are saued through faith Finally to conclude this is the faith that woorketh through charitie In whiche woordes beside other thinges it is to be noted that the faith whereby we are saued and the faith whereby the iuste man liueth is none other but the faith that worketh through charitie Which vertue saith Leo by her mixture and tempering geueth life euen to very faith whereby the iuste man liueth For the iuste man liueth by faith saith S. Bede not by that faith that is vttered onely by confession of the lippes but by that faith that woorketh through charitie And thus may we truely vnderstande what the Scripture meaneth as often as it is said by faith we are saued or through faith we are iustified That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding charitie c. And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth THE VIII CHAPTER BVT yet this satisfieth not all men An Obiection Rom. 3. Galat. 3. For some thinke still we are iustified by faith alone for that S. Paule saying we are iustified by faith and putting to it without woorkes of the Lawe semeth to them to saie as much as we are iustified by faith alone And that opinion they inforce the more bicause diuerse of the auncient Fathers haue vsed these woordes Faith alone iustifieth The Ansvvere To the whiche I answere that neither S. Paule nor any of the Auncient Fathers euer meant it in that sense which they haue taken it that is to exclude from Iustification Charitie hope penance or any vertue and gifte of God. S. Paule his wordes by them alleadged be in the Epistles to the Romaines and Galathians Aug. ad Simplicia li. 1. qu. 2. Et in exposit epist ad Rom. inchoat Primas in Praefa epist ad Rom. Aug. in Exposi 4. ca. ad Gal. The Argument and intent of his whole Epistle to the Romains as S. Augustine saith is this Vt de ipsorum meritis nemo glorietur c. That no man boast nor vaunt him selfe of the merite of his workes of which the Israelites were bolde to make their boaste that they serued the Lawe which was geauen them and thereby had receiued the grace of the Ghospell as a debt due vnto their desertes bicause they serued the lawe for which cause they would not haue the same grace geuen to the Gentils as vnworthy of it vnlesse they would receiue the Iewish Sacramentes The Galathians to whome the Gospell had ben preached were moued and solicited by Iewes whose desire was to bring them to carnal obseruances of the Lawe Aug. in Exposi 4. ca. ad Gal. Prima in argu ep ad Galat. Rom. 4. Galat. 3. as though saluation laie in the same To answere vnto bothe these boasting of them selues and of the woorkes of the law and exacting them of other as necessary to saluation In bothe these Epistles S. Paule saith no man is iustified by the lawe proouing the same by Abraham who was iustified before circumcision was commaunded and long before the law was geuen and therby doth barre and put of al workes of the Lawe from our Iustification as nothing auailing towarde the same But what the woorkes of the lawe be it is not a matter so plaine to all men Beside the rites and ceremonies commaunded by Moyses S. Augustine calleth all suche the woorkes of the Lawe as a man presumeth to doe of him selfe of his owne power and strength without faith and the helpe of God August de spirit et li. c. 29 Adhuc dubitamus quae sunt opera legis quibus homo non iustificatur si ea tanquam sua crediderit sine adiutorio dono Dei quod est ex fide Iesu Christi Doe we yet doubt what the woorkes of the Lawe are by whiche no man is iustified if he take them as his owne without 〈◊〉 helpe and gift of God which cometh by the faith of Iesus Christe These be the workes of the lawe Serm. 15. de verb. Apostol which in another place he calleth also the iustice of the law Lege Dei proposita c. When the lawe of God is laid before vs whosoeuer is proud and thinketh he is able to fulfil it by his owne power and strength if he do that the lawe commaundeth not for the loue of iustice but for feare of punishment this man concerning the iustice of the lawe is a man without blame In both places he calleth al suche the workes of the lawe and the iustice of the lawe that a man doth of him self presuming of his owne strength without grace and helpe of God. Ex lege quia in mandatis Aug. ibid. sua tanque de viribus suis It is the iustice of the law bicause it is commanded It is a mans own bicause it cometh as of his own strength Now as S. Paul doth truly barre and shut out from the procuring of our Iustification al rites and ceremonies of the lawe and also all morall workes that we doe of our selues without faith and helpe of God So if a man would reason that he barreth likewise charity hope penance and the Sacraments of the Church bicause a man is iustified by faith without workes of the law he should shew him selfe ignorant of the Scriptures and of S. Paules meaning These be no workes of the law For not onely charitie Galat. 5. ioy peace patience mildenes and faith but briefly al workes of charitie when they be done by faith by helpe of grace and the gifte of God are fruites of the holie Ghoste not workes of the lawe Lex spiritus vitae Rom. 8. They be the law of the holie Ghoste and of life perteining not to the letter that killeth but to the spirit that geueth life August de spirit et lit c. 17 Ad prudentiam carnis terrendam c. When the workes of charity are written in tables to make the wisedome of the flesh afraied it is the lawe of workes and the letter that killeth the transgressour but when charitie is powred into the beleuers heart it is the lawe of faith and the spirit that geueth lyfe to the beleuer S. Augustine saith woorkes that be done for feare onely by commaundement of the law are called the lawe of woorkes and the killing letter but when they be done by charitie which through the holy Ghost is powred into our heartes they be called the Lawe of faith and geue life to the doers They be called the lawe of faith and workes of faith bicause they are geauen by faith and with faith Aug. ibid. cap. 30. Per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum c. By faith grace is obteined against sinne by grace the sowle is healed from sinne Wherefore when S. Paule saieth a man is iustified by faith without workes of the Lawe Rom. 3. he saith nothing els but that a man is iustified by grace and not by him selfe For as he saith here Ephes 2. Rom. 3.
they are iustified by Faithe alone thorough the gifte of God. Quemadmodum autem c. In cap. 4. ad Rom. But howe can it stretch or apperteine to the person of suche as doo penance when he saith Blessed they are whose sinnes be couered sithe it is a matter well knowen that penitente persones gette remission of their sinnes by labor and sighing Arnobius Theodoritus and S. Ambrose saie that some men are iustified by onely Faithe that is to saie without penance they saie it not of all men but of suche as come newely to the Faith and be baptized Furder their mening is not that they are iustified without al penance for then should they gainesaie Christes preaching which was Mar. 1. In the 6. Chap. of this booke Ambros supra De fide oper c. 26. Poenitemini credite Euangelio Repente and beleue the Gospell and I haue shewed before that trewe Faith can not be without penance but they saie in Baptisme such are iustified without sighing or morning that is to say without sharpe and laboriouse penance as in the Churche they did who properly were called penitentes as S. Augustine saith Therefore as for our selues to whom all this question muste be referred being baptized in our infancie when they saie Note Faith alone that suche as falle after Baptisme can not be iustified by Faith alone but by penance They plainely saie towching vs already baptised that no man is nor can be iustified by Faith alone and so by them is this question ended concerning vs. But some man will say howe may it be plainely vnderstanded that by Iustification of faith onely which the auncient Fathers seeme in wordes to affirme their meaning was not to exclude and barre hope charitie and workes of faith Sum. Moral 80. cap. 22. To that they shal answere for them selues seuerally eche by their owne wordes S. Basil asketh Quid est proprium Christiani What is the peculiar propertie of a Christian man fides per dilectionem operans faith that worketh through charitie And toward the ende of the same chapter Matth. 5. What is the propertie of a Christian man that his iustice abunde in all pointes aboue the Scribes and Pharisees according to the doctrine in our Lordes Gospel what is the property of a Christian man to loue one another as Christ hath loued vs. By S. Basil then faith alone is not inough to make either a iuste or a good Christian man. S. Ambrose declareth his meaning in sundrie places but of many to take one he expresseth it in these wordes Sine fide impossibile est placere Deo c. In ca. 4. epist ad Hebre. Without faith it is impossible to please God but faith alone sufficeth not it is necessary for faith to worke through charitie and to vse conuersation worthy to be allowed of God. Chrysostom saith Ne fideles sola fide c. Hom. 70. in Matt. cap. 22. Bicause the faithful should not truste they might be saued by faith alone Christe speaketh of the ill mennes paines so doth he moue the infideles to faith and the faithful to good life And in an other place he saith Ad agenda opera festinemus Hom. in Gen. 47. neque enim aliter saluari nos possibile c. Let vs make haste to doo good workes for otherwise it is not possible for vs to be saued Theodoritus in like manner saith Epito Diuino Decre de seruato incarna In Ioan. li. 10. ca. 17. Et post Seruatoris aduentum Euen after the comming of our Sauiour all atteine not to saluation but such as beleue and frame theire life according to his diuine Lawes Christ plainely teacheth saith Cyrillus that such as go away from him whether it be that they fall in faith or in keeping of his commandements shal not onely bring forth no fruit but shall also suffer euerlasting fier And further he saith if onely faith were inough Cyril in Ioan. lib. 10. cap. 18. the multitude of Diuelles should not perish Assure thy selfe good Reader a whole booke much bigger then this treatie is could not suffice to holde the sayinges of the auncient Fathers like vnto these But seing that in the mouth of two Matt. 18. or three witnesses standeth euery worde I may say either these witnesses suffise or I know not what may suffise The opinion is such as ought to be remoued out of all Christian hartes De grati lib. arbit ca. 7. which as S. Augustine saith hath none other grounde but the misconstruing of S. Paules wordes of which he him selfe saith there God forbid that the Apostle should be of that minde It is such as no man can hold for true vnlesse he wil make many and euident Scriptures false For graunting it to be true that onely faith suffiseth falsa erunt illa quae obscuritatem ambiguitatemque non habent Aug. de fid et ope cap. 15. 1. Cor. 13. c. Those sayinges of Scripture shal be false which are neither darke nor doubtefull If I haue all faith in so much as I be able to remoue mountaines out of theire place and haue no charitie I am nothing what shall it auaile my bretherne Iaco. 2. if a man say he hath faith and haue no good workes can faith saue him And alitle after if thou wilt come to life Matt. 19. keepe the commandementes These saith S. Augustine with other there alleged shal be false Whiche inconuenience bicause no man can beare I will applie vnto faith touching our Iustification the wordes that Chrysostome vttered of praier Chrysost To. 5. li. 1. de orand Deum Neque sola temperantia c. It is neither temperance alone that can saue a man if other vertues lacke neither carefull prouision for the poore nor any other thing that is vertuousely done but all muste concurre and come together into our soules Marie praier is laied vnder all the reste as the roote and foundation to beare them vppe Euen so it may be truely said faith is the roote of all good workes and the foundation that is laid vnder godly life And yet can neither faith nor hope nor charitie alone iustifie All must concurre and comme together into our sowles and then is that excellent and diuine worke of our Iustification accomplished and not otherwise Howe Abraham was iustified VVhat his faith was and who be the true children of Abraham THE IX CHAPTER THE readiest and plainest waie to open matters doubtefull and to cleare that whiche is darke is to teach by examples Seing therefore the Scripture commendeth often vnto vs Abraham for an example and paterne of Iustification and saith Esai 51. Attendite ad Abraham patrem vestrum Looke to Abraham your father there is no better way for vs rightly to vnderstand that matter then to consider how Abraham was iustified and howe he atteined to that singuler prerogatiue to be commended by the holy Ghost Rom.
Gods mercy and to doe no good workes Fol. 33. b. Chap. 2 VVhence the opinion came that onely Faith iustifieth And of diuers kindes of mainteining the same Fol. 34. b. Chap. 3 That Faith excludeth not Charity in our Iustification 36. a Chap. 4 An Aunswere to Obiections that be made to proue that Faith alone iustifieth without Charitie Fol. 40. a. Chap. 5 That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification Fol. 41. b. Chap. 6 That Faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification Fol. 43. b. Chap. 7 VVhat is the true meaning of these woordes in the Scripture VVe are iustified by Faith or saued by Faith. Fol. 47. a. Chap. 8 That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding Charitie And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth Fol. 51. a. Chap. 9 How Abraham was iustified VVhat his Faith was and who be the true children of Abraham Fol. 56. a. Cha. 10 That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paul and S. Iames concerning the Doctrine of Iustification Fol. 60. a. Cha. 11 That Faith alone without good workes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by Grace Fol. 62. b. Cha. 12 VVhat they were who in sundrie ages haue taught that men should be saued without good vvorkes Fol. 65. b. Cha. 13 The cause why good works are don and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the world to come with life euerlasting and why thei be so rewarded 67. a Cha. 14 An Answere to certaine Obiections made against the reward of good workes Fol. 72. a. Cha. 15 VVhat assurance of his Iustification and saluation a Christian man may haue in this life Fol. 75. b. Cha. 16 Of the fruites and ende of our Iustification and what strength in wel doing God geueth thereby where it is truely receiued and effectually put in vre and the waie to come to it Fol. 80. a. FINIS CERTAINE TREATIES OF THE AVNCIENT HOLY FATHERS TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF good woorkes Namely A Treatie of S. Augustine whiche he Intituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same matter Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian of Almes dedes Al newly translated into English by Thomas Coppley esquier Tobia 12. Bona est Oratio cum Ieiunio Eleemosyna magis quà m Thesauros auri recondere Quoniam Eleemosyna à morte liberat ipsa est quae purgat peccata facit inuenire vitam aeternam Prayer is good with Fasting and Almes better then to hide vppe treasures of golde For Almes deliuereth from death and shee it is which purgeth sinnes and maketh to finde life euerlasting LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO The Translatour to the Reader THE loue that naturally men beare to peace and quiet is so great that there can fall no controuersie emong such as be of the better sorte but they seeke meanes euer to compounde and pacifie it Either they referre the decision of it to the Iudge ordinarie of the lawe or if they mistruste th' execution thereof either bicause the iudge doth not fullie vnderstande the matter or els for that they thinke him partiall of either side they seeke the arbitrement and sentence of some good man whome they thinke bothe to vnderstande perfitely right and iustice and take him to be affectionate of neither parte In which doing they flee not from the lawe but seeke the true and right vnderstanding thereof without affection at his handes I considering this order Christian Reader and moued with the Charitie that should binde vs all 2. Cor. 5. waying with my selfe the great controuersie that hath benne in this age about sundrie pointes of Religion namely in the article of our Iustification seing also that the matter tendeth not to the losse of patrimonie or landes but to the plaine disherison of life euerlasting and that emong vs who all professe to be the children of peace I haue bene desirouse to propounde some meane of Pacification And bicause I see the trauaile that sundrie men haue taken as it were pleading in this cause hath not ended the controuersie either bicause the doers were thoughte to be parties of the one side and thereby affectionat either bicause being borne in this age and liuing in the time of the controuersie they had not the autoritie and credite of Iudges I haue thought good to moue all such as finde in them selues either controuersie or doubt concerning that matter to putte their owne opinion in arbitrement and compromisse Not calling them hereby from the holy Scriptures which as a Soueraine lawe the diuine wisedome hath lefte vnto vs but leading them to the true vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures vttered by such as God hath placed in his Churche Ephe. 4. Danie 12. to be Pastor us and teachers to instructe manie to rightuousnes I offer for Arbitrators not men of this age such as may be thought any waie partiall or suspected but such as in all mens iudgementes and for all respectes be or should be without exception For the principall pointe of Iustification I offer S. Augustine a reuerend and most lerned Bishop in the Catholike Churche not onely in high estimation in all Christian Regions emong all estates and degrees during his life but also for his excellent vertue worthely after his death taken for a Saincte and for his singuler learning and knowledge in holy Scriptures taken for one of the foure Doctours and that the principallest of the Latin Churche as one meete whome all learned menne should followe as a lanterne and light in decision of matters of greatest weight Who also in expounding of the holy Scriptures may be the more safely trusted for that he had in all his writinges a speciall care not to seeke his priuate and singular opinion in the vnderstanding of them Lib. Confess 12. cap. 25. as appereth by his owne woordes saying that God hath terribly geuen vs warning that wee should not drawe his truthe to our owne priuate construction leste wee were depriued of it Luther in Sermone Germa ad mulieres partus Infelicita afflictas Phi. Melanc in decla de S. Augustino Caluinus Institut cap. 18. And therefore hauing his opinion thou arte sure to haue the opinion of that moste learned age that he liued in Againe bicause that time framed vnto it selfe no newe doctrine thou knowest also by him what was the opinion of the Church before his time euen from the Apostles vnto his age And bicause he hath not ben contraried in that matter of any godly and learned before this oure age yea and in this our age is highly commended of suche as haue bene of greatest credite euen of the contrary side thou knowest by him what hath bene the opinion of the Churche in all times
