and the other side that it made not against them The Decrees being not vnlike an artificiall indented picturetable which to him that lookes full vpon it presents one kinde of forme or face to him that stands on the one side another forme and to him on the other side a third Or like a plaine picture which hanging on the wall although the posture of the face be set one way yet it seemes to cast equall aspect vpon euery one in the roome Thus is verified that of Guido Clemens Priest and Cardinall of St. Potentiana who saith that in the Church of Rome there is quaedam radix duplicitatis simplicitati columbae contraria a certaine roote of doublenesse which is contrary to the doues simplicitie To conclude this point of Popish preparation it is so farre from fitting and disposing a man to receiue the grace of iustification grace of iustification being rightly vnderstood as it is a maine impediment and stumbling blocke in the way vnto it For whereâ—â— this preparation of theirs aduanceth mans free-will and other naturall powers to the attainment of grace what doth this else but puffe a man vp with a conceit of himselfe that he is in a better state than indeed he is as hauing something â—ft in him which being helped by some motion of common â—r I wot not what grace is able to leade him to the full posâ—â—ssion of grace and so of glory Gregory faith well Hee that â—owes not his disease how doth he seek to the Physitian for the greater the fault is being the sooner acknowledged it is the more speedily â—â—ended but the lesser sinne while it is deemed to be as it were none 〈◊〉 all is so much the worse and more securely kept in vro If Saint â—â—ul speaking in the person of a regenerate man as exercised â—â—th the combate betweene the flesh and the spirit comâ—â—aines that in him that is in his flesh dwels no good thing â—â—en what good thing can there be in any vnregenerate man â—o dispose him to any grace whose imaginations of his heart â—â—e onely euill continually They are euill and onely euill and that continually onely euill If corrupt Nature haue yet any thing left â—o brag off if any free-will to this grace whereof we speake â—â— here is that conuicting power of the Law that makes sinne out of measure sinfull That casts a man downe in the sense of his misery causing him to cry out Wretched man that I am â—â—o shall deliuer me from this bodie of death How shall a man come to Christ wearie and laden that he may be refreshed How comes the vngodly to be iustified if hee bring any meritto dispose him thereunto How shall the Law then be our Schoolmaster to bring vs to Christ who came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Wee need none other testimony to conâ—ince this Pontifician puffe-doctrine of preparatory workes to bee at the least Cousin germaine to that of the Pelagians than the Councell of Trent it selfe The Pelagians held that some men vsing the reason of their owne will haue or doe liue in this world without any sinne To this agreeth that Canon of Trent If any shall say that all workes done before iustification howsoeuer they bee done are truely sinnes and deserue the hatred of God let him be accursed Compare now the Pelagian and Pontifician doctrine together and one egge is not liker another All workes done before iustification are not truely sinnes say the Trent-Fathers therefore the workes of the Pelagian heretickes done before or without iustification whatsoeuer or howsoeuer done are no sinnes as they taught Shall St. Austine be vmpire in this case Pelagianorum sententia est sine vllo peccato aliquos homines iam ratione propriae voluntatis vtentes in hoc saeculo vixisse vel viuere Optandum est vt fiat conandum est vt fiat supplicandum est vt fiat non tamen quasi factum fuerit confidendum est Qui seipsum talem putat ipse se decipit veritas in eo non est non ob aliud nisi quia falsum putat It is the opinion of the Pelagians that some men by vsing the reason of their owne will haue and doe liue in this world without sinne It were to be wished so it were to be laboured for it is to be prayed for yet not to be beleeued as if it were so He that thinkes himselfe such a one deceiueth himselfe and the truth is not in him for no other cause but because he deemeth falsely And in another place hee saith Si Gentilis inquis nudum operuit nunquid quia non est ex fide peccatum est Prorsus in quantum non est ex fide peccatum est non quia per seipsum factum quod est nudum operire peccatum est sed in tali opere non in Domino gloriari solus impius negat esse peccatum Nam quamuis bona malè tamen facit ideo negare non potes eum peccare qui malè quodlibet facit Fructus bonos non facit arbor mala An dicis hominem infidelem arborem bonam If a Heathen saist thou shall couer the naked is it therefore a sin because it is not of faith Certainly in as much as it is not of faith it is sinne not in regard of the worke it selfe which is to clothe the naked is it a sin but in such a worke not to glory in the Lord only the wicked man denieth this to be a sin For although he doth good yet he doth it ill therefore thou canst not deny that he sinneth that doth any thing ill An euill tree doth not beare good fruit Doest thou call an vnfaithfull man a good tree Note here St. Augustine condemnes all workes for sinnes that are not done in the state of grace but in the state of nature and infidelity Therefore St. Augustine is anathematized of the Church of Rome for saying that all workes done before iustification are indeede sinns But whereas the Pontificians may obiect that St. Augustine condemnes onely such workes as are done without faith and not those Pontifician workes of preparation wherof faith as they affirme is the roote I answer St. Augustine speaketh honestly without equiuocation for hauing to do with the Pelagians those enemies of the grace of God hee opposeth the state of grace against the state of nature shewing that whatsoeuer a man doth in the state of nature before he be in the state of grace it is sin stiling euen the best workes of these heathen moralists but splendida peccata glittering sinnes Now whatsoeuer is done before iustification is done in the state of nature consequently it is sinne in St. Augustines sense because it is the bad fruit of a bad tree As for that first grace whereby the Papists teach a man is stirred vp to prepare himselfe for iustification it doth not set a man ipso facto
righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made to saluation Let Pontificians feare to frame such a iustification as they finde not in the Scriptures Secondly because inherent righteousnesse doth not only diminish the glory but euen abolish the merit of Christ in all his sufferings His glory it is to bee our whole and sole Sauiour this glory hee will not impart to any creature for hee saith I euen I am the Lord and besides me there is no Sauiour Stella obserueth well saying Redemptor redemptus inuicem se excludunt To be a Redeemer and to be redeemed are two incompatible things and cannot consist together But the faithfull are called The redeemed of the Lord Esa. 62. 