vnwritten traditions Alfonsus Uiruestus a Popish Bishop and a bitter enemie to Luther acknowledgeth so much For he saith That things may bee contayned in the Scripture eyther formally and expresly or materially being drawne by a necessary collection from the contents And this he saith is called Uirtualis continentia To denie this saith hee is not Christian wisedome but Iewish superstition And then teacheth that wee are as much bound to giue assent to those things that be materially conteyned and drawne thence by a lawfull collection as to those that be formerly and expresly conteyned Bellarmine cannot deny but that Scotus taught there was not any expresse place of Scripture to proue Transubstantiation without the declaration expositioÌ„ of the Church Neither dare the Cardinall reiect that assertion but saith that Transubstantiation belongeth to the Catholicke faith because it is collected out of the diuine Scripture In his iudgement then that is a written truth which is collected from the Scripture as well as that which is expressely set downe in the Scripture If therefore Preachers deliuer no other doctrines in their Sermons if they confute and condemne no other errors if they teach no other duties if they reproue no other sinnes if they minister no other consolations and if they vrge no other exhortations then they haue warrant in the written word of God eyther by expresse testimonies or by necessary collections the word which they preach is the very same in kind in nature and substance with the word written And so there is not one word written and another word preached as the Docter would beare men in hand but one and the same word diuersly vsed So absurd is this his obseruation so voyde of reason so destitute of proofe and so discreâ—ant from the doctrine of his owne Church that it may well be thought that rather malice against vs then any warrant from the text caused him to sâ—t it downe And heere behold how farre malice doth carry your teachers euen to forsake their owne companions and to ouerthrow the coÌ„mon and receiued doctrine of their owne Church that so they may crosse and condemne vs. And to conclude with him he that will regard what he writeth in the latter end of his obseruation may easily perceiue how hee ouerthroweth his owne note obserued in the beginning For he produceth the Apostle Peter as an in different witnes in this case who saith that the Word of God endureth for euer and this is the word which is preached among you whose testimonie doth euidently prooue that the word written and the word preached then by the Apostles and other Ecclesiasticall persons was the very same word For it is apparant by that verse which he alleadged that the word of God which endureth for euer and the word which then was preached were one and the selfe same word Now what was the word that endureth for euer was it not the word written If any will denye this let him reade the former verse in Peter and compare that verse and this with the words of the Prophet Isaiah and hee shall finde it to be the word written by the Prophet So as Peter maketh the word written by the Prophet and preached by the Apostles to be the same Againe this great Docter saith the Word is the Seede because it is vnchangeable in it owne nature and substance though diuers in explication and proueth it out of Basil and Uincentius Lyrenensâ—s who make that agreemeÌ„t betweene the word written and the word preached that they are both one in substance for they preached nothing but what was written yet the word writteÌ„ was made fruitfull by preaching SECT III. BVt to leaue the Doctor and his obseruation It may be some others will acknowledge contrarie to his minde that whosoeuer preacheth nothing but such doctrines as are either expresly taught or necessarily gathered from the scriptures preacheth nothing but the written word And yet will likewise contradict me because they hold that there is another word of God besides the written word Bellarmine saith there is verbuÌ„ Dei scriptuÌ„ verbum Dei non scriptum A word of God written namely the bookes of the old and new Testaments And a word of God not written namely the traditions of the Church which be not written in the scriptures Gregory de Ualentia holdeth it for a most certaine thing that the word of God is not onely conteyned in written letters as it pleaseth him to tearme the scriptures in way of disgrace but is also put in the voyce of the Church and there doth sound Coster the Iesuite speaketh more plainely and peremptorily That the consent of the Catholike Church and the consonant doctrine of all Christians throughout the world is the scripture And in many points excelleth the scriptures which the Apostles haue left vs in parchments And this he maketh the first and chiefest kinde of scripture which now wee haue vnder the Gospell and saith that is a scripture penned with their owne hands The scriptures penned by the Apostles and Euangelists he placeth in the second ranke And addeth that a scripture of the third kind is in the degrees of generall Councells The decrees whereof if a man respect truth if he respect the seale and confirmation of the holy Ghost or the presence of Christ haue the same waight and moment that the holy gospells of God haue And so whereas Bellarmine made but two words of God he maketh three and two of his three are neither of the Cardinalls two Now those who depend on such teachers as these wil hold that albeit the seede be the word of God and Preachers must teach nothing but the word yet they may preach the traditions of the Church and the canons of councells as well as the contents of the written word because these be the word of God as well as the written word Wherevnto I answere that if the Traditions of the Church the word put in the mouth of the Church and the decrees of Councells be eyther expresly taught in the written word or may be warranted thence by iust and lawfull consequence we will acknowledge them to be the word of God But if they be praeter verbum besides the word writteÌ„ hauing neither way any warrant thereby they are not to be preached as the word of God but to be taken as the word of man And if they be contrary to the word written they are so farre from being the word of God as they must rather bee reputed to be the word of the diuell I neede not to stand on the first and last kinde For we acknowledge the first as well as the papists and the papists doe in generall condemne the last as well as we though they iustifie some in particular All the doubt is whether such traditions and canons that bee praeter verbum are to be taught to the people as the true word of God and be the seede
which was sowed by the sower and is able to make the receiuer fruitfull in all good workes and heire of saluation in heauen To that which I deliuered in the sermons I will adde more for your satisfaction to proue them not to be Gods word nor to be taught by the preachers of the Gospell 1. Christ himselfe when he was vpon the earth was a Sower and a principall sower when he preached the word as is acknowledged by all writers in the parable Look then what word he preached that onely was the true word of God there called Seede and no other what hee taught not that was not the word of God For he called his Disciples friends because he had made known to them all things which he heard from his Father Now it is most euident that Christ neuer taught any Traditions of the church nor decrees of coūcels he often codemned the decrees of the Elders and the traditions of the Pharisies And tolde them that in vaine they worshipped God who taught for doctrines mens precepts But himselfe neuer taught any such He receiued his doctrine immediately frō his Father And therefore he said My doctrine is not mine but his that sent mee The things that I heard of him those speake I to the world As my Father hath taught mee so I speake these things Will they say that Doctrine receiued immediately from God and presently taught to people is at the first teaching of it a tradition Then all the visions of the Prophets and all the reuelations of Saint Iohn were traditions They holde onely those to be traditions which being not written are conueyed from one man to an other Againe though Christ receiued his doctrine from his Father euen as the Apostles did from him yet was it no other then that was caught and written in the Bookes of the olde Testament eyther by Types or Precepts or Prophecies or Promises And therefore he bad the Iewes Search the Scriptures because they testified of him And tolde them that Meses accused them For had they belieued Moses they would haue belieued him But if they belieued not Moses writings they could not belieue his words His Sermons were expositions of the Lawe and the Prophets Hee 11 tooke Texts to expound Hee alleadged Testimonies out of the Olde Testament to prooue his Doctrine And that both in his publicke Sermones and in his priuate conferences Whereas he preached pardon of sinne to all that belieued in him Peter tolde Cornelius and his companie To him giue all the Prophets witnes that through his Name all that belieue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes Augustine said perēptorily there was in the olde Testament so great preaching and fore-shewing of the New Testament that nothing are found in the Euangelicall and Apostolicall discipline which be wanting in these olde Bookes Yea he found so great consent of doctrine betwixt the two Testaments that he affirmed that in the Old the New was hid and in the Newe the Old was reuealed Let the Papists name any one doctrine taught by Christ which they take for a tradition and I will vndertake to proue it out of the old Testament Moreouer what Christ taught the Apostles afterward did write thogh not euery word yet the summe and substance of all Luke did perfectly search out all things from the beginning to write therof from point to point And said he made the treatise of his gospell of all that Iesus began to doe and teach vntill the day that he was taken vp Expositors hold that the Euangelists wrote all his wordes and deedes which he thoght worthy and fitte for the office of his dispensation Augustine saide whatsoeuer Christ would haue vs to read of his deeds and sayings he commanded them to write And althogh any one of the Euangelists did not of himselfe make a perfect narration of all Christs doctrines and deede Yet all of them together haue don it For they who wrote last tooke a viewe of those things which the former had written by direction of the spirit added such things as they had omitted It is testified by most Authors that when Iohn percceyued how other Euangelists wrote onely the things of one yeare euen the yeare after Iohns imprisonment hee approued those and in his Gospell added the things done and taught in the former yeares And because some Heretickes denyed the God-head of CHRIST he considering that other Euangelistes did at large describe his Humanitie but spake little of his God-head did in his Gospell write such thinges as proued him to be GOD. And added those Sermons which the rest had omitted And therevppon Sixtus Senensis saide against the Alogan Heretickes That from them all ioyned together there ariseth a most Consonant and most perfect Hystorie of our saluation It is then to be examined whether the Euangelistes haue written that Christ taught any traditions receyued from men If they write no such matter it is certaine that hee taught none at all Let our Aduersaries runne thorough the whole Newe-Testament and they shall