vnto thy death bicause Gods rewarde abideth for euer By which wordes it is not meant that a wicked man in whome no goodnesse is should be made rightuouse and godlie but that a good and a iuste man should be made iuster and better For as we saie truely that water is warmed not onely when it is of colde made luke warme but also when it is of warme made hotter so saith the Scripture that a man is iustified when he increaseth in iustice and of good and rightuouse is made iuster and better Rom. 2. Of a thirde degree of Iustification it is said Non auditores legis iusti sunt apud Deum sed factores legis iustificabuntur The hearers of the lawe be not iust before God but the doers of the lawe shall be iustified Where the worde of iustifiyng dothe neither signifie the comming to iustice which maketh a wicked man rightuouse and iuste neither the increase of iustice whereby a good man is made better but an ende and perfection of iustice wherevnto by Gods iust iudgement of the which S. Paul there speaketh such shal atteine as keping them selues in the state of iustice once receiued or recouering the same by penance continue and perseuer in doing iustice vnto the ende This is the ful and perfect Iustification of man who being borne in sinne is called to the state of iustice and increasing therein by continuance is at th ende perfited in iustice in life euerlasting For neither doth it auayle him to beginne wel if he doo not continue and increase neither is it ynough to continue for a tyme if afterwarde he fall away For then doth he lose the ende and perfection of his iustice without the which the beginning and middle auayleth not In this sorte doth S. Augustine speake of mannes Iustification For concerning the twoo first degrees thereof he sayth thus Aug. contra â—ulia lib. 2. 〈◊〉 de ciuita Dei li. 21. cap. 16. Iustificatio in hac vita c. Iustification is geueÌ„ vnto vs in this life by these three things first by the wasshing of regeneration whereby al sinnes are forgeuen after that by fighting with vices from the gylte wherof we were discharged and assoyled Thirdely while our prayer is heard wherein we say forgeue vs our offences In which wordes is comprised not onely the entry and beginning of our Iustification which he calleth Baptisme but also the increase of vertuouse and godly lyfe whiche he termeth a conflicte and fighting with vice wherevnto he ioyneth prayer for the forgeuenesse of sinne when we fal And this calleth he our IustificatioÌ„ in this life saying further in an other place Lib. 21. de ciuit Dei cap. 16. Quisquis cupit c. Whoso euer desireth to escape the paynes euerlasting lette him not onely be baptised but also be iustified in Christe We doubt not but that suche as are baptised be also iustified For where S. Paule saith Abluti estis ye are wasshed cleane 1. Cor. 6. he saieth also iustificati estis ye are iustified And yet saieth S. Augustine that beside Baptisme a man muste be iustified meaning by Iustification the continual conflicte with vice wherein consisteth a godly and a vertuouse lyfe and increase of iustice Of the third degree whiche is the ende and perfiting of our iustice Aug epist 106 〈◊〉 sermo 61. le ver Doâ— he saith Complebitur spes nostra c. Our hope shal be fully accomplisshed in the resurrection of the deade and when our hope shal be fulfilled then shal our Iustification be fulfilled and accomplished Thus doth our Iustification rightly vnderstanded as it is coÌ„plete and perfect comprise in it selfe a beginning of iustice an encrease and an ende In this sort do the Scriptures in sundry places speake of it Note the Authours Intente For this cause I haue in al this Treatie to make the matter playner to vnderstande deduced three degrees of Iustification comparing the same with S. Augustine to a perfecte buylding which beside a foundation hath lodging to dwel in And to a fruiteful tree which hath not onely a roote but fruit also comming of the same And albeit al these three degrees make but one absolute and perfecte Iustification in euery man that is saued yet doth the Scripture in sundry places speake seuerally and in diuers maner of wordes sometyme of the beginning and entree sometyme of the increase sometyme of th' ende and perfection of our iustice whereof may grow obscuritie and occasion of errour to suche as vnderstand not nor marke not this diuersitie in degrees of iustice Marke this diuersitie For it is not one thing that God requireth of him that first commeth to his seruice and of him that continueth his seruant and in th' ende trusteth to be rewarded by his seruice By meane of which difference it is truly sayd in the Scripture Rom. 3. Iacob 2. a man is iustified by faith without woorkes and also it is truly said a man is iustified by workes For as a synner is called and set in the state of iustice by grace without any deserte of woorkes done before So no man can continue in Christ increase in iustice and comme to the perfection thereof in life euerlasting without good workes as in processe of this Worke more plainely shal appeare VVhat is meant by the name of faith and how many kindes of faith there be THE II. CHAP. BIcause in al this discourse of Iustification I shal be occasioned often tymes to speake of faith I thinke it necessary as I haue already shewed what is meant by the worde of Iustification so likewise to declare briefly what is meant by the name of faith to th' intent that when the Reader shal see any thing alleged concerning faith he may the better iudge of it S. Augustine saieth there be twoo kindes of faith one whereby we beleue that whiche is said to vs An other whereby we keepe promisse in that we say to other August de spirit lit ca. 31. De hac fide nunc loquimur quam adhibemus cùm aliquid credimus non quam damus quum aliquid pollicemur Nam ipsa dicitur fides Tvvo kindes of faith We speake nowe of the faith which we vse when we beleeue any thing not of the faith whiche we geue when we promyse any thinge For that also is called faith But it is one thing when we say he gaue no fayth nor credite vnto me and an other when we saye he kepte not faith with me For the one is as muche to saie He beleeued not that which I said the other he did not that which he said By this faith whereby we beleue we be faithfull vnto God by the other whereby that is perfourmed which is promised God also is faithful vnto vs. For so saith the Apostle God is faithful who doth not suffer you to be tempted further then you are able 1. Cor. 10. Seing therefore there be but two kindes of
God make it easie and light especially bicause we are fure to escape the heauie and punishing hand of God. For so S. Paul saith Si nos ipsos diiudicaremus non vtique iudicaremur 1. Cor. 11. If we would iudge that is to say punish our selues we shoulde not be iudged Thus haue I shewed that suche as fall after Baptisme into greate and deadly sinne are restored againe and iustified by penance whiche hath that vertue by the woorde and promise of Christe Ioani 20. I haue also declared howe a sinner is brought vnto true penance And further I haue shewed the difference betweene penance that is required of suche as being of age come to be christened and of such as fal after Baptisme wherin it hath ben proued that sinners after Baptisme are restored again to the estate of iustice Theodor. sup Paul. 2. Cor. 7. by doing the worthie fruits of penance and not by Faith onely And seing that al Christian men now liuing were baptised in their infancie This is the Iustification that we ought specially to loke vnto by knowledge to learne and to practise by dede As for the Iustification of faith alone how so euer it serue for suche as are to be christened In the viij Chap. of the secōd booke whereof I shall speake hereafter it serueth not for vs that are christened alreadie Of the increase and perfiting of our Iustification wherein it is truely said that we be iustified by good workes and not by faith onely THE XII CHAP. IT is not inough for the obteining of lyfe euerlastinge that sinners be iustified and made of wicked righteouse Psal 83. Tit. 2. vnlesse they continue also and increase in iustice goe from vertue to vertue and liue soberly iustly and godly For as S. Cyprian saith Parum est adipisci aliquid potuisse Cyprian li. 1. ep 5. It is a small matter to be able to get a thing It is more to be able to kepe that is once gotten as in faith it selfe and the healthfull byrth it is not the receiuing but the keping of it that geaueth lyfe neither is it by and by the attaining but the perfiting that preserueth a man to God. This our Lorde taught by his owne instruction Ioan. 5. when he saied Lo thou art made a whole man nowe sinne not least some worse happe fall vnto thee Christe gaue him selfe for vs saieth S. Paule to the intent he might redeeme vs from all iniquity Tit. 2. 2. Cor 6. and cleanse vnto him selfe a singular and special people a folower of good workes If this effect folowe not in vaine hath Christe geauen him selfe to death for vs in vaine doe we receiue his grace and Iustification And not onely in vaine but to our great daunger and peril 2. Pet. 2. Luc. 11. Augustin epist 106. Better were it for them saith S. Peter neuer to haue knowē the way of iustice then after the knowlege of it to turne backe againe from the holy cōmandement that was deliuered vnto them He that is iustified is ryd of the vncleane spirite and his harte lyke to the swepte house But if the same stande emptie not inhabited by the holy Ghost nor filled with the fruites of iustice the vncleane spirite doth not onely returne agayne but also bringeth with him seuen other worse then him selfe who entre and dwel there and the later doinges of that man becomme worse then the firste were For as to him that hath Math. 25. there shal be geuen and he shall haue aboundance so from him that hath not euen that he seemeth to haue shal be taken awaye To haue the gyftes of God is to vse them as Theophilacte writeth vpon that place Theophil in ca. 25. Math. Math. 28 And he vseth Goddes grace that doth good workes to the which ende grace is geuen Christe sente his Apostles to christen all Nations and to teache them to keepe all that he had commaunded them He woulde not onely haue a people to knowe him Luc. 1. Ioan. 15. but such a people as shoulde serue him in holynes and iustice He saith to his Apostles Ego elegi vos posui vos vt eatis fructum plurimum afferatis fructus vester maneat I haue chosen you and placed you to thintent you should go and bring forth fruite and to thintent your fruit should remaine And in the same chaptre he saith in hoc glorificatus est pater Ioan. 15. vt fructū plurimū afferatis efficiamini mei Discipuli Hereby is my Father glorified that you may bring forth much fruit and be made my scholers geuing vs to vnderstande that they be Christes scholers that shew the fruite of his teaching and that God is glorified not onely in our calling but also in the fruite that commeth of our calling For this cause the Scripture saieth to such as are already called to the state of iustice Apoca. 22 Eccle. 18. Math. 5. Qui iustus est iustificetur adhuc Let him that is iuste be iustified yet And also Let nothing let thee from continuall prayer and let nothing forbid thee to be iustified vnto thy death for Goddes rewarde abydeth for euer Blessed are they that hunger and thyrst after iustice saieth our Sauiour Apertissimè nos instituens c. Most euidently teaching vs Beda in solen om Sancto that we should neuer thinke our selues iuste inough but euer more loue and desire a daylie increase of iustice For true it is that Leo saieth Quantumlibet quisque iustificatus sit Leo ser 8. de Passio Aug. ser 15. de verb. Apo. Why increase of Iustice is called Iustificatiō c. Be a man neuer so much iustified yet while he is in this life he may be better and more tryed but he that increaseth not decayeth and goeth backewarde and he that getteth nothing loseth somewhat And bicause as in al artes vse maketh the artificer more skilful then he was so the continuance and practise of iustice maketh a good man readyer and more able to do well and thereby iuster then he was the Scripture calleth it Iustificatiō that is to say an increase of iustice and declareth in sundry places howe the same is obteyned S. Iames saieth Iacob 2. videtis quòd ex operibus c. You see that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely And he that saieth Eccles 18. lette nothing staye thee from continuall prayer nor forbid thee to be iustified to thy death teacheth that prayer is a meane to iustifie whiche Chrysostome expresseth in more playne woordes Chrysost Tom 5. de orand saying vtiampiam ac cultu Dei dignam miris modis oratio conciliat conciliatam auget Prayer doth meruelously winne and gette a good life and increaseth it when it is a gotten Christ him selfe calleth prayer fasting and asmosedeede our iustice and sure we are that he is iuste who doth iustice Math. 6. 1. Ioan.
3. And so muche the iuster the more iustice he doth By the same rule Leo speaking of almose saieth Leo. ser 3. de ieiun mensis 7. Leo ser 8. de ieiu men 10. Iacob 2. Gen. 22. Hoc pio impendatur operi c. Let that be bestowed vpon godlie woorke that can iustifie the harte and wasshe the conscience And in an other place Goddes will is saieth he to iustifie the poore by patiente suffring of labour and trauaile and the riche by the woorke of charitie Abraham was iustified by woorkes offering vp his sonne by woorkes I say of obedience bicause he obeyed the voice and commaundement of God. The Scripture saith of Moyses In fide lenitate ipsius sanctum fecit illum God made him holy by faith and mildenes S. Bernarde saith as much of humilitie Bernard ser 1. in die natal Sectamini illam quae sola potest saluare animas vestras folow her which alone is able to saue your soules Finally Leo ser 6 de Quadrages al good workes done in faith bring with them a Iustification Quia hac quaeper se sunt vilia fides efficit pretiosa quae ab infidelibus ministrantur etsi fuerint sumptu magna omni tamen iustificatione sunt vacua faith maketh those thinges pretiouse which of them selues be litle worth And such as are done by infideles though in coste they be great yet be they voide of al Iustification If the workes of infideles be voide of Iustification bicause they be done without faith then Christian mennes woorkes done in faith may iustifie By these places of the Scripture and auncieÌ„t Fathers it is proued that good works done in faith iustifie the doers And bicause no man can doo such workes vnlesse he be him selfe a good man Sequuntur enim iustificatum Aug de fide ope ca. 14. noÌ„ pracedunt iustificandum for they follow him that is made iust they go not before him that is to be iustified we must coÌ„fesse that beside the Iustification of the wicked whereby a synner of vngodly is made righteouse â—om 4. there is an other degree of iustice which both the Scripture and Fathers as I haue shewed call Iustification that is an increase of iustice whereby a iuste man is made iuster Whiche to make the thing more playne The secoÌ„d Iustification I cal the seconde kynde or degree of Iustification bicause it commeth after the Iustification of a sinner whiche is the firste degree of iustice And this kinde of Iustification whiche is an increase of iustice Lib. 2. coÌ„tra â—ulta supra ca. Oecom in c. 2. Iaco. is obteyned and gotten by godly life by fighting with vice saieth S. Augustine by workes of faith without the whiche after baptisme faith auayleth not but maketh vs also gyltie of greater sinne receyuing the talente and bringing no gayne of it By this meane it is truely said that a wicked man is iustified that is reconciled to God by grace through faith hope charitie penaunce and the Sacramente of Baptisme without anye woorkes of merite goyng before And truely is it saied also that suche as be already iuste may be yet iustified that is increased in iustice by good workes So is it true that faith without workes iustifieth and true also that a man is iustified by workes and not by faith onely the one being meant of man not yet baptised the other of suche as are baptised or christened And further woorkes of faith doo not onely increase a good mannes iustice in this life but also procure vnto the dooers life euerlasting Rom. 6. Whiche S. Paule calleth our ende And S. Augustine the perfiting of iustice Ser. 61. de ver De. et ep 106. saying Complebitur spes nostra our hope shal be fully accomplished in the laste resurrection of the deade and when our hope shal be fulfilled then shal our Iustification be fully accomplisshed And bicause our iustice be it neuer so well begonne and continued here yet before that time is neuer perfect and without that ende auaileth not I call that with S. Augustine the perfiting of our Iustification or the thirde degree and ende of our iustice To the which the Scriptures plainely declare that we must comme by workes of faith Rom. 2. Psal 61. Reddet vnicuique secundùm opera eius God shall render vnto euery man according to his workes What thinges a man soweth Gala. 6. the same shall he reape for he that soweth in flesh of flesh shall reape corruption But he that soweth in spirite of spirite shall reape euerlasting life Our sowing is our workes of which if they be ill we shall reape damnation if they be good we shall receiue life eternall And bicause it is said in sundrie places of the Scripture 2. Tim. 4. Epist 105. lib de gra libe arbi ca. 8. 9. that God will render life euerlasting to good workes and that as a iuste iudge we gather with S. Augustine that life euerlasting is the rewarde of good workes whereof I shall haue occasion to say more when I come to speake of that matter Lib. 2 cap. 13. In the meane time we see that as a man is called to the state of iustice by faith without workes which is Iustification so can he neither be increaced nor perfited in iustice but by faith and good workes which is also called Where is then faith alone Iustification So can he neither comme to the beginning but by faith hope and charitie as hath ben shewed neither to the middle nor th' ende but by faith and good workes ioined together And this difference marked and rightely applied doth not only geue light to sundrie Scriptures seeming otherwise darcke but also taketh away the difference imagined In the 10. chap. of the 2. booke to be betwene S. Paule and S. Iames S. Peter and S. Iohn concerning the doctrine of Iustification whereof I shall speake more largely in an other place VVhat good workes be and howe they be called ours THE XIII CHAPTER Three kindes of vvorkes in Scripture THE greate commendation and price which the Scripture geueth to good workes moueth me briefly to declare what workes they are that we call good where with God is so highly pleased We finde in the Scriptures three kindes of workes named Gala. 5. whereof some are called workes of the flesh other the workes of the lawe Ioan. 6. Gala. 5. The third kinde the workes of God and the fruites of the holy Ghost The workes of the flesh are fornication vncleanes vnchast life and other like the doers whereof shall not enioie the kingdome of God. Gala. 5. The workes of the lawe be such as a man doth by him selfe presuming of his owne power and strength without the helpe of God Aug. ser 15. de ver Apost Philip. 3. by commandement of the lawe for feare of punishement and not for loue of iustice Of which S. Paule
thinketh he is able to atteyne vnto it of him selfe albeit he neuer reacheth thereunto August in praesation Psal 31. and loseth the hope of al his trauayle bicause he presumeth of him selfe and God condemneth euen that presumption yet hath he a desire to lyue wel and a care to doe good workes But who so is persuaded that faith onely suffiseth to obteyne both Iustification and saluation let him be well ware leste he falle into the goulfe and saye Aug. ibid. Faciam ergo quicquid volo I will doo then what I liste for though I haue no good woorkes and doe no more but beleeue in God my faith shall be reputed to me for iustice If he haue so saied and determined with him selfe he is fallen in and drowned If he be yet but thinking thereof and wauering he is in daunger Further if it be true that the Philosopher saieth Aristote Ethic. lib. 2. cap. 8. that of twoo vices contrarie to one vertue the more daungerouse and greater vice is that whereunto menne are more geuen We doubte not but the greater number of men is rather prone and contente of them selues to beleue only and put the reste in Gods mercie then desirous to leade a seuere and strayte life and payne them selues with good workes Which thing the diuel wel knowing hath in sundry ages gone about to put this opinion in the heades of such as he could abuse Ca. 12. as I shal shewe hereafter Wherefore to auoide this goulfe whiche is most perillouse I wil declare that faith alone suffiseth not in any sorte of true vnderstanding to our Iustification or saluation That is to say that faith alone is neither able to iustifie and bring to the state of iustice him that is a sinner nor alone able to keepe and increase our Iustification when it is gotten nor able alone to bring him that is iustified to the perfection of iustice in life euerlasting In which three degrees consisteth the absolute and perfecte Iustification of man In the first Chap. as I haue shewed before VVhence the opinion came that onely faith iustifieth and of diuers kindes of mainteyning the same THE II. CHAPTER August de gratia liber arbit c. 7. Rom. 3. Gal. 3. THE opinion that moued some menne to thinke onely faith sufficiente to saluation tooke his firste grounde of misconstruing the wordes of S. Paule Homines enim non intelligentes c. For men saieth S. Augustine not vnderstanding these wordes of the Apostle we thinke a man is iustified by faith without workes of the law thought he said that it is sufficient for a man to haue faith although he liue yll and doe no good workes But God forbid the chosen vessel should be of that opinion And vppon this and other places of Scripture Aug. in praefat Psa 31. de fid oper c. 14. whiche also they misconstrued they perswaded them selues that a Christian man needed not to doe any good woorkes for that he might be saued by faith though he liued vngodlie Others when they sawe the Scriptures so euidently commending good workes Caluin in instit ca. de iustific ca. 10. Brent in confess VVirtēber de bonis operibus and setting foorth the necessitie of doing them being ashamed to mainteine that they were nedelesse to be done haue saied that men must liue godly to testifie and declare their faith but yet that their good woorkes deserue no rewarde of lyfe euerlasting neither can stand in the iudgement of God. And to minse this matter more finely some haue yet gone further And whereas the Catholike Churche folowing the manifest Srciptures hath euer taught that a sinner is iustified through the merite of Christ and his Sacramentes by faith hope charitie and penance they haue taught that he is iustified by faith only and although they graunt that he must haue both hope and charitie that shal be iustified yet is it faith onely saie they that striketh the stroke in the acte of Iustification hope and charitie standing by as lookers on but working nothing Into these three kindes of dangerous errours men haue fallen by teaching and beleeuing the Iustification of faith alone not onely barring the necessitie of doinge good woorkes and penance but also abasing the worthines of hope and charity and th'estimation and dignitie of Christ his Sacramentes Against the first opinion S. Augustine both preached and disputed in sundrie places of his learned woorkes and namely wrote his booke of faith and woorkes against the same which thou hast here gentle Reader together with this Treatie translated vnto thee Concerning the seconde which the Authors would faine haue appeare different from the firste and yet in effecte seemeth all one In the 2. Chapt of the firste booke I haue saied somewhat before and plainely proued that good woorkes doe not onely keepe and increase our iustice here but shal be rewarded also in the ende with life euerlasting whereof I shall saie more hereafter In the. 13. Chapter To the thirde opinion I shall nowe answere and euidently shew that it is not faith alone that worketh th'acte of our Iustification but that hope charitie and the Sacramentes haue their partes in working it also And by this shall the Reader perceiue that after their meaning it can in no wise be truely said that faith alone iustifieth And here must I aduertise the Reader that this thirde opinion is newe and lately come out of the forge neuer heard of to my knowledge before these our daies For as there hath ben in sundrie ages carnal men which thought them selues August de fid oper c. 27 and went about to perswade others that faith and the Sacramentes of Christ might saue a man without good workes so haue I not read of any that plainely said faith without hope charitie and the Sacraments of Christ can iustifie a man. And therfore as diuers or rather al the auncient Fathers haue in some places of their woorkes gone about to pul the one opinion out of mennes heades so do I not finde that they make any mention of th' other and much lesse that any one of them before this our age hath affirmed it to be true That Faith excludeth not Charitie in our Iustification that is to saie Faith alone iustifieth no man without the helpe and woorking of Charitie THE III. CHAPTER AND nowe to beginne with the moste excellente vertue that is in a Christian man Of Charitie Faith alone iustifieth no man without the helpe and working of charitie It hath ben declared before In the. 4. Chapter that our Iustification in Christe is but the restoring of that whiche was lost by Adam And as Adam sinned not onely by lacke of faith but rather and much more by lacke of good wil and right loue so is not a man once fallen restored againe by recouering onely righte faith vnlesse he recouer also righte loue The sinne of Adam was chiefely a peruerse desire
