euery man according to his worke I say his worke not other mens workes For as S. Paul saith 2. Cor. 5.10 We must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that he not another hath done whether it be good or euill It is therefore a farre more Christian lesson to learne out of these wordes Eph. 2.10 because we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordayned that wee should walke in them Gal. 6.10 1. Pet. 1.17 while we haue time to doe good vnto all men as S. Paul exhorteth vs and to passe the time of our dwelling here in feare as S. Peter willeth then so to puffe vp our selues with pride of our merits as if we had some good in vs 1. Cor. 4.7 that we haue not receiued as the Apostle vpbraideth the Corinthians Thirdly they obiect against this doctrine of Iustification such Scriptures as promise vnto workes eternall life Reuel 7.14 Promise of life eternall These are they saith Christ which did come out of great tribulation and haue washed their long robes white in the bloud of the Lambe Therefore are they in the presence of the Throne of God 15. Mat. 25.34 35. Of this sort also is that Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world For I was hungry and yee gaue me meat I thirsted and yee gaue me drinke I was a stranger and yee lodged me Bellarm. de Iustific l. 5. cap. 3. c. It seemeth Bellarmine reposeth in this argument much confidence as did that great Goliah the Philistine in his great strength and mighty weapons But not euery promise of reward proueth that the thing whereunto it is so promised deserueth the reward Mat. 5.10 which our Aduersaries are to proue Blessed are they the Truth himselfe telleth vs which suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of heauen And yet the Apostle S. Paul counteth Rom. 8.18 That the afflictions of this present life are not worthy of the glory which shall be shewed vnto vs. Neither doth the Apostle take vpon him to controll that which Christ affirmed For Christ speaketh of a reward which shall be giuen in mercy S. Paul telleth vs that eternall life cannot be gotten by merits Mat. 10.42 Likewise Whosoeuer shall giue a cup of cold water only to one of these little ones to drinke in the name of a Disciple verily I say vnto you hee shall not leese his reward Vpon which wordes the Author of the vnperfect worke in Chrysostome Author oporis Imperf hom 26. writeth thus Non quia aliquid est quod dat habet mercedem sed quia magnus est propter quem dat He hath his reward not because it is any thing that he giueth but because hee is great for whose sake hee giueth it And Leo a Pope handling the same wordes too yeeldeth this reason why a cup of cold water a thing of it selfe very meane should haue promise of reward saith thus Quae per se vilsa sunt fides efficit pretiosa Leo serm 6. de quadrag simile ser 4. de itiun ser 3. Things base of themselues faith maketh precious But to this end that which before I spoke of the workes of the regenerate tendeth For let a man not regenerate offer many times of I say not cold water but of most precious liquor to what vse or to whom he will yet cannot he hope for any reward in heauen For it is faith that purifieth our hearts and also teacheth vs to depend vpon the goodnes of God framing our hearts vnto obedience and seasoneth our offrings and all that we doe It is faith I say that taking hold of the promises looketh in all our workes not what we doe but what God promiseth August in Psal 32. Non aliquid Deo dedimus debitorem tenemus Vnde debitorem quia promissor est Non dicimus Deo Redde quod accepisti sed Redde quod promisisti We gaue nothing to God and he is become our debter How is he our debter Because he is a promiser We say not to God Restore what thou hast receiued but Pay that thou hast promised And againe Fidelis Deus qui se nobis fecit debitorem August in Psal 109. non aliquid à nobis accipiendo sed tanta promittendo God is faithfull who hath made himselfe our debter not in taking any thing of vs but in promising so great things to vs. Wee therefore confesse that eternall life is a reward giuen to good workes but not in respect of the merit of the worke but in regard of the promise which he that is faithfull hath made A seruant is hyred to doe his Masters worke hee agreeth of his wages and taketh the worke in hand But his Master oft findeth fault with his negligence want of skill to worke as he should or other wants whereby his worke he findeth not well done which he also might if he would alleage as not being bound to pay for that is not done or is euill done Yet his Master payeth him that he promised not because his worke deserued the wages but because he promised him so much and was not willing to remember all the faults that were in the worke Euen so is it with the best seruants that God hath Our seruice is farre short of that it should be yet God for Christ his sake pardoneth our wants accepteth our good indeuours and because he is faithfull is as good as his word and promise to vs. A fourth obiection they haue out of such places as testifie of the innocency of Gods seruants And they are of two sorts For the Prophet Dauid doth very often by that argument craue aide of God Psal 7.8 because of his innocency and righteousnesse Iudge thou me O Lord saith he according to my righteousnesse and according to the innocency that is in me Psal 25.21 Againe Let my vprightnesse and equitie preserue me Whoso readeth the booke of Psalmes shall find this very common Innocent herein not simply But out of such prayers no man may conclude that Dauid pleadeth righteousnes before God or merit of works He only alleageth that in this point he was righteous that he had giuen no iust cause to them why they should so persecute and pursue him and seeke his life Therefore hee complayneth that they hate him without a cause Psal 35.19 Psal 69.4 and make him restore the thing hee neuer tooke Infinite such places are in Scripture whereby it plainely appeareth what innocency or righteousnesse the Prophet speaketh of Not that he is iust before God but that men deale vniustly with him And this is no good argument Dauid saith he is righteous in respect of his aduersaries malice against him therefore he pleadeth his iustice before God himselfe or
