departure from them and comming againe unto them he saith Joh. 14. v. 29. and this haue I told you before it is come to passe that when it is come to passe yee might beleeue Now wee may not thinke that the Apostles beleeved not before because Christ said that yee might beleeue but as St. Augustine expounds it Aug. in Ioan. tract 79. Creditur autem hoc non â—â—de nova sedaucta this is beleeved not by a new faith but by saith increased For in every vertue and consequently in faith there be three things remarkable First initium secondly incrementum thirdly complementum First the beginning secondly the growth or increase thirdly the fulnesse and perfection Faith is begun in spirituall babes or infants growes and increaseth in proficients is full and perfect in men of ripe yeares who dare boldly considently say as it is written Let us draw neere with a true heart in full assurance of faith Hebr. 10.22 having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water CHAP. XXI Of righteousnesse inherent and first of righteousnesse according to morall Philosophie THat I may treat of this argument with more perspicuitie to be better understood it is not amisse to follow that old Pule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that will teach well must first looke into the names of those things whereof he treateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Eth. 2. cap. 7. For seeing there are more things than names and consequently many things without names hence it coÌ„meth to passe that there be many names equivocall signifying more things than one whereby the understanding is apt to be deceived Wherefore it is necessary to consider what is meant by that righteousnesse whereof I am now to speake In the schoole of humane philosophie wee are taught that there be three things in the soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is passions powers habits Arist eth 2.4 Now it is not of passions or powers but of habits that we are called vertuous or vicious good or evill And amongst habits is ranked Righteousnesse by which men worke righteousnesse desiring and doing those things that are just And this is taken ambiguously either for a particular vertue or a generall for a particular vertue as when it is made one of the foure cardinall vertues and so distinguished from prudence temperance and fortitude Cicero Offic. 1. as you haue it in the Oratour and in St. Bernard Bern. de confid ad Eug. li. 1. cap. 8. saying Modum justitia quaerit prudentia invenit fortitudo vendicat temperantia possidet justice seekes mediocritie prudence findes it fortitude challengeth it temper ance possesseth it Otherwhile it is taken for a generall vertue a panarie or cornucopia of vertues Whereupon Aristotle saith Arist Eth. 5. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is not a particular kinde of vertue but an universall vertue according to that of Theognis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In righteousnesse all vertue is summarily comprised The consideration hereof mooved the Philosopher to magnific it and adorne it with that encomium Arist Eth. 5. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Neither is the glorious evening starre nor Lucifer the bright morning starre so wondered at and admired of men as the vertue of righteousnesse which if wee could behold with mortall eyes it would ravish and bewitch us with the loue of it So greatly so highly did the pagan Philosopher extoll the morall vertue of righteousnesse CHAP. XXII How Christian inherent righteousnesse differeth from morall righteousnesse CHristian righteousnesse excelleth morall righteousnesse as much as supernaturall things things naturall as heavenly things earthly as the spirit the flesh Morall righteousnesse coÌ„meth short of Christian inherent righteousnesse two wayes First Quoad rectum principium secondly quoad debitum finem first in respect of the procreant cause secondly in regard of the due end Out of what fountaine flowes humane righteousnesse Surely from humane instruction humane motiues meanes and industrie But our inherent righteousnesse flowes from GOD the onely fountaine of all true good and is by him infused into our hearts through the powerfull operation of his sanctifying Spirit What was the end which the pagan Philosophers aimed at in the exercise of morall righteousnesse Was it any other than that of the vaine-glorious Pharisees in the Gospell the praise of men and their owne glorie But the end which we aime at in our good works is the true end Finis ultimus ultimatus the last end even Gods glory the very butte and marke whereat we shoote the arrowes of all our pious endeavours and holy actions according to that most excellent rule of the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether yee eate or drinke or what soever you doe doe all to the glorie of God Againe Christian inherent right cousnesse is notably distingnished from morall righteousnesse for morall righteousnesse is acquired by many precedent acts of ventue according to 〈◊〉 Act les Rule Arist Eth. li. 2. cap. