looke vppon vs from heauen aboue And with thy prayers eyther cease this pricke of the fleashe Or else praye that wée maye strongly beare it and ouercome it Now if M. Goughe will terme these graue Fathers and so holy men like as other moe Origen calling vppon Iob S. Ephrem calling vpon the martyrs S. Ierome calling vppon the famouse woman Paula and S. Chrisostome commending the Emperour for frequenting the Martyrs tombes and praying vnto them If he will call them all mad men foolishe men popish and superstitious Idolaters In Gods name let him do so I had leuer haue a dragm of their superstition than a great lump of leade of M. Goughes integritie 3 That onely fayth dooth not iustifie MAister Goughe likewyse in fewe woords would vehemently haue persuaded like as other heretofore him that sole fayth or onely fayth doth iustifie vs So did long agoe teache Eunomius of that fayth whiche he professed as S. Austen reciteth in his â–ª 6. Tome de Heresi M. Goughe To confirme his opinioÌ„ out of the scripture he brought the saying of the apostle Arbitramur iustificari per fidem hominem sine operibus legis We thinke or determine that a man is iustified by fayth without the works of the law concluding by this testimonie of S. Paule that works do in no maner of wise iustifie vs not only those which goe before faith but also those whiche doo follow faith For touching any iustification by works he maketh the like condition of them both M. Fecknam First I maruell that Maister Goughe will allowe this terme onely when it is not exppâ—ssed in Canonicall Scripture Next I am sure that there is nothing equiualent vnto it for fayth without the workes of the Lawe and fayth onely or fayth simplie without workes be not of one like condition Sainct Paule excluding workes of the law meaneth works that goe before fayth whiche do not iustifye S Iames in the Example of Abraham forbidding that fayth onely should iustifye speaketh of woorkes that followe faith which do also iustifye that is giue encrease of iustice Abraham pater noster nonne ex operibus iustificatus est offerens Isaac filium suum super altare Abraham our father was he not iustifyed by works when he offered his sonne Isaac vppon the altar To this effect S. Austen reconcileth these twoo Apostles saying Non sunt contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae Pauli et Iacobi cùm dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus alius dicit inanem esse fidem sine operibus quia ille dicit de operibus quae praecedunt fidem iste de his quae sequuntur fidem that is These sentences of the twoo Apostles Paule and Iames be not contrarie vnto them selues when the one sayeth that a man is iustifyed by fayth without woorkes the other sayeth that faith is vayne idle without workes for Paule speaketh of workes that goe before faith Iames speaketh of those that followe faith M. Goughe An other place he brought to expresse by Scripture this woorde onely That fayth onely doth iustifye alledging the saying of Chryst vnto Iairus prince of the synagoge Crede tantuÌ„ beleeue only A place very fitlie applied as if Christe there had spoken of the iustification of Iairus and not rather of the corporall reuiuing of his dead daughter M. Fecknam First S. Iames vnto this meaning of M. Goughe that faith only should iustifie whereby he meaneth to exclude al maner of iustification by workes done in faith hath a place that is cleane contradictorie saying thus after the example brought of Abraham Videtis quoniaâ— ex operibus iustificatur homo non ex fide tantum You sée that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely By faith onely to be iustified and not by faith only to be iustified be contradictorie This place therfore of S. Luke is violently handled of M. Goughe rather by force wrested to his owne peculiar stuffe than naturally applyed to the meaning of christ For there is no relation made to the faith of Iairus touching iustification as if Chryste had willed him onely too beleeue and then he should be iustified but to the weaknesse of that faith of his which began to faint and mistrust the power of Chryst in reuiuyng his daughter after that a messenger came from home and told him that his daughter was dead This fayth Christ erected confirmed by these words Beléeue onely as if he had said feare not misdout not but put thy only trust in mée as thou hast begon and thy daughter neuerthelesse shal be restored both to life and to health agein This is the finall ende of those wordes beléeue only Crede tantum which tooke their effect not in spiritual iustification of Iairus the father but in y corporall reuiuing of his daughter for any thing that is there in the scripture expressed S. Austen in his booke de fide operibus shewed the beginning fouÌ„dation of this much like heresie to haue bin in the Apostles times vpon the misconstruing of Paules Epistles saying Quoniam haec opinio tum fuerat exorta aliae Apostolicae epistolae Petri IoaÌ„nis Iacobi Iudae coÌ„tra eaÌ„ maximè dirigunt intentioneÌ„ vt vehementer astruant fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse that is Bycause this opinioÌ„ was theÌ„ sprong vp other Apostolical epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iude do bende their drift and purpose most of all ageinst that opinion that they may boldly and vehemently affirme faith without workes to auayle nothing If it be faith only it is faith without works if faith only auayleth nothing faith only can not iustifie Likewise he saith in his booke de Trini very bréefly but pithily Sine charitate fides quidem potest esse sed non et prodesse that is without charitie faith may bée but without charitie it can nothing auayle vs. Of works that be done in