not bee able to finde any one of theyr Traditions recorded by the Euangelistes as a doctrine taught by Christ. Seeing then Christ taught no traditions why should wee presume to teach any must wee not receiue from him the matter of our Doctrine and imitate him in the manner of teaching Saide not Ambrose well that wee doe iustly condemne all newe things which Christ hath not taught because Christ is the way to Belieuers If therefore Christ haue not taught that which wee teach euen we doe iudge it to be detestable 2. Againe the Apostle Paul was a painefull Sower and did sowe all the worde of God And therefore could protest to his hearers that hee had kept nothing backe from them but had shewed them all the counsell of God Now what word taught he Did hee teach traditions and mans ordinances Did he not teach only writtē truths Did he not proue his doctrine by the scriptures Did he not in his apologie before Festus auouch that hee taught none other things then those which the Prophetes and Moses did say should come And how could the Bereans haue examined his doctrine by the Scriptures if hee had deliuered anie thing not taught in the Scriptures Yea Saint Paul was so farre from preaching any other Doctrine then that which was written that hee denounced him to be accursed whether hee were man or Angell that should teach otherwise I knowe Bellarmine would elude that place by two seuerall answeres yet all in vaine First he saith that the Apostle speaketh not onely of the word written but of euery word whether it be written or it be by tradition But besides that hee beggeth the question he hath the wordes of the Text and the testimonies of the Fathers and of some Popish writers against him For the Apostle speaketh of that worde which
hee and the rest of the Apostles preached and therefore he saith If wee or an Angell preach otherwise then that which wee haue preached And what worde hee preached I haue proued before not any traditions but the written word If it be true which Irenaeus and Nicephorus doe write that what the Apostles preached at first was afterward by the will of God set downe in the scriptures it must be acknowledged that they preached no traditions seeing we can finde no traditions penned by thē in their Epistles And though they had bene traditious when they were preached yet they ceased to be traditions when once they were written by them Againe the Fathers restraine the words of the Apostle to the scriptures as if he were accursed that would preach any thing not cōtained in them Augustine is most plaine therein Whether concerning Christ or concerning his Church or any other thing that pertaineth to our faith or life I will not say if wee for we are not to be compared to him who saide if wee but euen as he going forward added If an Angell from heauen shall preach vnto you besides that which ye haue receiued in the scriptures of the lawe and the Gospell let him be accursed Basill likewise teacheth that hearers who be skilfull in the scriptures ought to examine those things which bee deliuered of their teachers And to receiue those things which be agreeable to the scriptures and to reiect those that be not And produceth this testimonie of the Apostle to proue it which had bene an impertinent proofe if the Apostle had spoken as well of a word not written as of a word written The Cardinall mentioneth both these testimonies and would auoyd them by saying that they doe not of purpose expound this place but doe proue by this place that it is not lawfull to auouch any thing contrary to the scriptures Yet cānot he deny but that they doe alleadge this place of the Apostle And I hope he will not say but that they doe deliuer the true sense of it and doe alleadge it according to the true meaning of the Apostle Doth the Cardinall thinke that such learned fathers would giue one sense of it when purposely they expound it and another sense when they alleadged it to prooue a point which they haue in hād This were to wrest the scripture to make it serue their present turne I hope he will not so iudge of such reuerend men And to say that they onely proue thence that it is not lawful to auouch any thing contrary to scripture is to alter and inuert their words Doth not Augustine say praeterquam quod accepistis besides that which you haue receiued but of that afterward And if by that place they proue that nothing must be taught contrary to the scriptures then must they not hold with the Cardinall that the Apostle speaketh of each word as well written as not written but onely of the written word And so the Cardinall maketh them to confute him Chrysostome purposely expounding the place saith Paul preferreth the scriptures before angels comming from heauē As also that Paul doth not say if they preach contrary things or if they subuert the whole Gospell but if they preach but euen a little beside the Gespell which ye haue receiued let them be accursed Thomas Aquinas their Angelicall Doctor professedly expoūding that place doth write that nothing is to be preached but that which is conteyned in the Gospells and in the Epistles and in the holy scripture implicitely or expresly Will they say that their Traditions are conteyned in the scriptures either expresly or by way of implication or consequent thenare they not vnwritten verities as they tearme them A second answere of the Cardinall is this that the Apostle by Praeter vnderstood Contra. And therefore did not forbid new doctrines and precepts which were besides those that were deliuered but onely doctrines and precepts contrarie to the former Yet will not this serue his turne For in matters of faith and religion proeter and contra are both alike Whatsoeuer is taught as necessarie to saluation if it be besides the scripture must be condemned as well as that which is contrarie to the Scriptures The reason is because the Scriptures conteyne all thinges which Ministers are to teach as necessary to saluation And therefore Paul told Timothie that they were able to make him wise vnto saluation And were profitable to teach to improue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse Two of which respect mens mindes what they are to know and beleeeue as the trueth and what they are to reiect as errors Two of them respect their maners what sinnes they are to auoyde what duties they are to performe Is there any things needfull to bee taught the people but these things And because the Cardinall answereth that the Scriptures are profitable for all these things but not sufficient Consider the wordes of the Apostle following where hee declareth the end of this profitablenes namely that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect to all good works By the man of God he meaneth the Minister of the Gospell That tytle had he in his former Epistle giuen vnto Timothie And Lyra saith the man of God was one ordeyned to the diuine office such a one as Timothie was If then the Scripture being profitable for those foure vses will thereby make a Minister of the Gospell absolute and perfect for each good worke belonging vnto him he is not to teach any things ouer and besides the Scripture Theophylact thus writeth on the former place Hee doth not inferre if they onely preach contrary things but if they preach that which is beside that which we haue preached that is if they shall adde any thing that is but a very little more they are subiect to the curse And indeed it may seeme strange that the Papists are so earnest to haue vnwrittē traditions as wel preached as written truthes seeing the things written are more cettaine more excellent and necessary and require a long time to bee all taught and learned They are more certaine because all men are more certainely assured that the Scriptures the doctrines conteyned in them bee the word of God then that vnwritten traditions be his worde Bellarmine confesseth that nothing is better knowne nothing more certaine then the sacred Scriptures which bee conteyned in the writings of the Prophets Apostles that he must needes be most foolish who denyeth that they are to be beleeued And produceth 5. inuincible and infallible proofes that they are the very word of God Whē he commeth to speake of traditions he alleadgeth no such proofes but onely goeth about to prooue by 4. places of Scripture which haue bene long agoe answered that there are some traditions though neyther he nor any of his fellowes can tell what they are nor can make a perfit Catalogue of them so vncertain are
is nothing else but to trust to the free mercy of God he addeth further This is the true Faith whereby the iust man liueth But that which iustifieth not and is destitute of good works is tearmed a dead Faith by the Apostle Yea as the body is dead without the spirit so is faith dead without workes But the Rhemists Cardinall Bellarmine Coster the Iesuite and others doe answere that the Apostle doth not compare a dead faith with a dead man but with a dead body And therefore as a dead body is a true body so a dead faith is a true faith But they must knowe that although the Apostle compare a dead faith not to a dead man but to a dead body yet he compareth it to the dead body of a man which is no true humane body indeed because it wanteth the soule which is the forme of it The Philosopher will teach them That when the bodye is dead there is neyther foote nor hand but onely by equiuocation for all the parts of the body are defined by their office and facultie therefore when they lye dead they are not the same but onely retaine the shadow and shew of the name Though a dead body haue the earthly and materiall parts yet it is not the true body of a man nor the same body that it was before seeing it wanteth his forme life and actiuitâ—e operation and motion So a dead faith hath some materiall parts of a true faith as knowledge vnderstanding and assent yet it is not a true faith indeed because it wanteth speciall application which is the soule of faith It wanteth actiuitie charitie and obedience which are the life of it Didimus Alexandrinus did othâ—rwise take the words of S. Iames then these papists doe for thus he writeth It is to be marked that seeing faith is dead without good workes it is now no faith at all for a dead man is not a man at all Their owne friend Ferus is as peremptorie against them and for vs. Faith without charitie saith he hath indeed the tytle of faith but if thou wilt not speake obscurely of that matter it is not in that sort faith as a body without a soule is a man as a candle put out is light or as a tree cut downe is a tree What kind of light is that which doth not shine and giue light what kinde of fire is that which is not kindled what kinde of man is that which neyther seeth nor heareth nor feeleth nor moueth What kinde of tree is that which hath neyther rootes nor boughes nor bringeth forth fruite Such a kinde of faith is that which is without charitie namely a dead Faith as Iames nameth it How then can any man iustly say that these two are both one and the same faith Lastly they differ in their effects because the one procureth the saluation of our soules namely that liuely and speciall faith which worketh by loue for of that it is sayde Whosoeuer beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And by grace wee are saued through faith and not of our selues But the other the Historical faith destitute of works cannot saue any man so teacheth the Apostle And that all those places cannot bee vnderstood of one the same faith all writers giue euidence Augustine said not that faith of the Diuels who