they neither any way can they be worthy condigne or truly Meritorious of eternall Glorie But as the troublesome way by which a man passeth to possesse the inheritaunce which his father hath freely giuen him may be sayd to worke and procure the actuall possession of the Inheritaunce not condignely or worthily to deserue the same euen so may our sufferinges be sayd to worke and procure our Glorification as a condition required at our handes or the way by which we must passe to it but neuer to be condigne worthy or meritorious of the same The reward is freely giuen by the Grace of our Adoption but that Grace maketh not our Workes meritorious and worthy of Heauen which they neither doe nor euer can deserue The 2. Conclusion Good Workes follow Iustification but they neither doe nor can goe before the same The latter part is euident because Without Fayth we can not please God Neither Can an euill tree as our maister Christ telleth vs bring foorth good fruite To which I adde with Christes Apostle that Whatsoeuer is not of fayth is sinne The former part is clearely deduced out of these wordes of our Lord Iesus Euery good tree bringeth foorth good fruite S. Austin pithily prooueth both the partes in these sweete short and golden wordes Opera sequuntur iustificatum non precâ—dunt iustificandum Workes follow him that is alreadie iustified but they goe not before him that is to be iustified The 3. Conclusion The best Workes which the regenerate doe are vnperfect polluted with sinne and in rigour of Iustice Mercie set apart deserue eternall Death I prooue it first because the Prophet of God telleth vs that all our righteousnesse is as filthy cloutes spotted and stayned with sinne Vpon which wordes holy Bernard yeeldeth this most excellent and Christian CoÌ„mentarie Nostra enim siqua est humilis iustitia recta forsitan sed non pura nisi fortè meliores nos esse credimus quam patres nostrâ—s qui non minus veraciter quam humiliter aiâ—bant omnes iustitiae nostrae tanquaÌ„ pannus menstruatae mulieriâ— For our base Iustice if wee haue any is perchaunce right but not pure or perfect vnlesse perhappes we beleeue that we are holier then our Fathers were who sayd as truely as humbly All our Righteousnesse is as filthy Cloutes Thus writeth the Popish Abbot an excellent Learned man Out of whose wordes I obserue first that the best Workes we doe are impure and vnperfect Secondly that our forefathers were as holy and perfect as we are who for all that confessed not onely of humilitie but most truely that our best Workes are vnperfect and stayned with sinne Secondly because S. Paul denied himselfe to be perfect Not saith he as though I had already attayned to it either were already perfect But Christ is our Iustice our sanctification our redemption in him we are perfect and consuÌ„mate Thirdly because the same Bernard hath these golden wordes Quomodo enim pura iustitia vbi adhuc non potest culpa deesse recta quidem interim videri potest iustitia hominum si tamen peccato non consentiant vt non regnet in eorum mortali corpore For how can their Iustice be pure who can not be without sinne Yet may the Iustice of men be right if they consent not to sinne nor suffer it to raigne in their mortall bodyes In which respect S. Iohn sayth That the faythfull sinne not because they suffer not sinne to raigne in them Fourthly because The reward of sinne is death and yet doe the best lyuers offende in many thinges Fiftly because the same Bernarde saith in an other place thus Omne quod natum est ex Deo non peccat sed hoc dictum est de predestinatis ad vitam non quod omnino non peccent sed quod peccatum ipsis non imputetur All that is borne of God sinneth not but this is spoken of the Predestinate to life not because they sinne not at all but for that sinne is not imputed to them Fiftly because S. Austen declareth this so plainely as none that ponder his words seriously can longer stand in doubt thereof these are his expresse wordes Ecce quemadmodum qui ambulant in vijs Domini non operantur peccatum et tamen non sunt sine peccato quia iam non ipsi operantur iniquitatem sed quod habitat in eis peccatum Behold how they that walke in the wayes of the Lord doe not sinne and yet are they not without sinne because now they themselues do not worke iniquitie but the sinne that dwelleth in them This Golden assertion of S Augustine Bernardus that learned religious Abbot coÌ„firmeth in these words Cupiâ—bat dissolui et cum Christo esse sciens quod peccatum separans inter nos et Deum penitus auferri non poterit donec liberemur a corpore Th'apostle desired to be dissolued and to be with Christ knowing that sinne which maketh a diuision betweene God and vs cannot