faith IT is then a preposterous waye a blasphemous doctrine to extol the excelleÌ„cie of faith by reuyling extenuating the worthie fruts therof calling theÌ„ abominable vile and stinking in the face of God as if there were no difference betwene works done of infidels Idolaters of which Isai speaketh wheÌ„ he likeneth theÌ„ to a filthie cloth betwene workes done of christians and true beléeuers of which our sauior Christ speaketh in s. Mat. shewing how they shal be acceptable in Gods sighte and rewarded with lyfe euerlasting For there he maketh a distinct conference and separation betwéene the praying fasting and gyuing almes of the Scribes and Pharises which do it onely for vaine glories sake therefore they haue onely that vayne reward and betweene the praying fasting and giuing almes of those whiche bée true members of Christe which do it onely for Gods sake and therefore they shall haue a reward of him of lyfe euerlasting If these workes had bin so vile and so
difference is betwixt iustification and sanctification you should doubt whether sanctification were a piece of iustification or an effect of iustification Let vs then sée whether workes that follow doo conâ—erre any thing to the Iustification Marke I pray you the controuersie betwixt you and master Goughe The question is not whether good woorkes are necessarie to walke in Whether we are bound to walke in the feare of GOD after that he hath manifested vnto vs his election and called vs to embrace his frée mercy and Iustification I say the question is not whether we ought to do well that GOD may be glorifyed by vs But whether a man being already iustified his woorkes afterward may giue encrease of Iustice I pray you Sir after that Quéene Marie had made you Abbot of Westminster dyd you the office of an Abbot that you would be a more Abbot or to do your duetie to the which the Quéene of hir grace hadde called you For therefore shée bestowed it vpon you that you should doe the duetie and not dy doing the duetie to become a more Abbot So fareth it with the children of God Of this whole lumpe of earth which he made of this masse which we call Adam he of his free mercie and goodnesse hathe chosen some whereby he will bée glorified in this world by the good woorkes which they shall do before the face of men When this election of his beginneth to be manifest to euerye chosen when he moueth the hearts of his after they haue long slept in sinne to remember that they are hys that he hathe slayne hys Sonne for them that they are deliuered from the whole cursse of the lawe Is it not requisite thinke you that they walke worthie his vocation That they make sure their vocation Naye doe they in this their course in any parte delyuer them selues from the cursse of the lawe Doe they pay that raunsome which was paide before What is the iustice or Iustification of GOD Redemption and remission of sinnes in the bloud of christ Was then the bloud of Chryst answearable to all the Lawe did there remaine no parte vnpayde For whome then did he all this Not for him selfe for there was no guile found in his mouthe For whome then For the faithfull to whome God dothe giue this Faith not of merite but of grace Haue they then all the iustice of Christe haue they that which Christe dyd in his bodye put vppon them May they say as he sayde Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victorie May they say death is swallowed vp in victorie May they say there is no condemnation to vs whiche are in Christe Iesus what remayneth then that they walke according to the Spirite not according to the fleshe that they glorifie God before men whiche hath already made them the children of god Not to do ageyn y which is done alreadie for that is impossible not to ioyne a piece to Christes as thoughe it were not perfect For he left no piece vnpayed But to receyue by faith that iustification that God doth giue them without the workes of the lawe For workes sequuntur iustificatum non praecedunt iustificandum they followe a man iustified and goe not before him that is to be iustified Effectus autem non praeiudicat causae as you knowe The effect neuer preiudiceth the cause Thorough al the course of our liues we worke bicause we are iustified and we do not worke that we may be iustified And this is the meaning of the Apostle in this place not as thoughe workes were to be ioyned with faith to deserue some thing For then should wée receyue reward due and not grace And thus much touching M. Goughe his argument Now to your Obiection Firste I maruayle that M. Goughe will allowe this terme Only when it is not expressed in Canonicall scripture Next I am sure that there is nothing equiualent vnto it for faith without the workes of the lawe and fayth onely or fayth simplie withoute workes be not of one like condition You néede not maruayle much if you would rightly consider it Paules whole disputation standeth vpon twoo Subiecta one Praedicatum as the people are twoo to whoÌ„ he addresseth his doctrine and must agrée in one The subiecta are these works or the Law fayth or Christ The Praedicatum is Iustification If then reasoning à diuisione the one be put away what remayneth If I reason thus Of all liuing creatures there is one that is risibile apte to laugh it is not Brutum any brute beast Therefore it is Homo man If I reason thus I say is not this consequent comprehended in Consequenti Therefore onely man is risibilis So likewise Paule reasoneth there is one thing which iustifieth It is not works therfore it is fayth Doth it not nowe folow that being but one and that one faith that we may wel conclude that faith only iustifieth And so adde we nothing to the scripturs which you séeme to lay to M. Goughes charge