beleeue and tremble and confesse Iesus to bee the Sonne of God is that foundation which suffereth none to perish but that faith which the Apostle saith worketh by loue Now what he took to be the faith of the Diuels I haue before shewed Credunt Deum credunt Deo they haue an historicall faith to beleeue all things to be true which hee hath reuealed Non credunt in Deum they put no confidence in him so want a speciall iustifying faith that should saue them So Bernard writeth He that beleeueth in God shall not be confounded And therevpon inferreth that the Diuels though they beleeue God yet they doe not beleeue in God in whom whosoeuer beleeueth shall not be confounded because they doe not put their hope in him Now who that hath any vnderstanding in Religion will say that the faith which is able to saue a mans soule and the faith which is not able to saue a mans soule are both one in kind in nature and substance And that those who are tormented in hell can truely say that while they were on earth they had the very same faith which brought the Saintes to the Kingdome of heauen By that which hath bene spoken touching this point you may vnderstand what a kinde of faith is taught by the greatest Doctors in the Romish church what is the best faith which they require of the people euen an hystoricall faith to giue assent to the truth of things reuealed Which faith as hath bene prooued may be in wicked men in Reprobates in men out of the state of grace in men that shall goe to hell Yea such a faith as is found in the very diuels of Hell What saluation can be obtained in that Church whose preachers teach no better faith Who would be ledde by such guydes I knowe that they would make a difference betwixt the faith of their right Catholickes and the faith of diuels because the one hath Charitie alwayes accompanying it the other wanteth Charity But they might consider that according to their doctrine this maketh no essentiall but a meere accidentall difference Seeing they teach that the same assent to the truth of things reuealed is in some with charitie and in others without charitie it euideÌ„tly appeareth that according to their doctrine Charitie is not a proper immediate necessary and essentiall propertie of it but meerely accidentall Indeed wee hold that Charitie is a proper necessary effect of a iustifying faith so as faith is no sooner wrought in the heart of any but forthwith hee is endued with loue He cannot but loue him in whom he belieueth and of whose loue and fauour he is perswaded And therefore charitie though it do not make yet it may declare the essentiall difference and the nature of this faith But seeing it is no such necessary effect of their assenting faith it can neyther make nor declare any essentiall difference of it And therefore he who wanteth charitie may haue the same faith in substance that hee hath who is endued with Charitie Bellarmine going about to proue that true faith meaning theyr assenting faith may bee separated from loue draweth one Argument from the proper reason nature of them both If they cannot be seuered saith he 46 It is eyther because the one is of the reason or being of the other or that the one doth necessarily arise from the other Not the first because Faith charitie are not one vertue but two And besides that haue diuers subiectes actes and obiectes For faith is in the vnderstanstanding Charitie in the will Faith belieueth
in this verse and the rest There were 4. sortes of grounds mentioned CHRIST sheweth that by them hee meant 4. sortes of hearers some good some bad Before wee come to speake of them seuerally and particularly we may note one thing in generall frō them all That as the same seed sowne in diuers kinds of ground doth not fructify in all alike in some it yeeldes little or no fruite at all in some both good and plentifull fruit So the same doctrine taught to diuers people doth not profit all alike It may profit some nothing at all others verie much Though seed bee neuer so good yet badnes of ground may spoyle it and cause the sower to lose both labour and cost Euen so though the doctrine wee teach bee neuer so good and profitable yet through the ill disposition of the hearers it may become vnfruitfull This seede doth fructify or not fructify according to the qualitie disposition of the ground into which it is cast If the ground be bad the seed perisheth if the ground be good it encreaseth And because some mens hearts be as a barren ground and other mens harts be as a fertile soile in some it yeeldeth no fruit at all in some it yeeldeth great abundance This difference may by seene in each mixt company and populous congregation to which wee preach It was found among Christs hearers it was founde among the Apostles hearers and may also be found among ours The consideration whereof serues for the instruction both of Preachers people 1. Of Preachers to comfort them and to encourage them in their labours when they see them vnprofitable vnto a great number Christ spake this Parable especially of him selfe and of his hearers He taught the true word of God in the best maner that might be yet did he not profite all his hearers he had 4. sorts whereof three were vnprofitable one onely was profitable The Disciple must not be better then his Master if hee be no worse let him be well content It doeth not a little grieue the Ministers of the Gospell to take great paines in teaching the truth and that in a good manner and yet see most of their hearers to receiue little or no profit at all but still remaine after many yeares teaching as ignorant as Popish and prophane as they were at the first Yet let them not be dismayed it was Christs owne case the fault is in the hearers not in the teachers God wil reward thee for thy paineful preaching though few doe profit by it Let not their fault hinder vs in our dutie but let vs instruct with meeknesse them that be contrarie minded prouing if any time God will giue them repentance They who be vnprofitable hearers now may proue profitable hereafter Till the time of bearing fruit doe come wee know not which will proue good ground which will proue bad 2. This also serueth for the instruction of hearers Seeing that these 3. kinds of bad grounds do paint out 3. sorts of bad hearers who neuer receiue profite to their soules by the word which they heare You must know that you may be receiuers of this heauenly seede You may be hearers of Gods most holy word and yet be neuer the better for it neuer come to heauen by it Three parts of Christs hearers were bad as appeareth by this Parable And he telleth vs that many shall say Wee haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streetes but he shall say I know you not depart from mee all yee workers of iniquitie And the Apostle saith We are to some the sauour of death vnto death and vnto others the sweete sauour of life vnto life Euery kinde of hearing will not saue your soules It must be good and profitable hearing with good hearts to vnderstand beleeue and obey what you heare Yea not onely they who wilfully refuse to heare but likewise they who heare vnprofitably stall bee damned And therefore as Christ afterward exhorteth you in this Chapter Take heede how you heare As many seeke and find not because they seeke amisse Many runne and obtaine not because they runne amisse Many aske and receiue not because they aske amisse So many doe heare and profite not because they heare amisse Some imagine that if they be no Recusants if they be no prophane contemners of the Word and Sacraments but repayre to the Church euery Sabboth day heare diuine Seruice Sermons orderly as by Law they are enioyned they are good Christians sure to bee saued But let thē know that they may do all these things yet not be saued They may offend in the manner of their hearing and then their case will be no better then if they heard not at all The Diuell is very subtill and this is one of his subtilties whereby he deceiueth many people to their perdition First he labours by all meanes if it be possible to keepe them from hearing because he knows it is Gods ordinance and is afrayde least it bee powerfull in them But if hee cannot keepe them backe from hearing he deceiueth them with this conceit that any kind of formall hearing will serue their turne But do not herein beleeue the father of lies beleeue Christ who is the way the life and the trueth He tels you that there be 3. sorts of hearers which shall not be saued onely one sort among 4. shal be saued And therefore examine your selues what kinde of hearers you bee and doe not cortent your selues with that hearing that shall not edifie your soules Now let vs come to the seuerall kinds in particular And first let vs see who are they which receiue the seede on the high-way Some hearers are compared to such ground You know that if Land lye by the high-way side or an high-way lye through the middest of a plowed field some seede in the sowing wil fall on the high-way and so be lost Therevnto are some hearers compared and that very fitly For first as the high-way is not kept seuerall and priuate but lyeth open and common to all trauellers and passengers so these mens hearts are not enclosed and kept seuerall for heauenly things but lye open to all tentations and suggestions of the Diuell to all inticements of the world and to all idle thoughts vaine imaginations and that in the time of hearing Againe as the high-way is so troden and trampled by the feet of passengers that it cannot couer the seede or if it shoulde couer the seede yet the trampling will so harden the soyle as the seede can neuer sproute So these mens hearts are so hardened by wandering thoughts both in and immediatelie after hearing as the word cannot enter or at least cannot take any rooting in their hearts And as corne sowne in the high-way will neuer yeelde croppe like other ground so these hearers will neuer yeelde such fruit of the worde as others doe But who are these
