Therefore seeing God is altogether so just in his own Nature that he cannot but hate Sin and on the contrary Man is so wholly drowned in sin that in every good work according to the Opinion of Luther the Saints themselves also do sin in this so great dissimilitude of things that are opposite to one another how can it be that Infinite Holiness can be joyned by any Communion with Man if he is such a one as Luther describes him For so Osorius from things well said by Luther but badly understood by him and worse wrested for the occasion of cavilling doth very ill argue not because it is true but because it seems so to him But let us first oppose the frivolous Objection and then let us take Luther's part as well as we can against the cruel Incursions of his Adversaries And first indeed it cannot be denied that Iustice and Sin are repugnant to one another by the most contrary opposition Likewise we must confess that it is no less true that all impurity of sin is hateful and abominable to God For the Anger of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who ditain the Truth in unrighteousness as the Apostle speaks very evidently Which being so what remains then but that the Life of the Godly should either be free of all sin in this World as Osorius contends or if that cannot be as Luther affirms all must be liable to the Wrath of God I answer with the Apostle Paul That indeed would follow unless there comes a Mediatour who may interpose himself against the Anger of God in the sinners behalf who may satisfie for sin who may obtain pardon who may mollifie the rigour of Iustice yea who may transpose all the Iudgment given against the guilty upon himself and that now he himself may be Iudge of the Cause who is the forgiver of the Crime For so we hear in the Gospel My Father judgeth no man but hath given all Iudgment to the Son And again All things are delivered unto me by Father All which benefits seeing we receive from Christ the most bountiful Mediatour in such plenty as exceeds all belief there is no cause O Osorius why in such great abundance of grace you should press us with such strict weights of Iustice as if we were now under the Law and not under Grace But how much more agreeable would it be both to your Duty and Salvation that you should by a submission common to you and us give place to the Grace of God and acknowledge the benefits of the Mediatour and apply your self with all gratitude of mind to his everlasting praises that are worthy to be celebrated through all Generations Therefore that we may expedite a matter not very difficult in a few words Whereas you say sin is hateful to God nothing is more true But it is one thing to speak of sin and another thing to speak of Man that is a sinner he indeed hates sin and the Physician also hates the disease but yet not so that he should destroy the diseased person but that he should heal him Concerning which thing if you do not trust me hear Augustin he is not a God that condemns some sins and justifies and praises other sins He praises none but hates all as a Physician hates the disease and by curing endeavours to drive away the disease So God by his Grace procures that sin is consumed in us But how is it consumed It is diminished in the life of them that are going on to Perfection it shall be consumed in the life of the perfect c. The Assertion of Luther against Osorius concerning the Sins of the Saints is defended I Come now to Luther whom you reproach after such an unworthy manner and with such shameful slanders yea and lyes so tragically Why so to wit because he durst accuse the Saints themselves of sin which seems to you so execrable a wickedness as if no greater reproach could be cast not only on holy men themselves but also on the Author and Prince of all Holiness You may upon the same account cast reproaches in like manner upon Hierom Augustin and Bernard and other most approved Writers of the Primitive Times Whom you must either by necessary consequence absolve with Luther or not condemn Luther without them Seeing there is none of all these that thought this Title of Honour should be attributed to any man but Christ only that he should be wholly without all stain of sin No but Luther say you pleads that all mortal men though confirmed in Faith are yet in a state of sinning and that sin is lively also in the Saints even so long as they live by Faith and also he profeses that the same do sin in every good work And what hath any man said or done so rightly but it may be depraved by relating it wrong especially when calummy makes the Interpretation That which Luther asserts concerning the sins of the Saints if the words be suitably weighed with the state of the Question there is no offence in it As if it be asked whether the works of the Regenerate should be called good in this Life or sins Luther denies not that the pious deeds of the Regenerate are good but affirms this very thing That they are good in the sight of God and pleasing to him which comes not to pass upon the account of the work it self but upon the account of Faith and a Mediatour for whose sake the pious endeavours of his own are pleasing to God and their begun obedience though it is otherways of its own nature imperfect Therefore this is not the Controversie whether the Regenerate by the help of the Grace of God can do any thing in this Life piously and commendably Neither is this the Controversie whether the absolute Grace of God in the Regenerate is able to perform this that their work should be free of all sin But whether the Grace of God in this flesh furnishes any of the Regenerate with so great a power of perfecting Righteousnns that any work of his is so compleat and perfect if it be examined according to the Rule of the Divine Law that it needs no Pardon nor Mediatour But if it needs Mercy then it is necessarily joyned with pollution and sin so that now the Praise belongs to the Mediatour and not to Man to Imputation not to Action to Grace not to Merit to Faith not to Works that God accepts of the Works of the Regenerate and most holy men Neither is the rectitude of our good things any thing else but the forgiveness of God and the remission of his just severity Whence the Apostle rightly concludes that those who are of the Works of the Law not speaking of evil works but the most perfect Works are under the Curse and upon this account it is true which Luther says that a righteous man sins in every
Church which they by a false Name boast to be Catholick which broaches amongst the common People these so great monsters of errours and tares of Opinions defends them in Schools Preaches them in Churches which sends forth into the midst of us such Dogmatists and Artificers of deceits who not only corrupt the small Veins and Rivulets of sincere Doctrine but also proceed to the Fountains themselves and Invalidate the Foundations of Apostolick Institution and cut and tear the very sinews of the simple verity For what greater injury can be done to the Scriptures of God What more cruel against the Grace of Christ what more Hostile against the mind of Paul and more gross against the soundness of the Christian Faith can be said or devised than what those Roman Potters have contributed by their commentitious deceits to the plague and ruine of the Christian Common-wealth For what may we judge should be hoped for concerning the common Religion the Sins of every one and the state of the Christian Common-wealth if the matter come to this that this largeness of Evangelical mercy being taken away or contracted we must be called back again to the account of good Works Concerning the Vertue and Efficacy of Divine Grace a more enlarged dispute against the Adversaries Answering their Objections BUT Those Men will deny that they detract any thing from the Grace of God yea they say that this is the common Sin of the Lutherans not theirs because all that they drive at is to maintain the mercy of God and to celebrate it with due praises Why so I pray for what say they Do not the Pious Works of the Saints please God Well and what next Should not the same Works having proceeded from God himself the Author be referred to his bounty and mercy Why not Now then Catholick Reader receive a conclusion Roman Catholick enough as I suppose Therefore he 〈◊〉 detracts from good works wrought by Christ 〈◊〉 from the Grace and Mercy of God Well said but pray who detracts from those Who denies good Works which Christ living and dwelling in us Works to be good Works Does any Man take away due praise and dignity from those Now Hosius talks Osorius pleads Andradius crys out that the Lutherans do it eagerly Why so I beseech you Because they do not attribute unto the performance of good Works the Salvation that is due to them but translate it to Faith only What then such as do not attribute Salvation to good Works should they be therefore supposed to attribute nothing to Works or to cast reproach upon the grace of God On the contrary they that detract the promise of Eternal Life from the Christian Faith Shall they be accounted Friends to Grace By the same reason we may turn Light into Darkness and Darkness into Light Let Christ remain in his Sepulcher let Moses rise again to be Iudge of the Living and the Dead But now what Arguments do they rely upon in disputing thus Because say they Works of Righteousness flow from the Fountain of Divine Grace But what Is not Faith in Christ the Mediatour as singular a gift of God and does it not proceed from the Election of Divine Grace But now let us hear an Argument more than Catholick Argument Ma. We are justified by the Grace of God only Mi. Our good Works have their rise from the Grace of God only Con. Therefore all our Iustification consists in good Works The deceit of this Paralogism must be drawn forth And again the word Grace must be explained Which is taken one way in the major and another way in the minor for there it is taken for mercy and the free good will of God whereby he hath redeemed us freely whereby he loves us in Christ Iesus and forgives us our Sins and whereby also he imparts his Spirit and Life Eternal to us And this is peculiarly called Grace of forgiveness of which the writings of the Apostles speak aloud in many places It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And again Sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace And what the same Apostle cites out of a Psalm Blessed are they whose Iniquities are forgiven and whose Sins are covered c. And also that which elsewhere he testified very evidently They are justified freely by his Grace moreover that none should be uncertain what is understood by the word Grace presently subjoining and as it were explaining himself he infers next By the Redemption which is in Christ Iesus But what other thing does this adding of Redemption signifie but the Remission of all Sins That this may be the Argument We are justified by that Grace whereby we are redeemed But Grace by renewing us doth not redeem us Therefore we are not justified by Grace renewing us I come now to the minor in which the word grace is taken otherways than in the major For there it is put for remission or redemption here for renovation That is for the effectual energy of the Divine Inspiration in communicating Gifts and Endowments wherewith he afterwards adorns those whom first he hath justified Whence arises a twofold manner of distinguishing Grace according to the twofold diversity of effects on this side and on that side of which one consists in the remission of evil Works the other in the operation of good Works And that is called pardoning Grace and this is called renewing Grace From the one whereof proceeds the Salvation and the Iustification of the Ungodly and from the other come the good Works of the Godly and yet those are not full nor perfect Therefore I answer the Argument proposed which hath more errours than one Moreover it is made up of mere particulars Also in the minor contrary to the manner of Disputants the case is changed whereas the same case should be kept that goes before in the major and the minor should follow thus But our good Works are by the grace of God only or at least in the major the same case of the minor should have been kept after this manner Our Iustification arises twice from the grace of God Therefore all our Iustification flows from good Works So that the true nature of this Pseudosyllogism belongs not to the first but the second figure simply concluding both affirmatively and also most absurdly just as if a Man should argue thus Our corporeal Nature was made of the slime of the Earth Earthen-Pots are made of the slime of the Earth therefore our corporeal Nature was made of Earthen-Pots What need is there of words Whatsoever way these Men form their Argument or reform it they shall never be able to prove that the works of the Law whether such as we our selves have wrought or such as the Divine Grace works in us do contain in themselves any cause of Salvation For
