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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09274	Vindiciae fidei, or A treatise of iustification by faith wherein that point is fully cleared, and vindicated from the cauils of it's aduersaries. Deliuered in certaine lectures at Magdalen Hall in Oxford, by William Pemble, Master of Arts of the same house: and now published since his death for the publique benefit.	Pemble, William, 1592?-1623.; Capel, Richard, 1586-1656.	1625 (1625)	STC 19589; ESTC S114368	167,454	232

sufficient to barre vs from Iustification by them For we deserue not reward for what is well done except all were well done But neuerthelesse it shall not hinder Gods gracious acceptation of our good workes who is well pleased with the obedience of his children so farre as it is good and holy and when it failes for Christs sake he mercifully pardoneth their Trespasses Thus much of the second Argument The third is from reason grounded on Scriptures 3 Where there are sufficientia principia rectae operationis sufficient causes and meanes of well-doing there a good worke may be done without all fault But in a man Regenerate there are causes and meanes sufficient for well-doing Ergo He may doe well and not offend They proue the Minor thus To the performance of any good worke there is required nothing but these things Knowledge of what is to be done will and power to do it But now a Regenerate man hath all these For first his vnderstanding is enlightned so that hee can easily know what is good to be done Secondly his will and affections are sanctified and aided by grace to desire and endeauour the performance of it And thirdly and lastly hee hath power to put in practise what he knowes and desires there being no impediment inward or outward that should hinder him Ergo he may doe well and sinne not Here we desire them to shew vs. How a man Regenerate is enduded with such perfect abilities as may helpe him and quite rid him of all such impediments as might hinder hi● in well doing This they say is done by the grace of Sanctification giuen vnto a Regenerate man whereby hee is freed from all contagion of sinne and such incombrances as hinder him in well-doing For by this grace giuen to him hee is made a good tree now A good tree cannot bring foorth ●ad fruit Matth 7. 18. And ergo a good man cannot doe bad workes 〈…〉 made a fruitfull Branch of Christ the true Vine as it is Iohn 15. 5. I am the Vine yea are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the 〈◊〉 beareth much fruit And Ergo That fruit onely which is good Which Similitude of a Branch much illustrates the matter in their Imagination For as in a Vine-Branch If first it haue sufficient moisture from the Body of the Vine Secondly if it haue sufficient heat of the Sunne to digest that moysture And thirdly if it be not hurt nor hindred by Frosts Wette Windes Wormes or other such discommodities of the Ayre and Soile then certainely it will be are very much and very good fruit so is it in a man regenerate From Christ he receiues sufficient moisture of Diuine Grace which is in him as a well of water springing vp vnto euerlasting life Iohn 4. 14. He hath heat sufficient of spirituall affection to cause him to bud forth into good workes For Christ saith I am come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be already kindled Luke 12. 49. And Did not our hearts burne within vs said the two Disciples that went to Emaus Luk. 24. 32. Ergo they haue heat enough Finally they haue no impediment Neither inward For why It is written Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus Ergo no inward impediment to well-doing Nor outward For it written nothing shall separate vs from the Loue of God that is in Christ Iesus our Lord Rom. 8. 38. Ergo no outward impediment of good workes Hereunto we make answer That this Argument is a sophisticall cauillation which proues that which we do not deny They say that a Man Regenerate hath sufficientia principia rectae honestae operationis We say so too confessing that hee is made a good tree a fruitfull Branch that hee is enlightened sanctified and strengthened by the spirit of God vnto the performance of good workes We grant that now he is enabled to doe well who before his Regeneration could doe nothing saue●ll but the question still remaines whether now he doe so well as that he doth nothing ill when he doth best We grant that the Vine which in former time yeelded nothing but wild grapes now being transplanted and grafted into the best Vine beares good grapes but we deny that they are so weet and kindly in eu●● respect as not to haue a little relish still of their former wildnesse and sowrenesse Wherefore our Aduersaries doe but trifle with vs to tell vs that Men Regenerate haue meanes sufficient to doe those workes that be good this we deny not but we question whether they haue helpe sufficient to performe any worke so absolutely and perfectly good that God himselfe cannot charge it with any Sinne at all This we constantly deny And to their discourse That a regenerate Man hath sufficient Knowledge Power and will to doe good