doctrine of the Gospell is true and euery part of it that it teacheth vs the right way to heauen and that all things therin contained shal certainely be accomplished both for the condemnation of vnbeleeuers and for the saluation of beleeuers In regard hereof Christ saith He that receiueth his testimonie hath sealed that God is true As Paul sayde I consent to the Law that it is good So this beleeuer will say I consent to the Gospel that it is good Yea he will auouch with the same Apostle This is a true saying and worthy by all meanes to be receiued that Christ Iesus came into the world to saue sinners Herein also this faith agreeth with an hystoricall a iustifying faith And therefore those who in their hearts wil not assent to the truth of the gospel are meere Infidels though they liue in the Church yet they haue no faith at al. 3. A third degree is that he hath a desire in his heart of the pardon of his sin of the saluation of his soule through the merey of God merits of Christ. Euen as Balaam desired to dye the death of the righteous and that his last end might be like vnto his though he had no care to liue the life of the righteous nor prepare himselfe for death as the righteous man doth And as the people of the Iewes who followed Christ from place to place whē they hard him speak of the bread which cōmeth from heauen giueth life to the world desired him euermore to giue that bread And yet many of them afterward fell from him Yea moreouer they which haue this faith may not onely haue this desire in their hearts but may also expresse it by prayer to God Almightie and by vsing the meanes of saluation They may seek to enter in at the straight gate and shall not be able As Christ saith many shall doe Herein they go beyond those that haue onely an hystoricall saith for many haue it yet contemne Christ and his merits neuer seeke for saluation by him rather feare him then loue him and with the Diuels beleeue and tremble Yet herein they come short of them who haue a iustifying faith for their desire is not so earnest nor so constant nor so effectuall Not so earnest for the desire of the elect is vehement and very earnest set foorth by hungring thirsting which are vehement and strong appetites in them that haue long wanted meate and drinke yea the strongest desires that can be found in man but these men haue a desire in a lesser measure Neither is their desire so constant for it comes but by fits and may soone be gone againe like to lightning which is a sudden flash and soone gone But the desire of the other is like the light of the Sunne which is permanent Their desire may be quenched before they haue fully obtayned the thing desired but the desire of the other can neuer be satisfyed till they be assured that they haue gotten the thing they wanted Nor yet is it so effectuall in vsing the meanes of saluation with such care diligence painefulnesse and constancie The one sort think no paines too great no labour too long the other thinke lesse will serue the turne and therefore leaue off or lessen their labour in vsing the meanes before they haue gotten sauing grace for their soules 4. The fourth degree is this They may haue an apprehension of Christ and his benefites an inward feeling of some grace and a perswasion of Gods fauour in Christ. So they are sayde to taste of the heauenly gift and to taste of the good word of God and to be partakers of the holy Ghost as was shewed before Which wordes must needes import a particular apprehension and an inward cense of some good receiued and some fauour expected As some of the Israelites tasted of the fruites of the Land of Canaan did thereby perceiue what a good Land it was and conceiued some hope of enioying it and yet neuer enioyed the Land but perished in the wildernesse So these beleeuers may haue a taste of heauenly gifts and an hope of enioying euerlasting glory and yet perish in the end And indeed these beleeuers could not haue receiued the word with such ioy as was spoken of before vnlesse they had an apprehension of Gods fauour and some sense of grace in their hearts Yet herein doe they greatly differ from the regenerate 1. In the seat and so in the synceritie of these graces for these beleeuers hearts are as stony ground they cannot receiue the worde into the bottome of their hearts nor suffer the rootes of it to goe deepe enough and so their faith graces are not rooted in the bottome of the heart but sticke in the superficies or vpper part of it All things in them are superficiall and they full of hypocrisie Whereas the iustifying faith and the sauing graces of the regenerate are like a solide body hauing three dimensions length breadth and depth and do possesse the deepest and lowest parte of the heart 2. In the reason and ground of this their apprehension And so it is nothing but vaine presumption for it is built vpon false and mistaken grounds they take the shadow for the substance doe ouerweene their owne graces and take their faith to be vnfayned their repentance to be sound and their regeneration to be effectuall when indeede they are not And so they are like vnto beggers who in their sleepe dreame that they are become very rich 3. In the measure and therefore their apprehension of heauenly things is compared to tasting because the heart doth as it were but with the tip of the tongue lightly taste these spirituall things and doth not feed on them Look what difference there is betwixt Cookes and others that taste meat before it be serued vp to the table the guests that eat the same at the table the same difference there is betwixt the vngenerate the regenerate touching the measure of grace which they receiue Though the regenerate do here receiue but the first fruits of the spirit do know in part and prophesie in part beleeue in part find no perfection in thēselues yet haue they a greater measure then the vnregenerate 4. In the sense iudgement of their want The one wanteth more and yet doth lesse discerne his want like the Angel of Laodicea who thought he was rich whē he was poore miserable naked The other wanteth lesse and doth better discerne his want and therefore will say with that man in the Gospell I doe beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And with the Apostles Lord encrease our faith Yea the one like a Pharisie is proude of that which hee thinketh he hath the other is humbled by knowing what he wanteth The one contenteth himselfe with that which he hath groweth secure and laboureth not to better his estate the other striueth to grow in grace as
vnto cursing whose end is to be burned Are you as soyle sowne with the Lords seede and dressed by his Husbandmen and yet yeelde no fruite for his glory and for the comfort of those that take paines among you And will you expect a blessing from the LORD Those that be such may rather feare a curse Did not CHRIST curse the Figge Tree which bare leaues but no fruite if they still continue barren their case shall be worse then theirs of Sodome and Gomorrah for if the Sermons which haue beene preached among vs had beene preached in Sodome and Gomorrah they had repented long agoe in sack cloath and ashes but therefore shall it be easier for them of Sodom and Gomorrah at the day of Iudgement then for these disobedient people Take heede lest by your contempt of the word you lose it Christ taketh his Kingdome from them that be vnfruitfull and will giue it to a Nation which shall better bring forth the fruits thereof If you often sow a fielde with good corne and at haruest can reape no good croppe you will sow it no longer you will let it lie and sow some other And can you thinke that GOD will still continue his worde to you if after long sowing you will not yeeld any fruit It is a speciall fauour and mercie of God to haue the Gospell among vs. God hath not dealt so with euery Nation Happie are our eyes to see those things which we see and happie are our eares to heare those thinges which we heare Many righteous men would haue beene glad to haue seene and heard them and yet could not Let vs walke worthie of this blessing that it may bee continued to vs and to our posteritie Uerse 15. But that which fell in good ground are they which with an honest and good heart heare the word and keepe it YOV haue alreadie heard the exposition of three sorts of ground and what kinde of hearers were signififyed thereby Now see the exposition of the fourth and last kinde of ground And that was good ground in which the seede sowne sprang vp and brought forth fruit with great encrease Vnto this ground good and profitable hearers are compared As all the other groundes set forth to our view the nature and properties of bad hearers so this describeth the conditions of good hearers Before we come to the speciall properties of these hearers in particular we are to obserue one thing in generall and from the coherence to wit That although Christ had diuers sorts of hearers and nany of them were bad some one way some another way yet all of them were not bad some were good and profitable hearers all his seed was not lost some sell on good ground yeelded plentifull encrease Though the Scribes and Pharises and many of the common multitude were bad hearers yet the Apostles and many other Disciples were good hearers did keepe the word in their hearts and brought forth fruit in their liues And therfore he told the Iewes that whereas they neyther receiued Iohn nor him Iohn came neither eating nor drinking and they said he had a Diuell The Son of man came eating drinking and they sayd Behold a glutton and a drinker of wine a friend of publicans and sinners They woulde neither receiue the one for his austeritie nor the other for his affabilitie yet Wisedome is iustifyed of her children And hee gaue thanks vnto his father because that although he had hid these thinges from the wise and men of vnderstanding yet he had reuealed them vnto babes Though some of his hearers in Capernaum tooke offence at his doctrine of eating his flesh drinking king his blood and from that time went backe and walked with him no more Yet the Apostles would not forsake him but frely ackdowledged that they would neuer leaue him because he had the words of eternall life and they did beleue that he was the Christ the Sonne of the liuing God When he preached in the Temple at the Feast of the Tabernacles there was dissention among his hearers Some sayde Of a truth this is the Prophet Others sayd This is the Christ. Some sayde Shall Christ come out of Galilie Others said Neuer man spake like him At another time some that heard him saide hee had a Diuell and was mad and blamed men for hearing him any longer Others said These are not the wordes of one that hath a Diuell Can the Diuell open the eies of him that was borne blind Such diuersity of hearers had Christ his worde did not worke alike in all that hard it Some waxed worse some were made better by hearing of it The like effect was seene in Pauls hearers When he and Barnabas preached at Iconium a great multitude both of Iewes and Graecians beleeued though there were some vnbeleeuing Iewes that stirred vp and corrupted the mindes of the Gentiles against the brethren In that deuision of the Citie though some were with the Iewes yet some were with the Apostles And when he preached at Athens some mocked him for his doctrine of the Resurection some would heare him againe as if they were not fully resolued but desired to be further instructed yet certaine men did cleaue to Paul beleeued as Denys a Iudge of Mars Streete Damaris a woman and others with them And thus it pleaseth GOD still to blesse the Ministerie of his seruants Though they cannot conuert all yet they doe conuert some they doe not altogether lose their labour As there is no field so barren but if it be sowne some seede will come vp and yeeld encrease so is there no place or congregation so bad but if the truth be there sincerely taught it will in time winne some Though some continue obstinate and remaine as ignorant as Popish and as prophane as euer they were before they heard Yet Wisedome shall be iustifyed of her children as many as are ordayned to eternall life shall beleeue Some shal be called and by hearing shall grow in knowledge in grace and obedience This may comfort and encourage vs in our labours Though it bee some griefe to see many non proficients who heare much and are neuer the better yet if it please the Lord to giue some happie issue vnto our labours that wee edifie some though not all that wee profite a few though not many wee should therewith be content and praise the Lord for it If indeede wee should conuert none at all yet must wee not faint but still continue our paines and expect a reward at the Lords hands for he will reward our laboures though we should do others no good thereby And therefore the Prophet sayd I haue laboured in vaine I haue spent my strength in vaine and for nothing but my iudgement is with the Lord and my worke with my God It is not our worke but the Lords worke to conuert soules Paul may plant Apollos may water but it