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habits are gotten by semblable acts and operations But in righteousnesse inherent it is farre otherwise for the habit is first infused of God not acquired by man or humane meanes then from the habit so infused flow many subsequent acts of righteousnesse even all good workes The man must be righteous before his worke be righteous we must be arbaresy ustitis Esay 61.3 trees of righteousnesse before wee can bring forth the fruits of righteousnesse Math. 7.17 the good tree bringeth forth good fruit but a corrupt tree emill fruit from hence our Saviour inferres this conclusion Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them Now inherent righteousnesse complies with morall righteousnesse in this that it is some times taken for a partioular vertue respecting onely our neigh bour as the proper object thereof and so the Apostle hath it Tit. 2.12 where he saith The Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men teaohing us that denying ungodlinesse and worldly lusts wee should liue soberly righteously and godly in this present world There righteousnesse towards man is distinguished from prery towards God and sobrietie in our selues Sometimes it is taken for a generall vertue comprehending many vertues in it so Moses useth it saying Deut. 6.25 And it shall be our righteousnesse if wee obserue to doe all these Commandements before the Lord our God as He hath commanded us Where righteousnesse hath for the proper adequate object thereof God man and our selues Thus St. Peter taketh it after he had said that God is no respecter persons he addes this proose Act. 10.35 But in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him So our blessed Saviour seemes to take it Math. 6.33 Secke yee first the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and so St. Iohn If yee know that he is righteous 1 Ioh. 2. v. 29. you know that
If they erre from this rule they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transgressions evill workes if they accord with the rule and are conformable to the morall Law they are so farre forth to be judged good workes Now in a good worke two things are remarkeable first as it is a worke secondly as it is good for as it is a worke it is from nature as it is good it is from grace and as it is a good worke both from nature and grace and all from God who is the onely author of nature and doner of grace God doth not onely giue us our being and preserue us in it but supports and sustaineth us by his concurrence in all our actions For he as universall and supreme agent hath his influence into all the actions and operations of inferiour agents so that in him we both liue and moue and haue our being and without him wee neither mooue nor worke wee can doe nothing yet in that by his concurrence wee immediatly doe this or that worke it is said to be from us but if it betruely good the goodnesse of it is immediatly from Gods grace working in us both to will it and to doe it of his good pleasure We must alwayes lay this for a ground that good workes must flow from the fountaine of faith without which it is impossible to please GOD Omne etenim pietatis opus Prosp in Epigram nisi semine recto exoritur fidei peccatum est Everie pious worke is sinne if it grow not out of the right seede of faith In the next place wee are to consider that the goodnesse of a morall act depends of two things First the object secondly the circumstances Pet. Soto de instit sac part 2◠lect 4◠The object is some dutie of obedience commanded in the Law the circumstances are the end time place c. but the chiefest is the end intended for this according to Aquinas doth qualifie and specifie the act for actus exterior saith he informatur ex voluntate Aqui. in Rom. ca. 14. lect 2◠Rom. 2.14 the outward act is formed by the will that is intending such an end Now when the Gentiles which haue not the Law doe by nature the things conteined in the Law their works are morally good in respect of the object But because they intend not Gods glorie but their owne they faile in the circumstance their intention is evill and consequently their workes Whereupon St. Augustine considering that they neither proceeded of faith nor aimed at the right end remoues all goodnesse from them saying Aug. praesas in Psal 31. Vbi fides non erat bonum opus non erat bonum enim opus intentio facit intentionem fides dirigit where there was no faith there was no good worke for intention makes the worke good and faith directs the intention And after Non valde aspicias quid facit homo sed quid cum facit aspiciat Doe not greatly obserue what a man doth but what he aimeth at when he doth it And indeed heathens and hypocrites doe good works quoad genus operis but not quoad intentionem mandantis they doe the worke conteined in the Law but not according to the intention