deuices No no vnlesse this our garment be dipt in the bloud of Christ and so made white it will euer appeare defiled A fift obiection They tell vs that eternall life is called a reward great is your reward in Heauen Mat. 5.12 As before in answering their third obiection I sayd that not euery promise proueth that which is giuen to be merited by the worke so heere I doe auerre How life eternall is called a reward that the calling of eternall life a reward doth not euict that it is giuen in regard of the worthinesse of the worke If you demand why it is then called a reward I answere It pleaseth God not only to acquaint vs with his will that we may know what is good and what is euil but also by many arguments sometime of his power sometime of his Iustice sometime of his goodnesse to moue his people to obedience To them therefore that with more alacritie Gal. 6.10 While we haue time to do good vnto all men as the Apostle exhorteth he telleth vs that our labour shall not be without reward The like argument doth the Apostle vse to the Corinthians 1. Co. 15.58 Therefore my beloued brethren be yee stedfast vnmoueable abundant alwayes in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. But eternall life is called a reward Be it so It is also called a Kingdome Mat. 25.34 and that prepared for Gods seruants from the beginning of the world If prepared so long since for them then not bestowed for the worthinesse of their worke If a Kingdome it is an inheritance that is giuen by grace for we are sonnes by adoption heires of God and heires annexed with Christ. Or else by election we haue this inheritance Rom. 8.17 For no man is elected to a Kengdome in regard of his merits especially so long before hee can doe any thing for it Coloss 3.24 The Apostle calleth it a reward of inheritance Ye shall receiue a reward of inheritance sayth he Howsoeuer therefore it is called sometime a reward yet is it a reward that is promised Gal. 3.29 Bel. de Iustific l. 5. c. 18. and therefore Saint Paul sayth Wee are heires by promise And therefore Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that remota promissione non tenetur Deus acceptare opus nostrum ad mercedem taking away the promise God is not bound to accept our worke to reward it Now if a father promise his sonne being yet but a childe both in strength and discretion and such children are we in heauenly matters a great reward if hee doe some small matter at his appointment yet such as hee knoweth passeth eyther his abilitie or skill whether shall we say when this recompence is giuen that it is of promise or of dutie The sonne indeuoureth as well as he can to doe it and with much adoe with continuall helpe of his father he doth it at length in some sort I hope no man will say his worke deserued it For the Father promised much for a small matter hee helpeth his sonne to doe it and beareth in the end with many wants euen so God for the little that wee can doe promiseth much and that wee doe hath many imperfections too Can wee then thinke of merit Ber in Cant. Serm. â—7 No no the Spouse of Christ doth then shew her selfe to be more full of grace when she ascribeth all to grace knowing her part is first and last Luk. 17.7 But against the meriting of the reward that parable in S. Luke is most plaine A seruant ploweth or doth any other worke in the field when hee commeth home his Master biddeth him not sit downe but willeth him to dresse meat and giue himselfe and wait and serue him teaching vs that we haue no time to bestow otherwise then vpon our Masters worke Ambros in Luke 17. Theopilact in Luk. 17. We must alwayes while wee liue be doing saith Ambrose This Parable sheweth saith Theophilact that a man must not be proud of any good worke no neyther yet in the fulfilling of all the Commandements For the seruant must doe what his Master commandeth neither must hee ascribe it to himselfe as a good worke Ambros in Luk. 7. Dionis Carthus in Luk. 17. And Ambrose gathereth the same lesson too Let no man glory of workes for we owe our seruice to the Lord. So doth the Carthusian also The seruant is tyed to this and after his worke in the field he must labour in the house that he may daily be labouring It being thus let vs consider of the conclusion of the Parable So likewise ye Luk. 17.10 when you haue done all things which were commanded you say We are vnprofitable seruants we haue done that was our dutie to doe Hieron ad Ctesiphontem Theophil in Luk. 17. No merit in this worke If that seruant were vnprofitable that did all sayth Hierom What shall we say of him that could not doe it Theophilact also in like manner If when we haue done all the Commandements yet wee haue no cause to thinke well of our doing how greatly doe we sinne when not doing the greatest part of Gods Commandements yet we are proud of our doing The Carthusian likewise If they must account themselues vnprofitable seruants who haue fulfilled all the Commandements what shall we doe who in so many things transgresse and so vnperfectly perchance keepe that we keepe that as the Prophet Esai sayth all