to the heresie of the Eutychians And the Calcedon councell woulde haue geuen to Leo Byshop of Rome the name of vniuersall byshop if the good father being absente had not vtterly refused it But thys your blinde guides do hold for sound doctrine But no former Coūcel would euer so iudge it The Councell where Cyprian was chiefe did consent to the rebaptising of hereticks And did not the Councell of Constaunce breake the institution of the sacrament of the bloud of Christ in withholding the cup from the laitie which no Councell before woulde haue allowed Thus in the Councels you see open error and that they alwaies teach not a constant truthe But Salomon affirmeth that a true mouth is euer constante but you see the councell not so and therefore by these wordes of Salomon subiect to vntruth wherby it appeareth that they containe not the fountaine of truth wherupon to gather the direction of your fayth and what authoritie the fathers them selues attributed to the Councels may easely be iudged by these wordes of Augustine against Maximine an Arrian byshop Thus he writeth Sed nunc nec ego Nicenum nec tu debes Ariminense tāquam praeiudicaturus proferre concilium nec ego huius authoritate nec tu illius detineris scripturarum au thoritatibus non quorumcunque propriis sed vtrisque communibus testibus res cū re causa cū causa ratio cum ratione concertet But nowe neyther may I alledge the councel of Nice nor you the councell of Arrimine to others preiudice neyther stande I bound to the authoritie of thys nor you to the authoritie of that but by the authoritye of the Scriptures which are witnesses proper to neither of vs but common to vs bothe let matter bee compared with matter cause with cause and reason with reason Thus you may see your leaders abuse you theyr stuffe is but feeble they flie from the rocke and builde vpon sande theyr groundes bee vnconstant ye ought to forsake thē theyr hope is still doubtfull their faythe is vncertaine their sute without comfort Refuse them for the better and geue eare to him that cryeth I am the way the truth and the life Know you who spake it He that neuer told lye he in whose mouth was no guile he that liueth in truth in equitie and righteousnes he at whose anger the mountaines shall melt euen the Lorde Iesus Christ him selfe he it is that speaketh it vnto you If he wished not your saluation he would not teach you the way In that he sayth he is the way haue ye not warning enough that there is no other way besides him Why then do ye stray into pathes of perdition returne heare him his word is a light vnto the feet of the righteous Thy word saith Dauid is a light to my feete Thē folow the light that ye may bee sure to see whether ye goe at the presence thereof al darknes doth vanish desire you to be blessed I know you desire it Then put on the badge whereby to be knowne put on the delight which they that be blessed are furnished withal His delight saith Dauid is in the law of the Lord and in his law will he exercise him selfe both day and night The scriptures be that light that whosoeuer foloweth can not walke in darkenes whereby not onely the fathers and Councelles but the whole worlde shal also be iudged as Christ him selfe witnesseth The worde sayth he which I speake shal iudge in the last day The maiesty whereof the fathers had in due reuerence as partly ye haue heard in that they acknowledged the same onely iudge of all councelles and writinges And touching farther confirmation hereof thus writeth Hierome Omne quod loquimur debemus affirmare de scripturis sanctis Whatsoeuer we affirme we must proue it by the holy scriptures And agayne Chrisostome speaking of these wordes of Abraham in the parable of the ritch glotton that If they would not beleue Moses and the prophetes neyther would they beleue him that should come from the dead Writeth thus Haec autē Christus ipse inducit in parabola loquentem Abraham declarans se velle plus fidei habendam esse scripturis quā si mortui reuiuiscant Paulus verò porrò cum Paulum dico ipsum Christum dico hic enim erat qui eius mentem agebat etiam Angelis è caelo descendentibus praeponit scripturas idque valdè congruenter Siquidem Angeli quà mlibet magni tamen serui sunt ministri Coeterum omnes scripturae non à seruis sed abvniuersorum domino Deo venerunt ad nos Christ him selfe in the parable bringeth in Abrahā to speake this to declare that he would haue more credite to be geuen to the scriptures then vnto the dead if they should reuiue agayne And Paule when I name Paule I name Christe for hee it was that directed hys mynde Paule I say preferreth the Scriptures before the Angels though they should discend from heauen and that very aptly for although they be mighty yet be they seruantes and ministers but al the scriptures came vnto vs not from seruantes but from the Lord and God of all thinges And agayne Augustine Titubat fides si diuinarum scripturarum vacillat authoritas If the authoritie of the holy scriptures wauer then doth fayth stumble Agayne Augustine in his 157. Epistle hath this sense Sine Scripturarum authoritate nihil desiniendum Nothing is to be affirmed without authoritie of the Scriptures Thus you see the good and holy fathers in the Primative Church gaue the whole preheminence and iudgementes of all truth vnto the holy Scriptures Wherefore in forsaking your blind and vnfrendly teachers and following the example and counsel of these reuerend fathers apply your selues to the study thereof and ye shall soone finde out infallible rules to be wray the treachery of your guilfull deceauers this is one of the easiest and it can neuer faile it is gathered out of Paul to the Romanes as a sure touchstone to discerne truth frō errour his wordes bee these But nowe is the righteousnes of God declared without the law hauing witnes of the lawe and the Prophets By which wordes this rule is plainly gathered that the righteousnes of God hath alwaies the witnes of the lawe and the Prophets what soeuer is truth the lawe and the Prophets that is to say the Scriptures will euer acknowledge and what soeuer doctrine they geue not witnes vnto is falsehoode and errour Now if your blind teachers would make you beleue that the search of the scriptures belongeth not vnto you Christ him selfe doth teach you the contrary And whether it be more right to follow him or thē iudge your selues Search the Scriptures sayth he for those are they that beare witnes of me Ye see how Christ him selfe doth followe the rule he claimeth witnes of the law and the Prophets he geueth the Scriptures for the discerner of truth And in an other place
discerne thynges that differ to iudge betwene good works and counterfeite workes betwene true religion hipocrisie that so through that knowledge they might haue iudgement how to lead a pure and Christian life which without the knowledge of the wyll of God is vnpossible And agayne the same Paule to Philemon See that the fellowship sayth he that thou hast in the fayth be fruitfull through knowledge of all good things which are in you by Iesus Christ Hereby it appeareth that without vnderstanding of the will of God no good workes can be wrought But Paul playnely affirmeth that all thei that be not already iustified in Christ haue no vnderstanding The naturall man sayth he perceaueth not the thinges that belong to the spirit of God for they are but folishnes vnto hym Then if he perceaue not nor vnderstand the thynges that please god It appeareth by that is sayd before that he can by no meanes do the worke that shall please god Hereby it both playnely appeareth that the knowledge of the wyll of God is required to good workes and also that none that is not iustified hath that knowledge Now touching that vnto good works there is also required in the doer affection delight towardes the same that is euident by the definition of good workes expressed in the 8. chapter where it appeareth that they be nothyng but an execution of the commaundementes whereunto the whole affection of man both body and soule is required as in the. 4. chapter appeareth which also is confirmed by the example of those of whose good workes the scripture beareth witnes Thus sayth Dauid If my delight were not in thy law I should haue perished in my trouble And agayne my delight was in thy commaundementes And agayne thy testimonies haue I claymed as mine heritage for euer and why they are the very ioy of my hart And