice of a sweet sauour vnto the Lord. The Apostle applies this sacrifice with the fruits of it to Christ Rom. 5. 11. Wee reioycein God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom we haue receiued the attonement Also Ephes. 5. 2. Walke in loue as Christ also hath loued vs and giuen himselfe for vs an offering and a sacrifice to God of a sweete smelling sauour Christ is then this burnt-offering our attonement with God and an offering of a sweete sauour vnto the Lord. Now the instrument or hand whereby Christ is apprehended and applyed to euery true Beleeuer is Faith It was the hand of Faith which the diseased woman in the Gospell touched Christ her Sauour with and fetched vertue out of him To whom the Lord said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole goe in peace This the Apostle doth also liuely setout Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to wit Iesus Christ to be apropitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse for the Remission of sinnes that are past through the forbearance of God to declare at this time his righteousnesse that hee might be iust and a iustifier of him that beleeueth in Iesus How fully doth the Apostle parallel and compare this truth with that type A second type of our righteousnesse or iustification by imputation of Christ vnto the beleeuer in the time of the Law is set downe Num. 21. 8. 9. The Lord said vnto Moses make thee a fiery serpent and set it vpon a pole and it shall come to passe that euery one that is bitten when he looketh vpon it shall liue and Moses did so and the serpent-bitten-man looked and liued The brazen Serpent was a type of Christ the serpent-bitten-man is euery sinner whom that old serpent hath already stung with sinne as he did our first Parents The looking on the brazen serpent so lifted vp vpon a pole is the faith of the beleeuer beholding Christ lifted vp vpon his Crosse. This Christ Iesus himselfe applyeth Ioh. 3. 14. 15. As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse euen so must the sonne of man be lifted vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue eternall life A most sweet collation of the truth with the type shewing that as faith is the hand of the soule laying hold vpon the bloudy sacrifice of Christ for our atonement with God so faith is also the eye of the soule so to looke vpon Christ crucified as to bee thereby cured of all the deadly wounds of sin and so to liue eternally The Prophets also are full of testimonies to confirme this doctrine of iustification by imputation Esa. 53. 4. Surely hee hath borne our grieses and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteeme him stricken smitten of God and afflicted as if hee had beene a malefactor But hee was wounded for our transgressions hee was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and with his stripes are wee healed All wee like sheepe haue gone astray we haue turned euery one to his owne way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of vs all And vers 8. he was cut off out of the land of the liuing for the transgression of my people was he stricken Though he had done no violence neither was any deceipt in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to griefe when thou shalt make his soule an offering for sinnes he shall see his seede c. Here wee see most liuely set downe a mutuall imputation of our iniquities vnto Christ and of his merits vnto vs. And then the Prophet vers 11. sheweth by what meane or instrument this righteousnesse of Christs obedience is imputed to vs By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many for hee shall beare their iniquities By his knowledge or by the knowledge of himselfe that is by faith in him knowing and acknowledging seeing and beholding him with the eye of faith to bee that Lambe of God before the shearer taking away our sinnes for hee
wilt say then the branches were broken off that I might bee graffed in Well because of their vnbeleefe they were broken off and thou standest by faith And againe ver 23. If the Iewes abide not still in vnbeleefe they shall bee graffed into the true Oliffe tree that is into Christ againe If they abide not still in vnbeleefe implying if they beleeue they shall be re-ingraffed so that faith is the instrumentall meane of our ingraffing into Christ of our vniting with him Whereupon Augustine saith Quam insertionem Oleastri amputatis propter infidelitatis superbiam naturalibus ramis etiam ipse Dominus in Euangelio praedixit occasione illius Centurionis qui in eum ex Gentibus credidit significans inseri Oleastrum propter humilitatem fidei Which ingraffing of the wilde Oliffe the naturall branches for their proud infidelity being cut off the Lord himselfe foretold in the Gospell by occasion of that Centurion who of the Gentiles beleeued in him signifying the implanting of the wilde Oliffe for his humble faith Thus we see vpon what ample proofes and testimonies this truth standeth that by faith wee are vnited vnto Christ. Now because our vnion with Christ is a doctrine of singular vse setting forth the nature and excellency of our Iustification by Christ and wherein we put on and possesse Christ our righteousnesse therefore wee esteeme it fit to bee treated of in an intire Chapter by it selfe CHAP. VIII Of the nature and kinde of the vnion betweene Christ and the faithfull and of the fruits and effects arising from the same VNion is a making of many into one Now there are sundry kindes of vnion there is a consubstantiall vnion as Bernard cals it in the diuinity but this so transcendent as it may be called rather vnity than vnion and rather one than vnity The Father the Word and the Spirit these three are one 1. Ioh. 5. 7. and Christ saith I and the Father are one not wnited but one Ioh. 10. 30. So that this vnion in the diuinity this vnity this one hath no parallel As Bernard saith speaking of some other vnions Haec omnia quid ad illud summum atque vt ita dicam vnicè vnum vbi vnitatem consubstantialitas facit All other vnions what are they to that one supreame and as I may so say that onely one where consubstantiality makes the vnity And super Cantica serm 71. Singularis ac summa illa est vnitas quae non vnitione constat sed extat aeternitate That is the most singular and excellent vnity which consists not by vnition but existeth by eternity There is also a personall vnion and that is of the two natures in Christ which Bernard cals dignatiua vnitas qua limus noster à Dei verbo â—â—vnam assumptus est personam a vouchsafing or gracious vnity whereby the word of God vouchsafed to assume our slimie nature into the vnity of his person There is a Sacramentall vnion between the signe and the thing signified in the Sacraments There is a naturall or animall vnion of the soule and body in man There is an accidentall vnion betweene the mind and learning found in a learned man There is an artificiall vnion betweene the hand and the instrument as when the work is predicated of or denominated of them both ioyntly as a carued worke implies both the hand and toole wherewith it was wrought There is a morall vnion between two friends as Dauid and Ionathan There is a ciuill vnion between the Prince and the People There is an vnion of dependency betweene the Creature and the Creator for in him wee liue and moue and haue our being Acts 17. 28. Finally to passe by others there is a spirituall and mysticall vnion betweene Christ and beleeuers which is called spirituall especially from the principall efficient of it the Spirit of God and of Christ as the Apostle declareth 1. Cor. 12. 13. By one spirit are we all baptized into one mysticall body of Christ. Now this spirituall vnion between Christ the beleeuer as it comes short of that first transcendent vnion in the sacred Trinity in vnity so it doth as farre excell all those other vnions yet so as it seemeth to partake in some thing of them all For first concerning that stupendious and wondrous vnion in the diuine Hypostaces or Persons our vnion with Christ is resembled to it as Ioh. 17. 20. 21. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on mee through their word that they may all be one as thou Father art in mee and I in thee that they also may be one in vs. And Ioh. 14. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in the Father and you in mee and I in you Yea Christ and his beleeuers are so vnited in one in one mysticall body as Christ and they are called one Christ 1. Cor. 14. 