our righteousnesse is like a filthy clout But Bellarmine telleth vs De Iustific lib. 5. cap. 5. Bernard de tripl custodia Bernard de precepto dispensatione that Christ so concludeth to teach humilitie I answere with Bernard Sanè propter humilitatem sed numquid contra veritatem True indeed for humility but is it against verity He also elsewhere thus speaketh to that seruant You are free from duty but not glorious by merit You haue escaped punishment but haue not gotten the crowne The Parable teacheth vs that all wee can doe is dutie therefore wee may not thinke of merit because whatsoeuer wee are able to performe at any time in any place by any meanes we owe all that seruice to God Lastly I come to those words of Iames in shew as contrarie to Saint Paul as can be yet because they both had one teacher both were guided in writing by one Spirit and were both of one faith and Religion we are sure both teach one Doctrine Rom. 3.28 Iam. 2.24 What Iustification is by workes Iude 4. Aug lib. 83. quaest 76. de fide operibus cap. 14. And yet Paul sayth We are iustified by faith without workes Iames sayth Wee are iustified by workes and not by faith only and both these are most true For if we speake of the cause of Iustification then must wee hearken to Saint Paul who teacheth that is by faith without workes But because many turning the grace of God
perfection of righteousnesse Another obiection they haue out of such testimonies as teach that God shall reward euery man according to his worke Psal 62.12 Mat. 16.27 Rom. 2.6 Reue. 22.12 Bell. de Iustific l. 5. c. 2 Aug. Confess l. 9. c. 13 How the godly are rewarded according to workes Of which sort the Scripture affordeth vs diuers And out of those wordes Bellarmine draweth this Doctrine Secundum opera sua id est vt opera merentur According to his workes that is as his workes deserue I might answer him with that golden saying of Saint Augustine Vae hominum vitae etiam ladabili si remota misericordia discutias eam Woe to the life of man that is commendable if thou Lord setting mercie aside doe sift the same But that the absurditie of his assertion may the rather appeare it is needfull that if the reward be giuen according to the merit of the worke there should bee some equalitie of proportion betweene the worke and the reward it meriteth But what proportion can there be betweene workes so vnperfect as before I haue shewed ours to bee and that eternall glorie which is so great and excellent a reward that the Apostle describeth it in these wordes The things which eye hath not seene 1. Cor. 2.9 eare hath not heard neyther can enter into the heart of man God hath prepared for them that loue him Howsoeuer therefore Bellarmine dareth affirme Bell. de Justific lib. 5. cap. 18. That non requiritur absoluta aequaelitas inter meritum praemium a perfit equalitie is not requisite betweene merit and the reward which thing he indeed barely affirmeth without any one testimonie of Scripture or sentence of Fathers yet dare I boldly pronounce that if any man saith that eternall life is giuen as workes deserue and yet that there is no proportion betweene eternall life and the worke hee speaketh most absurdly making merit no merit and deseruing no deseruing whereas in all reason and learning how much a worke wanteth of the equalitie with the reward which is to be giuen for doing it so much it lacketh of meriting that reward Very well therefore S. Bernard after he hath shewed That mens merits are not such Bern. Serm. 1. de Annunt that eternall life is of right due to them or that God should doe wrong if he so giue it not because euen our merits are Gods gifts and therefore we are rather bound to God for them then he to vs asketh this question Quid sunt merita omnia ad tantam gloriam What are all merits to so great glory As if he had said There is no proportion no equalitie This then which Bellarmine heerein hath taught is as absurd as if a man should affirme that hee doth not sell twelue penny-worth of ware or doe twelue penny-worth of worke must be deemed to haue truly deserued twelue pence I trow Bellarmine would not well like of such penny-worthes Not as workes merit One other argument I will produce which plainely enough confuteth that which Bellarmine sayth that According to the worke must be expounded as the worke meriteth Consider of the Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard Mat. 20.1.3.5.6 whereof some went to their labour at the dawning of the day others at the third houre but some were not called to worke before the sixt or ninth houres yea other about Sunne-setting that is at the eleuenth houre The Master of the Vineyard when euen was come sent for the Labourers and as hee promised to the first paid to euerie one a pennie But they who came first 12. pleaded that they had borne the burden and heat of the day and therefore thought as our Papists doe they deserued more then the rest But the master of the Vineyard answered they had their due and what hee promised if hee gaue other more that hindred not them Now I would that our Romish Catholikes would answere truly to this question If paiment should haue beene made according to the merit of the worke who deserued most I suppose they will answere for otherwise they cannot truly answere that they who came first to their labour deserued best payment Yet wee see the last had as much as they Therefore it is plaine payment was not made to them nor shal be to vs as our worke meriteth but according to promise For euerie one had his pennie Hill in Mat. Can. Merces quidem nulla est ex dono quia debetur ex opere sed gratuitam Deus omnibus ex fidei iustificatione donauit 20. There