agayne Lord what loue haue I vnto thy law al the day long is my studie therein And agayne my delight shal be euer in thy statutes And agayne for I loue thy commaundementes aboue golde precious stone Thys affection of the hart is required to the performaunce of good workes whereof how greatly they be short that be onely possessed of the naturall man and not iustified in Christ it is more then euident by the playne wordes of God hymselfe In Genesis he sayth thus my spirite shall not alwayes striue in man because he is fleshe And a litle after The Lord sawe that the wickednes of man was great in the earth and all the imaginations of the thoughtes of his harte were onely euill continually And agayne in the 8. chapter the imaginations of mans hart is euill euen from hys youth Here appeareth that the affection of the naturall man is onely this affection to rebellion desire so contempt and lust to disobedience Thus it is euident that in all those which be not already iustified in Christ their is neither vnderstanding how to please God nor affection thereunto And so consequently no good worke seing it is proued that no worke cā be good but where both they be ioyned together which also is euident by that which is sayde in the fifth chapter Surely if these men had bene as carefull searchers of truth herein out of Gods holy worde as they haue bene of mistes and clowdes out of Aristotles schole to darcken shadow the brightnes thereof they woulde neuer haue sought with so many subtil distinctions and false definitions without al ground of Gods worde to haue builded themselues the labirinth of errour maze of their owne confusion But woulde contrariwise haue humbled themselues vnto the spirite of God and haue considered the ende of hys purpose in mans saluation But they not considering that to be the prayse and glory of hys owne grace and enforcing the rigor of the outward sounde of some wordes in the scripture haue gathered workes to be the cause of mās iustification where if they more narrowly cōsidered they should see that faith is the onely meane by which workes are indued wyth the title of goodnes forasmuch as no good worke can be wrought but by a man alredy by faith iustified and appareled wyth the righteousnes of Christ by meanes whereof the blemishes and imperfections thereof are through mercy couered which otherwise if the same workes were wrought by an vnbeleuyng man they woulde appeare in the sight of God most filthy for of mercy it commeth in respecte of Christ that the most perfecte workes are not layde to mans charge for sinne Out of this ground gathered from God truth this rule of Christian religion is concluded that where soeuer righteousnes or iustification is in the Scripture imputed to workes it is not imputed to them as though they were the cause of righteousnes that is to sayas though they going before iustification did procure or purchase the same but farre otherwyse it is imputed vnto them as vnto the fruit of the righteousnes of fayth which after iustification doth witnes and declare that the doer is iustified by fayth by apprehending of Christ in respecte of whom mercy couereth the spottes of that worke from the sight of Gods iustice so that sinne is not imputed to man for the same Hic murus ahaeneus esto Let this to a Christian conscience be a wall of brasse Now this foundation layde let vs séeke by thys rule to vnderstand those Scriptures which the aduersaryes for theyr filpursse doctrine of iustification of workes haue forced into open combat both agaynst theyr owne naturall sense and agaynst the ende and scope of Gods purpose declared in the Scriptures touching mans iustification wherein to séeke to answere to all theyr subtill and shameles wranglings were more tedious then profitable And touching the multitude of wordes more paynefull then possible Though touching matter Gods truth being iudge inough hath bene sayd already where-fore to auoyde all extremities and kéepe my selfe within my power touching wordes and yet not to passe the reste with silence I will ouerlooke a fewe of their principall ragges which they call reasons wherein theyr errour being opened the smaller of them selues will drop a sunder vntouched Wherefore firste of all that playnnes might be ioyned with the breuitie for which I labor let the Scriptures which they make challengers in thys fraye be gathered together into these sortes In the first sort placyng those which promising reward to workes procure men to labour for the same In the second sort such as by the sound of wordes séeme to take iustification from fayth or geueth the same to workes And in the last sorte those Scriptures wherin the righteous thallenge at Gods handes reward of theyr innocency righteousnes Wherfore by examples of euery of these sorts let vs séeke truely to vnderstand them by theyr agréement with thē selues and the rest of the Scriptures that as of God there is but one spirite and one truth so the same truth by the consent
where he teacheth the cause of errour he sheweth the same to bee ignoraunce of the Scriptures Ye erre sayth he because ye know not the Scriptures Wherefore if your blinde teachers seeke to witholde you frō the Scriptures you see they deceaue you for these be they only that can witnes the truth How greatly in the Actes of the Apostles are they of Berea commended where the reason is geuen of their great readines in receauing the Gospell for they dayly searched the Scriptures whether those thinges were so you see that the Scriptures the law and the Prophets are onely the witnes and auouchers of the truth These men went not to the fathers writings to enquire whether the Apostles sayd true but they went to the Scriptures as to the piller of trust whose witnes they were sure could neuer deceaue them Thus where your seducers would make you beleue that the Scriptures belong not to you they falsely deceaue you as now they may see the text beareth recorde that these of Berea were both men women and that not a fewe Chrysostome in his Homely of Lazarus and the riche man exhorteth all men to the reading of the scriptures and specially by name occupiers marchantes and householders alledging that they can neuer attain saluation without continuall trauell in the Scriptures affirming that they haue more neede to read the Scriptures then holiermen for that they continually passe their life in greater danger Thus vehemently doth this good father exhort all mē to the reading of the Scriptures which your vncharitable teachers aboue all thinges forbid you and yet you see both out of Paul and Christ himselfe this rule confirmed that all true doctrine hath the witnes of the lawe and the Prophets that is the witnes of the Scriptures Whereby you must examine the truth of your fayth and vtterly condemne all maner of doctrine that hath not this witnes he geueth to the Galathians this absolute decree If we sayth he or an Angell from heauen preach vnto you otherwise thē that which we haue preached vnto you let him be accursed By these rules examine the counterfeite doctrine of your faithles deceiuers search the bottome of their Masse or propitiatory sacrifice say iustly vnto them it hath not the witnes of the lawe and the Prophets no witnes of the Scriptures They bring a newe doctrine ye muste holde them accursed Likewise for theyr praying to Saintes their Purgatory their pilgrimages theyr holybread theyr holy water theyr ringing their senssing their worke of the worker their executed workes their vndewe workes their lyftynges theyr crossinges theyr breathynges their bendynges theyr dombe shewes their washyngs their annoyntings theyr shauynges their reliques and a thousād such follies you may iust ly say to them they haue not the witnes of the law and the Prophets no witnes of Scriptures they preach a new doctrine you must hold thē accursed If they gentle Reader ment to deale playnely with you they could easely tel you that their doctrine can not abide to be examined by the Scriptures of God they could tell you that the greatest indeuour and study of the chief pillers of their fayned Religion is clerely to deface and discredite the scriprures but they will neuer tell you that for thē they be sure you will credit them no farther And because you may know that I tell you the truth I will in hys owne wordes rehearse the sentences of one of their owne Cardinals concerning the same Thus writeth the