of the medicine whereby Christ cureth our disease about the manner of applying it about the number and the power of meanes which God requireth in vs for the effectuall applying thereof to our soules comfort When they are required to shew what the righteousnes is whereby a Christian man is iustified they answere that it is a divine spirituall quality which qualitie receaued into the soul doth first make it to be one of them who are borne of God and secondly indue it with power to bring forth such workes as they doe that are borne of him even as the soule of man being ioined to his body doth first make him to be of the number of reasonable creatures and secondly inable him to performe the naturall functions which are proper to his kind that it maketh the soule amiable and gratious in the sight of God in regard whereof it is tearmed grace that it purgeth purifyeth and washeth out all the staines and pollutions of sinne that by it through the merite we are delivered as from sinne so from eternall death and condemnation the reward of sinne This grace they will haue to be applied by infusion to the end that as the body is warm by the heate which is in the body so the soule might be righteous by the inherent grace which grace they make capable of increase as the body may be more and more warme so the soule more and more iustified according as grace shall be augmented the augmentation whereof is merited by good workes as good works are made meritorious by it Wherefore the first receipt of grace in their divinity is the first iustification the increase thereof the secōd iustification As grace may be increased by the merit of good workes so it may be diminished by the demerit of sinnes veniall it may be lost by mortall sinne In asmuch therefore as it is needfull in the one case to repaire in the other to recover the losse which is made the infusion of grace hath her sundry after meales for the which cause they make many waies to apply the infusion of grace It is applied to infants through baptisme without either faith or works and in them really it taketh away originall sinne the punishment due vnto it it is applied to Infidels and wicked men in the first iustification through baptisme without works yet not without faith and it taketh away both sinnes actuall and originall together withall whatsoever punishment eternall or temporall thereby deserved Vnto such as haue attained the first iustification that is to say the first receipt of grace it is applyed farther by good workes to the increase of former grace which is the second iustification If they worke more and more grace doth more and more increase and they are more and more iustified To such as diminished it by veniall sinnes it is applyed by holy water Ave maries crossings papall salutations such like which serue for reparations of grace decayed To such as haue lost it through mortall sinne it is applyed by the sacrament as they terme it of Pennance which sacrament hath force to conferre grace anew yet in such sort that being so conferred it hath not altogither so much power as at the first For it only cleanseth out the staine or guilt of sinne committed and changeth the punishment eternall into a temporall satisfactory punishment here if time do serue if not hereafter to be indured except it be lightened by masses workes of charity pilgrimages fasts and such like or else shortened by pardon for terme or by plenary pardon quite removed and taken away This is the mistery of the mā of sinne This maze the Church of Rome doth cause her followers to treade when they aske her the way to iustification I cannot stand now to vnrip this building and to sift it piece by piece only I will passe by it in few words that that may befall Babilon in the presence of that which God hath builded as happened vnto Dagon before the arke 6 Doubtlesse saith the Apostle I haue counted all things losse and iudge them to be dounge that I may winne Christ and to be found in him not having my owne righteousnes but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnes which is of God through faith Whether they speake of the first or second iustification they make it the essence of a divine quality inherent they make it righteousnesse which is in vs. If it be in vs then is it ours as our souls are ours though we haue them from God and can hold them no longer then pleaseth him for if he withdraw the breath of our nostrils we fall to dust but the righteousnesse wherein we must be found if we wil be iustified is not our owne therefore we cannot be iustified by any inherent quality Christ hath me rited righteousnesse for as many as are found in him In him God findeth vs if we be faithfull for by faith we are incorporated into Christ. Then although in our selues we be altogither sinnefull and vnrighteous yet even the man which is impious in him selfe full of iniquitie full of sin him being found in Christ through faith and having his sin remitted through repentance him God vpholdeth with a gracious eie putteth away his sinne by not imputing taketh quite away the punishment due therevnto by pardoning it and accepteth him in Iesus Christ as perfectly righteous as if he had fulfilled all that was commanded him in the lawe shall I say more perfectly righteous then if him selfe had fulfilled the whole law I must take heed what I say but the Apostle saith* God made him to bee sinne for vs who knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him Such wee are in the sight of God the father as is the very sonne of God him selfe Let it bee counted folly or frensie or furie whatsoever it is our comfort and our wisdome we care for no knowledge in the world but this that man hath sinned and God hath suffered that God hath made himselfe the sonne of man and that men are made the righteousnesse of God You see therefore that the Church of Rome in teaching iustification by inherent grace doth pervert the truth of Christ and that by the handes of the Apostles wee haue received otherwise then shee teacheth Now concerning the righteousnesse of sanctification we deny it not to be inherent wee graunt that vnlesse we worke we haue it not only we distinguish it a thing different in nature from the righteousnesse of iustification we are righteous the one way by the faith of Abraham the other way except wee doe the workes of Abraham we are not righteous Of the one S. Paule To him that worketh not but beleeueth faith is counted for righteousnesse Of the other S. Iohn Quifacit iustitiam iustus est He is righteous which worketh righteousnes Of the one S. Paul doth proue by Abrahams example that we haue it of
