yet there is as much life in the weake Flesh as in them The weakest Ioynt of the body so it be liuing is as liuing as the rest So this is the ordinaunce of Diuine prouidence in the body of the Church that euery one of the Elect the members thereof should haue so much Fayth measured out vnto them as might suffice to their saluation As hee that gathered much Manna had not the more and as hee that gathered lesse had not lesse but had enough as well as the other so it is with Fayth the food of the Soule hee that hath the least hath enough to saue his Soule in the day of the Lord as well as hee that hath the greatest measure thereof Thus Fayth is the Seale of our Predestination vnto life in asmuch as none are capable thereof but the sealed sort wherefore it is stiled T it 1.1 The Fayth of the elect Wherefore Luke speaking of the Gentiles who had been Paules auditors Act. 13.48 sayth As many as were ordayned vnto life beleeued In this respect Paul entituleth Fayth 1. Cor. 2.14 The earnest of our adoption and inheritaunce Men simply naturall perceiue not the thinges that are of God and so can not spanne or comprehend the Fayth To this Cum alibi rum in libro de bono perseuerāt giue all the Fathers consent that Fayth is the effect of Predestination So Augustine auoweth against the Pelagians in sundrie places Now whereas others are sayd to beleeue as the Deuils They beleeue and tremble as the temporizers of these dayes it is so abusiuely and improperly sayd of them It is as Augustine sayth Alij cogitant pij credunt The Godly beleeue others doe but thinke The Fayth is not in them but a kinde of Fancie onely This Fayth is a harder matter then the Schoole of Rome conceiueth who recke no more of it then of an ordinarie gift of God of a certaine light of the minde by which one assenteth to the word of God Canis op ca. pa. Rhem. test in 2. Cor. 15.5 as Canisius hath excogitated then of an actiō of the vnderstanding as the Rhemistes would haue it to be onely occupied in generalities and neuer to descende to application in particular Heb. 6.5 Luk. 8.13 Iam. 2.19 as Andradius dreameth For such a Fayth the verie Reprobates may be owners of for their mindes may be illuminated in the knowledge of the trueth and they may bee throughly perswaded of it And therefore they haue this action of vnderstanding And this is the generall Fayth that taketh vp thinges in grosse which the Deuilles themselues haue Wee teach and prooue that Fayth consisteth in a facultie of apprehending and applying Christ that to Beleeue Apprehend and to Receiue Christ are all one Thus Saint John compoundeth and confoundeth them Iohn 1.12 where he sayth As many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be the Sounes of God euen to them that beleeue in his Name Thus is Faith an application of Christ in speciall to it selfe as a poore man when an almes is giuen him he doth put foorth his hand and draw it in againe vnto himselfe and maketh the almes his owne Gal. 3.27 This is the reason of the Metaphor of Putting on of Christ taken vp by the Apostle where hee entreateth of the nature of Fayth But Christ is onely Put on by way of application in particular of his righteousnesse laide to our heartes as the Garment is applyed vnto the backe when it is put vpon it Hitherto hath reference the manducation and potation of Christ which is by Fayth Ioh. 6.35 Now the meate and drinke that wee take downe to doe vs good must be tasted minced by the Teeth conueyed into the Stomacke digested and after all these be particularly applyed to their seuerall partes that are to be nourished by them Hence it is that Saint Paul prayeth for the Ephesians Ephes 3.17 That Christ may dwell in their heartes by fayth Which can not be without the apprehension of him He therefore may properly be sayd to beleeue that can distinctly and truely say of himselfe that he is throughly perswaded in his conscience that he is reconciled vnto God for all his sinnes and is accepted vnto eternall life in him Thus Paul teacheth both by practise and precept as where hauing first set downe the generall Proposition Gal. 2.16 A man is not iustified by the workes of the Law but by Faith in Christ Iesu Hee immediatly inferreth the Application of it to himfelfe in particular Wee haue beleeued in Iesu Christ that wee might be iustified by the Fayth of Christ And beneath in the 20. verse more specially he maketh vse thereof thus vnto himselfe I liue by faith in the Sonne of God who hath loued mee and giuen himselfe for mee Ney ther doth Paule take this as his prerogatiue or peculiar aboue others but only setteth out himselfe for an example vnto vs that wee should so instruct and comfort our selues Wherefore else where he sayeth 1. Tim. 1.16 For this cause was J receiued vnto mercie that Iesus Christ should first shew on mee all long suffring vnto the ensample of