Cardinal Cusa Certè hoc te non moueat quòd diuersis temporibus alius alius ritus sacrificiorum etiam Sacramentorum stante veritate inuenitur Scripturásque esse ad tēpus adaptatas variè intellectas ita vt vno tempore secundum currentē vniuersalem ritum exponentur mutato ritu iterū sententia mutaretur Truly let not this moue thee that with diuersitie of tyme there is founde diuers formes both of sacrifices and Sacramētes the truth neuertheles remaynyng and that the Scriptures are framed to the tyme and diuersly vnderstand so that one tyme they must be vnderstand accordynge to the vniuersall custome and when that custome agayne is chaunged the meanyng of the Scriptures agayne must be chaunged Gentle reader marke this opē blasphemy for the word of God abydeth for euer That is to say is euer one the same And Dauid sayth that it is an vndefiled law But if this man say true no doctrine can be more filthy for what greater corruption can be attributed to any then to be inconstant vncertayne still mutable with time but beare him yet further Thus sayth he in an other place to confirme the same doctrine Quare nec mirum si praxis Ecclesiae vno tempore interpretatur scripturam vno modo alio tempore alio modo Intellectus enim qui cū praxi cōcurrit est spiritus viuificans It is no merueile if the practise of the Churche interpret the Scriptures at one tyme one waye and an other way at another tyme for the meanyng whiche goeth with the practise is a quickenyng spirite If this to a Christiā cōsciēce be not horror then what may offend it Truly gentle reader if thou belong vnto God thy hart can not but tremble at such fearefull blas phemy and yet is this one of the principall pillars of that bewitchyng Synagoge wherevpon your teachers would haue your faith grounded if you knowing and seyng wil runne to destruction ye worthely perishe but I hope better of you This haue I sayd to make you know them what they would tell you if they durst vtter all Nowe touchyng this treatise I haue therin offred no doctrine vnto you but that which is witnessed by the lawe and the Prophetes Namely by the Scriptures vnto euery part wherof after the same is confirmed by the Scriptures I haue added the fathers sentēces which were of the sounder iudgement to shew that both they we do acknowledge one truth whereunto I haue added the shameles and subtile shifts of some of your false teachers captains I meane Some of the head Papistes and principall Scholemen bewraying their trechery wherin gētle reader this onely I craue at thy handes to read with patience examine by the rule of S. Paul and Christ him selfe which of vs soeuer hath not witnes of the law and the Prophetes the Scripture of God thinke he bryngeth a new doctrine holde hym accursed The Lord if it be his holy will open your eyes that you may perfectly see and constantly confesse hys victorious truth in the will of his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ before whom in that great day shall truth be crowned and errour cōdemned to the glory of hys name and endeles felicitie of all the eelect amongest whom the Lorde place vs to whom be all glory and prayse for euer Amen ¶ The Argumentes of the Chapiters 1. THat Adams willfull transgression made him his ofspring rebels to God
brute sēseles nature is not capable thereof and the soule we receyue not of our parentes but of god How then commeth it that from our parentes we shoulde receyue this corruption The which is thus by some learned fathers answered that the soule is not by hys creation sinfull but forasmuch as mans disobedience hath vtterly spoyled hys whole nature of original righteousnesse and forasmuch as the soule is in the creation knit vnto a body subiect vnto that losse and made a part of the accursed man Therfore it is forthwith both depriued of the original grace and vertue wherwith by creatiō it was indued and wherewith it should haue gouerned the body And also it hath no meanes to vse it selfe but by the instrumentes or organes of the body whiche through the curse are naturally indewed with nothing but filthines and vtterly vnapte to all spirituall woorkes wherby it stubburnlye resisteth and impugneth the spirit who beyng now depryued of many of those vertues wherwith it was by creation indued is vnable to encounter the corruption of the fleshe and specially in her owne organs or instrumentes and therefore yeldeth vnto the inclinations thereof so that where it shoulde haue raygned ouer the bodye now contrarywise the body raygneth ouer it and suppresseth it and carieth it away captiue vnto the lusts aunswerable to the body And euen naturall Philosophy teacheth this that betwéene the soule and the body there is a certaine sympathy or knitting of affection for who seeth not that in melancholy bodyes the mynde is heauy and solitary in sanguine bodies mery and lyght c. whereby it appeareth that the mynde beyng thus inclosed in thys house of corruption is greatly blinded and drowned in the perfection thereof and so caryed away vnto the delight thereof Surelye thys curious searche of the propagation of originall sinne as it is very hard and difficulte so it is more then vaine and vnto saluation nothyng at all necessary Wherefore the aduersaryes ought rather in following the counsell of Saint Augustine in thys matter to labour and study to finde the way howe they must be drawen out of the danger of this originall filth corruption then curiously to stand questioning how they fell into it he rehearseth a pretye story how a certayne man chauncyng to fall into a déepe pitte lying there shouting crying an other hearing him came to the pitte and began very diligently to ēquire of him how hée fell in I pray thée saith he neuer aske me how I fell in but study diligentlye how thou mayst helpe me out Hauing thus briefly spoken of originall sinne I thinke it not conuenyent because thys deuysion is receaued to speake now of actuall sinne whiche in déede is nothyng els but a fruite or effect of the other Wherefore it may bée thus defined actuall synne is euery thought woorde and déede or whatsoeuer is contrary to the lawe and wyll of God and what soeuer is not of fayth The truth of this definition is thus gathered forasmuch as it is already proued that the whole nature of man is by original sinne vtterly corrupted Therefore the same synne triumphyng in his nature as a cause continually woorkyng can not but bring forth her effectes or fruites And by the woordes of Christ the fruite must bée aunswerable to the trée therefore all thoughtes woordes déedes what soeuer procedeth frō that corrupt nature is corrupt vncleane so actuall sinne and that thoughtes be herein cōprehended it is playne for that they bée the effectes of the originall corruption For Christ himselfe sayeth Out of the heart goeth euill thoughtes and if any acte beside be not comprehended vnder these woordes thought woorde or déede the same is comprehended vnder these generall wordes of Paule whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne Whereby it appeareth that not onely euyll thoughtes wordes and déedes be actuall sinne but also those thoughtes wordes déedes which otherwise morally of their owne nature be honest and good yf they bée done out of fayth that is to say if they be done by enuy not through fayth acceptable vnto God in Christ euen those thoughtes wordes déedes séeme they neuer so holy bée sinne Now forasmuch as there is a deuision of actuall synne which hath bene of long tyme receyued it is expedient that somewhat bée sayde concerning the same The deuision is thys into deadly sinne and into veniall sinne About both which partes not only how triflingly but also how wickedly the scoolemen do holde shal partly be shewed Wherfore first touching deadly sinne in that they bynd them to a certayne number affirming onely seuen sinnes to be deadly they doe not onely geue vnto man securitie in that hys enemy hath but seuen wayes to assaulte hym vnto death from which if hée can imagine hym free he thinketh hymselfe in any other offence not to synne deadly whereby all other synnes are extenuate and all wicked inclinations affections and thoughtes excluded from the number of deadly sinnes And yet sinnes be called deadly for no other cause but because death is due vnto them And therefore vnto what sinne soeuer death is due that sinne is consequentlye deadlye but death is due to all synne For Paule sayth