salse l uâ—…t dele Fatâ—…h ibâ—…d by God p 315. l 9. 〈◊〉 marg l. 13. 〈◊〉 80. l. 21. 〈◊〉 l. 26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l 35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4. prolâ—…gom p. 317. l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 318 l. 7. 8 and 〈◊〉 p â—…320 l. af 8. quoâ—…ism p. 321. l. 20 as are p. 325. l. 4â—… 〈◊〉 p. 326. marg l. 2. qâ—… 2. p. 327. l. af 7 〈◊〉 marâ—… l. 8. 9. Pist. 38. si 〈◊〉 p. 328. l. 12. walking marg l. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p 334. l. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 336. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—… 337. ad l. 10. marg de 〈◊〉 lib. 1. c. â—…5 l. af 5. exprescâ—…d l. af 4. 38. p. 33. 8. â—… 18. to feed p. 340. l. 4. l. 15. p 342. l. 10. orgaâ—…call p. 350. marg l. 6. 1 Ioh. 5. 10. p. 357. l. af 11. faitb is p. 36â—… marg l. ult Rom. 4. 19. p. 373. l. af 16. 〈◊〉 respect of any l. â—…f 10. Bâ—…nedictus p. 376. l. 〈◊〉 iâ—… is p. 377. l. 23 〈◊〉 p. 378. l. 12. Blessed Ambr. â—… 21. 〈◊〉 â—… ef 12. just 〈◊〉 A TREATISE OF IVSTIFICATION THE FIRST BOOKE Wherein is set downe the true doctrine of Justification according to the word of God CAP. I. The excellencie of this argument is set forth and the definition of justification propounded and in part expounded § I. AMong all the articles of Christian religion there is none as I suppose either more necessarie to be knowne or more comfortable to be beleeved than the doctrine of justification whereby a faithfull man is taught to beleeve and know that hee being a sinner in himselfe and by sinne obnoxious to eternall damnation is by the mercies of God and merits of Christ through faith not onely freed from the guilt of his sinnes and from everlasting damnation but also accepted as righteous before God in Christ and made heire of eternall life This doctrine in many places of the Scripture hereafter to be cited is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of excellency called the truth and sometimes the truth of the Gospell as Gal. 2. 5. that is the truth of God revealed in the Gospell concerning justification and salvation by the free grace of God through the merits of Christ apprehended by faith being also the chiefe argument contained in the Gospell which is therefore called the power of God unto salvation because therein the Righteousnesse of God even that by which we are justified and saved is revealed from faith to faith as it is written The just shall live by faith or he that is just by faith shall live which doctrine is so inviolably and incorruptly to be held that if an Apostle if an Angell from heaven shall teach any other Gospell that is any other doctrine whereby to bee justified and saved than by the onely merits of Christ apprehended by faith hee ought to bee held accursed But by how much the more necessary and comfortable this doctrine is by so much the more it is oppugned by Satan who as at the first hee did not abide in the truth nor kept his first estate but left his habitation rather than hee would as some probably thinke embrace this truth namely that the second Person in Trinity should for the salvation of mankinde become flesh and that in him the nature of man should be advanced above the nature of Angels so hath hee ever since opposed it by all meanes as namely by raising not only other false teachers in the apostles times and since but even Antichrist and his adherents in these later times who have not onely perverted this doctrine but also subverted it and have as it were taken away the subject of the question for by confounding the law and the Gospell the covenant of workes and the covenant of grace the benefits of justification and sanctification and of two making but one they have wholly abolished that great benefit of the Messias about our justification whereby wee are freed from hell and entituled to the kingdome of heaven and consequently they are fallen from grace having disanulled the covenant of grace and made the promise of none effect For whosoever seeketh to be justified by inherent righteousnesse he is under the curse he is a debtour to the whole law and therefore to him Christ is become of none effect This being therefore a controversie of such importance that it concerneth our very title to the kingdome of heaven it is to bee handled with all diligence and not without invocation of the holy Spirit of truth whom wee beseech to guide and to direct us in setting downe the truth to confirme and stablish us in the profession of it and to assist and strengthen us against the enemies thereof But before I come to confute the errours of the Papists the enemies of the truth I will first set downe the true doctrine of justification according to Gods word § II. Iustification therefore is a most gracious and righteous action of God whereby he imputing the righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner absolveth him from his sinnes and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ and as 〈◊〉 heire of eternall life to the praise and glory of his owne mercy and justice Where first consider the name of the thing which wee have now defined and are hereafter to handle To justifie if you respect the notation of the Latine word signifieth to make just as to magnifie importeth to make great Neither is it to be doubted but that the Lord whom he justifieth doth constitute or make just Now the Lord maketh men just two wayes either by imputation of Christs righteousnesse which is out of them in Christ as being his personall righteousnesse or by infusion of righteousnesse as it were by influence into them from Christ their head To the faithfull therefore there belongeth a twofold righteousnesse the one of justification the other of sanctification The former is the righteousnesse of Christ and therefore the righteousnesse of God as it is often called the righteousnesse of God because it is the righteousnesse of him that is God and is imputed to the beleever the later is ours because inherent in us though received from God as all our good things are The former is perfect as being the righteousnesse of him that is God the later is but begun in this life and is to be perfected in the life to come By the former we are justified by the later we are sanctified If it be objected that there seemeth little or no difference betweene these two words for as to justifie is to make just so to sanctifie is to make holy And therefore as to sanctifie is to make holy by holinesse infused so to justifie is to make just by justice inherent I answer First that this is contrary to the use of the word