12. So is Christ that is Christ and all his members being there compared to one body compacted of many members So is Christ saith the Apostle So then as the Father is in the Sonne and the Sonne in the Father one God so beleeuers are in Christ and Christ in beleeuers one Christ. So that the vnion betweene the Father and the Sonne and betweene Christ and vs seemeth to be alike It is somewhat like indeede but nothing alike for the Father and Christ are one so is Christ and the beleeuer one but yet in different respects The Father and the Sonne are one but essentially and naturally Christ and the beleeuer are one not essentially nor naturally but are made so by grace as Ioh. 17. 23. That they may be made perfect in one So 2. Pet. 1. 4. We are made partakers of the diuine nature by gift And as Bernard saith Hanc vnitatem non tam essentiarum cohaerentia facit quam continentia voluntatum This vnity is wrought not so much by the coherency of essences as by the correspondency and nearenesse of wils And againe Homini Deo sua cuique natura substantia est cum Patris Filijque constet penituâ— esse vnam In the vnion betweene God and man each of them notwithstanding retaine their nature and substance proper to themselues buâ— the Father and the Sonne haue both one and the same substance So that in our vnity with God in Christ there is not confusio naturarum sed voluntatum consensio not a confusion of natures but a consent of wils Secondly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not an hypostaticall or personall vnion such as is betweene the two natures in Christ but it is mysticall onely and such as maketh the beleeuer in Christ to be with him one Christ yet not personally but spiritually mystically as 1. Cor. 6. 17. He that is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirit Thirdly this vnion betweene Christ and the beleeuer is not that Sacramentall vnion between the signe and the thing signified sith the signe
There is one faith of all which hath one particle that a very small one concerning the promises Alas what a poore diminution is here Particula non pars is not this diminitiue enough but hee must put small yea perexigua very small vnto it and so leaue a very small not part but diminitiue particle for faith in the promises of God But Romane-Catholikes must bee content with this poore pittance of faith no otherwise beleeuing Gods promises but as other Histories reuealed in the Word as the Councell of Trent teacheth in her sixt Session and sixt Chapter But else she makes no mention at all of beleeuing in the promises of God and by faith applying them to our owne soules No the Church of Rome is of another spirit she wants that can did ingenuity to acknowledge this gracious mysterie of Christ and of the Gospell So that these Pontifician Romane-Catholickes place onely the truth of God and well too if they ioyned not their owne lying traditions as the generall obiect of faith namely as a true History to be beleeued As Soto commenting vpon the forenamed place of the Councell saith Ratio Christianis credendi est summa infallibilisque Dei veritas haec autem eadem perlucet in reuelatis omnibus siue ad Historiam pertineant siue ad Promissiones The reason inducing Christians to beleeue is the soueraigne and infallible truth of God and this same sâ—ineth in all those things that are reuealed whether they pertaine to the History or to the Promises But how doth he vnderstand the faith of these promises Sanè quas credimus saith hee non solum verè esse factas sed esse firmissimas quantum ex parte Dei nisi nos renitamur which promises indeed we beleeue that not only they were truely made but are most firme as touching Gods part vnlesse we resist But as for speciall Faith in beleeuing and applying the promises of God quòd non pertineat that it appertains not to Catholick Faith saith Soto is most easie to demonstrate Fides enim Catholica ex sola diuina assertione vel promissione pendet quod autem quisque aptus sit idoneus promisso beneficio suscipiendo ex humano sensu cooperatione etiam pendâ—t For saith he the Catholick Faith depends vpon Gods onely affirmation or promise but that any man may be apt or fit to receiue the benefit promised doth depend vpon the sense and also the cooperation of man And so he concludes Ergo huius Fides non est Catholica therefore this mans Faith is not Catholicke So that by Romane-Catholicke Doctrine a speciall Faith in the promises of God in Christ is not the Catholicke Faith for by Catholicke Faith they vnderstand a generall Faith such as is the Catholicke Faith of all Romane-Catholickes And hence it is also that they place Faith onely in the vnderstanding as assenting vnto the truth of God in his Word and not in the will in applying and apprehending the goodnesse and grace of God reuealed in the Word Now to cleare the truth in this point The Catholick Faith is so called not in respect of the generality of it as if iustifying Faith were onely a generall Faith or because the generall obiect of it is whatsoeuer is reuealed in the Word as a Historie but because the true Catholicke Faith is the Faith of all the Elect of all times to the end of the world and because this Faith comprehends all Faith in it For the true Catholicke Faith doth both credere Deum beleeue that God is and credere Deo beleeue that whatsoeuer is contained in the holy Word of God written is true and also credere in Deum beleeue in God that is in especiall beleeue the promises of God in Christ reuealed in the Gospell that they are not onely true in respect of God who promiseth but that they doe belong to euery beleeuer in Christ in particular As Saint Iohn saith speaking of the blessed estate of Gods children both here in that they are now the Sonnes of God and hereafter in the perfect vision of God Euery man that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure The Apostle Paul setting forth the nature of iustifying Faith in the example of faithfull Abraham hee bounds it mainely vpon the promise of God in Christ as the speciall obiect of Faith As Rom. 4. 13. The promise that Abraham should be the heire of the world was not to him or to his seede through the Law but through the righteousnesse of Faith for if they which are of the Law bee heires Faith is made voide and the promise made of none effect Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that onely which is of the Law but to that also which is of the Faith of Abraham who is the father of vs all And vers 20. Hee staggered not at the promise of God through vnbeliefe but was strong in Faith giuing glory to God So wee see that the promise of God is the speciall obiect of iustifying Faith And hence it is that all true beleeuers who are the children of Abraham are called the children of the Promise Rom. 9. 8. They which are the children of the flesh these are not the children of God but the children of the Promise are counted for the seed heires of the Promise Heb. 6. 17. Yea the promises of God in Christ are the very sum of the Gospel as the Apostle declareth very amply in the third Chapter to the Galathians As vers 8. The Scripture foreseeing that God would iustifie the Heathen through faith preached before the Gospell vnto Abraham saying In thee shall all Nations be blessed So we see plainly that the speciall obiect of Faith is the Gospell of God and the Gospel of God is the promise of God in Christ. This was the summe of all Christs preaching The Kingdome of God is at hand repent yee and beleeue the Gospell And so Gal. 3. 22. the Apostle sweetly concludeth this heauenly Doctrine The Scripture hath concluded all vnder sin that the promise by faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen to them that beleeue Hence also was the Land of Canaan being a type of the Kingdome of Christ called the Land of Promise and Abraham and his sonnes coheires of the same Promise What Promise For hee looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11. 10. And by faith he waited for this promise vers 9. The Pontificians would faine haue that faith whose prayses are so predicated in that 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes to be vnderstood of their kinde of Catholicke faith to wit a generall historicall faith And they alledge the third Verse and the sixt Verse c. Vers. 3. Through faith wee vnderstand that the worlds were framed by the word of God Hence they conclude their Historicall faith And Vers.