generally the rewarde of sinne is death and therefore all synne is in respecte of hys owne nature deadly And though there bée synnes whyche God imputeth not to man yet that commeth not through the smalnes and lyghtnes of the synne but through the mercye of god And where agayne they affirme that deadly sinne doth not exclude fayth but that they maye both stande together they no lesse deceaue you as hereby appeareth for S. Paule sayth they that walke after the flesh can not please God wherefore who so pleaseth God walketh not after the fleshe but whosoeuer walketh in fayth pleaseth god Therefore whosoeuer walketh in fayth walketh not after the fleshe but to walke after the fleshe is to walke in deadly sinne Therefore they that walke in fayth walke not in deadly sinne whereby it followeth that faith and deadly sinne cā not stande together Agayne whosoeuer is dead hath no lyfe in hym but whosoeuer hath no life in hym hath no fayth in hym For the iuste do liue by fayth Therefore whosoeuer is dead hath no fayth in him but they are dead in whom deadly synne raygneth For hee that synneth is the seruaunt vnto synne Therefore they in whō there is deadly synne haue no fayth in thē Let thys for a touch or say of their errours concernyng deadly sinne suffice Now touching veniall or remissible sinnes they may thus be defined Ueniall synnes are all those synnes whiche through fayth are forgéeuen The truth of thys definityon is euident by these woordes of Peter in the .x. of the Actes To hym geeue all the prophets witnes that through hys name all that beleeue in hym shall receaue remyssyon of synnes but whatsoeuer is remytted is
that once founde farwell their market and sale of all their trashe It appeareth by that whiche haue bene sayde that in their definition the name of grace is not applyed vnto the true genus or generall woorde vnder which all the dyuers propertyes thereof bée comprehended but onely vnto one effect thereof namely that whereby wée are prouoked vnto good woorkes Let thys touchyng the true vnderstandyng of grace and their errors about the same suffice Thys beyng declared next commeth fayth to bée consydered Namely in what signyfication it is to bée taken where it is sayde to iustifye or what that fayth is thorough whiche wée bée iustyfied For declaratyon whereof it is also necessarie to note howe dyuersely the woorde is taken It is sometyme taken for the matter or thynge which wee do beleue as the Créede or beléefe is called the Chrystian fayth It is also taken for that wherewith we beléeue and that is that fayth whereof we haue to entreat There bée also other distynctions as a liuely fayth and a dead fayth whiche dead faith is onely fayth in name and not in déede euen as a dead man is called a man though hée be no man in déede and of thys fayth doth S. Iames remember There is also fayth to do miracles whereof Chryst him selfe speaketh sayyng Verely I say vnto you that whosoeuer shall saye vnto thys mountayne take thy selfe awaye and cast thy selfe into the sea and shall not wauer in hys heart but shall beleeue those thinges whyche hee sayeth shall come to passe whatsoeuer he sayeth shall bee done vnto hym And thys fayth is common as well to the reprobate as to the elect as by these woordes of Chryst appeareth Many sayth hée will say to mee in that daye Lorde Lorde haue we not by thy name prophesied and by thy name cast out deuils and by thy name done many great woorkes and then wyll I professe to them I neuer knewe you Depart from mee ye that woorke iniquite There is also momentany fayth or fayth for a time whereof Christ speaketh in the parable of the séede where he affirmeth that some falling in the stony grounde springeth vp for a tyme vntill the heat of the sonne or rage of persecution commeth but then it withereth away because it hath no roote But now omittyng all the rest of the significations of fayth it is in thys place only that firme and constant assentyng of the mynde vnto the truth of Gods promises in Chryst whiche bringeth with it hope charitie sure confidence and all other good woorkes Whiche for more playne vnderstanding may thus be defined Fayth is a full assentyng of the minde vnto the truth of Gods promyses in Christ puryfiyng the hartes of the receyuers The trueth of thys definityon is gathered out of the Scriptures in thys sort First that it is a full assenting of the mynde vnto the trueth of Gods promises in Christ it is thus proued Paule to the Hebrues sayth thus Let vs drawe neare in a true harte with assuraunce of fayth And agayne Let vs keepe the profession of our hope wythout wauering And Saint Iohn in the first of his canonicall epistles sayth thus He that beleueth not God hath made hym a lyer More haynous synne then the which none can be committed Where-fore fayth is so full an assuraunce of the truth of Gods promyse in Chryst as can admit no whit of suspition or doubt for looke how muche it wanteth of full assurance so muche suspition by these wordes of Saynt Iohn it admytteth of Gods vntrueth any iot whereof were more thē horrible to be suspected whereby it followeth that fayth is a full assenting of the minde to the trueth of Gods promyse in Christ whiche was first to be prooued And hereunto well agréeeth these woordes of Hillarius Ergo regnum coelorum quod Prophetae nunciauerunt Iohannes praedicabat Dominus noster in se esse positum est professus vult sine aliqua incerta voluntatis ambiguitate sperari alioquin iustificatio ex fide nulla est si fides ipsa fiat ambigua Therefore the kingdome of heauen whyche the prophetes foretolde Iohn preached and our Lorde professed to bée placed in hymselfe hée will haue it hoped for wythout all waueryng doubte of mynde otherwise if fayth it selfe bée made incertayne then is there no iustyfication of fayth And Augustine sayeth Quid est enim credere nisi consentire verum esse quod dicitur For what signifieth thys to beleeue but to consent that that thing which is sayd is true Nowe touchyng the seconde parte namely that it puryfieth the hearts of the receyuers Peter in the Actes of the Apostles affirmeth it in playne woordes for thus he sayeth He put no difference betweene vs and them after that hee had by fayth puryfyed their hartes Thus the definition beyng by euident wordes of the scrypture confirmed the truth thereof is manyfest and that this definition doth agrée with that which S. Paule geueth to the Hebrues it is manifest if we note the matter wherabout fayth hath his vse whiche is the word promise of God hys definition is this Fayth is the grounde of thinges hoped for a certaynty of thynges whyche are not seene In that he calleth fayth the grounde of thynges hoped for and that the thyng hoped for is the promised fauour of God in Chryst Therefore is fayth the grounde of the promised fauor of God in Chryst And what he meaneth by calling it the ground thereof he presentlye declareth in that hée termed it a certainty of thynges that are not sene whereby it is euident that by hypostasis or ground hee meaneth a certayntye or full assuraunce And vnto fayth as it were a present possession of that promised fauour of God in Christ whyche is yet neuertheles but hoped for and in expectation and not present vnto the senses whereby appeareth the truth of that definition whyche I haue put And by this definition of S. Paule it also appeareth how much they erre that accompt fayth wythin the predicament of qualitye wher in déede it is a relatiue in the predicament of relation for fayth is not but in respect of hys obiecte namely the promise of God perfourmed in Chryste so that if no promise were there coulde be no fayth at all touching iustyficatyon Now hauing shewed a true definition of fayth I thinke it not amysse somewhat to note what the scholemen and papistes hold concerning the same that thereby their error may partly be apparant The maister of the sentences geueth out of S. Augustine thys definition thereof Fides est virtus qua creduntur quae non videntur Fayth is a vertue wherewyth thinges are beléeued that are not séene The generalitie of whyche definition by a certaine contraction hée presently streyghtneth thus Whyche sayth he is not to be vnderstand of all thynges that are not séene but onely of suche thynges as appertaine to religion In this definition as the