est By the which onely he is trewly iuste who so euer is iust But to declare that his minde was not to make any such separation Ib. cap. 70. he saith it is the charitie that commeth from a pure harte a good conscience and vnsained faith He might allege for him th' authoritie of S. Ihon th'Euangelist who being required by his scholers a litle before his death to teach them some perfecte lesson Hier. li. 3. com in epist ad Galat. cap. 6. whereby they might liue well and haue cause to remembre him said my children loue one an other And when they looked for more he repeted the same againe and said It is our Lords commaundement and if there be no more done but that it is inough He should haue Prosper to say for him De vit contēpla li. 3. ca. 13 Charitie is a summarie and abbridgement of all good doings of the which euery good worke taketh his life without the which neuer man pleased God. S. Bede would say Homi. aestiua in lita maio Ser. 7. de Epipha Chrysost tom 1. fol. 176. Charitie is the principall vertue in so muche that without that vertue other principall vertues can not be Leo would call her the mother of all vertues and Chrysostome the mother of all goodnes And thus haue I proued not only that faith without charitie iustifieth no man but also that charitie hath a souereine working in the acte of our Iustification without the which faith auaileth nothing and so doth not faith alone iustifie nor exclude charitie An answere to obiections that be made to proue that faith alone iustifieth without charitie THE IIII. CHAPTER BVT leste the mainteiners of Iustification by onely faith should seeme to be without all ground and to exclude charitie without colour of reason they frame one especiall argument which for the readers better satisfaction I will put forth and answere here The argument is this We be iustified by faith without all workes of the Lawe Charitie is a worke of the Lawe Ergo we be iustified by faith without charitie To the which I answere with S. Augustine that their second proposition deceiueth them for that charitie is not onely a worke of the lawe but also the gifte of the holy Ghost in the newe testament Rom 5. S. Paule saith the charitie of God is powred abrode in our hartes through the holy Ghost that is geuen vs. 1. Ioha 4. And S. Iohn saith Moste dearely beloued let vs loue one an other for loue commeth of God. Vppon which wordes S. Augustines answere is De grat li. arb cap. 18. Cùm dicitur diligamus inuicem lex est Cùm dicitur quia dilectio ex Deo est gratia est When it is said Lette vs loue one an other it is the lawe when it is said for loue commeth of God it is grace He maketh this the greatest differēce betwene th' old and new testament that where as in the old God lead his people by terror and feare in the newe he geueth them plenty of his charitie and loue Contr. Adiman cap. 17. De spirit lit cap. 17. Item cap. 21. ca. 16. Haec est breuissima c. This is the shortest and plainest difference of both testaments feare and loue Ibi in tabulis lapideis There the holy Ghost wrought in tables of stone here in mens hartes And what be the lawes of God writen by God him self in mennes hartes but the presence of the holy Ghost who is the singer of God by whose presence charitie is powred abrode in our hartes which is the fulfilling of the law Thus doo we see that charitie is not onely a worke of the law but also the fruite of the holy Ghost the speciall token of the new testament wrought in our hartes by the holy Ghost And so hath S. Augustine answered this argument xi hundred yeares before they were borne that lately haue made it And whereas it is saied that faith onely iustifieth What it is truely to apprehēd Christe bicause faith onely apprehendeth Christe I aske what is meant by the terme of Apprehension If it be to beleue onely that Christ died for sinners that alone iustifieth no man for the Diuelles beleue it and tremble Iacob 2. bicause they hope not to be partakers of that benefite nor loue him that purchased it If to apprehend Christe be vnderstanded to dwell in Christe and to haue him dwell in vs it is not true that Christe is apprehended in that sorte by onely faith without charitie For it is saied 1 Ioan 4. God is charitie and he that dwelleth in charitie dwelleth in God and God in him And Christ him selfe saith Si quis diligit me Ioan. 14. sermonem meum seruabit Pater meus diliget eum ad eum veniemus mansionem apud eum faciemus If a man loue me he will kepe my saying and my Father wil loue him and to him will we come and make our abode with him By these woordes let the Reader learne what it is truely and profitably to apprehend Christe He apprehendeth Christ truly Aug. ser 61. de ver Dom. tract in Ioan. 29. that is vnited and made a member of Christe whiche as I haue proued in the last Chapter can not be done without hope and charitie He apprehendeth Christ truely that cleaueth vnto Christ and the glue whereby the sowle is fastned vnto Christe saith S. Augustine is charitie Ipsum gluten est charitas In Psal 62 If it be said that faith apprehendeth the promise Christ hath promised lyfe euerlasting to suche as become his friendes Ioan. 15. Heb. 5. And they be his friendes that keepe his commaundements He is made a cause of life euerlasting but to such as obey him The promise is made to the children of Abraham that is to suche as haue the faith and obedience of Abraham whereof I shall speake at large hereafter Chapt. 23. And so is it true that faith alone neither apprehendeth Christe nor his promise profitablie vnlesse hope and Charitie be ioyned vnto it That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification THE V. CHAPTER Of Hope AS God requireth of such as come to his seruice that they stedfastly beleeue in him and with all their heartes loue him So doth he also require of them to repose al hope and affiance in him onely saying by his Prophete Iere. 17. Maledictus homo qui confidit in homine Cursed is the man that putteth his trust in man. And by the same Prophete Iere. 9. 1. Cor. 1. Psal 107. Psal 33. Let not the wise bragge in his wisedome neither lette the strong boast in his strength Nor lette the riche glorie in his riches But lette him that boasteth boast in our Lorde Wherefore as mans power to saue is vaine and he vnhappie that trusteth in it so happie is the man that trusteth in God. Of so great force is a
can not worke our Iustification without charitie and other vertues howe is it then saied that the iustice of God commeth through faith of Iesus Christ into al and vppon al that beleue in him And in an other place By Faith God iustifieth the gentile What is meant by these wordes of Christ He that beleueth in me hath life euerlasting Thy Faith hath saued thee with many other like Wherevnto I answere There be two causes why it is saied through faith Tvvo Causes vvhy faith is saied to iustifie and by faith we are iustified To beginne with the first Faith is the beginning of iustice the roote of good workes the foundation wherevppon godly life is builded Aug. de praedesti Sanct. c. 7. Ex fide aūt ideo dicit iustificari hominem For this cause S. Paule saith a man is iustified by Faith not by workes for that Faith is first geuen whereby other which properly are called good workes by the whiche men liue iustely maie be obteined Without the direction of Faith no man can liue well nor doo good workes Aug. de fide operib cap. 7. Nisi praecedat fides vita bona sequi non poterit c. vnlesse Faith goo before good life can not folowe for what so euer a man shall doo with shewe of well doing excepte it be done for pietie and duties sake towarde God Cyril in Ioan. li. 4. cap. 9. 1. Cor. 3. Augu. de fide operib c. 16 it can not be called righteouse nor good Ianua via in vitam fides est Faithe is the gate and waie to entre into life Faith is the foundation whereuppon the whole building of a Christian and godlie life is laide Si autem Christus proculdubio fides Christi c. If Christe be the foundation vndoubtedly the Faith in Christ is the foundation for by Faith Christ dwelleth in our hartes For that cause the Bishoppes assembled at Magunce to reforme the state of the Churche and to directe the people to a Christian and godly life Concil Magun cap. 1. Rom. 5. Ephes 3. saide Initium actionis nostrae de fide esse decreuimus c. We haue determined that the beginning of our doing is of Faith whiche is the foundation of all good for without Faith we can not please God. By Faith it is that we haue accesse to Christ Faith is a meane to obteine and gette our Iustification Aug. de Spiri et Lit. ca. 29 Iustificatio autem ex fide impetratur c. Iustification is obteined by Faith. And by what meane S. Augustine doth there expresse Per fidem impetratio gratiae contra peccatum Aug. de Spiri Lit. ca. 30. Per gratiam sanatio animae à vitio peccati By Faith grace is obteined against sinne and by grace the sowle is healed of that is amisse by sinne Bicause therfore Faith is the gate and entrie to life the roote of good workes whereof all iustice taketh his beginning the foundation whereupon godly life is builded the meane to obteine Iustificatiō and good workes without the which nothing pleaseth God the Scripture saith that by Faithe a man is iustified for of Faithe it maie be saide Haec porta Domini iusti intrabunt in eam Psal 117. This is our Lordes gate the iuste shal entre into it And here the Reader must be aduertised The Catholike Faith. Vincentius Lyrinēsis that by faith is vnderstanded the trewe Catholique faith whiche holdeth and beleueth onely that that the Catholique Churche hath holden from Auncient time vniuersally And what so euer it shall vnderstande to be brought in afterwarde of any one beside or against all the holy it accompteth that not to perteine to religion but to temptation To this Faith is all promise made and preeminence geuen in the Scripture This faith is the foundation of iustice If any other be brought in contrarie or diuerse from this Nō est fides Cyril suprà sed perfidia It is not faith but falsehod not the foundation of iustice and gate of life but the waie to destruction Symbol Athan. Aug. Euchi cap. 1. De fide ope ca. 14. Epist 105. De spiri et Lit. cap. 32. Aug. de fide et oper c. 16. For we sing in the Creede Vnlesse a man holde the Catholique Faith sounde and inuiolable he shal without doubt be loste for euer An other cause why the Scripture so speaketh is that wheresoeuer it is said a man is iustified by faith there is not meant a bare naked or solitarie faith but that faith that worketh through Charitie And therefore S. Augustine where he saith that faith is the foundation wherby Christe dwelleth in our hartes immediatly after addeth these wordes Porrò fides Christi illa vtique c. But that is verely meant the faith of Christ which the Apostle determined that hath her working through Charitie Iaco. 2. Mar 1. Lucae 4. Matth. 8. For it is not the Faith of diuels though they also beleue and tremble and confesse Iesus to be the Sonne of God that may be taken for the foundation and why so but bicause it is not the Faith that worketh through Charitie but suche as is wroong owt through feare The Faith then of Christe the Faith of Christian grace that is to witte the Faith that hath her working through charitie if it be laied in the foundation suffreth none to perish by which wordes it appeareth that Faith maie be without charitie but suche a Faith can not make Christ to dwell in vs. Againe that Faith voide of charitie is not the Christians but the diuels Faith. Thirdely that the Faith of Christ the Christians Faith and the Faith of grace is that which worketh through Charitie and that is it that muste be laide for the foundation in al that shal not perish And seing that no man will saie that Faith can iustifie other then suche as is the faith of Christ the faith of grace the Christian and not the diuels faith it remaineth that when it is saied in the Scripture a man is iustified or saued by faith we must vnderstand that faith onely that worketh through Charitie Charitie maketh the difference betwene good men and wicked diuels Charitie is the cause why a Christian man may be iustified by faith Aug. Epistola 105. Iacob 2. Mar. 1. Lucae 4. Matth. 8. and the diuell maie not Illa quippe fides est Christianorum non daemoniorum That whiche worketh through Charitie is the Christian and not the diuels faithe for diuels also beleue and tremble but doo they likewise loue If they had no belefe they woulde not haue saied thou arte the Holie of God thou arte the Sonne of God had they loue they woulde not haue saied what haue we to doo with thee Other saith then this S. Augustine commendeth not as able to iustifie Illa est laudabilis fides August serm 13. de verb. Apostol ipsa est vera gratiae
Abraham Cypriae de Elemos S. Cyprian telleth Nam si Abraham credidit Deo. For if Abraham credited God and it was accompted to him for iustice doubtlesse he that according to Gods cōmandement geueth almes doth credit God and he that hath the trewe faith keepeth the feare of God. Thus haue I shewed that the Faith which was reputed vnto Abraham for iustice was that faith whereby he did credite vndoubtedly and obediently follow the wordes of God were they promises or were they commandementes as faithefull in the one as faithefull in the other By this Faith Abraham was made the Father of the beleuing by this faith Zacheus was made the childe of Abraham Gala. 3. by the same rule Qui ex fide sunt benedicentur cum fideli Abraham As many as be faithefull by this Faithe shal be blessed with the faithfull Abraham If all other Scriptures towching this matter were doubtefull and darke yet might the example of these two men so plainely set forth in both Testamentes suffice the meeke and godly Christian man trewely to vnderstande what apperteineth to Iustification That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paule and S. Iames concerning the doctrine of Iustification and howe they are to be vnderstanded THE X. CHAP. BIcause S. Paule saieth Rom. 4. Iacob 2. Abraham was iustified by faith and not by workes And S. Iames writeth that Abraham was iustified by woorkes and not by Faithe onely some haue thought ther was a contradiction imploied in the wordes of the two Apostles but the holy Ghost who ruled bothe their pennes and is neuer contrary to him selfe meante one thing in them both and by them both vttered one trewth well agreing with it selfe For the plaine declaration whereof it is to be vnderstanded 1 Cor. 4. Aug. in Praefa Psal 31. that our Iustification is compared vnto a perfecte building or vnto a fruitefull tree For as in building there muste be a foundation to beare vp the house and the tree muste haue a roote owte of the whiche the leaues and fruite maie spring and yet it is to no purpose to laie a foundation if a man builde nothing vppon it neither is it inough in a fruitefull tree to haue the roote withowt branches leaues and fruite See the first Chap. of this treatie euen so is there in our Iustification as it were a foundation and roote and a perfecte building and fruit The foundation and roote is Faith whereby we haue accesse to God and be made of wicked rightuouse Rom. 5. Ephes 2. Gala. 5. when I say Faith I meane not Faithe alone but accumpanied with charitie as S. Paule doth The building vppe or fruite of our Iustification is the continuance increase and perfection of iustice whereby such as are once iustified be made more iuste and in the ende perfited in iustice that is to say saued Of al which I haue saied sufficientely before Of the roote and foundation which is the entrie and first degree of Christian iustice S. Paule speaketh Of thincrease and perfection S. Iames. Rom 4. Iaco. 2. Rom. 5. Ephes 2. S. Paule saith we are iustified by Faith declaring what he meaneth by Iustification Habemus accessum per fidem in gratiam istam We haue accesse and comming to this grace throughe Faith. And when he saithe through faithe he meaneth especially through grace and throughe mercie Ephes 2. whereby Faith is geuen Tit. 3. It was not for the workes of iustice that we did but through his mercy he saued vs. All men are borne sinners called when they be sinners by grace called by grace iustified and made of sinners rightuouse Before our Iustification In Praesa Psal 31. S. Augustine his wordes maie be saied to euery one of vs Attenduntur opera tua inuentuntur omnia mala Thy workes are loked on and they be founde all euill Rom 6. If God shoulde rendre vnto these workes that is due he should condemne thee For the wages of sinne is death So was neither Abraham nor any man iustified by workes Workes done vvithout Faithe Neither Abraham nor any other could deserue Iustification by his workes For workes done without Faith and before God geue his grace in some degree deserue not at Gods hand either grace or reward of life euerlasting And thus do wee see in what sense S. Paule saied Abrahā was iustified by faith and not by workes He was first called by mercie and by grace without anie deserte of his woorkes going before The like he saith generally of al men that by grace they are called Rom. 5. Ephes 2. and by faith haue accesse to God and be planted in Christe and so iustified by faith and not by woorkes But here let the Reader take hede that he deceiue not him selfe For as before the grace of God Of vvorks don vvith faith and after God hath geuē his grace 2. Timo. 3. Luc. 1. no man is able to doe any woorke good and profitable towarde the life euerlasting so as many as are called receiued to Gods fauour and iustified be made able and meete to doe all good woorkes And as God calleth al men without iustice and holines So doth he call them to serue him in iustice and holinesse And as he found al men of them selues without good workes so did he suffer Tit. 2. Galat. 5. Ioan. 3. 1. Cor. 3. to cleanse vnto him selfe a people that should folowe good woorkes And suche good woorkes being the fruites of the holie Ghoste woorkes of faith done in God God working in man and man working togeather with God through the bountiful and liberal promise of God are rewarded with increase of grace and iustice here and in the life to come with perfection of iustice that is life euerlasting Apoca. 22 Eccles 18. See the 12 Chapt. of the firste booke Iacob 2. And bicause the Scripture calleth increase of iustice Iustification S. Iames saith Abraham was iustified by workes that is to saie made more iust then he was strengthened and increased in iustice by woorkes In this sense he saith you see that a man is iustified by woorkes and not by faith onely And thus saith S. Paule truely a manne is called to iustice hath accesse to God and is made of wicked righteouse by faith deseruing it not by woorkes And S. Iames as truely saieth A man is iustified by woorkes that is a manne alreadie iuste is by woorkes made more iuste strengthened and increased in iustice Oecom in ca. Iaco. 2 There is faith saith Oecumenius that requireth no workes that goeth before Baptisme And there is faith that must be coupled with good woorkes and that is faith after Baptisme after whiche sense certaine of the Greeke Fathers saieth he vnderstoode S. Paule to speake of faith before Baptisme which bringeth a sinner to Chsist and iustifieth him without respect of any woorkes going before and S. Iames to speake of faith which is in a Christian man after Baptisme