6. He that commeth to God must beleeue that God is c. Hence they inferre that Faith is nothing else but a certaine assent concerning the truth of God in his essence aâ—d in his Word reuealed and in his promises in generall onely But if there were no other place of Scripture to set forth the full nature of true sauing and iustifying Faith this one Chapter were aboundantly sufficient For the Apostle sets forth this Faith in this Chapter in his full proportion and lineaments in all the properties of it As first that this Faith beleeueth the truth of Gods essence as he hath reuealed himselfe in his Word vers 6. and not onely as God is in himselfe of absolute Being but that hee is that God who giues a Being as to all creatures in generall so in especiall to all his promises made in Christ to his Elect. For which cause when God sent Moses to be the Minister of his peoples deliuerance wherein Gods promise to Abraham and to his seed came to be accomplished he bad Moses tell the people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I AM hath sent me vnto you Exod. 3. 14. Which name of God doth not onely signifie his essence in himselfe considered but how he giues hereby a being to his Euangelicall promises to bring them all to passe in due time This is his name for euer as God himselfe professeth vers 15. Thus the Lord is said to make himselfe knowne to the children of Israel in that their actuall deliuerance out of Egypt so long before promised to Abraham by his name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iehouah which comes of the roote of the former name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name of his essence In which name Iehouah God saith he was not known to Abraham as Exod. 6. 3. Not but that Abraham by faith knew God in this name that he was true in all his promises but he was said not to know God by this name because he did not experimentally see the accomplishment of his promise And thus to beleeue that God is is not only a bare historicall or naturall faith that there is a God which is in the very Deuils but it is a true Euangelicall faith beleeuing Gods truth in his promises which is such a faith whereby God is pleased as the Apostle saith there in the same verse But a bare historicall faith cannot please God for then the Deuils faith might The Apostle amplifieth this prouing that this faith beleeueth the truth of God in all those things contained in his Word whether they be matters of story as vers 3. or of the promises of God as vers 6. or of the threatnings of God vers 7. c. But principally he doth by many famous examples set forth the noble properties of this faith in applying the speciall promises of God vnto it in which Chapter the word Promise is expresly mentioned no lesse than sixt sundry times but closely flowes that aboundantly through all the veines of the Chapter So faith beleeues that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seeke him vers 6. By faith Abel offered his more excellent sacrifice How by faith for his sacrifice was a type of the true sacrifice Christ Iesus the promised seede Gen. 3. 15. By faith Enoch was translated Was not this by faith of that better life promised in Christ By Faith Noah warned of God prepared the Arke to the sauing of himselfe and house Was it not by Faith in the promise of God By Faith Abraham being called went out c. Was it not by Faith in Gods promise For hee was the heire of the promise and looked for a City c. v. 10. By Faith superannated Sarah conceiued for she iudged him faithfull that had promised v. 11. All these embraced the promises v. 13. 14. c. By Faith Abraham after he had receiued the promises offered vp his only Sonne v. 17. What was it but the promise of God whereupon by Faith Isaac blessed his Sonnes v. 20. and Iacob his v. 21. How came Ioseph at his death to mention Israels deliuerance out of Egypt and as if himselfe also euen after he was dead had a share in that deliuerance giue a charge concerning his bones but by Faith in Gods promise now approaching Why did Moses reiect the honours pleasures and treasures of Egypt preferâ—ing the reproach of Christ before them all and choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God but that by Faith hee had a respect to the recompence of reward the promise of God And so of their passing through the Red-Sea and of Rahabs red threed c. stil their Faith was pitched vpon Gods promise But Pontificians must haue leaue to discouer their grosse ignorance in the mystery of Faith and so to erre not knowing the Scriptures beeing iust with God to send them the spirit of giddinesse lest they should come to know that most precious truth which they so willingly and maliciously oppugne Is the promise of God in Christ therefore such a little atomus such a perexigna particula such a small mote in the eye of Faith Nay rather the promise of the Gospell doth challenge the chiefe respect to be cast vpon it by the eye of Faith as the most glorious and beautifull obiect it can finde in all the Scriptures Christ the promised seede the fairest of ten thousand is therefore called the Word of God as being the summe of both the Testaments as being the mercy-seate vpon whom the two Cherubims did fixe their constant eyes He was the desire of Patriarches Prophets and Kings Abraham with the eye of Faith saw his day and reioyced it gaue him full contentation yea the sufferings of Christ and the glory that followed and the preaching of the Gospell all comprehending and setting forth Gods precious promises were such as the very Angels desired to look into And St. Augustiâ—e saith Certum propriumque fidei Catholicae fundamentum Christ uâ— est The sure and proper foundation of Catholicke faith is Christ. Who shall then forbid Faith to fasten its eye vpon this louely obiect or to build vpon this sure proper foundation True it is that Faith denyes no part of holy Scripture of what nature soeuer the due respect and credit It giues free assent to the whole Word of God it subscribes to the truth of euery least tittle contained therein credendo Deo by beleeuing God but that which Faith doth chiefly appropriate and apply to it selfe is the promise of God in Christ credendo in Deum by beleeuing in God Euen as the eye casting a direct ray or beam vpon the obiect which it chiefly aymeth at doth so look vpon it as though it seeme to see nothing else but that onely obiect yet it seeth all things besides round about it in a more generall view so Faith the eye of the soule although it cast the direct beam of beleef vpon the obiect it most affecteth to wit Christ the Sauiour in
immaculate Ramme being giuen to be sacrificed thou shalt receiue remission of sinnes Now this particular faith in Christ is absolutely necessary for euery one that will be saued And therefore the same Origen concludeth Certum est quod remissionem peccatorum nullus accipiat nisi detulerit integram probam sanctam fidem per quam mercari possit Arietem cuius natura haec est vt peccata credentis abstergat Et hic est Siclus sanctus probata vt diximus syncera fides id est vbi nullus perfidiae dolus nulla hereticae callâ—ditatis peruersitas admiscetur vt synceram fidem offerentes precioso Christi sanguine tanquam immaculatae hostiae diluamur It is certaine that no man can receiue remission of sinnes vnlesse he being an intire approued and holy faith wherewith hee may purchase the Ramme the nature whereof is this to blot out the sinnes of the beleeuer And this is the holy Sicle an approued and sincere faith that is where no perfidious fraud nor peruerse hereticall craft is mingled that offering a sincere faith wee may be cleansed with the precious bloud of Christ as of an immaculate sacrifice Euery man therefore must bring a speciall particular holy sincere faith of his own wherewith as with a holy Sicle he may purchase Christ and which as his hand he must lay hold on Christ which no man else can doe for him His generall implicite faith to beleeue as the Church beleeueth that is to beleeue he knoweth not what will not serue the turne This speciall particular faith in Christ requisite in euery beleeuer in euery one that lookes for saluation is liuely prefigured by the eye as Numb 21. 9. if a Serpent did bite any man when hee beheld the Serpent of brasse hee liued This brasen Serpent was a liuely figure of Christ crucified A man bitten with the Serpent is euery sinner the way for him to be healed is to looke vpon the brasen Serpent lifted vp vpon the pole that is vpon Christ crucified Euery man that was Serpent-bit hee must looke vpon the brasen Serpent with his owne eyes not with any others eyes as Iob said I shall see him with these eyes and none other for mee Christ himselfe applyeth the truth to the type As Moses lifted vp the Serpent in the wildernesse so must the Sonne of man be lifted vp that whosoeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting As therefore none of the stung Israelites were cured but those that looked with their owne eyes vpon the brasen Serpent so none of the Israel of God is healed of the sting of sinne but by his speciall cleare viue Faith as the Chrystall eye of his soule looking vpon Christ crucified As St. Augustine vpon the place applyeth it Interim modò Fratres vt à peccato sanemur Christum crucifixum intuâ—amur Quomodo qui intuebantur illum Serpentem non peribant morsibus Serpentium sic qui intuentur fide mortem Christi sanantur à morsibus peccatorum Now Brethren saith he that wee may be cured of our sinne let vs looke vpon Christ crucified As they which beheld that Serpent did not perish by the bitings of Serpents so they that by Faith behold the death of Christ are healed of the bytings of sinnes As therefore euery one must look with his owne eyes and that not vpon euery obiect but vpon the Serpent and liue so euery sinner must looke with the cleare eyes of his own faith that vpon no other obiect but Christ crucified that so he may liue eternally and be healed of all his infirmities as Dauid saith Psal. 103. If we look into the whole Word of God we shall finde this particular faith of euery beleeuer to haue beene in all the Saints of God The Prophet Abacuc saith of euery iust man The iust man shall liue by his Faith by his owne Faith not by anothers This was Abrahams faith the Father and Figure of all the Faithfull who hearing Gods promise concerning the blessed â—eed to wit Christ in whom all the Nations of the earth should be blessed as the Apostle applies it Gal. 3. 