of it This call they a fayth sufficiēt vnto saluation is not this a pestilent and wicked doctrine that such as haue no touch of godly feare nor any féelyng of true godlynes should be sayd to possesse all true faith necessary to saluatiō where it is proued before in the proffe of the true definition of fayth that one of the properties of true fayth is to purifie the hartes of all thē that possesse it Let this both touchyng the description of true fayth and the counterfaite faith of the Papistes suffice and let vs procede to shew in what sense the righteousnes or iustification is to be taken which fayth by grace apprehendeth For the doyng whereof it is necessary to shew how diuersly the word righteousnes is vsed Sometyme it is vsed for that common righteousnes whiche naturally cleaueth vnto man wherby euen in the heathen the opposition of generall vertues and generall vices was vnderstand and the contrary estimation of both therby generat And this righteousnes is common to all men In another sense it is vsed for that outward righteousnes which by the good fruites or workes of suche as bee already iustified is apparaunt in the eyes of men Therefore in neither of these senses is the worde righteousnes or iustification taken in this place wherfore that which here is ment may thus be defined Iustification is a frée remission of sinne imputation of righteousnes vnto man through fayth in Christ The truth of this definition is proued by these words of Paul Abraham beleued God and that was imputed to hym for righteousnes To him that worketh the reward is not counted of fauor but of duty but to hym that worketh not but beleueth on hym that iustifieth the vngodly hys faith is counted to him for righteousnes euen as Dauid describeth the blessefulnes of the man vnto whom God ascribeth ryghteousnes without deedes saying Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnes are forgeuen and whose sins are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne by these wordes of Paul it is plaine that God iustifieth the vngodly whiche beleueth by forgeuyng hys vnrighteousnes and couering his sins and imputation of righteousnes vnto hym without deedes and that it is fréely done Saint Paule also declareth for all sayth hée haue synned and are destitute of the glory of GOD and are iustyfied freely by hys grace therefore is iustyfication ryghtly saide to bée a frée remyssyon of sinnes and imputation of ryghteousnesse vnto man through faith in Chryst Thus hauing declared what iustification or ryghteousnesse is truely gathered out of the scryptures of God I wyll also briefly note what the Papistes and Scholemen accompt it to be wherein you shall perceaue the building thereof to be wholy raysed from their deuysed grace whereof is sufficyentlye spoken Thus wryteth the mayster of the sentences Mors ergo Christi nos iustificat dum per eam charitas excitatur in cordibus nostris For the death of Chryst doth iustifie vs when as by it charitye is stirred vp in our heartes By whiche woordes it appeareth that hée affirmeth the death of Chryst no otherwyse to iustifie vs but by excitation or styrring of the mynde vnto good woorkes by them to bée iustyfied so that in déede they accompt iustificatyon to signifie nothing else but a certayne qualitie or vertue or infusion of a certayne habit into the mynde inclyning or mouyng the same to goodnes that by the workes thereby produced righteousnes may be attayned Whyche assertion of theirs affirmeth ryghteousnesse to come of oure selues through our owne woorkes onelye addyng thys exception that first through the merite of Chryst a certaine habyt or preuentyng grace doth inclyne the minde to the execution of those workes whereby iustification is attayned whiche is both by the true definytion of iustification false and also by the manifest woordes of Saynt Paule whiche so many tymes affirmeth iustification to consist in the free imputation of righteousnesse vnto man through faith Abraham sayeth he beleued God and that was imputed vnto him for ryghteousnesse It appeareth that these men accompt the generall power or vertue of God whereby hée produceth and conserueth hys creatures and whereby euen in the heathen certaine morall or ciuill good woorkes are wrought to further the doers thereof vnto iustificatyon Thus are some of them not ashamed to dreame that suche as bée not regenerate may do suche good woorkes as maye merite the first grace as they call it whereby the mynde beyng styrred hath by their doctryne frée wyll to admit the same whichebeyng once admitted certayne woorkes of suche perfection are thereby produced as in a sort bée acceptable to God and do meryte the fauour of Chryst and in a sort do iustyfie though not by full and exact worthinesse yet by a certayne conuenyencye or congruencye ay they call it accordyng whereunto they name these woorkes congruent merites That is to say suche merites as in equitie deserue fauour though they satisfie not the extremitie of the lawe And these first works they call preparing workes meanyng that suche prepare the doers vnto regeneratyon Thys their diuinitie séemeth to bée gathered oute of thys sentence in the ciuyll law Summum ius Summa iniuria extreme ryght is extreme wrong And therfore they wyll scan wyth God the equitie of the lawe inferryng thereupon that by the power of nature man is able to fulfill the commaundement in asmuch as appertayneth to the substaunce of the worke required therein though not fully in suche sort as the intent of the commaunder requireth that is though the doyng thereof procéedeth not from loue and the spiryte they bée able to satisfie the equitie as it were of the commaundemēt though not the rigor or extremitie thereof and hereby appeareth howe fully agayne they haue wallowed themselues from euill to worsse till at length they be perfectly tumbled agayne into a Pellagian heresie for by what soeuer good worke nature hath power and frée wyll before iustificatyon to meryte the first grace wythall seeyng by that first grace once obtayned iustification doth by their congruence follow it is of necessity that that first meritorious work is the cause of thys their iustificatyon and so nature hath of it selfe in equitie power to iustifye The horrible error of which doctrine is more then euident by that whiche hath bene shewed before aswell by the true definition of iustification as by the fourth and fifth chapters where the filthynes of corrupt nature is euidently declared Let thys touching the true signification of righteousnes or iustification and the errors of the Papistes about the meaning therof suffice Now resteth somwhat to be said concerning workes Wherefore in one signification workes are those thynges which by practice of arte are done and apparantly remayne as all thyngs wrought by any handy craft are called the workes of the doer In another signification workes are the actions of men produced by the willyng motion of the mind which
also admit another deuision For some of them be onely inward workes or workes of the mynde as to beleue to hope to feare to loue and such like And some other are from the mynde produced into external or outward acte to geue geue almes to succor to preach to teach and such lyke All which be called outwarde workes And workes in both these latter significations be those whereof in thys matter is spoken but for so much as some of them be good and some euill therefore that the difference may appeare good workes may thus be defined Good workes are onely such workes as in the commaundementes of God be required or in any other place of Scriptures for the further explication of them expressed which tend to the true worship of God and outward witnessing of mans election in Christ The truth of thys definition is thus proued for the firste parte Namely that all the workes be good whiche in the commaundementes or any other place of the Scriptures for theyr further explication be appointed It is euident for so muche as hereby we know them to be good workes for that by God the doyng of them is commaunded Secondly that they tende to the true worshippyng of GOD it is thus proued by Christ hymselfe where he sayth Let your lyght so shyne before men he telleth the ende wherefore it should shine namely that others seeing your good woorkes may glorifie your father which is in heauen Here is the ende of good workes namely the glory and worship of god And for asmuch as God is not worshipped vnles he be truely worshipped for he is worshipped in spirite and truth therefore