by a taunte but finde it in the verie letter although not literallie And in so doing we make no new inuentioÌ„ So taught before vs Theophilact whose wordes are these vt autem haberi pro comperto queat posse hunc deum qui impiè vixerit non solum à tormentis eximere sed iustum reddere illud subdit credenti autem in eum qui iustificat c. Num igitur est hic quippiam allaturus Fidem duntaxat that is But that it may be certaynely knowen that God can not onely deliuer froÌ„ torments but also iustifie him which liued wickedly he addeth that but to him that beléeueth in him which iustifieth c. Must he therfore also bring some thing Faith onely â–ª And Origenes vppon this same place whiche M. Goughe alleaged sayeth thus Nunc tam velut conclusionem suarum assertionum ponens in hoc loco dicit Vbi est ergo gloriatio tua Exclusa est â–ª per quam legem operum Non sed per legem fidei Arbitramur enim iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus legis dicit sufficere solius fidei iustificationem ita vt credens quis tantummodo iustificetur etiamsi nihil ab eo operis fuerit expletum Nowe making as it were a conclusion of his assertions sayeth in this place where is then thy reioysing it is excluded By what law of workes No but by the lawe of faith for we suppose or conclude that maÌ„ is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law and he sayeth that the iustification of only faith is sufficient so that a maÌ„ beléeuing onely may be iustified although that no work be don of him I will not alleage here Hierom on the 4. of this Epistle Conuertentem impium and agein vt omnes qui ex Gentibus c nor Amb. j. Cor. xj hoc constitutum est à Deo. c. nor Bernard ser. 22. super Can. Quamobrem
flesh Fecknam 2 That the holy Angels and Saincts of heauen may heare our prayers Salomon Ecclesiastes .ix. vers v. and .vj. For the lyuing know that they shal die but the dead know nothing at al neither haue they any more a rewarde for their remembrance is forgotten Also their loue and their hatred and their enuie is nowe perished and they haue no more portion for euer in all that is done vnder the sunne Fecknam 3 That onely fayth doth not iustifie S. Paule Rom. iij. vers xxviij and .xxx. Therefore we conclude that a man is iustified by faythe without the workes of the law For it is one God who shall iustifie circumcision of faith and vncircumcision through faith Fecknam 4 That euery sin is not mortall S. Iohn j. Ep. iij. vers iiij Whosoeuer committeth sinne transgresseth also the law for sin is the trāsgression of the law S. Paule Rom. vj. vers xxiij For the wages of sinne is death ▪ but the gift of God is eternall lyfe through Iesus Christ our Lord. To the right worshipfull Sir Frauncis Iobson Knight Liuetenaunt of the Tour Sir Henry Neuel knight and M. Pellam Lieuetenaunt of the Ordinaunce THere was deliuered vnto me vpon the .4 of March .1570 by a frend of mine a little pamflet written by M. Fecknam somtime Abbot of Westminster which he exhibited vnto your worshippes vppon demaund by you made of his liking of a godly Sermon preached by M. Goughe in the Toure the .15 of Ianuarie .1570 Which when I had red ouer I maruayled not a little bothe at the weakenesse of hys cauilling Obiections he vseth against suche godly poincts of Doctrine as he laboreth by forsing of Scriptures and Doctors to his purpose to ouerthrow and also at his boldnesse in offering the same vnto you For I thought vntill I had perused it that in so little a treatise so great ignorance of Scriptures of Doctors of the common Arte of Logicke which boyes after one or two yeares being in the vniuersities are not ignoraunt in could not haue ben foūd in him who carieth so great a name and countenaunce of learning Or at the least if his ignorance had bene such as by this I vnderstand it in dede to be that he coulde by politique silence haue concealed it and not by wryting to your worshippes men I doubte not but of perfecte knowledge and sound iudgement in al poynts of true religion reuealed both it and the weakenesse of their common cause which so fain he would support How be it for this latter in his Preamble he pretendeth some cause as the auoyding with your worships the opinion of obstinacie self wilfulnesse want of iust matter to mislike in the foresayd Sermon c and this in deede is but a bare pretence For the bitternesse of his stile and smothe scoffes which he vseth too oftē in so short a discourse vpon .iiij. point◠sheweth he rather by these cauils sought to rid his stomake of a litle choler than any thing else or to abuse and seduce your worships as men altogether ignorant in these questions But yet I will thinke the best as the rule of charitie teacheth me and conceiue hope of his conuersion for which also I pray with my whole harte And in case he blame me as not iudging rightly of this his writing being therunto requested by you let him waigh wel his owne last words in his preface vnto you say plainly whether a simple plain meaning may be gathered of them they be these More seking to satisfie your request and demaūd than to minister any occasiō of further argument What meaneth he hereby Is he rather moued with satisfying your request thā the cause it self he standeth in which he wold make appeare to the world to be the truth Or if the truth of his .iiij. assertions did more moue him than your requestes why feareth he least by his wryting occasion of further argument touching these questions be ministred If he know that he hath héere by good argument mainteyned a good cause then is there no cause why he should feare further debating but he ought like a good minister and teacher stand and offer him self ready prepared to the defence thereof yea though it were