perfectly in this they affirme more then will euer bee proued Our imperfections in euery one of these three particulars witnessed to our Conscience by Scripture and experience doth disable vs euer frō doing any worke entirely and totally good Knowledge we haue but much darkned by ignorance We haue a will to doe good but that also corrupted with much forward Rebelliō A power we haue to do good but alwayes crossed and much restrained by manyfold Lusts within and Temptations without vs. How is it possible for vs being compassed about with so many infirmities but wee should offend in one thing or other Becanus here brings vs an instant of a good worke and bids vs shew what sinne there is in it If sayth he A Man regenerate read or heare those words of Christ. Mat 6. giue almes hee being enlightned knowes that this is a worthy and honest worke Wherupon he is touc●ed in heart and stirred vp to do it He consents to this motion and resols vpon the execution which supposing that he be rich nothing now can hinder because he is both able and willing to giue Now then this almes being thus giuen out of knowledge and a pious motion of the Heart tending to Gods honour and our Neighbours good the Iesuit desires to knew of vs where their is any Sinne in it Wee say there is some euill in euery good worke and therefore hee would haue vs tell him what euill there is in this Almesdeed Vnto this we say that this enquiry of the Iesuite is the most ridiculous and absurd thing that can be He asketh vs where is the Sinne what if we answere him we doe not know Is hee now euer the wiser what hath he gained hereby Are other Mens worke without all faults because we know not what they be Nay are they without fault because themselues know not whether there be any in them or no what silinesse were it to argue in this sort Therefore when wee come to this point strictly to examine the workes of Men. First we tell the Iesuite that he must not put Cases touching generalities suppose

my selfe in my minde serue the law of God but in my flesh the law of sinne Euen Paul serues God in the better halfe of him doe what he can sinne will haue a place in his heart a part of his seruice though he be vnwilling to yeeld it If any will compare and preferre himselfe to this holy man he may prooue himselfe prouder but better then him he cannot T is arrogance for a simple Fryer to claime perfection when so great an Apostle disauowes it He that will not acknowledge that corruption in himselfe which Paul in the name of all confesseth in his owne person t is not because such a one is more holy then the Apostle but because he is ignorant and sees it not or high-minded and scornes to be knowne of it Furthermore Reason confirmes what Scriptures and experience doe witnesse viz. that sinfull corruption will hang fast vpon vs vnto our dying day for if we suppose an vtter abolishment of sinne and corruption in our Nature it must needes follow there will neuer be any sinfulnesse at all in our workes and liues Where the Habit is perfect the Action is so too and a sweet Fountaine cannot send forth bitter waters Wherefore seeing not the best of men can liue without manifold actuall sinnes It it apparent that this ill fruit comes from a bad humour in the tree and this defect of actuall obedience comes from the imperfection of habituall holinesse This is sufficient for Iustification of the truth of our first Preposition That inherent holinesse in this life is not perfect Because t is alwayes coupled with some sinfull corruption But here our Adversaries cry out with open mouth that we maintaine moastrous propositions Namely That there is n● inherent holinesse in a man that 's iustified that after Iustification a man still remaines a sianer and vniust That in Iustification sinne is not abolished but onely couered with Christs mantle Thence they fall to their Rhetoricke That all Calvinists are but painted Sepulchers faire without full of rottennesse within Like foolish Virgins that haue no oyle of their owne But thinke to be supplyed by that of other folkes Like Wolues in a Lambes skinne which hides but takes not away their rauening and fierce nature Like a leprous person in fine cloathes that lookes to be fauoured and imbraced by his King because his is well apparelled For this is say they to teach That a Man iustified is yet a sinner in himselfe That corruption filthinesse and vncleannesse remain in him when yet in Gods sight he is accounted pure and cleane because hee hath hid himselfe v●der the cloake of Christs righteousnesse Whence also they tell vs it well follow Wee make Christs body monstrous a holy beautifull head ioyned to filthy leprous members Christs marriage polluted A most holy and faire Bridegroome coupled to a foule deformed Spouse To this we say Truth is modest yet shee will not bee out-faced with bigge words Their eloquence hath slandered partly vs partly the truth Vs in that they affirme we deny all inherent righteousnesse in a person iustified which is an impudent calumny The truth in condemning that for an error which is sacred verity taught vs by God in the Scriptures viz. That a person