vnder his name b Knowing how the Schoolemen hold this question some criticall wits may perhaps halfe suspect that these two words Perse are inmates But if the place which they haue be their owne their sense can be none other then that which I haue given them by a paraphta sticall interpretation They teach as we doe that God doth iustifie the soul of man alone without any coeffectiue cause of iustice Deus sine mediâ— coeffectivâ— animam iustificat Casal de quadr part iust lib. 1. cap. 8. Idem l. 3. c. 9. The differeÌ„ce betwixt the Papists vs about iustification * Tho. Aquin. 1. 2. quaest 100. Gratia gratum faciens id est iustificans est in anima quiddam reale positivii qualitas quaeda artic 2 concl supernaturalis non eadem cum virtute infusa vt Magister sed aliquid art 3. praeter virtutes insusas sidem spem charitateÌ„ habitudo quaeda artic 3. ad 3. quae praesupponitur in virtutibus istis sicut earum principiuÌ„ radix essentiam anime tanquam subiectum occupat non potentias sed ab ipsa artic 4. ad 1. effluunt virtutes in potentias animae per quas potentiae moventur ad actus plura vid. quaest 113. de iustificatione a Phil. 3. v. 8. 2. Cor. 5. 21. Rom 4. 5. 1. Ioh. 3. 7. Rom. 6. Rom. 7. 19. Cap. 1. V. 4. Hob. 1. V. 2. By sanctification I mean a separation from others not prosessing as they doe For true holines consisteth not in professing but in obeying the truth of Christ. Apocal. 18. 4. Math. 24 16. Gen. 19. 15. Ver. 22. Ioh. 3. 17. Rev. 2. 22. * They misinterpret not only by making false and corrupt glosses vpon the scripture but also by forcing the olde vulgar translation as the only authenticall howbeit they refuse no booke which is Canonicall though they admit sundry which are not 1. Tim. 3. 16. Iohn 1. 49. Ioh 4. 42. Gal. 5. 2. * Plainely in all mens sight whose eies God hath enlightned to behold his truth For they which are in errour are in darknes see not that which in light is plain In that which they teach coÌ„ cerning the natures of Christ they hold the same which Nestorius fully the same which Eutiches about the proprieties of his nature a The opinioÌ„ of the Lutherans though it be no direct deniall of the foundation may notwithstanding bee damnable vnto some and I doe not thinke but that in many respects it is lesse damnable as at thâ—â— day some maintaine it then it was in them which held it at first as Luther and others whom I had an eie vnto in this speech The question is not whether our error with such and such circumstances but simply whether an errour overthrowing the foundation do exclude all possibilitie of salvation if it bee recanted and expresly repented of 2. Thess. 2. 11. Apoc 13. v. 8. 3 4 For this is the only thing alleaged to proue the impossibilitie of their salvatioÌ„ The church of Rome ioyneth workes with Christ which is a deniall of the foundation vnlesse we hold the fouÌ„dation we caÌ„not be saved * They may cease to put any confideÌ„ce in works and yet never thinke living in Popish superstition they did amisse Pighius dyed popish and yet denied Popery in the article of iustification by workes long before his death What the fouÌ„datioÌ„ of faith is Vocatâ ad concionem multitudine quae coalescere in pâ—pis li vnius corpus nulla re praeterquam legibus poterat Liv. de Rom. lib. 1. a Eph. 1. 23. 4 15. b Ephes. 2. 20. c Eph. 2. 20. d Ioh. 6. 68. 2. Tim. 3. 15. a Act. 16. 17. b Heb. 10. 20. c Gen. 49. d Iob. 19. e Act. 4. 12. f Luk. 2. 11. g 1 Cor. 3. a Rom. 8. 10. b Philip. 2. 15. c Col. 3 4. d 1 Pet 1. e Eph 2. 5. f 1. Ioh. 5. 12. g 1. Ioh. 5. 13. Perpetuity of faith a Rom 6. 10. b Ioh. 14 19. c 1. Pet. 1. d 1. Ioh. 3 9. e Ephes. 1. 14. Ioh. 4. 16. Ob. Sol. a Col. 1. 23 1. Tim. 2. 15. b Ioh 10. a 1. Ioh. 3 9. * Howsoever men be changed for changed they may be even the best amongst men if they that haue received as it seemeth some of the Galatians which fel into error had received the gifts and graces of God which are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such as faith hope and charitie are which God doth never take away from him to whom they are given as if it repented him to haue given them if such might be so far changed by errour as that the very roote of faith should bee quite extinguished in them and so their salvation vtterly lost it would shake the hearts of the strongest and stoutest of vs all See the contrarie in Beza his observations vpon the harmonie of Confessions * Error convicted and afterwards maintained is more then errour for although opinion be the saÌ„e it was in which respect I still call it errour yet they are not nowe the saÌ„e they were wheÌ„ they are taught what the truth is plainly taught a Act. 15 5. b Gal. 3. 24. 25 c V 28. d V. 31. e V. 21. a Bucer de unit Eccles. sâ—â— vanda Calv. ep 104. * Morn de Eccles. * Zanch praefat de relig a 2. Thess. 2. 13. a Rom 11. â— * I deny not but that the Church of Rome requireth some kindes of works which she ought not to require at mens hands But our question is generall about the adding of good workes not whether such or such workes bee good In this comparison it is enough to touch somuch of the matter in questioÌ„ between S. Paul and the Galatians as inferreth those coÌ„clusions Yee are fallen from grace Christ caÌ„ profit you nothing which conclusions will follow vpon circumcision and rites of the law ceremonial if they be required as things necessarie to saluation This only was alleaged against me need I touch more then was alleaged c Luk 11. 39. d Matth. 5. 21. a Eph. 1. 6. 2. 7 b Gal. 5. 8. c 1. Pet 2. 9. d Eph 1. 7. 1. Pet 5 3. e Esai 53. 11. f Ierem. 23. 6 g Ephes. 8. 26 Mat. 25 23. 2. Thes. 2. 14. Gal. 2. 16. Gal 5. 23. 2. Thes. 2. 15. Haec ratio Eccle stastici sacrameti Catholicae fidei est vt qui partem divini sacramenti negat partem non valcat confiteri Ita enim sibi connexa con corporata sunt omnia vt aliud sine alio stare non possit qui vnum ex omnibus denegaverit alia ei omniacredidisse non profit Cassian lib. 6 de Incarn Dom. If he obstinately stand in deniall p. 193. a Act. 26. 23. Lib. 6. de Ircar Dom. cap. 16. Lews of Grana Meditat. c. last 3. Panigarola letti 11. Annot in 1. Ioh. 1. In his booke of consolatioÌ„ Workes of supererogatioÌ„ a Let all affection be laide aside let the matter indifferently be considered Iudg. 5. 23.