his Father Sanctify them with thy trueth thy word is the trueth And the Apostle teacheth that GOD doth sanctify the Church clense it by the washing of the water through the word Now thē the plaister must be applyed to the place that is wounded or sore If it be applied to any other place it will do no good If the disease come frō the hart or inward parts it is in vain to lay the plaister to the head to the eare to the hand or to the foote so long as the heart inward parts are not cured they will minister new corrupt matter to the outward parts If then our hearts be corrupt we must not onely be content to apply the word to the eares by hearing it to the head by vnderstanding it to the tongue by talking of it but also to the heart for the purging of it at the first and for the guiding of it alwaies afterward 2. Againe the heart is the seate of the affections you must therefore receiue the word into your hearts that so it may worke on your affections both to sanctifie them as also to stirre them vp vnto good Thou must loue the word trust in the word and reioyce in the word or rather thou must loue God trust in God and reioyce in God because of his word as was shewed before in the example of Dauid Thou canst not doe this vnles thou receiue the word with thy heart As meate cannot nourish thy body vnles it be receiued into thy stomacke And as seede can neuer sprout nor come vp vnles it be cast into the furrowes and clods of the earth no more will the word profit thy soule vnles it be receiued into thy heart 3. Moreouer the heart is the commander of the whole man and sets all on worke according to the disposition of it selfe Of the abundance of the hart the mouth speaketh as saith our Sauiour A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things As the primum mobile doth turne all the other inferiour orbes round about with it And as the watch wheele of a clocke guideth all the other wheeles If it stand they stand if it goe they goe if it goe slowly they goe slowly if it go swiftly they go swiftly So doth the heart of man rule and order all the senses and parts of his body either to good or euill they are exercised as it is affected Those then that would be obedient hearers of the word must needes receiue and embrace it with their hearts that so their hearts louing and lyking and beleeuing it may set all their senses and all the parts of their bodies on worke to practise it 4. Lastly the heart is the safest place for it As sowne corne if it lye on the top of the furrowes may easily be deuoured by the fowles of the ayre but if it be hid and couered is free from that danger so the word which thou hearest if it goe no further then thy eares or head it is easily taken from thee but if it descend to the bottome of thy heart it may there be safelie kept It is an heauenly treasure And therefore thou must imitate that man who finding a treasure in the field did hide it and for ioy thereof went and sold all that he had to buy that field Though men will suffer their baser stuffe and wodden vessell to be more common and lye more open and remaine in greater danger yet their best and most costly stuffe their iewells and coyne they will lay vp in the safest places So seeing the word of God is most precious of great value and worth lay it vp safely in the bottome of the heart And if this be a property of good hearers to heare the word with their hearts then those who bring their bodies to the Church and leaue their hearts at home who draw neere to God with their lippes and with their eares when their hearts are farre from him cannot be good hearers If thou wouldest be of that number prepare thy heart before hand and while thou hearest let not thy heart be thinking on any by-matters but onely attend to that heare with thy heart as well as with thy eares and then shalt thou be blessed by thy hearing 2. Againe note hence more specially the qualitie and disposition of their hearts who heare profitably they heare with an honest and good heart It is not any kind of heart that will make your hearing profitable it must be an honest and good heart Though thou shouldest heare with thy heart as well as with thy eares yet vnles it be a good heart it will little auaile thee For in the goodnes of the heart consisteth a maine difference betwixt these hearers and some of the former Those which be compared to stony ground did heare with their harts For they are saide not onely to heare but also to receiue the word with ioy Yet were they not good and honest hearts They were hard and stony and would not suffer the worde to take rooting deepe enough And those that be resembled to Thornie ground did heare with their hearts yet were their hearts not good They were full of worldly cares and carnall delights which afterward choaked the word But these receiued it with good and honest hearts and therefore did both retaine it and obey it In describing of the qualitie of this their hart Christ here vseth two words which be of a neere yet not of the same signification There is some difference ketwixt them the one properly signifieth faire beautifull seemly and comely the other signifieth good and excellent The one noteth the outward apparent qualitie the other expresseth the inward nature and inherent propertie of the thing And so here by is signified that the heart of these hearers is good each way both outwardly before men manifesting it self to be good by open profession by aboundance of fruites and by constant perseuerance And also inwardly in it selfe and before God by a sincere sanctification and holie disposition And so their heart differeth from the heartes of the former hearers For though they in receyuing the Worde with ioy in belieuing it and bringing forth some fruites of it did make some faire showe and gaue some outward signe of a good heart yet their heart was not effectually sanctified within and they made those faire showes but for a time Afterward they reuolting in time of Tentation or failing in their fruites thorough worldly cares and voluptuousnes bewrayed the filthinesse of theyr hearts Those then that would bee good hearers must haue good hearts both waies Both inwardly in their owne nature and inclination as also outwardly before men by the fruites and testimonies As is the heart so will the hearing be Good meete will not nourish that mans bodie who hath a bad stomacke that cannot well
onely assent to the doctrines but also doe beleeue that the things which we aske to be done shall be accomplished by God which we call an assurance Stella also as plainely maketh two kindes of Faith There is a faith saith he whereby we beleeue whatsoeuer is to be beleeued and this is a theologieall vertue There is another faith which is a certaine confidence to wit that whereby we beleeue that the Lord will giue vs that which we aske of him I could produce more witnesses speaking to the same purpose but I spare them till I come to speake of the seuerall kindes by themselues yet consider that not onely the ancient Fathers but likewise some great Clearkes in the late Romish Church haue made diuers kindes of faith Why then should we be condemned as Heretikes for teaching the same SECT VII LEt vs now come to the seuerall kinds of faith in particular And let vs first coÌ„sider a little touching iustifying faith It may be you will mislike two things in that description of it which I set downe in one of the precedent sermons The one respecteth the nature of it the other respecteth the persons that be endued with it because some of your side teach contrary therevnto 1. Touching the nature of it I shewed that by it a Christian doth apprehend and apply to himselfe all the promises of God in Christ and all the merits of Christ for his present iustification and for his future saluation I know it as well as you that many of your learned meÌ„ teach the contrary and therefore I feare that you will rather beleeue them then me The Rhemists say that to apprehend Christs righteousnes by faith is a phâ—ntasticall apprehension of that which is not And that it is a false faith And afterward that the Apostle knewe not speciall faith the forged faith of Protestants whereby euery one of these new Sect-maisters and their followers as it pleaseth them in the meeknes of their spirit to tearme vs beleeue their sinnes are remitted and themselues shall be saued And else-where that a speciall faith is a forged faith that neither Paul nor Iames nor any other sacred writer euer knewe or spake of any such faith Cardinall Bellermine maintaineth that Faith is neither Fiducia an assurance of Gods mercie or the Pardon of a Man 's owne sinnes nor yet Notitia a cknowledge of such thinges but but onely a firme and certaine assent to the truth of those things which God hath propounded to be deliuered Doctor Stapleton calleth them Heretickes who place the whole nature propertie vertue and greatnes of faith in a particular applicatien of Gods geuerall promises to Belieuers Indeed that which they say is true if there were no other faith taught in the word nor wrought in the hearts of Christians then that which is generally taught and found in the present Romane Church But they which vnderstand the word aright and are iustified by Faith do know and feele another kinde of faith farre surpassing that Bellarmine doth much wrong vs and more trouble himselfe in this point then needed He saith that they differ from vs in the obiect of iustifying faith because we whom he commonly calleth by the name of Heretickes doe restraine it to a sole promise of a speciall mercy And afterward spendeth many chapters in prouing that the obiect of a iustifying faith is not a speciall mercy but all things which God hath reuealed For we doe not hold that the promise of a speciall mercy to a man in particular is the obiect of a true iustifying faith vnder the new testament we finde none such made to any of vs The generall promises of mercy in Christ are the material obiects which being indefinitly propounded it is an acte of faith to make a true Christian to apply them particularly to himselfe But to come to the matter now in question It may easily be proued that a iustifying faith is not onely an assent to the truth of things reuealed in the word but likewise an apprehension and particular applying of the generall promises of Gods mercies and Christs merits for the remission of sinnes In the scriptures faith is called a receiuing of Christ. And a receiuing of the promise Can there be a receiuing of a thing without application was Christ receiued generally of all together for all together and not particularly by euery one for himself When Thomas saide to CHRIST My God and my Lorde Did not he especially and particularly applye Christ and his benefites to himselfe who was GOD and Lorde to all true Christians Yet Christ gaue it the name and Tytle of Faith saying vnto him Because thou hast seene mee thou belieuest And maketh that his faith the very same with their faith who were blessed for belieuing when they had not seene Yea with the faith of Gentiles For Augusti thinketh he did thereby preach and commend the faith of the Gentiles When Paul saide Christ hath loued me and giuen himselfe for mee Did hee not applye particularly to himselfe Christ and his benefites yet this hee did by that faith whereof hee spake immediately before euen by that faith in the Sonne of God whereby he then liued Is not Christ that bread which must nourish our soules and is not Faith the eating of him as himselfe declareth at large Ioh 6. Whervpon Augustine said What preparest thou thy teeth and thy belly belieue thou hast eaten And can there be any eating vnlesse there be be a speciall Application of the meate to the person that is fed Doth not euery one pray in particular for speciall mercie And is not euery one to belieue that what he asketh he shall obtaine And certaine it is that whosoeuer doth worthilie by Faith receiue the sacrament of the Lords supper hee doth by faith particularly receiue Christ and all his benefites and particularly applyeth all the promises of Gods mercies in him Bellarmine confesseth that they agree with vs that Faith is necessarily required for the profitable receiuing of the Sacrament And is there not an Analogie betwixt the signes and the thing signied Looâ—…e then how wee receiue the outward Signes so must wee by faith receiue the thing signified As therefore euerie one doeth particularly with his owne hand receiue to himselfe and for himselfe the outward signe So euery one that belieueth doth particularly receiue to himselfe and for himselfe Christ and all his benefites Let vs come to the Fathers It may be some of you will neither yeeld to scriptures alleadged by vs nor yet to any reasons vnles you may heare the Fathers speake as we doe That godly Martyr Cyprian said that although a man daily rehearsed all the articles of the creede Yet he doth not beleeue in God who doth not place in him onely the assurance of his whole felicitie he holdeth that faith is a confidence or assurance and not in generall of the happines and saluation of