they onely be good workes which tende to the true worship of God which secondly was to be proued Nowe touching the last part that they be a testimony of mans election in Christ it is euident by these wordes of Peter Brethren sayth he be more diligent by good woorkes to make your election sure whereby it appeareth that good works are a testimony of the assurance of his election in Christ whereby the truth of the definition appereth and by this definition it is plaine that all superstitious workes of mans inuention be no good woorkes forasmuch as they tende not to the true worship of god Here resteth againe somewhat to bee opened of the erroures of the papistes aboute woorkes whereof they haue for their purpose deuised diuers strange distinctions as theyr preparing workes of congruent merite their Opus operantis or worke of the woorker their Opus operatum or acte of outward execution and their vndue woorkes or woorkes of supererogation Wherefore first touching their preparing worke of congruent merite wherof somwhat hath bene sayd before in the discourse about iustification first what they feigne them it appeareth namely the fruites of that theyr preuenting grace which they imagine to reduce a man into such a traunce as they faygne him therin as a man might say neyther dead in sinne nor aliue in Christ whereby all morall or ciuill woorks wrought though of nature they be not absolutely worthy workes to merite full righteousnes yet by a certayne conueniency as they terme it in equity they deserue fauour and so prepare toward the full attaynment of iustification and these be all the morall workes which be wrought by such as be not regenerate The error of which drowsie dreame is more then palpable for the scripture of God can acknowledge no middle estate betwene God and the deuill He that is not against him is directly with him he that gathereth not together letteth not thinges lye vntouched but he scattereth abrode He that is not aliue in Christ is dead in sinne S. Paule could paynt out no meane estate betwéene both he consessed all eyther quicke in Christ or dead in sinne The rewarde saith he of sinne is death And again You hath he made aliue that were dead in trespasses and sinne And agayne to the Colossians And ye which were dead in sinne and in the vncircumcision of your flesh hath he quickened with him so that there is no meane estate Eyther the woorkers of theyr preparing woorkes be aliue in Christ or dead in sinne But a liue in Christ they cannot be by these woordes of Paule for all before regeneration are dead wherefore euen as a dead man hath in him selfe no power at al to prepare himselfe towardes life againe so al being before regeneration dead in sinne haue no power at all to woorke any worke that may prepare them vnto lyfe or regeneration And for that cause doth Paule call them dead in sinne that they might know themselues as vtterly vnable to helpe towardes their own regeneration as a dead carcas is to helpe it selfe to the attaynment of life agayne Whereby the vilenes of this presumptuous inuention of preparing woorkes appeareth Now touching their workes called Opus operantis or worke of the worker after theyr meaning it is thys namely the acte and holy purpose of the minde wherewith the worker goeth about any worke which they counte holy and theyr Opus operatum or acte executed is the outward execution of the same woork Now touching theyr vndue workes or workes of superogation it is necessary for playne vnderstanding what they meane to rehearse the inuention of the forged fable thereof For the grounde wherof they begin wyth a goodly and bewtifull shewe of aduauncemente of Gods vnspeakable sauour towardes vs God say they who might haue prescribed vs such straight and seuere precepts to haue bene obserued as had ben vtterly to vs impossible hath notwithstanding delt more fauourably with vs and commaunded vs nothing but that which if we list we be able to perform and a great deale more And yet notwithstanding he demaundeth no farther of vs but to performe the same by the doing whereof we shall deserue saluation though we do no more But if any be towardes God so liberally minded that he will of hys francke disposition do more neyther shall he lose the prayse nor reward of the same And this ouerplus aboue the fulfilling of the cōmaundementes is that they call theyr vndew workes or workes of supererogation superabhominatiō I should say Who euer heard a more presūptuous blasphemy Doth not the commaūdemēt require a full obediēce willing desire natural pronenes of the whole man as in the 4. chapter is euidently shewed Now then if the whole indeuour of all the parts of man be thus tyed by iust bond of dutie vnto the cōmaundement from whence then commeth theyr ouerplus of vndue woorkes Nay is it not both there and in the v. chapter euidently proued that man is vtterly vnable to fulfill the commaundement and that the Lawe was not by Moyses deliuered vnto man to the ende he should enable him selfe to the fulfilling thereof but contrariwise by vew of his insufficiency to driue him to Christ But will ye know why these men inuented this
fable Forsoothe not without prouident consideration because if that bee taken a waye farewell all the fruites of penance which is one of the most profitable engines that their church hath and principall bailife vnder shirife their high Stuard for the marie and pith of theyr penaunce standeth in theyr satisfaction which is the last and golden part thereof and hath prouided for the building of many an Abbey Wherefore aboue all thinges theyr woorkes of supererogation was to be deuised for els coulde theyr satisfaction haue bene woorthe nothing vnto them which by this politicke prouiso hath made kinges fellowes of such as wythout the same coulde neuer haue bene able to haue maintained two beggers in an hospitall for before any man be able to make satisfaction of the olde debt to hys creditor it is of necessitie that first he be able to satisfie the dutie of the tyme present with an ouerplus out of the which excesse must be raised a sufficient superplussage to discharge the former daunger The wicked horror of all which theyr deuise of workes shal besides that which hath bene sayd already be also iustlye ouerthrowen hereafter where it shall appeare that no workes no not the workes of the iustified be able to satisfie the commaundement any other way then vnder the shield of mercy by not hauyng their insufficientie imputed vnto them but contrarywyse hidden by Christes innocentie from the sight of Gods iustice Let thys both touching the description of good workes and also the counterfeit workes of the Papists suffice Hauyng thus euidently shewed what these wordes grace righteousnes or iustification fayth and workes doe meane in thys matter I will now returne to speake of the nature of thys new couenaunt which as was sayd before iustifieth man fréely by grace through faith in Christ the explication or plain meaning whereof is by these definitions cuident to be this The new couenant doth assure man that hys sinne◠are fréely forgeuen and that righteousnes is imputed vnto hym by the frée beneuolence of the will of God through the ful assurance of the truth of Gods promises in Christ which vnto hym is geuen of God by the inspiration of the holy Gost wherby hys hart is purified and ciensed vnto good workes which righteousnes is imputed vnto hym without all respecte of hys worthynes or workes onely for the prayse and glory of the grace or fauour of god Wherby it is playne that vnto the attainement therof on the behalse of man thys onely thyng is required that he constantly beleue both seuerally touching him selfe and generally touchyng all the elect that euen as God hath fréely promised to accept the satisfaction of hys sonne Jesus Christ in full recompence for all theyr sinnes so assuredly he will performe the same Who soeuer I say hath thys vndoubted fayth he hath the true apprehension of Christ in the promise so that by fayth onely as is proued before iustification is attayned in the promise which fayth is the onely meane which by beleuing God may assure man of the frée fauour of God in Christ without suspition of incroching vpon any part of the glory of the same Which God hath reserued to hym selfe as the onely end for which he hath bestowed vppon man so riche a benefite wherunto as to the appointed marke or end all the Scriptures