vnsowred with this and so be * saved Fourthly if they all held this heresie many there were that helde it no doubt but only in a generall forme of words which a favourable interpretation might expound in a sense differing farre enough from the poysoned conceipt of heresie As for example did they holde that wee cannot bee saved with Christ without good works We our selues do I thinke al say as much with this construction salvation being taken as in that sentence Corde creditur ad iustitiam ore fit confessio ad salutem except infants and men cut off vpon the point of their conversion of the rest none shall see God but such as seeke peace and holines though not a cause of their salvation yet as a way which they must walke which will be saved Did they that hold without works that we are not iustified take iustification so as it may also imply sanctificatiō And S. Iames doth say as much For except there be an ambiguitie in the same tearme S. Paul and S. Iames do contradict each the other which can not be Now there is no ambiguity in the name either of faith or of workes being meant by them both in one and the same sense Finding therefore that iustification is spoken of by S. Paul without implying sanctification when he proveth that a man is iustified by faith without workes finding likewise that iustificatiō doth some time imply sanctification also with it I suppose nothing to be more sound then so to interpret S. Iames speaking not in that sense but in this 21 Wee haue already shewed that there bee two kindes of Christian righteousnes the one without vs which we haue by imputation th' other in vs which cōsisteth of faith hope and charitie and other Christian vertues And S. Iames doth proue that Abraham had not only the one because the thing beleeved was imputed vnto him for righteousnes but also the other because he offered vp his son God giveth vs both the one iustice and the other the one by accepting vs for righteous in Christ th' other by working christian righteousnes in vs. The proper and most immediate efficient cause in vs of this later is the spirit of adoptiō we haue received into our hearts That whereof it consisteth where of it is really and formally made are those infused vertues proper and particular vnto Saints which the spirit in the very moment when first it is given of of God bringeth with it the effects whereof are such actions as the Apostle doth call the fruits of works the operations of the spirit The difference of the which operations from the root whereof they spring maketh it needfull to put two kinds likewise of sanctifying righteousnes Habituall and Actuall Habituall that holinesse wherewith our soules are inwardly indued the same instant when first we begin to be the temples of the Holy Ghost Actuall that holynesse which afterwards beautifieth all the parts and actions of our life the holynes for the which Enoch Iob Zacharie Elizabeth other Saints are in the Scriptures so highly commended If here it be demanded which of these we do first receiue I answere that the spirit the vertues of the spirit the habituall iustice which is ingrafted the externall iustice of Iesus Christ which is imputed these wee receiue all at one and the same time whensoever we haue any of these we haue all they goe together Yet sith no man is iustified except he beleeue and no man beleeueth except he haue faith and no man except he haue received the spirit of adoption hath faith for asmuch as they doe necessarily inferre iustification and iustification doth of necessity presuppose them we must needs hold that imputed righteousnes in dignitie being the chiefest is notwithstanding in order the last of all these but actuall righteousnesse which is the righteousnes of good workes succeedeth all followeth after al both in order and time Which being attentiuely marked sheweth plainely how the faith of true beleevers cannot bee divorced from hope and loue how faith is a part of sanctification and yet vnto iustification necessarie howe faith is perfected by good workes and no worke of ours without faith finally how our fathers might hold that we are iustified by faith alone and yet hold truely that without works we are not iustified Did they think that men doe merit rewards in heaven by the workes they performe on earth The ancient vse meriting for obtaining and in that sense they of Wittenberg haue it in their confession We teach that good workes commaunded of God are necessarily to be done and by the free kindnes of God they merit their certaine rewards Therefore speaking as our fathers did and we taking their speech in a sound meaning as we may take our fathers and might for asmuch as their meaning is doubtfull and charity doth alwaies interprete doubtfull things favourably what should iuduce vs to thinke that rather the dammage of the worst construction did light vpon them all thē that the blessing of the better was granted vnto thousands Fiftly if in the worst construction that may bee made they had generally al imbraced it living might not many of them dying vtterly renounce it Howsoever men when they sit at ease do vainely tickle their hearts with the wanton conceipt of I knowe not what proportionable correspondence betweene their merits their rewards which in the trance of their high speculations they dreame that God hath measured weighed laid vp as it were in bundles for them notwithstanding we see by dayly experience in a number even of them that when the houre of death approcheth when they secretly heare themselues summoned forthwith to appeare and stand at the barre of that Iudge whose brightnesse causeth the eies of the Angels themselues to dazle all these idle imaginations doe then begin to hide their faces to name merits is then to lay their soules vpon the racke the memorie of their own deeds is lothsome vnto them they forsake all things wherein they haue put any trust or confidence no staffe to leane vpon no ease no rest no comfort then but only in Iesus Christ. 22 Wherefore if this proposition were true To hold in such wise as the Church of Rome doth that we cannot be saved by Christ alone without workes is directly to denie the foundation of faith I say that if this proposition were true nevertheles so many waies I haue shewed where by we may hope that thousandes of our fathers which lived in popish superstition might be saved But what if it be true what if neither that of the Galatians concerning circumcision nor this of the church of Rome by works be any direct denial of the foūdatiō as it is affirmed that both are I neede not wade so farre as to discusse this controversie the matter which first was brought into question being so cleere as I hope it is Howbeit because I desire that the truth even in that also should receiue