without any disadvantage to our Cause For suppose we grant that Faith is Dead which is not moved with a desire of doing good Works according to the saying of St. Iames yet it doth not therefore follow from hence that no Faith Iustifies without Works From which two things do follow worthy of consideration First That no Faith justifies that is not lively And next though it abounds in good Works and never is without them yet it only without Works Iustifies This will appear evident by the Example of St. Paul Who though he was not conscious to himself of any Wickedness yet he durst not affirm himself to be thereby Iustified I think nothing hinders but the whole Argument may be yielded unto if so be the terms are rightly placed The Adversaries gather out of the Apostle Iames that Faith is dead which is without Works and herein we do not much oppose them But what follows from hence Therefore as they say dead Faith without Works doth not justifie And I deny it not But what Conclusion flows from this manner of Arguing Therefore only Faith doth not justiste Why so If no Faith but that which is lively justifies and if it receives Life only from Works then this is the consequence that Faith justifies only upon the account of good Works I Answer First though we grant it is true that the Faith which justifies us in the sight of God is lively and always joyned with a Godly Life Yet that this Faith justifies and reconciles us no other ways but upon the account of good Works is most false For this is not a good consequence from the premises Because Faith is not alone in the Life of the Believer therefore Faith is not alone in the Office of justifying Or because the Faith that justifies is not a dead but a lively Faith therefore it doth not justifie alone without Works For herein is a fallacy of the Consequence But you may object Whence then is Faith said to be lively and not Dead but from Works Which if it be so of necessity it must draw all its Life and Vertue from Works Nay the matter is quite contrary For though in the sight of Men Faith is not discerned to be Lively and Vigorous but by Works yet Faith receives not Life from Works but rather Works from Faith As Fruits draw their Life and Sap from the Root of the Tree but not the Root from them Iust so external actions proceed from Faith as the Root which if they be good they evidence the Root to be sound and lively and this is all they do but they communicate no Life thereunto And this Life and Vertue of Faith is not one but Twofold And it acteth partly in Heaven and partly in Earth If you ask what it doth amongst Men upon Earth It does good to its Neighbour working by Love But before God in Heaven it justifies the Ungodly not by Love but by the Son of God whom it only lays hold of Therefore those Men seem not to have got a clear insight into the Vertue and Nature of the Grace of Faith that suppose the whole Life thereof to consist in Love as if Faith of it self could do nothing but as it receives Vertue and Efficacy from Charity Indeed both may seem to be true in the External Actions of Human Life in which Faith lyes like a dead thing unless it be enlivened by Charity to the exercise of good Works And hereunto belongs that saying of Paul whereby he so much commends Faith working by Love understanding such Works as Faith working by Love brings forth to the view of a Human Eye Yet with God Faith hath a far different operation for it only without any reliance upon Works or assistance of Charity but trusting to the naked promise of God and the dignity of the Mediatour climbs up to Heaven and gets access into the presence of God where it does great and wonderful things combating with the Iudgment to come fighting against the terrours of Death Satan and Hell pleads the cause of a Sinner obtains his pardon absolves and justifies him from the accusations of a guilty Conscience takes away all Iniquity reconciles God to the Sinner appeases his wrath subdues the power of Death and the Devil and procures Peace yea and Paradise it self with theThief that had led a wicked Life and yet at Death was justified by Faith in the Redeemer Who would desire more or greater things And now so many and great things being done by Faith let us enquire After what manner it does them Not as it lives and works by Love but as it lives only by Christ and relies on the promise for the Life of Faith which lives before God is not Charity but Christ not receiving Life from Charity but communicating life unto it and justifying Works that they may be acceptable to God which would otherways be abominable Unto the truth of this we have a sufficient Testimony given us by Paul When he says my Life is Christ and again the Life that I now live in the Flesh I live not by the Love but by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me And elsewhere speaking of himself he says That he was not conscious to himself of any VVickedness and yet he denies that he is thereby Iustified as the same Apostle discoursing about the works of Abraham though they were never so Eminent for Holiness yet he saw nothing in them which that Great Patriarch might make a matter of Glorying before God Hereunto may be added the Arguments of others that have been strangely wrested out of Scriptures There are six Reasons principally which they pretend the Evangelists furnish them with against the Righteousness of Faith First they draw an Argument from these words of Christ Come ye blessed of my Father to the Kingdom prepared for you For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat Argument Da. That which is the cause of blessedness is also the cause of Iustification Whom he hath Iustified them he hath also Glorified c. Rom. 8. Ri. Works of Mercy are the cause of blessedness for I was an hungred and ye gave c. Mat. 25. I. Therefore Works of Mercy are the cause of Iustification Answer I deny the Minor For Works of Mercy as they are considered in themselves are not the cause of Iustification or blessedness but rather effects and furits of Iustification for they are no otherways pleasing to God but as they are performed by persons in a justified state and it is by the Faith of Christ that they become acceptable For unless Faith go before and justifie the person of him that worketh his works are not at all regarded by God because they do not satisfie the Law of God being tainted with the corruption of depraved Nature and come far short of that perfection which Divine Iustice requires Wherefore if we will Reason aright about
after the spirit And to this purpose our Lord himself speaks though not in the same words Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven For what is it to do the Will of the Father but as Paul expresses it to walk not after the flesh but after the spirit In which place a perfect obedience to the whole Law is not required to Iustification but the meaning of our Lord's words is this that he requires a Faith which is not counterfeit nor hypocritical but upright and sincere which doth not only outwardly and with the mouth make mention of the name of the Lord or the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord as the Pharisees and Hypocrites did of old but heartily endeavours to walk in the fear of God and though it cannot perform all things commanded in the Law yet it strives as much as in it lies to shun all things that are contrary to the Will of God that at least sin may not have the dominion if it cannot be wholly excluded or rooted out Thus I understand these words of Christ To do the Will of his Father which is in Heaven For God requires us to do his Will but does not exact a compleat perfection of Obedience in this Mortal Life On the contrary he that makes an outward shew of Faith and an external profession of the Name of Christ whilst he takes no care to lead a Life suitable to his profession but runs on in sins against his Conscience it is certain that such a Faith according to the saying of Christ profits him nothing though he boast in the Name of the Lord as much as he will not that Faith without Works doth not justifie before God provided it be true and not counterfeit that is if it is received into a heart truly humbled as seed into good ground But because that Faith which doth not provoke unto Love and good Works though it may be boasted of at a high rate yet in reality it is no Faith at all but only a shadow and false resemblance of Faith And the same Answer may serve for all their Arguments which they have wrested out of the Sermons of Christ in the Gospel to defend their Doctrine of Iustification by Works Of which sort are these next following Argument Matth. 