of the Commander who intendeth his owne glorie And so their workes although they seeme glorious and specious to men yet are they but like an earthen pot guilded over which seemes gold and is not or like grapes curiously painted on the wall which the birds flie to but cannot feede on them Sunt opera saith St. Augustine Aug. in Ioan. tract 25. quae videntur bona sine fide Christi non sunt bona quia non referuntur ad eum finem ex quo sunt bona there be workes which seeme good without faith in Christ and are not good because they are not referred to that end whereby they are good Hence is it that according to that trite and usuall distinction both the works of pagans and hypocrites are deemed good sesundùm substantiam actus non secundùm modum requisitum in regard of the substance of the act but not in regard of the manner requisite to such an act For to honour their parents to relieue the poore and such like may be good in the substance of the act and yet come short in the circumstance and faile in the manner Whereas we know that God lookes not so much to our doing as to our well-doing and as it hath beene observed by Divines Flor. Granat parte 6. ca. 4. Deus non tam remunerat verba quà m adverbia God doth not so much reward verbs as adverbs not so much doing as well-doing Rom. 2.7 for as the Apostle saith He will render to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seeke for honour and glorie and immortalitie eternall life Moses said unto the house of Israell Deut. 6.25 it shall be our righteousnesse if we obserue to doe all these Commandements before the Lord our God as he hath commanded Not onely that which he hath commanded us but in such manner as he hath commanded For that which is good loseth the beautie and glory of the goodnesse of it when it is not done after a good manner Men spend a part of their life idely doing nothing another part carelesly in doing that which concernes them not and another part wickedly in doing ill But wee that are Christians must endeavour to spend all our dayes in doing well and striue to imitate our gracious Saviour of whom it is said Mark 7.37 He hath done all things well The sonne of Amos exhorteth us to learne this lesson saying Cease to doe evill learne to doe well Esa 1.16 17. And the Lord God himselfe in the beginning of times said unto Cain the second man in the world If thou doest well shalt not thou be accepted Gen. 4.7 if thou doest not well sinne lieth at the doore O let us then be diligent in well-doing painfull labourers in Christs Vineyard let us be fruitfull in good workes committing the keeping of our soules unto God in well-doing as unto a faithfull creatour CHAP. XXVI That no man by his owne righteousnesse keepeth the Law and is without sinne THe morall Law is a rule of obedience telling us what we ought to doe not teaching us what we are able to doe As long as wee are in this bodie of death the remainder of the old Adam the part unregenerate Galat. 5.17 the flesh fighteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh So that wee cannot doe what we would and consequently wee cannot keepe the Law as we would Upon this unavoidable Supposition I may conclude that it is a vaine and needlesse speculation to dispute of mans possibilitie to keepe the Law and so to be without sinne if he will And thus much St. Hierome intimates Hieron li. 1o. adv Pelag. Posse hominem esse sine peccato si velit aut verum est aut
Iesus Christ to him be glorie both now and for ever Amen CHAP. XXX What perfection of inherent righteousnesse is attainable in this life MOst absolute and infinite perfection of righteousnesse is onely in God who is that light in whom there is no darknesse at all of whom the sweet singer of Israel could say Psal 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes But that righteousnesse which is in man is finite and limited and such is all the perfection he can attaine in it and both accrew unto him by participation from him who is the fountaine of righteousnesse and perfection Now that perfection compatible to man Aquin. in Phil. cap. 3. lect 2. is two-fold first Viae secondly Patriae the first incident to man in the state of grace whilst he is as yet a way-faring pilgrim and stranger on earth the second belonging to man when he comes into his heavenly Country and is a member of the triumphant Church in the state of glorie What perfection of righteousnesse wee may attaine in the way of this life wee are now to enquire of and in searching it out wee shall finde all our perfection attended with much imperfection Haec hominibus sola perfectio si imperfectos esse se noverint Heron. adv Peti li. 1o. This is the onely perfection in men if they acknowledge themselues imperfect But how shall we know and acknowledge our selues imperfect but by finding out in our selues the defect and want of those things whereby we should be perfected and by what other meanes can wee possibly be perfected than by knowing God and