16. hee thereupon beleeued How beleeued he not as the Pontificians would haue it by a general faith concerning the truth of that which God had said for it is not said barely Abraham beleeued God but Abraham beleeued in the Lord and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Gen. 15. 6. And the Apostle saith That Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through vnbeleefe but was strong in Faith giuing glory to God Rom. 4. 20. and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse v. 22. But the Pontificians will say this was a speciall Faith which Abraham had not common to ordinary and common beleeuers No such thing for looke what kind of Faith Abraham had the same kinde though haply not in the same measure and degree haue all true beleeuers This the Apostle plainely resolueth in the next words saying Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him but for vs also to whom it shall bee imputed if wee beleeue on him that raised vp Iesus our Lord from the dead who was deliuered for our offences and was raised againe for our iustification If therefore Abraham had a speciall and particular faith then euery true Beleeuer hath the like faith in him But Abraham had a speciall and particular Faith for first he beleeued in God secondly hee beleeued in God especially concerning the promise the substance whereof was Christ. This Faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse If it had not been Abrahams speciall Faith how had it beene imputed to him for righteousnesse It was Abrahams peculiar proper owne Faith looking with open eyes vpon the promise of God which promise was Christ whose day Abraham though a farre off saw and reioyced which was imputed to him for righteousnesse Thus it is with euery true beleeuer whose owne speciall cleare Chrystall-ey'd Faith beholding and applying Gods promise in Christ is particularly imputed to him for righteousnesse This the Apostle concludes in generall from the example and instance of Abraham and makes it the common case of all true Beleeuers saying Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse This beeing so cleere a Conclusion what neede we adde further testimonies Christ himselfe said to Thomas when he confessed and said My Lord and my God Thomas because thou hast seene me thou hast beleeued blessed are they that haue not seene and yet haue beleeued Where note two things first Thomas his Faith in applying Christ to himselfe saying My Lord and my God and secondly Christs deduction shewing the same Faith to be in euery true beleeuer the property of which Faith is to apply Christ to himselfe as Thomas did and to say with the voyce of faith confessing Christ in his death and resurrection
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
they greatly triumph to proue the authority of the Church aboue the Scriptures Ego Euangelio non crederem â—isiâ—e Catholicae Ecclesiae câ—â—mâ—â—eret authoritas that is I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the Catholicke Church did moue me Now if we obserue the occasion of this saying of Augustine it will easily appeare that hee had no such meaning as to preferre the authority of the Catholicke Church before the authority of the holy Scriptures for then hee should with one breath contradict the whole tenure of all his writings wherein hee still aduanceth the authority of the Scriptures aboue all as irrefragable supreame and subiect to no authority Now the occasion of this speech of Augustine was this Manicheus a grand Heretique writes an Epistle to Augustine wherein he stiles himselfe Manichaeus Apostolus Iesu Christi prouidentia Dei Patris that is Manicheus the Apostle of Iesus Christ by the prouidence of God the Father Whereupon Augustine saith Haec sunt salubria verba de perenni ac viâ—â— fonte These are wholesome words from the eternall liuing fountain But with your good patience saith Augustine if it please you obserue what I require Non credo istum esse Apostolum Christi quaeso ne succenseatis maledicere incipiatis c. I doe not beleeue that this is an Apostle of Christ I pray you bee not angry and fall a reuiling for you know that I am resolued to beleeue nothing rashly that you say I aske therefore who this Manicheus is you will answer me an Apostle of Christ. I doe not beleeue it Now thou hast nothing what to say or doe for thou didst promise me the knowledge of the truth and now thou constrainest mee to beleeue that which I know not But haply thou wilt reade the Gospell vnto me and out of that thou wilt assay to proue the person of Manicheus Now if thou shouldst finde any man who as yet doth not beleeue the Gospell what wouldst thou doe if he said vnto thee I doe not beleeue it Ego vero Euangelio non crederem nisi c. For I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the Catholicke Church did moue me Quibus ergo c. whom then I haue obeyed when they said Beleeue the Gospell why should I not beleeue them saying vnto me Doe not beleeue Manicheus Elige quid velis Choose which thou wilt If thou wilt say Beleeue the Catholickes they admonish mee to giue no credit to you Wherefore giuing credit to them I cannot but not beleeue thee if thou shalt say Doe not beleeue the Catholickes thou goest not the right way to compell me by the Gospell to the faith of Manicheus seeing I beleeued the Gospell it selfe being preached vnto mee by the Catholickes And so forth to this purpose Augustine pursueth his discourse So we see the question is about the truth of Manicheus his title calling himselfe an Apostle of Iesus Christ c. This hee obtrudes and thrusts vpon Augustine to giue credit to it Augustine and that worthily makes question of it Hee would haue him proue it by the Gospell Well But Manicheus foylteth in some counterfeit Gospell wherein he stiles himselfe an Apostle of Iesus Christ a Gospell that was neuer acknowledged for Canonicall Scripture But Manicheus will haue it receiued for Gospell How shall it be tryed Is it therefore Gospel because Manicheus saith it Or doth the Gospell depend vpon the testimony of one man No saith Augustine Pagan-Infidels are brought to receiue and beleeue the Gospell by the preaching of the Catholicke Church which hath from time to time kept the Canon of Scriptures intire without the mixture of counterfeit Gospels By this authority of the Catholicke Church to wit by the preaching of the Gospell by the Church Augustine himselfe when hee was a Manichee was wonne to the faith of the Gospell Hence it is that instancing himselfe for one that as yet beleeued not the Gospell hee saith Ego non crederem Euangelio c. I should not that is I if I were as once I was an vnbeleeuing Manichee I should not beleeue the Gospell vnlesse the authority of the Catholicke Church did moue me So that hee makes the comparison betweene the authority of the Catholicke Church and the authority of one man Manicheus The question is Whether Augustine if he were a neutrall beleeuer as yet neyther beleeuing that Gospell which Manicheus bringeth neuer heard of before nor that which the Catholicke Church preacheth and hath euer taught should rather bee induced by the peremptory authority of one sole man to beleeue a new Gospell than by the authenticke authority of the Catholick Church of Christ to beleeue the euerlasting Gospell of Iesus Christ comprehended in both the Testaments and perpetually receiued preserued professed preached and beleeued of the Catholicke Church from all ages In this case Augustine inclines cleaues to the authority of the Catholick Church And what true Catholicke doth not reuerence the authority of the Church of God bringing him to Christ by the preaching of the Gospell as the Samaritan woman brought her neighbour Citizens to Christ But being brought vnto Christ after they had heard him themselues they said to the woman Now we beleeue not because of thy saying for wee haue heard him our selues and know that this is indeede the Christ the Sauiour of the world So euery beleeuer may say I was first induced and as it were led by the hand and voice of the Church to beleeue the Gospell of Christ but after that I haue heard receiued and beleeued Christ himselfe speaking in the Scriptures I now beleeue not for the Church or any mans saying but for the authority of Christ and the Scriptures themselues As Augustine ingeniously saith to Paulina Nolo authoritatem meam sequaris vt c. I would not haue you follow my authority that you should therefore thinke it necessary to beleeue any thing because it is spoken by mee but beleeue eyther the Canonicall Scriptures or the truth that doth inwardly teach and giue testimony thereof For if a truth bee once confirmed by the euident authority of holy Scriptures to wit those which in the Church are called Canonicall it is without all doubting to be beleeued And in his third booke against Maximinus an Arrian Bishop disputing about the word Homousion Augustine saith Nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense c. Neyther ought I to vrge the authority of the Nicene Councell nor you that of Ariminum for neyther am I bound to the authority of this nor you of that but both of vs are bound to the authorities of the Scriptures common witnesses to vs both and vnpartiall to eyther So let thing with thing cause with cause reason with reason contend Such was the Catholicke Doctrine of those times wherein Augustine liued that the authority of the Canonicall Scriptures was aboue all other authority eyther of Bishops