that justified her but her faith our Saviour who had so highly commended her love doth in expresse termes testifie thy faith hath saved thee goe in peace upon which wordes of our Saviour shee who was formerly justified before God by a true justifying faith which our Saviour professeth and which shee testified by her love and by her repentance departed home justified in the Court of her owne conscience by speciall faith and being justified by faith had peace with God 4. As for his allegation out of Gal. 5. 6 that faith worketh by love it hath no colour of proofe that love disposeth unto justification but rather the contrary For he that is indued with faith working by love is already justified § IV. The Councell of Aurenge hee alleageth against himselfe For if God doe first inspire faith and love it speaketh of those who are adultâ—… that wee may faithfully require the sacrament of Baptisme then are we first justified by faith and afterwards receive the sacrament as Abraham did circumcision as the sacâ—…ament and sealâ—… of justification by faith And this is generally to be understood of Sacraments received by them who are come to yeares of discretion that they must be endued with justifying faith when they come to receive the Sacraments otherwise they receive no benefit by them For as touching Baptisme our Saviour saith hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but hee that beleeveth not whether hee be baptized or not baptiâ—…ed he shall bee condemned And as touching the Eucharist it is certaine that no man can receive Christ therein without faith which is both the hand of the soule to receive him and as it were the mouth of the soule to eat his body and to drinke his bloud And further Sacraments are seales anneâ—…ed to the letters patents of Gods promises in the Gospell and therefore confirme or assure nothing but what is contained in the promise and upon the same conditions The condition is faith Obiect But you will say if a man must be justified before he receive the Sacrament to what end doth hee then receive it Answ. that hee who is justified before God by the former degree of faith may by speciall faith confirmed by the Sacrament bee justified in his owne conscience that is that hee may in some measure be assured thereof § V. Bellarmine having produced his owne arguments hee commeth now to answer such as he saith are ours The first out of 1 Ioh. 4. 19. wee love God because he first loved us Now God loveth no man actually whom hee doth not justifie and reconcile unto himselfe in Christ for untill then wee are in the state of enemies Neither doth any that is not justified nor reconciled to God in Christ love him or if hee doe then doth hee love God before God loveth him Gods love therefore goeth before our justification and our justification goeth before our love of God Neither is this onely true that God loveth us before wee love him but before wee can love him aright wee must bee perswaded of his love towards us which perswasion is faith from which love proceedeth 1 Tim. 1. 5. Bellarmine answereth that God indeed loveth men first and by loving them maketh them just but by little and little and by certaine meanes For whom hee loveth hee first calleth to faith then he inspireth into them hope and feare and love inchoated lastly he justifieth and infuseth perfect charity Reply First that which he speaketh of making just by little and little may agree to sanctification but to justification it agreeth not for thereof there are no degrees Secondly It would bee knowne whether this beginning of charity which he saith goeth before justification bee the same which in justification is infused differing only in degree If it be not the same how is it charitas inchoata and if it be not infused as well as that in the act of justification why doth he say it is inspired If it bee the same then gratia gratum faciens is inspired before regeneration before which wee are nothing but flesh and in our flesh there is no good thing And by this reason justification shall bee nothing else but the perfecting of that charity which before was begun neither can a man bee truely said to bee justified by charity who is not enduâ—…d with perfect charity perfectly and fully expelling all sin which in this life is never perfect much lesse in incipients nor ever doth so expell sinne but that allwayes whiles wee are in our mortall bodies sinne remaineth in us Wherefore the Papists doe never attaine to that which they call justification which indeed is not justification but the perfection of sanctification Or if they say they doe attaine unto it and that they have no sinne they are lyars and there is no truth in them § VI. Our second argument no man can love God in any acceptable measure unlesse hee have the Spirit of God dwelling in him for love is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. to this purpose hee citeth for us Rom. 5. 