is no wages of gift sayth Hilarie for it is due by the worke but God hath giuen a free reward vnto all by Iustification of faith The penny in the Gospell Prosper de vocat Gent. lib. c. 17. Thereby prouing that this penny was not as wages but a free reward not for the worke but giuen in promise Notably therefore sayth Prosper who wrote about that time Saint Augustine did who gathereth out of this parable Operarios accepisse donum gratiae non mercedem operis that these workemen receiued a gift of grace not a reward or wages for their worke But Bellarmine contending for merits would faine remoue this blocke out of the way Hee feareth lest some of his friends stumbling thereon should reele from the Romish Church He therefore out of Augustine and others telleth vs that denarius diurnus Bell. de Iustific li. 3. c. 16 li. 5. cap. 6. this penny for the day worke is aequalitas aeternitatis non gloriae equaelitie of eternitie not of glorie But our controuersie is not what this penny is but in what respect it is giuen whether for the worthinesse of the worke or not If he say for the merit of the worke the Parable is against his opinion therein If he say it is of promise as elsewhere he seemeth to affirme wee haue that we seeke Bell. de Iufic l. 5. c. 19. Wee see saith he the whole penny giuen to them who had not laboured the whole day and the Lord himselfe sheweth in these words I will giue to him as to thee c. that this was done not of dutie but of liberalitie Heere our aduersary confesseth the reward not to be as the labour merited Therefore to omit that needlesse question what this pennie is let vs heere remember that it is not giuen for the worthines of the worke For Bellarmines answere seemeth to mee much like as if I aske which way I may goe to London and he answere me it is a faire Citie Seeing then the reward is of mercie and not of merit let not vs by ascribing that to our workes which is giuen freely in grace be vnthankefull vnto him who so loued vs that he dyed for vs as Saint Hierom exhorteth vs yeelding this reason Ierom vpon Gal. 2. Abiecta est gratia si mihi sola non sufficit Grace is but cast away if it only suffice me
that he is simply or altogether righteous But sometime also righteousnesse is ascribed vnto men here vpon earth As among sundry other to Zachary and Elizabeth of whom S. Luke writeth Luk. 1.6 Innocent in comparison of other Both were iust before God and walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances of the Lord without reproofe S. Augustine handling this very history doth truly teach what iustice they had as elsewhere so namely in these wordes Secundum quandam inter homines conuersationem laudabilem probabilem Aug. cont Pelag. Celestin l. 1. cap. 48. quam nullus hominum posset iustè in quaerelam vocare They were iust in regard of their conuersation commendable and allowable such as no man might iustly complaine of And after hee bringeth the example of Paul Phil 3.6 who according to the righteousnesse that was by the Law was without reproofe And yet this righteousnesse he accounted dung and losse In comparison saith AVG. of that which he hoped for And because the Pelagians pressed him with an authority out of Ambrose to proue that a man might in this life be perfit he sheweth what minde S. Ambrose was of for that point alleaging some words of his out of Ambrose his Commentaries vpon Esay which booke is not now extant that I haue seene although here and elsewhere S. Aug. make mention thereof And Ambrose himselfe referreth vs also to that booke Amb. in Luc lib. 2. The wordes alleaged are these Multi sunt perfecti in hoc mundo qui si perfectionem veram respicias perfecti esse non possunt Many are perfit in this world who if you looke to true perfection cannot be perfit Whereupon also S. August doth thus conclude Item immaculati sunt multi quum si minutiùs excutâ—as immaculatus esse nemo possit quiae nemo sine peccato Many also are vndefiled when as if you sift the matter narrowly no man can be vndefiled Notably also for this point writeth S. Ambrose by occasion of those wordes of the Apostle Let vs as many as bee perfit Phil. 3.15 bee thus minded Ambros in Ep. ad Phil. cap. 3. Ad comparationem caeterorum qui res diuinas negligentiùs curant perfecti dicendi sunt qui adhibita solertia perfectionis it er ambulant In comparison saith he of such as are negligent in heauenly matters they may be called perfect who are carefull to walke in the wayes of perfection S. BASIL expounding these wordes of the Prophet DAVID Iudge me O Lord according to my righteousnes Basil in Psal 7. and according to my innocency that is in me taketh innocency to bee simplicity or want of experience whereby men fall into many inconueniences And righteousnesse hee interpreteth to be such iustice as is hominibus comprehensibilis possibilis his qui in carne viuunt Such as men may attaine to and is possible for them to haue who liue in the flesh and thus he frameth that prayer Ad librilem humanae fragilitatis iustitiam meam appendens ita me iudices Waighing my righteousnesse in the wayscales of mans frailty iudge me after that manner By all this it doth appeare that though some are commended in Scriptures as iust men yet perfect righteousnes which only can stand before God none can attaine vnto For Hier. cont Pelag. l. 1. Cunctorum in carne iustorum imperfecta iustitia est The perfection euen of all iust men while they are in the flesh is vnperfit as S. Hierome saith but vnperfect righteousnesse cannot merit eternall life therefore no perfection that man hath here can merit that life This which I haue already said I would haue thought a sufficient answere to