that which they had proper to themselues namely of casting out Deuils and of doing miracles but of their owne saluation which they had common with others For that very cause would hee haue his Disciples reioyce for which thou also reioycest Omnium fidelium qui diligunt Christum qui ambulant viam eius humiliter quam ipse docuit humilis nomina scripta sunt in Coelo Cuiusuis contemptibilis in Ecclesia qui credit in Christum diligit Christum amat pacem Christi nomen scriptum est in Coelo cuiuslibet quem contemnis c. The names of all the faithfull which loue Christ which humbly walke in his way which his humble selfe prescribed are written in Heauen The name of euery contemptible one in the Church which beleeueth in Christ and loueth Christ and loueth the peace of Christ is written in Heauen euen of euery one whom thou contemnest And what comparison between such a one and the Apostles who did so great miracles And yet the Apostles are checked because they reioyced in a priuate good and are charged to reioyce of that whereof euen that contemptible one reioyceth So Saint Augustine So that the Apostles reioycing that their names were written in Heauen was not peculiar to them but common to euery true beleeuer the most contemptible whereof is no lesse commanded to reioyce that his name is written in Heauen than the Apostles themselues were If therefore all the faithfull must reioyce that their names are written in Heauen then they must needes certainly know not coniecturally suppose or vainely presume that they are of the number of Gods Elect. For else to reioyce of that whereof they haue no certaine knowledge were but the flash of a false ioy But Christ bids vs reioyce truely and really All therefore whose names are written in Heauen know it to bee so sith they are bid to reioyce or it And if this knowledge come not but by reuelation yet it is no speciall reuelation to some few beleeuers onely but it is giuen to all true beleeuers in common Yea all the elect euen euery true beleeuer knoweth this by his Faith and the fruits of it as Hope and Loue c. This the Apostle sheweth 2. Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selues whether yee be in the Faith prooue your owne selues Know yee not your owne selues how that Iesus Christ is in you except yee be Reprobates A most emphaticall speech Examine What your selues Wherein Whether yee be in the Faith yea Prooue your owne selues herein And let this be the proofe of your Faith to know your selues to be in Christ and Christ to be in you For this is proper to the elect of God yea to all the elect in Christ to know themselues to be of that number euen by the proofe and testimonie of their Faith Which knowledge hee who neuer hath is a Reprobate by the Apostles Sentence For if Christ be in you then are you of the number of Gods elect and Christ dwelleth in vs by Faith and by Faith wee know that Christ dwelleth in vs by which wee know that wee are not Reprobates And if wee know wee are no Reprobates then wee know certainely that wee are of Gods elect Hereupon Saint Augustine sayth Fides quae per dilectionem operatur si est in vobis â—am pertinetis ad praedectinatos vocatos iustificatos ergo crescat in vobis Faith which worketh by loue if it be in you you doe now belong to the number of the Predestinate of the Called of the Iustified therefore let Faith grow in you Saint Iohn also sheweth this excellently saying Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe So that our Faith in Christ is our infallible witnesse that wee are Christs and Christ is ours and so consequently that wee are predestinate and elect in Christ. For if any man doubt of this Record of Faith what it is and wherein it consisteth the same Apostle makes it yet more euident Verse 11. saying And this is the Record that God hath giuen to vs eternall life and this life is in his Sonne And can wee haue this Witnesse this Record of Faith in our selues and not thereby certainely know that wee are of the number of Gods elect when wee thus finde the infallible proofe and effect of it in vs Eternall life is the infallible effect of our election But by Faith wee know that wee haue eternall life For this is the Record euen our Faith Yea this infallible knowledge is that which the Apostle doth purposely write to informe vs of For Verse 13. he sayth These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the Name of the Sonne of God To what end That yee may know What That yee may know not that yee may haue some probable coniecture but that yee may know What that yee haue eternall life Not onely that yee shall haue it but that yee alreadie haue it than which nothing is more sure and certaine and that yee may beleeue on the Name of the Sonne of God And this is the confidence that wee haue in him c. Now hath euery true Beleeuer eternall Life And doth hee know this by Faith And doth hee not then know that hee is of the number of Gods elect Let all Pontifician Sophistry heere stoppe the Mouth of Contradiction Let it submit to the inuincible and cleare Truth of God Thus hauing declared the infallible certaintie of Saluation sealed vnto vs by a liuely iustifying Faith which makes a man so perswaded of his Election and Predestination as that it makes him to reioyce that his name is written in Heauen it followeth now in the next place to shew the certaintie of Faith as touching our perseuerance vnto the end Now our perseuerance in Grace is a necessarie consequent effect of our Election and Predestination in Christ vnto Glory So that being sure wee are of the number of Gods Elect wee are also sure that wee shall also continue and perseuere in Grace vnto the end whereunto wee are elected As Augustine sayth Quis in â—ternam vitam potuit ordinari nisi perseuerantiae dono Who could be ordained to eternall Life without the gift of Perseuerance So that for a man to know hee is written in the Booke of Life of Gods Election is consequently to know that hee shall perseuere vnto the end Doe wee know that God loues vs in Christ Then doe we also know that vnto the end hee loueth vs. Wee know that he that hath begun the good worke of Grace in vs will also performe it vnto the end Wee know with the Apostle that nothing shall separate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. The Pontificians would faine restraine the Apostles perswasion and extend it no farther than to himselfe as a speciall reuelation of the certaintie of his owne saluation But hee sayth expressely Nothing shall separate Vs hee sayth not Mee alone but
opposition to this truth or any other by me deliuered in speciall against the Synagogue of Rome I shall be ready to maintaine if occasion require in ampler maner if I may haue alike liberty with my Antagonists I say no more for the present but commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you vp and to giue you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Thine in Christ H. B. TRVTHS TRIVMPH Ouer TRENT CHAP. I. Of mans workes done before grace or of preparation in man vnto Iustification commonly called the merit of Congruitie The Romish Faith THE title of the fift Chapter of the sixt Session of the Councell of Trent is Of the necesitie of preparation to Iustification in men of ripe age where they say That by their free-will stirred vp and helped by grace they are disposed to conuert themselues to their Iustification by free assenting and cooperating with the same grace The ground of which disposition to Iustification is freewill which cooperating with grace produceth fixe seuerall workes of preparation laid downe by the Councell here and reckoned vp by Vega one of the Councels chiefe champions First an Historicall â—aith conceiued by hearing beleeuing the truth of Gods promises to a sinner in generall Secondly a feare of Gods iustice arising from the apprehension of their sinnes whence they arise thirdly to a hope by conuerting themselues to the consideration of Gods mercy trusting that God for Christs sake will be fauourable vnto them whom they then begin fourthly to loue as the fountaine of all righteousnesse and therefore are moued by a hatred and detestation against sinne that is fiftly by that Penance which they are to doe before Baptisme while sixtly they resolue to receiue Baptisme to begin a new life and to keepe the Commandements of God And Can. 1. If any man shall say that a man may be iustified before God by his owne workes which are done either by the power of mans nature or by the doctrine of the Law without diuine grace by Iesus Christ let him be accursed CHAP. II. Wherein the doctrine of Romish preparation is examined IT being the maine drift of this Councell to establish a righteousnesse inherent in a mans selfe and not finding how to dimme the bright sun-shine of truth against this doctrine but by an artificiall shadow of the second beames of grace medled and mingled with blinde or at the best bleare-eyed nature therefore the iudicious Reader may obserue how while this Councell would seeme in part to ascribe the worke of Iustification to Gods grace it doth in deed and in the maine attribute it to mans nature as may appeare in laying the first stone of this Baby lonish building Of the necessitie of preparation to Iustification The whole frame of which preparation composed according to the modell of their Schoole-diuinitie as Gabriel Biel one of their chiefe Sententiaries who liued about fifty yeares before this Councell hath laid it downe as That the Act of the will presupposeth the Act of the vnderstanding and the Act of faith goes formost to apprehend the abomination of sinne and the wages of it hence a feare of Gods wrath and of hell fire hence a dislike and detestation of sinne And this saith he is a disposition of Congruity neither immediate nor sufficient but very remote Then faith turnes it selfe to the consideration of Gods mercy and resolueth that God is ready