5. which allegation hee cannot answere because he understandeth the place of our love of God which is shed abroad into our harâ—…s by the holy Ghost Now no men have the Spirit of God but they who are regenerated and justified for the Spirit of truth the world cannot receive Ioh. 14. 27. Bellarmine saith this is true of perfect love but imperfect love and inchoated which even now out of the Counsel of Aureng he confessed to be inspired of the holy Spirit may be had without the Spirit but not without Gods speciall helpe Which words discover unto us one of the depthes of Satan in the mystery of iniquity For the Papists as they doe wonderfully extenuate originall sinne so doe they use to magnifie the strength of nature corrupted They doe not acknowledge that which the Scriptures plainely teach that by nature wee are dead in sinne onely they say that we are diseased with sinne and entangled and bound with the chaines of sinne so that if wee bee not holpen of God wee are not able to doe that which is good But if God doe afford uâ—… his speciall helpe then we can have faith and feare and hope and love and the other preparations And further the privative corruption which they cannot deny to be in originall sinne they confesse by the halves or not so much for the privation which is in originall sinne is not onely of the act which they doe not wholly confesse but of the power and the habit it selfe So that in us by nature there is a meere impotencie to that which is spiritually good in respect whereof wee have lost bonum possibilitatis as Augustine teacheth Wherefore that wee may bee enabled to beleeve to hope to love to feare God to purpose amendment of life c. it is necessary that wee should bee not holpen or loosed but renewed regenerated created a new and raised from the
wee have fulfilled the Law Such is not ours for being sinners in our selves wee cannot stand before God as righteous by justice inherent neither can wee oppose it to Gods judgement or interpose it betwixt Gods justice and our sinnes or plead it as a full satis faction But the best of us must pray with David Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord for no flesh shall bee righteous in thy sight namely if thou enter into judgement with him and againe if thou Lord shalt marke iniquity O Lord who shall stand but there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayst be feared Augustine on those words Quis sustinebit Non dixit ego non sustinebo sed quis sustinebit vidit n. propè totam vitam humanam circumlatrari peccatis suis accusari omnes conscientias cogitationibus sâ—…is non inveniri cor castum praesumens de sua justitia Si ergo cor castum non potest inveniri quod praesumat de sua justitia praesumat omnium cor de misericordia Dei dicat Deo Si iniquitates observaveris Domine Domine quis fustinebit quae a. spes est quoniam apud te propitiatio est quae est ista propitiatio nisi sacrificium quod est sacrificium nifi quod pro nobis oblatum est Sanguis innocens fusus delevit omnia peccata nocentium Ergo est apud te propitiatio Nam si non esset apud te propitiatio si judex solum esse velles misericors esse nolles observares omnes iniquitates nostras quaeâ—…eres eas quis sustineret quis staret in judicio tuo Spes ergo una est quoniam est apud te propitiatio Againe Augustine and some others doe use to joyne in coherence the 8. and 9. verses of the 20. Chapter of the Proverbs when the righteous King shall sit on his throne who can say my heart is cleane wee deny not that there is a righteousnesse inherent in the faithfull that it is accepted of God in Christ that it is graciously rewarded but we deny that we are justified thereby This is not it in which wee can stand in judgement before the righteous King sitting on his throne § VIII Our third argument By that righteousnesse of man which onely is perfect wee are justified and not by that which is unperfect The righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him is the onely righteousnesse of man which is perfect and all our inherent righteousnesse in this life is unperfect Therefore wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him and not by any righteousnesse inherent in our selves The proposition needeth no proofe for that justice which is not perfect cannot stand in judgement before God and is so farre from justifying that it selfe is sinfull every imperfection and defect being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a transgression of the Law and consequently a sinne So long saith Augustine as charity may be increased assuredly that which is lesse than it ought to bee is vicious and againe more plainely peccatum est cum charitas minor est quà m debet it a sinne when charity is lesse than it ought to-be I doe not say that the habit of grace as faith or charity or a worke of grace as prayer or almes giving is a sinne and much lesse a mortall sinne as our adversaries charge us but I say that the imperfection or defect of the habit or the worke is a sinne and in respect thereof neither the habit nor the worke though good is purely and perfectly good but sinfull and stained with the flesh which staine to them who are in Christ Iesus is veniall and it notwithstanding both the habit and the worke of grace are cum venia with favour and indulgence through the merits and intercession of our Saviour in him accepted the want and imperfection being by his perfect righteousnesse and obedience covered That the righteousnesse of Christ is perfect is also manifest And that it is the onely righteousnesse of man which in this life is perfect is evidently proved because all the righteousnesse of all meere and mortall men is unperfect And that I prove by these reasons § IX First no sinners have perfect righteousnesse inherent in them All mortall men are sinners Therefore no mortall man hath perfect righteousnesse inherent in him The proposition is manifest for whiles men bee sinners they cannot be perfectly righteous The assumption viz. that all men are sinners it is proved by the common experience of all men in all ages Secondly it is grounded upon most plaine and undeniable testimonies of holy Scriptures which have concluded all men whatsoever under sinne Gal. 3. 