12. and the Lord the Redeemer therefore in no sort can they be their owne Redeemers vnlesse Christ bee denyed to bee their Redeemer and they his redeemed Againe the merit of Christs sufferings was to intitle vs to the intire obedience and righteousnesse of Christ to make it as firmely and wholly ours by imputation as our sinne was his by imputation But inherent iustification robs Christ of his glory seeing thereby euery man becomes his owne Sauiour at least in part and so Christ is denied to bee a perfect and alone Sauiour And seeing inherent righteousnesse challengeth only a part of Christs merits and consequently alloweth him to be but a party-Sauiour and so also that he bore our sinnes but in part to the end we might fill vp what is wanting eyther by our owne workes or by the surplusage of some fained Church-treasure and workes of supererogation or satisfaction Hence it is that Christ being diuided and our righteousnesse parted betweene him and vs that his death comes vtterly to be abolished and of none effect For as the Galathians ioyning circumcision with Christ and their workes with faith in their iustification came to be abolished from Christ and Christ profited them nothing So all Popish inherency of righteousnesse ioyning Christs merits and mans workes together doth vtterly annihilate and frustrate the death of Christ. For saith and workes are opposite and exclude each other in the point of iustification As the Apostle saith If by grace then it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace But if it bee of workes then is it no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke So that grace and workes are vnreconcileable and incompatible in the worke of iustification Although the Trent Councell doth according to her manner most impiously abuse that former place to the Romanes applying it onely to exclude merit of condignity from those workes which goe before iustification though not merit of congruity according to her equiuocall scope destroying in one little Chapter the true nature and property of faith and grace in our iustification A third reason condemning Popish iustification by inherent righteousnesse is because it peruerteth the whole tenure of the Gospell and those clouds of testimonies therein all euidently prouing our iustification by Christ through faith as hath been formerly declared A fourth reason because it fils the heart with pride as we haue seene in the example of that Pharisee who though he acknowledged God to bee the Author of his many vertues yet because he rested in them and placed there in his righteousnesse and perfection he failed of Gods approbation And we see the Apostle doth often strike vpon this string shewing how pride doth necessarily follow this iustification by workes at any hand for by faith boasting is excluded Rom. 3. 27. 4. 2. 1. Cor. 1. 29. Ephes. 2. 9. Not of workes least any man should boast Implying that works in iustification is as the Leauen of the Pharisees it sowers and swels the whole lumpe And there must needes bee an intolerable height of pride in that mans heart that dare with Lucifer ascend into the seate of God and aspire to be like the most High by ioyning his workes and Christs merits together whereby hee will be iustified in the sight of God and become a fellow Sauiour with Iesus Christ. A fift reason followeth hereupon That consequently this doctrine of inherent iustification leades a man headlong to hell For as it teacheth a man to aspire to a partnership with Christ in his glory in the worke of iustification so it maketh him to haue fellowship with the Diuell and his Angels in their eternall condemnation It is not possible this doctrine should euer bring a man to Heauen it being as it were a Ladder the one side whereof is of Timber and the other side of a Reed ioyned together by rotten steps For mans workes are that side of Reede and Christs merits are the other side of Timber of the Tree of life both ioyned together by the steps of vnsound doctrine of inherent righteousnesse Like those feete part of yron and part of clay no way cohering together In a word this doctrine of inherent righteousnesse is a false and deceitfull doctrine which as it can neuer truly iustifie a man in Gods sight so it can neuer satisfie the conscience with solid comfort For that which iustifies a man in the sight of God giues a man boldnesse and confidence in his presence Therefore the Apostle saith Beeing iustified by Faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ by whom also we haue accesse by Faith into this grace wherein wee stand and reioyce in hope of the glorie of God c. And chap. 8. 33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth And Heb. 10. 19. where hauing shewed that our iustification stands in remission of sinnes he inferreth thereupon That we haue boldnesse to enter into the Holyest that is into heauen by the bloud of Iesus This is it that giues vs true peace of conscience in our selues and confidence towards God But inherent righteousnesse can neuer giue vs this peace of conscience this confidence towards God being at the best mingled with infinite imperfections and corruptions Euen Bellarmine himselfe confesseth That it is the safest and securest course to relye vpon the only merits of Christ. And we reade that Stephen Gardiner that bloudy persecuter of Gods Saints lying vpon his death bed and being demanded by some that stood by a reason of his faith how hee looked to be saued His answer was That for his part hee beleeued he could not be saued but by the only merits of Iesus Christ but saith hee this is a secret and must be kept from the peoples knowledge for if this gap bee once set open then farewell all good workes Yea Pope Gregory the Seuenth that notorious Hildebrand recounting his many pontificall prerogatiues and among them that one That if the Bishop of Rome haue any personall defaults yet vndoubtedly he is sanctified by the merits of blessed Peter but at length hauing drunk-in such store of iniquitie like water as an old leaking ship now ready to sinke in the very hauens mouth
in the state of grace hee is for all that faith of his a meere naturall man still And therefore that faith which they speake of going before iustification is not freed from the imputation of sin whereas that sauing faith whereof St. Augustine speaketh is that which doth actually not dispose vnto but possesse a man of the state of grace which is the verie state of iustification as we shall see in the due place hereafter Therefore Popish preparation vnto iustification is nothing else but meere Pelagianisme both Pelagians and Pontificians ioyntly holding that all workes done without or before iustification are no sins CHAP. III. The Catholicke faith touching preparation to iustification THe Romish faith concerning such preparatorie workes to iustification the Catholicke faith of Christs Church doth renounce and disclaime as hereticall and antichristian for these reasons First because the holy Scriptures teach no such thing but the cleane contrarie The Scriptures teach no merit of Congruitie they teach not that free will being stirred vp and helped by I wot not what first grace a man is thereby disposed to receiue iustification but the flat contrary Ioh. 1. 12. As many as receiue Christ and such are they as beleeue in him are made the Sonnes of God But doth not this grace come by some disposition in mans nature as by his free will assisted and so cooperating with the grace of God for the attaining of iustification No such thing For verse 13 Christ teacheth that those Sonnes of God are borne not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Where note a direct opposition betweene Gods grace and mans will in the worke of Regeneration or Iustification mans will being by a negatiue vtterly excluded from any copartnership with God Not of the will of man but of God So Titus 3. 5. Not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to his mercie he saued vs c. Where all humane workes going before Iustification all merits of congruitie are excluded from disposing a man to receiue iustification for not by the workes of righteousnesse which wee haue done but according to his mercie hee saueth vs. And Rom. 4. 