with daunger and losse of his lyfe But yf he bée guiltie in his owne conscience of the naughtinesse of the cause and his owne weake proues why doth he so much abuse your worships with a shew of confutation of the truth What iust causes and true occasions haue lead him to reprehend so godly points of doctrine taught by M. Gough I referre to the iudgement of any indifferent and learned Reader I haue vsed as much breuitie as I could in aunswering his arguments that the reading therof might not bée tediouse to you And last of all I thought good in mine own behalfe lest some might thinke amisse of me for mainteyning the quarrell made agaynst an other man as one desirous of contention vayne glorie c. to proteste vnto your worshippes that the earnest request of my very friend who knew me to haue a little spare time and M. Gough too be otherwise more profitably occupied forced me to say somwhat in way of an aunswere to M. Fecknam that I speake nothing of the truth of the common cause of religiō which of it self ought to moue any man zelous in Gods religion to take pen in hand agaynst any that shall séeke to impugn the same Thus much I thought good to let you vnderstand of the occasion of my dealing herein and partly also for a péece of an aunswere to such talke as M. Fecknam in his preface directeth specially too your worships The Lord Iesus confirme you in all truth daily encreasing his knowledge and all other good giftes in you Amen 1 That it is not impossible to keepe Gods commaundements BEfore I come to your proues allegations I must say a word or two of your coloured art and goodly shew you make in your first proposition It is the fashion of Rhetoricians as you know especially when their cause is not all of the best therfore misdoute the euent of their action so to behaue them selues in their Exordium that they may at the least purchase thus much that they may be heard some by one meanes some by an other the worst is not by procuring an euill suspicion too his aduerse partie So is your dealing in this present case to be better heard peraduenture or to make your cause séeme to bée better you geue forth that in M. Goughes doctrine of the impossibilitie of kéeping Gods commaundementes he followeth the race of the Maniches and the Valentinians A gréeuous accusation yf it were true and worthy to cause his doctrine to bee reiected yf all that you speake were a Gospell But peraduenture you thought you hadde the sexton of Paules in hand when you presented this your writing to the worships of these in déede worshipfull godly gentlemen The matter is thus not
in Moses seate but do not as they do And thus much touching this question God giue vs eyes to sée and hartes to vnderstande that if you be out of the way as you shewe your selfe to be you may come in If I my selfe as I am perfectly persuaded I am not that he will giue me grace to conuert And so pray I for vs both 3 That onely fayth doth not iustifie MAster Gough likewise in few wordes woulde vehemently haue persuaded lyke as others heretofore him that sole fayth or onely fayth doth iustifie vs So did long agoe teache Eunomius of that fayth which he professed as S. Augustine reciteth in his 6. Tom. de Haeresibus In so doyng as others haue done before him ▪ as Moyses as Christ as Paul as all the Prophetes and Apostles in teaching the Iustification of fayth onely yf you expound him not amisse he did the part of a faythfull Minister and preacher of Gods woord But you are disposed in this matter as in others to carpe and cauill euill construing that which is wel spoken You ioyne your woordes in this sorte sole faith or only fayth There is great difference in these two kindes of speaking a sole fayth is a barren an vnfrutefull a wicked a diuelish fayth which in déede is no fayth it hath but the glistering and shew of fayth it is but a lippe fayth and where so euer it is I warrant you there is Corde non creditur no beléef in hart Fayth only is an other manner of thing it is that which the Hebrewes cal Emunah that is a faith stable and sure as it is sayd of Moyses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manus eius erant firmae stabiles vsque ad occasum solis his handes were steady and stable vntill the goyng downe of the sun So doth Paule terme it vaiehi iadan emunah the cōmon translation hath substantia it is that quod facit vt extent quae sperātur which maketh those things to exist which are hoped for This fayth can bée no more withoute fruytes than can the body bée without the soule to be a liuing body so that ther be time for wée knowe that vocation is diuerse some in the morning some at noone some at night are called and these laste because they are so soone cutte of that they could not but beleeue and not glorifie God before vs wée muste not therefore condemne them This fayth I say most florishing and decked with gorgious workes as shining both before God and man as the lilie doth only iustifie doth only apprehend the iustification of God giuen in Christ Iesus oure Sauiour doth trulie bring Christe into vs and vs into him So the faithfull man séeing himselfe purged from all his former sins and offences walketh in newnesse of lyfe in the wayes that God hath ordeyned for him that before men he may glorifie his father which is in heauen This faith Eunomius did not teache he was in his opinion a naughtie and wicked man as were many moe in the time of S. Augustine are now God make them fewer He writeth of him and others in this wise I wil laye his wordes before you that you your selfe may iudge whither you do rightly burdē vs with Eunomius or no. Apostolus predicans iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus non bene intellectus est ab eis qui