disciple as out of Egesippys and Iosâ—phus is related yet was he but a disciple and none of the twelue that were named Apostles And besides that it is to me a great reason which one of the late writers hath alleadged in this case that to write a Catholicke Epistle that is an Epistle common to many churches and not peculiar to any one viâ—â—tur Apostolic◠〈…〉 seemeth to be an office peculiar to an Apostle Beeing an Apostle that wrote this Epistle it must needes be that Iames which is called the sonne of Alpheus as the new Interpreters doe conceiue it and not Iames the sonne of Zebede who was put to death by Herod anon after the ascension of Christ. For this Epistle was written after the Gentiles had receiued the faith as appeareth by the dispersion of the Iewes among them Therefore was the Syrian Interpreter much deceiued who ascribeth this Epistle to that Iames before whome our Sauiour was transfigured in the mount For he was the brother of Iohn and so the sonne of Zebede as it is manifest from the Scriptures The Authoritie and Authentitie of this Epistle hath bin much questioned in the Church Origen mentioneth it not in the Catalogue Eusebius and Hierome affirme that many in ancient time did not receiue it Nicephorus following them agreeth with them all Caiet aâ—e Erasmus Luther Musculiâ— and some others haue hardly approoued it and haue witnessed their distrust of it and added reasons thereunto But that worthie Zanchius hath quite broken the necke of the controuersie by shewing that although many doubted of it in the ancient Churches yet it was neuer questioned of all nor vtterly reiected of any For indeede Augustine Cyprian or Ruffinâ—â— rather Nazianzeâ—e and others doe by name recite it among the Canonicall Scriptures And the reformed Churches at this day doe receiue it Among the rest wee of the Church of England doe not onely approâ—ue it by Subscription but also ascribe it to Iames an Apostle Therefore doe both Campian and Bellâ—rmine vniustly chalenge vs and the Protestants in this behalfe To them I say with our learned Whitakers Alios lacessant nobis posthac ne molesti sint Let them chalenge others and trouble vs no more For we without scrâ—ple and exception doe generally receiue this Epistle for a part of the holy word of God The Occasion that mooued the Apostle to write was not the error of onely faith vnto iustification as the Rhemists would implie out of S. Augustine For The error of onely faith against which S. Augustine writeth was of them that thought the profession of Christian religion how wickedly soeuer a man liued was sufficient to saluation Against which this Epistle and others were written Indeed there seeme to haue beene two principall occasions that procured this Epistle The one the fierie persecution of the Church which causeth the Apostle more then once to inculcate exhortation vnto patience The other that hypocrisie which raigned in many For there were many that professed religion which in word were Christians but not in life and manners Such as Paul prophecied of hauing a shew of godlinesse but denying the power thereof like the Church of Sardi who had a name that she liued but was dead For the reformation of which this Epistle is thrapped full of exhortations vnto all good workes The State of this Epistle is almost wholly Doctrinall Scripsit eam more genere docendi and teacheth in the manner of Common places The fift common place following that memorable Bâ—za who hath so well deserued of the new Testament is begunne at the 14. verse of this second Chapter There the Apostle entreth into discourse what manner of faith that is by which a man is saued and sheweth that it is neither an hypocriticall profession and ostentation of faith where it is not in truth no nor euery kind of true faith which is saith indeed that is able to iustifie a man before God but onely such a kind of true faith as is fruitfull in good workes This doctrine the Apostle first proposeth by way of Question What auaileth it my brethrâ—n if a man say hee hath faith when hee hath no workes can the faith saue him that is can such a kinde of faith saue him As if hee should say No such a faith as hath no workes cannot saue a man Secondly he openeth and illustrateth the truth of this proposition by a familiar similitude For if a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily foode And one of you say vnto them depart in peace warme your selues and fill your bellies notwithstanding you giue not them those things which are needefull to the bodie what helpeth it Euen so the faith if it haue no workes is dead of it selfe The meaning is Euen as good and charitable words profit not a poore man if we doe not indeede releiue him so speaking of faith and professing of faith will not saue a man vnlesse his deedes declare that hee hath saith indeed Thirdly he bringeth in a true beleeuer whose faith is fruitfull chalenging as it were an hypocriticall professor of faith to declare it by his workes Shew mee thy faith by thy workes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes As if he should say I haue faith and I declare it by my deedes if thou hast faith as thou braggest shew it by thy deedes also Fourthly he sheweth by instance and