7. Many shall say to me in that day Lord we have prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name we have cast out Devils and in thy Name we have done many mighty works Then shall I profess unto them I know you not depart from me ye that work iniquity From these words they draw this Argument Ce. Whosoever is rejected of Christ is not justified La. Every one that works iniquity though he hath the Faith of Miracles is rejected of Christ. Rent Therefore he that works iniquity tho' he hath Faith he is not justified Or thus We are approved by Christ after the same manner that we are justified By Works ofRighteousness we are approved of Christ. Therefore by Works of Righteousness we are justified Answer I answer to the first The Minor must be understood with a distinction He that works iniquity is taken two manner of ways in Scripture Sometimes godly men work iniquity and likewise wicked men for both of them sin but they differ in their manner of working iniquity Godly men commit many things which they hate and which are truly sins But because they delight not in them in their inner man but in their love to Christ they endeavour with all their might to return unto God by Repentance God doth not impute their sins to them wherefore those sins that are done away by remission are not reckoned for sins But the case is far otherways in those that are wholly bent upon the fulfilling of the lusts of the flesh and continue in them with delight and satisfaction And unto them belongs that sentence of Christ whereby he commands all that work iniquity to depart from him As touching the second Argument it is a fallacy a non causa pro causa as we call it if our Vertues were of sufficient efficacy to merit the Grace of God there would be some ground for that which they infer Now our Works being such as have always need of Mercy and never satisfie the Law of God nor bring Peace to the Conscience nor support us under the stroke of Death or the weight of Iudgment How evidently doth it hence appear what we should answer to this Argument Good Works are pleasing to God I grant their assumption But first the person must please God and be reconciled to him that so his works may please and be acceptable for the person being once reconciled the works from thence derive their dignity I acknowledge therefore that works of Piety are pleasing to God but yet only as they are performed by persons reconciled and justified But if the manner how they that do good works are reconciled be enquired into they do not obtain Reconciliation by works but before all merits of works for works go not before him that is to be justified as a cause thereof but always as an effect follow him that is justified As fruits if they be good they receive their goodness from the Tree whence they grow but they are not the cause why the Tree is good So in like manner we grant with Augustine that the righteous have great merits But it comes not from their merits but from another caufe that they are righteous So Iacob was beloved of God before he had done either good or evil What did David before he was anointed King to deserve so great a dignity The same may be said of Abraham of whom we read in sacred Records how great things were promised to him when first he was called away from his Fathers house But the Scripture gives us no account of any merits of his as if thereby he had Right unto so great preferments What shall I say of Adam did he not first lose Paradise before he received the promise of recovery And God had respect unto the Sacrifice of Abel What is your Opinion concerning this Did the worth of his Oblation procure him this favour Or shall we say there was some other thing that made his person acceptable to God before he had any regard to his Sacrifice If you cast your Eyes about upon all the Histories of the holy Scripture and take a view of all the Generations of the People of Israel when God in his great goodness did bear with all the provocations of that People can you discern any thing in their works that merited so great long-suffering and patience or should we say that it was only for the sake of Christ that was to be born of that Nation In like manner it may be said of the Church which though it hath been
in so many dangers and compassed about with so many troubles and snares yet it continues firm notwithstanding all this opposition in spite of the very Gates of Hell Wherefore is it thus Is it for its own merits or should we account the Grace and Power of Christ to be the only procuring cause thereof and no strength nor merit of ours Now it is evident to every reasonable man that the same thing which is the cause of Preservation is also the cause of Salvation to the Church which consists not in our Works but only in the Faith of Christ and his free Bounty An Argument out of St. Iames. Not the hearers of the Law but the doers shall be justified Not the hearer of the Law but the doer shall be blessed Iames 1. Mat. He that heareth my words and doth them c. Therefore not Faith only but Deeds do justifie I answer The Argument may be granted if the Minor be rightly added with the Inference which we shall set down here that the Argument may appear in its perfect form He is righteous that by deeds fulfils the Law No man by deeds fulfils the Law in this life Therefore no man is justified by deeds in this life The Minor is evident by the Authority of the same Apostle Iames Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and offend in one thing is guilty of all There is none in the Land of the Living but fails in some thing Iames 2. Yea there is no man that offends not in many things Therefore no man in this life fulfils the Law of God no not Iames himself Let us now consider the words of Christ that are cited out of the Gospel He that heareth my words and doeth them c. Who doth not clearly apprehend the mind of Christ in these words for it is manifest that his design was to rebuke the counterfeit pretences of Hypocrites and thereby to stir up the minds of his own Disciples to the power of Godliness and sincerity in their profession which he doth in more than one place and not without weighty reasons For as nothing is more detestable so nothing is more usual than for false Hypocrites to be covered with a Vizard of Holiness who having no experimental knowledge of the things which they profess nor drawn unto God by Effectual Calling nor taught by his Spirit being ignorant of God and strangers to the practice of Holiness do make a great shew amongst all men outwardly pretending to that which they are not indeed but would seem to be who take little or no care at all to be any way instrumental for the Glory of God But their chief endeavours are to encrease their gain and satisfie their ambitious desires that they may be great in this World and get applause and renown amongst men Such a frame of spirit is in most Hypocrites But the great searcher of hearts who looks into every dark corner of the Soul and discerns all the most hidden imaginations is not unacquainted with their Hypocrisie and there is nothing more abominable unto him Therefore our Lord in giving Instructions of Piety to his Disciples strictly commands that such as take upon them the profession of Faith in his Name should not only make shew of it in words or account it enough to encline their Ears to his Doctrine but also practise it in their Lives and endeavour as much as in them lies to walk suitable to their profession By what I have said it may evidently appear that these words do not express the way how we are justified but they only declare what manner of men they ought to be who are Iustified and have obtained a right to the Heavenly Inheritance by Faith and free Grace Another Argument The Foolish Virgins were shut out of Heaven not because they wanted Faith but because they neglected taking Oyl in their Vessels Mat. 25. The same appears in the slothful Servant Therefore The Kingdom of Heaven is due to good Works and not to Faith Answer The Consequence must be denied For this is the true consequence thereof Therefore Men are justly shut out of Heaven for Evil deeds and Impiety For though a slothful and lazy Servant ought to be shut out of the House yet it doth not therefore follow that the Inheritance must needs be due to him that faithfully and diligently performs his duty The Kingdom of Heaven is given to faith not to duties by way of gift not by way of bargain not for merits but freely And though faith in the mean while is not idle but diligently exercises it self in the ways of Holiness yet the possession of this great benefit should not therefore be attributed unto Works suppose an adopted Son in managing well his Father's Goods shews himself a faithful Steward in his Father's House is not his Father's Inheritance bestowed upon him of free gift notwithstanding all this care and industry Moreover that is not true which is denied in the Antecedent that the foolish Virgins were not shut out for want of Faith For had they had true Faith they would not have wanted provision of Oyl For Faith that is lively cannot be slothful Therefore in Scripture these Epithets are given to Faith 1. That it is true and not feigned 2. It is sure and not wavering 3. One and not diverse 4. Lively and not dead 5. Great 6. Fervent and not luke warm 7. Laborious and not Idle 8. Strong 9. Couragious and not fearful 10. Stable and not unconstant Another Objection taken out of Iohn 5. They that have done good shall come forth unto the Resurrection of Life and they that have done evil unto the Resurrection of Damnation and again Rom. 2. Every Man shall be rewarded according to his Works The Argument of the Adversaries taken out of Ioh. 5. Rom. 2. Therefore the Salvation or Destruction of Men depend on their Works and not Faith only If any Man desires to see this Argument in a Syllogistical term he may take it thus There is no Iustification without Works where there is a reward given according to Works The Iudgment of God rewards according to VVorks Therefore there is no Iustification in the Iudgment of God without VVorks Answer As there is nothing more sure than the Words of Peter in which he affirms that Christ is appointed Iudge of the Living and the Dead so also that is a truth which is asserted by Paul That we must all appear before his Iudgment Seat who will render to every Man according to that which he hath done whether Good or Evil. Therefore you say Not Faith but Works do justifie which are the procuring cause either of Salvation or Destruction But this is not the consequence of the Words of the Apostle nor the sense of that Scripture But if we Reason according to the mind of the Holy Ghost in these places of Scripture we must rather draw
these consequences from them Seeing such a Iudgment is approaching as will bring every one to render an account of their Lives therefore no Man should flatter himself with hopes that any of his offences either in words or deeds will go unpunished but every Man should so frame his Life that Faith and Holiness may be jointly united together and not separated from one another And this is a truth which many now a days have need to be admonished of not only Papists but also Protestants who make profession of the Name and Faith of Christ but yet notwithstanding they so behave themselves as if they thought an-outside shew of Religion were sufficient and as if they did not look for Iudgment to come they are so void of care to walk worthy of that Holy profession giving themselves up against their Conscience to all uncleaness with greediness whereby they both greatly provoke the wrath of God and put themselves in dreadful danger of the loss of Eternal Salvation Against such Men as run on into open wickedness without measure or remorse we may by better consequence draw this inference We must appear all of us before the Iudgment seat of God where account will be taken of all the Actions and Practice of our Lives Therefore let every one that hath regard to his own Salvation endeavour according to his power to lead a Life suitable to his Profession and without Hypocrisie to join a good Conscience with a good Faith For the word of Truth hath told us They that have done Evil shall come forth unto the Resurrection of Damnation But are such Scriptures contrary to Iustification by Faith in such as together with the profession of faith in Christ joyn the fruits of Obedience which though it is not perfect upon all accounts yet it is yielded in sincerity and uprightness of Heart according to their weak power and capacity Which though it comes far short of the compleat perfection of the Law yet nevertheless our Iustification is full and perfect in the sight of God For what is defective in our Works he supplies by his own imputation thro' faith in his Son which Faith is imputed to us for Righteousness not for our working but for our believing for though the abominable rebellion of wicked Men who walk not after the Spirit but after the flesh brings upon them the Iudgment of Condemnation yet this continues to be a truth The Iust shall live by Faith And he that believeth in me shall never perish But you may say The Sentence of the Iudge remains evident and uncontroulable which promises the Resurrection of Life to them that lead a Godly Life I answer It is very true which the Lord says but the conclusion drawn from hence is very false For in these Words Christ joyning the Fruit