sic dictum acceperunt vt putarent cùm semel in Christū credidissent etiāsi malè operarētur facinerosè flagitioseque viuerent saluos se esse per fidem posse that is The Apostle preaching that a mā is iustified by faith without workes was not well vnderstoode of them which tooke his saying in this sorte that they thought they might be saued by faith whē they had once beléeued in christ although they did wickedly although they liued most detestably and villenously And in an other place Non cogimur dicere iniustis non subditis scelestis contaminatis parricidis matricidis homicidis fornicatoribus masculorum concubitoribus plagiarijs mendacibus periuris si quid aliud sanae doctrinae aduersatur quae est secundum Euangelium gloriae beati Dei si tantum in Christum credatis sacramentum Baptismi eius accipiatis etiamsi vitam istam pessimam non mutaueritis salui eritis We are not constrayned to say to the vniust to the rebellious to the wicked to the defiled to the murderers of father mother to manslayers to fornicators to buggers to mē stealers to lyers to the periured if there be any other thing which is contrarie to the wholsome doctrine whiche is according to the glorious Gospell of the blessed God if you beléeue onely in Iesu Christe and receyue his Sacrament of Baptisme althoughe you chaunge not this wicked lyfe you shal bée saued This was Eunomius opinion and his fellowes it is not oures Our Preachers teach that faith only iustifieth yet not that a sole faith iustifieth therefore in so expounding his woordes as you do you do deceyuablie commit an Eleuche which we cal fallatia accidentis For whereas we say fayth iustifyeth only that is no other thing doth apprehend the iustice which GOD doth giue vs but oure faith you turne it and make this sense a bare faith voyde and destitute of all goodnesse doth attayne to the mercies of god Which in déed is an heresie For as the other is good allowable according to the scriptures There is no condemnation to them whiche are in Christe Iesus whiche walke not after the fleshe but after the Spirit so is this wicked and naught For if we liue after the fleshe we shall dye And thus much to shewe that we are no Eunomians Now to your Arguments To confirme his opinion out of the scriptures he brought the saying of the Apostle Arbitramur iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus Legis We thinke or determine that a mā is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Concluding by this testimonie of S. Paule that workes do in no manner of wyse iustifye vs not onely those which go before fayth but also those which do folow faith for touching any iustification of works he maketh the like cōdition of them both His allegation was good and his argument good For it foloweth wel we are iustified by faith Therfore workes done before do not iustifie neither workes after This consequēt you wil not deny simply for all your allegaciōs you bring do proue that workes before do conferre nothing to iustification For the Apostle preaching to the Gentiles saith When he sawe them that came to the lord iustified by faith that now they which did beleue should worke and do good dedes and not because they had done well they deserued to beleue he cried out and said boldly That man may be iustified by faith without the workes of the law Your sticking is vpō workes that folow as in déede not knowing what
quisquis pro peccatiâ— â— in all which you find these wordes Sola fides ad iustitiam reputatur per solam fidem iustificat â–ª Deus saluus fit sine opera sola fide et soluÌ„ iustificatus per fidem that is only fayth is accompted vnto rightuousnesse By only faith God iustifieth that he may be saued without worke through onely fayth and beyng iustified only by fayth As for the works which follow as I sayd before we condeÌ„ne them not we prayse them as God did in Abraham Abraham beléeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes and he was called the friend of god In that he beleued God within in his harte it consisteth in fayth onely concerning that he lead his sonne to sacrifise him in that without feare he armed his right hande in that he would haue stricken had he not bin witholden surelie it was a great fayth the worke also was great God praysed the worke when he sayd bycause thou obeyedst my voyce Wherfore then sayth the Apostle Paule wée conclude that man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the law and in an other place It is fayth whiche worketh by charitie how doth fayth worke by charitie how is a man iustified by fayth without the workes of the lawe This séemeth hard that a man shall bée iustified by fayth onely and yet that fayth must worke by charitie Not at all for in that that it is sayd to iustifie it sheweth what thou haste receyued of God in that it is sayd to worke by charitie it sheweth what thou owest to god For so muste iustification stand that it may bee applyed vnto all men whether they be called in the morning or at noone or at night There is one that beléeueth he hath receyued the sacrament of faith and is dead he hadde no time to worke what shall wée say that he is not iustified we say playne that he was iustified because he beléeued in him whiche iustifieth the wicked Therefore this man is iustified did not worke The sentence of the Apostle is fulfilled I conclude that a man is iustified by fayth without the workes of the law The théef which was crucified with Christ beléeued in hart to Iustice and confessed by mouth to saluation For fayth which worketh by charitie although it haue not wherein it may worke externally yet is it kept feruent in the harte If then fayth in these such like doth iustifie why shall it not in others Because one man