are directed whereof these authorities for the further confirmation of thys truth may séeme not vnseasonably rehearsed Beginning first with the wordes of our Sauiour Christ hym selfe he sayth thus And as Moyses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernes euē so must the sonne of man be lifted vppe that none that beleue in him perishe but haue euerlasting life for god so loued the world that he hath geuē his onely begotten sonne that none that beleue in him should perishe but haue euerlasting life Againe in the same place He that beleueth in him shall not be condemned And agayne He that beleueth the sonne hath euerlasting life And in an other place The Capernaites said vnto him what shal we doe that we might worke the workes of God Iesus answered and sayd vnto them this is the worke of God that ye beleue on him whom he hath sent And againe in the same chapter This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the sonne and beleueth in him haue euerlasting life and I will raise hym vp at the last day Agayne in the same chapter Verely verely I say vnto you he that beleueth on me hath euerlasting life And in an other place I am the resurrection and the life he that beleueth on me yea though he were dead yet shal he liue and who soeuer liueth and beleueth in me shall neuer dye And in an other place I am come a light into the world that who soeuer beleueth on me should not bide in darkenes Agayne Peter in the Actes of the Apostles To hym also geue all the Prophets witnes that through his name all that beleue in him shall receaue remission of sinnes Agayne the Gayler sayd to Paule and Barnabas Syrs what must I do to be saued and they sayd beleue on the Lorde Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saued and thy housholde Againe Paule to the Romanes Therefore by the dedes of the law shall no flesh be iustified in his sight for by the law cōmeth the knowledge of sinne but nowe is the righteousnes of God declared without the law hauing witnes of the law the Prophets to wit the righteousnes of God by fayth of Iesus Christ vnto all vpō al that beleue for there is no difference for all haue sinned are destitute of the glory of God and are iustified freely by hys grace throughe the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whō God hath set forth to be a pacification through fayth in his bloud to declare hys righteousnes in that hee forgeueth the sinnes that be passed which God dyd suffer to shew at his tyme his righteousnes that he might bee counted iust and a iustifier of hym that beleueth one Iesus Where is then the boastyng it is excluded by what lawe of workes nay but by the law of faith Therfore we gather that man is iustified by fayth without the deedes of the law and a litle after For it is one GOD which shall iustifie Circūcision which is of fayth and vncircūcisiō through fayth Agayne in the next Chapter for if Abraham were iustified by dedes then hath he wherein to boast but not with GOD for what sayeth the scriptures Abraham beleued God that was coūted to him for righteousnes to him that worketh the reward is not reckened of fauor but of duty but to him that worketh not but beleueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faythe is counted for righteousnes Euen as Dauid describeth the blissefulnes of the mā vnto whom God ascribeth righteousnes without
righteousnes vnto workes haue not we our iustification of fayth and workes and not yours of faith onely It is sayde of Phinées in the 106. Psal that his acte was imputed to him for righteousnes And likewise in Deutronomy of hym that deliuered his neighbors pledge that it shal be righteousnes vnto him before the Lord his god And likewise S. Iames saith was not Abraham our father iustified by workes in offering his sonne Isaac vpon the aulter Whereupon they conclude that as man is not iustified by workes so is he not iustified by faith without workes flatly agaynste S. Paule who concludeth playnely that man is iustified of fauour through fayth without workes where he telleth both the finall cause of that liberall gifte namely the prayse and glory of the grace or fauor of God and also he telleth the reason why he so vehemently excludeth workes namely least any man shoulde beast that is through blinde presumption should challenge any part of the glory of that worke which God hath reserued to himselfe for his speciall triumph Now if the aduersaries will néedes vrge that the worde righteousnes or iustification hath the same signification in these places by thē alleged that it hath in Paule Doe they not teare in sunder the spirite of truth and set him at warre with hymselfe forasmuch as by the rigor of wordes they be contrary Paule sayth fiatly and affirmeth it by manye discourses that faith without worke iustifieth and that by workes no man liuing shall be iustifyed but these aucthorities affirme the contrary that these men by workes were iustifyed Now if they will néedes affirme that both in Paul and in these places which they alledge the worde righteousnes or iustifycation hath one sense is not this a doctrine that eyther must accuse Paule of ignorance of the sense of the auncient scriptures or of error in his owne and robbe God of his finall triumph namely of his glorie and vtter spoylinge man of the assuraunce of Gods fauour in Christ for if his assuraunce therof bee once ioyned with the condition of hys owne desert or workes surely he falleth by and by into one of our Phisitions new found Agewes A triple tertian quotidian he can neuer know when he is without a fitte Surely it were to hard for Peter Lumbard him selfe with both his foundations of hope to spy out a time to finde him selfe cleare from a fitte if for one masse whyle on the Sunday his imagination coulde mocke him that he were créeping to godward The true testimony of his conscience might assure him that all the rest of the wéeke after he were gallopping to the deuilward The Lord hath blessed hys elect from such assuraunce Wherefore let vs now reuerently with Paule haue respect vnto the finall ende of Gods woorke in this cause Namely to hym onely to yelde all the glorie and to man assuraunce and vndoubted possession of his fauour in Christ And we shall easely sée in these places no contrarictie but most swéete consent Let vs follow the rule of the auncient fathers in serching the truth of doubtfull sentences Thus sayth Hillarius Intelligentia dictorum ex causis est assumenda dicendi quia non sermoni res sed reiest sermo subiectus The meaning of wordes is to be gathered by the causes of the speaking for the matter is not subiecte to the worde but the worde to the matter Agayne Ierome vppon the Epistile to the Galathians saith thus Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Euangelium sed in sensu non in superficie sed non medulla non in fermonum folus sed in radice rationis Neither let vs thincke that the gospel consisteth in the wordes of the Scripture but in the meaning not in the barck but in the pith not in the leaues of wordes but in the roote of the meanyng Wherfore let vs in folowing the Coūfell of these auncient fathers séeke such meanynges and sense of these Scriptures as may expresse their consent with the rest of the Scriptures And haue respect vnto the finall cause of Gods purpose Namely as I haue often said that vnto hys fauour and grace for this so frée a benifite all prayse and glory may redoūde That al workes wrought by man before iustification be nothing els but the euill fruite of an euill tree it is before euidently proued And so vtterly vnable to abide the presence of gods iustice Wherby it foloweth of necessitie that the woorkes alleged in these their authorities were not there meant for works going before iustification as causes therof but in déede for such workes as folowyng the same declared manefestly the righteousnesse which to the doers of them was offrée fauour through fayth imputed For that the workes of a man by fayth already iustified be in the sight of God allowed for ryghteous by not hauing sinne imputed vnto them it is not onely not denyed but most constantly affirmed For how can it be otherwise but that God in beholdyng in them hys owne moste glorious Image wherewith throughe grace in respect of fayth they be clothed He muste both acknowledge it and delight therin But that their spottes and blemishes are nowe couered wyth the righteousnes of