those Scriptures wherein some are commended as iust but seeing some contend to establish a greater righteousnesse in vs then we can haue I am forced a little further to looke into this matter Kemnitius a great learned man Popish impious speeches of Merits Kem. exam part 1. pag. 211. who hath most learnedly examined those wicked decrees of the impious Councel of Trent telleth vs that Lindan no small foole in the Romish Church Reuerendiss Episcopus Traiectensis he is called is very angry with some of his fellowes for affirming that God of his clemency and goodnesse rewardeth our good works to which he teacheth a reward to be due for the worthinesse thereof Andradius Paiuas I am sure Andrad Orthod explicat lib 6. pag. 518. dareth and shameth not to write that the ioy of heauen which the Scripture calleth the retribution and reward of the righteous is not so much giuen them of God freely and liberally as it is due to their workes And as the Apostle S. Paul proueth our Iustification by grace Rom. 4.4 because otherwise it should rather bee of debt then of fauour and the reward and grace saith he are quite contrary so dareth this man because eternall life is in Scripture called a reward gather this doctrine most false Pag. 519. Pag. 522. That it ought not to be imputed according to grace but as a debt And not long after he reproueth Kemnitius for finding fault with the Censurers of Colen for writing that God set on sale eternall life And not much vnlike is that Cens Colon. explicat Dialog 5. which they of Colen teach That by grace there is in our works an infinitenesse that they being somewhat holpen by that gift of grace doe worthily merit eternal life So that we see they imagine any little helpe will serue the turne A plaine proofe that their studie was more how to defend their doctrine then in sinceritie to examine themselues how vnable they are to keepe Gods Law so as they may merit eternall life thereby A man may iustly wonder how any that hath any feeling of his owne frailty or any knowledge of Gods word can bee so besotted as to teach that which is so contrary to that euery one of vs doe or iustly may feele in our selues and so directly against most manifest Scriptures Is any of them better then he who said no doubt as well in respect of himselfe Iob 15.14 as of others What is man that he should be cleane and he that is borne of a woman that he should be iust Are they more righteous then Dauid who confesseth that if God enter into iudgement with his seruants Psal 143.2 no flesh liuing shall be iustified or found righteous in his sight Are they holier then he who said Dan. 9.5 We haue sinned and haue committed iniquity and done wickedly yea we haue rebelled and haue departed from thy precepts and from thy iudgements Are they of greater power to resist sinne then Paul who said Rom. 7.19 I doe not the good thing that I would and the euill which I would not that doe I I thinke they dare not for very shame to match themselues with these men that had so great testimonie of their sincerity from God himselfe at the least
they will not preferre themselues How then dare they so stand vpon their merits seeing these godly men haue no trust in their works but so wholy disable them Neyther is there in the Scripture any thing more plainly deliuered any Doctrine more often taught Scriptures are against doctrine of merits Tit. 3.5 then that which teacheth vs to deny our merits and to rest only vpon Gods mercy in Christ for the forgiuenesse of our sinnes Not by the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done saith Saint Paul but according to his mercies he saued vs. And againe God hath saued vs 2. Tim. 1.9 and called vs with a holy calling not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace which was giuen to vs through Christ Iesus before the world was And againe By grace ye are saued through faith Ephes 2.8.9 and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes lest any should boast himselfe And infinite testimonies tending to this end if it were needfull might be brought prouing plainly how little we may rest vpon our merits and how little soundnes is in our workes and therefore also shewing how little cause our aduersaries haue to write that eternall life is due to good workes not of mercy but of merit as LINDAN ANDRADIVS and the Colen Censurers doe teach The reason of this conceit they haue of their workes is because they suppose none but great sinnes hinder our perfection Leuicula vitiola Kemnitius alleageth out of Lindan a Popish Bishop Asspergines naeuuli sunt qui perse non maculant nec contaminant Kem. exam part 1. Veniall sins they lightly esteeme sed quasi puluisculo leuiter aspergunt vitam Christianam vt nihilominùs tamen per se sint perfecta vndique immaculata renatorum opera in hac vita Which if they bee the words of Lindan hee vseth so many diminitiues to lessen and make nothing our breach of Gods Law as thereby he sheweth himselfe to be a very graceles wretch without any feeling of the burden of sinne They are in English thus Little light petty sinnes are as sprinklings and small staines which doe not of themselues blot or defile but as it were with small dust doe lightly sprinkle a Christian life so as notwithstanding the workes of the regenerate are of themselues perfect and euery way vndefiled Indeed Andradius too though not in such scornfull termes as I may well call them teacheth the like Doctrine Andra. Orthodox explicat l. 5. Peccata saith he in quae iusti quotidie labuntur iustitiam euertere nullo pacto possunt ac proinde neque perfectam absolutam legis obedientiam quoquo modo impedire The sinnes whereinto euen the iust daily