22. Rom. 3. 23. 1 King 8. 46. Eccl. 7. 20. Thirdly it is a confessed and received truth which therefore the Apostle in his Enthymeme Gal. 3. 10. taketh for granted For thus the Apostle argueth Every one that is a transgressour of the Law is accursed therefore All men whatsoever even those who seeke by their obedience of the Law to be justified are accursed If any man should deny the consequence of this Enthymeme it is to bee made good by adding the assumption which the Apostle left out as a thing presupposed and taken for granted thus Whosoever is a transgressour of the Law is by the Law accursed which the Apostle expresseth in these termes Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them But all men without exception even those which seeke to be justified by the Law are transgressours of the Law Never any man continued in all the things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them that is never any meere and morall man hath so abstained from all evill forbidden as that he hath also done the things commanded that he hath done all that hee hath ever continued in doing all Thus Chrysostome understandeth the Apostle to argue No man is justified by the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for all have sinned and are under the curse and saith that the Apostle by testimony proveth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that no man hath fulfilled the Law and Oecumenius likewise in Gal. 3. that the Apostle proveth that even those who seeke to be justified by the Law are under the Curse why 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because no man saith he fulfilleth the Law Therefore all men without exception even those which seeke to bee justified by the Law are by the Law accursed which conclusion is of no force if it bee not granted that all men are transgressours of the Law Fourthly all they who are to pray to God for the forgivenesse of their sinnes are sinners But all even the best of men are to pray to God for the forgivenesse of their sinnes Pro hac that is for remission of sinnes or abit ad te omnis
sanctus every godly man shall pray unto thee Our Saviour taught his owne Apostles and all other Christians to pray daily for remission of sinne Every one saith Cyprian is taught peccare se quotidie dum quotidie per peccatis jubetur orare that he sinneth daily seeing he is commanded to pray daily for his sinnes Therefore all even the best of us are sinners Fifthly whosoever doth that evill which he would not and doth not that good which hee would is a sinner both in respect of commission and omission but such is the condition of the best even of the Apostlâ—… himselfe Rom. 7. 15. 19. for so he saith vers 25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I my selfe Sixthly whosoever hath sinne is a sinner All men have sinne and that I prove thus Whosoever is a lyar himselfe and maketh God a lyar that saith he hath no sinne he undoubtedly is a sinner But every man though he were as holy as the beloved Apostle and Evangelist Saint Iohn is a lyar himselfe and maketh God a lyar that saith he hath no sinne for if wee saith he including himselfe say we have no sinne wee deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Iohn 1. 8. if we say that we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us vers 10. Therefore every man though hee be as holy as Saint Iohn himselfe is a sinner Seventhly whosoever is free from sinne is also free from death No mortall man is free from death Therefore no mortall man is free from sinne CHAP. III. The question concerning the imperfection of inherent righteousnesse further discussed § I. TO contradict this argument that we are not justified by righteousnesse inherent because it is unperfect Bellarmine indeavoureth to prove that it is perfect both in respect of habituall and actuall righteousnesse But in both hee useth to dispute Sophistically in the first because some men have beene indued with perfect righteousnesse in the second because some good works of the just are purely and perfectly good For though both these assertions were true as they are not yet would they not conclude justification by inherent righteousnesse For first as touching the persons the question is not whether some choice men in some part of their life after they have beene good and long proficients doe attaine to some perfection but whether they and all others when they are first justified are endued with perfect justice for if they be not then endued with perfect inherent righteousnesse they are not justified by it Now justification by habituall righteousnesse which they call their first justification is incipientium of incipients and themselves distinguish Christians into three rankes that some are incipients some proficients some perfect But incipients are such as be infants and babes either in respect of age when being baptized in their infancie are as they teach justified or in respect of religion being new converts But to imagine that either infants which have not so much as the use of reason nor are as yet capable of the habits of Faith Hope and Charity and much lesse are able to produce the Acts to Beleeve to Hope to Love or new converts who are like Babes to bee fed with Milke are indued with perfect righteousnesse is a great absurdity § II. Yea but saith Bellarmine the workes of God are perfect Deut. 32. 