beleeving in God and loving God and obeying God For by such knowledge faith charitie and obedience Christian perfection is attained But alas as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 13.9 wee know in part and so wee beleeue in part and loue God in part and obey him in part St. Gregorie therefore knits the foure linkes of this chaine by the first and the last with a tantò quantò saying tantò quis operatur quantò Deum noverit Greg. in Ezek. hom 22. so much as wee know God so much wee obey him in our workes such as our knowledge is of him such is our obedience to him such is our righteousnesse and hereupon St. Iohn saith Hereby wee know 1 Iohn 2.3 that wee know him if wee keepe his Commandements Now wee cannot keepe his Commandements unlesse wee loue him for this is the loue of God 1 Ioh. 5. v. 3. that wee keepe his Commandements and wee cannot loue him unlesse we beleeue in Him Gal. 5.6 for faith worketh by loue and we cannot beleeue in Him unlesse wee know him and can say with the Apostle Scio cui credidi 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I haue beleeved That wee may be perfect wee must haue perfection two wayes Aquin. in Heb cap. 5. lect 2. saith Aquinas First secundùm intellectum in our understanding by being able to discerne and judge aright of things secondly secundùm affectum in our affection by charitie cleaving wholy to God For charitie is in a sort of as large extent as inherent righteousnesse being the fulfilling of the Law the mother of obedience and every good worke We are perfect in that wee haue faith hope and other vertues truely in some measure but in that we haue them not in full measure we are imperfect and so our perfection though true is still imperfect St. Paul said of himselfe he was not perfected Phil. 3.12 after in the fifteenth verse he calles himselfe perfect Fulg. de praedestin ad Monimum li. 10. Whereupon Fulgentius saith of him He was perfect by expectation of reward imperfect through wearisomenesse of the combat Hee was perfect in that with his minde he served the Law of God he was imperfect in that with his flesh he served the Law of sinne Thus it was in the chosen vessell of mercy much more in us in whom all our perfection is ever attended with many imperfections CHAP. XXXI Of perfect righteousnesse in this life more punctually and plainly AS all the lines in a Circle passing from the Circumference through the mediate meete in the Center So all the righteous workes of the Saints proceeding from grace through faith are terminated and meeâ—e in the Center of Gods glorie 1 Cor. 10.31 according to that precept of the Apostle Doe all to theglorie of God and surely to doe so is true perfection Now every thing is perfect saith Aquinas Aquin. in Philip cap. 3. lect 2. in such sort as it doth adhere to the perfection thereof but our ultimate perfection is God and his glory now to referre all our actions totally and actually to God and his glorie is perfectio patriae the perfection of our heavenly Countrie and not to be found in any man on earth saue in Christ onely who in the dayes of his flesh was both Viator and Comprehensor both in the state of grace and state of glory But Aquin. â—bâ— supra as Aquinas saith againe to apply our hearts in nothing unto that which is against God and referre our whole life habitually unto God is perfectio viae that perfection of us way-faring pilgrims ☞ ad quam omnes tenentur ex necessitate salutis whereunto all are bound upon necessitie of salvation No man doth actually referre his whole life unto God and his glorie Eccles 7.20 James 3.2 for there is noman just an earth which doth good and sinneth not and in many things wee all offend David and St. Peter and other holy men of God had their faults and errors and yet were habitually righteous therefore remarkeable is that excellent observation of St. Ambrose Divina justicia Denitune justi ☞ Ambr. in Luc. cap. 1. ex mantir habitu non aliquo factor 〈…〉 God 〈…〉 measare the 〈◊〉 of the righteous by 〈…〉 minde not by some event of workes 〈…〉 none could be righteous none would 〈…〉 none could expect the reward of glory it is the triumphant Church which is all faire and there is no â—â—â—â—â—ish in hen There fore howsoever the perfectists conâ—â—â—iue of it it is most true which St. Augustine writeth Aug. de eccl dogm cap. 85. Nullus sanctus justus caret peceato thee tamen hoc desinit esse sanctus justus 〈…〉 no just and holy man is 〈…〉 sildae never the lesse he doth nick cease to be holy and just seting in affection he retaines sanctitis So that still a man may be habitually righteous who is not without all error and actuall prevarication To loue and affect holinesse is a degree of holinesse as to desire and endeavour to be perfect is a degree of perfection according to that in St. Bernard Bern. ad Garin Abb. ep 254. Studere perfectioni perfectio est to study to be perfect is perfection Luther writes of one Staupitius a godly learned man that he vowed a