fall can by no meanes ouerthrow righteousnesse Cens Colon. explicat errorum Dialogi 5. and therefore cannot any thing hinder the full and perfit obedience of the Law The Censurers of Colen also though not so vnmodestly yet as vntruly as Lindan affirme speaking of veniall sins that Leuia illa nec impios nec malos efficiunt nec operum nostrâ—rum obsunt efficaciae Those light sinnes make men neyther wicked nor euill neyther doe they hinder the efficacie of their workes Which their Doctrine to bee most absurd and false wee may proue by many reasons The least sinnes hinder our obedience and staine it as first thus Euery breach of Gods Law maketh our obedience vnperfit but euery veniall sinne is a breach of Gods Law therefore euery veniall sinne maketh our obedience vnperfit My Maior I would thinke should need no proofe seeing that where breach of a Law is there is not absolute obedience to the same And Saint Iames telleth vs Whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Law Iam. 2.10 and yet faileth in one point hee is guilty of all But that euery veniall sinne is a breach of Gods Law is plaine For if there be no breach of Law then is not forgiuenesse needfull but forgiuenesse is needfull for the taking away of veniall sinnes as is most manifest by that place of Saint Iohn If wee acknowledge our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1.8.9 he is faithfull to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse Whereby we vnderstand that the sinnes that Saint Iohn speaketh of are by forgiuenesse to bee done away And that he speaketh of veniall sinnes not only Andradius Paiuas doth testifie Andro. Orthodox explicat lib. 5. pag. 421. Bell. de Amis grat l. 1 cap. 6. but Bellarmine also in plaine words So that by two witnesses of good credit among our Aduersaries it appeareth that veniall sinnes are no otherwise taken away then other sinnes are and therefore that our perfit obedience is by them so hindered as that it cannot stand before the iust Iudge Againe whatsoeuer sinnes are short of that obedience that God commandeth in this Law Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart Deut. 6.5 with all thy soule with all thy might are hinderances vnto the perfection of obedience but the sinnes which they call venial doe that for in committing of them our whole heart minde and soule is not bent to obserue Gods Law therefore such sinnes are a hinderance to our perfit keeping of the Law But to be short If veniall sinnes be no transgression of Law they are to be much blamed that call them sinnes For where there is no Law there is no transgression but if they bee a breach of Law as before I said they are of the nature of sinnes and vnlesse they be pardoned shall also haue the reward of sinne The godly feare their venial sins But what seeke I to proue that which euery man 's owne conscience if they be not too much besotted will tell them Was it not veniall sinnes as our Aduersaries account that made Paul cry out as he doth O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death He could neuer haue said of himselfe as he doth of being without reproofe concerning the Law if he had beene stained with notorious and such as they call mortall sinnes And shall Paul be so scarred with veniall sinnes and can wee imagine they make vs nothing the worse How much better were it for vs with good Bernard to confesse Passio tua vltimum refugium Ber. in Can. Ser. 22. singulare remedium Deficiente sapientia iustitia non sufficiente succumbentibus sanctitatis meritis illa succurrit O Lord thy passion is my last refuge a singular remedy For when wisdome wanteth Iustice sufficeth not and merits of holinesse faile that helpeth And thus I trust it doth appeare that howsoeuer our Aduersaries teach of veniall sinnes which they confesse are in the godly yet are they such staines in the garment of our righteousnesse as are not to bee shaken off with euery knocke of the brest or washed off with sprinkling a little holy-water or other such like tryfling
is not one word of Workes but all is ascribed to Christ Wherein the Apostle also writeth so carefully and so warily as if he feared nothing more then that man should rest any thing vpon his Merits To conclude therefore this my first argument I say with the Apostle If it be of grace it is no more of Workes Rom. 11.6 or else were grace no more grace but if it bee of Workes it is no more grace for then were Workes no more Workes So that because the Apostle sayth it is of grace and by faith without Workes therefore Workes are wholly excluded as Andradius himselfe will warrant me to say For Mercedis ratio Andrad Orthodox Explicat lib. 6. cum gratiae nomine ex aduerso pugnat For the consideration of reward or Merit is cleane contrarie to grace A second argument I take from the finall causes of this doctrine of Iustification by faith only which are two set downe by the Apostle The one in this Chapter immediately before the words of my Text namely to exclude our reioycing or boasting But if all workes bee not disabled as insufficient causes of our Iustification some workes should be left wherein we might reioyce To exclude reioycing in our selues For by reioycing the Apostle meaneth nothing else but that confidence that men haue whereby they content themselues as if they were out of danger of Gods wrath Saint Paul then concluding out of that he hath taught of Iustification by faith that our reioycing is thereby taken away teacheth vs thus much that whoso apprehendeth with an assured faith this Iustification that we haue by Christ resteth nothing vpon his owne workes or contenteth not himselfe with the righteousnesse that is by