4. habituall righteousnesse is the worke of God therefore it is perfect Answ. The workes of God are either immediate and such as hee worketh at once or else mediate which hee worketh by degrees The former are perfect at the first according to their kinde as were the workes of creation The latter are not perfect at the first but by degrees are brought to perfection as the worke of procreation or carnall generation and of Spirituall Re-creation or Regeneration Adam was the immediate Worke of GOD created at once and therefore perfect in his kinde at the first Seth also was the Worke of GOD not immediate by creation but mediate by Procreation being first begotten by his parents and conceived then formed in the wombe then borne then growing from age to age untill hee came to bee a perfect man So it is in the Spirituall Re-creation For wee are the workemanship of God created unto good workes but we are not perfect Christians at the first For we are first begotten by the incorruptible seed of Gods Word receiving as it were the seeds of Gods graces at the first being but as Embryons in the wombe untill Christ bee formed in us And when wee are borne a new wee are at the first but as new borne Babes who are to desire the sincere milke of the worke that we may grow thereby and afterwards stronger meats that wee may grow more and more and then not contenting our selves with that measure of growth which wee have attained unto must still strive towards perfection being from day to day renewed in the inner man untill we come to be adult growne men or as the Apostle speaketh perfecti and when we are such because alwayes in this life we are in our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or growing age receiving onely the first fruits of the Spirit wee must imitate the Apostle Paul who though he farre excelled the most perfect among us acknowledged that he had not attained to perfection but did strive towards it exhorting all others who are perfect that is adulti or growne men to be of his minde that is that they should acknowledging their imperfection still more and more strive towards perfection § III. As touching actuall righteousnesse hee dealeth also Sophistically for first where hee should prove that the works of the faithfull are perfect or purely and absolutely good he proveth that they are truely good and not sinnes but especially when he should prove that all the workes of the faithfull or righteous are purely and perfectly good he proveth that some are As though a man who is not onely guilty of many sinnes and infected with manifold corruptions and infirmities but also in respect of his former sinnes obnoxious to damnation could bee justified by some good workes among many not good But this is a most erroneous conceit of the Papists who hold that every good worke proceeding from charity doth absolutely deserve heaven even as well as any evill worke committed against charity deserveth hell As though by one act of charity the whole Law were fulfilled as well as by one act committed against charity the whole Law is broken Hee that transgresseth one Commandement though it bee but once is guilty of all But hee doth not fulfill the Law and much lesse can bee justified by his obedience whose obedience is not totall perfect and perpetuall It is true that a faithfull man may bee justified that is declared and approved to be just by some one or more good workes as Abraham
the punishment thereof be inflicted upon us which is both our originall corruption and death it selfe besides many other calamityes then is it to be presupposed that the sin it selfe is imputed to us For if the sin it selfe had not been imputed then as Bellarmine himselfe somewhere argues neither the guilt nor the corruption had belong'd unto us Again things that are transient when they are once past and gone cannot bee communicated otherwise than by imputation That transgression of Adam as all other actions was transient and therefore if it be demanded how it being so long past and gone can bee communicated to us Bellarmine truly answeareth it is communicated unto us by generation eo modo quo communicari potest id quod transiit nimirâ—…m per imputationem in that manner according to which that may be communicated which is transient and gone to wit by imputation If it be objected which was Bellarmiâ—…es prime argument for inherent righteousnesse that through the disobedience of the first Adam wee were made sinners by inherent unjustice and therefore by the like reason through the obedience of the second Adam wee are made just by righteousnesse inherent I answere that from Christ we have both justification and sanctification the former answering to the guilt of Adams transgression imputed the latter answerable to the originall corruption by generation derived but though wee have them both from Christ yet not after one manner the former wee have by imputation the latter by infusion But of this place I have spoken heretofore at large § II. Our seventh argument Whosoever is a sinner in himselfe and so continueth whiles he remaineth in this life cannot bee justified otherwise than by imputation This I take to bee a most certaine and undeniable truth But every many whatsoever Christ onely excepted is in himselfe a sinner and so continueth whiles hee remaineth in this life Therefore no man whatsoever can othervise bee justified but by imputation Or thus The justification of a sinner is imputative for to a sinner the Lord when hee justifieth him imputing not sinne imputeth righteousnesse without workes Rom. 4. 6. 