thought the Gospell onelie should be preached to the Jewes What more opposite to propheticall doctrine concerning the comming of Christ then the one Concerning the Catholicke Church then the other Yet they which had their fansies even when they had them were not the worst men in the world The heresie of Free-will was a milstone about the Pelagians necke shall wee there giue sentence of death inevitable against all those Fathers in the Greeke Church which being misperswaded died in the errour of free-will Of these Galatians therefore which first were iustified and then deceived as I can see no cause why as many as died before admonition might not by mercie be received even in error so I make no doubt but as manie as lived till they were admonished found the mercie of God effectuall in converting them from their error least any one that is Christs should perish Of this I take it there is no cōtroversie only against the salvation of them which died though before admonition yet in error it is obiected that their opinion was a very plaine direct deniall of the foundation If Paul Barnabas had bin perswaded they would happly haue vsed the tearmes otherwise speaking of the Masters thē selues who did first set that error abroach certaine of the sects of the Pharisees which beleeved What difference was there betweene these Pharisees and other Pharisees from whom by a special description they are distinguished but this These which came to Antioch teaching the necessity of circuncision were Christians the other enimies of Christianitie Why then shoulde these be tearmed so distinctly beleevers if they did directlie denie the foundation of our beliefe besides which there was no other thing that made the rest to be no beleevers We neede go no father then S. Paules very reasoning against them for proofe of this matter seeing you know God or rather are knowne of God how turne you againe to impotent rudiments The law ingendreth servants hir children are in bondage they which are gotten by the Gospell are free Brethren we are not children of the servant but of the free woman and will yee not be vnder the law That they thought it vnto salvation necessarie for the Church of Christ to obserue daies and monthes and times and yeares to keepe the ceremonies and sacraments of the law this was their errour Yet hee which condemneth their error cōfesseth that notwithstanding they knew God and were knowne of him hee taketh not the honour from them to be tearmed sonnes begotten of the immortall seed of the Gospell Let the heaviest wordes which he vseth be waighed consider the drift of those dreadfull conclusions If yee be circumcised Christ shal profit you nothing AS many as are iustified by the law are fallen from grace It had beene to no purpose in the world so to vrge them had not the Apostle beene perswaded that at the hearing of such sequels No benefit by Christ A defection from grace their heartes would tremble and quake within them and why because that they knew that in Christ and in grace their salvation lay which is a plaine direct acknowledgement of the foundation Least I should herein seeme to holde that which no one learned or godly hath done lette these words be considered which import as much as I affirm Surely those brethren which in S. Pauls time thought that God did lay a necessitie vpon them to make choise of daies and meats spake as they beleeved and could not but in wordes condemne the libertie which they supposed to be brought in against the authoritie of divine Scripture Otherwise it had beene needlesse for S. Paul to admonish them not to condemne such as eate without scrupulosity whatsoever was set before them This error if you weigh what it is of it selfe did at once overthrow all Scriptures whereby we are taught salvation by faith in Christ all that ever the Prophets did foretell all that ever the Apostles did preach of Christ it drewe with it the deniall of Christ vtterly in so much that S Paul complaineth that his labour was lost vpon the Galatians vnto whom this error was obtruded affirming that Christ if so bee they were circumcised should not profit them any thing at all Yet so far was S. Paul from striking their names out of Christs book that he commandeth others to entertaine them to accept them with singular humanity to vse them like brethren he knewe mans imbecilitie he had a feeling of our blindnesse which are mortall men how great it is and being sure that they are the sonnes of God who soever be indued with his feare would haue them coūted enimies of that wherevnto they could not as yet frame themselues to be friends but did ever vpon a very religious affection to the truth willingly reiect the truth They acknowledged Christ to be their only and perfect Saviour but saw not how repugnant their believing the necessitie of Mosaicall ceremonies was to their faith in Iesus Christ. Herevnto a reply is made that if they had not directly denied the foundatiō they might haue beene saved but saved they could not bee therefore their opinion was not onely by consequent but directly a deniall of the foundation When the question was about the possibilitie of their salvation their denying of the foundation was brought to proue that they could not be saved now that the question is about their deniall of the foundation the impossibilitie of their salvation is alleaged to proue they denied the foundation Is there nothing which excludeth men frō salvation but only the foundation of faith denied I should haue thought that besides this many other things are death vnto as many as be given to vnderstād that to cleaue therevnto was to fall from Christ did notwithstanding cleaue vnto it But of this enough Wherefore I come to the last question whether that the doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning the necessitie of workes vnto salvation be a direct deniall of our faith 27 I seeke not to obtrude vnto you any private opinion of mine owne the best learned in our profession are of this iudgement that all the corruptions of the Church of Rome doe not proue her to deny the foundation directly if they did they should grant her simply to be no Christian Church But I suppose saith one that in the Papacie some Church remaineth a Church crased or if you will broken quite in peeces forlorne mishapen yet some Church his reason is this Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God Least any man should thinke such sentences as these to be true only in regard of thē whome that Church is supposed to haue kept by the speciall providence of God as it were in the secret corners of his bosome free from infection and as soūd in the faith as we trust by his mercy we our selues are I permit it to your wise considerations whether it bee more likely that as frenzie though it selfe take