wholly be taken away while we remaine in this body Out of these Testimonies of these great learned Doctors I obserue these memorable documentes First that the Children of God walke in his wayes Secondly that such their walking is vnperfect and polluted with sinne Thirdly that they are not without sinne Fourthly that this their sinne is not actuall and voluntarie but inuoluntarie and originall Fiftly that this originall sinne which still remayneth in the regenerate is such a sinne as maketh a separation betweene them and their God Sixtly because our Reconciliation with God doth not wholly purge vs from all sinne really but onely imputeth not the sinne remayning in vs vnto our charge or condemnation I will alledge the very wordes of the Latine vulgar edition to which all Papistes are tyed by their late councell of Trent Thus writeth the holy Apostle Quoniam quidem Deus erat in Christo mundum reconcilians sibi non reputans illis delicta ipsorum Because God was in Christ when he reconciled the world to him selfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them Thus discourseth S. Paul out of whose wordes I note two Lessons viz. the thing that was done and the manner of doing the same The thing done was the reconciling of the world vnto God The manner thereof was in not imputing their sinnes vnto them not in taking away their sinnes from them Sixtly this Conclusion is prooued at large both in the Chapter of Veniall sinnes in this present Triumph and in the Antepast in the Chapter of Originall Concupiscence See and note well the 7. Conclusion The 4. Conclusion Good Workes are so necessarie to attaine eternall life as the vsuall ordinarie and vndoubted way and meanes by which God in his great mercie and loue decreed from eternitie to bring his Elect to saluation as without the same none euer were are or shal be saued world without end when possibilitie time
and place be correspondent thereunto I prooue it first because Christ himselfe saith That euery Tree which bringeth not foorth Good fruite shal be cut downe and cast into the fire Secondly because Christ sayth in an other place That whosoeuer loue him will keepe his Commaundementes Thirdly because S. Paul telleth vs in one place That God chose vs in Christ before the world was made that we should be holy in his sight And in an other place That we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Jesu vnto good workes which he hath prepared that we may walke in them The 5. Conclusion Good workes are the effectes of Predestination depending vpon it not it vpon them S. Paul prooueth it in these plaine golden and pithy wordes Whom he hath Predestinate them hath he Called and whom he hath Called them hath he Iustified and whom he hath Iustified those hath he also Glorified By this golden Chaine we may euidently perceiue that Glorification Iustification Vocation and consequently Good workes are the effectes of Predestination especially if we ioyne this with the other Conclusions afore going For if it be true as it is most true else th'Apostle should be a lyer that we were elected to be Holy and to doe Good workes it is also true it can not be denyed that Holy life and Good workes are the effectes of our Election and Predestination in Christ Iesus For this cause sayth that famous Papist Nicholaus de Lyra in this manner Dicendum quod predestinatio diuina est preparatio gratiae in presenti et gloriae in futuro Et ideo cum sit aeterna sicut ab aeterno predestinauit aliquem ad beatitudinem ita praeordinauit modum quo daret sibi illam beatitudinem I answere sayth this great learned Popish Doctor that Gods Predestination is the preparation of Grace in this world and of Glory in the world to come And therefore seeing it is Eternall as he hath predestinated any one from eternitie to endlesse Blisse or Beatitude so hath he also fore-ordayned the meane by which he would bring him to the same For this cause sayth the Popish Angelicall Doctor Aquinas whose doctrine sundry Popes haue confirmed for Authenticall that Predestination includeth Gods will of bestowing both Grace and Glorie And this Doctor so famous and authenticall addeth these wordes Nam predestinatio est causa et eius quod expectatur in futura vita a predestinatis scz gloriae et eius quod percipitur in presenti scz gratiae For Predestination is the cause both of that which is expected in the life to come that is to say of Glorie and also of that which the predestinate receiue in this life that is to say of Grace For this cause saith our Jesuiticall Cardinall Bellarminus that Good workes follow Predestination as effectes follow their causes These are his expresse wordes Itaque sunt opera bona effectus