Aug. ad Simpli li. 1. quaest 2. August ad Simpli ib. de fide oper c. 14 August ser 61. de ver Dom. Ephes 4. which must be ioyned with good workes as Abrahams faith was or els iustifieth no man Grace goeth before saith S. Augustine but good woorkes folowe Euerie man that wil be saued must be made a member of Christ whiche is done through faith hope and charitie and of this incorporation speaketh S. Paule but it is not inough for vs to be made members of Christ vnles being knitte in the bodie we increase in all thinges in Christ who is our heade Of this increase and growing speaketh S. Iames It is not inough for vs to be called and iustified we must also be glorified Rom. 8. and that shall not be vnlesse we be conformed and made like vnto the Image of Christ by godly lyfe which S. Iames speaketh of Al this is comprised in our perfit Iustification As it is necessarie for our saluation that we be made members of Christ which S. Paule calleth our Iustification so is it necessarie for the same end that we do good workes which S. Iames calleth our Iustification In praefat Psalm 31. If Abraham had offred his sonne without faith saith S. Augustine the worke had nothing auailed him what so euer it were If he had kepte his faith and not offred his sonne when God bad him his faith without woorkes had ben dead and shoulde haue remained like a roote barren and drie without fruite When S. Paule had taught that we are iustified by faith meaning thereby as hath ben declared Suche as vnderstode him not thought he had said faith had ben sufficient for a man though he liued yl and did no good workes And bicause this opinion was then sprong vppe Aug. de fid et oper cap. 14. the other Apostles as S. Iames S. Peter S. Iohn and Iude in their Epistles directed their intent specially againste the same earnestly affirminge that faith without woorkes auaileth nothing So did S. Peter exhorte menne to pietie 2. Pet. 3. and good conuersation against the comming of Christe warninge them that there were many thinges in S. Paules Epistles darke and harde to vnderstande which the vnskilfull and vnstable did peruerte to their owne damnation sayinge further that who so lacketh good conuersation 2. Pet. 1. is blinde and gropinge with his hande Therevppon did S. Iames call him a vaine manne that thoughte faith without woorkes mighte saue him Iacob 2. and called faith without woorkes a deade faith and the Diuelles faith Therevppon didde S. Iohn speake as muche in the commendation of Charitie as S. Paule had donne of Faith saying He that loueth not remaineth in deathe 1. Ioan. 3. not that these Apostles did teache contrary to S. Paule but bicause that S. Paule was misconstrued Their preaching was one For as S. Paule dothe saie Rom 3. Ephes 2. Iacob 1. by faith a manne is iustified and by grace are ye saued not of your selues So saieth S. Iames Euery good thinge that is geauen and euery perfite gifte commeth from aboue And seeing that Faith Hope Charitie and good woorkes be the giftes of God and the fruites of grace Ephes 2. S. Iames saying that we are iustified by woorkes disagreeth not with S. Paule that saith we are saued by grace Ephes 2. 1. Ioan. 3. And when S. Iohn saieth charitie commeth of God and we knowe we are translated from death to life bicause we loue our brothers he saieth no more then S. Paul doth Galat. 5. that in Christ Iesu neither circumcision nor to be without circumcision auaileth aught but faith which worketh through charitie So did S. Paule S. Peter S. Iames and S. Iohn being mooued to speake by one spirit agree in one minde concerning our Iustification S. Paule commendeth the foundation roote and beginning of it S. Iames th' increase the fruite and perfection of the same without the which the foundation should be voide and the roote barren and drie Iacob 2. Galat. 3. God graunte vs to beginne with Abrahams faith and to increase with Abrahams woorkes that faith may ioyne with our woorkes and by woorkes our faith may be perfited that we may be blessed with the faithfull Abraham That Faith alone without good woorkes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by grace THE XI CHAPTER BY this it is euidently declared that as faith in the beginning of our Iustification and comming to Christe excludeth not hope charitie penance nor baptisme so in our continuance and growing in Christe and saluation it excludeth not good woorkes but must haue them ioyned with it as time and oportunitie may serue the beleuer to do them or els the hope of his saluation is presumptuouse and vaine For if Abrahams faith excepte he had offered his sonne when he was byd August in praefation Psal 31. should haue ben deade lyke vnto a baren and withered roote as S. Augustine saith he being the example and paterne of our Iustification what can we looke for if we haue faith and care not to doo good woorkes which God commaundeth He that heareth my wordes Math. 7. and doth them not saith our Sauiour shal be lykened to a foole that hath buylded his house vpon the sande They are the dooers not the knowers whom he calleth happye If you knowe these thinges you shal be happie Ioan 13. when ye doo them They are not the hearers of the lawe Rom. 2. that are iuste before God but the dooers shal be iustified If faith woulde serue without good workes they should not be reiected who shal say at the daye of iudgement Math. 7. Lorde in thy name we haue preached in thy name we haue caste out diuelles and in thy name we haue done many greate wounders whiche can not be done without faith Math. 25. Neither shoulde the fiue foolishe virgins be shutte out at the mariage and therefore saieth Cyril Cyril Cateche 15. Trust not vppon that thou haste a lampe onely but keepe it burning truste not vpon this alone that thou haste faith but keepe thy faith burning that thy lighte may shyne before men through good workes leste for thy sake Christe be blasphemed And a litle before Howe shall we gette saieth he into the kingdome of heauen I was hungry saieth Christe and thou gaueste me meate to eate Learne the way for here needeth no allegory If thou doo these thinges thou shalt reigne if thou do not thou shalt be condemned beginne therefore nowe to doe these woorkes and continue in faith Leo. Ser. 3. de Epiphan Cypria ad Quiri lib. 3. cap. 96. Aug. Ser. 31. de ver Apost by right faith and good workes we attaine to the kingdom of God saith Leo. Factis non verbis operandum c. We must worke by deedes not by woordes saith S. Cyprian for the kingdome of God standeth not in talke but in vertue
Omnes mali Catholici c. Al euil Catholikes confesse Christ in wordes and deny him in deedes therfore be not ye as men carelesse bicause ye haue faith ioyne good life to right faith And to vnderstand the more plainly what iustice it is to haue faith without good workes let vs take the aduertisement of S. Augustine August de fid et ope cap. 26. Christ said Nisi abundauerit iustitia vestra c. Vnlesse your iustice be more abundant then is the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall not entre into the kingdom of God Iustitia eorum est dicere non facere c. Their iustice is to say and not to do and hereby he would haue our iustice surmount and be more abundant then theirs is both to say and to do If that be not there shal be no entrye into the kingdom of heauen The Phariseis iustice S. Augustine maketh this difference betwene the Pharisee and the good Christian man The Pharisee saith wel and doth it not he beleueth and worketh not the good Christian man doth both If it be true that the Scripture saith faith without workes is deade Iacob 2. August de fid et ope cap. 14. Rom 3. Rom. 11. In the 10. Chaptre Ambro. in cap. 3. ad Rom. Quousque fallūtur qui fide mortua sibi vitam perpetuam pollicentur How longe wil they be deceyued that promise them selues euerlasting life by a faith that is deade But here it may be said we are iustified freely and by grace And if it be by grace then is it not by workes otherwise grace is not grace I answere We are called to faith reconciled planted in Christe and so iustified by grace without respecte of anye woorkes going before as hath bene saied So saith S. Ambrose Iustificati sunt gratis c. Men are iustified freely bicause woorking nothing nor making no recompence they are iustified by faith alone through the gifte of God. He calleth the gifte of God our calling ad comming to faith and our Baptisme which as he saith in an other place Ambro. in cap. 11. ad Rom. August de spirit lit ca. 10. requireth not sighing or moorning or any woorke but onely a profession with the harte In the same sense saieth S. Augustine Per ipsam gratiam iustificatur gratis id est nullis suorum operum precedentibus meritis By grace is a synner iustified freely that is to saye no merites of his owne woorkes going before And note that he termeth his owne workes and workes going before What is to be iustified freely By his owne woorkes he vnderstandeth suche as a man dothe hym selfe without Goddes helpe He calleth suche woorkes going before as a heathen or synnefull man dothe before he hath receyued the grace of God withoute these woorkes Note S. Paule saieth a man is iustified freely and by grace that is to saye called to faith planted in Christe and made of wicked rightuouse But how is the iust man made more iuste and iustified yet for so must he be or els he loseth his iustice How is he saued Verely by grace and yet not without good workes for of them that haue receyued the faith and be iustified it is saied Reddet vnicuique secundùm opera sua Rom. 2. God shal render vnto euery man according to his workes Howe then doth S. Paule saye Gratia Dei vita aeterna Rom. 6. Obiection Ansvvere August de gratia lib. arbit cap. ◠Euerlasting life is the grace of God. Howe may these twoo stande together a man to be saued by grace and yet by good woorkes I answere with S. Augustine They stand well together Lyfe euerlasting is the grace of God and lyfe euerlasting is geuen as a rewarde to good woorkes bicause our good woorkes perteyne to the grace of God that is to say be the grace of God and so being saued by good woorkes we are saued by the grace of God the woordes of S. Augustine be these Aug. epist 105. Ipsa vita aeterna quae vtique in fine sine fine habebitur ideo meritis praecedentibus redditur tamen quia eadem merita quibus redditur non à nobis parata sunt per nostram sufficientiam sed in nobis facta per gratiam etiam ipsa gratia nuncupatur non ob aliud nisi quia gratis datur nec ideo meritis non datur sed quia data sunt ipsa merita quibus datur The very life euerlasting whiche in the ende shal be had without ende and therefore is rendered vnto merites Merites that go before yet bicause the same merites whereunto it is requited were not prepared of vs by our owne habilitie but made in vs by grace euen it selfe is called grace for none other respecte but bicause it is freely geuen And yet it is geuen to merites bicause the very merites them selues Ca. 1. 9 whereunto it is geuen were also geuen The like resolution he hath at large in his booke intituled of grace and free wil. So is it true concerning the entrye and beginning of our Iustification Rom. 3. that we are iustified freely by grace without any woorkes going before for our workes before grace coulde not be good Note Wel And in the continuance and perfyting of iustice whiche is life euerlasting we are also iustified and saued freely by grace and yet not without woorkes bicause our workes be not onely made good by grace but be also them selues the very grace of God. And here let the Reader learne of S. Ambrose and S. Augustine what it is truly to be iustified freely and by grace to the commendation of mercye whiche God geueth not to the derogation of good workes which God also geueth Wherefore if faithe withoute good woorkes can saue no man that hath tyme to doo them The iustification of faith alone as hath benne proued it is no where true as they meane it that faithe alone iustifieth It is not true in the entry of our Iustification and firste comming to Christe that faith alone without hope and charitie iustifieth If it were Iacob 2. Aug. Enchi cap. 8. 1. Cor. 13. then might the Diuel be iustified who beleeueth but neyther hopeth nor loueth then shoulde this Scripture be false If I haue all faithe and haue no charitie I am nothing It is not true in the continuance and increase of our iustice that faith may serue without good workes Math. 7. Ioan. 13. Rom. 2. Math. 25. Rom. 2. for if it mighte then were all the Scriptures false whiche a lytle before I alleaged It shall not be in the perfyting of our iustice and saluation that faith alone may saue for then shoulde it be false that God shall render vnto euerie man according to his woorkes then were the sentence that God shall geeue false wherein he shall saye Matt. 25. Come vnto me you blessed of my Father receyue the kingdome prepared for
saith he comme vnto life keepe the commaundementes When he had asked what commaundementes our Lord rehearsed to him the preceptes of the Lawe Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not cōmitte aduoultrie and so foorth Whereunto when he had aunswered that all these thinges he had done from his youth then did our Lord adde farther the precept also of perfection that selling all that he had and bestowing in almes on the poore he should haue treasure in heauen and follow the same Lord. Let them behold therfore and marke that it was not said vnto him he should beleeue and be baptised by which only helpe these men thinke a man may come to life but the preceptes of manners and workes were geuen vnto him which yet can not be kept or obserued without faith Neither bicause our Lord seemeth here to haue omitted the insinuacion of faith do we therfore prescribe and content our selues that only preceptes of manners should be opened to them that desire to come to life For both be mutually knit together as I said before bicause neither the loue of God can be in a man that loueth not his neighbour neither the loue of his neighbour in him which loueth not God. Therfore do we find that the Scripture doth somtime mention the one without the other now faith now workes eche for a ful and perfite doctrine to the end we may thereby vnderstand that one of them can not be without the other For why He that beleeueth God ought to doo that which God commaundeth and he that therefore doth bicause God commaundeth must of necessitie beleue God. That onely faith doth not suffice to saluation without good workes THE XIIII CHAPTER LET vs now therfore looke vnto that point The principall point of this Treatie and vvel to be marked which is to be beaten forth of all religious hartes least by a lewde securite they lose their saluatiō if they thinke onely faith to suffise to the obteining hereof and be negligent to liue wel and to kepe on in the way of God by good workes For euen in th'Apostles time some not vnderstanding certaine darke sentences of the Apostle Paul thought him to saie Let vs doo euil that good may come because he had saied the lawe entred Rom. 5. that offence might abound but where offence abounded there was grace the more abundant Which saying of S. Paule is true in this sense that menne receauing the lawe and most proudly presuming of theire owne strengthe and abilitie to kepe it not by right faith calling vpon the grace of God to ouercome their euil concupiscenses and lustes against the lawe were iustely burdened beside the transgressing of the lawe with moe yea and more greuous offences And so extreme gilt compelling them they fled to faith Psal 120. Rom. 5. Whereby they might deserue the mercie of pardone and helpe of our Lorde which made heauen and earth that charitie being thorough the holy Ghost powred in their hartes they might doo with loue those thinges which were commanded against the concupiscenses and lustes of this worlde Psal 15. Rom. 7. Hovv s Paule is to be vnderstanded according to that which was foresaid in the psalme their infirmities were multiplied and then they made hast Therefore where the Apostle saith He thinketh man to be iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe he meaneth not that after faith receiued and professed the workes of iustice should be contemned but that euery man may knowe that he may be iustified by faith This is meant of the first Iustification See the Treatie before though the workes of the Lawe haue not gonne before For they doo followe him that is iustified they go not before him that is to be iustified Of which matter I neede not farther to dispute in this present woorke Namely since I haue vppon this question alreadie sette forth a large booke which is intituled Of the letter and the spirit Note hovv olde the heresy is of only Faithe Bicause therefore this opinion was then euen in the Apostles time spronge vp the other Apostolical Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iuda doo chiefly direct their intention and purpose against the same opinion so farre that they plainely * Therfore Luther thought good vtterly to reiect the Epistle of S Iames in his vvritinges against kinge henry the viij Galat. 5. 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 13. affirme faith without workes to profite nothing as Paule him selfe also defineth not euerie faith whereby a man may beleeue in God but that to be the healthfull and Euangelicall faith whose workes procede of Charitie that faith saith he which worketh thorough loue or Charitie For which cause also he sheweth the same faith which some men thinke to suffise vnto saluation to be so farre from profiting any whit that he saith If I haue all faith so as I may remoue mountaines and yet haue not Charitie I am nothing But where this faithfull Charitie woorketh there without doubt is good life For the fulnes of the Lawe is Charitie Wheruppon to make the matter plaine Peter in his second epistle where he exorteth vnto holinesse of life and woorkes and foreshewed that this world should passe away but new heauens and new earth was to be loked for which shall be geuen to be inhabited of the iust that they might hereby take good hede how they liued to become mete and worthy of that habitation knowing that out of certaine darke sentences of S. Paull some lewde personnes had taken occasiō to be carelesse of wel liuing Note as being sure of their saluation which is in faith said that certeine thinges there were in S. Paules Epistle most hard to be vnderstanded which men did peruert euē as they did other scriptures to their owne destruction whereas yet the same Apostle Paul thought no doubt of the euerlasting saluatiō which is not geauen but to good liuers euen in suche sorte as the other Apostles did Peter I say knowing this 2. Pet. 3. saieth as foloweth All these thinges then perishing of what sorte ought ye to be in holy conuersations and woorkes of pietie expecting and hastening to the presence of the day of our Lorde by the which the heauens burning shal be losed and the elementes by the heate of fier dissolued But we looke for according to his promisses newe heauens and a newe earth wherein iustice inhabiteth VVherefore most deerly beloued sins you looke for these thinges labour that ye may be found before him sounde and without spot in peace and thinke the patient expecting of our Lorde to be healthful vnto you euen as our deerest beloued brother Paul wrote vnto you according to that wisedome which was geuen vnto him speaking of these thinges in manner in all his Epistles wherein are some thinges harde to be vnderstanded which vnlearned and wauering persons doo peruert euen as the rest of the Scriptures to their owne destruction You therefore deerly beloued now foreknowing these thinges be
A TREATIE of Iustification Founde emong the writinges of Cardinal Pole of blessed memorie remaining in the custodie of M. Henrie Pyning Chamberlaine and General Receiuer to the said Cardinal late deceased in Louaine Item certaine Translations touching the said matter of Iustification the Titles whereof see in the page folowing Prouerb 4. Ne declines neque ad dexteram neque ad sinistram Turne not aside to the right hande nor to the lefte RESPICITE VOLATILIA COELI ET PVLLOS CORVORVM LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO Beside the Treatie of Iustification in this Volume are comprised these Translations First the Sixte Session of the Generall Councell of Trent whiche is of Iustification with the Canons of the same Session Item a Treatie of S. Augustine that famouse Doctour by him entituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome Of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil Of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same Argument Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian that blessed Martyr Of Almes deedes All newly translated into English by Thomas Lorde Coppley The Preface to the Reader AS all Scripture inspired by God is profitable to teache and instructe in rightuousenes 2. Tim. 3. to the ende that a godly man maie be perfecte instructed to al good woorkes so is there no pointe or article thereof more expediente for a Christian man to seeke more necessary to find and know more comfortable rightly to vnderstand and more profitable to remember and practise then is the trewe and right knowledge of his Iustification and the maner how the same is atteined We are sure by the Scripture that a wicked man and his wickednes bothe like are hateful vnto God Neither can there be looked for any other thing Sap. 14. then heauy punishement and iust damnation where the anger and displeasure of God is vnpacified once iustely deserued and not taken awaie by some meanes to his contentation We doubt not also but that all men are borne naturally the children of anger that is to saie Ephes 2. in Gods displeasure and indignation as branches of a condemned stocke a thral kinde and bonde race of one man Rom. 5. by whom sinne entred into the world and by sinne death and so wente through all in whome all haue sinned And what can be so pleasaunt to a captiue as to vnderstande truely the way and meanes of his deliuerance or so comfortable to a person bonde and thrall as to know not onely how he maie be made free but also how he maie be brought in speciall fauor with his Lorde by whom onely he must liue or els perish Finally how he maie be made a childe a sonne Ephes 2. and heire to him vnto whom he was a stranger before And bicause no man 1. Ioan. 1. be he neuer so rightuouse and iuste Aug. de ciuitate Dei. li. 21. cap. 16. Galat. 5. Ioan. 5. Cypria de Elcemos liueth here without sinne and fewe there are of that happy estate that fal not into damnable and mortal sinne the doers whereof shall not possesse the kingdome of God sith also a law is appointed vs by our Physition that once made vs hole who saied Thou arte made hole nowe sinne no more we were as S. Cyprian saieth driuen to â—â—arowe straite hauing a precise lawe of innocency prescribed vnto vs neither coulde the weakenesse of mannes frailtie tell what to do if God of his mercy had not appointed a waie and meane how man that by sinne falleth from iustice after his Baptisme may be restored to rightuousnes and iustice againe Further it suffiseth not a Christian man to be made rightuouse and to be set in the state of iustice vnlesse he continewe and perseuere in the same Matth. 24 for he shal be saued that continueth vnto the ende Also he muste increase in rightuousenes Apoca. 22 Leo Sermon 8. de passio Do. for so the Scripture teacheth vs Let him that is iuste be yet iustified for trewely is it saied Quantumlibet quisque iustificatus sit habet tamen dum in hac vita est quo probatior esse possit melior Qui autem non proficit deficit qui nihil acquirit non nihil perdit Euery man be he neuer so much iustified yet maie he while he is in this life be more tried and better and who so encreaseth not faileth and goeth backeward and he that getteth nothing loseth somewhat For whiche causes it behoueth vs not onely to knowe how we are made iuste and rightuouse but also how we be restored to Iustice when we fal and how we maie continewe and increase in rightuousenes when we be restored and finally attaine to saluation and glory which is the ende of Iustification and without the which all Iustification in this life auaileth nothing but rather turneth to a heape and increase of our damnation bicause as Oecumenius saith Oeco in 2. cap. Iaco. Like vnprofitable seruantes we receiue our maisters mony and make no gaine thereof that is to saie we receiue his grace in vaine This being vnderstanded 2. Cor. 16. how necessary and profitable the knowledge of this Article is and seing also that a man runne he neuer so fast yet if he runne out of the way he neuer commeth to the right end of his iourney to the intente thou be not induced to iudge amisse in so greate a matter and to thee so necessary I haue Christian Reader with the hope of Gods helpe indeuoured my selfe to laie before thine eies particularly as briefely and plainely as I coulde the maner of our Iustification in Christ with the circumstances belonging to the same Grounding my selfe chiefely in al pointes through the Treatie vpon the Scripture and holy Worde of God. 2. Petr. 1. Aug. lib. Confess 12 cap. 25. And bicause the same neither is nor ought to be of any mannes priuate interpretation for he that goeth abowt to drawe it to his owne priuat sense shall be depriued of it I haue taken suche construction thereof as the holy Ghost hath deliuered and taught his Church and suche as the auncient Fathers of sundry ages and places agreeing togethers haue lerned in the Church and vttered in their writinges to teach other Emong whom I haue especially and moste of all other folowed the auctoritie of S. Augustine as wel for that he hath writen most largely of this matter as also bicause suche as be of the contrary parte in moste credite Luthe Philip. Melan. Calui Institut cap. 18. 1. Tim. 3. and haue written in this time confesse that in the Doctrine of the Churche he is a moste faithefull declarer of antiquitie Intending therby to discharge my selfe as teaching nothing but that I haue learned in Goddes Church the state and piller of truthe and geeuing thee thereby good occasion I trust readily to beleue that thou shalt heere reade But as I haue declared vnto thee that the right knowledge of this pointe concerning