5. To him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his Faith is counted for righteousnesse Note God iustifieth the vngodly therefore not the righteous not the meritorious by Congruitie vnlesse vngodlinesse and sinne can merit iustification at Gods hand as St. Augustine said of Adams sinne Foelix culpa quâ— talem meruit Redemptorem It was a happie sinne that merited such a Redeemer Whereas besides some places of Scripture which they peruert to their purpose they obiect the examples of the Eunuch Acts 8. and of Cornelius Acts 10. by which they would proue their workes of Congruitie as Vega alledgeth them Vega may remember what he said in another place before where hee produceth St. Augustines authoritie to proue that these two were true beleeuers before the Apostles came and preached vnto them which also Vega himselfe subscribeth vnto confessing that these two had grace and faith before sauing onely the difference is in the acception of grace and faith wherein the Pontifician egregiously equiuocateth the true nature whereof wee shall hereafter discouer But say that neither the Eunuch nor Cornelius before they were instructed by the Apostles had the grace of iustification doth it therefore follow that those workes of theirs did by Congruity merit iustification at Gods hands or that they were thereby prepared to iustification Why did not then Esau's teares merit the blessing ex congruo or why did not Ahab's repentance merit by Congruity not onely a repriuall of punishment but an absolute pardon of his sinne for they did quantum in se fuit as much as in them lay Or else according to Romes doctrine God must be vniust or at least wanting in his natiue goodnesse For further cleering of this point come we to the ancient Fathers to whom also this doctrine of merit of Congruity and of Condignity was altogether vnknowne This Vega himselfe is forced to confesse where making this obiection Why did the Fathers saith hee no where vse this distinction of merit of Congruity and Condignity to which he answereth If all things which neuer were in vse among the Fathers are to be condemned we shall be forced to condemne many things which all Catholickes now receiue And the Philosopher should haue said in vaine Scientias fieri per additamenta that Sciences are brought to passe by addition But he addeth Neither are we to grant that this distinction of merit of Congruity and Condignity was altogether vnknowne to the Fathers They acknowledged the things although they vsed not the termes saith Vega seâ—ing they diuersly vsed the word of Merit as either strictly or largely whereof we shall speake more largely hereafter In the meane time let vs see what workes of preparation the ancient Fathers taught or inioyned as necessarie to dispose a man to iustification by way of merit taken in the largest sense as Vega at least would haue it But before we come to set downe the ancient doctrine of the Church concerning this point I must premonish the Reader seriously to note this one thing in the Fathers That when they speake of grace and faith whereby a man is iustified they meane nothing else but sauing grace and iustifying faith not now preparing a man vnto but actually placing and possessing him in the state of iustification and saluation They meane nothing lesse than any such first grace preparatory and euen common to wicked men which neuer come to partake of the second grace as the Romanists doe teach The Fathers admit of no such meane betweene sauing grace and faith and betweene sauing faith and iustification betweene any first second grace as differing in kinde but vnderstand one sauing effectuall grace Indeede St. Augustine speaketh of a first and second grace but by the first he meaneth that of iustification by the second that of sanctification differing no more but as the roote and the branch the tree and the fruit Or St. Augustine acknowledgeth no other first grace but that which is giuen to the elect in this life saying Coronat in nobis Deus dona misericordiae suae sed si in ea gratia quam primam accepimus perseueranter ambulemus God crowneth the gifts of his mercie in vs but if in that first grace which we haue receiued we walke with perseuerance Ambrose saith He that dare preach that the grace of God is giuen according to mens merits preacheth against the Catholike faith Therefore this doctrine of merit of congruity was no Catholicke doctrine in Saint Ambrose his dayes nor doth he meane any other grace but that of iustification All the preparation this holy man alloweth is where he saith Duce Deo venitur ad Deum by God leading vs we come vnto God And St.
captiue but only weake not dead but depriued onely of its primitiue and natiue vertue nay let it be aduanced to as high a pitch of perfection as possible a sinnefull man can reach vnto I enuie it not But at the best when all is done is it euer the neerer to grace or iustification If nature haue any faculty at all this way surely it is to be found in those men that most excell in the gifts of nature as in the Philosophers the learned the disputers of the world Wherefore then doe not these receiue the Gospell with all readinesse and freedome of will Nay are they not rather the further off from Christ by how much nature seemes more excellent and perfect in them Saint Paul makes a challenge 1. Cor. 1. 20. Where is the wise Where is the Scribe Where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse and vers 21. he concludeth flatly that seeing the world by wisedome know not God in the wisedome of God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue And vers 26. Not many wise men after the flesh are called c. And our Sauiour Mat. 11. 25. I thanke thee O Father Lord of heauen and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of vnderstanding and hast reuealed them vnto babes And therefore hence we may conclude That the more our nature presumeth of its owne perfection any way in disposing it selfe to grace the more blinde it is and further off from grace though the Councell of Trent accurseth those that shall condemne natures disposing of it selfe to grace Can. 7. Nay bring me an Angell in his pure naturals innocent as Adam in his first creation his will most free vntainted vncaptiued yet what relation is there betweene him and the 〈…〉 â—ate This is a high and hidden mysterie which neither Adam in his purest naturals no nor Angell but by speciall reuelation Ephes. 3. 10. could by their naturall knowledge attaine vnto As the Lord said to Peter Flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee What free-will then can there be in vs by nature towards that thing which our naturall vnderstanding is altogether ignorant of The naturall man receiueth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned Now that which the vnderstanding apprehends not the will desires not Ignoti nulla cupido Thomas Aquinas saith well and truly Hoc est ex institutione diuinae prouidentiae vt nihil agat vitra suam virtutem Vita autem aeterna est quoddam bonum excedens proportionem naturae creatae quia etiam excedit cognitionem desiderium eius secundum illud 1. Cor. 2. 9. Oculus non vidit c. This is of the appointment of Gods prouidence that nothing should worke beyond its proper vertue But eternall life is a certaine good exceeding the proportion of created nature because it also exceedeth the knowledge and desire of it according to that 1. Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither haue entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him for God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirit c. And so Thomas concludeth that not euen Adam in his perfection could merit eternall life without a supernaturall grace And the same Aquinas Ea quae sunt fidei excedunt rationem humanam those things which are of faith exceede humane reason And a little after Homo assentiendo his quae sunt fidei eleuatur supra naturam suam c. A man by assenting to those things which are of faith is eleuated aboue his nature therefore it is necessary that faith be infused into him by a supernaturall gift of God Yea say the Pontificians We ascribe the first motion of free-will to the worke of a preuenting grace But by their owne confession this work of grace is no other but to moue stirre vp as it were to awaken the will Indeede if the Trent-Fathers would not hypocritically halt in this point but speake ingenuously and plainly and say That God by his spirit through the preaching of the word doth illuminate the blinde vnderstanding of the naturall man as he did the heart of Lydia to see the mysterie of Christ and so the will is inflamed to desire and long after saluation then wee and all Catholicke beleeuers would in this point giue them the right hand of fellowship This is indeede the right and true preparation vnto the grace of iustification if not rather the true grace it selfe already begun in our hearts For this is life eternall that they know thee to bee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Christ Iesus And as the Prophet Esay speaketh By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie manie for he shall beare their iniquities which implyeth that holy knowledge and illumination is the first worke of grace and iustification knowledge there being taken for sauing faith faith being that to the soule which the eye is to the bodie as the Lord applyeth it Iohn 3. 