lyueth longer than an other after his vocation shall therefore the rightuousenesses of God be changed shal therefore â–ª man be made fellowe with God in the worke of his saluation bicause he hath bestowed a greater benefite of longer lyfe vppon him Is this the thank that GOD shall haue at oure hands for giuing vs space to glorifie him to vse it as a meanes that we oure selues may glorie For surely if we deserue any thing we haue wherein to glorie But when all is done it is but an euil fauored glorie for it is not with god But let vs goe farther S. Paule excluding workes of the Lawe meaneth workes that goe before fayth which do not iustifie S. Iames in the example of Abraham forbidding that fayth only doth iustifie speaketh of workes that folowe fayth whiche doe also iustifie that is giue encrease of iustice Abraham pater noster nónne ex operibus iustificatus est offerens Isaac super Altare Abraham our Father was he not iustified by workes when he offered his sonne Isaac vppon the Altare If workes before fayth do not iustifie much lesse works after fayth before man had néede and after he hath no néede then is a benefite requisite when a man is in pouertie but when he is riche it is not néedfull To be shorte bycause I haue handled this before workes do neuer goe before iustification For the Scripture is playne If it be grace then not of works otherwayes were grace nowe no grace And this is as well for youre workes after as before As for that that is sayde often tymes and you alleage it before Factores legis iustificabuntur the dooers of the lawe shall bée iustified It is so to be vnderstanded to wit that they could not otherwise be dooers of the law vnlesse they be iustified So that Iustification coÌ„meth not to the dooers but iustification goeth before the dooers of the Law â–ª For what other thing doth this meane Iustified but made iust that is to say of him which iustifieth the wicked that he may become iust of wicked For sanctification goeth not before Iustification but Iustification before Sanctification Touching the place of S. Iames there is no such matter in it as you make You maye sée by the whole course of the chapter that he speaketh not how man is iustified before god but how they ought to shew before men that they are iuste before god So that he beateth downe the vayne opinion of them which thought that yf they beléeued it belonged not to them to do well and therefore contemned good workes as who would say they were not bound to glorifie God before men who had glorified them with him self And touching the example of Abraham yf you conferre the scriptures togither as Genesis with Iames you shall sée that Abraham was iustified before and this is but the shew of his obedience vnto God that all the worlde might know he nothing misdouted the promise of God although his onely sonne must go to bée offered and this do your doctors teach which you heare recite To this effect S. Augustine reconcileth these two Apostles Non sunt contrariae duorum Apostolorum sententiae Pauli Iacobiâ—cum dicit vnus iustificari hominem per fidem sine operibus alius dicit inanem esse fidem sine operibus quia ille dicit de operibus quae praecedunt fidem iste de his que fidem sequuntur These sentences of the two Apostles Paul and Iames be not contrarie vnto them selues when the one saith that a man is iustified by fayth without workes The other sayth that fayth is vayne and ydle without workes for Paule speaketh of workes that goeth before faith Iames speaketh of those that follow fayth I doe not sée to what great purpose this place is alleaged bée it that this reconciliation is good can you coÌ„clude that Augustin teacheth or Iames eyther that workes iustifie before God that can you neuer prooue The place you bring he hath in many places yet in none of them doth he conclude as you do But in euery one he teacheth this that therefore Iames writte this Epistle and likewise Peter his to shewe that after sayth receyued works of rightuousnesse ought not to be contemned that what soeuer workes they doo they are of a iustified man and not to iustifie a man For when it is sayd that the doers of the law shall bée iustified what other thing is sayd than this Let 〈◊〉 that
filthie in the sight of God as M. Gough dooth filthily terme theÌ„ Christ would neuer haue made for them such a glorious promis nor prouided for them such a crowne of glorie nor reserued for them his finall iudgement in the which iudgemeÌ„t not the fayth but the works of men shal be examined But M. Goughe doth coÌ„temptuously abuse the gifts of god the works that himself hath wrought in his chosen elect doth miserably coÌ„found the good works of idolaters with the good works of theÌ„ that be his faithful and elect people which works he so much estéemeth being done in faith for his sake as not to suffer a cup of cold water to go vnrewarded I muse therefore at the sutteltie of this opinioÌ„ or rather at the sensible absurditie of it faith only or sole faith to iustifie For if he meane by faith onely faith without penance faith without baptisme then his doctrine is ageinst the couÌ„sell of Peter who answered the Iewes asking of the Apostles what they shold do to be saued saying PoenitentiaÌ„ agite et baptizetur vnusquisque vestruÌ„ in nomine Iesu Christi in remissioneÌ„ peccatorum vestroruÌ„ Do ye penance and let euery one of you be baptized in the name of Iesu Christ that your sins may be remitted If he mean by faith only faith without hope then he is ageinst the Apostle saying Spe enim salui facti sumus For by hope we are saued If he mean by faith only faith without feare then is he ageinst the saying of Iesus the sonne of Sirach Timor Domini expellit peccatuÌ„ naÌ„ qui sine