Predestinationis Therefore Good workes are the effect of Predestination Againe in other place the same Jesuite hath these wordes Itaque illa propositio Deus ab aeterno predestinauit hominibus dare regnum per opera bona praeuisa potest et vera esse et falsa Nam si illud per opera praeuisa referatur ad verbum predestinauit falsa erit Significabit enim Deum predestinasse homines quia opera illorum bona praeuiderat si referatur ad verbum dare vera erit Quia significabit executionem futuram esse per opera bona siue quod est idem glorificationem effectum esse iustificationis et operum bonorum sicut ipsa iustificatio effectus est vocationis et vocatio praedestinationis Therefore that proposition God fore-ordayned from eternitie to giue to men the Kingdome of heauen by their fore-seene Workes may both be true and false For if those wordes by their workes fore-seene be referred to the word Predestinauâ—t hee predestinated or fore-ordayned the sense and meaning is false For it will signifie God to haue Predestinated Men because he fore-saw their Good workes but if the same wordes be referred to the worde Dare to giue and bestow the sense and meaning will be true For it will signifie that the execution must be done by Good works or which is all one that Glorification is the effect of Iustification and Good workes euen as Iustification is the effect of Vocation and Vocation the effect of Predestination Againe in an othor place hee hath these wordes Non ideo pendet praedestinatio ab operibus sed opera a praedestinatione Therefore Predestination doth not depend of Workes but Workes depend of Predestination Againe in an other place he sayth thus Alia ratio est pradestinationis alia executionis Constituit N. in praedestinatione regnum caelorum dare certis hominihus quos absque vlla operum praeuisione dilexit tamen simul constituit vt quo ad executionem via perueniendi ad regnum essent bona opera There is one reason of Predestination an other of Execution For in Predestination God decreed to giue the Kingdome of Heauen to certaine men whom he loued without any fore-sight of Workes howbeit he decreed withall that in respect of the execution Good workes should be the way to come vnto the same For this cause doe our Râ—emistes tell vs that our first Iustification is of Gods Grace and not of our deseruinges because none of all our actions that were before our Iustification could merit or iustly procure the Grace of iustification Thus discourse these famous and great learned Popish Writers to whose Doctrine I subscribe with all my heart For as I haue often sayd else where I highly reuerence the Old Romane religion and to the vttermost of my small talent skill I both haue done doe and will defende the same Yea and iustifie the Doctrine of the Church of England to be the Old Romane Catholike and Apostolike religion which S Peter and S. Paul deliuered to the auncient and first Church of Rome Out of the Doctrine heere deliuered by these famous Papistes Lyranus Aquinas and Bellarminus I gather many excellent Notes First that the Grace Fayth and Good workes which we haue in this world and the Glory which we expect in the world to come doe all wholly proceed from Gods Predestination euen without all desertes of Man Secondly that as God prepared the Kingdome of heauen for his Elect euen before they were borne or had done any Good workes so did he also prepare the way and meanes by which he would bring them to the same Thirdly that no Workes done or fore-seene to be done did mooue God to predestinate any man to the ioyes of Heauen Fourthly that Good workes are not the Cause but the Effect of Predestination Fiftly that Good workes are the way and meanes which God ordayned for the execution of Predestination and for the accomplishment of Glorification Sixtly that not onely Predestination but also Iustification proceedes of
frâ—tres magis satagite vt per bona opera câ—râ—aÌ„ vestraÌ„ vocationem et electionem facâ—utis Againe thus Whom hee hath Predestinate those hath he Called and whom he hath Called those hath he Iustified and whom he hath iustified those hath he glorified Secondly to auoyde tormentes which are due to all euill workes For as th'Apostle teacheth vs Death is the stipend of sinne And our M. Christ telleth vs That euery euill Tree which bringeth not foorth good fruite shal be cut downe and cast into the Fire Yea that hee which had not on a Wedding garment was bound hand foote and so cast into vtter darkenesse Thirdly to attaine corporall and eternall reward So sayth holy Writ Come yee blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world for I was hungry and yee gaue mee to eate I was thirsty and yee gaue mee to drinke For which