taken out of the power of darknes and brought to the kingdome of Christ Colo. ca. 1. is not onely not appointed paines euerlasting but shall not so much as suffer any purgatory tormentes and paines after death Purgatorie paines For the only spirituall regeneration suffiseth that so much as the carnall generation intermedled with death be not preiudiciall nor doo it any harme By which sayings we see first that infantes haue sinnes to be forgeuen them Nexte that they enioie remission thereof by their baptisme Thirdely that they enioie that benefite in most free manner Nothing being required for that purpose but onely that other Christian men bring them to the Church to be baptized and answere for them And the cause why For that they are gilty only of originall sinne and none other trespasse committed by them selues This is the graciouse and most free Iustification of infantes which they atteyne vnto not onely without any good doing of their owne but also without any consent Yea though they striue against it through the free mercie of him that came to seeke and saue that was loste Luc. 19. And hereby doo we not only see the happie estate of al such as be borne in Christian regions who by and by after their byrth be baptized and thereby iustified but also we perceiue how nedelesse it is to dispute of the beginning and entree of our Iustification which is wrought in vs freely by grace without our selues before we be able to vnderstand how great the benefite is And therefore concerning the Iustification of al men that liue this daie in Christian contries there is nothing so needeful as to vnderstande how such as fall after Baptisme may be reconciled to God and restored to the estate of iustice againe whereof I shall speake hereafter Of the Iustification of suche as were christened being of perfite age and what was required of them THE VIII CHAPTER BVT of such as borne and brought vp in infidelitie and being of perfect age came to be iustified and of wicked made rightuouse bicause they be not onely giltie of originall sinne but also of many actuall sinnes committed by their owne thought worde and deed more is required and an other order appointed vnto them whereby they prepare the way to receiue the iustice of God. It is required of them first to beleue For he that commeth to God Hebr. 11. Marc. 1. must beleue So Christ beganne to preach vnto such Poenitemini credite Euangelio Repent and beleue the Gospel And forasmuch as beleuing the Gospel there is reueled and opened vnto them the anger of God from heauen vppon all wickednes and iniustice Rom. 1. They are stricken with a good and profitable feare of Gods iudgement Act. 2. as they were that heard S. Peter his preaching and of that feare they conceiue and as it were trauaile and bring forth the spirite of health Esai 26. Yet doo they not rest in that feare but learning that Christ came to saue sinners and died for such as were his ennemies 1. Tim. 1. Hearing him also say Confide fili be of good comforte sonne Rom. 6. Matt. 9. thy sinnes be forgeuen They conceiue hope of mercie and thereby beginne to loue him by whose mercie they truste to enioy so greate a benefite And for the loue of him deteste and abhorre their former sinfull life And bicause it is said vnto them Act. 2. Poenitentiā agite baptizetur vnusquisque vestrûm Doo penance and be baptized eche of you they willingly and hartely repente their former sinnes which is al the penance that the Church of God requireth before Baptisme And so disposing them selues they receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme and therewith according to the promise of God made by S. Peter Matt. 28. Act. 2. remission of their sinnes and the gifte of the holy Ghost to keepe Gods commaundements which is their Iustification And this is the order whereby a sinner being of perfect age is iustified that is to say called to the estate of iustice and of wicked made rightuouse The first and principall cause thereof is the loue and mercie of God thorough the merite of Christes death Iustice is wrought in vs by grace and atteined by faith with the feare of Goddes iudgement hope of his mercie loue of his goodnes and by penance thorough the Sacrament of Baptisme All which are so necessarie to the accomplishing of our iustice that where any of them faileth trewe iustice also doth faile Hebr. 11. For as without faith it is vnpossible to please God and he that beleueth not is already iudged So he that is without feare can not be iustified Eccles 1. He that hopeth not despeireth Neither can any man loue that he hopeth not And who so lacketh hope and loue Aug. Enchi ca. 8. can not be iustified by faith Nam Daemones credunt For euen the Diuelles beleue and tremble and yet doo they neither hope nor loue but rather by beleuing are afraied that that shall come which we hope and loue Such as wil be iustified must not only beleue the Gospel but do penance Mar. 1. Luc. 13. Gal. 3. and such as will not do penance are assured al to perish Finally who is not baptized putteth not on Christe and therefore is neither renewed nor iustified This manner of Iustification is not onely testified by the Scriptures but also expressed in th' ancient vsage of the Church by such order as was exercised vppon them that receiued baptisme when they were of perfect age euen from the Apostles time whiche thinge we maie perceiue by the wordes of S. Paule where he saith Intermittentes inchoationis Christi sermonem Hebr. 6. c. Leauing asyde the wordes of our yong beginning in Christ Lette vs drawe to a perfectenes not layinge againe the foundation of penance from deade workes and of faith towarde God of the teaching of Baptisme and also of laying on hands of the resurrection of the dead and iudgement euerlasting al which thinges saith S. Augustine apperteyne to thadministration of Baptisme Aug. in expo ad Ro. incho de fid oper cap. 11. whereby we vnderstande that of such as were baptized in perfect age there was not only required faith in professing tharticles of the Crede but also they were required to doo penance from deade workes of sinne And to shewe some outwarde token thereof there was appointed vnto them before theire baptisme a time to faste and praie As is testified by such as liued nigh vnto the Apostles time Iustinus Martyr saith Apolo 2. pro Christian After what sorte we haue offred and dedicated our selues vnto God being newe made throughe Christe we will declare As many as be persuaded and beleue that the thinges are trewe whiche be taught and saied by vs and promise that they be able so to liue they be taught to praie and by fasting to aske at Goddes handes forgiuenes of former
thee without thy knowledge he iustifieth thee by thy wil. And in an other place he saith further That Christes worke in our Iustification is our woorke That Christe woorketh it not without vs that we woorke togeather with Christ our owne Iustification and saluation Credenti in eum qui iustificat impium Tract 72. in Ioan. To the beleuer in him that iustifieth the wicked faith is accompted for iustice In this woorke we doe the woorke of Christe For the very beleefe in Christe is Christ his worke This he worketh in vs Philip. 2. but assuredly not without vs. And alleaging the place of S. Paule that willeth vs with feare and tremblinge to worke our owne saluation he saith Operante in se Christo By Christes working in man togeather with Christe man worketh his owne saluation euerlasting and Iustification Eusebius Emisse ho. 9. de Pasc And this God worketh in vs not onely to commend his mercie but also to shewe his iustice Iusto ordine qui per calliditatem Iust order requireth saith Eusebius that man who by the subtil crafte of the malitiouse serpent was not forced but seduced to his destruction should be againe by the wisedome of a louing redemer not compelled but lead to saluation and he that semed to haue fallen by his owne wil should be repaired againe by his owne will that there might be place for vertue and rewarde Therefore he pulleth him not awaie by force but rather by iust good will inuiteth and instructeth him to lyfe for the louing gentlenes of the prouoker longeth for the merite of the agreer and the fauour of the most curteouse Physition requireth the consent of his sicke patient What can be more plainely saied then this Man is iustified by his owne free will. He geueth his assente and agreement vnto it He getteth merite and rewarde by his assente This is the righte teaching of Christes Churche neither to derogate from Goddes grace nor to pull away mans seruice in our saluation The holy Ghost saith Philip. 2. it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doo The holie Ghost faith also in the same place with feare and trembling worke your owne saluation Non est volentis Rom. 9. neque currentis c. It is not in the willer nor in the runner but in God that taketh mercy And yet saith S. Augustine Enchiri cap. 32. Proculdubio si homo c. Without doubt if a man be of suche age that he is once able to vse reason he can not beleue hope nor loue vnlesse he will neither can he come to winne the price of the high callinge of God vnlesse he runne with his will. How is it then neither in the willer neither in the runner but in God that taketh mercy but after this sorte bicause the very wil it selfe as the Scripture saith is prepared by God By this order is our saluation wrought Neither God worketh it alone without man neither man without God can atteine to any degree thereof God firste prepareth the will and maketh it meete to serue him and the will directed and holpen by grace is able to doo all good And by this rule faith and workes saith S. Augustine are both the giftes of God and faith and workes are both the doinges of men Retract Li. 1. ca. 23 Vtrumque nostrum est propter arbitrium voluntatis vtrumque tamen datum per spiritum fidei charitatis vtrumque ipsius est quia ipse praeparat voluntatem vtrumque nostrum quia non fit nisi volentibus nobis Either of bothe is ours for free willes sake and yet either of bothe is geuen by the spirite of faith and charitie Either of bothe is his bicause he prepareth the wil and either of both is ours bicause it is not done but by our will. Psal 134. Though God by him selfe doo all that liketh him in heauen and in earth yet hath it pleased him to aduance man to that dignitie as to make him a worker together with him in his owne saluation 1. Cor. 3. Aug. in Psal 77. Non solùm operatur remissionem peccatorum The grace of God doth not onely worke remission of sinnes but also maketh the spirite of man a worker with him selfe in the doing of good workes Quando enim cum spiritu Dei operante c. For when with the working of Gods spirite the spirite of man worketh together then is that fufillled which God hath commaunded And by this doo we see what free will worketh in Iustification First it is saued deliuered and prepared by grace Then doth it ioine and worke together with God. It worketh the same thing that God worketh It beleueth It hopeth It loueth It runneth and getteth the price of the heauenly calling It fulfilleth the lawe God standeth at the dore knocking and it openeth God openeth the eare Aug. de spiri Lit. ca. 30. Apoca. 3. Esai 50. Ephes 2. 2. Cor. 5. and it doth not gainesaie him nor goeth backewarde God inspired good thoughtes and willingly it executeth them God prepareth good workes and it walketh in them It liueth not nowe vnto it selfe but Christe liueth in it and it liueth vnto him that died to saue it And thus farre haue I spoken of Iustification which is the reconciliation of a sinner whereby as S. Paule saith we haue accesse to God and of wicked are made rightuouse especially by grace through the Sacrament of Baptisme and other giftes of God before rehearsed without any workes of iustice going before to deserue the same That suche as fall into sinne after Baptisme be iustified by penance againe and what penance is required of them THE XI CHAP. IF such as haue receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme Of Penance and thereby remission of all sinne coulde keepe them selues in that happie estate of innocency and vprightnes there were no neede to say any more in this argument For al men that liue this day in Christian Regions were christened in their infancie and by their Baptisme made heires in hope of euerlasting life Tit. 3. But if there had ben none other prouision made for man but once to saie vnto him Ecce sanus factus es Lo thou arte made whole Ioan. 5. Cypria de elcemo Gen. 8. nowe sinne not leste some worse happe fall vnto the. We had ben driuen to a narowe straite neither coulde mannes frailety tel what to doo who being prone to ill euen from his youth was in daunger by sinne to lose Gods grace and then to stande without hope of remedie For this cause God hath prouided penance Chrysost Ho. 27. in Gen. Quam humano generi nostro ob ineffabilem misericordiam suam concessit Whiche throughe his vnspeakeable mercy saith Chrysostome he hath graunted vnto mankinde which benefite he accompteth so greate that in an other place he reckeneth it emong the most excellent giftes that euer God bestowed vppon man saying Chrysost Ho. 34.
saith I take them all as hinderance and losse and accompte them as durte so that I may gaine Christ. Leauing then aside these twoo kindes of workes whereof th' one is damnable and the other vnprofitable there remaine the workes which the Iewes called the workes of God Ioan. 6. saying to Christ Quid faciemus vt operemur opera Dei what shal we doo to worke the workes of God These workes be such as be done by the motion and inspiration of God. Christ saith Ioan. 3. Qui facit veritatem He that doth vprightely and trewly commeth to the light that his workes may be shewed bicause they are done in God that is by the inspiration and helpe of God. These workes S. Paul calleth the fruites of the holy Ghost bicause the holy Ghost bringeth them forth Gala. 5. Such are charitie ioy patience gentlenes sufferaÌ„ce mâ—â—â—nes faith modestie continence chastitie These workes as al Christian men are willed to doo so no man doth them without the grace of God preuenting him and mouing his wil to mind them and folowing and working with him to doo them Neither doth the Scripture and the Church of God teach vs that faith is Gods gifte Aug. epist 105. and charitie with good workes our owne as of our selues Al are the giftes of God of al and singuler it is said Sine me nihil potestis facere Ioan. 15. 1. Cor. 4. Rom. 8. Aug. epist 105. 2. Cor. 8. without me ye can doo nothing What haste thou that thou receiuedst not We knowe not what to pray as we ought to doo but the holy Ghost doth aske for vs that is to say doth teach vs and make vs to aske S. Paule calleth almose the grace of God. And briefly of all good workes he saith we be made and framed in Chriiste Iesu to doo good workes Quae praeparauit Deus vt in illis ambulemus Ephes 2. which God hath prepared for vs to walke in Whereuppon S. Augustine saith fingimur ergo c. we be made and fashioned that is De grat lib. arbit cap. 8. we are fourmed and shaped in good workes which we haue not bene the preparers of but God hath prepared them for vs to worke in By this rule S. Augustine saith our good life is nothing els but the gifte of God. Quisquis tibi enumerat vera merita sua Aug. confess lib. 9. cap. 13. quid tibi enumerat nisi munera tua Whosoeuer reckeneth vppe vnto thee o Lorde his trewe merites what doth he recken vp Hovve good vvorkes are called outes Aug. in Ioan. tractat 72. 1. Cor. 3. Bernar. de grat lib. arbit but thy giftes Here it may be said what parte haue we then in our good workes and why be they called ours if they be the giftes of God I answere God worketh all that is good in vs but as S. Augustine saith not without vs. And therfore as they be the workes of God who inspireth them so be they the workes of man that doth them Dei adiutores sumus we be the helpers and workers with God. Dei sunt proculdubio munera tam nostra opera quà m eius praemia ad quae tamen condenda merita dignatur sibi adhibere creaturarum ministeria without doubt they are Gods giftes as wel our workes as his rewardes and yet to make them merites he vouchesafeth to vse the seruice of his creatures And bicause he vseth mannes seruice in the doing of good workes he calleth them in the Scripture our workes Retract li. 1. ca. 23 So doth S. Augustine say of faith and good life vtrunque ipsius est Eche of bothe is his bicause he prepareth our will and either of bothe is ours bicause it is not done but by our will. Although much might be said in this place yet I shall take one place of S. Augustine in stede of many Psal 55. who expounding the wordes of Dauid saith in this manner In Deo laudabo sermones meos In God will I praise my wordes Aug. in Psa 55. ib. Si in Deo quomodo meos c. If in God how mine Both in God and yet mine in God bicause they come from him mine bicause I haue receiued them He that gaue them would haue them mine bicause I loue him whose they are bicause they comme to me from him they are made mine Matt. 6. for whence coÌ„meth this Geue vs this day our daily bread How call we it ours and how say we geue If thou cal it not thine thou hast not receiued it againe if thou call it thine after that sorte as though it came of thy selfe when thou callest it thine owne thou losest that thou haddest receiued bicause thou arte vnkinde to him at whose hande thou haddest receiued it There needeth no more to be said Good workes if we doo them be ours bicause we haue receiued them They be Gods bicause he giueth them They be not ours as of our selues they be not ours to be prowd of for then we lose them bicause we be vnkinde to the giuer But they be ours when meekely we doo them and acknowlege the geuer of them They be ours to shine before men Matth. 5. that they maie see them and glorifie our Father that is in heauen Finally they be ours bicause God so calleth them S. Paule knewe that faith charitie praier Colos 1. 1. Thes 1. 2. Thes 1. Rom. 15. 2. Tim. 1. and good workes were the giftes of God and yet writing to the Colossians and Thessalonians he commendeth their faith and their charitie desired the Romaines to remember him in their praiers and praied for Timothee in his owne He saith to the Hebrues 1. Cor. 15. God is not vniuste to forgette your worke He was not ignorant that it was the grace of God that wrought with him and yet he saith I haue wrasteled well for the game I haue finished my race 2. Tim. 4. I haue kepte my faith As he that hath an hundred pounde landes giuen him by the Prince hath landes and yet hath none of him selfe but of the Princes gifte and were well worthy to lose them if he would bragge of his possession againste the giuer and saie he gaue him none euen so the godly and faithfull haue good woorkes not of them selues but of Goddes geuing not to be prowde and vante them selues but humbly to serue him that gaue them to doo good to them selues and others by them Aug. in Psal 85. Arguens superbiam Apostolus The Apostle rebuking pride doth not saie thou haste not but he saith what haste thou that thou receiuedst not These be the workes that we commende and sette forth in Christian men not the workes of the lawe not suche as men doo of them selues or through vaine glorie to please men but the workes of God the fruites of the holy Ghost done onely for Gods sake suche as God by his inspiration and helpe worketh in men wherein