iustified is yet after that in himselfe in part sinfull This we still teach and maintaine for a truth firme as the foundation of the earth that cannot bee shaken namely That although a Iustified person is by the grace of the Holy Ghost dwelling in him made inherently holy yet this sanctity is not that perfect purity of the heart which the Law requires because some degrees of impurity and corruption doe dwell in him till death And therefore the most iustified person liuing is yet in himselfe partly sinfull and vniust but the sinfulnesse is pardoned vnto him in CHRIST Against this the R●manists contend labouring to proue that in him that is iustified Sinne doth not remaine at all but is vt●erly abol●shed They proue it by such Arguments as these 1 The Scriptures testifie That Christ is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world That Hee was offered to take away the sinnes of many That in Repentance our sinnes are blotted out That God will subdue our iniquities and cast our sinnes into the bottome of the Sea in allusion to the drowning of the Aegyptians in the red Sea Wherefore if sinne be taken away blotted out drowned in the Sea like the Aegyptians then sure it is abolished and remaines no longer 2 They prooue it from the Properties which are ascribed to Sinne as namely these 1 Sinne is compared to spotts staines and filthynesse but from thence we are washed by the powring on of cleane water vpon vs and by the Blood of Christ. 2 Sinne is compared to Bonds Fetters the Prison whereby we are holden captiue vnder the power of Satan Now Christ hath broken these Chaines and opened these prison doores hauing deliuered us from the power of darknesse and redeemed us from all iniquity made us free from Sinne to be come the seruants of Righteousnesse 3 Sinne is compared to sicknesses diseases wounds Now God is the best Phisition the most skilfull Chirurgian and where he vndertakes the Cure he doth his worke throughly he cures all diseases and each on perfectly He doth not spread on a sick Man a faire Couerlid or couer a festred wound with a faire cloth as Caluin imagines but by a purgatiue potion he expelles the disease by a healing plaister he cures the wound So that there is not left nor corrupt matter nor dangerous sore that can proue deadly according to that Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus that is There is no matter at all for which they deserue Condemnation as those expound 4 Sinne is likned to death nay it is the spirituall Death of the Soule Now he that is iustified is restored to Spirituall Life and where Life is there death is quite taken away seing a Man cannot be aliue and dead both together Wherefore the Apostle saith Rom. 6. 6. Our old Man is crucified with him that the Body of Sinne might be destroyed that hence forth We might not serue Sinne and v. 11. We are dead vnto Sinne. Hence they conclude If the filthinesse of sinne be washed away the Chaines of sinne broken the Diseases and hurts of Sinne healed the Death of Sinne abolished then it followes that Sinne is quite exstinguished and remaines no more in those that are iustified 3 They argue thus If Sinne remaine in those that are iustified and be onely couered then God either knowes of the sinne or knowes it not To say he were ignorant of it were blasphemy all things being naked and bare before his eyes If he know it then either he hates it or he hats it not If he doth not hate it how doth the Scriptures say true

to assent vnto and apprehend diuine Reuelations without further helpe then of their owne naturall Abilities Man in his fall sustained greater losse in the spirituall powers of his soule therefore stan●s in need of helpe Which helpe is afforded euen vnto the vngodly but this is by ordinary illumination not by speciall infusion of any sanctifying Grace Enlightned they are aboue the ordinary pitch of naturall blindnes but not aboue that whereto a meere naturall vnderstanding may be aduanced Yea were Mans Vnderstanding raised vp to that perfection which is in diuels this were more then Nature yet lesse then Grace This common gift of Illumination bestowed on wicked Men but not on diuels is no proofe that their Faith is of a diuerse kinde As to the last difference we are not so far studied in Moralities as to conceiue wherein the dishonestie of the diuel 's Faith and the honestie of Hypocrites Faith doth lie To ordinarie vnderstanding it seemes euery way as honest commendable a matter for a wicked fiend as for a wicked Man to beleeue what God reueales vnto him If not we must expect to be further informed by these Iesuites Men that are better read in that part of Ethickes whether diabolicall or hypocriticall 4. This of the Apostle's third Argument we come to the fourth The 4. Argument is contained in the 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25 verses Before which the Apostle repeates his maine Conclusion That Faith without Obedience is a false and dead Faith But wilt thou know O vaine Man or hypocrite that Faith without workes is dead v. 20. For the convincing of him further he proceeds to a new Argument to proue it vnto him