14. 15. Or if these Romane-Catholicke Doctors would but vse the same language that the ancient Fathers of the Church haue vsed concerning free-will they should herein shew themselues honest men Saint Augustine confesseth plainly that man by abusing his free-will hath lost both himselfe and it And by this reckoning more is required than a bare mouing helping or stirring vp of the will as if it were onely lame when it is quite lost That therefore in the Prophet must here take place I will take from them their stoniâ— heart and giue them a heart of flesh The heart in mans conuersion must be new made and moulded againe But they will obiect that free-will by mans fall is not altogether lost according to that of St. Augustine Peccato Adae libâ—â—um arbitrium de hominum natura perisse non dicimus Wee doe not say saith hee that by the sinne of Adam mans nature is depriued of free-will or that free-will is perished But note what St. Augustine there addeth Sed ad peccandum valere in hominibus subditis Diabolo ad bene autem pieque viuendum non valere nisi ipsa volunt as hominis Dei gratia fuerit liberata ad omne â—onum actionis sermonis cogitationis adiuta But wee say saith he that free-will in men subiect to Satan preuaileth to the committing of sinne but to good and godly liuing it is of no 〈…〉 lesse mans will be freed by Gods grace and assisted vnto euery 〈…〉 worke and word and thought And in his book de grati◠〈…〉 arbitrio ca. 17. he saith He worketh first that we may will who when we do wil doth perfect vs by cooperating that therfore we may wil he works without vs but wheÌ„ we are willing
giues a supersedeas and a quietus est to all true beleeuers and penitent sinners that they shall most assuredly stand innocent and righteous before Gods iudgement-seat seeing their sins are already absolutely iudged and condemned For as Christ was legally condemned in our person so shall wee be before Gods Tribunall acquitted and absolued as iust and righteous in his person For Who shall now lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christ that is dead O singular vnspeakeable comfort to all true beleeuers The debt is discharged and we are free Christ is iudged and we acquitted hee is condemned and wee absolued his chastisement is our peace his stripes our healing So that now being iustified by his bloud wee shall bee saued from wrath through him Now we may with comfort and confidence wait for the Sonne of God from heauen whom God raised from the dead euen Iesus which hath deliuered vs from the wrath to come as saith the Apostle And all this for that Christ in his owne person innocent but in ours guilty was iudged and condemned euen by Gods owne iudgement though by the mouth of a mortall man yea an vniust though a lawfull iudge It is not therefore for nothing that in our Creede we say He suffered vnder Pontius Pilate O happy suffering vnder Pontius Pilate But why vnder Pontius Pilate How comes Pontius Pilate in our Christian Creed Surely not for any honour due to his name or to his person but in memorie of his office and calling as he was a Iudge who passed sentence on the Lord Iesus Christ. This very article wherein Pontius Pilate is mentioned is a strong argument to perswade mee that those who compiled this Creede called the Apostles Creede did it by the speciall instinct of the holy Ghost And in this very Article doth this Creede exceede all other Creedes sith it of all the rest expresseth the manner of Christs condemnation which being done by Pontius Pilate the Iudge is the very life and soule of our iustification I haue dwelt the longer vpon this point as being a mysterie of rare and singular vse to the Church of God I confesse I haue looked into sundry Catechists and Expositors vpon the Creede but I haue not had the hap to meete with any to lead me thus to consider of this point of Christs suffering vnder Pontius Pilate as a lawfull Iudge which seemeth to my poore iudgement to bee as a secure roade and safe harbour for all heauenly Merchants to anchor in Although it be easie at the first sight to take it rather as a history than as a mysterie Much lesse may we wonder at Popish writers who in their deuoutest meditations set forth vpon the passion of Christ as Guiuara's mysteries of mount Caluary and such like doe expresse more womanish passions and affections in condoling Christs sufferings like those daughters of Ierusalem whose naturall teares Christ reproued in weeping for him and would haue them turned into spirituall teares in weeping for themselues than any masculine discretion in discerning the true cause end of Christs sufferings as that he was thus iudicially condemned in our persons that so wee might stand guiltlesse before Gods iudgement seate A mysterie altogether vnknowne to Pontifician spirits as the Gospell is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of them that beleeue not lost the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ who is the image of God should shine vnto them 2. Cor. 4. 4. Of this sort also is that viperous brood of the Socinians who oppugning the doctrine of Christs satisfaction in our persons are easily confuted and confounded by this very article of the Creed whose madnesse is sufficiently discouered by Lubbertus Ludouicus Lucins and others so that they neede none other confutation their arguments being but meere argutiae no lesse futile than seemingly subtile which as the hissings of the serpent are to be hissed and whipped out of Christs schoole Now the imputation of Christs obedience vnto vs to our iustification is partly negatiue and partly affirmatiue Negatiue in the not imputing of sinne vnto vs whereof the Psalmist and from him the Apostle speaketh Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne The reason of this not imputing our sins to vs is because they were imputed to Christ he being iudged and condemned for them As Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law being made a curse for vs. In this respect the Apostle makes a challenge in the behalfe of all Gods chosen Who shall condemne them who shall lay any thing to their charge For if our sinnes be imputed to Christ and he bore them vpon him and discharged our debt then it cannot possibly bee that they should be imputed to vs also who beleeue in him Also this not imputing our sinnes includes in it an affirmatiue imputation to wit of the passiue obedience of Christ vnto vs hee suffering for vs whatsoeuer wee should haue suffered yea euen eternall death it selfe for as much as the Eternall suffered the nature of that death though hee onely tasted of it as the Apostle saith Heb. 2. 9. yet he so tasted it as that at once as it were at one morsell he wholly deuoured it and swallowed it vp in victory as 1. Cor. 17. 54. Secondly Imputation affirmatiue is the imputing of Christs actiue obedience and righteousnesse vnto vs wherein as in most rich robes we stand most gloriously arrayed in the presence of God For as the Prophet saith To vs a childe is borne to vs a sonne is giuen c. so that Christ is ours as well in his birth and life as in his death And Esay saith againe O Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for vs for thou also hast wrought all our workes for vs or in vs. This the Apostle also declareth Christ made himselfe of no reputation and tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant and was made in the likenesse of men hee humbled himselfe and became obedient vnto the death Note the Apostle speakes there of the whole and intire humiliation and obedience of Christ continued throughout his whole life euen vnto the death the death of the Crosse. Yea Christs obedience to the death was an actiue obedience for Passus est quia voluit the Apostle applies that of the 40. Psalm Heb. 10 9. for Christ suffered willingly to show that in his very suffering his obedience was actiue Now for whom did Christ become a seruant become obedient but for vs men who by disobedience had made our selues seruants who were by creation Lords of the world So the Lord himselfe saith For euen the Sonne of man came not to be ministred vnto but to minister and to giue his life a ransome for many And againe I am