away the vse of reason doth notwithstanding proue them reasonable creatures which haue it because none can be franticke but they so Antichristianitie being the baine and plaine overthrow of Christianitie may neverthelesse argue the Church wherein Antichrist sitteth to be Christian. Nether haue I ever hitherto heard or read any one worde alleadged of force to warrant that God doth otherwise then so as in the two next questions before hath beene declared bind himselfe to keepe his elect from worshipping the Beast and from receiving his marke in their foreheads but he hath preserved and will preserue them from receiuing any deadly wound at the hands of the man of sinne whose deceit hath prevailed over none vnto death but only vnto such as never loved the truth such as took a pleasure in vnrighteousnesse they in all ages whose hearts haue delighted in the principall truth and whose soules haue thirsted after righteousnesse if they received the marke of error the mercy of God even erring and dangerously erring might saue them if they received the mark of heresie the same mercy did I doubt not convert them HOW far Romish heresies may prevaile over Gods elect how many God hath kept falling into them how many haue bin converted from them is not the question now in haÌ„d for if heaven had not received any one of that coate for these thousand yeares it may still be true that the doctrine which this day they do professe doth not directly denie the foundation and so proue them simplie to be no Christian Church One I haue alleaged whose words in my eares sound that waie shall I adde another whose speech is plaine I deny her not the name of a Church saith another no more then to a man the name of a man as long as he liveth what sicknesse soever he hath His reason is this Salvation in Iesus Christ which is the marke which ioineth the head with the bodie Iesus Christ with the Church is so cut off by many merits by the merits of Saints by the Popes pardons and such other wickednesse that the life of the Church holdeth by a very thread yet still the life of the Church holdeth A third hath these words I acknowledge the Church of Rome eveÌ„ at this present day for a Church of Christ such a Church as Israel did Ieroboam yet a Church His reasoÌ„ is this Every maÌ„ seeth except he willingly hoodwinke himselfe that as alwaies so now the Church of Rome holdeth firmely and stedfastly the doctrine of truth concerning Christ and baptizeth in the name of the father the sonne and the Holy Ghost confesseth and avowcheth Christ for the only redeemer of the world the iudge that shall sit vpon quicke and dead recieving true beleevers into endlesse ioy faithlesse and godlesse men being cast with Satan and his angels into flames inquenchable 28 I may will reine the questioÌ„ shorter theÌ„ they do Let the Pope take downe his top and captivate no more mens soules by his Papall iurisdiction let him no longer count himselfe Lord Paramount over the Princes of the world no longer hold kings as his servants paravaile let his stately Senate submit their necks to the yoke of Christ cease to dye their garment like Edom in blood let them from the highest to the lowest hate and forsake their idolatry abiure all their errors and heresies wherewith they haue any waie perverted the truth let them strippe their Churches till they leaue no polluted ragge but only this one about hir By Christ alone without workes we cannot be saved it is enough for me if I shew that the holding of this one thing doeth not proue the foundatioÌ„ of faith directly denied in the Church of Rome 29 Workes are an addition be it so what then the foundation is not subverted by everie kind of addition simplie to adde vnto those fundamentall words is not to mingle wine with water heaven with earth things polluted with the sanctified blood of Christ of which crime indict them which attribute those operations in whole or in part to any creature which in the wâ—â— of our salvation wholy are peculiar vnto Christ and 〈◊〉 open my mouth to speake in their defence if I holde my peace and pleade not against them as long as breath is within my body let me be guiltie of al the dishonor that ever hath been done to the Sonne of God But a dreadful thing it is to denie salvation by Christ alone the more slow and fearefull I am except it be too manifest to lay a thing so grievous to anie maÌ„s charge Let vs beware least if we make too manie waies of denying Christ wee scarse leaue any way for our selues truely and soundly to confesse him Salvation onely by Christ is the true foundation wherevpon indeed Christianitie standeth But what if I say you cannot be saved only by Christ without this addition Christ beleeved in hart confessed with mouth obeied in life and conversation Because I adde doe I therefore deny that which I did directlie affirme There may be an additament of explication which overthroweth not but proveth concludeth the proposition wherevnto it is annexed He which saith Peter was a chiefe Apostle doth proue that Peter was an Apostle hee which saith Our salvation is of the Lord through sanctification of the spirit and faith of the truth proveth that our salvation is of the Lord. But if that which is added be such a privation as taketh away the verie essence of that wherevnto it is added then by the sequell it overthroweth He which saith Iudas is a dead man though in word he granteth Iudas to be a man yet in effect he proveth him by that very speech no man because death depriveth him of being In like sort he that should saie our election is of grace for our workes sake should grant in souÌ„d of words but indeed by consequent deny that our election is of grace for the grace which electeth vs is no grace if it elect vs for our sake 30 Now whereas the Church of Rome addeth works we must note farther that the adding of works is not like the adding of circumcision vnto Christ. Christ came not to abrogat put away good workes he did to change circumcision for we see that in place thereof he hath substituted holy baptisme To say yee cannot be saved by Christ except yee be circumcised is to adde a thing excluded a thing not only not necessarie to be kept but necessarie not to be kept by theÌ„ that will be saved On th' other side to saie yee cannot be saved by Christ without workes is to adde things not only not excluded but commaÌ„ded as being in their place and in their kind necessarie and therefore subordinated vnto Christ by Christ himselfe by whom the webbe of salvation is spun a except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises yee shall not enter into the kingdome of heaven They