respect Moses is sayd to haue had regard vnto reward And euen so is reward promised to him that giueth but a cuppe of cold Water in Gods name In respect of our Neighbours for diuers considerations First to put away scandall Woe to that man by whom scandall commeth you are the cause that Gods name is blasphemed among the Gentiles Secondly that we may profite our Neighbours by our good examples Let your Light so shine before men that they may see your Good workes and glorifie your Father which is in Heauen Now because our late Popes our newly hatched Jesuites and Jesuiteâ— Papistes are so full of Good workes at least in their owne corrupt perswasions that they are able with the same to merite Heauen and eternall Glorie I am content to imploy my Penne in speaking a litle thereof that the world may vnderstand the same for edification sake I will say nothing of the outragious behauiour of the Romish Papistes in time of Carnâ—uà le at Rome when and where for many dayes or rather weekes togeather men and women gadde vp and downe in the streetes and into houses some on Horse-backe some on foote transformed vnder Vizardes men into womans apparrell and women into mans apparrell and so to the great scandall of all good people that see or heare thereof worke wickednesse as the same goeth intollerable and odible to God and all good men Two kindes of notorious workes I will onely touch for the present the Stewes the Hospitall De sancto spiritu The Romanes forsooth are so mortified and so holy partly by the Pope for the time being who if he be truely named is not onely Holy but Holynesse it selfe in the abstract partly by the preachinges and other instructions of Jesuites and Iesuited Popelinges that the Pope forsooth must perforce permit them to haue common Brothel-houses or Stewes so to satisfie their beastly inordinate carnall lustes I meane not heere to dispute whether sinne in some cases may be tolerated or noe I haue written of that subiect else where at large But this I meane for the good of the Reader and edification-sake to make it euident to the world that the Romish Papistes who glorie in their meritorious workes are the worst liuers vpon earth The Stewes are not sufficient to bridle the outrage of the inordinate carnall lust of the Saints at Rome but they must further haue a second Toleration or Dispensation for an Hospitall of Charitie forsooth called for the surpassing vertue thereof by the name of the holy Ghost The end of this Hospitall is this to keepe Whores and Whore-maisters from villanous and most cruell Murders Euery night one of that holy Hospitall whatcheth diligently and turning about a Wheele made for the purpose receiueth new borne Bastardes into their câ—stodie The Wheele is so artificially contriued that they can not know or see who bringeth the said Infant-bastardes The Children are curteously receiued haue vsage and education as if they were legitimate The Hospitall is very rich and well able to maintaine all that are brought thither It findeth moe and more able friendes then any other Hospitall More Landes and Goods are giuen to it then to any other And no maruell seeing all that the Romish Saintes doe giue to it is giuen for the maintenaunce and education of their beloued Bastardes When these Bastards come to yeares of discretion either sooner or latter as it seemeth good to the Fathers then they come to visite the sayd Hospitall and to see their owne Bastardes and for a worke of Charitie they make choyse of those whom they loue and like the best Will not such Holy workes of mercie merite Heauen condignely by Popish Fayth and Diuinitie it is approoued with great solemnitie But how will some say doe the Fathers know their owne Bastardes I answere that it is a thing very easie to be done For the Fathers and Mothers or some by their procurement doe hang about the neckes of their Bastardes speciall Tokens or Iewels by which they may know them an other day Which Tokens the Gouernours of the Hospitall by the Lawes thereof which they are sworne to obey obserue and performe must carefully from time to time keepe and see that they neuer be taken from their Neckes during their aboade in the sayd Hospitall This Storie I haue for this end heere inserted that the world may know the meritorious workes of the Pope Iesuites and other Romish Papistes The censure whereof I leaue to the iudicious and honest Reader The 11. Conclusion As it is true by the constant Doctrine of best Learned Popish Writers that the best Workers are not condignely meritorious of Eternall life without the Promise of God made to reward them So it is in like maner true also that albeit by reason of Gods Promise the Reward be iustly