men are workers together and helpers with God. To these we geeue commendation and that none otherwise then the holy Scriptures and auncient Fathers doo The Catholike doctrine slaūdered And hereby the Reader maie see how vntrewly it is saide that the Catholike Doctrine teacheth men to presume of their owne workes or to thinke they be able to doo well without the grace of God yea howe farre they are that so saie from knowing what good and godly workes are A briefe rehersall of so much as hath ben hitherto saide in this Treatie of Iustification THE XIIII CHAPTER IN the Preface of this treatie after that I had shewed howe profitable and necessary the trewe knowledge and doctrine of Iustification was I did by the wordes of S. Augustine put the Reader in minde of two great daungers In Psal 31. which that most learned and godly Father calleth hedlong falles sayinge that who so speaketh of this matter vnlesse he keepe the streight high waie going neither to farre on the righte hande nor on the lefte may easily fall him selfe or bringe his hearer into one of them The one perill is the presumption of mans owne iustice to thinke that he maie be iustified and liue godly without the helpe of grace which danger he saith is as it were on the right hande The other perill is the presumption vppon Gods mercy to thinke that a man though he liue ill dooing no good workes yet shal be saued by faith that peril he saith is as it were on the lefte hande To shewe the good Christian Reader who desireth to go the streight way howe he may auoide bothe daungers the falling into either whereof is the losse of life euerlasting I haue taken this trauaile in hande wherein I trust I haue nowe saide inough to keepe him from the daungerouse fall on the righte hande hauing declared at large howe litle cause man hath to presume of his owne iustice who descending of the corrupte race of Adam borne in sinne and in daunger of the diuell hath no hope to aspire to the state of iustice whiche Adam loste to him selfe 1. Timo. 2. and for all vs but onely by mercie of the mediatour of God and menne the man Iesus Christe who gaue him selfe a raunsome for all by whose grace we are freely iustified Rom. 3. Ephes 2. without respecte of any good woorkes going before or deseruing that mercy at his handes I haue shewed that the chiefe and original cause of our Iustification was the exceding loue of God Ephes 2. who when we were deade in sinne gaue vs life againe in Christe The cause that procured vnto vs the benefite of our Iustificatiō to be the merit of Christs death Rom. 6. who died for vs when we were sinners Colos 1. pacifiyng by the bloud of his Crosse all that is in heauen or in earth I haue declared that our Iustification is wrought in vs by grace and atteined by faith through the feare of God hope charitie penance and the Sacrament of Baptisme And this much haue I said of the first degree of our Iustification Ro. 5. whereby we haue accesse to comme to this grace making with the Scripture and aunciente Fathers for plainer vnderstanding three degrees of our Iustification and saluation The seconde and thirde degrees of our Iustification whiche are increase of iustice in this life and perfiting thereof in the life to comme I haue proued to be gotten and obteined by faith and good workes I haue also declared that not only faith the feare of God hope charity and penance but also our good workes and all thinges any waie helping to our Iustification be the giftes of God and made ours by the assent and working of our free will which is first healed and made strong by grace and the speciall helpe of God. And bicause no man liueth without sinne and fewe without greate and mortall crimes whereby the grace of Iustification is loste I haue shewed that the waie to recouer it againe is by the Sacrament of penance which is also the gifte of God for that he moueth a sinner to change and amende his life Math. 3. and to doo the worthy fruites of penance without the whiche motion no man euer did profitable penance And thus haue I proued that all Iustification in euery māner commeth from God and is receiued and wrought in man through grace 1. Cor. 3. by his owne will and consent whom it hath pleased God to haue a worker together with him not empeyring thereby but muche auancing his owne glorie for that he is meruelouse Psal 67. not onely in him selfe but also in his holie Rom. 3. And so haue I truely and faithfully excluded al boasting of man in him selfe geuing glory to God. For I haue so set forth the free wil of man and commended good workes that the indifferent Reader may truly say Omnia ex Deo. 2. Cor. 5. All is of God to th ende that who so vanteth and boasteth 1. Cor. 1. may vante and boaste in God. THE SECOND BOOKE DECLARING THE SECOND DANGER Howe daungerouse it is for a man to presume only vpon Gods mercy and to doo no good workes THE I. CHAPTER August in prafatio Psalm 31. HAVING thus shewed the waye to auoyde the one daunger whiche is on the righte hande and playnely declared that no man is iustified by him selfe nor hath to presume of him selfe bicause it auayleth a man nothing to eschewe one peril and to perishe by an other contrarie to it that is as the Poete saieth to escape Charibdys and be drowned in Sylla Augu. de fid et operib c. 14. Iam illud videamus c. Let vs nowe consider that other pointe whiche muste be shaken owt of good and religiouse hartes leaste putting cocke in the hoope by an yll securitie and carelesnes they lose their saluation if they thinke faithe onely fufficiente to obteyne it and take no care to holde them selues in Gods waye by doing good woorkes By whiche woordes S. Augustine moneth vs to auoide the other daunger on the lefte hande of presuming in Gods mercy alone Willing no man to thinke he may be saued by faith and beleeuing onely if hauing tyme thereunto he neyther lyue godly nor doo good woorkes And this perill is so muche the more to be wayed and carefully to be eschewed bicause as he saieth in the same woorke that is the moste daungerouse opinion of all August de fid opeca 27. whereby menne are made beleeue that lyue they neuer so lewdely and shamefully yea and continue in that kinde of lyfe yet if they doo no more but beleeue in Christe and receyue his Sacramentes they shall come to euerlasting life I cal this with S. Augustine the moste daungerouse opinion of al bicause it is the greateste enemy of godly life and good woorkes without the whiche no man shal be saued For he that putteth affiance in good life and
it is as S. Augustine and Prosper Aquitanus say Aug. tra in Ioan. 72. Prosper de promis part 2. cap. 30. l'e fide oper cap. 14. De gratia lib. arbit cap. 7. Epist 107. Enchi c. 8. Aug. de fide oper ca. 14 a greater worke then to make heauen and earth or to bring a deade man to life againe The argument is not mine but suche as S. Augustine vseth and repeteth almost as often as he speaketh of Iustification Saying that S. Paule by these wordes hath decided and determined the matter Non quamlibet fidem qua in Deum creditur c. It is not euery Faith whereby a man beleueth in God that the Apostle determineth to be healthfull and Euangelicall but that is the Faith saith he which worketh through charitie wherevppon he auoucheth that the Faith which some take to be sufficiente for their saluation auaileth nothing in so muche that he saith If I haue all Faith in suche sorte that I be able to moue hilles owt of theire places and haue no charitie I am nothing I woulde seeke a plainer decision if any thing coulde be more plainely spoken He saith S. Paule hath defined that there is but one Faithe auailable to witte the faithe that worketh through charitie He saith Ser. 15. de ver apost De fide oper c 14. all other Faithe what so euer it be auaileth nothing He saith and that verie often that Faith destitute of charitie maie be not onely in euill men but also in the diuell him selfe And calleth it fidem damoniorum the faith of diuelles And leste any man should saie that albeit good workes are done by charitie yet is all to be imputed to faithe whiche is the cause that worketh al Note vvel S. Paule saith on the other side that faith it selfe taketh her doing and working of charitie For as they know that vnderstand the Greke tongue á¼Î½ÎµÏγουμÎνη is a participle of passiue significatioÌ„ and rightely shoulde he translate the wordes of S. Paule who shoulde saie That faith in Christ Iesu is auailable whiche is made actiue and doing thorough charitie For if we will speake of the nature of faithe as it is by it selfe it is vndoubtedly In the 2. Chapt. to vnderstande and assent vnto trewth as hath ben shewed before And bicause all knowledge be it of the Scriptures or the articles of our Crede maie be not onely in il men but in diuels also Faith is not able of her selfe to make a man iuste and righteouse vnlesse shee take vnto her hope and charitie and so be made actiue and doing by the one to hope in God by the other to loue God and man. whiche conclusion concerning charitie S. Augustine maketh In Praefa Psal 31. Ergo si nihil mihi prodest fides sine charitate c. If faithe then auaile me nothing without charitie and charitie wheresoeuer it be muste needes be working faithe it selfe by charitie hath her working Reason in man is the thing that maketh the difference betwene him and al brute beastes which be called brute bicause they lacke reason For which cause Reason as the principal power of the sowle is called of the Philosopher εντελÎχεια the forme and perfection that maketh a man. In like manner charitie is the thing that maketh the difference betwene faith and faith betwene the faith of a good and an ill man betwene the faith of good Christians and vncleane diuelles As S. Augustine saith at large in a learned and godly Sermon able to satisfie any indifferente Reader not onely in this point but in the whole matter of Iustification Quid pertinet ad fidem Aug. ser 16. De ver Aposto Iaco. 2. Credere What belongeth to faith to beleue But lette there yet further be a difference made betwene this faith and the faith of vncleane Diuelles For the Apostle S. Iames saith the Diuelles also beleue and tremble if thou doest but onely beleue and liuest without hope and haste no charitie the Diuelles beleue also and tremble And a litle after first therefore make a difference betwene thy faith and the Diuelles faith Whereby wilte thou make the difference Mar. 1. Matt. 8. Luc. 4. The Diuelles said Christ was the sonne of God through feare S. Peter said it through loue Put hope then to faith And what hope is there without some good conscience put vnto hope it selfe charitie And somewhat after that Therefore make a difference of your faith then are ye of the predestinates of the called and of the iustified And in the same Sermon to conclude he saith Gala. 5. Therefore if there be in you faith that worketh through loue now belonge you to the predestinates to the called and to the iustified Let that faith therefore growe in you that is working by charitie for faith working by charitie can not be without hope Now if charitie be it that maketh the difference betwene faith and faith as S. Augustine proueth and if that which maketh the difference betwene any one creature and al other be the perfection life and sowle of that creature Then is charitie not an instrument to serue faith but the life and sowle of faith without the helpe and mouing whereof faith neither iustifieth neither worketh any good acte in the beleuer The Euangelist saith Ex principibus multi crediderunt in eum Ioan. 12. sed propter Pharisaeos non confite bantur vt è synagoga non eijcerentur dilexerunt enim gloriam hominum magis quà m gloriam Dei. Thei had faith vvithout right loue Many of the chiefe rulers beleued in him but they confessed him not bicause they would not be caste out of the Synagoge For they loued the glory of men more then the glory of God. The scripture saith they had faith and yet no man I thinke will say they were iustified who neither confessed Christe and also loued the worlde better then God. And what lacked there in them Ser. 16. de ver Apos to make them belonge to the predestinates to the called and iustified as S. Augustine saith but onely right loue to make that faith actiue and stronge to loue the glory of God more then the glory of men whiche vnlesse God gaue them afterwarde that faith nothing auailed them Only charitie rather then only faith Wherefore if a man were disposed to make a diuorce betwene faith hope and charitie which no good man euer did he might say by these and other reasons that charitie alone rather iustifieth and haue S. Augustine to say with him whose wordes these are Charitas inchoata De natura gra cap. 70. inchoata iustitia est c. An vnperfect charitie is an vnperfect iustice a well increased charitie is a well increased iustice a great charitie is great iustice perfect charitie is perfect iustice And in the same booke he saith of charitie Ca 38. ib. Qua vna verè iustus est quicunque iustus
For if these be in vs Ser. 16. de ver apost then doo we belonge to the predestinate to the called and to the iustified Whiche is also expressed by the woordes of S. Paule where he saith Finis praecepti est charitas 1. Tim. 1. c. The perfyting and ending of the commaundement is charitie that commeth from a cleane harte De doctr Christian lib. 1. c. 40 from a good conscience and an vnfayned faith In which place S. Augustine saith The Apostle putteth in good conscience in steade of hope Wherefore if the commandement be geuen to make man perfect in such perfection as he may haue in this life and the ende and perfecting of the cōmandement lyeth in these three vertues the greatest perfection that man may reache vnto in this life is gotten by faith hope and charitie And our greatest perfection in this life is our Iustification for our glorifying apperteyneth to the life to come That faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification THE VI. CHAPTER Of the Sacramentes AS faith doth not barre hope and charitie from working our Iustification so doth it not exclude the SaSramentes of the Church instituted by Christ in the newe Testamente Whiche Sacramentes be not only requisite to the iustifying of a sinner but doo worke also in him remissiō of sinne bring and restore him to rightuousnes and geue life euerlasting Baptisme saieth S. Peter 1. Pet. 3. saueth vs. Concerning the Sacramentes of the Altar Christe saieth He that eateth my fleshe Ioan. 6. and drinketh my bloode shall lyue for euer He saieth also of the Sacramente of Penaunce whose sinnes you forgeue Ioan. 20. they be forgeuen them The like may be said of the rest of which S. Augustine maketh this general rule putting a differēce betwene the Sacramentes of the olde and newe Testament Sacrament a noui Testamenti dant salutem August in Psal 73. Sacramēta veteris Testamenti promiserunt Saluatorem The Sacramentes of the newe Testamente geue saluation the Sacramentes of the old Testamente promised a Sauiour S. Bede whom I allege for honours sake both bicause he was a singular lighte of our Country and also bicause he was in all his writinges an exquisite and moste diligent folower of S. Augustine saieth Bed. Hom. in feri 3. Pascha The Apostles were sente Qui cunctis per orbem nationibus c. Who shoulde both preache the woorde of life to all nationes through the worlde and minister the Sacramente of faith by whiche men mighte be saued and atteyne to the ioyes of the heauenly country The reason why so high and excellente a vertue should be in the Sacramentes August in Psal 56. et idem in Psal 103. is bicause they take their force of Christ his Death and Passion Percussum est latus pendētis de lancea profluxerunt Ecclesiae Sacramenta The side of Christ hanging on the Crosse was stryken with a speare and the Sacramentes of the Church came flowing out And as they issued and flowed out of his side so doo they applye and geue vnto vs the benefyte of his bloode and passion Augu. exposit epist ad Roma inchoat Such as vvere christened Were signed vvith the Crosse Illud Sacrificium c. That Sacrifice to witte the whole Sacrifice of our Lorde whiche after a manner is then offred for euerie one at what tyme he is christened and signed if he sinne againe can not be offered S. Augustine saith that the Sacrifice which Christe made for all vppon the Crosse is offred after a sorte for euery one particularly when he is baptized For as he died for al and paide the price and ransome of his bloode sufficiente for all so is his passion auayleable and applyed vnto such as receyue the healthful Sacramentes of his passion Augu. ad arti falsò sibi imposit artic 1 Cuius mors non sic impensa est humano generi His death was not so bestowed vpon man kinde that euen they that neuer shoulde be regenerate or christened should also be partakers of his redemption but in such sorte was it geuen that it whiche was by one onely example and paterne done for al in general should by a special Sacramente be celebrated and done in euery one by him selfe Let no man therefore assure him selfe of his Iustification by faith or other meanes The Sacramēt of penance without the helpe and benefite of the Sacramentes whiche God hath prouided first to applie his death and passiō vnto vs as we haue seene proued and nexte he hath also prouided them to be bandes to bynde and rowle vp our woundes in this life to staye and ease the ruptures and breaches of our soule August in Psal 146. Alligamenta medicinalia c. The Sacramentes vsed here for the tyme by which we haue confort be medicinal bandes of our contrition and rupture Perfecta sanitate detrahentur When our healthe shal be perfect which shal be in heauen they shal be pulled of but we should not atteyne and comme to that were we not rouled and bound vp S. Augustine saith that the Sacramentes for the tyme of this life be our medicines and salues to keepe vs in health and for the life to comme so necessarie that no man should atteine thereunto without them Here some man will say Obiection how should the Sacramentes be so necessarie for our saluation Is it not writen that by faith God purifieth and maketh cleane the hartes of men Act. 15. Ephe. 2. Ioan. 6. Is it not in S. Paule by grace are ye saued through faith Did not Christ him selfe say he that beleueth in me hath life euerlasting With many like sayinges wherein faith is commended without any mention made either of hope charitie or Sacramentes Yeas verely Answere they be all the wordes of God and al trewe but these are not onely the wordes of God nor onely trewe The holy Ghost hath vttered the trewth of God in the Scriptures where and by what wordes it liked that diuine wisedome Al are inspired from God and all to be beleeued alike but not all together nor all in one place And therefore as we beleeue it is vndoubtedly trewe he that beleueth in me Ioan. 6. hath euerlasting life so doo wee likewise beleue it to be trewe If I haue all faith and haue no charitie I am nothing 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 8. Ioan. 3. as trewe doo we thinke that also by hope are we saued and no lesse true Vnlesse a man be borne againe by water and the holy Ghost he shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen As true doo we take that to be Luc. 13. vnlesse ye doo penance ye shall all perish after a like sorte After this manner doth the Scripture somtime speake of faith and attribute Iustification vnto it Note wel making no mention of hope charitie or penance Sometime it seemeth to geue the like preeminence to charitie mentioning
neither faith nor any of the rest sometime to hope sometime to Baptisme or penance without the rest somtime it promiseth rewarde of life euerlasting to faith without mention of good workes sometime to good workes saying nothing of faith and yet is there no one of them meant to be excluded or left out And therefore the godly reader wisely meeke and meekely wise when he seeth life euerlasting promised to euery one of these particularly A rule for the right vnderstāding of the Scriptures remembring that euery woorde of God is like true ioyneth them al together and truely beleueth that to the perfiting of our Iustification and Saluation there is required grace faith the feare of God hope charitie together with the Sacramentes of Baptisme and penance and also good workes as hath ben shewed before It is not the manner of the holy Ghost nor of the Catholike Church by affirming of one treweth to deny or take away an other but to ioine all trewth together S. Paule the true and earnest commender of faith preached in Asia publickly and priuately Act. 20. Testificans Iudaeis atque gentibus in Deum poenitentiam fidem in Dominum nostrum Iesum Christum Protesting to the Iewes and Gentiles penance towarde God and faith in our Lorde Iesus Christ and there ioined he faith and penance together S. Augustine often times teacheth that we are saued by Baptisme intending not to exclude faith in such as be of perfecte age and therefore saith Baptismus qui semel adhibetur Ser. 30. de ver Do. per fidem mundat Baptisme that is geuen but once Note cleanseth by faith If this rule were marked and put in vre we were at a point not onely in this matter but in many other The Euchites waying the greate commendation that Christ in the Gospell geueth vnto praier Matt. 7. Luc. 11. saying Petite dabitur vobis Aske and it shal be geuen you And what so euer thinges ye aske in praier Mar. 11. beleue ye shall haue them and they shall come to passe vnto you were of opinion Theodor. li. 4. here fabul et hist. eccle li. 4. ca. 11. that praier alone was sufficient for a Christian man. They did sette light by Baptisme and said the holy Sacrament of the altare did neither good nor harme Whereby they tooke no fruit of theire praier and loste the benefit of the Sacramentes and theire owne saluation Lette them be taught by this example who seeming to extolle faith make light not onely of hope charitie and good workes but also of the very Sacramentes ordeined by Christ for our saluation Lette them take heed leste beside losing the benefite of Christes Sacramentes they be not founde voide of true faith also For what faith can we say that they haue or howe doo they beleue Christe Matt. 20. 2. Cor. 12. Act. 8. who being taught by his owne wordes to be Baptized if they be Hethen and by the wordes of S. Paule and S. Peter after Baptisme to doo penance when they haue sinned be carelesse to doo the one or the other It hath ben declared before In the 6. chapter that sinnes be forgeuen and we iustified by the Sacraments of Baptisme and penance It hath ben shewed also In the 11. chapt that faith is one of the partes of true penance and therefore penance can not exclude faith neither faith if it iustifie exclude penance For faith is either vnfained liuely and profitable De fid et oper ca. 16 such as S. Augustine termeth fidem Christianorum Christian mennes faith or els it is naked and deade such as bicause the Diuel may haue he calleth fidem Daemoniorū Iaco. 2. the Diuels faith The naked and bare faith iustifieth no man for if it could the Diuel might be iustified The liuely and Christian mans faith beleuing al scripture to be true and seing penance not only cōmended but also cōmanded can not passe it ouer but by praier obteineth it and so iustifieth Penance is the reuiuing of a sowle that is dead by sinne Aug. de trinit lib. 4. cap. 3. Anima Deo deserente moritur the soule dieth when God forsaketh it Resuscitatur per poenitentiam It is raised vp againe by penance Ho 20. in Gen. And bicause penance is the meane to receiue Goddes grace Chrysostome saith that vppon contrition of harte remorse and confession God doth not only geue the healing of woundes but maketh him a iuste man that was before loded with innumerable burdens of sinnes Constitu Apost lib. 2. ca. 23. Seing therefore the holy Ghost hath so prouided for vs that as S. Clement saith the Church of God is our peace and a quiet and calme hauen vnto the which sinners may be restored Ioan. 20. by absolution Seing also that Christ hath made that fauorable promise saying whose sinnes you forgeue they be forgeuen them De adulter cōiug li. 2. ca. 9. whereby as S. Augustine saith Per claues regni coelorum non dubitatur fieri remissio peccatorum There is no doubte but through the keies of the kingdome of heauen sinnes be forgeuen Lette no man presume through Iustification by faith to misprise or contemne the Sacrament of penance Lette no man leaue the sure for the doubtefull and vncerteine For as in case of necessitie men may enioy the inuisible grace of God Aug. super Leuiti Quaest 84. without the visible Sacramentes so is not the visible Sacrament to be dispised when it may be had Nam contemptor eius sanctificari nullo modo potest For the dispiser of it can by no meanes be sanctified inuisibly Faith can not onely iustifie no man where the contempte of Christes Sacramentes is but furder that very contempt maketh a man prophane and wicked as S. Augustine saith Sacramentorum vis inenarrabiliter valet plurimum Contr. Faust. lib. 19. cap. 11. ideo contempta facit sacrilegos impiè quippe contemnitur sine qua nō potest perfici pietas The vertue of Sacraments is of greate and vnspeakeable force and therefore if it be dispised it maketh men profane and wicked For wickedly is it dispised without the whiche godlines and pietie can not be perfited Seing then that the Sacramentes by the death of Christ haue that singular vertue whereby sinnes be forgeuen the passion of Christe applied vnto vs our woundes and ruptures tied vppe and rowlled by them as by medicinall bandes without the whiche we coulde not atteine to perfecte health how can it be said that faith alone can iustifie or exclude the vertue of them in our Iustification VVhat is the trewe meaning of these wordes in the Scripture vve are iustified by faith or saued by faith with other like THE VII CHAPTER BVT seing that all wordes of the Scripture be the wordes of God Of faith Iustifiing Rom. 3. Galat. 3. Ioan. 6. Lucae 7. writen by inspiration of the holie Ghost and therefore vndoubtedly trew if Faith