were rigorous of things not vtterly to be neglected and left vndone washings and tithings c. As they were in these so must we be in iudgement and the loue of God Christ in workes ceremoniall giueth more liberty in morall much lesse then they did Workes of righteousnesse therefore are not so repugnantlie added in the one pro position as in the other circumcision is 31 But we say our salvation is by Christ alone therefore howsoever or whatsoever wee adde vnto Christ in the matter of salvation we overthrow Christ. Our case were very hard if this argument so vniversally meant as it is proposed were sound and good We our selues doe not teach Christ alone excluding our owne faith vnto iustificatiō Christ alone excluding our own works vnto sanctification Christ alone excluding the one or the other vnnecessarie vnto salvation It is a childish cavill wherewith in the matter of iustification our adversaries do so greatly please themselues exclaiming that we tread all Christian vertues vnder our feet and require nothing in Christians but faith because wee teach that faith alone iustifieth whereas by this speech we never meant to exclude either hope or charitie frō being alwaies ioined as inseparable mates with faith in the man that is iustified or workes from being added as necessarie duties required at the hands of every iustified man but to shew that faith is the only hand which putteth on Christ vnto iustification and Christ the only garment which being so put on covereth the shame of our defiled natures hideth the imperfections of our workes preserveth vs blameles in the sight of God before whom otherwise the weaknesse of our faith were cause sufficiēt to make vs culpable yea to shut vs frō the kingdome of heaven where nothing that is not absolute can enter That our dealing with them bee not as childish as theirs with vs when wee heare of salvation by Christ alone considering that alone as an exclusiue particle we are to note what it doth exclude where If I say such a iudge only ought to determine such a case all things incident to the determination thereof besides the person of the Iudge as lawes dispositions evidences c. are not hereby excluded persons are not excluded from witnessing herein or assisting but onely from determining and giving sentence How then is our salvation wrought by Christ alone It is not our meaning that nothing is requisite to mans salvatiō but Christ to saue and he to be saved quietly without anie more adooe As we haue received so we teach that besides the bare and naked worke wherein Christ without anie other associate finished all the partes of our redemption purchased salvation himselfe alone for conveiance of this eminent blessing vnto vs manie things are of necessitie required as to bee knowne and chosen of God before the foundation of the world in the world to called iustified sanctified after wee haue left the world to be receiued vnto glorie Christ in everie of these hath somwhat which he worketh alone Through him according to the eternall purpose of God before the foundation of the world borne crucified buried raised c. wee were in a gratious acceptiō knowne vnto God long before we were seene of men God knew vs loved vs was kinde to vs in Jesus Christ in him we were elected to be heires of life Thus farre God through Christ hath wrought in such sort alone that our selues are meere patients working no more then dead senselesse matter wood or stone or yron doth in the artificers hands no more then the clay whē the potter appointeth it to be framed for an honourable vse nay not so much for the matter wherevpon the craftsman worketh he chooseth being moved by the fitnesse which is in it to serue his turne in vs no such thing Touching the rest which is laid for the foundation of our faith importeth farther that by him we are called that we haue redēptiō remissiō of sins through his blood health by his stripes iustice by him that he doth sanctifie his Church make it glorious to himself that h entrance into ioie shal be givē vs by him yea all things by him alone Howbeit not so by him alone as if in vs to i our vocatiō the hearing of the Gospell to our iustification faith to our sanctification the fruits of the spirit to our entrance into rest perseverance in hope in faith in holinesse were not necessarie 32 Then what is the fault of the Church of Rome Not that shee requireth workes at their handes which will be saved but that shee attributeth vnto workes a power of satisfying God for sin yea a vertue to merite both grace here and in heaven glorie That this overthroweth the foundation of faith I graunt willingly that it is a direct denying thereof I vtterlie deny what it is to hold and what directly to deny the foundation of faith I haue already opened Apply it particularly to this cause and there needs no more adooe The thing which is handled if the forme vnder which it is handled be added therevnto it sheweth the foundation of any doctrine whatsoever Christ is the matter whereof the doctrine of the Gospell treateth and it treateth of Christ as of a Saviour Salvation therefore by Christ is the foundation of Christianitie as for works they are a thing subordinate no otherwise then because our sanctification cannot be accomplished without them the doctrine concerning them is a thing builded vpon the foundation therefore the doctrine which addeth vnto them the power of satisfying or of meriting addeth vnto a thing subordinated builded vpon the foundation not to the verie foundation it selfe yet is the foundation by this addition consequently overthrowne for as much as out out of this addion it may be negatiuely concluded He which maketh any worke good and acceptable in the sight of God to proceede from the naturall freedome of our will he which giveth vnto any good workes of ours the force of satisfying the wrath of God for sin the power of meriting either earthly or heavenly rewards he which holdeth works going before our vocation in congruity to merite our vocation works following our first to merite our second iustification and by condignitie our last reward in the kingdome of heaven pulleth vp the doctrin of faith by the roots for out of every of these the plain direct deniall thereof may bee necessarilie concluded Not this only but what other heresie is there that doth not raze the very foundation of faith by consequent How be it we make a difference of heresies accoūting in the next degree to infidelitie which directly denie any one thing to be which is expreslie acknoweledged in the articles of our beliefe for out of any one article so denied the deniall of the very foundation it selfe is streightway inferd As for example if a man should saie There is no Catholicke Church it