on earth he might exalt vs thither whither else not euen Adams best obedience could euer haue brought him much lesse ours Which may answer to a question that here may be fitly moued Quest. Whether the obedience of the whole Law of God wrought by Christ for vs is auaileable as to redeeme vs from the punishment of sinne so to purchase vnto vs eternall life in heauen The reason of the question is because not the Law if it had beene for euer perfectly fulfilled by Adam had any promise of that eternall life and immediate vision in heauen but only of this life Heauen is not within the Couenant of workes Answ. True it is that the fulfilling of the Law in it selfe simply considered hath no proportion with that endlesse life aboue For the first Adam was of the earth earthly and all his happinesse promised vpon the condition of keeping the Law for ought is reuealed or can be demonstrated was terrestriall But now forasmuch as the Law is fulfilled by Christ this obedience reacheth to a higher reward because there is a higher promise made than that of the first Adam Because Christ the second Adam is the Lord from heauen the Eternal whose Kingdom is not of this world but of a better a heauenly whose house is not made with hands So that his obedience to the Law in regard of his person becomes a rich and inestimable purchase of that better Kingdome for vs. For as is the heauenly such are they that are heauenly to wit the generation of God in and by Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 48. 49. 50. vide Iohn 3. 13. No man ascendeth vp to heauen but he c. Thus haue we proued out of the holy Scriptures how the formall cause of iustification or that which giues a perfect being to our iustification making vs perfectly iust in the sight of God is the imputation of Christs righteousnesse vnto vs and that euen of his whole righteousnesse actiue in his life and passiue in his death And that the formall cause of our iustification is not within vs but without vs not inherent but by imputation may easily appeare from the maine difference betweene the first Couenant and the second The first Couenant was that which was made with Adam in Paradise Doe this and liue the second that made with man after his fal Beleeue and liue So the first Couenant was of workes the second of faith the first of an inherent righteousnesse of our owne the second of a righteousnesse without vs not our owne simply but by relation namely made ours to wit Christs righteousnesse who of God is made vnto vs righteousnesse called in Scriptures the righteousnesse which is of faith Not to obserue and know this difference well is the ready way to leade men into all errour of this mysterie of God The Apostle doth notably set downe this difference between the first and second Couenant as termes infinitely opposite and admitting of no reconciliation Rom. 10. 3. when hee saith that the Iewes being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse haue not submitted themselues to the vnrighteousnesse of God For Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to euery one that beleeueth For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth those things shall liue by them But the righteousnesse which is of Faith is to confesse with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and to beleeue in thy heart that God raised him from the dead and thou shalt be saued Also Rom. 11. 6. If it be by grace it is no more of workes otherwise grace is no more grace but if it bee of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke is no more worke Also Rom. 4. the Apostle setting downe this same opposition betweene the Couenant of workes and of faith saith on this wise v. 2. c. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt but to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Euen as Dauid also describeth the blessednesse of the man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes saying Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sinne What clearer Testimonies Yea this did God himselfe teach vs not obscurely by his own act Gen. 3. For when Adam had forfeited the first Couenant which was of workes made with him in Paradise before his fall and after his fall had made with him another Couenant to wit of faith in Christ the promised seede of the woman What doth God thereupon Hee shuts man out of Paradise and from the Tree of life lest putting forth his hand hee should take of it and liue for euer What is meant hereby Paradise was not only the place but also did signifie the happy condition of Adams blessednesse which he was to enioy in his innocencie the Tree of life was a sacrament and symbol of life appointed as a speciall meanes to preserue man from dying or decaying in his naturall strength so long as he continued in his obedience But by disobedience hee forfeited the Couenant brake the condition lost his former happinesse and was depriued of the meanes of that life wherein hee should haue liued for euer vpon earth Now God shutting him out from the earthly Paradise the place of earthly blisse and from the Tree of life the sacrament and symbol of immortalitie and hauing shewed vnto him another Tree of life in the middest of the Paradise of God to wit Iesus Christ who is very God and eternall life which whosoeuer by reaching out the hand of Faith eateth of shall liue for euer God I say doth hereby plainely teach vs that in attaining to the heauenly Paradise by the Tree of life Iesus Christ wee must not haue any more to doe with the things pertaining to the first Couenant now altogether forfeited and from which Adam and his posteritie is for euer banished neuer to returne or intermeddle there any more Gen. 3 22. 23. 24. Therefore to teach and beleeue the doctrine of an inherent righteousnesse whereby to attaine eternall life is euen as it were in despite of God and of his holy Angels the Cherubims keeping the way of the Tree of life to reuiue the old Couenant of workes againe and with the hand of the body to wit good workes reach out to take of the tree of life This is a Babylonish confounding of the two Couenants which stand vpon such irreconcileable termes of difference Is there no more difference betweene Do this and liue and Beleeue and liue betweene mans owne righteousnesse and Gods righteousnesse the establishing of the one being the abolishing
haue done by the word Communication whom Vega hath quoted to shew how thereby the righteousnesse of Christ is made wholly ours his sufferings our sufferings as if we our selues had suffered But yet let vs see a little further into the language of the Fathers concerning this point Onely by the way seeing Vega cannot finde the word Imputation once mentioned among the ancient Fathers let him looke but St. Augustines Epist. 106. to Bonifacius or as some copies haue it to Paulinus and there hee shall finde these words Cur meritis praeueniri gratia perhibetur quae gratia non esset si secundum meritum imputaretur Why is grace said to be preuented by merits which should not be grace if it were imputed according to merit Yea how often doth Augustine mention the Apostles words where he saith Fides imputaretur ad iustitiam Faith is imputed vnto righteousnesse But let vs contend not so much for the word as for the thing it selfe which wee shall finde the Fathers to abound in St. Ambrose writing vpon the 39 Psalme saith Totus ex persona Christi iste Psalmus est Iustitiam meam dicit licet non arroganter homo dicere possit Iustitiam suam qui Deo credit fidem suam sibi reputari ad iustitiam confitetur This whole Psalme is of the person of Christ therefore hee saith My righteousnesse though also a man that beleeues in God and confesseth that his faith is reputed to him for righteousnesse may without arrogancy say his righteousnesse Now although Ambrose say speaking of Christ Iustitiam meam in stead of Iustitiam tuam as it is in the originall and also in the vulgar Latine he following some other copy yet hereby wee may see his vnderstanding in the mysterie of Christ namely how Christs righteousnesse comes to bee our