timore est non poterit iustificari The feare of God expelleth sinnes for he that is without feare can not be iustified if he meane by faith onely faith withoute charitie he is then contrarie to the minde of S. Paule him selfe which sheweth what kynd of fayth doth iustifie fides quae per dilectionem operatur that faythe whiche worketh by charitie that is not sole nor onely faythe Wherfore yf Master Goughe will buyld vppon this terme sole or onely and yet neuerthelesse meane by his sole and only fayth fayth with penance faith with Baptisme fayth with feare fayth with hope fayth with loue and charitie then I say that the same fayth can no more be sayd to be onely or alone than a King or Prince beyng in the middest of his Nobilitie may bee sayd to be there onely or alone 4 That euery sinne is not mortall MAster Gough towards the end of his sermon did very constantly affirme that euery sinne committed by a Christian man is a deadly and a mortall sin and that no sinne is veniall no not an ydle thought as light as men made of it much like vnto the old heresie of Iouinian which to make all sinnes equall made euery sinne likewise a deadly sinne whome S. Austen condemned more than a thousand yeare ago as appeareth in his .6 Tome de haeres Haeres 82. M. Fecknam Let vs confer herewithall two sayings of the scripture the one of S. Iohn which sayth as well of himselfe and of euery iust man as of a sinner Si dixerimus quoniam peccatum noÌ„ habemus ipsos nos seducimus veritas in nobis non est If we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truthe is not in vs Meaning that the iustest man a liue is not withoute sinne Now if this sinne be as M. Goughe teacheth deadly mortal and damnable sinne which separateth the soule of man from God and condemneth it to hell fire let vs sée how a man may be called iust which daily committeth such damnable sinne Nay let vs repeat againe that commeÌ„dation of iustice which S. Luke giueth to Zacharie and Elizabeth saying Erant autem iusti ambo ante Deum incedentes in omnibus mandatis et iustificationibus Domini sine quaerâ—la That is they were both iust before God walking in all the commaundements and iustifications of our Lorde without blame He giueth thrée speciall notes of their true and perfecte rightuousnesse the one that they were iust not in the sight of men but before God him selfe the second that they kept all the commandements which M. Gough saith is impossible to kéep the third that they were with out blame and therfore without mortal damnable sinne If M. Goughe neuerthelesse wil say that S. Iohn speaking of him selfe and of iust men ment by sinne a damnable sinne he must then of very force make betwéene him S. Luke the Euangelist a manifest contradiction for no maÌ„ that sinneth damnably is without blame kéepeth the commaundements and is iust in the sight of God. To this may be added the saying of S. Iames where he describeth concupiscence to make a sinne in vs besides mortall sin saying CoÌ„cupiscentia cuÌ„ conceperit parit peccatum peccatuÌ„ verò cùm consummatuÌ„ fuerit generat morteÌ„ that is CoÌ„cupiscence when it hath conceiued bringeth forth sinne but sinne when it is finished begetteth death signifying hereby that sinne is then mortall and deadly when a man committeth it with full consent other circumstances For if a light passion or carnall thought stealeth vpon a man by soden delectation without consent the same is not a sinne which engendereth death but a venial sin To this place alludeth S. Austen where he speaketh of concupiscence that remayneth in those which be regenerate saying Ab illo rebellante si non letaliter sed venialiter tamen vincimur That is Of that sinne concupiscence rebelling agaynst vs we bée ouercommed although not deadly yet for al the venially It foloweth Et in his contrahimus vnde quotidie dicamus dimitte nobis debita nostra And in these veniall sins we gather by means wherof we may say daily forgiue vs Lord our trespasses Again in his boke de spirit lit he writeth thus of venial sinnes Sicut non impediunt à vita aeterna iustum quaedam peccata venialia sine quibus haec vita non ducitur sic ad saluteÌ„ eternam nihil prosunt impio aliqua bona opera sine quibê° difficillimè vita cuiusque pessimi hominis inuenitur that is Like as some veniall sins do not let a iust man froÌ„ life euerlasting without the which this life is not lead so some good workes do nothing profit a wicked man vnto life euerlasting without the which the life of euery naughtie man is hardly found I might bring here for venial sinne one of Martine Luthers Assertions whom I am sure M. Goughe will rather worship than deny for the pure loues sake which he beareth to his religion but I will not presse him so far only this I wil say that Luther did hold there was a sinne which was not a mortall and damnable sinne For he maketh euery good worke of a Christen man to be a sinne Marie sayeth he a sinne that is veniall His article was Quod omne opus