both giuen and expected yet neither doth nor can the sayd Promise in reâ— veritate and true estimation of the Worke and the Reward make the worke condignely meritorious of the same Reward Eternall glorie I euer vnderstand This Conclusion consisteth of two partes the former whereof is copiously prooued in the seuenth Conclusion afore-going The latter I prooue by many meanes and inuincible reasons First because a Promise although it make the thing promised to be iustly a kind of debt and so of iustice both required and expected neither doth nor can change the nature of the Worke or attribute any condignitie or worthinesse to the same Secondly because the Promise is freely made and farre exceedeth the worthinesse of the Worke. So sayth the popish Fryer John de Combis in these very wordes Deus nes punit citra condignum remunerat vltra condignum God punisheth vs lesse then we be worthy and rewardeth vs farre aboue our desertes So sayth Abbot Bernard in these expresse wordes Aeternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri nisi gratis detur et illa Thou must beleeue that thou canst not merite eternall life with any
worthinesse in the workes them-selues but onely from Gods Promise and Merites of his Sonne This I challenge for a manifest vntrueth when as plentifull testimonies want not to prooue that Workes proceeding of Grace are Meritorious not onely for his Promise or Acceptation but also for the dignitie of the Workes Yea the Scriptures are euident in this poynt T. B. I answere that I haue soundly confuted in the Conclusions afore-going much more then the Fryer doth heere or is euer able to obiect Neuerthelesse I am content to answere in particular to whatsoeuer seemeth to carrie any colour of trueth though none in very deed B. C. Call the Worke-men and pay them their hyre where Reward is giuen to the Workes Whereof it followeth that Workes deserued it T. B. I answere First that the Pope may be ashamed to haue no better defenders of his Poperie For if the trueth were in their side better reasons would be giuen in defence of the same Secondly that all Worke-men do not alwayes deserue their hyre For many as experience teacheth are such idle loyterers and worke so slowly that their Maisters giue them ouer not thinking them worth halfe their hyre Thirdly that they who came but at the eleuenth houre and in the end of the day receiued as much hyre as they that came at the ninth sixt or third houre which plainely argueth that the hyre was not giuen for the worthinesse or condignitie of the Worke. Fourthly that they who doe nothing but which otherwise they are bound to doe do not worthily deserue hyre for doing of the same Fiftly that Johannes Ferus a learned Popish Fryer in his Commentaries vpon this text yeeldeth the same sense and meaning these are his wordes Docet haec Parabola primò gratiam esse non debitum quicquid a Deo nobis datur Omnes N. iustitiae nostrae tanquam pannus menstruatae Imò nè ipsae passiones quidem huius temporis sunt condignae ad futuram gloriam Quodsi aliquando mercedem audis polliceri scias non ob aliud esse debitum quam ex promissione diuina Gratis promisit gratis reddit Si igitur Dei gratiam et fauorem conseruare cupis nullam meritorum tuoruÌ„ mentioneÌ„ fac This Parable teacheth vs that it is Grace not Debt whatsoeuer God giueth vs. For all our righteousnesse is as filthy Cloutes Yea the very afflictions which we endure in this life are vnworthy of eternall life If then thou heare Reward sometime promised know that it is no otherwise debt saue only for the Promise which God hath made Freely he promised and freely he payeth the same If therefore thou wilt keepe Gods fauour grace make no mention of thy Merites Thus discourseth this learned Fryer out of whose wordes I obserue these worthy Lessons First that our workes deserue nothing condignely at Gods handes Secondly that whensoeuer we heare Reward promised we must then know that it freely proceedes of Mercie not of any worthines in our Workes Thirdly that God both without our Desertes promiseth and without our Desertes performeth the same Fourthly that we can not continue in Gods fauour if we doe but make mention of our Merites But doubtlesse if the mention of our Merites barely made be of force to take away Gods fauour from vs much more is the relying vpon our Merites and the challenging of Merite for the same able and of force to produce the same effect Againe in an other place the same Ferus hath these expresse wordes Non attendebant quod per ProphetaÌ„ dicitur Ego deleo peccata tua propter me propter me inquit non propter merita tua Solus Christus remittit peccata et quidem gratis nihil ad hoc faciunt merita nostra Non