example that not the shew of faith no nor euery kind of true faith is able to saue and iustifie before God As to beleeue that there is a God that there is but one God that this God is mercifull iust c. no not to beleeue all that to be true which is written of God in the Scriptures is sufficient to saluation For so much the very Deuills of hell beleeue and yet are in no comfort nor hope of fauour And this hee laieth downe in the 19. verse Thou beleeuest that there is one God thou doest well the Deuills also beleeue it and tremble As if he should say In beleeuing so much thou doest well for that is true and ought to be beleeued but this is not inough nor sufficient If it were then the Deuills might be saued for they beleeue so much as well as thou But they beleeue that and yet tremble so thou mâ—iest beleeue as much and yet be damned And thus I am come to the words of my Text The Deuills beleeue and tremble The words are a plaine and full proposition consisting as euery proposition doth ex subiecto The deuills Et ex praedicato duplici beleeue and tremble Of the Subiect I meane not to speake at large though it offereth iust occasion to intreat of the names of the nature of the quaelities and of the number of Deuills of which points also
doe beleeue as is the faith of the Elect. For as they are compelled to beleeue euidentia signorum by the euidence of things so are we compelled to beleeue euidentiâ Spiritus by the euidence of the Spirit the holy Ghost vrging pressing opening and altering our vnbeleeuing heart and drawing vs euen against nature as it were against the haire to the obedience of faith yea no man can obey the Spirit herein but he offereth violence as it were to himselfe and to his owne carnall and vnbeleeuing soule On the other side when they or we doe come to beleeue whither they by sence or we by instinct certainely the faith it selfe must needes be voluntarie For Fides in potestate est saith S. Augustine Faith when we haue it is a thing in our power Cum vult quisque credit qui credit volens credit Euery man beleeueth when hee willeth to beleeue and not before and he that beleeueth beleeueth willingly the finger of God altering our vnwillingnes thereunto The same S. Augustine saith in another place that faith consisteth in voluntate credentium in the will of the beleeuers And rightly for no man howsoeuer induced to beleeue beleeueth when he doth beleeue against his will â—â—des est voluntaria certitudo absentium saith that same Destructorium vitiorum which is ascribed to our learned countriman Alexander Alensis Faith is a voluntarie certentie or a certentie consisting in the will This without all question is true among men how the Deuills should beleeue against their will though it be against their liking my reason doth not conceiue But of these false distinctions and differences betweene the faith of the Deuills and the faith of the Elect inough if not too much Yet yee know that error must be remooued out of the way if we will make cleere passage for truth as weeds must be pulled vp that the corne may growful Omnis error in vitio est saith Nazianzene Euery error is a fault and so would be corrected Now come we to describe the true differences of these two faiths and so in a few words lightsomely to open all that Saint Iames speaketh in this Chapter of a dead faith without workes which can not saue a man and yet no whit therein crossing S. Paul who in his two worthie Epistles to the Romanes and Galathians teacheth and prooueth that Only faith sufficeth to saluation Thus therfore I proceed The Faith of the Elect apprehendeth as many other things so namely and particularly The mercie and loue of God the Father per Deum mediatorem by Christ the Mediator Finding and feeling that God loueth him he in naturall affection turneth to God to loue him againe For gratia gratiam parit Louing God againe he laboureth to serue and honour that God who hath loued him first and that by doing his will and commandements Hereof he bringeth forth good works to the glorie of God and the benefit of his Church And thus faith worketh by loue that is of loue it is fruitfull in good works Quantum credimus tantum amamus quantum amamus tantum de spe praesumimus Quisque enim fidelis tantum credit quantum sperat amat tantum operatur quantum credit sperat amat And this is that which we call fides viua a liuing or a liuely faith because it sheweth the power and life of it selfe by operation as a tree sheweth it selfe to liue by the leaues blossomes and fruit which it bringeth forth And of this faith is all S. Pauls treatie when he maketh it the hand or instrument of our Saluation On the otherside the faith of deuills apprehendeth many things as hath beene before declared but among all it apprehendeth not nor can apprehend no mercie fauour loue or pardon from God as from a Father but all Iustice and seueritie as from an angrie and offended iudge Not beleeuing that God loueth them they haue no inclination to loue God againe Louing him not they haue no care to honour him not seeking his honour they are not carefull to please him by performing any dutie to him or his people And this is that same fides mortua of which S. Iames intreateth in this chapter and is so