them which shall in time to come beleeue in him vnto eternall life And how this is incident to all beleeuers in an other place he telleth vs where hauing thus said cōcerning himselfe I Iudge all thinges but doung Psal 3.8 that I might win Christ and might be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnes which is of God through faith He teacheth vs that this is direction for vs Vers 15. and the inherent condition of Fayth Let as many as be perfect be thus minded Thus Fayth liueih not in suspense betwixt Hope and Feare as the Crow that flyeth betweene Heauen and Earth but nestleth herselfe in the Woundes of Christ as Doues in the cliftes and holes of Rockes By this Wee stand sayth Saint Paul nay 2. Cor. 1. by this Wee liue sayth the Prophet Abacuc Abac. 2. Fayth is the Spirit and Soule of the Newman Wee haue the name that we liue but indeed we are dead towardes God if wee beleeue not If Peraduenture are not wordes that proceed from the mouth of Fayth but it is the pronuntiation of Babylon Ierom. 51.8 as it is thus written Bring Balme for her Sore Jf she may he healed Peraduenture is a Plaister to be set on the Sore and side of Simon Magus whom Simon Peter summoning to repentance Act. 8.22 saith Pray to God that if it be possible the thoughtes of thine heart may be forgiuen thee Wherefore make wee not our case like the case of the Elephant who lyeth downe and cannot rise againe Let vs not so farre bend the Bowe as to breake it But in the cause of Faith let vs take vp Peters Text Maister it is good for
Iewell in his hand knoweth that he hath it For if a man that beleeueth an other man on his word doth know that he beleeueth him how much more shall hee whose heart is inspired with true Fayth by the worke of the holy Ghost to beleeue the Gospell know that hee beleeueth it If a man might not know whether hee hath this true Fayth or noe how is it that the Apostle perswadeth vs thus Prooue your selues whether yee be in the Fayth 2. Cor. 13.5 thereby insinuating that it is to be discerned prooued and knowne whether we do beleeue So that as hee that vnderstandeth knoweth that he vnderstandeth So he that beleeueth knoweth that hee beleeueth Wherfore Saint Paul thus speaketh of himselfe I know whom I haue beleeued 2. Tim. 1.12 A poynt which Saint Iohn thus concludeth 1 Ioh. 3.24 saying 1. Ioh. 3.24 Hereby wee know that he abideth in vs euen by that spirit which he hath giuen vs. Augustine is plentifull in this cause I will charge you August lib. de Trinit 13. c. 1. Quisque vidit fidem esse in corde suo si credat si non videt cam deesse Euery one perceiueth that hee hath fayth in his heart if he beleeueth If not he findeth that he is without it Epist 112. Againe where he sayeth Credens videt propriam suam fidem per quam respondet se credere sine dubitatione The beleeuer feeleth his owne Faith by which he beleeueth without doubtinges Lib. 8. de Triâ—it c. 8. In an other place thus Qui diligit Fratrem suum magisscit dilectionem per quam diligit quam Fratrem quem diligit Hee that looueth his Brother knoweth the loue wherewith he loueth him better then he knoweth his Brother whom hee loueth This and such like effects of Gods Predestination are not simply effects but such effects thereof as they also may be saide to be Seales of it For God to vsward is like to the Sunne The Sunne when it shineth on vs and in a manner looketh vs on the face printeth in such sort the Image of his light in our eyes as wee also are made partakers of the same light and are enabled to looke vpon the Sunne the light thereof For the beames of the Sunne striking vpon vs haue a repercussion and reflexe towards the Sunne So the Lord the Sonne of Righteousnesse looketh vpon vs and knoweth vs to be his And then the Elect being made partakers of his Light and Knowledge hee maketh vs likewise to know him Heereto serue these words of our Sauiour J know my sheepe Iohn 10.14 Inferring therevpon in the next place And J am knowne of mine So the first is the cause of the latter and the latter alwayes followeth the former as if he should haue sayd While I acknowledge them for mine I make them to haue my light knowledge to acknowledge mee their Shephearde Both these are put togeather by Saint Paul Gal. 49. where hee sayth Seeing yee know God or rather are knowne of God Where hee teacheth that therefore because God knew the Galathians who first acknowledged them for his hee consequently imparted this his owne Wisedome to them and brought them to that passe to acknowledge the true God to be their God The like may be sayd of the Loue of God wherewith he loued vs in Christ to eternall life before the groundworke of the World was laide God in louing vs hath left an impression and obsignation of his loue in our heartes by which wee returne and retorte this loue and loue him againe and as it were by the reflexion of these