Yet vnto this faith assent of reason and the minde that it may be called a perfect faith there ought also to be adioyned a certaine sure and firme trust of the heart whereby the belieuing soule doth so stay vpon trust to the worde and truth of God that without all doubting whatsoeuer it is he hath it as sure as if he held it in his handes And hee further addeth that this is the Faith and not that assent of reason which the Lord euery where required of them whome hee vouchsafed to heale Of that he spake when he saide Daughter be of comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole And this is the same Faith which maketh prayer effectuall which Christ and Iames require in them that pray Didacus Stella hauing distinguished of faith that there is one to belieue whatsoeuer is to be belieued called a Theological vertue another is a Considence by which we belieue that the Lorde will giue whatsoeuer we aske He saith that without this faith 1. this Confidence our sinnes cannot be forgiuen For although a man belieue all thinges contained in holy Scriptures to be true and all things which the Church belieueth yet if he shuld not trust and most certainly belieue that they shall be forgiuen him they should neuer be forgiuen him And saint Iames saith Let him aske in faith nothing doubting To the like purpose doth he afterward distinguish of faith describe the later kinde saying Faith is taken two wayes One way for the habite of belieuing according to which we doe assent to the trueths of the Scripture And this is the Faith without which it is impossible to please God And this is one of the three Theologicall vertues 1. Cor. 13. And by this faith a belieuer differeth from an Infidell There is another faith which is called a Confidence whereby a man asketh of God confidently hoping and belieuing most certainly that he shall obtaine of the Lord that which he asketh Which faith is needefull for him that prayeth otherwise hee shall neuer obtaine any thing If this be the faith required of them that pray aright it is the faith of all Gods Saints and of them which are iustified for they pray often and are heard And if this man write truely then those who teach and haue no other faith then an assent to the truth of things reuealed can neuer obtaine pardon of their sinnes nor haue their petitions graunted Tollet taught and that out of Euthymius that Faith in many places of scripture is takeÌ„ Not for the assent of the minde but for the assuraÌ„ce of the will Iansenius also writeth the same Therfore most rightly as appeareth it may be saide that by the name of Faith in the Gospells wheÌ„ saluation or the obtaining of those things which wee desire is ascribed vnto it both these are comprehended both that firme assent in things to be belieued concerning God and Christ and also a Confidence conceyued from his goodnesse c. For these two doe so cleaue together that neyther can there be any Confidence without Credulitie neyther can Credulitie without Confidence obtayne any thing of God And to the same effect afterward thus These two to wit Credulity and Confidence seeme to be included together in the name Faith when it is set downe that the Lord saâ—d According to your Faith be it vnto you That the meaning may be As ye belieue that I can heale you and for this doe trust that I will heale you So be it vnto you If then by the testimonie of these Authors Faith bee often so taken in the Scriptures And if this be the only Faith whereby we obtaine such things at the handes of God Why should wee be condemned as Hereticks for teaching such a faith Ought not we to haue such a faith in Christ for the saluation of our soules that those men had in him for the curing of their bodyes Though Stapleton denie this speciall Considence yet hee acknowledgeth that for one and the same faith Christ gaue them both outward inward health Paulus Burgensis saith that Abraham by the Faith which was imputed to him for Righteousnes did not onely belieue that he should be the Father of many Nations but rather that he his seed should obtaine euerlasting life in heauen In Genes 15. Addit 2. The Diuines of Colone taught that through the faith of the word of God working in vs true Contrition and Repentance and other works of preuenting grace we are iustified as by a certaine cause preparing and disposing vs. But through the Faith whereby without doubting we doe firmely trust our sinnes are forgiuen vs through Christ wee are iustified as by a cause receiuing it And also adde further that the Righteousnes of Christ is the cause of our Iustification not as it is out of vs in him but as and when the same is imputed vnto vs for Righteousnes yet so that it be apprehended by faith Cassander who was so highly esteemed for learning and wisedome that two Romane Emperors Ferdinand and Maximilian 2. sent to him for his aduise howe to compound the controuersies in religion approueth their opinion saith that Booke was greatly commended of all the Learnedst diuines through Italy France as a Booke that excellently relateth the summe of the Ancients opinion touching religion out of whose writings the booke is as it were confirmed And with great approbation citeth these words out of it Wee confesse it to be true that it is altogether required for the iustifying of a man that a man doe certainly belieue not onely generally that for Christ sinnes be forgiuen to them that be truely penitent but also that they be forgiuen to the man himselfe for Christ by faith Hee also alledgeth out of the Ratisbone booke these words We call a liuely faith a motion of the holy Ghost whereby they who truely repent are lifted vp to God and doe truely apprehend mercie promised in Christ that now they truely perceiue that they haue through the free goodnes of God receiued remission of sinnes and reconciliation for the merits of Christ and doe crye Abba Fâ—ther And therevpon hee inferreth that rightly agreeably to the scriptures it is saide that this is the nature of a Iustifying Faith that it perceiue that feeling of Gods fauour which the holy Ghost worketh in vs. And further addeth that to obtaine Iustification Such a Faith is required whereby a man after the example of Abraham doth not doubt of the promise of God through distrust but aboue hope belieueth vnder hope that God will impute to him that belieueth in him who raised Iesus from the dead this Faith to his iustification and will not impute his sinnes to him An example whereof as he saith we haue in the cure of corporall diseases which beareth an image of the inward cure For there Christ required a Faith whereby a man did belieue that Christ
of the Church but likewise the Romish writers doe teach that there is an historical sense of the Scriptures and that both simple and figuratiue proper and metophoricall yea and that this sense is especially to be beleeued and that no arguments are of any force but those that be drawn from that sense Now may not wee well call that an historicall faith whereby wee beleeue all things to be true which are taught and proued out of the word according to that historicall sense And indeede the Papists haue no more reason to mislike the tytle of an historicall faith then to mislike the tytle of an historicall sense but that the one is vsed by vs the other is often vsed by themselues They themselues haue inuented strange names and tytles which they giue to faith as to call one Faith vnformed an other formed one Implicitie an other Explicite when as they can prooue neither the names nor the things signified thereby out of the scriptures Why then wil they blame vs for vsing a tytle the meaning whereof by their owne confession is warranted in the Scripture Yet was not this Tytle first inuented by xs Augustine did long agoe vse the name and distinguished it from other kinds of faith saying Let vs distinguish what faith we owe to the Historie or Hystoricall sense what faith we owe to the vnderstanding or mysticall sense and which is a stedfast Faith whether Hystoricall and Temporall or spirituall and Eternall Ferus a learned preaching Fryer vseth the Tytle and maketh this faith to be the same with th popish vnformed faith for writing of the Centurions faith hee saith This is not spoken of an Hystoricall or vnformed faith but of a Confidence of mercie to bee shewed thorough Christ. SECT XI AS there is some Difference betwixt vs our aduersaries touching the name so is there greater difference betwixt vs touching the thing Namely whether this hystoricall and dogmaticall faith be the selfe same with Iustifying faith or whether it be a distinct kind of it selfe differing from a iustifying faith Many of our aduersaries make them both one The Rhemists say that the Faith which was reputed for Iustice to Abraham was his beliefe of an Article reuealed vnto him by God that is to say his assent and credite giuen to Gods speeches And that iustice shall be reputed to vs by belieuing the artâ—cles of Christs death and Resurrection not by any speciall faith And that the Catholicke Faith is that wherewith we belieue the articles of the Faith which onely iustifieth And Bellarmine alleadgeth much to proue that faith which iustifieth is neither Fiducia nor Notia but onely an assent to the truth of those things which God hath reuealed And in very truth the Papists must hold that either this faith iustifieth or none at all because they teach no better ordinary faith then this as appeareth by their treatises of faith But it may euidently appeare that this is not the faith which iustifieth vs. There is another faith aboue this and farre more excellent then this and much differing from this which doth iustifie vs alone none other but it I will declare the difference betwixt them that so you may perceiue that they bee not one and the same 1. First they differ in their nature For I proued before that by the iustifying faith a Christian doth apprehend and particularly applye to himselfe all the Promises of Gods mercies and of Christs merites for the pardon of his sinnes and the saluation of his soule But the Papists themselues acknowledge that this faith is of another nature onely an assent to things reuealed