and the Tree Persons and things together gives the comfortable hope of Eternal Life unto his own Servants who according to their power labour diligently in the Gospel Not thereby determining what their Works deserve but shewing with how many and great rewards he will crown their labours who have suffered any thing for his Name But those Men contrariways arguing from the concrete to the abstract and dividing things from persons conclude amiss by this Enthymema They that are believers in Christ exercising themselves diligently in all Holiness shall be received into Eternal Life Therefore Good Works are the cause of Eternal Life To this I may make a brief and easie Answer Answer I deny the consequence for it is a Fallacy a non causa pro causa for in the antecedent the works of the godly are brought in as effects but in the conclusion as a cause whence there is no sound conclusion from the concrete to the abstract For it is no rational arguing because believers living Holily receive the gift of Eternal Life therefore their deeds merit Eternal Life Iust as if a Man should reason on this manner a Wife being Obedient to her Husband is admitted to be a partaker of all his Goods Therefore her Obedience is worthy of a share in all his Possessions A Son being Obedient to his Father is received for his Heir therefore his Obedience deserves the Inheritance VVorks are evidences of faith in Christ but not the cause of Salvation Iust as a Tree that brings forth Fruit if it hath any goodness in it receives it not from the Fruit but the Fruit hath all its goodness from the Tree In like manner the works of the Godly have nothing that they can claim a right unto in Iudgment If they find any favour or reward that is not due to them but partly to Mercy and partly to Imputation for the sake of the Mediatour to Mercy which pardons Evil deeds to Imputation which puts a great value upon good VVorks though of very little worth in themselves and crowns them with rewards So that all the praise belong not to Men but to God Not to Righteousness but Grace not to Works but Faith not to Iudgment but Mercy But you will say Shall we not all come to Iudgment Must we not all appear before the Tribunal of God It is true we shall all come But Augustin tells us of a twofold Iudgment one of condemnation and another of discretion whereby the Goats shall be separated from the Lambs and not Lambs condemned with the Goats It is an Article of my faith that we shall all of us come to Iudgment but I do hope the Elect of God will not come into the Iudgment of Condemnation And here we must carefully distinguish between the Lambs and the Goats between those that are united to Christ by Faith and the damned crew of Unbelievers For though in this just Iudgment of God every one shall give account to God of all their Works And there is no doubt but a reward will be given suitable to every man's Works but in a far different manner to the one and the other For they who seek for Salvation not by Faith nor the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness only but by the Works of the Law they shall receive a reward according to the desert of their deeds upon this condition that they shall live by the Sentence of the Law if they fulfil the Law as they ought but if not what else must they expect but that according to the just Decree of the Law no violation thereof should be found so small as not to make the sinner liable to Condemnation and justly so For he that hath no power in himself to obtain Righteousness and is not willing to receive it when it is offered by another if he suffer the punishment due to his sins let him not accuse the Law of unjustice but himself of unbelief On the contrary they that by sincere Faith are converted unto Christ if they have committed any evil thing for who among the holiest that is can run through his Race without a fall Their sins
heads for joy of the approaching Redemption and yet dares Canisius command us to hang them down for fear of Iudgment Doth Paul promote the Saints unto so high a pitch of dignity that he places them on the Seat of Iudgment together with Christ. as his Assessours and Assistants And yet must Canisius thrust the godly down as low as the ungodly to render a strict account of all the transactions of their Lives The holy Spirit in the Souls of Believers with fervency breaths after Christ crying Come Lord Iesus come quickly Should Canisius then endeavour to quench those holy desires by unbelief and distrustful fears The Sacred Writings of the holy Apostles call the Spirit of the Saints a Spirit not of bondage to fear but a Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father and yet hath Canisius the Iesuit the impudence to call back the Saints from a Spirit of Liberty to a slavish Spirit of Bondage Is this any society with Iesus Paul desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ. All Believers in Christ desire the same being afflicted in this Life For all that desire to live godly in Christ Iesus shall suffer Persecution in this present evil World The Souls of them that were slain under the Altar are greatly longing for the coming of this Iudgment But as for Canisius he would persuade us to be afraid of this day and not to wish for it and love it as the Apostle Paul teaches us Iohn in the Revelation bids us rejoyce because the Marriage of the Lamb is approaching but the Iesuit bids us mourn The Lamb's Wife cloaths her self in fine Linnen in token of her joy but Canisius would have her cloathed in Sackcloth Nevertheless I deny not the truth of that which he gathers out of Bernard Gregory and Augustin concerning the dreadful severity of this Iudgment than which I know that nothing can be more terrible to them that seek Salvation by the Righteousness of the Law without flying to Christ for refuge But on the other side we ought not to abate the comfort nor discourage the fiducial reliance of Believers in Christ who are planted in him by Faith Though they acknowledge their own imperfections yet they strive against them and endeavour daily according to their power to make some progress in Holiness And therefore as there is nothing in their good Works whereof they may boast So also there is nothing in their evil Works being now forgiven which they have cause to fear Let us now proceed to the other Arguments of the Adversaries Argument If there are no merits of Works then that saying is false Thou shalt render to every one according to his Works But the Consequent is false therefore also the Antecedent The Minor hath been answered already by making a distinction of persons For there being a twofold sort of men to wit Such as are in Christ and such as are out of Chrst there must be a different Iudgment made of the one and the other First Those that are in Christ being united unto him by Faith the Iudgment of God uses to begin with them in this Life As touching the Life to come the Lord hath made this Promise concerning every Believer He shall not come into Iudgment but hath passed from Death to Life Secondly Suppose we grant that the Elect of God shall be called to Iudgment the account that they shall then make will be very easie who have Christ for their Righteousness Whence it follows by necessary consequence that this Iudgment will be to them a Iudgment not of Condemnation but of Absolution Thirdly Sentences of the Law belong properly to them that are under the Law but as for such as are regenerate by Faith in Christ because they are not under the Law but under Grace the Law hath no dominion over them Fourthly Whereas it is said That every man shall receive according to his works those works are either good or evil If good they are good upon the account of Faith only for what is not of Faith is sin and so they are beyond all danger But if evil either they are forgiven or not forgiven If they are forgiven through Faith and Repentance they are not called to Iudgment If not forgiven it is because they want Faith and so they are the works of the Unregenerate Whence it follows that this Iudgment of Condemnation doth not at all belong to them that are regenerate by Faith but them that are unregenerate Another Objection That place in Mat. 22. concerning the wedding garment is objected The King entring into the Marriage Feast saw a man not having on the wedding garment c. I wonder what those Papists can find in this place of Scripture to cover the shame of their own nakedness when there is nothing that less advantages their cause or weakens it more The wedding garment say they signifies Charity from whence they form this Argument They that have on the wedding garment are admitted to the Marriage Feast Charity only is the wedding garment Therefore they that are adorned with Charity are admitted to the heavenly Marriage Feast An Explication of the Parable of the Wedding Garment THE Minor must be denied Though works of Charity are of no small advantage to adorn and beautifie faith in the exercise fo Civilty and Morality yet a Garment suitable to the Heavenly Marriage-feast cannot be made of such Cloth but of other Materials What that is whereof this Garment must be made Paul the Apostle teaches us Put on the Lord Iesus Christ. And again whosever of you are Baptized ye have put on Christ. Because we put not on him by Charity but by Faith only Therefore faith is the Garment made white with the Blood of the Lamb which Cloaths us for this Marriage-feast not Charity nor the filthy ragged apparel of our Works Which that it may appear the more evident let us diligently consider both the Parable and the signification thereof First He that compares our great happiness in Christ to a Marriage-feast How could he more significantly set forth that which is the most joyful of all things For what is more joyful or suitable to Mirth than a Marriage-feast Where all things resound with Ioy and Dancing where there is no sign of Sorrow where no Lamentation is heard no Tear is seen yea all Tears are wiped away from the Eyes Unhappy is he that partakes not of the great felicity and unspeakable Ioy of this blessed Marriage-feast He that unworthily dishonours it deserves to be abhorred and he that disgraces it with Sackcloth and Ashes or any other Garment and comes to it without the wedding-garment is not worthy to enjoy so great a blessedness Now consider besides the joyfulness of the time the greatness of the benefit both which are Infinite and Eternal For as there is no firmer nor nearer Bond amongst Men than that of Marriage So nothing is more Divine