quod intermittenda sunt opera sed soli Deo gloria danda iuxta illud si seceritis omnia quae praecepta sunt vobis dicite serui inutiles sumus They regarded not what the Prophet sayth I put away thy sinnes for mine owne sake Hee sayth for mine owne sake not for thy Merites One and sole Christ doth forgiue sinnes and that freely our Merites helpe nothing thereunto Yet Good workes may not be omitted but the glory must be giuen to God alone according to that saying If ye shall doe all that is commaunded you yet say Wee are vnprofitable seruantes B. C. Likewise our Sauiour sayth Come yee blessed of my Father possesse you the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I was an hungred and you gaue mee to eate Where our Sauiour signifieth that Heauen was giuen to Good workes for in more vsuall significant wordes it can not be spoken that Heauen is giuen as a Reward to the workes of mercie T. B. I answere first that the word For is not heere taken causaliter but consequatiuè to speake as the Schoole-doctors doe that is to say it doth not connotate the cause but the euent so as the sense is not that they did merite Heauen for giuing Meate to Christ but that by doing such charitable Workes which are the effectes of a true iustifying Fayth they shewed them selues to be the Children of God and the heyres of his Kingdome And this sense is clearely deduced out of the very text it selfe For seeing the kingdome of Heauen as Christ heere auoucheth was prepared for them before the foundation of the world and consequently before they were borne and so before they could doe any Good workes it followeth of necessitie that their Workes could not merit Heauen but onely intimate to the world that the inheritaunce of Heauen was due vnto them as to the children of God the heyres of the same For as the Apostle sayth If we be Sonnes then are we also Heyres Heyres of God and ioynt-Heyres with Christ. Yea as the same Apostle saith in an other place As he chose vs in him before the foundation of the World that we should be holy immaculate in his sight through loue Againe in an other place thus teacheth vs our Sauiour himselfe Non vos me elegistis sed ego eâ—egi vos et positi vos vt â—atis et fructum afferatis You haue not chosen me but I haue chosen you I haue put you that yee may goe and bring foorth fruit In another place the Apostle hath these wordes Whom he did predestinate them also he called whom he called them also he iustified whom he iustified them also he glorified Johannes Ferus that learned popish Fryer writeth in this manner Ego inquit elegi vos potest autem verbum hoc intelligi vel de electione ad Apostolatum vel de electione aeterna ad salutem Vtrobique N. gratia est non meritum vtrumque per Christum fit In ipso siquidem et per ipsum elâ—git nos Deus ante munâ—i constitutionem Sequitur Ego inquit qui Deus sum â—c propterea nullius inâ—igens ego qui
punire et damnare popoteram non simpliciter assumpsi sed elegi vos multis alijs neglectis ex massa corruptionis Sequitur docet igitur Christus hoc verbo quod ipse sit author nostrae salutis Deinde quod gratia est quicquid habemus siue sint dona illa iustificantia Fides Spes Charitas Spiritus sanctus c. Siue externa illa dona quae alio nomine dicuntur gratiae gratis datae I saith hee haue chosen you This Text may bee vnderstood either of Election to the Apostleship or of eternall Election to Saluation For in both there is grace but no merit and both are wrought by Christ for in him and through him did God chose vs euen before the world was made I saith he who am God and therefore stand in need of nothing I who can punish and condemne haue not simply taken you but reiecting many others haue chosen you out of the masse of corruption Christ therefore doth by these words teach vs that hee is the authour of our saluation Then that whatsoeuer we haue the same is grace whether they be those iustifying gifts faith hope charity the holy Spirit the like or other externall gifts which by another name are called graces freely giuen That which our Sauiour sayth of Marie Magdalene that many sinnes were forgiuen her because shee loued much doth serue well to illustrate that which is here obiected of the kingdome of heauen For Christes Argument is not drawne from the cause but from the effect as if Christ had sayd we may know by her great loue that great gifts are bestowed on her that many sinnes are forgiuen her for that not remission of her sinnes proceeded from her loue but her loue from the forgiuenesse of her sinnes the similitude of the debtors doth plainly insinuate the same vnto vs. Christ told Peter of two debters whereof the one owed fiue hundred pence the other fiftie and that