followeth immediatlie therevpon that this Jesus whom wee call the Saviour is not the Saviour of the world because all the Prophets beare witnesse that the true Messias should shew light vnto the Gentiles that is to say gather such a Church as is Catholicke not restrained any longer vnto one circumcised nation In the second rancke we place them out of whose positions the deniall of any the foresaid articles may be with like facilitie concluded such as are they which haue denyed either the Divinitie of Christ with Hebion or with Martion his Humanitie an example whereof may be that of Cassianus defending the incarnation of the sonne of God against Nestorius Bishop of Antioch which held that the Virgin when shee brought forth Christ did not bring forth the sonne of God but sole and a mere man out of which heresie the deniall of the articles of the Christian faith he deduceth thus If thou dost denie our Lord Iesus Christ in denying the sonne thou canst not choose but denie the father for according to the voice of the father himselfe He that hath not the sonne hath not the father Wherefore denying him which is begotten thou deniest him which doth beget Againe denying the sonne of God to haue beene borne in the flesh how canst thou beleeue him to haue suffred beleeving not his passion what remaineth but that thou deny his resurrection For we beleeue him not raised except wee first beleeue him dead neither can the reason of his rising from the dead stand without the faith of his death going being before The deniall of his death and passion inferreth the deniall of his rising from the depth Wherevpon it followeth that thou also denie his ascension into heaven The Apostle affirmeth that he which ascended did first descend so that as much as lyeth in thee our Lord Iesus Christ hath neither risen from the depth nor is ascended into heaven nor sitteth at the right hand God the father neither shall he come at the day of finall account which is looked for nor shall iudge the quicke and dead And darest thou yet set foot in the church Canst thou thinke they selfe a Bishop when thou hast denyed all those things whereby thou dost obtaine a Bishoply calling Nestorius confessed all the articles of the Creed but his opiniō did imply the denial of every part of his cōfessiō Heresies there are of the third sort such as the Church of Rome maintaineth which be removed by a greater distance frō the foundation although indeed they over throw it Yet because of that weakenes which the Philosopher noteth in mens capacities when he saith that the common sort cannot see things which followe in reason when they follow as it were a farre of by manie deductions therefore the repugnancie of such heresie and the foundation is not so quickly or so easily found but that an hereticke of this sooner then of the former kinde may directly graunt and consequently neverthelesse denie the foundation of faith 33 If reason be suspected triall will shew that the Church of Rome doeth no otherwise by teaching the doctrine she doth teach concerning good works offer them the verie fundamentall words and what man is there that will refuse to subscribe vnto them Can they directly graunt and directly deny one and the very self-same thing Our own proceedings in disputing against their works satisfactorie meritorious do shew not onely that they hold but that we acknowledge them to hold the foundation notwithstanding their opiniō For are not these our arguments against them Christ alone hath satisfied and appeased his fathers wrath Christ hath merited salvation alone We should doe fondly to vse such disputes neither could we thinke to prevaile by them if that wherevpon wee ground were a thing which we know they do not hold which wee are assured they will not graunt Their very answers to all such reasons as are in this controversie brought against thē will not permit vs to doubt whether they hold the foūdation or no. Can any man that hath read their books concerning this matter be ignorant how they draw all their answers vnto these heads That the remission of all our sinnes the pardon of all whatsoever punishments thereby deserved the rewards which God hath laid vp in heaven are by the blood of our Lord Iesus Christ purchased and obtained sufficiently for all men but for no man effectually for his benefit in particular except the blood of Christ bee applied particularly vnto him by such meanes as God hath appointed that to worke by That those meanes of themselues being but dead things only the blood of Christ is that which putteth life force and ifficacie in them to worke and to be availeable each in his kind to our salvation Finally that grace being purchased for vs by the blood of Christ freely without any merit or desert at the first bestowed vpon vs the good things which we doe after grace receiued be thereby made satisfactorie and meritorious Some of their sentences to this effect I must alleage for mine owne war rant If we desire to heare forraine iudgements we find in one this confession He that could reckon how many the vertues and merits of our Saviour Christ haue beene might likewise vnderstand how many the benefits haue beene that are to come to vs by him for so much as men are made partakers of them all by meanes of his passion by him is given vnto vs remission of our sinnes grace glorie libertie praise salvation redemption iustification iustice satisfaction sacraments merits and all other things which we had were behouefull for our salvation In another wee haue these oppositions and answers made vnto them All grace is given by Christ Iesus True but not except Christ Iesus be applied He is the propitiation for our sinnes by his stripes we are healed he hath offered himselfe vp for vs all this is true but apply it we put all satisfactiō in the blood of Iesus Christ but we hold that the meanes which Christ hath appointed for vs in this case to apply it are our penall workes Our Countrimen in Rhemes make the like answere that they seeke salvation no other way then by the blood of Christ that humbly they doe vse prayers fastings almes faith charitie sacrifice sacraments priests onely as the meanes appointed by Christ to apply the benefit of his holy blood vnto them touching our good workes that in their owne natures they are not meritorious nor answerable to the ioyes of heaven it commeth by the grace of Christ not of the work it selfe that we haue by well doing a right to heaven and deserue it worthily If any man thinke that I seeke to varnish their opiniōs to set the better foot of a lame cause foremost let him know that since I began throughly to vnderstand their meaning I haue found their halting greater then perhaps it seemeth to them which knowe not the deepnesse of