Christe this commeth not to them either by them selues or in respect of them selues but onely by grace or fauour through fayth as is shewed before For they beinge the workes of a man already by fayth iustified and clothed in the righteousnes of Christ Therfore they thereby clothed in the same righteousnes hauing theyr spottes and blemishes through mercye therewith couered are acknowledged for righteous They are accepted for good fruite because they were brought forth by a good frée So that fayth by apprehendyng of Christ and his righteousnes in the promise through grace and fauour attayneth mans iustification So the workes or fruites of the righteousnes of the same faith do manyfestly declare and witnes the doer of them to be righteous That is as fayth apprehēdeth righteousnes in the frée promise for man so the workes or fruites of that righteousnes of fayth doe declare and testifie that hee is iustifyed Wherefore whersoeuer in the Scriptures man is sayd to be iustifyed by workes the meaning is that he is by workes declared and knowen to bée a righteous man And not that the workes were the cause of his righteousnes This being thus considered ther appeareth betwene Paule and the aucthorities by them alledged no strife but most swéete agréement For as Paule telleth the meanes howe a man is iustifyed so the other shew and declare howe man is openly knowne to bee righteous or iustifyed Now marke gentle reader how this doctrine tendeth fully to that end where unto Saint Paule directeth hys course Namely that the whole glorie may redound to GOD alone and that man may haue a sure possession of Gods fauour in Christ Firste in that by iustifycation of workes this onely is to be vnderstand that man
geue no further power but onelye to offer it vnto the mynde which Pelagius neuer denyed but not to conuert or renew the same wherby grace hath at their handes such straight alowance that vnlesse frée will geue it leaue it is Iacke out of office and can do nothyng so that with them both frée wil is he that ruleth the roste whereby they differre a litle in childishe shewe of wordes but nothyng in the substaunce of the heresie This grace which the Papistes haue hunted out is lyke a sleuelesse Iacket hangyng in the ayre which euery man may at hys owne choyse either slyp on or leaue vntouched And yet Paule in playne wordes affirmeth that it is neither in hym that willeth nor in hym that runneth but in God that pitieth wherby it is euident that grace doth not only as they imagine inuite the mynde vnto Christ neither as they dreame is it a certaine generall grace common vnto all men whiche euery one that lysieth hath free will power to recaue or refuse But it is in déede that frée fauour of God in respect of Christ which not onely moueth the minde but also by his spirite doth clearely turne renewe and regenerate the same accordyng to these sayinges of the Prophetes Thus saith Elia heare me O Lord that this people may knowe that thou art the Lord God and that thou hast turned their hartes agayne nowe at the last And agayne Ieremy sayth O Lord turne vs vnto thee and so shal we be turned Agayn God by Ezechiell sayth I will plant a new spirite within your bowels that stony hart wil I take out of your bodye and geue you a fleshy hart And agayn by Zacharie he sayth I will turne them also for I pitie them Here is both taught that God turneth the hart also the cause therof namely his mercy For I pity them saith he according wherunto Dauid cryeth make me a cleane hart O God and renue a right spirit within me And agayne Inclyne my hart vnto thy testimonies And Salomon crieth Incline O Lord the hearte of thys people that they may obey thy commaundements Hereby appeareth that the frée fauour or grace of God is such as first moueth the mind then renueth turneth the same and draweth it to consent thereunto according to thys saying of Christ no man commeth vnto me vnlesse my heauenly father draw him Surely the Papistes shew themselues the naturall heyres of Pelagius in this theyr definition of grace As by thys which Augustine writeth vnto Innocent the Byshop of Rome is euident Pelagius sayth he fearyng to be accursed in the Palestine counsell dyd aforehand accurse all such as sayde they coulde lyue vprightly wythout grace But by grace he vnderstoode nothyng els but the giftes which he imagined was bestowed vppon vs in creation as frée choyce reason will. c. by which subtility the Palestine Byshoppes beyng decaued dyd absolne hym in which déede Saint Augustine doth excuse then for theyr vpright and simple dealyng for when they heard hym confesse the grace of God they could thereby vnderstand no other grace then that which the Scripture acknowledgeth namely the fauour of God whereby we be regenerate and grafted into Christ By which wordes of Saint Augustine it appeareth that all other significations of grace hereunto applyed are but subtill and false shiftes to darken the truth withall And is not thys the very shift of the Papistes For how much soeuer they séeme to accompt of grace they meane nothyng lesse thereby then the frée beneuolence of the wil of God in respect of Christ but in déede they meane theyr Philosophicall grace their infused habit which must helpe nature to hatch her broode of good workes whereby to be iustified if frée wyll be so curteous as to geue her leaue Neyther do they onely erre about the matter or substaunce of grace as appeareth but also about all the effectes thereof For all those which are but in déede diuers effectes or proprieties of the fauour or grace of God they accompt for seuerall graces as where the grace of God preuenting vs doth stirre and moue the mynde vnto goodnes that accompt they for one seuerall grace after the which first motion and as it were iogging of the mynde to awake the same from the deadly sleepe of rebellious contempt there worketh another effect of the same grace which performeth the same thyng whereunto the other prouoketh for it turneth and altereth the vnwillyng mynde and geueth lyfe agayne vnto the dead séede of originall obedience so that the mynde which before dispised to obey any of the heauenly motions of the first prouoking effect of grace is now by thys other effect so chainged and clearely altered that it beginneth to hate the fleshe whereunto onely before it wholy and willingly obeyed so that now it hungereth thirsteth and gredely desireth the full repayre of the lost obedience which before it could not but vtterly abhorre and in respecte of thys effecte of grace which thus chaungeth and turneth the mynde is grace it selfe called workyng grace which is not so called as though thys effect were a seuerall grace onely furnished wyth that qualitie but it is so called to put a difference betwene thys effect of grace and another which immediatly followeth the same Because that thys effect of grace worketh euer in such a subiecte as neuer willyngly consenteth to the worke of the same for vntill it hath chaunged the mynde the mynde can consent to no godlynes and so soone as it hath turned the mynde then is the worke of thys effect finished which once performed then forth wyth appeareth that other effecte of grace wherof I spake namely that as in the conuerted mynde grace willeth worketh the workes of true godlynes so doth the regenerate mynde both wyll worke the same and thys effect of grace is called cooperant grace or grace working together And wyth the first of these two effectes of grace doth the mynde méete onely passiuely because it is by it vnwillyngly subdued to suffer the workyng of the same and is sayde in the passiue voyce to bée renued or to be turned But with the second of these two effectes the mynde doth meete both passiuely and actiuely pasiuely in that it is drawen to wyll and woorke ryghteousnesse and actiuely in that beyng drawen it willingly wylleth and worketh the same And all these seuerall effects of grace doe the Papystes to builde vp their baggage accompt for seuerall graces and not for the seuerall effect of one and the same frée and vndeserued fauour or grace of God whereby in respect of Christ we are reconciled They also accompt grace making acceptable and grace fréelye geuen for two seuerall graces and yet Saint Paule affirmeth that if it bée not frée it is no grace But it is good reason to géeue them leaue to erre that séeke for no truthe for so they may mysse that they care not what they finde for