Sun-beames striking into our heartes are prouoked to loue him For Gods loue towardes vs beeing by nature eternall bringeth foorth at his full appoynted time a certaine loue in vs seruing to the eternitie of his glorie 1 Ioh. 4.19 Hence it is that Saint John sayth Not that we loued him but that he first loued vs. As if hee should thus say By setting the Seale of his Loue vpon our heartes hee effecteth thus much that wee in the rereward should loue him as a Father Wherefore by the soliditie of that loue by which wee haue a feeling that wee loue God wee are made to know how large the dimensions of that loue of God are by which from all eternitie in Christ hee hath embraced vs. Now what is this loue else but Predestination So our Election by which we are put apart in Christ from the residue of the World setteth a kind of Image of God himselfe vpon vs that is it begetteth an other Election by which wee renounce all other Gods and know no other else but the true God to be adored and worshipped and not onely as wee gather the cause from the effect but as wee draw a Picture from the president and as from the forme of the Seale in the Waxe we easily conceiue what is the Image of the Seale it selfe And thus much of this first Seale which respecteth God in these wordes The Lord knoweth who are his The other Seale followeth which concerneth our selues in the sequell thus Let euery one that calleth vpon the Name of the Lord depart from iniquitie To Fayth the proper indument of the Elect a speciall Seale of Election Good workes an other Seale thereof is immediatly adioyned Good workes can neuer be sundred from Fayth as Scriptures and Fathers teach and our Church beleeue The Apostle speaking of such who making great wordes of Christ Tit. 1.16 but denie him in their workes sayth They prefesse they know God but by workes they denie him and are abominable and disobedient and to euery good worke reprobate Where to denie God is to denie the Fayth In an other place hee sayth 1. Tim. 5.5 if there be any that prouideth not for his owne and namely for them of his household he hath denied the Fayth Now hee that denieth the Fayth can not haue Fayth Also Saint Iohn sayth Hee that sayth 1. Ioh. 2.4 I know him and keepeth not his commaundementes is a lyar Where hee concludeth that to be a lying and a false Fayth which hath not ioynt commerce with the performaunce of his preceptes but a counterfait Fayth is no Fayth at all Therefore they goe both hand in hand togither Fayth Good workes and will not part company Iam. 2. Fayth without Good workes is dead It is Saint Iames his theoreme and case diuinitie But dead Fayth is no more Fayth then a dead Man is a Man The Fathers with one consent teach the same Orig. in Ezech. Hom. 9. Origen sayeth Male credit quicunque peccat Hee that is a sinner is but a simple beleeuer In epist ad Rom. l. â— c. 10. In his Scholie vpon the Romans hee prooueth the same thus Omnis qui credit in eum non erubescit erubescit autem omnis qui peccat ergo qui adhuc ruboreÌ„ peccati incurrit credere non videtur Euery one that
beleeueth in him is not ashamed but euery one that sinneth is ashamed therefore hee that falleth into the shame of sinne seemeth as yet not to beleeue Cyprian Cyprian singeth the same song where he saith Quomodo dixit se credere in Christum qui non facit quod Christus facere praecepit How doth hee say that hee beleeueth in Christ who doth not that which Christ hath commaunded him Ambrose is as peremptorie in the Point Amb. lib. 6. Epist 36. where he saith Vbi quis caeperit luxuriart incipit deuiare a vera fide Hee that swaggereth swarueth from the Fayth Aug. in Ioh. serm 61. Augustine hereunto performeth testimonie in sundry places as where hee sayth Qui fidem habet sine spe et dilectione Christum esse credit non in Christum credit Whosoeuer hath Fayth without Hope and Loue beleueth that Christ is but hee beleeueth not in Christ Aug. de fide et operib c. 23. Againe where he sayth Insoperabilis est bona vita a fide quae per dilectionem operatur immo ueró ipsa est bona vita Good life is not to be seuered from Fayth which worketh by Loue yea Fayth is of it selfe good life Wherefore the 12. Article of the Christian confession of the Church of England is most sound which professeth in this wise Good workes are the fruites of Iustifying fayth and doe necessarily spring and grow from thence Wherefore Fayth beeing the badge of the Elect and Workes inseparably being the effectes thereof the sequell must needes bee that Good workes must be also the Liuerie of the Elect whereby they may be knowne Which stoppeth the mouth of our carnall Epicures who vpon the foundation of Gods immutable decree of our election would lay the structure and composition of a dissolute conuersation while they reason thus Wee may liue as wee list because if wee be predestinated vnto life