The Argument is this That Faith which will not iustifie a Man is a false and dead Faith But the Faith which is without workes will not iustifie a Man Ergo 'T is a dead and a false Faith The Maior the Apostle omits as most evident of it selfe The Minor he proues by an induction of two Examples Thus. If Abraham and Rahab were instified by a working faith thou that Faith which is alone without workes will not iustifie But A●raham and Rahab were so iustified viz. by a working Faith Ergo Faith without workes will not iustifie a man The Reason of the Consequence is manifest Because as Abraham and Rahab so all other must be justified The meanes of justification and Life were euer one and the same for all men Which also the Apostle intimates in that clause v. 21. Was not our Father Abraham c. implying that as the Father so also the children the whole stocke and generation of the Faithfull were and are still justified by one vniforme meanes The two instances the Apostle vrges that of Abraham v. 21. 22. 23. that of Rahab v. 25. The conclusion with aequally issues from them both he interserts in the middest after the allegation of Abrahams Example v. 24. I shall goe ouer them as they lie in the Text. In the example of Abraham the Apostle v. 21. sets downe this proposition That Abraham was justified by a working Faith For this interrogatiues Was not our Father Abraham justified by workes must be resolued into an affirmatiue Abraham our Father was justified by workes That is a working Faith Which proposition the Apostle confirmeth by it's parts 1. Shewing that Abrahams Faith was an operatiue faith declared and approued by his workes Secondly prouing that by such a working Faith Abraham was justified in God's sight That the faith of Abraham was operatiue full of life and power to bring forth Obedience vnto God the Apostle alleageth one instance insteed of all the ●est to proue it And that is that singular worke of Obedience vnto God's command When he offered vp his sonne Isaak vpon the Altar Many other workes there were performed by Abraham abundantly justifying the trueth of his Faith But the Apostle chooseth this aboue all other as that worke which was of purpose enjoyned him by God for a triall of his faith Wherein Abraham mightily ouer●oming all those strong temptations to disobedience and infidelity made it appeare that his faith was not an idle dead and empty Speculation but an actiue and working Grace Wherefore the Apostle adds ver 22. Seest thou how faith wrought with his workes and by workes was faith made perfect That is as in other workes of that holy Patriarch so specially in that sacrificing his sonne all that can see may plainely behold the strength and life of his faith Faith wrought with his workes That is His faith directed and supported him in the doing of that worke as the Apostle Paul expounds it Heb. 11. 17 By faith Abraham offered vp Isaack that worke had not binne done if faith had not wrought it In euery circumstance thereof faith did all in all from the beginning of the worke to the end This interpretation is most simple and generally receaued Faith wrought with That is In or by his workes vnto the performance whereof the force of faith was in spaeciall manner assesting Pareus reads the words by a tmesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scilicet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Faith being with his workes wrought What his Iustification But this construction seemes somewhat hard and not necessary for this place The other sense is much plainer shewing vs by or with what vertue Abraham's workes were wrought viz. By the vertue of his faith which in most powerfull manner incited and inabled him to obey The Apostle goes forward And by workes was faith made perfect That is declared to be perfect For workes did not perfect Abrahams Faith essentially in asmuch as long before this time it was perfect as is plaine in that Abraham was justified by it 25 yeares before the oblation of his sonne Isaack and also by the strength of his Faith had done many excellent workes and obtained great blessings at the hand of God So that the offering vp of Isaack was not the cause but a fruite of the perfection of Abrahams Faith the great difficulty of that worke shewed the singular petfection of that Grace which was able so to encounter and conquer it The goodnes of the fruit doth not worke but declare the goodnes that is in the tree the qualities of the fruits alwaies depending vpon the nature of the Tree but not on the contrary Thus then the first part of the Proposition is plainly proved by the Apostle That Abrahams Faith was a liuely and working Faith declaring and approuing it's owne trueth by the workes of his Obedience The next part Namely That Abraham was justified in God's sight by such a working Faith he proue● 1. By a Testimony of Scripture 2. By an effect or consequent thereof Both are expressed in the 23. v. The first in these words And the Scripture was fulfilled which sayeth Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed vnto him for Righteousnes The application of this testimony is very heedfully