to remit sinne through the insusion of charity to those that are sufficiently prepared and disposed Vpon that consideration followeth the act of hope whereby a man begins to couet after God as the soueraigne good and from this act of hope he riseth to loue God aboue all things euen out of pure naturals From this loue issueth another dislike and detestation of sinne not for feare of damnation but for God finally aboue all things beloued And all these acts are followed with a purpose of amendment And so at length this comes to be a sufficient merit of Congruity being the immediate and finall disposition to the infusion of grace And this is such a preparation as doth necessarily as by a chaine of so many infolded linkes draw after it the infusion of grace whereby a man is iustified Thus wee see by what perplexed pathes they would leade men towards their iustification But note here what a power they giue to this preparation as euen to necessitate and inforce the infusion of grace because saith Biel to a man that doth as much as lyes in him God hath determined infallibly to giue grace And Aquinas saith it is a merit of Congruity that when a man doth well vse his vertue God according to his super-excellent vertue should worke more excellently in him Videtur Congruum saith he It seemes Congruous and agreeable to reason that a man operating according to his vertue God should recompence him according to the excellencie of his vertue Yea such is the force of this merit of Congruity that according to Thomas it will merit not onely grace for a mans selfe but also for another man for because saith he a man in the state of grace doth fulfill the will of God it is Congruous or fitting that according to the proportion of friendship God should fulfill mans will in the saluation of another man Such is the nature of their doctrine of Congruitie of which sort are their workes of preparation disposing and fitting a man for grace And this is the sense and summe of the Trent doctrine touching preparation Now to cut off this Goliahs head we neede no other than his owne sword First concerning the title it selfe of the necessity of preparation in the Adulti or men growne as we call them note here the vanity of this doctrine how therein they confound themselues For I would aske them whom they meane by their Adulti or men of yeares Those within their owne Church such as are baptized or Heathens and Pagans without the pale of the Church such as are not yet baptized as Turkes Iewes or Indians Surely they mention those Adulti that are not yet baptized But it must needs be that they include their owne Adulti for else what vse is there in their Church of this doctrine of preparation which they so highly aduance commend vnlesse it be among the barbarous Indians But their Adulti haue already according to their doctrine receiued the grace of Iustification in their Baptisme conferring grace as they say ex opere operato which grace being once by any mortall sin afterwards lost there can be no more merit of Congruitie to merit a reparation of grace as it is in the preparation vnto grace as Thomas teacheth But leaue we the title and let vs come to the thing Popish preparation vnto grace hangs vpon two speciall hinges First free-will secondly that this free-will is moued by grace which their Schoole-men call the first grace implyed
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
was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse Note here how Iames varieth not one iot from the truth of the Scripture which ascribeth iustification to Abrahams Faith without workes for hee vseth the very same Scripture which Paul vseth to shew iustification by Faith without workes Yea but he addeth in the next verse Ye see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by Faith only This conclusion seems to smile vpon the Papists but in truth it derides theirfolly for we see the Apostle doth no other here but conclude the former premises shewing what is that Faith which is imputed to a man for righteousnesse to wit not a dead and idle Faith but a liuing and working Faith testified by the proper fruits and effects of it good workes So that Abraham being said to be iustified by workes and not by Faith onely it is but to proue his Faith by his workes and that hee was declared to be iustified by Faith through the euidence of his workes whereby hee was declared iust in the sight of men to whom Faith comes to be testified only by good workes The like is to bee vnderstood of Rahabs iustification by workes for it is another instance seruing to the same purpose of the Apostle to distinguish a liuing and sauing Faith from a dead and vnprofitable Faith And this the Apostle concludeth together with the Chapter with a reason drawne from a similitude For saith hee as the body without the Spirit is dead euen so Faith without workes is dead also Note here how the Apostle most aptly concludeth the constant and vniforme current of this Chapter concerning the difference betweene a dead and a liuing Faith which are as it were the two hinges of the Chapter As the body without the spirit is dead euen so Faith without workes is dead also The Pontificians vpon this place doe ground their informing of Faith by charity as if Faith were altogether without forme and life vntill charity be infused into it but their collection is most improper and swarueth not onely from the property of the comparison but also from the maine purpose of the Apostle For the Apostle saith As the body without the Spirit is dead he saith not As the body without the soule is dead 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without spirit or breath for so the word signifieth Now if they would herein as they doe vpon other occasions altogether impertinent consult with Philosophy it would tell them that there are three things concurring to the composition of a liuing man the soule the body and the spirit The soule is that which informeth and giueth life to the body but the spirit by which they say the soule body are vnited is that whereby also the man doth breathe and whereby he is knowne to liue For so long as there is breath in a man wee know him to be aliue when a man Iyes in a swoune or trance without any motion to know whether he be dead or no we take a Chrystall glasse or such like to discerne whether hee breathe or no if he breathe not we giue him for dead but if he breathe neuer so little we know hee is yet a liuing man To this purpose doth our Apostle apply this comparison that as we cannot know a man from a dead carkasse but by his spirit or breathing so no more can wee know a liuing Faith from a dead Faith but by good workes which are as it were breathed from it Obiect But will some say The word vsed by St. Iames for spirit may be as well taken for the soule which giues life to the body for so it is often taken in Scripture for the soule as Luke 23. 46. and elsewhere Besides doe not most Interpreters take it generally for the soule Why should wee not then rather take it for the soule and spirit of a man that is within him than only for the breath which proceedeth from him Answ. I answer First as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken sometimes for the soule as well as for the spirit so also it is vsed sometime for breath or winde as our Sauiour alludeth Ioh. 3. 8. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken for the praecordia or lungs whence the breath is deriued But the question is how it is to be taken in this place of St. Iames. For the true meaning of this word in that place wee must as in the true interpretation of other Scriptures obserue the tenure of the text and context Now the tenure of that whole Chapter of St. Iames is chiefly to discerne true Faith from counterfeit To demonstrate this he instanceth the body of a man Now by what speciall signe is the body of a man known to liue By the spirit saith S. Iames. What spirit the soule or the spirit within a man or his spirit to wit his breath for Spirit may signifie all these By that spirit which doth most liuely plainly shew a man to be aliue that is the breath For when all other signs do faile as speech and motion of any limbe or member in so much as a man is senselesse lyes for dead yet if he breathe it is an euident token that he yet liueth But when he comes once to be as the same Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without this spirit or breath then he is certainly dead Euen so Faith without the breathing of good workes is dead And this agreeth with that he saith there Shew mee thy Faith by thy workes The soule indeede giues the body to liue but it is the breath that shewes the body to liue when the soule cannot Therefore it seemeth to my reason an vndeniable conclusion that Saint Iames speakes there of the breath of the body the most demonstratiue signe of life And deuout Bernard also excellently to this purpose and place of Iames Vt corporis huius vitam ex motis suo dignoscimus ita fidei vitam ex operibus bonis As we discerne the life of this body of ours by the motion of it so also the life of faith by good workes Nor are we ignorant that St. Augustine Lib. 83. quaestionum quaest 76. to reconcile these two Apostles saith that Paul speakes of workes done before faith and Iames of workes after faith which opinion and conceit of his although it not onely want but crosse the euidence of Scripture sith Abrahams offering vp his Sonne was a worke of and so after faith and yet did not iustifie him before God as Paul plainely teacheth and where Augustine doth neuer so little swarue from the Scripure we must craue leaue there to leaue him being else followers of him as he is of the Scriptures according to his owne law yet St. Augustine going about to reconcile Iames with Paul saith not there nor any where else in all his writings that good works done after Faith doe iustifie vs in the sight of God but only that