righteousnesse our faith being imputed to vs for righteousnesse as the Scripture saith Sauing that Ambrose vseth the word Reputing for Imputing differing very little in the sound but nothing at all in the sense The same Ambrose writing vpon the Epistle to the Galatians where hee opposeth the righteousnesse of the Law and that of Christ one against the other vpon these words for if there had beene a Law giuen which could haue giuen life verily righteousnesse had beene by the Law saith Iustitiam hauâ— dicit quae apud Deum imputatur iustitia id est fidei quia lex habuit iustitiam sed ad praesens quia non iustificaret apud Deum remittere enim peccata non potuit vt de peccatoribus faceret iustos he saith that righteousnesse which of God is imputed to wit the righteousnesse of faith sith the Law also had a kinde of righteousnesse but temporary that could not iustifie with God for it could not forgiue sinnes and so of sinners make men to bee iust So that here is another ancient Father vsing the very word Imputation And a little after vpon these words As many as haue beene baptized into Iesus Christ haue put on Christ saith Hoc dicit quia credentes dum immutantur Christum induunt quando hoc appellantur quod credunt This he saith because beleeuers while they are changed doe put on Christ when they are called that which they beleeue So that by St. Ambrose his doctrine our iustification is by imputation of grace by faith in the putting on of Christ. And St. Austine besides the former alledged place where he defineth iustification to be a making of one iust by accounting him so or by deputing reckoning him iust saith in Psa. 32. Nolâ— vos interrogare de iustitia vestra â—ortassis autem nemo vestrum audeat mihi respondere iustus sum sed interrogo vos de fide vestra Sicut nemo vestrum audet dicere Iustus sum sic nemo non audet dicere Fidelissum Nondum quaero quid viuas sed quaero quid credas responsurus es credere te in Christum Non audisti Apostolum Iustus exfide viuit fides tua iustitia tua I will not aske you of your righteousnesse for haply none of you dare answer me I am righteous but I aske you of your faith As none of you dare say I am iust so you dare not but say I am a beleeuer I demand not yet how thou liuest but how thou beleeuest thou wilt answer me thou beleeuest in Christ. Hast thou not heard the Apostle The iust shall liue by faith Thy saith is thy righteousnesse And vpon the 30. Psalme the same Father doth further cleare his minde touching imputatiue righteousnesse vpon these words of the Psalme Rid mee and deliuer mee in thy righteousnesse Nam si attendas ad iustitiam meam damnas me In tua iustitia erue me est enim iustitia Dei quae nostra fit cum donatur nobis Ideo autem Dei iustitia dicitur ne homo se putet à seipso habere iustitiam For if thou lookest vpon my righteousnesse thou condemnest mee In thy righteousnesse deliuer me for it is the righteousnesse of God which is made also oure when it is giuen vnto vs. And therefore is it called Gods righteousnesse lest man should thinke that he hath righteousnesse of himselfe Now what righteousnesse doth this holy man meane here The righteousnesse of God made ours by infusion of grace into vs So I know the Pontificians would be ready to interpret this place But let St. Augustine be his owne interpreter who addeth in the very next words Sic enim dicit Apostolus Paulus Credenti in eum qui iustificat impium So saith the Apostle Paul To him that beleeueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly Quid est Qui iustificat impium Qui ex impio facit iustum deputatur fides eius ad iustitiam What is that Which iustifieth the vngodly Who of vngodly and wicked makes iust his faith is deputed for righteousnesse Yea this holy man is so farre from ascribing the least part of iustification to any inherent righteousnesse in vs as that he excludes euen faith it selfe as it is a worke from being any meritorious cause of our iustification For elsewhere speaking of Gods election and vocation of grace and not of workes alledging the examples of Iacob and Esau the one loued the other hated euen in the wombe before either of them had done good or euill c. that the election of God might stand not of workes c. Si autem verum est quod non ex operibus inde hoc probat quia de nondum natis nondumque aliquid operatis dictum est vnde nec ex fide quae in nondum natis similiter nondum erat And if it be true that it is not of works and from thence he proues it because it was said of them before they were borne and before they had done any thing whereupon neither was it in respect of faith which likewise as a worke was not as yet in them being yet vnborne And againe Iustificati gratis
Abraham is iustified so euery sonne of Abraham to wit euery beleeuer is iustified namely by faith and not by workes Now was not beleeuing Abraham a regenerate person Did he not bring forth many fruits of faith many good workes of charity piety mercy hospitality obedience humility and the like yet none of these come within the account of his iustification in the sight of God For to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Therefore though the Pontificians would neuer so faine foist and croud in by head and shoulders their workes comming after faith whereby they may be iustified yet they are all thrust out by the Apostle as those workers were shut out of Heauen by Christ Mat. 7. 22. 23. except they could either bring the Text within the compasse of their Index expurgatorius as they haue done the glosse and sentences of Fathers in the like kind or proue Abraham an vnregenerate person or force the Apostle to say that though Abraham were not iustified by workes but by faith yet Abraham was iustified first by faith and then by workes Yea but say they although Paul make no mention of Abrahams iustification by workes yet Iames another Apostle saith plainly Was not Abraham our father iustified by works when he had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Therefore Abraham was iustified not onely by faith but by works also Therefore to loose this Gordian knot wherein the Pontificians so much triumph wee will vse no other sword not Alexanders but the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God to cut it asunder At the first sight Paul and Iames seeme to be at great oddes the one ascribing iustification to faith without workes the other to faith and workes In both the Pontificians vnderstand one and the same iustification in kinde but to differ only in degree or order as Pauls iustification to be the first and that of Iames the second but both iustifying in the sight of God But we shall finde it far otherwise namely that these two Apostles doe speak of two different iustifications differing not in degree or order but in kinde and quality So that Paul speakes of that iustification whereby a man stands iust in the presence of God which is attributed to faith and not to workes at all and Iames of another iustification namely of a testification of a mans faith declaring a man to be a true beleeuer by good workes which are the proper fruits and effects of sauing and iustifying faith For if Iames should-vnderstand by being iustified by faith and workes together such a iustification as makes a man iust in the sight of God then he should directly crosse his fellow-Apostle who shuts out all workes from hauing any thing to doe in our iustification in Gods sight For Paul saith Rom 4. 