called because it bringeth forth no more fruit then a dead blocke or rotten tree nor will it saue a man no more then it will the deuills Of whome the Apostle notwithstanding all that their faith professeth here that they tremble in the presence of God This I take to be the true naturall and essentiall difference betweene the faith of the Deuills and the faith of the Saints And here now my shippe must passe between two dangerous rocks the bodies whereof though they be cliuen asunder yet the feete and foundation ioyne both together The good breath of the Spirit of God blow vpon my sailes and the holy wisdome of God set steersman at my helme that I may discouer both and auoid both and saile euen betweene both and so arriue happily in the hauen of truth with the safetie of my selfe and of my hearers There are at this day two dangerous opinions about our Sauing faith The one is the doctrine of our English Libertines which of my knowledge are neither few in number nor small in account And these men doe not onely professe themselues but also teach to others that to beleeue the starie of Christ and what the Scripture hath written of Christ is all-sufficient to Saluation God they say requireth no further faith at our hands And these I call my bare Historians The other is the doctrine of them of the Church of Rome who seclude confidence in the mercie of God from the nature of Iustifying faith Lindane saith Fides illa quâ quis firmiter credit ceriò statuit propter Christum sibi remissa peccata seque possessurum vitam aternam non fides est sed temeritas That saith by which a man assuredly beleeueth certainly concludeth that his sinnes are forgiuen for Christs sake and that he shall inherit euerlasting life is indeede not faith but rashnes Bellarmine whose very name breatheth out nothing but wrath can not abide in this caâ—e to heare of mereie He hath many chapters to prooue by the Scriptures by the tradition of the Church by reason c. that Iustifying faith hath not for his obiect the speciall mercie of God yea and he saith plainly that The Catholiques doe affirme certam promissionem specialis misericordiae non tam ad fidem quam ad praesumptionem pertinere that a certaine promise of speciall mercie belongeth not so much to faith as to presumption Thus for a Christian to professe by faith assurance of his owne saluation is among our Pseudo-Catholiques no better then headie rashnes and haughtie presumption As for that same priuate Couent as the French Kings Ambassador called it openly of the Patres Minores in the Councel of Trent which the
the glosse seauen mannerâ— of wayes how there is made transiâ—â—s à â—ide ad fidem a passage from faith to faith of which S. Paul speaketh in his Epistle to the Romanes The fourth of them he nameth to be ex side promissionis in fidem completionis from the beleefe of the promise to the beleefe of the performance of the promise He seemeth to say that there is one sâ—eppe of faith to beleeue the making of the promise and a further steppe of faith to beleeue the performance of the promise Howsoeuer hee meane this I collect certainely from him that faith is occupied about the promises of God and the performance of them which cutteth the throates of our bare Historians Iâ— an other place the same Author sheweth that the name of faith is taken diuerse manner of wayes and among the rest sometimes it signifieth certâ—â—udo comprehensionis And in that acception hee expoundeth the forenamed place of S. Paul By it the righteousnesse of God is reâ—eated from faith to faith Now S. Paul speaketh there of that faith which is preached in the Gospel and by which The iust doth liue And therefore if that faith be certitudo comprehensionis then it certainely comprehendeth what the Gospell offereth and those are the promises of mercie Wekelius saith Fide Christum â—angis sentis meritum pasfionis incaâ—â—ationis sine omni praeâ—io mertio gratis tibi daâ—um By faith thou touchest or â—aiest hand on Christ by faith thou feelest the merit of his passion and incarnation freely giuen to thee without any desert of thine going before to purchase it Faith therefore giueth a sense and feeling to a mans heart that the benefits of Christ doe belong to him And againe Fide â—â—quam huâ—t Deâ—ergate maximam charitatem qua cum adhue iâ—imicâ—s esses proprium â—â—um Filium prote dedit sentis â—angistque Christum By â—aith I say thou â—eelest that great loue of God towards thee of which loue hee gaue his owne Sonne for thee when as yet thou wert his enemie thou feelest and touchest Christ. Sed non nisiâ— charitate possides yet thou doest not possesse him but by loue Guadalâ—â—â—nfis writing vpon Hoseâ— and expounding that place Desponsabâ— te â—ihi in â—ide which we translate I will marrie thee to mee in faithfulnesse but he expoundeth there of our faith towards God Fide anima desponsaâ—â—r Deâ— By faith the soule is betrothed to God And againe Fides est arrha desponsationis anime cum Deâ— Faith is the earnest or paunâ— or pledge or gage of our espousing vnto God For the high and righteous God to take vs base and sinnefull men as it were in marriage so neere and so deere vnto himselfe this is a speciall yea and an vnspeakeable mercie Now faith is as