is righteous be righteous stil. For the doers of the law are iust And therefore it is as much as yf it should bée sayd The doers of the law shall be created not because they were but that they may bée You go foreward against M. Gough An other place he brought to expresse by scripture this worde Onely that fayth onely doth iustifie alleaging the saying of Christe vnto Iairus Prince of the Synagogue Crede tantùm Beleeue onely A place verie fitly applied as yf Christe there had spoken of the Iustification of Iairus and not rather of the corporall reuiuing of his daughter As for M. Goughes alleaging of the place I do not thinke but he sawe what was principally done in that place and that Christ was reuiuing of his daughter yet not withstanding he might note vnto you in what sorte wée ought to béehaue our selues towardes the receyuing of Christes benefites and graces that although things séeme vnto vs desperate voyde of all hope and comforte yet wée should not cease but to beléeue in Christe that he is able to doo whatsoeuer wée demaunde in feare and truth And this hope and fayth is sufficient and he requireth nothing els at our handes This I say why might he not note vnto you touching onely fayth hauing twoo suche notable examples before his face as the woman with the flux Iairus with his dead daughter And so might he make his argument As fayth onely is sufficient to the curing of an vncurable sore and the raising of the dead so is it sufficient to the remission of sinnes Neyther is he voyde of authoritie for his interpretation Theophilacte sayth thus Ne timeas tantùm crede respice ad mulierem hanc quae sanguinis profluuio laborauit illam si imitatus fueris non aberrabis Feare not onely beléeue Behold this Woman whiche was sicke of the fluxe yf thou followe her thou shalt not doo amisse Neyther is Iames cleane contradictorie as you say to Master Gough in this sense where he sayeth Videtis quoniam ex operibus iustificatur homo non ex fide tantùm You sée that of workes man is iustified and not of fayth onely There is you knowe Oppositio in terminis opposition in woordes and oppositio realis opposition in matter As for the first ye knowe also it is nothing and so may these two be fides tantum iustificat fides taÌ„tum non iustificat fayth only dothe iustifie â—ayth only doth not iustifie As for the other there must be vniuocatio in terminis the Subiectum and the Praedicatum must be taken in one sense in both Otherwise there is no opposition For both may be true As in this fayth only iustifieth the woord Iustifieth is taken in this sence Iustifieth before God. In the other Fayth only doth not iustifie the woord Iustifieth is taken hauing respect to men And so they be not opposite Of the sense of the place I spake before Likewise of the place of Luke viij I haue sayd my mind what M. Gough his meaning was I was not at his Sermon I promisse you I haue not talked with him therin I skant know the person S. Augustine in his booke de fide operibus sheweth the beginning and foundation of this muche like heresie to haue bin in the Apostles time vpon the misconstruing of Paules Epistles saying Quoniam haec opinio tunc fuerat exorta aliae Apostolicae epistolae Petri Iohannis Iacobi Iudae coÌ„tra eà m maximè dirigunt intentionem vt vehementer astruant fidem sine operibus nihil prodesse That is bicause this opinion was then sproÌ„g vp other Apostolicall epistles of Peter Iohn Iames Iude do bend their drift and purpose most of all against that opinion that they may boldely and vehemently affyrme faith without workes to auaile nothing If it be fayth only it is fayth without works If faith only auaileth nothing faith only can not iustifie What opinion that was M. Fecknam how vnlike vnto our assertion I shewed you before out of the same place and it was this as you haue it in the beginning of the chapter Bene autem viuere bonis operibus viam dei tenere neglexerint and they contemne to liue well and to kéepe the way of God in good works He sayth not bonis operibus incrementum iustitiae addere and with good woorkes to giue encrease of iustice â–ª Which péece you stand for which you shal neuer be able to shew out of Augustine and so we deny it As for your collection if faith only auaileth nothing faith only can not iustifie we deny the consequeÌ„t For as I said before ther is not vniuocatio in terminis We say true that nothing else but faith doth iustifie and yet say the faith which is dead sole is nothing worthe for it is not that which we say doth iustifie Likewise he saith in his boke de trinitate very briefly and pithily sine charitate fides quidem potest esse sed non prodesse Without charitie faith may be but without charitie it can nothing auaile This is very wel said we grauÌ„t al this he speaketh according to the scriptures you néed not haue gon so far S. Iames s. Paul could haue taught you the same But to your purpose it serueth very little yea nothing at al. Now touching your tretise of works done in faith wheras you are misgréeued with M. Gough so far that you cal it a preposterous way and a blasphemous doctrin to say that our workes are as filthie cloutes vnto which Christ promiseth a rewarde so great as euerlasting life if you would iustly consider with your self the duetie that god requireth of vs the default that is in vs the integritie the puritie that we are bound to by his commandement the imperfection the impuritie that is in vs you coulde not iustly coÌ„demne him god coÌ„maundeth vs to serue him with all our harts with all our soule with al our streÌ„gth what is he vpon the earth that doth employ these wholy that hath not alwayes the flesh pricking against the spirit then the work that is done of such is it not as a menstruous cloth could it be acceptable before God were it not for his mercy If it please him of the same mercy to giue me lyfe euerlasting for my halfe dayes nay for my one houres worke doth it folow that my worke is worthy of it when all the workes of the world be not worth lyfe euerlasting Chrystes death excepted Then touching your other cauil of faith only How only without baptisme without repentance without feare without hope without charitie You may vnderstand of that I haue sayd before howe all these must folow and an hundreth more and yet fayth only must iustifie what so euer he be that casteth these away in that respect that he is iustified by faith he deceiueth him selfe and he is not iustified He is a dead trée he is a thorne