8. The justification of every Christian is the justification of a sinner and so is called of all writers boâ—…h old and new both Protestants and Papists Therefore the justification of every Christian is imputative The assumption of the former syllogisme is denyed by the Papists but against the testimony of their owne Conscience and against the common experience of all men in all times and places But this I prove it briefly All that sometimes doe sinne or have sinne abiding in them are sinners all men sometimes do sinne and have sinne remaining in them therefore all men are sinners the assumption is proved by Iames the just and by the holy beloved Apostle including themselves in many things wee offend all of us and if wee say wee have no sinne wee deceive our selves and there is no truth in us But that all mortall men are sinners I have sufficiently proved before Vnlesse therefore the Papists will say they are no sinners and that in them there is no sinne which if they doe say wee may bee bold to tell them that there is no truth in them they must confesse justification by imputation of Christs righteousnesse § III. Our eigth argument To whom faith is imputed unto righteousnesse without workes hee is not justified by workes that is by righteousnesse inherent but by imputation of Christs righteousnesse To Abraham and all the faithfull faith is imputed unto righteousnesse without workes Therefore they are not justified by workes but by imputation of Christs righteousnesse The former part of the proposition is proved by opposition of faith to workes in the question of justificâ—…tion and by the testimony of the the Apostle Rom. 4. 3 4 5 6 7 8. The latter part is proved by the former for if not by inherent righteousnesse then by imputed and if by faith and yet not by inherent righteousnesse then not by faith in respect oâ—… it selfe as it is an habit inherent in us but in respect of the object which it apprehendeth Of which that is verified properly which by a trope viz. a Metonimy is ascribed to faith namely that it justifieth and saveth that by it wee have remission of sinne and the inheritance c. that is Christ received by faith doth justifie and save c. The assumption in expâ—…esse termes is delivered Rom. 4. 3. 5 6. 22 23 Here Bellarmine confesseth that faith indeed is imputed unto righteousnesse and that is our righteousnesse which confession doth not well agree with his assertions elsewhere that faith doth but dispose unto justification and that our formall righteousnesse is our charity that faith is an habit of the Vnderstanding but justice is an habit of the Will But our glosse hee doth not allow when wee say by faith that is by Christs righteousnesse apprehended by faith because it is repugnant to the Apostle for two causes For first hee doth not say Christs righteousnesse but faith is imputed Now faith is not Christs righteousnesse but ours by Gods gift Which notwithstanding is the maine doctrine of the Gospell revealing the righteousnesse of God that is of Christ who is God from faith to faith the righteousnesse of God by faith that is which is apprehended by faith For faith it selfe is not the righteousnesse of God which doth justifie or save us but the instrument to receive Gods righteousnesse and therefore doth not justifie or save properly but relatively in respect of the object which it doth receive that is to say the righteousnesse of Christ which doth justifie and save those which receive it by faith and therefore when it is said in the Gospell more than once thy faith hath saved thee the meaning is that Christ received by faith hath saved those which did beleeve in him Act. 3. 16 it is said that faith in Christ had cured the lame man but it is thus to be understood that the name of Christ by faith in his name did cure him For we are justified and saved by a perfect righteousnes which is of infinite value and merit which is not faith nor any other grace or graces inherent but onely the righteousnesse of Christ. And yet because by faith wee are united to Christ and by it are made partakers of his benefits therefore all the benefits which wee receive from Christ are attributed to faith as elsewhere I have shewed To faith metonimically but properly to Christ himself His second reason because the word imputare in this place doth not signifie a bare reputing but a reputing unto which the truth is answer able in the thing it selfe as is plaine by these words Ei qui operatur merces imputatur c. for it is certaine that to him that worketh not onely in opinion and conceipt but truely and indeed the reward is due Answ. This reason doth not
have true faith have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in them by which Christ dwelleth in them and those which have not the Spirit of Christ are none of his Rom. 8. 9 Faith is the proper worke of the Spirit who is therefore called the Spâ—…rit of faith 2 Cor. 4. 13. And therfore those who are endued with true faith have the Spirit by both which Christ dwelleth in us Againe all that are the sonnes of â—…od have the Spirit of Christ Gal. 4. 6. all that truly beleeve are the sonnes of God as hath been shewed All that be Christs they have his Spirit for those that have not his Spirit are none of his Rom. 8. 9. All that truely beleeve are Christs 1 Cor. 3. 23. both because God hath given them unto him Iohn 6. 37. 17. 9 24. and because he hath bought them with a great price 1 Cor. 6. 19. and because by faith they are engrafted and united unto him as his members Therefore all that have true faith are endued with Charity and other graces § III. Thirdly all that are sanctified are endued with Charity and other graces for in them our sanctification doth consist All that have true faith are sanctified For first by faith the heart is purified Acts 15. 9. and true faith worketh by love Galathians 5. 6. Secondly because all that are justified are also sanctified All that have a true faith are justified therefore all that have a true faith are sanctified The proposition can in no sort be denied by the Papists who confound justification and sanctification But though they must necessarily be distinguished yet they may not they cannot be severed They are such unseparablecompanions that whosoever hath the one hath the other and whosoever hath not both hath neither whosoever is in Christ as all the faithfull are is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. he liveth not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. He crucifieâ—…h the flesh with the lusts thereof Gal. 5. 