Compare that which I wrote before touching the nature of a true iustifying faith with that which the Papists teach to be the nature forme of this faith and you may see great difference 2. They differ in their essentiall degrees and therefore cannot be the same faith in specie I knowe that magis minus non diuersificant speciem more and lesse doe not alter the kinde as the Logicians speake Yet the waÌ„t of the true vnderstanding of that Axiome and of applying it aright to the matter in question hath caused some papists to erre in coufounding different kindes of faith It is true in accidentall but not in substantiall and essentiall degrees for there be degrees of both sortes There be accidentall degrees as degrees of quantitie quantitatis continuae quantitatis discretae A great horse is of the same kind with a litle horse And the greatest number of the same species with the least There be also substantiall and essentiall degrees as appeareth in the faculties of the soule The sensitiue facultie is a degree aboue the vegetatiue and the reasonable facultie another degree aboue the vnsensitiue These being substantiall and essentiall Degrees doe alrer the kinde though not in the same indiuiduo yet in diuers So as that creature which hath an higher degree is of an other kinde then that which hath a lower degree Faith hath the like degrees Some be accidentall and respect the quantitie of Faith So there is Eligopistia a little faith or weake assurance And Plerephoria tes pisteos a full assurance and strong faith And so faith is saide to be lesser and greater both extensiuely when more credible things are knowne and belieued expressely as may be seene in belieuers who know much And intensiuely when credible things are more clerely knowne and more firmâ—ly and ferueÌ„tly held There be also substantiall and essentiall degrees of faith which respect the substance and forme the nature and naturall propertâ—es of it When one bâ—lieueth all that another doth and also more and that in an other manner and forme So he that hath a iustifying faith belieueth all things that hee belieueth who hath an historicall or dogmaticall Faith and that in the same manner Yet doth hee belieue more also and after an other manner Hee doth not only belieue that all things written in the Scriptures be true but likewise belieueth that God will performe his generall Promises in particular towards him for the pardon of his sinne and the saluation of his soule The one of these is Credere Deo to giue credite to God the other is Credere in Deum to belieue in God Augustine thus said of them If yee belieue in him yee giue credite to him But not alwayes he that giueth credit vnto him belieueth in him For the Diuels giue credite to him yet did not belieue in him Yea al papists do freely acknowledge a substantial differeÌ„ce betwixt these two in the very forme manner of belieuing And therfore some doe make of them 2. seuerall kindes of faith as before I proued Others say that there is no such Degree aboue dogmatical faith which before I confuted And which heere by the testimony of Augustine is conuinced 3. They differ in their obiects for the one respecteth the truth of God shewed in
mortally after he had receyued a formed faith That faith was lost and another habit of informed faith was infused of God in steede of it He thought it was not conuenient to say any gift of God should bee bestowed on man for the practise of mortall sinne therfore he holdeth that after mortall sinne committed by a Belieuer the same habite of faith remaineth which was in him before And how can any of them say otherwise who teach as I shewed before that the faith which is in a man before grace before his repentance and conuersion is the selfe-same habite in number that is in him after grace and conuersion The Councell of Trent decreed that Faith is lost by infidelitie and by euery mortall sinne though faith be not lost yet the receiued grace of iustification is lost As if a man could not loose his faith by any mortall sinne but onely by infidelitie And that by mortall sinne a man might loose his former grace of iustification yet not loose his faith And according to that rule Bellarmine writeth that there is no sin which doth necessarily exclude faith but that which is opposed vnto it which is infidelity And this is manifestly testified by experience For we see among the Catholickes manie publicke sinners Murtherers Fornicators Thieues druÌ„kards who without all doubt giue credit to all those things which the Church propoundeth to be beleeued Coster the Iesuite likewise as the best Physitions by intemperancie breaking the Rules of theyr arte doe not thereby loose the skill and knowledge of Physicke So a Christian who against the testimony of his owne conscience doth sinne contrary to the lawes of faith neyther looseth his faith nor ceaseth to bee Christian. And seeing that by faith belieuers differ from Infidels if sinners want faith they should be Infidels and be separated from the Church after the manner of Infidels And yet sinners belâ—g to the church as Taâ—es are in the same fielde with wheate Good-fish in the same Net with bad But by the way consider what kinde of persons they acknowledge for true belieuers euen the worst that almost can be Publike sinners Murtherers Fornicators Theeues Drunkards Such as ought for theyr leawd liues to be excommunicated Such as be tares among wheate A man may finde as holy beleeuers as these in Hell Is this that faith which S. Iames would haue a man to shewe by his workes It is true indeede that their Assenting faith may bee found in such vngodly persons for it is found in the very diuels Yet a true sauing faith wherof the question is cannot be found in any such persons as keepe a continued course in the practise of these sinnes True beleeuers may somtime sinne of infirmitie yet not of wilfulnesse Thogh they fall yet they arise again and doe not long continue in sinne Cyprian asketh how any man can say hee belieueth in Christ who doth not that which Christ commanded him to doe As if hee had no true faith who wanteth obedience That is true Faith 16â— saide Beda which doth not contradict that in maÌ„ners which it speaketh in words They might therefore better say Such sinners neuer had true faith at all and so cannot loose that which they neuer had Againe obserue what their beleeuers loose by their mortall sinnes Though they loose not the habite yet they loose the forme of faith Yea they loose the life of faith for now it is become a dead faith seeing it wanteth good workes Yea they loose the grace of iustification and so become guilty againe of all theyr former sinnes They might as well loose faith it selfe such a faith as is lost will doe them no good What an absurditie it is to hold that a formed faith and an vnformed faith a liuing faith and a dead faith a iustifying faith and a faith that iustifieth not are one and the selfe same faith hath bene sufficiently proued already Yet to this absurditie are they driuen that so they may maintaine the vnitie of faith in all sorts of beleeuers When as they should rather acknowledge that their assenting faith and a true iustifying faith are distinct kindes and that those who liue and continue in grosse sinnes though they may haue the former yet they neuer had and therefore cannot possibly loose the later Michael Medina one of their owne Church doth stiffely maintaine it that though an vnformed faith doth not vanish away by mortall sinne yet that sound faith which Christ requires in the Gospell cannot stand with a peruerse continuance in haynous offences And proueth it by the testimonies of S. Paul And therefore that they onely haue a true faith who stil continue in wel doing But although that most of our aduersaries teach that faith may not bee lost by deadly sinne yet they hold it may bee lost by Infidelitie as if Infidelitie were not a deadly sinne And if this be so then Bellarmines arguments whereby he would prooue that faith may be lost are altogether impertinent and fall to the ground of themselues seeing they are drawne from a relapse into sinne not into Infidelitie When the Lord spake by his Prophet That if the righteous man did forsake his righteousness and commit iniquitie hee shall dye for the same which is the Cardinals first argument He spake not of a falling from righteousnes into Infielitie but of a falling into mortall sinne as they call it When Christ said Eueâ—y branch that beareth not fruite hee will take away hee vnderstood not of any reuolt to Infidelitie but of the sinnes of omission in which men fayle in their duties The like may be said of Christs words that iniquity should abound and charitie waxe cold And of Pauls beating of his body and bringing it into subiection which bee other of his arguments for that purpose He also endeuourth to proue it by 8. seuerall examples of persons who lost their faith Yet all of them are in the same maner impertinent The bad Angels and Adam before their falles had no such faith as now wee haue nor any such promise of perseuerance yet dare hee not say that any of them fell to Infidelitie For the Diuels haue their assenting faith as before I haue proued but it is apparant touching the rest whom hee alleadgeth Wall the Cardinall say that Saul Dauid Salomon Peter and Iudas fell froÌ„ faith to Infidelitie Became they Pagans by their falls Did they not still prosesse the same God that they did before Did they denye the trueth of his word Why then will hee produce their examples to prooue that a man may lose his faith seeing he himselfe before taught that faith cannot bee lost by any mortall sinne but onely by Infidelitie Let the Cardinall therefore eyther alter his opinion or bring more pertinent proofes But may true faith be lost by infidelitie may a iustified beleeuer become an Infidell a Iew a Turke a Pagan surely no. A man may quite loose their assâ—â—ting faith