when they had not wherewith to pay the creditour forgaue them both he therefore demaunded of Peter whether of the debtours loued the creditour more Peter answered that he to whom more was forgiuen Christ approoued Peters answere and concluded thereupon that seeing Marie Magdalene loued more he might know that shee had more forgiuen her Because saith Christ to whom little is forgiuen the same loueth little neither is it possible to draw any other meaning out of Christs wordes The reason is euident because Christ saith plainely that the debts were freely forgiuen the debters who were not able to pay the debts For otherwise Maries forgiuenesse could haue no coherence with the similitude of the debters Out of this discourse these points are euidently deduced First that wee are the sonnes of God not by nature for so wee are his enemies and the children of wrath but by grace and adoption in Iesus Christ. Secondly that God chose vs to be his children before wee were borne Thirdly that he chose vs not because wee were holy but that we might bee holy and immaculate in his sight Fourthly that he predestinated vs to be his children by adoption not for any good workes which we either had done or could doe but for his owne good pleasure to the glorie of his grace for as to doe any workes at all before we be borne is altogether impossible so to doe good workes when we are borne seeing we are conceiued in sinne borne in sinne and by nature the children of warth is impossible in like manner Fiftly that all our good Workes are the effects and fruites of our predestination For if it be true as it is most true els the Apostle were a lyer that we were elected to be holy and to doe good Workes it is also true it can neuer be denyed that holy life and good Workes are the effects of our Election and Predestination in Christ Iesus For this cause saith the Apostle that Predestination proceedes freely of Gods eternall purpose Iustification of Predestination and Glorification of Iustification For first he choseth vs in Christ then he iustifieth vs in Christ thirdly and lastly he glorifieth vs for his owne Names sake B. C. And beside in the same place Damnation is giuen to had Workes Get ye away from me ye cursed saith Christ into euerlasting fire which was prepared for the deuill and his angels For I was an hungry and you gaue mee not to eate Seeing then the Scripture declareth plainely that bad workes deserue damnation and hee the cause thereof as plainly doth it also signifie that good Workes merit heauen and be the cause thereof T. B. I answer that there is great disparitie between saluation damnation therefore that good works can not merit saluation though euil works be enough for damnation The reason hereof is euident both in Phylosophy and Diuinitie because as S. Dionysius Areopagita sayth and the popish angelicall doctour Aquinas approueth the same Bonum ex integra causa existet malum ex quolibet defectu Good is of an intire and whole cause but euill comes of euery defect Yea that more is required to good then to euill dayly experience teacheth vs for one may soone doe that hurt to his neighbour which can not without great cost and long time bee cured againe For euery childe can tell our Iesuite that one stroake is able to kill a man but twentie potions and twentie chirurgicall actions can not restore him to life againe So one leape is enough to cast one into the bottome of a pitte or deepe gulfe but twentie hops skippes or leapes will not bring him vp againe This Saint Austen well obserued when hee left in Writing to all posteritie That it is a greater thing to iustifie the Wicked man then to make Heauen and Earth Free-will of it selfe is able to doe euill in the highest degree but of it selfe it hath no power at all either to doe well or to will well For it is God that worketh in you saith the Apostle both the will the deed euen of his good pleasure Againe in an other place thus To will is present with me but I find no meanes to performe that which is good Againe in an other place thus No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost Againe in an other place thus we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiencie is of God All which and much more our sweete Sauiour compriseth in these few pethy and most golden wordes For without me yee can doe nothing Much more I could say to the same effect but I refraine for two respectes First because I haue regard to breuitie Secondly for that this matter is disputed at large and soundly prooued in the Conclusions afore-going especially in the first sixt and seuenth B. C. Wee find also in Scripture that men are sayd worthy of Reward That you may be counted worthy of