whole Wherefore there can be no surer demonstration that Faith only justifies than is held forth in these very words of the Sacrament whereby the flesh and blood of Christ is represented in that holy Banquet under the similitude of Bread and Wine Another Argument Unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Therefore not Faith only but also Works of Righteousness exalt us to the Kingdom of Heaven I answer By these words the Lord gives us serious Instruction what manner of lives they ought to live that are justified But he doth not thereby signifie what is the proper cause of Iustification one Iudgment should be made of the causes of things and another of their effects If you enquire for the cause of Iustification the Lord hath resolved that doubt Thy Faith hath saved thee This is Life eternal that they should know thee the only true God and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent In like manner Paul expressed himself If thou confess the Lord Iesus with thy mouth and believe with thy heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved But if you enquire what manner of lives they ought to live that make sincere profession of the Faith of Christ we are taught in this place and many other sayings of Scripture that they ought to differ much from the lives of the Scribes and Pharisees to wit that they who are created in Christ Iesus should behave themselves without a Pharisaical Vizard of external Holiness or a proud conceitedness of their own Righteousness but that they should be adorned and beautified with sincerity and uprightness of mind and persevere in the practice of good Works which God hath prepared that we should walk in them he said not that we should be justified by them but that being justified by his Grace we should walk in them bringing forth fruits worthy of our Vocation Another Argument Every Tree that bears not good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire Luke 3. Therefore Faith only is not sufficient to Salvation without Repentance I acknowledge the Divine Authority of that Prophecy which is true as it is generally known to all that have heard of the Gospel For who would endure an Unfruitful Tree that cumbers the ground and beares either no Fruit at all or such as is hurtful to the Husbandman But suppose it brings forth good Fruit and beautiful to look upon I would ask them whether the abundance of Fruit be the cause or whether it is not rather the demonstration of the Tree's Fruitfulness and whether the Fruits do not rather receive their growth from the Root whence they come Therefore if Repentance is reckoned amongst Fruits it doth not make the Man in whom it receives its first beginning perfect and good but only evidences what manner of Man he is now and hath formerly been For unless a wicked Life had gone before no Repentance had followed after Moreover Repentance could do no good unless Faith be joyned therewith by which a broken hearted Sinner may get access to the Throne of Grace But you may say Are not grief and remorse for Evil deeds and resolutions to the contrary things very acceptable to God and are not only conducible to the amendment of former miscarriages but also a great cause of future Reformation I Answer The sorrow of an afflicted Conscience which we call Repentance is a lovely effect but it proceeds from an Evil cause yet I deny not that it is a very excellent thing and never too late but always acceptable to God if so be it is accompanied with Faith in Christ. Neither do I deny that by means thereof Men are deterred from their customary Evil courses and stirred up to the exercise of Vertue Which though we grant to be true what doth all this avail towards the justifying of a sinner from those Sins that he hath formerly committed If a Man hath transgressed the Laws of the Commonwealth and being arraigned before a Iudge is forced to give account of all the actions of his Life will it be enough for him to say I was in an errour or I repent of my fault Will fear of judgment or shame set a Man free from the condemnation due to sin unless the Righteousness of a bleeding Saviour apprehended by faith do interpose and ward off the stroke of Divine vengeance from the guilty Sinner Without shedding of Blood saith the Apostle there is no remission Now then if neither Holiness of Life nor Prayers nor Tears nor the Blood of all the Saints can avail any thing towards the mitigation of the bitterness of this Iudgment and the only remedy be the death of the only begotten Son of God what will your Repentance do in this case Indeed I acknowledge that the Scripture attributes much to Repentance and there are glorious promises annexed thereunto but two things must be considered here First Of how large an extent the Promises are and next to whom they do belong for there are some rewards given in this Life and others that are reserved for Life Eternal Verily Eternal Life which is the benefit of Redemption as it could not be purchased by any works of ours so likewise it is not promised as the reward of Repentance or if in any Scripture it seems to be so promised it is not simply upon the account of Repentance but for another cause To wit the faith of the worker and not the work it self Therefore these things should be put each of them in their own places and comprehended within their own bounds That it may be understood aright what Faith does and what Repentance and what efficacy is in both and how they are distinguished from one another and also how they being joyned together do contribute mutual assistance to one another in the Iustification of the Ungodly For though we deny not that both are very pleasing to God yet the one is acceptable to him one way and the other another way For faith is acceptable through Christ but Repentance only upon the account of Faith And it is also a certain truth that though by faith only as the procuring cause we obtain Iustification in the sight of God Yet this very faith doth not put forth its power of Iustifying upon any but penitent and broken-hearted Sinners and therefore in the Gospel we are so often invited to Repentance Not that it is not true faith only which justifies without Repentance but because faith if it be true justifies no others but them that have turned from their Sins in sincerity and are converted unto God by Repentance For such as have no trouble of Conscience nor sorrow for Sin but run on obstinately against their Conscience and continue in their Evil courses it is a vain thing for them to hope for Iustification by Faith whereof they falsely boast for all such stout-hearted Sinners
consists not in the Merits of Works but in Grace only and the Hope of Mercy unto which Men fly for refuge in their emptyness of Vertues as he speaks But let us proceed Another Argument Evil Works deserve Eternal Destruction Therefore Good Works Merit Eternal Life Answer Both are true indeed if you consider things in respect of the just rewards due unto them For as the vile Abominations of an Ungodly Life procure the Wrath and Vengeance of God so Works of Righteousness would procure his favour if we could perform good things with as great perfection as we do Evil things But because we cannot do that therefore of our selves we can deserve nothing according to the rules of Iustice but only Death and Damnation But now by the right of Redemption through Christ we are set free from the Law of Iustice and translated into the Kingdom of Grace by Vertue of a new Covenant whereby it comes to pass that God hath respect not to our Merits but only to Christ the price of our Redemption Therefore I answer That this opposition of contraries is of force according to the strict severity of the Law but not according to the Grace of the Gospel for here there is a block put in the way To wit The Blood of the Redeemer that frees us from the Law of Sin and Death Moreover the Argument from contraries avails not except the contraries are set equally in their full extent one against another Now Evil Works in us are perfectly Evil but good Works though assisted by Grace yet because of the refractary imperfection of the Flesh in the sight of God are imperfect at the best as they are performed by us Wherefore Hierom says The perfection of all Righteous Men in the Flesh is Imperfection Another Argument The Grace of Iustification is lost by Evil Works Therefore it is retained by good Works Answer By the same Answer the Fallacy of this Sophistical Argument is discovered because our Sins and Vertues are not equally contrary to one another But whereas it is said that the Grace of Iustification is retained by Obedience though this in some sense may be granted yet Iustification is not thereby procured Moreover when we say It is retained by Works that should not be so understood as if this were done for the Merit of the Actions but only for the sake of the Redeemer upon whose account first the person is accepted and afterwards the actions are well pleasing which otherways would be unclean and of no value They say that perseverance in Righteousness is lost by Evil Works But Evil Works as they are in us admit of a twofold consideration either as they are inherent in us as in all Saints thro' the infirmity of the Flesh and we presently rise up again by Repentance and Faith And such kind of Sins as Paul asserts shall not have dominion over us or in the next place as we give up our selves to Sin against our own Conscience that we may serve it and take a sinful delight therein But such a Sin can by no means consist with this Faith whereof Paul speaks which hath place in none but those that are turned from Sin and returned to God Another Argument Faith Iustifies Faith is a Work Therefore Works Iustifie Answer I Answer The Argument is faulty because the middle term is of a larger extent in the Major than in the Minor For Faith in the Major is taken correlatively for Christ or the Promise which is apprehended by Faith In the Minor it is taken only for a quality of the Mind as it is an act of our Will Otherways if Faith is taken in the Minor just as it is in the Major it is false and the Minor should be denied To wit That Faith is a Work Another Argument of the Iesuits If Faith only Iustifies it would Iustifie without Charity Faith doth not Iustifie without Charity Therefore Faith only doth not Iustifie Answer I may oppose unto this Argument another not unlike it that the Fallacy of the one may appear the more easily by the other Thus then by way of Instance a Man may infer If the heat of Fire only makes warm then it makes warm without light But the heat of Fire doth not make warm without light joyned therewith Therefore The heat of the Fire only doth not make warm I doubt not but by this mutual comparing of Arguments it appears evident to the Reader how like the one is to the other and consequently how he should judge thereof so that there is no need of any further Refutation For all things that are joyned and agree together in some respects are not therefore engaged in the same Office He that hath Feet Eyes and Ears though he hath not these Members in separation from one another yet it is an untruth if it is said That he sees not with his Eyes only or walks not with his Feet only Though I deny not that in the performance of those duties which belong to this Life Faith is not separated from Charity So if we look upward to things that are Divine and Eternal if we contemplate and view what that is which can help us at our appearance before the Dreadful Iudgment Seat of God and appease his Wrath and deliver us from Eternal Destruction and conquer Death and the Devil and regain the favour of God and Iustifie us and procure us the Crown of Life Faith only in the Mediatour doth so bear rule in these affairs and so fully performs all things requisite to our Salvation and Redemption that here Charity hath nothing to do for the Kingdom is not promised or due to you because you love this or that Neighbour after your manner but contrarily because you neither love God as you ought nor your Neighbour as your self therefore unavoidable destruction is due to you unless Faith only through the Mediatour should come in for your help and set you free from the condemnation due unto you notwithstanding your Charity Faith is so far from needing to be joyned with Charity for Iustification that unless Charity it self were justified by Faith it could not stand nor keep it self from falling to ruine and Destruction Of the like nature is that Argument which they wrest out of the Writings of the Apostle Paul An Argument out of 1 Cor. 13. If I have all Faith so that I can remove Mountains but have not Charity I am nothing Therefore Iustification comes by Faith and good Works Answer Erasmus did write in his Exposition on the Second Chapter of Iames Faith which is cold without Charity and puts not forth it self when the matter requires it is not Faith but only the Name of Faith c. They of Paris argue contray ways that Faith can be without Charity out of this place of Paul If I have all Faith so that I can remove Mountains Erasmus following Basil Interprets this Scripture on this manner That we should take this to