2. If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God But Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes therefore this iustification of Abraham by workes was not that iustification which makes a man to reioyce before God to wit the iustification by faith which Paul directly opposeth to iustification by workes Rom. 4. Now that Iames speaketh of iustification by workes and not by faith onely as vnderstanding a testification and demonstration of sound and sauing faith is euident by the whole passage of his second Chapter where the Apostle exhorting to workes of mercy and charity and meeting with false professors that turned the grace of God into wantonnesse professing they had faith but made no conscience of a Christian conuersation to testifie the truth and life of their faith by good workes hereupon he inferreth ver 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man say hee hath faith and haue no workes can the faith saue him No that faith which is without workes is dead and cannot saue a man Yea such a faith is no better than that of Diuels Well yet thou saist thou hast faith But there is as well a dead faith as a liuing faith a faith common with Diuels as a faith proper to beleeuers a sauing faith as a deceiuing faith Shew mee therefore whether thou hast that-liuing sauing faith of true beleeuers or no. It is not enough to say thou hast this faith vnlesse thou canst proue it It is one thing to say it another to haue it Now the proofe of it is by the fruits of it to wit good workes as the tree is knowne by the fruits For the liuing sauing Faith is not an idle but an operatiue working Faith it is a Faith euer working by loue Therefore as the man saith to his Neighbour vers 18. Thou hast Faith and I haue workes shew me thy Faith without thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes In which words the Apostle puts a plaine difference betweene a dead and a liuing faith which yet we are not able to iudge of or to discerne one from another but by good workes and so speakes here of no other iustification by workes but only such as is declaratiue or demonstratiue in the sight of men as it is said here Shew me thy Faith by thy workes So that wee see here how it is the Apostles drift to discouer the true sauing liuing Faith from a false counterfeit and dead faith which notwithstanding vaine professors so much glory of Hereupon the Apostle instanceth the Faith of Abraham and Rahab which was proued to bee a liuing and sauing Faith by the fruits and effects of it Note the Apostles Context seriously and with iudgement In the 20. vers Wilt thou know O vaine man that Faith without workes is dead Was not Abraham our father iustified by workes when hee had offered Isaac his sonne vpon the Altar Seest thou how Faith wrought with his workes and by workes was Faith made perfect And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for righteousnesse and he was called the friend of God Ye see then how that by workes a man is iustified and not by Faith onely First Faith without workes is dead But Abraham was iustified by Faith But by what Faith Was it a liuing and sauing Faith that Abraham had Yes How doth that appeare By his workes euen by the workes of Faith which gaue testimony to his Faith that it was a liuing sauing and iustifying Faith for by workes his Faith was made perfect not that his workes added any being of perfection to his Faith but by way of demonstration and testimony onely As we haue the like phrase in Matth. 21. 16. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfited praise not that Gods praise and glory receiued any addition of perfection by the mouth of those babes but onely in respect of the promulgation and declaration of his praise So here As also the Apostle inferreth in the next words vers 23. Thus the Scripture
generall subiect wherein Faith dwelleth Fiftly by beleeuing in or into Christ I note the proper act of iustifying Faith differencing it from all other kinds of faith as also that Christ is the proper obiect of iustifying Faith not the whole Word of God in generall Sixtly being by Faith vnited to Christ and so made partaker of all Christs merits and righteousnesse I note that Faith is the immediate instrument whereby wee are made one with Christ and so haue our perfect communion with him in all his righteousnesse and graces in so much as by vertue of this vnion by Faith Christ and all true beleeuers are all one mysticall Christ. Seuenthly by being certainly and infallibly perswaded of the remission of sinnes by faith I note the natiue property of iustifying Faith which is to assure a man of his saluation and that in a greater or lesser measure according to the proportion of Faith measured out vnto vs and that faith also assures vs of our iustification in Gods sight as laying hold vpon Christ who is our righteousnesse which certainety and assurance is such as it necessarily excludeth all vaine presumption For how can a man that is truely and infallibly certaine be sayd therein vainely to presume Lastly I call this Faith a liuing roote whence all other graces spring to note the true difference betweene this iustifying faith and the Pontifician faith which in its owne nature is dead vntill say they it bee quickened by charity infused into it to note also how vaine that common cauill and quarrell of Papists is against our doctrine of iustification by Faith alone as a doctrine tending say they to Libertinisme and to cast off all care of good workes whereas our faith whereby we are iustified is such as being not a dead but a liuing roote including in it all other graces it causeth the beleeuer to bee as a liuing tree planted by the riuers of waters and bringing forth his fruit in due season whose leafe also doth not wither and whatsoeuer he doth shall prosper CHAP. XIII Of the generalitie and vncertainety of Romane-Catholicke Faith the generalitie of it confuted by the contrary confirmed BEsides the forenamed properties and limitations of that kinde of faith which Pontificians appropriate to themselues though common by their owne confession with the Diuels and damned wee cannot omit two other speciall markes whereby they would dignifie and commend this their faith vnto the world The first whereof is the generality and implicity of this faith the second is the vncertainty of it Wee ioyne these two together generality and vncertainety because the former is a necessary inducement to the latter and as it were the foundation of Babels tottering Tower of vncertainty For grant once such a generality of faith as they require and the vncertainty of it will easily follow Now concerning generality of faith we noted before out of Soto that they vtterly disclaime that speciall faith in Christ in the promises of God in him I may here fitly apply that sentence vsed by his Excellent Maiestie in his late speech to the honorable house of Parliament which I humbly craue leaue to borrow Dolosus versatnr in vniuersalibus The deceitful man loueth to walke in vniuersalities or generalities The Pontificians in this their vniuersality or generality of faith deale like the timorous and therefore cautelous Hare who to deceiue her pursuers or tracers makes many doubles and crafty windings out and in that vneath it is for the most sagacious pursuer to deprehend or finde her out Their end is that faith in the height of sins deluge ouerflowing the soule might haue no solid and firme ground to pitch and rest her foote vpon And here in lyeâ— the mystery of their Antichristian iniquity to pull men quite away from Christ that in matter of faith they may wholly depend vpon that Papall imaginary infallibility hauing no other security than to pin their soules vpon a sinnefull mans sâ—eeue Which Vega doth not a whit dissemble saying Deus summam salutis fidelium in Sacerdotum posuit potestate That God hath placed the summe of the saluation of the faithfull in the power of the Priests the summe whereof is the Pope the Arch-priest But of this more in the proper place But for their faith it must bee generall in two respects first in respect of the generality of the obiect of Faith the whole Word of God as they say written and vnwritten an vnlimited obiect secondly in regard of the generality of men to be saued or iustified as they teach They must neither in particular beleeue the promises of God in Christ nor any man must beleeue that the promises of God belong vnto him in particular To which purpose Soto saith Fides Catholica Christianae familiae necessaria vtpote qua Christiani consemur non est specialis illa qua indubitato credit quisque ac constituit sibi remitti peccata propter Christum esse in gratia Dei sed ille assensus in genere quo firmiter credimus Iesum Christum vniuer salem esse Redemptorem c. that is The Catholick Faith necessary for the Christian family as whereby we are reputed Christians is not that speciall Faith whereby euery man doth vndoubtedly beleeue and resolue