it were the marriage ring by which this mercifull contract is assured to our hearts Espensaeus saith that S. Paul in his discourse of Faith non quamlibet fidem qua Deo creditur sed â—am salubrem plâ—neque enangelicam definiuit He doth not define or intreate of euerie kind of faith by which we beleeue God but a sauing faith and altogether Euangelicall or Gospel-like So then in his opinion there is a faith more perâ—it and exquisite then that which beleeueth the truth of God and which more fully answereth the scope and drift of the Doctrine of the Gospell Now what the pith and vigor of the Gospel is hath beene alreadie declaredâ— euen Christ and all that is Christs giuen for our salâ—â—tion But among all the rest giue me leaue largely to make report of that same honest Frier Ferâ—s the honestest Papist I thinke that euer wrote He speaketh so like a Calvinist in this case that it is a wonder his books are not condemned for Hereticall He discoursing of the Centurioâ—s faith which Christ so commendeth in the Gospell I haue not found so great faith no not in Israelâ— â—â—iteth in this manner Non semper â—ides est quod nos fidem dicimus That saith he is not alwaies faith which we call faith How so Fidem nos dicimus assentâ—â—i ijs quae diuinis historijs produntur quae Ecclesia credendo proponit we commonly call this faith to assent to those things which are recorded in the diuine histories and which the Church propoundeth to bee beleeued This the Schoolmen call an vnformed faith or faith wanting a forme and S. Iames a dead faith marke well then of what faith Ferus expoundeth the discourse of S. Iames and which is without workes euen plainely of that which doth onely Credere Deo But to the point he addeth Secundum Scripturam fides non est absque fiducia misericordiae diuinae promissâ— in Christo According to the Scriptures faith is not without confidence of the mercie of God promised in Christ. A grosse Lutheran yet hee prooueth this by diuerse examples out of the holy Scripture It is said of Abraham Abraham beleeued God and that was iâ—puted vnto him for righteousnes What beleeued he No more then that there was a God Yes he beleeued the promise of God when God said to him Feare not Abraham I am thy buckler and reward Abraham relying vpon this promise went out of his owne land c. and he trusted in the mercie and goodnesse of God nothing doubting but wheresoeuer he liued he should finde God his Protectour Credunt ergo qui pro Protectore pro Patre Deum habent non pro Iudice O worthy speech They beleeue which account God for their Protectour and for their Father not for their Iudge But he proceedeth and of this kind of faith he expoundeth these places Yet you did not so beleeue the Lord. And that of Moses and Aaron because you beleeued me not And that in the Gospel He that beleeueth in him shall not bee condemned Non hîc loquitur de historica aut informi fide sed de fiducia misercordiâ— per Christum praestaudae He speaketh not there saith Ferus of an historicall or vnformed faith but of a confidence in the mercie of God to be yeelded by Christ. Many other instances hee there giueth but at length concludeth thus Summa fides quam Scriptura commendat non aliud est quà m fidere graâ—uita miserecordia Dei Hâ—c vera fides est qua iustus viuit hanc vnam à nobis Deus requâ—â—it ad â—anc confirmandam etiam Filium dedâ—◠〈◊〉 de bona voluntate sua erga nos dubitemus sed vt ponamus in Deo spem nostram In English thus The summe or conclusion of all is this The faith which the Scripture commendeth is nothing else then to trust in the free mercie of God This is that true faith by which the iust man liueth this faith onely doth God require of vs and for the confirmation of this faith he hath also giuen his Sonne that we should not doubt of his good will towards vs but that
haue beene compelled to be more then ordinarily short But behold The Lord is with vs while we are with him The more mine infirmitie humbled mee and caused me to cast 〈◊〉 whole hope vpon the helpe of God the more readie 〈◊〉 his power to support my weakenesse For to my best remembrance I neuer preached with more strength of bodie with more audible voice with more freedome of spirit nor as it nâ—w appeareth with more acceptation of the hearers And that not only of the Common people whom notwithstanding a man must not neglect auribus ducere to lead them along after him by the cares but also of the better wiser and learneder sort which Isidore said were called Sapiemes à sapore as most saâ—orie in themselues and least tasting the relish of others A thing farre beyond mine expectation and farther well I woâ—e beyond my desert and of which I can giue no other reason but this that God would shew his power in my weakenesse To him only be the glorie of all his gifts Now among the best and best indicious sort of those mine Hearers I haue many reasons to seat and ranke your Lordship And that not onely for your eminencie of place in the Common Wealth which notwithstanding is of right high and worthie respect but also for that God hath giuen you so many meanes of knowledge so long practise in the heart of the State so deepe insight into your owne professed Lawes and so carefull a desire to looke into