promulgation of the Law I would ask him What the Law is which if it is nothing but the Rule of Righteousness how can any man be just where there is no Law But what man was there ever in the World but he carried about with him the Law of God if not written in Tables yet written on his heart and engraven on his conscience But the Decalogue was not yet engraven on Tables of Stone But what was contained in the Moral Decalogue which that holy man did not already comprehend within his own heart both of loving God and his Neighbour of not Murthering of not committing Adultery or honouring Parents c. 3. As touching the scope of this Epistle how greatly is campian mistaken For who is so void of sense that he doth not clearly perceive that the drift of the Apostle is not that which those Iesuits dream of to attribute our Salvation or Iustification to any Works either going before or following after Neither was this Office of an Ambassadour committed unto him that he might contend with the Iews about Ceremonies or with the Gentiles about Moral Duties but as Peter was entrusted with the Apostleship of the Circumcision so also the Preaching of the Gospel to the Uncircumcision was committed unto Paul not that he should Preach the Law but the Faith which before he opposed Not that he might declare the Righteousness of Works in which there is no Salvation but that God by him might reveal his Son amongst the Gentiles and might manifest unto the World that heavenly Trophy and glad Tydings of Peace and Victory obtained in Heaven by Christ and spread abroad far and wide through the Churches the boundless riches of Divine Grace which he had experienced in himself For he was called for this purpose to the Apostleship that the infinitely gracious Lord and Redeemer Christ Iesus might first exercise his Mercy towards him and afterwards by him declare his great Mercy towards Sinners not only by hisExample but also by his Ministry For thus he bears witness of himself that the Ministry of Reconciliation was committed to him for which he was appointed to be a Preacher and Apostle and Teacher of the Gentiles in Faith and Truth that he being an Ambassadour in Christ's stead might invite all men yea and beg of them that they would be reconciled unto God And this seems to be the principal scope that Paul aims at not only in the Epistle to the Romans but also in all his Doctrine to proclaim amongst the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ and that he might set before the view of all men what is the Communion of the Mystery that was hidden with God in former Ages c. But now in the Righteousness of Works no such Mystery lay hidden with God from former Ages Therefore it is false and abominable which Campian the Iesuit and such like Sophisters assert concerning the scope and sense of Paul's Epistle to the Romans For by the Law which Paul excludes from Iustification they understand that part thereof which comprehends Ceremonial and Iudicial Works wherein the Iews gloried or Works purely Moral performed before Faith on which the Gentiles relied Yea on the contrary when Paul removes the Law from Iustification he doth not only exclude it upon the account of Iewish Ceremonies or Moral Works performed before Faith but also upon the account of its weakness through the flesh both in Iews and Gentiles both in the regenerate and the unregenerate so that it cannot make sufficient satisfaction to the Iustice of God And Paul affirms That for this cause God sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh What did God do but what flesh could not do For sin he condemned sin in the flesh In what flesh ours or his own Sons Who of all the Regenerate though endued with great habitual Faith and Grace hath so led his life walking not according to the flesh but according to the spirit but he always carries about with him flesh that is weak in many respects and vicious and subject to sin Concerning which every one may complain with the Apostle I know that in me that is in my flesh dwells no good thing And again I find a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me c. For what they speak of Works following Faith and Grace how little that helps their cause appears not more evident by any Argument than by the Lives of those that maintain this Controversie if they be strictly enquired into If that be true which Campian with his Iesuits pleads for That Righteousness is not obtained in men come to years but by Works that follow after Faith Let us behold then what excellent Works this Faith of the Mother Church of Rome brings forth seeing they so much glory in the Title of Catholick Faith and Preach so many things about Charity which is the fulfilling of the Law Let us look into the Life and Works of the Roman Popes Cardinals and Bishops and the whole Crew of the Monks and Iesuits Where can you find more of the flesh or less of true holiness than in those false-hearted and painted Hypocrites whose whole profession of Religion consists in Purple Gowns high topped Mitres Purple Caps Rings adorned with Iewels solemn Vows Ceremonies which in reality are rather Stage-playes than Exercises of Piety This appears to be too true by the unhappy Tumults raised in the World the Wars and Persecutions that are stirred up by none more than by those very men that call themselves Spiritual and Catholick whom it should become to be the chiefest encouragers of Concord and Messengers of Peace But having so much enlarged upon this sort of men with their Works and Merits let us return to the Examples of those of whom we spake before who were freely admitted unto Baptism and received into favour by Faith without any commendation of Merits at all yea without mention of any Works except such perhaps as were evil Amongst which number those Iews may be reckoned of whom three thousand at one time were Baptized by Peter Likewise also the Eunuch whom Faith only without Works made not only meet for Baptism but also an Heir of the Heavenly Kingdom And the Iaylor whom Paul Baptized Moreover Paul himself and all the Apostles and Publicans the family of Cornelius Zacehaeus Mary Magdalen and the Thief on the Cross If Faith without Works was sufficient to them for the Grace of Baptism why not also for the obtaining of Iustification and Life Eternal Vega and those of his Association answers after his usual manner that in all these Repentance was joyned with Faith and other things also belonging to good Manners and a godly Life But it easily appears how vain and insignificant this Answer of Vega is He says Repentance and other Vertues are joyned with Faith Which tho' I confess to be in some sense true in the lives and persons of
Nazianzen de moderatione Our Righteousness is Faith only Bernard our Righteousness is no other thing but the Indulgence of God Thom. Aquin. in 1 Tim. 1. Therefore there is no hope of Iustification but in Faith only A twofold Iustification 〈◊〉 to the Papists The second Iustification of Papisis overturned A Rule of Law Ambrose in Cap. 3. ad Rom. It is proved out of Ambrose that a twofold manner of Iustificatoin is impossible Gregor 2. lib. Moral Cap. 40. Gregor ibid. There is a twofold consideration both of good and Evil Works An Answer by way of Instance Every Union of things doth not confound their Offices Erasmus censurus Parisiensium Tit. 7. They of Paris argue that Faith can be without Charity 1 Cor. 13. Chrysostom A cavilling about the Word all An Argument out of a place of 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 13. Mat. 11. In the Kingdom of Heaven Faith is greater than Charity 1 Cor. 13. The Offices of Charity Charity commended from its duration How great things Faith doth in Heaven How Charity is greater than Faith and how Faith is greater than Charity Iustification before God Iustification before men What the Iustification is whereof Iames speaks Human Iustification which consists in the shewing of good works An outward appearance is often deceitful Gen. 15. Gal. 3. Romans 3. Reason 1. Reason 2. Reason 3. Reason Tiletan Free Iustification by Faith is proved by the Words of Paul Andr. Vega de just pag. 751. Rom. 4. The Distinction of the Papists is idle and Impertinent Rom. 1. Eph. 1. Colos. 2. Wherein the difference between the Law and Grace consists A Similitude The Distinction of Hosius 2. Arg. out of Paul Rom. 3. Andraeas Vega Isa. 1. Aug. de perfect just But when the highest Lord shall sit on the Throne who will boast that he hath a clean Heart And who will boast that he is pure from his Sin Unless it be those that Glory in their own Righteousness and not in the Mercy of the Iudge What manner of Gospel Paul preached Rom. 3. The popish comment about the universal Sign is overturned Aug. de praedest Sanct. lib. 1. cap. 8. Hab. No Man denies Works to be necessary Basil. in Psal. 32. Nazian 3 Argum. St. Paul Rom. 4. 4 Argum. Rom. 10. 5 Argum. Acts 13. 6 Argum. Acts 10. 7 Argum. 1 Cor. 3. 8 Argum. Arguments out of S. Paul Rom. 4. Rom. 10. Romans 4. Acts 13. 1 Cor. 3. An argument taken from Examples Acts 2. Acts 8. Acts 16. Luke 7. Luke 18. Luke 23. Luke 18. Inherent Righteousness Rom. 10. Gal. 3. Rom. 10. A Sophistical Pretence A Sophistical Objection How Grace justifies according to the Opinion of the Papists Works considered in a twofold respect as they are either of grace or of nature Aug. de spirttu litera cap. 30. What is righteousness by the Law The righteousness of the Law righteousness by the Law or in the Law A Rule of Lawyers Aug. de fid oper c. 15. The cause why we are chosen and justified in Christ only Vega de fide operibus q. 2. pa. 754. It is sufficient that we by believing only be justified unless we do otherways hinder the Grace of God by our Sins One manner of justifying and that perpetual The Distinction of a first and second Iustification is confuted The cause of Iustification is not twofold but one Eph. 2. Rom. 11. The Caviling of the Papists An indefinite Proposition Rom. 3. Isa. 55. A frivolous Trick of the Sophisters Isa. 52. The VVords of Paul wrested by the Papists Tarrianus Iesuit pro epist. pent lib. 4. An Answer to the first Objection An Answer to the Objection An Answer to the third Objection 1 Tim. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2 Cor. 5. Ephes. 3. The blind Errour of the Papists about the sense and scope of Pauls Epistles Romans 7. Vega de Iustificat p. 771. Iohn 3. Romans 4. Aug. de Haeres Haeres 54. Iohn 6. Acts 10. Acts 16. Gal. 5. Tridentine Counc 1. Sess. 6. cap. 7. Objection from the words of Paul Answer Why Faith is alone in Iustifying How Faith Charity and other vertues are joyned together What where how Faith works by Love Trid. Concil cap. 11. If any say that a man is justified by the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness only or by the remission of sins only excluding Grace and Charity which is spread abroad in the hearts and inheres in them Or if any say that the Grace whereby we are justified is only the favour of God let him be accursed If any say that Iustifying Faith is nothing else but a fiducial relyance on the Mercy of God forgiving sins for Christ's sake or that this fiducial relyance is the only thing whereby we are justified let him be accursed Sess. 6. cap. 2. Rom. 4. 11. Rom. 3. Rom. 4. Testimonies out of the Prophets Ierem. 23. Ezek. 34. Isa. 41. Isa. 43. Isa. 44. Zeph. 2. The necessity of Pious Works Apoc. 3.