by faith a man is iustified so saieth he els where by grace yee are saued As he saith in this place non ex operibus legis Ephes 2. not by woorkes of the lawe So he saieth there Non ex vobis Dei donum est Not by your selues it is the gift of God. Rom. 4. So doth he saie Abraham was not iustified by his workes he deserued not Gods grace and his Iustification by his owne doinges he was not able to crake against God nor to presume of him selfe He had it not secundùm carnem by flesh and of him selfe but by promise and by faith from God. And thus it appeareth plainly that S. Paule by Iustification of faith without woorkes of the Lawe dothe not exclude charitie hope penance nor any vertue or gifte of God geuen by faith but onely barreth mannes owne presumption and pride mannes owne doinges without God with rites and ceremonies taught by Moyses Otherwise if it had ben his intent to exclude the giftes of God vertues and workes of faith we might saie with S. Augustine August in praefatio Psalm 31. Quomodo dicit Apostolus iustificari hominem c. How doth the Apostle saie that a man is iustified by faith without woorkes seeing that he saith in an other place that is the faith which woorketh through charitie we nede not then set the Apostle Iames against Paule but Paule himselfe against Paule And this much may suffice concerning the right vnderstanding of S. Paules wordes who as S. Augustine saith If he should meane that faith alone iustifieth he should not onely speake against S. Iames but against him selfe also For euen as God when he saith Deut. 32. A very apte similitude Videte quòd ego sim solus c. See that I am alone and there is none other God beside me spake not the same in the person of the Father onely meaning therby to exclude the Sonne and the holy Ghost as the Arrians vnderstoode it but did exclude onely creatures and all that is not God in like manner when it is saied by faith we are iustified there is no vertue or gifte of God barred nothing is excluded that is ioined and geuen with faith but that onely is shut owt whiche is repugnante contrary or strange vnto Faith. That whiche I haue saied of S. Paule serueth also for the trewe vnderstanding of the auncient Fathers who when they saie Faith alone iustifieth exclude some one thing whiche is repugnante or in the sense that they meant not necessarie to Iustification Basil concio de humilita S. Basill writing in the commendation of humilitie saithe Haec est perfecta integra gloriatio in Deo. c. This is the perfecte and sound boasting in God when a man doth not vante him selfe of his owne iustice but knoweth him selfe to be needy of trewe iustice and iustified by onely Faith in Christ He barreth as S. Paule doth the presumption of our owne iustice boasting and vanting of our selues not hope nor charitie which be Gods giftes which plainely to declare a litle after he saith these wordes Quid extollis te dic mihi c. Tell me why doste thou extoll thy selfe as it were for thine owne good doinges whereas thou shouldest render thankes to the geuer for his giftes Faith then iustifieth vs without our owne workes as of our selues Ephes 2. In cap. 9. Epistola ad Rom. but not without charity and the workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in S. Ambrose saith Sublatis omnibus neomenijs c. Al the festiual daies of the new mone the sabboth day and Circumcision the lawe of meates and offering of beastes taken away faith alone is placed for our saluation He excludeth the rites and ceremonies of Moises as S. Paule dothe saying that faith alone without them saueth The same answere serueth to the wordes of Chrysostom who expounding the place of S. Paule where he forbiddeth men to auoid Iewish fables Hom. 3. in Epist ad Tit. The Word Sola Alone is not in the Greeke saith Si fidei credis c. If thou credite faith why bringest thou in other thinges beside as though faith alone were not inough to iustifie why doest thou subiect thy selfe to voluntary bondage and put thy necke vnder the yoke of the lawe He saieth not why doest thou match with faith hope or charitie but why doest thou put thy necke vnder the yoke of the lawe And in an other place he saith Hom. 27. in cap. 8. Matth. vt iam neminem fugere possit c. So that no man can now be ignorant but that it is declared by these wordes that saluation euerlasting is geuen to men through faith not by the workes of the lawe he saith by faith and yet not alone excluding onely the workes of the lawe Arnobius writing vppon the Psalmes and reprouing the Nouatians heresy who saied that such as were once christened In Psal 106. Baptisme is called redemption bicause ther by vve be partakers of Christ his redemption if they did fall afterwarde coulde not be holpen nor restored againe by penance hath these wordes Thou saiste that such as be not yet redemed and Christened they through penance may attaine to pardon we saie they obteine pardon by Faith alone But suche as be redemed and christened come to enioye the mercy of their redemer not by Faith alone bicause they haue already beleued but by penance Of such as came to the Faith and desired baptisme the Church required not seuere nor straite penance such as was vsually inioined to sinners that after Baptisme fell againe and therfore he saith such were pardoned by faith alone that is to say without that kind of sharpe penance But how there was in them Faith alone the Reader may knowe by that I haue saied in the eighth Chapter where it is declared by Iustinus Martyr Tertullian and S. Augustine that the custome of the Churche as well before as after Arnobius his time was to receiue none to Baptisme but such as asked pardon of their former sinnes Ibidem Iusti Mar. Tertullia August Epito Diuino Decreto de poeniten promised a newe life and for certaine daies before theire Baptisme vsed fasting and praier The like wordes and in the like argumente vseth Theodoritus saying woundes that are made after Baptisme are curable Mary curable not by forgeuenes through Faithe onely as once it was but by many teares weping and wayling by fasting praier and labour measured according to the quantitie of the sinne committed To these I will ioine S. Ambrose bicause he agreeth with them in wordes and matter Gratia Dei in Baptismate In ca. 11. ad Rom. c. The grace of God in Baptisme requireth not sighing or morning or any worke but onely a profession with harte And in that sense he saith Iustificati sunt gratis In cap. 3. ad Rom. They are freely iustified bicause working nothing nor making no recompence
4. and called the father of all faithful and beleuing and inheriter of the worlde The Scripture saith of him Credidit Abraham Deo. Gen. 15. Galat. 3. Abraham beleeued God and it was accompted vnto him for Iustice but as Abraham was iustified by faith whiche all menne confesse so is it to be considered what faith that was whereby he was iustified and so singulerly pleased God. Primasius saith Abraham quia credidit Deo c. In cap. 11. epist ad Hebrae Iaco. 2. Bicause Abraham beleeued God it was accompted vnto him for iustice and he was called Goddes frende But this faith is so to be taken that it be beleeued in heart confessed in mouth and garnished in workes And here it is well to be noted that the Scripture commending Abrahams faith saith not Abraham beleeued there was a God but Credidit Abraham Deo Hom. 31. in Gen. Abraham beleued God that is as Chrysostome saith Credidit dictis Dei He gaue credit vnto Goddes wordes and sayinges Many euill men Iaco. 2. Mar. 1. yea the Diuel him selfe beleueth that there is one God but neither euill men neither the Diuelles geue credite to God nor his wordes to obey them And this is the difference betwene the good and ill man yea betwene a good man and the Diuel the one beleueth the Scripture and obeieth it not Psal 102. the other is mindefull of Goddes commaundementes to doo them So doth the Scripture teach vs to beleue Eccl. 32. In omni opere tuo crede ex fide animae tuae hoc est enim conseruatio mandatorum Qui credit Deo attendit mandatis In euery worke of thine beleue and vse the faith of thy sowle for that is the keeping of the commaundementes He that crediteth God geueth hede to the commaundementes Eccl. 33. The wiseman doth credite the Lawe of God and the Lawe is true vnto him Then to credite God and the Lawe is to beleue Goddes wordes to be true and to obey the commandementes of God and the Lawe For to him is the Law true who doth not shewe by his life that he thinketh it false So did Abraham beleue and credite God in euery worke of his Gen. 12. God said vnto him Egredere de terra tua c. Go out of thy coūtry from thy kinred from thy fathers house and come into the lande that I shall shewe thee He was in yeares Hebr. 11. he wente as S. Paule saith he knew not whither he might haue vsed many excuses as a man lothe to leaue his natiue country his kinred and frendes which naturally all men loue Chrysost hom 31. in Gene. But as Chrysostome saith Nihil horum vel in mentem c. He thought it not his parte so much as to take any of these thoughtes into his minde but as a willing seruante obeied at the onely bidding and asked no curiouse question And what was it that made him so to doo Omnia leuia facilia c. Chrysost ibidem His loue that he bare towarde God made all thinges appeare light and easy to him This was Abrahams faith To beleue God that is to credite his wordes and through a singuler loue to obey his commandement God promised him a childe Gen. 15. when both his wife and he by course of nature were paste hope of issue he beleued the promise hoping againe hope Rom. 4. Many yeares passed before it was fulfilled his faith decaied not he still perseuered constantely beleuing it Gen. 22. God bid him offer in sacrifice his onely sonne whome so dearely he loued Hom. 47. in Gen. without all douting or question asking he obeied the commaundement O religiosam animam c. O religiouse sowle saith Chrysostome O stronge hart and minde O greate desier O reason passing the nature of man. He shewed not his faith onely in beleuing Goddes promise but also in keeping his commandementes Credidit suscepturus filium Credidit occisurus c. Aug. ser 72. de tempo Chrys ho. 24. ad Hebre. Hom. 42. in Gen. Hom. 36. in Gen. Rom. 4. Gala. 3. Chrysost hom 36. in Gen. Gen. 15. Gen. 12. He beleued when he shoulde haue a sonne he beleued when he should kill his sonne In all pointes faithfull in nothing cruell He had not onely faith and good beleefe but as Chrysostome saith Possedit iustus ille omnes virtutes That iuste man had all vertues He noteth in him fortitude magnanimitie excellente faith good and godly conuersation singuler modestie meruelouse dispisinge of riches Worthely is he called the father of many nations Sufficit enim vnus ille iustus vt omnes nos erudiat For that one iuste man is inough to teach vs all What faith was in him that beleued Gods promise concerning his issue against the course of nature what obedience who being but once spoken vnto forsoke his countrie his inheritance his frendes and kinred Yea was content to forgo his owne and onely sonne Gen. 22. How constante hope that neuer mistrusted Gods promise were it neuer so long delaied Rom. 4. Gen. 1◠Rom. 4. Gen. 23. What charitie almose and hospitalitie who vsed to sitte at his dore to wait for straungers and Pilgrimes What humilitie who being inheritor of the worlde bowed and kneled to the heathen people of the land Ibidem what iustice that would not take a graue to bury his wife in before he had paied for the grounde This is our paterne by comparing our selues with him we knowe whether we be the children of Abraham Galat. 3. Ioan. 8. and to be blessed with the faithfull Abraham or no. Christ said to the Iewes Si filij Abrahae estis opera Abrahae facite Cyril Hieroso Cate che 5. If yee be the children of Abraham doo Abrahams workes Quem idmodum ille iustificatus est tu iustificeris As he was iustified so be thou iustified And here it is to be noted that God emong al his faithfull and holy hath chosen him to be our example and paterne who at his cōmandement forsoke his natiue countrie kinred and inheritance to teach vs thereby that such be the true children of Abraham Note S. that deale with the world when Gods honour or commandement so requireth as he did with his country and inheritance Gen. 12. Esai 52. 2. Cor. 6. God said vnto him Go out of thy countrie and kinred He saith vnto vs Exite de medio eorum separamini Goo out of the middle of them and departe from them Abraham with a sincere faith and minde Chrysost hom 37. in Gen. obeied the commandement hunc nos imitemur Lette vs folowe him and in readie minde and heart Let vs get out of the busines of this presente life especially when it draweth vs from God and go into heauen Hebrae 11. Rom. 8. Abraham knewe not the place whether he should go We hope for that we see not and by patience
you And he will shewe the cause Chrysosto Hom. 41. in Gene. August Serm. 49. de verb. Dom. for that they haue done the woorkes of mercie there rehearsed But bycause neither all these Scriptures nor anye one syllable of them can be false therefore it is false that fayth alone iustifieth meaning by fayth alone to shutte out eyther hope charitie penaunce the holye Sacramentes or vertuouse life and good workes from our perfyte Iustification VVhat they were who in sundrye ages haue taught that men should be saued without good workes THE XII CHAPTER IF nothing els could make vs think that godly life were nâ—cessarily required in a Christian man and workes of faith a greate and singular helpe to the atteyning of our saluation the diligente practise of the Diuel were sufficiente to make vs beleue it who beside his particular trauayle and persuasion whiche he vseth seuerally with euery man to turne him from wel doing hath also in sundry ages moued such as by his sleyghtes he coulde abuse to teach and openly persuade in derogation of good workes that the same were not auayleable August de fid ope cap. 14. De praedestin SaÌ„ct cap. 7. Euseb Eccles histo lib. 2. ca. 1 cap. 13. Theodore here fabis compen lib. 1. Iren li. 1. cap. 20. or not necessary for a Christian mannes saluation When S. Paule was most diligent to sowe the good feede teaching the right faith of true Iustification the Diuel was as busie to intermengle his cockle and darnel emong it making men that vnderstode not S. Paule beleue that he sayde it was sufficiente for a man to haue faith though he lyued yll and dyd no good woorkes Symon Magus who was taken for a God taught his followers to care litle for the Prophetes nor to feare the threatninges of the lawe but bad them like free men to doo what them lysted for they shoulde atteyne saluation not by good doing but by grace Whereupon suche as were of his secte boldelye gaue them selues to all luste and intemperate life Carpocrates saied men should be saued by faith and loue Theodo ib. Iren. li. 1. cap. 24. as for all other thinges they were of them selues indifferent and by opinion of men sometyme were taken for good sometyme for yl but nothing was naturally euill Valentinus and his scholers say Theod. vbi suprà Iren. li. 1. cap 1. they neede no works for that knowlege may suffice to saluation and therefore such as be emong them moste perfite without all care and feare doo what so euer is by Gods lawe forbidden It is saied of Eunomius August de here ad Quodvult De. ca. 54 that he was so farre an enemy to good conuersation that he plainely auouched no man shoulde take hurte by any sinne what soeuer he commmitted or continued in so that he were partaker of the faith that he taught Euen in S. Augustines tyme th' enemy of good life persuaded carnal and dissolute men to think Note August de fid ope cap. 1. cap. 27. that liued they neuer so il continuing in great sinne and not so much as professing amendement yet if they beleued in Christe and receiued his Sacramentes they should be saued But as the serpente in all these tymes wente aboute by his craftie to seduce whome he coulde 2. Cor. 11. Ioan. 17.18 so did not the holy Ghoste withdrawe his care and helpe from the Churche mouing at the first S. Peter S. Iames and S. Iohn to redresse by their Epistles the errour which vnstable heades had falsely gathered of S. Paules true preaching and afterwarde inspiring the learned Bisshoppes of euerye age to note and condemne the heretiques aboue named moued also S. Augustine againste the corrupte opinion of sundry in his age to write this learned Booke Of faith and woorkes whiche is delyuered thee herewith to put thee in remembraÌ„ce of the enemies craftes and sleightes For as by enuye of hym deathe came into the woorlde Rom. 5. so by the same enuye to turne Christian men from life euerlasting Ephes 2. he hath gone aboute in sundrye ages and yet doth to pul from them good workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in His desyer is specially to take from vs faith and the professing of Christe but bicause he dareth not attempte that by playne and open meanes Leo. ser 4 de collect Sciens Deum non solùm verbis c. Knowing that God is denyed not onely by woordes but also by deedes he hath taken charitie from many men from whom he could not take awaye faith Note He vnderstandeth to well that as charitie is the life and strength of faith so pulling awaye the one he shal be able either to drawe the other after or els to make it deade and vnprofitable to him that keepeth it Which if he may obteyne and make vs beleue that faith alone iustifieth taking away hope charitie penance and the vertue of Christes Sacramentes from woorking our Iustification and good workes from helping our saluation what doth he els but bring the Gospel which S. Paule calleth the stronge and mightie power of God Rom. 1. to a naked and bare name Therefore seing we knowe his slyghtes and haue learned them not only by report of other ages 2. Cor. 2. but also by the lamentable experience of our owne let vs to resiste him put on al the whole armor of God Ephes 6. 1. Thess 5. that we may be able to stand against him that lyeth in wayt for vs. Let vs not only take in hande for our defence the buckler of faith but also to saue the whole body put on the lacke of faith and charitie and take for an helmet hope of saluation not leauing of the breaste plate of iustice Ephes 6. nor the gyrdle of truth For he that goeth to that fraye hauing but a buckler maye take a deadely wounde for lacke of a helmet or breast plate and if he so doe he may be founde giltie of his owne death bicause he was warned to arme him selfe in all partes and to put on a complete harnesse The cause whye good woorkes are donne and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the worlde to come with life euerlasting And why they be so rewarded THE XIII CHAPTER AS I haue shewed that good workes must necessarily be done of such as wil be saued so wil I now declare for what ende they should be done and what fruite and profite they bring to the doers Vt curent bonis operibus praeesse qui credunt Deo. Tit. 3. To the intent that suche as beleue God may haue a care to be chiefe doers of good woorkes The holie Ghost saith of them Haec sunt bona vtilia hominibus They be good and profitable for men Tit. 3. If we aske to what ende he saith Pietas ad omnia vtilis est 1. Tim. 4. promissionem habens