our discourses of Diuinitie All which are euidences that against the malicious Calumnies of that Romish Catholike Diuine that your fingers are often turning ouer bookes of all sorts to the increase of all kind of knowledge It is true that your place hath many yeares called you to deale about Capital matters and the more businesse haue you had that way a great deale by the treasonable practises of Romish Antichristian Diuines But what saith S. Hierome Homicidas sacrilegos venerarios punire non est effusio sanguinis sed Legis ministerium To punish murderous sacrilegious and adulterous persons is not that effusion of blood which God hath forbidden but the administring of necessarie Lawes which God hath commanded For my part I would that euen their Catholike Diuines themselues would gladium stylo mutare as Tertullian speaketh of S. Paul would they did leaue fingering of blood euen of the sacred blood of Princes and fall more to the fingering of the bookes of holy Scripture and not suffer themselues therein to be outgone of our Secular Iudges and temporall Magistrates who besides matters of Iustice applie themselues also to the knowledge of Religion Sed illine vnde abij redeo To your Lordship first who pleased so honourably to comfort me ouer this labour and then to all others of like knowledge and moderation it contenteth me well to submit the censure of this Treatise for to all mens iudgements I willingly submit it not Some are ignorant and cannot iudge Now Graue iudicium est eius qui iudicare non potest The ignoranter man the seuerer Iudge Anacharsis misliked it in Greece and so doe I here with vs. Artifices certant iudicant qui non sunt artifices Diuines stand and preach in the pulpit artizans sit and iudge in the alehouse Others are too rash and hastie in iudgement whereas Iudicium est firmitas stabilitasque deliberationum mentis Iudgement is a firme and stable verdict giuen of that vpon which the minde hath often deliberated Others like madde dogges sâ—atch here and there on both sides as they goe reading by starts and iudging by parcels But Plutarch well aduiseth those that will sift other mens doings or confute other mens writings non obiter percurrere nec voces hinc inde avulsas adoriâ—i not hastely to runne them ouer nor to snatch here and there a word and away but totally and aduisedly to examine the whole Others are malicious poisoning with their eyes like Witches euery thing they looke on maligning other mens credits and deprauing other mens labours Habeâ— malitia currum suum saith S. Bernard rotis quatuor consistentem saeuitia impatientia audacia impudentia Malice is at her chariot or caroch for shee is a loftie minded dame This chariot is drawne along on foure wheeles crueltie impatiencie boldnesse and impudencie Cruell shee is shee will spare no mans name no not his life Impatient shee is shee will beare no mans infirmitie no not an error though to erre be most humane Bold shee is shee blurteth out all whatsoeuer shee knoweth And Impudent she is no checke nor rebuke will snibbe her to make her hang the head To stand therefore to such Iudges were halfe before-hand to condemne my selfe But to learned men to temperate men to studious men to curteous men to your Lordship and to your like is this poore labour in all deuotion most reuerently submitted Now some things there are in which I humbly craue fauourable interpretation 1. As first that I doe not put vpon this Treatise in the penning that vigor and viuacitie which it carried in the preaching For there is euen in nature a great difference between the tongue and the quill betweene speaking and writing The very sound and tâ—ne of the voice is melodie to the eare it beeing the proper Obiect of that Sense And thereof it is that the speciall part of Oratorie is said to be Pronuntiation And besides that Vox est ictus animi passing through the eare and braine and blood it smiteth as it were and giueth a stroake vpon the verie soule and so with a kind of violence doth deepely affect it Therefore it is called Viua vox as that which hath in it a speciall kind of liuelinesse Hierome beeing absent turneth ouer Macclinus to Austen that was present qui viua vt aiunt voce docere te poterit who saith S. Hierome may teach thee thereby the liuely voice better then I can by an Epistle But yet further besides all the worke of Nature there is in Preaching a speciall gift of grace which enableth a man to speak with such euidence of the Spirit with such power to the Conscience as no pen of man by writing can expresse whereof Preaching is the most liuely and effectuall instrument of saluation and so to be respected 2. Secondly I must craue pardon that all things are not here exactly set downe in that order and forme in which they were deliuered Writing nothing at large nor carrying with me any helpe of my notes into the pulpit some things might easily be forgotten which I premeditated some things might be added which I premeditated not some things might misse their due place and some things their due poize some things might bee enlarged some things might be contracted more then I purposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not possible but things written will slippe out of memorie I