also hath its own promises as both Covenants have likewise their own atonements I do not deny it but this I ask what manner of promises hath repentance in the Old Law God promiseth life to them that return from their wickedness What doth he signifie an eternal or a temporary peace and felicity of this outward life If you answer an eternal I would then know what difference there will be between Legal and Evangelical Promises but when I do stedfastly contemplate upon the nature and kind of both times and testaments in the holy word of God and compare the vertue of one Kingdom with the other this seems to me to be the difference between Moses and Christ that I suppose all his Blessings and Rewards promised by God to those that lead their life according to the prescript of the Law go not beyond the bounds of a certain earthly blessedness and recompence In which notwithstanding we think there are contained no small benefits of God For what could happen to any man in this mortal state to which we are all of necessity subject not only more desirable but also of a larger extent by the wonderful power of God than when you are by the singular gift of God placed in such a Commonwealth which by a wonderful fruitfulness and plenty of all good things excells all other Nations whatsoever you should then pass your life in it being compassed about with the Divine Protection that you may not only your self live long in the Land which the Lord your God hath given you but that it should also be well with your Sons after you through all Generations that you may maintain your state with dignity and abundance of all the best things that the adversity of common fortune may have no power over you that no Enemy may annoy you no tempest may cloud your tranquility that no storm of evil things may shake you that at home and abroad whether you are in the field or in your house going out or coming in all things may happen successfully to you according to your hearts desire and moreover that God should so bless all your wealth and works of your hands and that at no time the powerful providence of God should forsake you unto the utmost bounds of the most aged life unto these add the plenteous fruitfulness of the Land the incomes of Fruits and Corn the continual increases of wealth the constant fruitfulness of Cattle besides other very plentiful Promises and Blessings of the like kind whereof there is a long Catalogue described in the Law which are appointed for those who inviolably obey the most holy Precepts of God and turn from their Sins to Righteousness All which Promises being by the Prophets set before the Penitent seem to me to be of such a sort that they either signifie temporary Rewards in this World and mitigate outward punishments in this Life or if they be referred to eternal Life they do at least imply the faith of a Mediatour by a certain silent condition And therefore among Divines there are learned and famous men who do rightly and learnedly prove that the Preaching of Repentance belongs peculiarly to the Gospel and not to the Law For the Law Preaches Damnation to Sinners The Gospel Preaches Salvation to the Penitent Therefore when the Lord says return and ye shall be saved I desire not the death of a sinner c. It is not the Preaching of the Law which pronounces the Sentence of Condemnation without mercy but it is the very voice of the Gospel And this seems to me to be the chief difference between Moses and Christ that like as he being as it were a certain earthly Christ procures an earthly liberty to the people and sets before them the duties that are incumbent upon them in leading their lives so all the doctrine and benefits of Christ are peculiarly and chiefly directed unto life eternal and calls us thereunto especially from this world But if we suppose that these legal promises should notwithstanding be referred to eternal life yet when they did not pass the bounds of that people only and reached not to other Nations but to those peculiarly who waited for the Seed promised to them therefore the promises of the Law included faith at least by a certain silent condition Wherefore as touching those legal promises in which the holy Prophets held out unto them that repented and were converted pardon and many other benefits in these must be considered not only what is promised but also to whom the promise is made as being such as belonged not to others but those only who being descended from the Seed of Abraham were contained in the Convenant and had a right to the Lamb slain from the beginning Therefore according to the authority of Augustin we ought always to look to the root in such promises and the mind should always be raised up to the Mediator of the New Covenant in whom alone all the Promises of God are yea and Amen Which seeing it is so and seeing all the Promises of Eternal Life are contained in this only Mediator Christ as in the only Ark of the Covenant neither is there any faculty given us by God which attains to the knowledge of Christ and the understanding of his benefits but faith only therefore it is that this illuminated faith which only leads us to the knowledge of Christ claims to it self only all power of Iustifying without any other means not so much because of the dignity of its act or upon some account of charity joined with it whereby it should be formed but only upon the account and by the vertue of its object unto which it is bent from whence it receives all this power of healing just as the Israelites of old when they were envenomed with deadly Poison regained their health not because they had Eyes and a power of beholding but because they fastned their Eyes at the command of God upon the Serpent that was set up before their Eyes In like manner also it comes to pass to us that whereas it is Christ only that bestows everlasting Life and Righteousness on them that behold him and he becomes not a Saviour unless he be received by Faith hence the inward sight of Faith being fixed upon him brings Salvation Whence by evident demonstration an argument is framed from principles and causes issuing into conclusions by necessary consequence according to Scriptures As this Ma. The only beholding of the Serpent set up without any other condition being added healed the wounded Mi. Christ is the Serpent set up for us Therefore Concl The only beholding of that is faith in Christ set up for us without any additions whatsoever brings healing to our wounds And I know the adversaries will not deny that Christ is the only Serpent who being made a Curse for us makes a Medicine for our Wounds But if you ask how They will answer one
Vertue c. Who ever denied that it is God only that can do those things But what say you O good friend Is our whole Salvation and Righteousness in the sight of God contained in that only in driving out of the Mind those little Heats of all evil Lusts whereof you speak in abolishing the roots of all vices and in maintaining duely and constantly the office of perfect Vertue How far the Works of Human Life are from the perfection of Righteousness But now do you your self perform all these things which you require in us for the perfection of righteousness Hath the great Husbandman watered the happy ground of your mind with so great a vigor and verdure of his bounty that no wild Vines nor Briars do any where appear in all your life That no Lust draws you aside from your duty No perturbation of affections throws you down from your state of constancy No concupisence of the eyes defiles the purity of your mind He that seeth a Woman saith he to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his Heart What if a man is accounted unchast before God if so much as his Eyes are Adulterous if he is next to a Murtherer that is so much as rashly angry at his Brother if he that calls his Brother Racha or bespatters the name of his Neighbour with the smallest reproach is in danger of the Council what shall be said to him who hath poured forth not only volumes of reproaches but Cart-loads of spiteful speeches against his Brethren and fellow Servants with so much virulency and gall of bitterness So that I need not here go through all the Precepts of the Divine Law as concerning loving God above all concerning the strictest love to our Neighbour concerning shunning offences puting up injuries praying for enemies the abdication of this World the framing the Life to a Dove-like simplicity and other such like things Which things seeing they are so various in kind and so difficult in the observation I would know of you not what ought to be done but what you your self do express in deeds Not what the Divine Grace is able to do in you but what it does in effect Whether he heaps you up with so many and so great gifts of his that you are able to perform all things that are written in the royal Law Which if you can avouch so to be I willingly congratulate your happiness and I am not at all against your obtaining by way of merit that which your works do merit but that you may go up to the Kingdom and may take your self Unpinioned Wings as Arnobius saich wherewith you may go happily to Heaven and ' may fly to the Stars where you may reign with Christ and you only all other sinners being shut out may with God overcome when you are judged But in the interim here it comes into my mind to ask you a thing How will this consist with that which the Church sings in a holy Hymn and sings so aright Thou only art holy For how shall he only have the praise of that thing as saith Hierom which he hath common to himself with many What if you think there is no difference between his Righteousness and ours and you suppose there is no Righteousness but what proceeds chiefly from Works either let your life shew to us the same Works which Christ wrought or if you cannot let him only have the honour of this Title that Christ only may be righteous and Osorius may confess himself to be unrighteous and à sinner that now that saying may truely have place here which just now I cited out of Augustine Let man take sin to himself which is his own and leave Righteousness to God But you will say what then is there no Righteousness which belongs to men I do not deny that there is but it is such a righteousness as must be sought elsewhere than in works But you may say where then Not only I but also St. Paul will tell you the Righteousness of God saith he to all and upon all that believe And again in the same Epistle The Gentiles which followed not after Righteousness laid hold on Righteousness to wit the Righteousness of Faith On the contrary Israel which followed after the Law of Righteousness attained not unto the Law of Righteousness Why so Because they sought it not by Faith but as by the Works of the Law And writing to the Galatians knowing saith he that a man is not justified by the Works of the Law but by the Faith of Iesus Christ we also believe in Iesus Christ that we may be justified by the Faith of Iesus Christ and not by the Works of the Law because no flesh shall be justified by the Works of the Law c. who is so dim-sighted but he may clearly see what the meaning of the Apostle is in these words Wherefore I the more wonder with my self how great a stupidity darkens the minds of some of our own Country-men and especially those Iesuits who in a thing so perspicuous yield not unto Apostolick Authority so that they seem to have sallied out of some Trophonian Den for no other purpose but that waging War with St. Paul they may differ wholly from him in their opinion For what things can more fiercely encounter than such an opposition as this Christ is our Righteousness Faith is imputed for Righteousness If of Work then Grace is not Grace The Iust lives by Faith And after this manner doth the Apostle and Prophet instruct us What say they We are Iustified by Works and yet Grace is no less Grace The Iust doth not live by Faith but the Believer Liveth by the righteousness of Works And whereas Paul doth so attribute our Righteousness to Faith only that he attributes nothing to Works so often repeating these exclusive words without works apart from works not according to works If it is Grace then it is not of Works That I may be found in him not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is of the Faith of Iesus Christ To him that believeth in him that Iustifies the Ungodly Faith is imputed unto Righteousness also placing Iews and Gentiles as in a Scheme that by experience it self it may be evident how hazardous it is to seat the hope of Salvation any otherways than in the Faith of Christ only On the contrary those men overthrowing all these sayings of Paul endeavour this only by all the means they can that they may measure the whole sum of our Iustification by the performance of Works and not by Faith that they may take away all imputation of the Righteousness of another from us that Faith may no more contribute any thing to Righteousness but that it may render us worthy and fit on whom the Divine Grace should confer freely for the Merit of Christ the first infusion of inherent Righteousness By