me ye workers of iniquitie This was extraordinarie giuen to some fewe at the first preaching of the Gospell but hath ceased long agoe The ordinary kindes of faith which may be found in the reprobate are two in number The one is called an hystoricall the other a temporarie faith The one I say is called an hystoricall faith or a dogmaticall because it is a bare knowledge and acknowledgment of the historie of the scriptures and of the things written therein concerning God his workes his promises and concerning Christ his merites and benefites without any apprehension of the things knowne and acknowledged This is the faith whereby men beleeue Moses and his writings This is the faith which Paul would needes fasten on Agrippa to beleeue the Prophets This is not fides qua cridimus in deum sed qua credimus deo id est credere vera esse quae loquitur It is not the faith whereby we belieue in God but the faith whereby we belieue God that is whereby we belieue all things to be true which he speaketh And so differeth very much from a iustifying faith This faith is found in the vnregenerate They may belieue all things to be true which are written though they little regard them yea this faith is in the deuells for they belieue and tremble as Iames teacheth And therefore those Atheists those prophane and obstinate scoffers against religion which will not belieue the scriptures nor acknowledge the truth of the things therein reuealed are worse then the diuels And if they be worse then diuells of hell they must needes be farre from entring into heauen The other kind of common faith is termed a temporary faith which is a certaine ape of iustifying faith yet is not the same for although it goe some degrees beyond an historicall faith yet it comes short of a iustifying faith not onely in regard of sinceritie and manner of apprehension but also in regard of the efficacie in internall and externall actes and in regard of the time of continuance This is called a temporary faith not onely for distinction sake to put a difference betwixt it and other kinds but also because it continueth but for a time as appeareth by this place For this is the faith here spoken of And although some Papists laugh at the very name which we giue it as if it were a new coyned tearme yet you see it is grounded on this text And they might also haue seene it taught by others if either they had read the writings of the ancient or their malice against vs had not blinded their eyes Augustine giues the tytle and Bernard doth not onely giue it the like tytle in calling it sides ficta and comparing it to earthen vessells that are easily broken but likewise distinguisheth it frō the dead faith which is without good workes and from the tryed faith which endureth to the end And also describeth it at large by the very words of this my text This faith was in those Iewes who by the sight of Christs miracles at Ierusalem beleeued in him They are said to beleeue in his name and so doubt were perswaded did acknowledge that he was the Messiah to come yet Iesus did commit himselfe vnto them because he know them all and what was in them If he had seene a sound and permanent faith in them no doubt he would haue trusted them but because he saw their faith was neither sound nor constant he would not trust them he foresaw that for all their present profession they might forsake him afterward as the Capernaites did The faith also was in Simon Magus who though before he had bene a notorious sorcerer yet hearing Philip preach did beleeue and was baptized and continued with Philip as a professour of the Gospell and wondered when he saw the great miracles which were wrought yet when he would afterward haue bought the gifts of the holy Ghost for money and haue made a marchandise of them Peter told him that he had neither part nor fellowship in that busines that his heart was not right in the sight of God that he was in the gall of bitternes and in the bond of iniquitie And after that if we may giue credit to humane writings and Ecclesiasticall hystories hee became a sorcerer againe and an open enemie to Peter and the rest of the Apostles and in a fearefull manner died at Rome This faith was in Iudas one of the twelue he vnderstood the misterie of the Gospell professed himselfe an Apostle of Christ preached the Gospell as well as other Apostles and for a long time was of honest behauiour yet Christ called him a diuell and the childe of perdition Afterward he betrayed his Maister for money and then hanged himselfe through desperation This faith was also in those who fell into the vnrecouerable sinne against the holy Ghost for they were enlightened had a taste of the heauenly gift were partakers of the holy Ghost and tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come And yet they so fel away as they could not be renewed by repentance did crucifie againe the sonne of God and made a mocke of him And this faith haue many others who heare the word acknowledge the truth of it hope to be saued by it make prosession of it liue in outward obedience and receiue the Sacraments and yet in time of persecution proue Apostataes But that you may the better discerne the nature of this faith I will note the seuerall degrees of it for thereby you may clearely see how farre it doth agree with an historicall a iustifying faith and how farre it doth differ from them both There be sixe degrees of it 1. The first degree is illumination and knowledge These beleeuers haue a knowledge of Gods word especially in the chiefest poynts of Gods will and worship in the fundamentall points of mans redemption and in the most necessary points of mans duetie Iudas could not haue beene a Preacher of the Gospell vnlesse he had knowne these things Christ would not haue sent him to teach these things to others if him selfe had beene ignorant of them Those which fell away to the fearefull sinne against the holy Ghost were before enlightned Vnlesse men know the truth they cannot beleeue it How shall they beleeue except they haue heard And herein this faith agreeth both with an historicall and a iustifying faith Christ sayd of the Apostles They haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and haue beleeued that thou hast sent me Knowledge is the first step and degree to each kinde of faith And therefore those who be ignorant of the principles of Religion come so farre short of a true sauing and iustifying faith that as yet they haue not attayned to an hystoricall or temporary faith 2. The second degree is an assent to the truth of the Gospell They are infallibly perswaded that the whole
all Gods children but in particular of his owne happines This his assertion doth so gall the Papists that Pamelius said it must be read warily because he knewe that if it were reade in the very sense which the words did beare and the author meant without some corrupt glosse contrary to his meaning it would iustifie our doctrine of faith and make most of the popish crew who haue no confidence of their owne saluation but an assent to the truth of Gods worde to be a company of vnbelieuers The same Father saith That how much Faith we bring thither to receiue so much we draw of Gods ouerflowing grace This is appointed of God saide Ambrose that hee who belieueth in Christ should bee saued without works by faith only receiuing freely the remission of sinnes To the like effect speaketh Hesychius Grace of mercie is both offered and also apprehended by faith alone without workes Augustine maketh Faith the hand whereby euery one must lay holde of Christ now sitting in Heauen Is not that more then a bare assent to thinges reuealed Is not this a speciall Application When the same Father stirred vp his owne soule with these wordes Let my soule say yea let it altogether confidently say Thou art my God who doth say to my soule I am thy saluation c. Did hee not in particular appropriate and apply to himselfe the generall fauours and mercies of God and made him who was God ouer all to be his God in particular And when he sayd Behold we belieue in Christ whom we receiue by faith In receiuing we know what we thinke we receiue a little and are fed in the heart he shewed the nature of faith to be rather an apprehension and application then an assent Chrysostome writing of the promises made to the Patriarches and of the maner how they receiued them saith thus They did by faith alone conceiue a certaine assurance of them seeing them a farre off before foure generations they had such a certain perswasion of them that they did euen salute them as Sea-faring men doe a farre off see the Cities desired which they salute before they enter into them Thou seest that this they receiued is to expect and haue confidence of them If therefore to haue confidence is to receiue We also may receiue them Wherein he declareth the nature of faith not to consist onely in an assent giuen to the truth of things reuealed but a confidence and assurance of the promises of God made to man And that by this confidence beleeuers are saide to receiue the promises And that as they then receiued the promises by that their confidence so also we now by the like confidence are to receiue them Damascen expounding the Apostles description of faith that it is the ground of things hoped for hath these words Faith is an vndoubted and vniudge-able hope as well of those things which are promised vs of God as of obteyning our petitions If then any man may particularly aske the forgiuenes of his owne sinnes and the saluation of his owne soule he may in particular beleeue that his owne sins shall be pardoned his owne soule saued Bernard is plentifull this way thus he saith If thou beleeuest that thy sinnes cannot be blotted out but by him against whom onely thou hast sinned thou doest well but yet adde more that thou also beleeue this that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee by him Is not this a speciall faith Is not this more theÌ„ an assent in generall to things reuealed Is not this the faith so much impugned by our late papists And for a speciall application of Christs merits vnto vs for the pardon of a mans owne sinnes and the saluation of his owne soule he speaketh as plainely But that Caine was not of the members of Christ nor had any thing to do with the merit of Christ that he might presume the same to be his he would haue called that his owne which was Christs as the member doth that which is the heades Thereby teaching that the true beleeuer being a member of Christ doeth call that his owne which is Christs and doth without sinne presume that the merit of Christ is his in particular And therefore in the next words he saith thus of himselfe Whatsoeuer is wanting vnto me from my selfe I boldly take it vnto me out of the bowels of the Lord Iesus because they flow out with mercy Let vs descend to the Popish writers we may finde many of them to iumpe with vs herein Ferus was commended by Sixtus Senensis to be a man excellently learned in the diuine Scriptures whose equall in the office of preaching the Gospell the Catholicke Churches of the Germaines haue not in this our time Yet doeth hee in many places condemne the Popish description of faith and approue ours That is not alwayes faith whith we call faith we call it faith to assent to those things which be deliuered in the diuine histories and which the Church propoundeth to be belieued The Scripture speaketh farre otherwise of Faith For according to the Scriptures faith is nothing else but a consideÌ„ce of Gods mercy promised in Christ. And he bringeth Abrahams example for proofe thereof And of this faith saith hee mention is made in the Gospell where it is sayd Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God shall not bee condemned The faith which the Scripture commendeth is no other thing then to trust to the free mercy of God this is the true faith whereby the iust man liueth this alone is it which God requireth of vs. An example of this faith we haue in the Centurion for we do not read that he rehearsed the Articles of faith but that he came to Christ with great trust These wordes make so much for vs that Sixtus Senensis sayd of them that hee seemeth to allude to the error of them who teach that iustifying faith is nothing else but an assurance of Gods mercy forgiâ—ing our sinnes through Christ. And Dominicus Soto tooke vpon him to confute him in that poynt but Michael Medina defended him against Soto And else-where he speaketh as fully for vs To belieue in Christ saith hee is not to know his works for Sathan knoweth this neyther is it to remember or thinke with himselfe that Christ hath suffered and risen againe for euen vngodly men remember these things and thinke of them and yet are made nothing better But it is with certaine sure and stedfast trust to take hold of Christ and all his benefits and to sticke to them with all the heart all the soule and all the strength Pighius in his booke of controuersies dedicated to the Pope Paulus 3. doth teach that although Faith as it is vsually taken by ecclesiasticall writers bee that habite of the minde whereby we do certainly and without any doubting assent to those things which for our saluation are reuealed of God to his Church