24. This truth is confirmed by the oth of God whereby he hath promised in the covenant of grace that to all the faithfull the sonnes of Abraham he will give them redemption and justification and being redeemed hee will give them grace to worship him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life Those therefore whom God doth justifie by faith he doth sanctifie by his Spirit But all that have a true justifying faith are justified and by their justification have right or are entituled to the Kingdome of heaven Act. 13. 38 39. yea the Gospell teacheth not onely that they which truely beleeve shall bee saved but also that they are translated from death to life and that they have eternall life Ioh. 5. 24. 6. 47. 1 Ioh. 5. 11. 13. § IV. Fourthly all true disciples of Christ are endued with charity Ioh. 13. 35. All that truly beleeve in Christ are his true disciples therefore c. Fifthly that which worketh by Charity is not without it True faith worketh by Charity Gal. 5. 6. Sixthly The formed faith is not severed from Charity as the Papists themselves teach True justifying faith is the formed faith for that which is without forme is neither atrue nor justifying but a dead and counterfeit faith Seventhly If faith without Charity doe not justifie then a true justifying faith is not without Charity But the former is true for that faith which is without Charity profiteth nothing 1 Cor. 13. 2. therefore the later Eighthly out of 1 Iohn 4. 8. hee that beleeveth knoweth God they that love not know not God ergo they that love not beleeve not § V. To these eight arguments wee will adde seven more out of the Epistle of S. Iames Chapter 2. beginning at the 14. verse where he doth not goe about to prove that a true justifying faith doth not justifie alone but that that faith which is alone without Charity without good workes doth neither justifie alone nor at all And that hee proveth by these reasons First verse 14. True faith doth justifie and save a man that faith which is in profession onely being void of Charity or as Saint Iames speaketh when a man saith he hatâ—… faith and hath not workes doth not justifie or save a man and therefore is not a true faith Secondly à pari verse 15 16 17. Charity which is onely in words and profession and not indeed and truth is unprofitable and vaine so pari ratione faith which is onely in profession being alone void of Charity and of good workes is dead Thirdly verse 18. True faith may be demonstrated by good workes but that faith which is in profession onely and void of Charity cannot be demonstrated by good workes therefore it is not a true faith Fourthly ver 19. that faith which is common to devils is no true justifying faith for they beleeve that which they abhorre whereupon Augustine saith Fides Christiani cum dilectione est daemonis autem sine dilectione Fifthly vers 20. the dead faith of a vaine man is not a justifying faith that faith which is without charity is the dead faith of a vaine man therefore not a justifying faith Sixthly ver 21. 22. 23. 24 25. True justifying faith is such a faith as was that of Abrâ—…ham or at least as was that of Rahab that is fruitfull of good workes but that which is without Charity and without good workes is not such a faith as that of Abraham or of Rahab Seventhly vers 26. â—… simili as the body without spirit is dead so that faith which is without good workes is dead Vpon these arguments of Saint Iames it doth inevitably follow that seeing that faith which is severed from Charity and destitute of good workes is not a true justifying faith therefore a true justifying faith is not severed from Charity nor destitute of good workes § VI. These fifteene Arguments are as I suppose without exception Those which Bellarmine thought he could best answere hee hath propounded as our best Arguments and cavilled with them they are in number six the first out of 1 Tim. 5. 8. That for want whereof a man declareth himselfe to be without true faith and to be worse than an infidell cannot be separated from a true faith For want of Charity yea for want of one branch thereof which is to provide for a mans owne especially those of his owne house whom the very insidels are wont to provide for a man declareth himselfe to be without true faith that is in Saint Paules phrase hath denyed the faith and is worse than an infidell in that particular therefore Charity cannot be separated from true faith To this Bellarmine frameth an answere against himselfe that as Chrysostome and other interpreters doe witnesse the Apostle speaketh of such who are said to deny the faith because they doe not live as faith doth teach men to live as none doe who have not Charity and therefore