the Law But on the contrarie our Aduersaries suppose their reioycing is not taken away In so much as a great man among them dareth affirme Andrad Orthodox Explicat lib. 6. That heauenly blisse is not so freely giuen of God and liberally as in respect of their workes it is due And by and by after We gather that eternall felicitie ought not to bee imputed according to grace but according to debt And therefore within a few words after he also defineth Merit Merit A free action whereunto a reward is due Which Doctrine of Andradius because it is also the Doctrine of the Romish Church wee may truly affirme of them that they doe what in them lyeth to make the Apostle a Lyer when hee affirmeth that reioycing is taken away by the Law of faith seeing they still reioyce and content themselues in their workes But I will end this with one short argument If Iustification may bee by workes then is not our reioycing in the Law taken away by faith but it is by faith taken away therefore Iustification is not by workes The Minor proposition is the wordes of the Apostle Rom. 11.6 The Maior is proued by that which a little before out of the Apostle I alleadged that workes and grace cannot both stand as causes of our Iustification But notably for this purpose doth Chrysostome gather out of these words Chrys in Epist ad Rom. hom 7 If the faithfull man and he who is saued would thinke well of himselfe in this respect that he regardeth the Law doe heare in these words how by the Law it selfe his mouth is stopped how by the Law hee is accused how the Law it selfe denieth as it were saluation to sinners and excludeth all boasting and he who as yet beleeueth not being hereby deiected and humbled may take occasion to draw neere vnto faith thou seest how great force faith hath how it driueth vs from whatsoeuer we had before not suffering vs to reioyce though neuer so little in them And a little before he hath sayd that God saueth Nullis ad hoc vsus operibus sed fidem tantum exigens Not vsing for our Iustification any workes but requiring faith only Sedul in Epist ad Rom. cap. 3. Sedulius also verie well noteth thus Talis gloriatio quae veniebat ex operibus legis excluditur Such reioycing is excluded as commeth of the workes of the Law Our comfort Another end why our Iustification is by faith is for our vnspeakeable comfort That it might come by grace and the promise might bee sure to all the seed Rom. 4.16 Whereas if wee should seeke to get the inheritance by the Law Gal. â— 18 we could not thinke to haue it by promise and so in respect of our owne manifold imperfections wee might alwayes bee doubtfull and wauering and farre from that comfort that Gods children finde in themselues In this respect then it is good that we perswade our selues that we are saued by grace Bell. de Iustific l. 5. c. 7 that we may looke vnto Christ only Yea Bellarmine himselfe giueth this aduice Propter incertitudinem propriae iustitiae periculum inanis gloriae tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia ponere In respect of the vncertaintie of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine glorie the safest way is to put all our confidence only in Gods mercy and goodnesse Very well writeth vpon these words of the Apostle Theophilact Theophil in Epist ad Rom. 4. Quum vniuersa sint in Dei tum gratia tum misericordia fita profecto quae ab eoconferuntur stabilia fore certa omni semini id est credentibus cunctis existimanda sunt Seeing all things are of Gods grace and mercie sure the things that are giuen from him as it may be thought are stable and sure to all the seed that is to all beleeuers Ambros in Epist ad Rom. 4. Saint Ambrose also sayth Firma esse non potest promissio omni semini hoc est omni homini ex omni gente nisi fuerit ex fide The promise cannot bee firme vnto all the seed that is to all men of euery Nation vnlesse it bee of faith And he after yeeldeth a reason of that he hath said because by the Law we are found guiltie and the promise cannot be giuen to them that are guiltie vnlesse they bee purified which must bee done by faith Thus then I reason The promise of Iustification must be sure but vnlesse it be of faith it cannot be sure therefore the promise of Iustification must bee of faith The Maior is Saint Pauls Rom. 4.16 The Minor is the former wordes of Saint Ambrose A third argument to proue that euen the workes of them that are regenerate cannot iustifie and are excluded by Saint Paul from hauing that force is taken from the example of Abraham who is set forth as a patterne in whom wee may learne how wee all can attaine to Iustification as it is plaine to see in the fourth Chapter of this Epistle to the Romanes Abraham Abraham not iustified by workes a good while after he was called out of Vr of the Chaldees had liued a good time in obedience vnto