St. Leo. Such Saints as are not mentioned in the Popes Calender namely all those Saints of the old Testament whereof the Popes Rubricke hath none As the same Leo saith Omnes Sancti qui Saluatoris nostri tempora praecesserunt per hanc fidem iustificati expectantes vniuersalem credentium redemptionem in semine Abrahae All the Saints who liued before the times of our Sauiour are iustified by this faith expecting the vniuersall redemption of beleeuers in the seed of Abraham And in his fourth Sermon vpon the Epiphany Hoc est quod iustificat impios hoc est quod ex peccatoribus facit Sanctos si in vno eodemque Domino nostro Iesu Christo vera Deitas vera credatur humanitas This is that which iustifieth the vngodly that is of sinners maketh Saints if in one and the same our Lord Iesus Christ both the true Deity and the true humanity be beleeued Hee putteth this particle of beleeuing the truth of Christs two natures in one person as pointing at the Heresies of Nestorius and Eutyches which in his time were very hot and tended to ouerthrow the truth of his two distinct natures in the vnity of his person This I note by the way lest the Pontificians should say that this good Leo meant onely a generall saith concerning Christ. But we see the Catholicke doctrine of those purer and more virgin times of the Church was that there was but one iustifying faith and this not common to good and euill elect and reprobate promiscuously but such as did truely iustifie the wicked and of sinners make Saints So that whosoeuer had this faith were effectually iustified and without the helpe of the Popes Calendar made reall not titular Saints Augustine also saith Vna fides est quae omnes saluos facit qui ex carnali generatione in spiritalem renascendo saluantur terminata in eo qui venit pro nobis iudicarâ— mori It is one faith that saueth all which of carnall generation being spiritually regenerate are saued their faith being bounded in him that came to bee iudged and to dye for vs the Iudge of quicke and dead And againe Ea fides iustos sanauit antiquos quae sanat nos id est Mediatoris Dei hominum c. That faith healed the righteous of old which healeth also vs to wit the faith of the Mediator of God and men c. So that there is but one sauing and saluing faith of all the regenerate And this is according to the expresse doctrine of the holy Scriptures which put an vnreconcilable opposition betweene a dead Faith and a liuing Faith betweene that Faith which is common with the Deuils and Reprobates and that which is proper and peculiar to the elect Saints Hence it is that the Scripture cals that Faith whereby we are iustified a holy Faith yea a most holy Faith Iude 20. Also the Faith giuen to the Saints Iude 3. It is called also Fides electorum the Faith of the elect Tit. 1. 1. St. Peter cals it a precious Faith Therefore sauing and iustifying Faith being that most holy Faith which is proper to the Saints and to the Elect it cannot possibly bee the same with that Faith which is in the Reprobate and Deuils but differeth from it both specie numero in kinde and number as the Logicians speake This doctrine of iustifying and sauing Faith peculiar and proper to Gods elect Saints and not common with any other whatsoeuer is further confirmed by the Catholicke Doctors of former ages Gregory sirnamed also the Great Bishop of Rome about the yeare 590. in his Morals speaking of Faith saith Electi omnes eum quem fide cognouerunt videre quoque per speciem anhelant â—uius amore flagrantes aestuant quia eius dulcedinis suauitatem iam in ipsa sua fidei certitudine degustant All the elect saith hee doe striue to see him by face whom they know by faith with whose loue being inflamed they boyle because they now in the very assurance of their faith taste of the delicacy of his sweetnesse This Bishop of Rome doth denominate and appropriate the Faith whereby we now know God and hereafter shall certainely see God face to face to the Elect onely and to all the Elect. And in his Homilies vpon Ezechiel he saith Omnes Electi siue qui in Iudaea esse potuerunt siue qui nunc in Ecclesia existunt in Mediatorem Dei hominum crediderunt credunt qui praecunt qui sequuntur Osanna clamant Osanna autem latina lingua Salua nos dicitur ab ipso enim salutem priores quaeâ—ierunt praesentes quaerunt benedictum qui venit in nomine Domini confitentur quoniam vna spes vna fides est praecedentium atque sequentium populornm All the Elect saith hee whether those that were in Iudea or which now are in the Church haue beleeued and do beleeue in the Mediator of God and men which goe before and which follow after crying Osanna Now Osanna in the Latine tongue is interpreted Saue vs for of him both they that went before haue sought and those that liue now doe seeke saluation and confesse him to beblessed that commeth in the Name of the Lord because there is one hope one faith of the People past present and to come St Augustine speaketh to the same purpose Antiqui omnes iusti ex fide qua nos viuimus vna eademque vixerunt Incarnationem Passionem Resurrectionemque Christi credentes futuram quam nos credimus factam All the ancientiust men liued by that one and the same faith by which we liue beleeuing the Incarnation Passion and Resurrection of Christ which was to come which we beleeue already fulfilled What clearer testimony can be desired to set forth the vnity of that sauing faith which is common and proper to all the Elect people of God in all ages in the communion and propriety of which faith none but the Elect alone haue a part But the same Gregory saith elsewhere in the title of one of his Dialogues Quod sine fide neque infidelis viuat That euen the infidel doth not liue without Faith But what Faith himselfe answereth Habent etiam infideles fidem sed vtinam in Deum quam si vtique haberent infideles non essent Infidels haue faith saith he but I would to God it were faith in God which faith if they had they should not be infidels Let me here adde one authority of Fulgentius an African Bishop who liued betweene the times of these two Bishops of Rome Virtus est fides non qualis in Daemonibus inuenitur sed qualem Deus Sanctis suis donat quos ex imptetate iustificat Faith is a vertue not such a faith as is found to be in the Diuels but such as God giueth to his Saints whom hee iustifieth from sinne Therefore faith being a vertue giuen to Gods Saints whereby
which the authors themselues were carefull to commit to print vpon this argument would scarce beleeue how many things were discussed about this Article and with what ardency not onely of the Diuines but also of all the Bishops who were perswaded that their opinion was right that they had hit vpon the truth So that the Cardinall of St. Crosse saw that many had more neede of a bridle than of spurres and by frequent digressions from the purpose and passages to other questions he often would expresse his desire of putting an end to this controuersie It was twice propounded in the Synod of the Prelates to relinquish altogether this question as being ambiguous long and tedious yet affection bearing sway they fell backe vpon it againe Thus farre the History which though somewhat long yet I hope the Reader will not thinke it more tedious in the reading of it than I haue done in the inserting of it which I haue the rather done that it might the more appear how this point of certainty hauing on the one side euidence of truth to confirme it and on the other humane wit and affection to oppugne it did puzzle and perplexe the whole Synod and fill them full of vncertainties Wee see those reasons and authorities alledged by the aduerse faction who were for vncertainty very acutely and pregnantly answered by Catarinus and those with him Also whereas they catched here and there at some passages of the Fathers seeming to fauour their doctrine of vncertainty it is well noted by the History that the Fathers might sometimes by accommodating their exhortations to the people as the occasion required represse the insolency of such as were presumptuous and vainly confident in the assurance of their saluation howsoeuer they continued in sinne whereas the Fathers in their maine discourses of faith speake most clearely in the confirmation of the certainty of iustification as we shall see hereafter Come wee now to Vega's incounters with the certainty of faith he takes great paines to beate the ayre what with answering what with vrging arguments for his Pontifician Goddesse Vncertainty now an Article of Romes faith Hee vndertakes according to his rare dexterity to answer all opposites and to expound or moderate the meaning of such authorities as are alledged out of the Scriptures or Fathers making them by some pretty quaint distinction to speake iust as him listeth The first place he bringeth for his vncertainty is out of Iob 9. 