as the servants of sinne in whom sin reigneth yet they are penitent and beleeving sinners in whom sinne remainteh who often sinne through humane frailty There is no man that sinneth not saith Salomon yea there is not a righteous man upon earth that doeth good and sinneth not in many things we saith Iames the just doe offend all If we say that wee have not sinned or that wee have no sinne saith the most holy Apostle Saint Iohn wee deceive our selves we make him a lyer and there is no truth in us And therefore desperate againe is Bellarmines assertion that whosoever is justified or regenerated sinneth not that is never sinneth and on the other side whosoever sinneth is not a man regenerate nor justified which is to exclude all men from Iustification and consequently from Salvation § XVI And thus have I answered Bellarmines arguments concerning the possibility of the Law Now it may be expected that I should propound and mainetaine ours But this taske I have already performed in handling the third question of this controversie concerning the matter of our justification where among many other arguments proving that we are not justified by any righteousnes inherent in us or performed by us but onely by the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him we used this for one By what righteousnesse we are justified the Law is satisfied By Christs righteousnesse alone the Law is satisfied and not by that which is inherent in us or performed by us And this assumption wee prove because wee are not able to sati fie the Law neither in respect of the Commandement it being by reason of the flesh impossible unto us nor in respect of the penalty which cannot be satisfied by us but with endlesse torment So that as I said before all this discourse of the possibilitie of the Law is nothing but a defence against a piece of one of our arguments Now I should follow him to the second point which hee propounded to prove that the workes of the righteous are simply and absolutely just and after their manner perfect Which may also seeme to be an answere to another piece of our argument For that righteousnesse by which wee are justified is perfect such onely is the righteousnesse of Christ which is out of us in him such is not that which is inherent in us as the habituall or performed by us as the actuall Bellarmine therefore in opposition to that breach concerning perfect actuall righteousnesse propounded the proofe of this point But that our best righteousnesse is unperfect and stained with the flesh I have fully proved before and have answered all the arguments which Bellarmine produceth here in my fourth Booke whereunto I referre the reader Here onely I signifie againe that Bellarmine falleth very short in his proofes for where he should prove that the workes of the faithfull are simply and absolutely just and perfect as hee propounded the question hee now seemeth to prove this that the good workes of the righteous are truely good which we deny not § XVII Yes but you Protestants will they say doe teach that the best workes of the faithfull are sinnes c. Ans. We doe not say that their good workes as namely their prayer or their almes c. are sinnes but that in them they being otherwise good there are some imperfections and staines which are sinnes in respect whereof the faithfull man in doing that which is good sinneth according to that Eccl. 7. 20. We doe confesse that the duties which the faithfull performe are good workes and so called in the Scriptures though not purely and perfectly good but having their imperfections and being stained with the flesh Even as we call a man regenerated a just or a good man though he be not perfectly just being partly flesh and partly spirit Thus a vessell wherein there is wax mixed with hony before it be clarified is truly called a vessell of hony though not sinceri mellis of pure or sincere honey A cup of wine wherein is a mixture of some water with wine is truely called a cup of wine though not vini meraci of pure wine In like manner a wedge of gold wherein there is some drosse is truely called a wedge of gold though not of pure gold An heape of corne in the floore wherein there is perhaps as much chaffe as wheat is truly called an heape of wheat A field wherein are tares and other weeds as well as corne is notwithstanding called a corne field the denomination being taken from the better part Verily whiles we live in this world we are as gold wherein there is much drosse and never are fully refined untill wee are to bee translated into the celestiall house of God Whiles we are in the Church militant as it were in Gods floore we are mingled with much chaffe and are never perfectly cleansed from the chaffe of our corruptions untill we are to be translated into the Lords Granaries And such as wee are such also are our actions such as the tree is such is the fruit But if hee will prove that men are justified by their workes hee must prove not onely that they are truely good but also purely and perfectly good and not onely that some of their workes are truely and purely good but that all their workes are truely and perfectly and not that onely but also perpetually good For if any of his workes bee sinnes he cannot be justified by his workes But this can never be proved Neither doth hee goe about to prove that all the actions of justified men are good but some onely and these not purely and perfectly but truely good To which purpose he spendeth three whole Chapters which I have fully answered in my fourth Booke CHAP. VIII Whether good Workes doe justifie Bellarmines proofe but especially that Testimony of Saint Iames Chapter 2. fully discussed and clared § I. AFter so many wandrings Bellarmine at length commeth to make good his fifth Argument which he propounded to prove that faith alone doth not justifie because good workes doe also justifie though here as I have noted this Argument is brought in to prove the truth of actuall righteousnesse The Title of this Chapter is that good workes are not onely just but that also they doe justifie In stead whereof he presently propoundeth this assertion to be proved that by good workes a just man is more justified and made more just But this is not the Question For we doe confesse that a man already justified before God by the practise of good works increaseth in righteousnesse inherent and is made more holy and just The thing which we deny is this that good workes doe not concurre with faith unto the act of iustification before God as any cause thereof Against this assertion he ought to have disputed if he would seeme to contradict us But he hath altered the question because he is not able to