answering their principall allegations it will not be hard to iudge of all others also I will beginne with such Scriptures as seeme to ascribe Worthinesse vnto men For out of them doth Bellarmine thus gather Dignum esse praemio De Iustific lib. 5. ca. 2 3 What worthinesse in men Wisd 3.5 mereri praemium idem sunt To bee worthy of a reward and to deserue a reward is all one And to proue this worthinesse in men he alleadgeth foure places The first is taken out of the Booke of Wisedome God tryed them and found them worthie of himselfe The Booke from whence this testimonie is taken is knowne not to be Canonicall Scriptures and therfore of no such credit in Gods Church as that vpon places out of it wee may ground any Article of Religion And this answere might serue verie well to this obiection But yet the words themselues doe not of necessity proue merit or worthinesse of the workes that we doe And that first in respect of the person that trieth thē also in regard of them that are tryed He that tryeth his seruants is I know wise enough to examine and spye faults iust also to punish them But he is also content to couer with the righteousnes of his Sonne our faults and to hide our iniquities not beholding vs as in our selues we are sinners Who are found righteous or worthy Dan. 9.24 but as we are in Christ righteous Then also who are they that being tryed are found righteous Euen they whose debt Christ hath paid for whose sinnes hee hath satisfied and sealed vp as Daniel sayth that they may bee no more remembred Whose iniquitie he hath reconciled to bring in euerlasting righteousnesse Of such we see who bring with them nothing whereby they should be found worthy but haue all from Christ it is said he found them worthy Other two places hee bringeth for which wee are much beholding to him because by them we may learne how to answere such testimonies as seeme to ascribe worthinesse vnto men One is out of the answere that Christ maketh vnto the Sadduces a Sect which thought there is no resurrection who thought to intrappe him in a subtile question The question was of one woman that married seuen husbands who all dying they would know whose wife she should be at the Resurrection To whom Christ answeres thus They who shall be counted worthy to enioy that world Luk. 20.35 and the resurrection from the dead neither marry wiues nor are married The other is much like this 2. Thes 1.5 That yee may be counted worthy of the Kingdome of God for which yee also suffer saith S. Paul to the Thessalonians Now who knoweth not that we may bee counted worthy of that which in due consideration we cannot be worthy of So that they are accounted worthy proueth not that they are worthy indeed as shall God willing by and by plainely appeare The fourth place then must serue the turne or else nothing is said That is the wordes of our Sauiour Christ of some of Sardi They shall walke with me in white for they are worthy Reuel 3.4 As if Christ had said they shall triumph with me or raigne in glory and life euerlasting for they are worthy But what are they worthy in respect of their worke or for the merit thereof For if not it helpeth not our Aduersaries And that neither they nor any other No man worthy of eternall life but Christ that is conceiued as we all are of vncleane seede can be worthy in respect of workes I proue thus No man is worthy of eternall life in respect of works but hee who can fulfill the Law but no man can fulfill the Law therefore by their workes no man can be worthy of eternall life My first Proposition I proue thus God himselfe saith to his people of Israel If thou keepe my Statutes thou shalt liue in them Leuit. 18.5 In which wordes as we see a promise of life so must we obserue the condition of keeping Gods statutes if we will looke to be partakers of the promise And no doubt the Apostle S. Paul out of these and such like words hath learned that which he teacheth vs of the iustification which is of the Law The man that doth these things Rom. 10.5 Gal. 3.12 Deut 27.26 Gal. 3.10 shal liue thereby But if the condition bee not obserued then marke what followeth Cursed is euery man that continueth not in all the wordes of this Law to doe them This continuance in doing the Law and keeping the Statutes of God teacheth vs neither to be idle nor euill occupied and that wee must not swarue either to the right hand or left leauing the right path of Gods Law at any time For S. Iames hath truly out of this place gathered Iam. 2.10 that whosoeuer shall keepe the whole Law and yet faileth in one point is guilty of all Not because whoso breaketh one Commandement breaketh all A thiefe in that he is a thiefe is not a murderer or adulterer but the meaning is he is guilty of transgression and therefore cannot bee saued by the Law If then eternall life be promised to them only that keepe the whole Law as is proued much lesse shall it be merited by any that fulfill not the same My Minor or second Proposition is that no man can fulfill the Law For confirmation whereof I minde rather to point vnto arguments We cannot perfitly fulfill the Law then any way to dilate them First therefore it is a perfection belonging only to Christ to keepe the whole Law He only was without sinne because he neuer did transgresse Hee only could offer the sacrifice of perfect and holy obedience so that in this respect hee only could make the atonement betweene God and vs. As for his Apostles though no doubt good men yet they prayed Luk. 17.5 Mar. 9.24 as they had good cause Increase our faith Helpe our vnbeliefe And our Sauiour himselfe taught them and in them the perfectest that euer was Mat. 6.12 Hebr. 7.26 to pray Forgiue vs our trespasses Our imperfections then being so many and so great Such a high Priest it became vs to haue as is holy harmelesse vndefiled separate from sinners made higher then the heauens For but by such a Mediator our sinnes are so great as that wee neuer could haue beene reconciled to God because we are farre from keeping the Law Our conscience teacheth this Secondly our owne consciences will so testifie with me herein and against our selues that I hope I neede not produce much proofe hereof Let vs but examine our selues by that rule which the Author of all truth gaue vnto some who would get as our Papists say they can doe eternall life by doing by which hee meant they should trie and examine themselues Luk. 10.25 Master saith a certaine expounder of the Law what shall I doe to inherit eternall life 26.27 And hee said