light I will doe mine indevour to set downe somewhat more plainely first the foundation of faith what it is secondly what it is directly to denie the foundation thirdly whether they whom God hath chosen to be heires of life may fall so farre as directlie to denie it fourthly whether the Galatians did so by admitting the errour about circumcision and the law last of all whether the Church of Rome for this one opinion of works may be thought to do the like and therevpon to be no more a Christian church then are the assemblies of Turkes and Jewes 23 This word foundation being figuratiuely vsed hath alwaies reference to somwhat which resembleth a materiall building as both that doctrine of lawes and the community of Christians do By the Masters of civill policie nothing is so much inculcated as that commōweales are founded vpon lawes for that a multitude cannot bee compacted into one body otherwise then by a common acception of lawes whereby they are to bee kept in order The ground of all civill lawes is this No man ought to be hurt or iniured by an other Take away the perswasion and ye take away all the lawes take away lawes what shall become of commonweales So it is in our spirituall christian community I do not meane that body mysticall whereof Christ is only the head that building vndiscernable by mortall eies wherein Christ is the chiefe corner stone but I speake of the visible church the foundation whereof is the doctrine which the Prophets Apostles profest The mark whervnto their doctrin tendeth is pointed at in these words of Peter vnto Christ Thou hast the words of eternall life in these words of Paule to Timothee The holy Scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto salvation It is the demand of nature her selfe what shal we do to haue eternal life The desire of immortalitie and of the knowledge of that whereby it may be obtained is so natural vnto all men that even they who are not perswaded that they shall do notwithstanding wish that they might know away how to see no end of life And because natural meanes are not able still to resist the force of death there is no people in the earth so savage which hath not devised some supernaturall helpe or other to fly for aide succour in extremities against the enemies of their lawes A longing therefore to be saved without vnderstāding the true waie how hath beene the cause of al the superstitions in the world O that the miserable state of others which wander in darknes and wote not whither they goe could giue vs vnderstanding harts worthelie to esteeme the riches of the mercy of God towards vs before whose eies the doores of the kingdome of heaven are set wide open should we offer violence vnto it it offereth violence vnto vs and we gather strength to withstand it But I am besides my purpose when I fall to bewaile the cold affection which we beare towards that whereby we should be saved my purpose being only to set downe what the ground of salvation is The doctrine of the gospell proposeth salvation as the end and doth it not teach the way of attaining therevnto Yet the damosell possest with a spirit of divinatiō spake the truth These men are the servants of the most high God which shew vnto vs the way of salvation A new and living way which Christ hath prepared for vs through the vaile that is his flesh salvation purchased by the death of Christ. By this foundation the children of God before the written law were distinguished from the sonnes of men the reverend Patriarks both possest it living and spake expresly of it at the houre of their death It comforted Iob in the midst of griefe it was afterwards the anker hold of all the righteous in Israell from the writing of the law to the time of grace Every Prophet maketh mention of it It was famously spoken of about the time when the comming of Christ to accomplish the promises which were made long before it drewe neere that the sound thereof was heard even amongst the Gentils When he was come as many as were his acknowledged that he was their salvation he that long expected hope of Israel he that seed in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed So that now he is a name of ruine a name of death and condemnation vnto such as dreame of a new Messias to as many as looke for salvation by any other then by him For amongst men there is given no other name vnder heaven whereby we must be saved Thus much S. Marke doth intimate by that which hee doth put in the front of his booke making his entrance with these words The beginning of the Gospell of Iesus Christ the son of God His doctrine he tearmeth the Gospell because it teacheth salvation the Gospell of Iesus Christ the sonne of God because it teacheth salvation by him This is then the foundation wherevpon the frame of the Gospell is erected that very Iesus whome the Virgin conceived of the holy Ghost whom Simeon imbraced in his arms whom Pilat condemned whom the Iewes crucified whom the Apostles preached he is Christ the Lord the only Saviour of the world Other foundation can no man lay Thus I haue briefly opened that principle in Christianity which we call the foundatiō of our faith It followeth now that I declare vnto you what is directly to overthrow it This wil be better opened if we vnderstand what it is to hold the foundation of faith 24 There are which defend that many of the Gentils who never heard the name of Christ held the foundation of Christianitie why they acknowledged many of them the providence of God his infinit wisdome strength power his goodnesse and his mercy towards the children of men that God hath iudgemēt in store for the wicked but for the righteous which ferue him rewardes c. In this which they confessed that lieth covered which we beleeue in the rudiments of their knowledge concerning God the foundation of our faith concerning Christ lieth secretly wrapt vp and is vertually contained therefore they held the foūdation of faith though they never had it Might wee not with as good a colour of reason defend that every ploughman hath al the sciences wherein Philosophers haue exceld For no man is ignorant of their first principles which doe vertually containe whatsoever by naturall meanes is or can be knowne Yea might wee not with as great reason affirme that a man may put three mighty oakes wheresoever three akornes may be put For vertually an akorne is an oake To avoid such paradoxes we teach plainely that to hold the foundation is in expresse tearmes to acknowledge it 25 Now because the foundation is an affirmatiue proposition they all overthrowe it who deny it they directly overthrow it who deny it directly and they overthrow it