wee can not be lost But such are to know that the End and the Meanes that make to the end must needes goe togeather Fayth and Good Workes inseparably accompanie the worke of our Election God glorifieth not the Elect before hee hath Called and Iustified them yea before they Beleeue and declare by their Workes that they doe beleeue Ephes 2.10 Hence is it that the Apostle sayth Wee are created in Christ Iesu vnto good Workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them Ephes 1.4 And hereto serue these inferences of Saint Paul of Loue vnfaigned 1. Tim. 1.19 vnto whic h we are chosen and of a good Conscience which as an impartible companion is of the Fayth of the Elect. This endeauour to performe Good works is to all the Elect necessarie 2. Pet. 1.10 as Peter teacheth where he willeth vs that wee make sure our Election and Vocation by good workes as many Copies haue it not to God our vocation being certaine vnto him before the Worldes creation but to our selues to our neighboures This is one of the chiefest vses we make of Good workes that by them not as causes but effectes of our Election and Fayth wee our selues and our brethren are assured and secured of our saluation Where the mouthes of the Pelagians are stopped who make the foresight of our Fayth and Workes in God the cause of our Saluation when as of the quite contrary-side God hath predestinated vs to Fayth and Good workes because he hath chosen vs to eternall life 1. Cor. 7.25 Wherefore Paul speaketh cautelously where he sayth Jobtained mercy of the Lord to be faythfull he saith not Because I was to be faithfull As where he speaketh in the same manner thus That we should be vnblamable not because we were to bee such As againe where hee sayth Ephes 1.4 Wee are created in Christ Iesu vinto Good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them not because wee did them As finally where he saith Tit. 2.11 The Grace of God hath appeared that wee should liue soberly righteously godly not because wee were so to doe It can not be rightly said that God first foreseeth that men are to beleeue and afterward predestinateth them to beleeue Because whom hee foreknew should beleeue therefore hee foreknew it Contra. Tryphon because hee decreed it Wherefore Iustine Martyr calleth them The Elect who are foreknowne that they should beleeue wherefore such as by Gods grace are delighted in Good workes in them there is a certaine signe and seale that they beleeue in Christ and so that they are elected in Christ vnto eternall life Fayth is of the nature of a Tree in operation which naturally of it selfe bringeth foorth fruites so that there is no need that the Tree be commaunded to yeeld her encrease So the faythfull man without coaction disposeth himselfe to be fruitfull in Good workes the Law of God being grafted in his heart so that his delight is dayly in the same So that of his owne accord he doth Good workes as of him selfe hee cateth hee drinketh seeth heareth and performeth such faculties as are incident to Nature As hee that is thirstie doth but stay vntill drinke come and as hee that is hungrie expecteth his meate and then willingly and naturally hee taketh them both So the Faythfull man hungrie and thirstie of Righteousnesse taketh the aduantage of all occasions to doe the Workes thereof Although Fayth alone iustifieth and knitteth the Marriage knotte betweene the Soule Christ and is properly the Wedding garment and the signe Tau which must Protect vs from the power of the euill Angels yet Fayth is neuer seuered from Charitie Wherefore the Faythfull are resembled to Orchardes Vines and Trees that bring foorth Fruite in season The Church by Isaiah is resembled to a Vine Isai 5.7 furnished with a Wine-presse and Towre for the purpose wherefore Christ sayth Ioh. 15.1 I am the Vine and my Father is the Husbandman euery Branch that beareth not fruite in mee hee taketh away and euery one that beareth fruite he purgeth it that it may bring foorth more fruite Wherefore God is sayd to haue come downe to the Garden of Nuttes Cant. 6.10 to see the fruites of the Valley to see if the Vine budded and the Pomegranats flourished Moreouer we are to Bring foorth Fruites in patience For God Luk. 8.15 the Lord of the Vineyard commeth to his Vine with a pruning Knife in his hand to toppe and cutte off the luxurious Branches that we might bring foorth more Fruite and be in better liking Christians are Trees of righteousnesse Ezech. 47.4.12 grewing by the Riuers of the Sanctuarie But not such Trees as ours are for they take roote vpwarde in Heauen in Christ and their branches grow downeward and fructifie among men Wherefore theoricall Religion is not enough It serueth not our turnes to beare the name of Christians if wee liue not as Christians True Pietie challengeth a departure frō Iniquitie Jacobs smooth Voyce and Esaus rough