20. If I iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee if I say I am perfect it shall also proue me peruerse Vega makes much adoe about this place fending and prouing but the very sight of the Text is sufficient to confute his folly in applying it to his vncertainty of iustification when as this place doth giue such a deadly wound to their iustification it selfe by their inherent righteousnesse which holy Iob here vtterly disclaimeth But doth Iob here vtter one syllable of the vncertainty of his faith in God his Sauiour and Redeemer Nay doth he not protest the contrary Though he slay mee yet will I trust in him And vers 18. Behold now I haue ordered my cause I know that I shall be iustified Who is he that will pleade with mee What clearer testimony could this holy man giue of his strong confidence and assurance of his iustification by faith in God So that I maruaile Vega would at all meddle with the example of Iob who throughout his booke is such a cleare mirrour of a true beleeuer whose faith is fortified with all confidence and assurance sauing that hee can easily impute Iobs certainty to a speciall reuelation and not to the property of faith But let not Vega with his iugling by casting a false myst think so easily to eclipse the clear beames of truth With the like successe he is tampering with Dauid and Salomon He alledgeth that of Dauid Who can vnderstand his errors Hereupon he inferreth if a man doe not know his sins how can he be sure of his iustification To this allegation we neede vse no other answer but Bernards exposition which Vega himselfe both obiecteth and takes vpon him to answer that these words of Dauid are vnderstood onely of veniall sinnes not of mortall This Vega confessing to be verisimile very probable and likely to be true yet answereth that seeing mortall sinnes are more truely and properly sinnes and do more defile the soule than veniall sinnes why should these words bee restrained onely to veniall sinnes I will not now enter into a discussion of veniall and mortall sinnes a distinction most grosly and impiously abused by the Pontificians but this I say that according to the iudgement of Pontificians of veniall sinnes they must needes confesse that these words of Dauid must bee meant onely of veniall sinnes that is such as the Pontificians call veniall The very word in the vulgar Latine will beare no other sense Delicta which signifieth slippes or errors or certaine defects and omissions such as the Pontificians ranke amongst their veniall sinnes But this place of Dauid makes nothing at all against certainty of faith For what if a man yea the holiest man if Dauid doe not know his sinnes his slippes and errors yet while he complaines hereof and confesseth them in generall vnto God praying O cleanse thou me from my secret faults what hindreth but that God cleansing him from all his faults should seale vnto him the certainty of the remission of all his sins apprehended by a liuely faith As Dauid saith in the 32. Psalme Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered c. But how shall a man come to be certaine of this his blessednesse Dauid instanceth it in himselfe vers 5. I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee and mine iniquity haue I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne How did Dauid know that God had forgiuen his sinnes seeing he saith peremptorily Thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Did not Dauid know this by the certainty of faith Vega I know hath his answer at his fingers ends and will say that Dauid came to know this eyther by speciall diuine reuelation or else by Nathans pronouncing Dauids absolution saying The Lord hath put away thy sinne Yea but Dauid tels vs in the next words that this was not his case alone but it was common to euery godly man in particular For this saith Dauid shall euery one that is godly pray vnto thee in a time when thou mayst be found that is Euery godly man should haue the like comfortable successe vpon his repentance as Dauid had and say with confidence as Dauid did Thou forgauest the transgression of my sinne But Vega suspecting the strength of the Father's authority he addes thereto the Sonnes to wit Salomons Pro. 20. 9. Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin Quis Who
ne loquentibus nobis 〈◊〉 qâ—â— veritatem non potest capere non timemus ne tacentibus nobis qui veritatem potest capere falsitate capiatur Aut enim sic praedestinatio praedicandâ— est quemadmodum eam sancta Scriptura euidâ—â—ter loquitur vt in praedestinatis sine poenitentia sint dona vocatio Dei aut gratiam Dei secundum nostra dari merita confitendum quod sapiunt Pelagiani that is Is not the truth rather to be spoken that he which can receiue it may receiue it than to be concealed that not onely neyther can receiue it but also he that is more intelligent may be made worse The enemy of grace is instant and vrgeth by all meanes that it might be beleeued it is giuen vnto vs according to our merits and so grace should now bee no more grace And yet wee will not speake that which by the testimony of the Scripture we may speake for we feare forsooth lest if we speake he be offended that cannot receiue the truth and we doe not feare lest while we are silent he which is able to receiue the truth may be deceiued by errour For eyther is predestination so to bee preached as the holy Scripture doth euidently declare it that in those that be predestinate the gifts and calling of God may bee without repentance or else we must confesse that the grace of God is giuen according to our merits which is the opinion of the Pelagians And againe in the same booke Chapt. 21. Nimiâ— contentionis est praedestinationi contradicere vel de praedestinatione dubitare It is too much peruersnesse to contradict predestination or to call it into question Yet Saint Augustine denies not but that wisedome and discretion is to be vsed in the preaching of it For saith he it is not so bee preached to the ignorant multitude as that the preaching of it may seeme worthy of reproofe For dolosi vel imperiti medici est etiam vtile medicamentum sic allegare vt aut non profit â—ut obâ—â—t It is the property of a deceiptfull or an vnskilfull Physitian so to apply euen a wholesome plaster as that either it doe no good or else hurt Which was the prouident wisedome of his sacred Maiesty our gracious Soueraigne in his late inâ—unction to Ministers not to debarre them from the free and lawfull yea the most vsefull and comfortable preaching of that diuine Doctrine of predestination as occasion serued but rather to giue direction at least to younger Diuines lest through want of mature iudgement in the manner of opening that mysterie and applying of it they might haply put a stumbling blocke before the iniudicious and ignorant hearer For otherwise his excellent Maiesty doth himselfe beare royall record to this diuine Doctrine in his learned Paraphase of the Reuelation the 20. Chapter in the latter end in these words The booke of life was opened to the effect that all those whose names were written in it to wit predestinated and elected for saluation before all beginnings might there be selected for eternall glory Now haue not wee in these times the same iust cause of speaking this truth in regard of those Pelagianizing enemies of the grace of God the Pontificians and their complices as Augustine had against the Pelagians both of them contending to ouerthrow the truth of predestination being the ground of the free grace of God in sauing mankinde and to establish mans merits and righteousnesse as the motiue cause of the grace of God Therefore in this so important a cause hauing to deale with so many importunate aduersaries of this fundamentall truth we must not be meale-mouthed lest we come to verifie that of our selues which Gregory once said of some Nonnulli dum veritatis Discipuli esse humiliter negligâ—â—â—â— Magistri errorum fiunt Many while out of a kind of humility they neglect to be the Disciples of the truth they become the Masters of errors Come we then in the feare of God to free our selues of the enuie of his great glory in setting down this great mysterie wherein the glory of Gods rich grace doth most clearly shine and shew it selfe Predestination then is an vnchangeable act of Gods good pleasure and will whereby he hath from all eternity of his free grace elected out of the corrupt masse of mankinde fallen in Adam a certaine number of men whom hee hath purposed effectually to bring to eternall saluation by the only absolute meanes and merits of Iesus Christ and by other conditionall and subordinate meanes appointed by him for the receiuing and applying of Christ and walking in him â—â—en vnto the end leauing the rest of men in their originall corruption to their further and finall condemnation The Scripture makes good euery part of this definition First for the subiect of it which is predestination the * word is there often vsed which signifieth a fore-determining or appointing or preordaining of a thing But about the name or the thing there is no great question made The very aduersaries are forced to confesse it at least in part Now for the Predicate of the definition it is an act or decree called sometimes in Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Councell as Ephes. 1. 11. sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods Purpose as Rom. 8. 28. sometimes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 1. Pet. 1. 2. which is such a fore-knowledge as is not onely a bare prescience but a Praescitum an established or decreed fore-knowledge as the Latines call a decree of the people Plebiscitum and also the decree or iudgement of a cause Cognitio or tryall or knowledge So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or praecognitio or fore-knowledge of God is his witting and willing act or decree The Apostle therefore in the forenamed place Rom. 8. doth ioyne the purpose of God and his fore-knowledge together as one and the same thing vers 28. 29. For wee know that all things cooperate or worke together for good to them that loue God being the called according to his purpose and hee addes For whom he fore-knew those hee also predestinated to be conformed to the image of his Sonne So that to predestinate to a conformity vnto Christ is an act of Gods fore-knowledge or fore-decree conducing vnto or producing the end to the which God decreed or purposed Which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fore-knowledge or fore-decree of God is very emphaticall and significant containing in it as wee said before not a bare prescience much lesse that this fore-knowledge in God was led or moued by the euent of those things which he saw would come to passe in the creature according to which euent he should predestinate men to saluation or damnation because he fore-saw they would be such such as the Pontificians whosoeuer symbolize with them in this matter possessed or tainted with the spirit of the Pelagians of which Augustine speaketh but this fore-knowledge in God here hauing speciall and sole reference