by performing these Offices of Life which are contained in the Law O miserable condition of Mortal Men if those things are true which you Evangelize to us But by what Authority of the Gospel do you confirm those things which you assert You say There is no reason that any Man should be joyned to God unless he be a Friend to him I hear you What then But no Man can be his friend unless he be like him That is harder Let the induction proceed But the Divine similitude consists wholly of the study and exercise of true Vertue From all this therefore it is concluded That there is no other way that joyns us to God but what consists in the performance of Vertue and in worthy Offices And now what will become of those who being Iust Men fall seven times a Day and yet rise up again What also will become of all those concerning whom Iames speaking saith in many things we offend all Moreover what will become of those whom Christ bids Pray Lord forgive us our debts Moreover whereas you say that no Man is joyned to God or received into favour but he that is his Friend If that be so How then doth God agree to his own Law which commands not only to love Friends but to pray for Enemies I beseech you when God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son what else was this World then but an Enemy to God which yet he had so great a favour to Yea Paul expresly testifies that we were reconciled to God not when we were Friends but Enemies and therefore he says the love of Christ is commended in this that he dyed for Enemies And again if whilst we were Enemies we were reconciled unto God by the Death of his Son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his Life See I beseech you how great a difference is between Paul's Assertion and yours Osorius He affirms we were reconciled to God when we were Enemies you admit no Man unto favour but him that is a Friend to him and conform to him in the whole fimilitude of his Life And how then will that command of Christ consist concerning loving Enemies and that by the example of his Father's bounty who bestows the benefit both of Sun and Rain not only on Friends but also on Enemies if so be the Grace of Divine favour is accessible to none but Friends and those that are like himself And that I may by the by touch something here of the Mysteries of Prophetical Scriptures tell me what else is pointed at unto us by the reception of Iacob and his Sons into the Land of AEgypt Gen. chap. 47. Whom that very loving King being brought unto him to whom they had not been so much as known before received for Inhabitants of Foreigners and for dear Subjects of Men unknown not only into the Common Wealth but into Friendship not at all for their own sakes who brought nothing with them but hunger and poverty But only for the sake of Ioseph whom the King had a very dear love for What else doth Ioseph represent to us but the sublime Son of God dearly beloved of him What else should you understand in the Brethren Father and the whole Kindred but us miserable Sinners whom being dead in Sins Christ hath quickned and of Enemies reconciled us in Friendship to his Father not for any merit of our Works or Conformity but only by that favour whereby he is powerful with the Father But now let us briefly bring the Osorian Argument into a regular form that we may the better view each part thereof Argument Ma. Those only are joyned in friendship with God who are like unto him Mi. They who are infected with the pollution of Sins are not like God Concl. Therefore none of those to whom pollution of Sin cleaves have any Union with God And thence on the contrary sense it is gathered that it must be concluded by necessary consequence that all spots of Sins being abolished That man who desires Union with God should agree with him by a certain eminent resemblance I Answer First to the major which is not always true Though the similitude of manners hath oftimes no small strength to procure Friendship in the common use of Life as Cicero says yet all things that are any way unlike are not so opposed that they cannot consist together without fighting one against another As there are many differences in things yet every difference doth not unty the bond of love As again neither do all Men every where cleave to one another by a firm bond of Friendship whosoever do some way agree in endowments and Ingeny Verily in the Divine Love this agreement of Conformity hath no place That they should be received into favour who came nearest to his Image For so it would come to pass that all other Creatures being excluded Almighty God would embrace only Angelical Vertues with his Divine Favour Though neither here if you look to Angels themselves doth any proportion of similitude unite into one with the Divine Holyness according to the Testimony of Roffensis Who says that the Righteousness of Men is another than that of Angels and again that their Righteousness is another than that of God As therefore this Righteousness of Angels if you compare it with the Righteousness of God will seem imperfect and beyond all comparison coming short of that highest Righteousness and which yet perhaps is without Sin So if you compare Human Perfection with Angelical it will have some Imperfection yet so that all its works are not subject to Sin Hitherto spake Roffensis Augustin also comes to this Point who comparing our Righteousness which now is with that which is to come hath these words concerning its dissimilitude when that Righteousness saith he according to which they live shall be and where no evil concupiscence shall be let every Man measure himself what he is now and what he shall be then and he will find in comparison of that Righteousness that all his works now are loss and dung c. And presently after In the Resurrection we believe we shall fulfil Righteousness that is that we shall have full Righteousness In comparison of that all the Life we live now is dung c. And now Osorius what Agreement of similitude will you find between this Life of dung and that highest Author and Prince of all Holiness The Assertion of Osorius whereby he proves that there can be no Reconciliation to God unless all the Relicks of Sin be utterly cut off BUT perhaps some Osorian will here again object Though dissimilitude doth not divide the connexion of friendship but yet things that are so different that they are opposed to one another by a mutual repugnancy it cannot by any means be that those things should be joyned together of which sort are Virtue and Vice Righteousness and Sin Love and Hatred
good Work Not that the Work it self being appointed by the Law of God is a sin but because according to the saying of Augustin whatsoever is less than it ought to be is faulty From whence it appears evidently that in this Life there is no Work so perfect but something is wanting in it that is there is Sin in it if it be judged according to the strict rigour of the Law Concerning the Grace of God how it is defined by Osorius with a confutation of his Definition ARguments increase because here mention falls in of the Grace of the regenerate It is shewed though against the Rules of Logick that the Grace of God is nothing else but Iustice and Vertue upon this account because it being that chiefly which makes us acceptable to God and nothing can be acceptable to God which is not like unto him be thinks he prevails sufficiently by this conclusion That because nothing 〈◊〉 us like God but Righrecusness and Vertue Therefore Grace is nothing if it is not Vertue and Iustice. Why do I use many words on this matter If that Grace be understood by Osorius which St. Paul so often commends to us in all his Epistles both are false which here the Bishop assumes against the Apostle For Grace is not rightly defined after this manner that it is nothing else but Vertue and Iustice and first that it is a Vertue Thomas did flatly deny in his sum of Theology Part. 12. Quest. 110. Artic. 3. where disputing of the Grace of God though he denies not that it may be reduced to the first species of quality yet he wholly denies and confutes its being a Vertue concludeing at length after this manner that it is a certain habitude presupposed to infused Vertues as the Principle and Root of them c. Moreover in Sentent lib. 2. dist 26. Art 4. proving concerning the same thing that Grace and Vertue are not the same If Vertue saith he should hold from the same both that it was a Vertue and that it rendred a Man acceptable to God it would follow that all Vertue would do the like And so seeing some Vertues are acquired by acts and not by infusion it would follow according to the Pelagian heresie that a Man should be made acceptable to God by his free will But if it holds from another and not from the same from one that it is a Vertue and another that it renders acceptable to God it must needs be that Grace and Vertue are not the same in reality For so divers principles necessarily are suitable to divers effects that are found in division from another Now if so be Grace is denied to be a Vertue verily upon the same account also it cannot be called Iustice seeing Iustice is necessarily comprehended under the general name of Vertue and what wonder is it in the interim that this Antagonist of ours is so ill agreed with the Lutherans who is not well enough agreed with the Angelical Doctors and Leaders of his own Sect in such evident Heads of Divinity But now let us consider his Reasonings and the Confirmations of his Arguments of what sort they are Argument Ma. That reconciles us and makes us acceptable to God which makes us like unto him Mi. It is only Righteousness which makes us like unto God Con. Therefore Righteousness only reconciles us and makes us acceptable There follows also another consequence of these things being first pre-supposed built upon the same foundation Argument Ma. Grace makes acceptable to God and unites unto him Mi. Righteousness makes us acceptable to God and unites us to him Con. Therefore Iustice is either Grace and a Vertue or it is nothing First Both these Arguments are equally lyable to the same reprehension Because contrary to the Lawful Rules of Reasoning they conclude Affirmatively in the second figure as they are placed by Osorius lib. 5. but let us help the defect of the worthy Mans Logick For if I am not mistaken he would rather gather thus from the definition of Grace Argument Ma. To whatsoever the definition agrees the thing defined well agrees unto the same Mi. The definition of Grace doth very well agree to Righteousness Con. Therefore the thing defined agrees to Righteousness I answer to the minor by denying for that which is the proper definition of Grace doth not agree to Righteousness seeing the things themselves do very much differ from one another both as to their Effects and as to their Causes For if we believe Thomas Grace is the Principle and Cause of Iustice and of all Vertues Iustice is not the cause of Grace but rather an effect thereof Yea Albertus Ratisponensis does not much differ from the opinion of Thomas who commenting upon the same sentence in the same Dist. Ar. 4. saith thus Grace is a habit of Life universally well ordered not according to the degrees of things ordered but as it is called a Relation of the whole Life to the obtaining of the End But Iustice doth not this nor Vertue for Iustice doth not necessarily make worthy of Eternal Life upon the account that it is Iustice or Vertue c. What if the proper and true cause which reconciles us to the love of God and makes us worthy of Eternal Life should be searched for We shall find that it lyes not in the Works of Iustice but that it proceeds from another cause And what that cause is Christ himself the best Master will teach you in the Gospel Whom I request and beseech you not only to hearken unto but to believe For these are his words in the Gospel For the Father himself loveth you because ye have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father By which you see that it comes to pass not for the sake of our Iustice or Vertue but for the sake of his own dearly beloved Son that God the Father cares for us and loves us What then say you doth not Iustice make Men that live holily and justly in this World acceptable to God Which if it is so it cannot be judged to be any other thing but Grace For whatsoever renders us acceptable to God is justly esteemed to be Grace Iustice makes us acceptable to God therefore it is Grace As touching the minor I deny not that Iustice as it is very acceptable to God so it renders acceptable to God if it is perfect and agreeable to the Divine perfection which not being given to us in this Life another altar must be sought there is need of other helps Therefore if we would find any favour in the sight of God we must betake our selves to Christ and embrace him by Faith Though I am not Ignorant what this good Disputant drives at and what Masters he follows and on what foundation he builds For he builds upon that old and stale distinction of the Schoolmen as much used as it is light and frivolous and