with himselfe that his sinnes are forgiuen him for Christs sake and that he is in the fauour of God but that generall assent whereby we firmely beleeue that Iesus Christ is the vniuersall Redeemer c. as we touched before Now the grounds of this their generall Faith wee finde in the sixt Chapter of the sixt Session of the Councell of Trent of the manner of preparation to iustification as first for the beliefe of things reuealed and promised the generall obiect of it and secondly In spem erigâ—ntur fidentes Deum sibi propter Christum propitium sore c. Men are brought to hope beleeuing that God will bee or may bee mercifull to them for Christs sake Marke they doc not say beleeuing that God is mercifull vnto them but that hee will be or may be as Vega interprets it Se posse sâ—lâ—â—â— that they may possibly be saued And when they speake of a particular iustification of any one man in the present tense then also they expresse it by an indefinite speech and generall phrase Credentes à Deo iustificari impium per gratiam eius c. Beleeuing that a sinner is iustified of God through his grace not that a mans selfe is iustified For for a man to beleeue in particular that himselfe is truely iustified by Christ such a man they anathernatize and curse Can. 14. yea this Faith is so generall and so little respecteth Christ as the obiect of it as that Vega in his Commentary vpon the said sixt Chapter of the sixt Session saith Persuaderi potest non solum iustificari posse homines seâ— saluari sine fide Christi explicita It is very credible that men may not
of Faith Faith may bee brought euen vsque ad deliquium to an extreame fainting in our sense and apprehension and as it were to the last gaspe yet Gods Aqua coelestis is neuer wanting to reuiue it Faith may for the time bee asleepe in a mans heart as Christ was in the ship while the heart is euen couered ouer with waues of temptations yet being awakened by prayer by and by the Coast is cleered againe and faith recouering its natiue strength assureth the heart as the Angell did Paul in that dangerous Nauigation That none in this litle Barke of ours shall perists but safely arriue vpon the Honey-hauen of Milita euen â—t that true Honey-flowing-land of Canaan Indeede Faith suffereth many paroxismes or fits of tentations but all such fits are but as so many fits of in Agâ—e in the Spring which make a man the healthier and stronger all the yeare after What if Faith now and then doe sleepe yet sleepe wee know though it binde vp and as it were deaden the senses for the time that vneath a man sleeping is discerned from a dead man yet this very deepe sleepe tends to the refection of the body and makes it arise more vigorous euen as a Gyant refresht with wine or as a Dazie drooping all the night displayes its cheerfull lookes at the approach of the morning sunne The Sunne may bee eclypsed or clouded a while but anon breakes through all interpositions and oppositions with the fresh darts of his piercing beames and during the Eclipse it lacked none of its light in our vnderstanding but we lacked the light of it in our sense So Faith may be eclipsed or ouer-clouded with tentations for a time yet lose none of its vertue sauing onely we are not so sensible of it till at length it haue ouercome the tentation The fire that is raked vp close vnder the embers though it cannot now be seene yet it is fire still and is the better peserued against the next morning to â—eeâ—e vpon new fewell So Faith though it bee not easily discerned while it lyeth couered vnder the dead ashes of deepe contrition and humiliation for sinne and of mortification yea of tentation yet it is the better preserued that while heauinesse for sinne may endure for a night yet the ioy of Faith returnes in the morning as it were feeding it selfe with new workes of obedience flaming forth in a Christian life So that Faith be it lesse or more is alwayes in its own nature certaine though not alwaies alike in our sense and apprehension The most fruitfull Tree is not free from windes and tempests whereby it is shrewdly shaken yet for all that it is not hindred but rather helped as the Philosophers speake in bringing forth more plentifull fruit in his season sith the roote thereof firmely fastned in the ground is not loosened but rather inlarged to receiue a fresh supply of sappe from the earth to become the more fruitfull Such is a faithfull man whom Dauid compares to a Tree planted by the riuers of water who though he be shaken with sundry windes of temptation yet he bringeth forth his fruit in due season his leafe not withering and his actions prospering sith his Faith as the roote is fixed in Christ hauing the Riuer of the water of life flowing from Gods holy Spirit to nourish it continually for as Esay saith Chap. 27. 10. In measure in the branches thereof wilt thou contend with it in the day when hee bloweth with his fierce winde God moueth the branches of his liuing Trees and that in measure by afflictions and temptations but the rootes are vntouched A ship wee see lying at hull in the Harbour is tossed and tumbled on this side and that side yet being fastned by the Anchor it is not subiect to wracke yea being now vnder sayle exposed to the windes and waues yet it is waâ—ted onwards to the intended Port by the direction of the wise Pilot sitting and steering the Helme according to his Card and Compasse So the faithfull man euen when he rides securely in the Harbour of Tranquility as Dauid did Psal. 30. when hee said In my prosperity I shall neuer bee moued yet God turning away his face for the time hee is troubled but keeping his Anchor-hold of hope both sure and stedfast and adhering to God by faithfull prayer and humble supplication he is preserued from wracke keeping still his faithful station Or let him lanch out into the Deepe and hoyse vp saile for some noble voyage though he be driuen with fierce windes yet Gods Spirit sitting and steering the Helme of his Faith by the Card of Gods Word he bringeth him at length safely to the Hauen where hee would be although through most extreame difficulties So wee see the fruit of sauing Faith may bee suppressed yet the roote not supplanted the act of it may be suspended yet the habit not lost Faith may sleepe and yet liue it may be eclipsed yet hold on his course faint yet not faile sicke yet not to death bruised yet not broken to peeces shaken and weather-beaten yet not suffer vtter shipwracke languish yet not perish Bernard alledging St. Augustines words to wit Fides non coniectando vel opiniando habetur in corde in quo est ab eo cuâ—â—is est sed certa scientia acclamante conscientia that is Faith is found in the heart wherein it is of him whose it is not by coniecture or opinion but by certaine knowledge the conscience according with it Bernard thereupon inferreth these words Ego securus in Magistri Gentium sententiam pergo sciâ— quâ—ntam non confundar Placet mihi fâ—tâ—or illius de fide definitio Fides est aâ—t substantia rerum sperandarum argumentum non apparentium Substantia inquit rerum sperandarum non inanium phantasia coniecturarum Substantia nomine aliquid tibi certum fixumque praefigitur Non est enim â—ides estimatio sed certitudo I doe securely follow the iudgement of the Teacher of the Gentiles and I know that I shall not bee confounded His definition of Faith I confesse pleaseth me well Faith saith he is the substance of things hoped for and the euidence of things not seene The substance of things hoped for not the phantasie of vaine coniectures Vnder the name of substance thou hast something certaine and fixed layd downe For faith is not opinion but certainty So Bernard And this was the Catholicke Doctrine of the ancienter Fathers of the Church St. Chrysostome vpon the wordes of the Apostle Heb. 10. 19. Hauing therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the most holy by the bloud of Iesus saith Whence is this boldnesse from remission of sins And vpon the 22. vers Let vs draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith c. Hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which of vs draw neare Hee that is holy by faith And that with a true heart in full assurance of Faith How is