vitae quae nunc est futurae Godlinesse is profitable to al purposes hauing promise of the life that nowe is and the lyfe to come In this life godlinesse hath promise to directe faith and leade her to the vnderstanding of the Ghospell Ioan. 7. If a manne will doe his will that sente me saieth Christe he shal knowe of my doctrine whether it be of God or I speake of my selfe Iacob 2. Eccles 7. Good woorkes make faith perfite Thou seest saieth S. Iames of Abraham that faith was ioyned with his woorkes and by his woorkes faith was perfited They confirme and strengthen charitie Be not lothe to visite the sicke for by suche doinges shalte thou be made strong in loue Eccles 7. Good woorkes breede in vs a stronge hope and affiance in God. Almes shall be a greate affiaunce before God the highest Tobi. 4. vnto all that doe it He saieth not it shall be onely a declaration of faith before menne but a greate affiance before God. 1. Tim. 3. Deacons that serue well gette them a good degree and muche affiance in faith whiche is in Christe Iesus Whereby we vnderstande that good workes do not onely nurrishe hope but also strengthen faith And as S. Augustine saith Ser. 16. de ver Apos Quae spes nisi de aliquae conscientiae bonitate What hope can there be but vppon some goodnesse of conscience So a conscience vsed and confirmed in well doing is full of affiance and hope S. Paule saieth to the Hebrewes who had ben charitable to suche as were imprisoned and also loste their owne goodes for Christes sake Hebr. 10. Lose not your confidence and affiance which hath great rewarde He saith that their good woorkes had not onely bredde a stronge hope and affiance to them but also that the same should haue a great rewarde And here let the Reader learne how strong hope and affiance in God is to be gotten Prayer is but one of the woorkes commended by Christe of which Chrysostome saith vitam piam oratio conciliat conciliat am auget Prayer bringeth a godly life Chrysost Tom. 5. de â—râ—Ì„d DeuÌ„ and increaseth it when it is gotten fasting watching and prayer make vs stande and perseuer in goodnesse and defende vs from yll Haec sunt nobis arma coelestia Cyprian lib. 1. ep 1. c. These be vnto vs heauenly armour that make vs stande and perseuer strongly these be spirituall municions and weapons geauen of God whiche defende vs. Almes an other of the workes which Christe commendeth is a bulwarke and defense bothe of faith and hope Solatium grande credentium c. Holesome woorking is a great comforte of the beleeuing a forte of our safetie Cyprian de elemo the buckler of hope the defence of faith the medicine of sinne Fasting almes and prayer ioyned togeather be meanes to heale our sores to get the fauour of God to put away the penaltie due to sinne to auoide the Diuell Curandis laesionibus quas saepe c. Leo ser 4 de ieiu 10. men To cure the hurtes which often they fal into that with the inuisible enemie haue conflict the medicine of three remedies is specially to be laide In earnest prayer in chastisment of fasting in liberal almes When these be exercised togeather God is made fauourable gilte and fault is put out and the tempter is beaten downe These auncient Fathers said not thus much of their owne heades but as they had learned of the Scripture so they spake Daniel said to Nabuchodonosor Peccata tua eleemosynis redime Dan. 4. iniquitates tuas misericordijs pauperum Ransome thy sinnes with almes and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore By mercie and faith sinnes are purged Prouer. 15. 16. Tobi. 4. Luc. 11. by mercie and troth iniquitie is ransomed Almes deliuereth from all sinne and from death and suffereth not the sowle to goe into darkenesse Geue almes and all thinges are cleane vnto you Neither doth God hereby take away his owne prerogatiue which is to remitte sinne but prouideth for mans weakenesse many remedies Note and by sundrie waies inuiteth him to enioye remission of sinne of all whiche remedies God him selfe is the Author and geuer And so haue we not many Sauiours but one Sauiour which geueth many helpes and waies of saluation To suche as doe workes and vse the grace of God increase of grace is promised Matth. 25 Theophilact ibid. Omni habenti dabitur To euery man that hath that is to saie that vseth his giftes there shal be geuen There is no difference noted betwene the good and yll seruaunt but that the good increased in that he had receiued The slouthful and yll had no more at the time of the accompte then he receiued the firste daie By good workes our election and calling is made sure as in this life it may be assured 2. Pet. 1. Satagite vt per bona opera c. Earnestly endeuour by good woorkes to make sure your calling and election By good workes we grow and increase in Christe Ephes 4. veritatem facientes c. By doing truth in charitie let vs growe in all thinges in him who is Christe our heade 1. Pet. 2. Deponentes omnem malitiam c. Laying aside al malice and all guile false semblance enuie and detraction as children newly borne couet after reasonable and spiritual milke that therby ye may grow to saluation S. Paule and S. Peter saie that by true and charitable doing by leauing vice and folowing a new and innocent life we increase in Christe and grow in saluation These be the benefites and commodities that Christian men may take by good woorkes in this life 1. Direction of faith 2. Perfiting of the same 3. Increase of charitie 4. Strength of hope and affiaunce in God. 5 The getting of a good life and increase thereof 6 Strength and defence againste sinne and the Diuell 7 Pardone of penaltie due vnto sinne 8. Turning away of Gods iust and deserued plague 9 Growing in Christ 10 Increase of grace to saluation The promises that good woorkes haue concerning the life to come be no lesse then life it selfe euerlastinge Euerie man faith our Sauiour that shall leaue house Matt. 1â— or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my names sake shall haue againe an hundred times as muche and shall inherite life euerlasting Esai 56. God promiseth by his Prophete that who so euer keepeth his leage he will bring him to his holy hill And in the Euangeliste Christ saith of his commaundementes Hoc fac viues Luc. 10. Doo this and thou shalte liue He biddeth vs geue almose saying make you selues frendes of the mucke of iniquitie Luc. 16. that when you shall faile they may receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles Bid the riche men of this worlde doo wel saith S. Paule to be
riche in good workes easely to bestowe 1. Tim. 6. to geue parte to laie vp a good foundation against the time to come to the intente they maie gette the trewe life In all whiche places and many like God promiseth to suche as leaue their frendes or landes to suche as keepe his commandementes or geue almose for his sake life euerlasting And to declare more plainely Aug epist 105. De grat lib. arbit cap. 8. that he geueth it in respecte of wel doing and to recompence good workes life euerlasting saith S. Augustine in many places of holie Scripture is called a reward Christe saieth to his Apostles be glad and reioice bicause your reward is plentuouse in heauen And who so euer geueth one of the leaste of these a cup of colde water to drinke onely in the name of a Disciple Matt. 5. verely I saie vnto you he shall not lose his rewarde Matt. 10. Mar. 9. When thou makest a feaste call the poore the feeble the lame and blinde and happy shalte thou be that they be not able to requite thee Luc. 14. For it shal be requited thee in the resurrection of the iuste By the worde of requitall he promiseth rewarde and by the resurrection of the iuste the Kingdome of heauen The sentence that Christe shal geue in the latter day suffreth vs not to doubte but that the kingdome of heauen shall be geuen as a rewarde for good workes for he shall saie to them that stande on his righte hande Matth. 25 Come you blessed of my Father receiue the kingdome that was prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde Quibus meritis Aug. Ser. 49. de ver Dom. Chryso Hom. 41. in Gen. saithe S. Augustine For what desertes And Chrysostome Cuius gratia propter quid Why and wherefore For I was hungry and you gaue me meate to eate c. If Christe make good workes a cause of our saluation and geeueth the kingdome of heauen in respecte of them who shal be heard speaking to the contrary Hebre. 11. He that commeth to God must beleue that he is and that to suche as seeke him he is a rewarder The waie to seeke him Chryso hom 22. ad Hebr. Moral Aug. in Psal 76. Note vvel saie Chrysostome and S. Augustine is by deuont praier and good workes If we muste then as well beleue that God is a rewarder as that he is God sith he rewardeth nothing but vertue and well doing he that denieth him to be a rewarder of good workes beleueth not in effecte that he is God. For if he be God he is trewe of his promes and then wil he rewarde good workes as he hath promised Why good vvorkes be revvarded Lucae 12. And this being so no man needeth to aske how the workes of a Christian man shoulde come to that estimation with God to be rewarded with life euerlasting For as Christe saied to his Apostles Complacuit patri vestro dare vobis regnum It hath pleased your Father to geue you a kingdome Marke vvel God promiseth to revvarde good vvorckes euen so hath it pleased him to promes rewarde of that kingdome for good workes And he hath promised it that can not lie Vppon this ground standeth al that is saied and taught in the Catholike Church in commendation and rewarde of good workes Not that we of our selues can claime of him or chalenge him for our debter bicause we haue first giuen him but bicause he hath promised vs Debitor factus est c. God is become our debter Aug. Ser. 16. de ver Apost in Psal 32. conci 1 saith S. Augustine not by taking any thing of vs but by promising that whiche it pleased him for it is one thing when we saie to a man thou oweste me suche thinges as I haue geuen thee and an other thing when we saie thou oweste me bicause thou haste promised me Non possumus ergo ei dicere c. Ser. 31. de ver Dom. Rom. 11. We can not then saie vnto God rendre that thou haste receiued for who gaue him firste to be requited againe We can not saie Render that thou haste receiued but plainely we saie Render that thou haste promised Vppon this promise S. Paule saied I haue wrasteled well for the game 2. Tim. 4. I haue finished my race I haue kepte my faith For the reste the crowne of iustice is laide vp for me whiche our Lorde shall render vnto me in that day as a iuste iudge Although it came of mercie that God called S. Paule Galat. 1. 1. Tim. 1. and gaue him grace to doo good workes and to keepe his Faithe yet when S. Paule hath so done he saied that God of his iustice woulde render him the crowne Vppon this promes Ezechias and Nehemias praied God 4. Reg. 20 2. Esdr 5. to haue respecte to their life and to remember their well doing not as prowde men presuming of them selues but meekely acknowleging Psal 144. Psal 83. that God is faithefull and trewe in all his wordes and where he geueth grace he will also geue glorie and rewarde Matth. 2â— As he saieth vnto the laboroures Go into my vineyarde So he saieth also that whiche is iuste I will geue you No man goeth vnlesse he be called and yet who so euer laboureth faithfully and trewly when he is sente is assured of wages bicause it was promised Leo serm 4. de Collect vppon this promise Leo saied Cibus egeni regni coelestis est pretium largitor temporalium hares efficitur aeternorum The meate giuen to the needy is the price of the kingdome of heauen and the geuer of thinges temporal Matth. 13. Cypria de Elemo is made heire of the eternal S. Cyprian saith that Christe by the parable of the merchante who solde all his goodes to bie a preciouse pearle teacheth vs that with the quantitie of our patrimony we should purchase and bye euerlasting life August in Psal 147. And S. Augustine saith Viduae suffecerunt duo minuti nummi c. Two litle peeces of coine were inough for the wydowe to doo mercie two peeces of coine were inough to purchase the kingdome of God. A smalle price a man mighte saie for so greate a Iewell were not the bountie and liberalitie of God the owner who being Lorde of all hath sette suche a price vppon it and by his gratiouse and free promise hath bounde him selfe to performe it This is the trewe commendation which the Scripture and auncient Fathers geeue vnto good workes and these be the causes why Christian men should doo them They that say good workes serue to geue testimony and make declaration of our Faith and be commendable but haue no rewarde of grace here nor value of euerlasting life albeit they exhorte men to liue godly they maie commende and set forth good workes in wordes but they hinder the doing of them in
perfecto magistro reuelatam fideliter custodimus vt ab incontemptibili dispensatore mandatam We alone be the innocente lyuers what maruayle if it muste needes be so In deede it muste of force be so We that haue learned of God innocencie and good life bothe knowe it perfectely bycause it is reueled by a perfyte Maister and we keepe it faithfully bicause it is commaunded by an officer that maye not be despised Take this lesson Christian Reader learne of Christ for thy Iustification not onely to beleeue but also to lyue godly and vertuously whiche lesson as thou seeste they kepte whom thou canst not but commende and so shalte thou be like them whome thou doeste rightely commende Thou knowest by that which hath benne saied before in the twelth chaptre of this second Booke what a false and dissolute doctrine concerning Iustification is able to doo When Simon Magus Carpocrates and Valentinus had taught that menne might be saued by grace fayth and knowledge without good woorkes they re scholers gaue them selues to luste and licentiouse lyfe To auoyd that mischiefe beleue assuredly this godly and learned saying Non dormiētibus prouenit regnum coelorum Leo. ser 2. in Epipha ser 5. ibid. sed in mandatis Dei laborantibus atque vigilantibus vt si dona illius irrita nō fecerimus per ea quae dedit mereamur accipere quod promisit The kingdome of heauen commeth not to sleapers but to such as labour in Gods commandementes and watche to th' ende that if we make not his giftes ydle and voide by such thinges as he hath geuen we may deserue to receiue that which he hath promised The right and assured way to come to this fruite of Iustification Miche 6. is to followe the counsel of the Prophete To do iustice to loue mercie to walke carefully in Gods sight Circūspiciat se omnis anima Christiana Leo. ser 1. de Qua. drag Let euery Christiā soule saith S. Leo looke about it selfe and by straite examination discusse the inwarde thoughtes of her harte let it see that no debate cleaue there that no couetousnes settle let chastitie driue away incontinencie let the light of truth driue away the darckenesse of lying c. Let pride asswage let humilitie be taken in let anger amende let vengeance cease and wronges be forgotten Aug. Ser. 15. de ver Apost The like counsel geueth S. Augustine Proficite fratres mei c. Increase my bretherne serche your selues euer without guyle and flattery Especially folow one shorte rule which he maketh for euery man Augustin Tract 6. in epistol Ioan. saying Interroga cor tuum si est ibi dilectio fratris Examine thy harte whether the loue of thy brother be there Si inueneris te habere charitatem habes spiritū Dei. If thou finde that thou haste charitie thou haste the spirite of God And then if his spirite that raysed Iesus from the deade dwell in you Rom 8. he that raysed Iesus from the deade will also geue life to your mortall bodies And thus do we see that the way to examine and trie our selues and thereby to iudge of our Iustification is not only to serche whether we haue faith but also whether we loue 2. Cor. 7. and liue godly Perficientes sanctificationem in timore Dei. Doing holinesse in the feare of God. The Conclusion and ende of the VVoorke THVS haue I nowe by Gods helpe finished the second parte of this Treatie wherein mine intente hath ben to aduertise the Christian Reader See the Preface how to eschewe the second great or rather most dangerouse fal on the lefte hande whiche S. Augustine willeth all that teache or speake of Iustification to beware of Aug. in praefat Psal 31. The perill is for men to presume only of Goddes mercie dooing nothing them selues towarde their owne saluation whiche opinion he saieth if any man folowe leadeth him vndoubtedly to euerlasting ruine of sowle and bodie And bicause the onely or readiest meane to leade a man to that fall is to thinke that faith alone may suffise to iustifie and saue vs I haue at good length prooued that faith alone is not inough to bring a sinner from sinnefull estate to Gods fauour nor of wicked to make him righteouse without the woorking and helpe of hope charitie penance and the Sacramentes of Christ wherein I haue ben the longer bicause this opinion is lately crepte into the worlde and nowe spred farre and wide For albeit in times past some thought they might be saued without good woorkes yet did they not saie they might be saued without the Sacramentes De fide oper c. 27 As by this booke of S. Augustine thou maiest see And so all be it they waded deepe inough to drowne them selues yet wente they not so farre into the bottomelesse goulfe as sundrie haue done in this our age who saie that nothing woorketh in the acte of our Iustification but onely faith And therevppon haue brought in this proposition and made it a common speache emong them selues and theirs Faith alone iustifieth excluding therby from the acte of our Iustification not onely hope charitie and penance but also the very Sacramentes For if faith alone iustifie a sinner and make him of wicked rightuouse then is there none of these requisite or necessary for that effecte whiche neuer anie aunciente man learned that I haue seene didde maineteine I haue further declared that faith alone can continue no man in the state of grace muche lesse increase him in iustice and least of all bring him to the ende and perfectiō of iustice in life euerlasting without the helpe of good woorkes And so is the opinion of Iustification by onely faith in trueth and deede disprooued and founde vntrue in no sense maintenable as they take it I saie as they take it For although certaine aunciente Fathers sometime vsed these woordes Faith alone iustifieth yet doe they not meane thereby as these doe to exclude any of the vertues afore named or Sacramentes as I haue plainely shewed In the .18 Chapt. of this secōd booke I haue according to my promise in this whole Treatie affirmed nothing of my selfe that whiche I haue saied I haue prooued by euidente Scriptures folowing euery where the interpretation of suche as God hath placed in his Churche Ephes 4. to be Pastours and Doctours to the perfiting of the holie and to the building vp of Christes body which is his Churche The labour hath ben bestowed to the ende that the godly man whiche is the Christian man might be perfite and sownde 2. Timo. 3. readie and instructed to all good woorkes Whiche God graunte thee and mee with thee good Reader Once the beste exhortation and righte encouragemente to doe good workes See the .23 chapter is truely to thinke and beleeue that no man hauing time and opportunitie to doe them shal be saued without them Thus endeth the Seconde Booke of this
touching the questiō of our Iustification Which he decideth thus farr to wit whether faith without good woorkes may saue a Christian man or no. The occasion of S. Augustines Treatie of saith and vvorkes Where vnto he was moued by a corrupte opinion of some menne in his time For whereas whole countries then were not yet fully conuerted to Christe and therefore diuers of al ages as they were brought to the faith came yearly to be christened some were of opinion that as manie as would beleeue the right faith though they liued vngodly yet might be receiued to Baptisme and be saued through faith and the Sacramentes without good workes Against whome he wrote this godly and learned Booke entituled De Fide operibus of faith and woorkes prouing therein at large that faith without good life can saue no manne And bicause the value and estimation of good workes hath been and yet is called in question to wit what accompte God maketh of them and whether any reward be geuen vnto them especially of life euerlasting and whether they be necessarie and able to healpe vs to attaine the same I haue also chosen certaine Arbitrators touching the especial and chiefe workes commended by Christe as Praier Fasting and Almes dedes And those suche men that in their handes thou mayste without daunger put thine opinion and iudgement For Praier I haue chosen S. Chrysostome for Fasting S. Basil and S. Leo for almose deedes S. Cyprian and S. Leo againe The first and second Confessors but so liuing for certaine yeares that they daily looked to be Martyrs The third also a Confessor but such as in his life by a Generall Councell of 630. Bishops was called S. Leo and since his death hath ben so taken of the Churche Concil Chalcedo Sess 3. and hath also for his most excellent learning bene surnamed Leo the Greate The fowrth a flower of the worlde in his life for vertue and learning and in his death a moste constante and vndoubted Martyr S. Cyprian and S. Augustine liued in Africa S. Basil in Asia S. Leo in Europa S. Chrysostome parte of his life in Asia parte in Europa And so by these doo we heare as it were speaking in them the voice of the whole Catholike Church 1. Tim. 3. which is the piller and staie of truthe against the whiche no man well aduised will frame him selfe a singular opinion For vnto the Churche is the holy Ghost the teacher of al trueth promised Ioan. 15. 16. which promise no priuate man hath Their Antiquitie is suche that the latest and lowest of them al liued within 400. yeres after Christe Peruse and way without affection gentle Reader the Treaties of these holy Fathers I might require thee also to stand to their decision bicause there is no exception to be taken against them But that I leaue to Gods gracious working and thine owne good will bicause I take not vppon me to be Iudge of the cause but a motioner toward peace Only this muche I saie of them that whereas Iudges should be voide of hatred freendshippe enmitie and pittie Salust de bel Catil these men are suche For as S. Augustine saieth of them and of others like Nullas nobiscum Aug. contra Iulia. Lib. 2. vel vobiscum amicitias attenderunt vel inimicitias exercuerunt Neque nobis neque vobis irati sunt neque nos neque vos miserati sunt Quod in Ecclesia inuenerunt tenuerunt Quod didicerunt docuerunt quod à patribus acceperunt hoc filijs tradiderunt They neither regarded friendshippe nor were at enmitie with vs or you they were neither angry with vs nor you nor tooke compassion of vs or of you Looke what they founde in the Church that they held suche as they learned they taught what they receiued of their Fathers that deliuered they to their children Take therefore Christen Reader if thou be a childe of the Churche these thy Fathers lessons Aske thy Fathers saieth the holy Scripture and they will shew thee Deut. 32. enquire of thy Elders and they will tell thee These be thy Fathers these be thy Elders These are suche of whom Christe saied he that heareth you heareth me Lucae 10. he that dispiseth you dispiseth me These are the high Pastours of Christes Church of whom Christ saied Matth. 18. he that heareth not the Churche let him be to thee as an Heathen and Publicane These are the lightes of the Church of whom Christe saied You are the light of the worlde Matth. 5. Acto 13. whose predecessours saied also of them selues that they were placed to be a light to Nations to woorke saluation euen to the vttermost of the earth Of whome also an other saied He that knoweth God harkeneth vnto vs. 1. Ioan. 4. He that is not of God harkeneth not vnto vs. In this we trie the Spirite of Truthe and the Sprite of Errour If thou wilt then be lead by Truthe and not seduced by Errour harken to these holy and learned Fathers all Bishoppes and chiefe Pastours in the Churche of Christe in that time and age whiche the Aduersaries them selues accompte for the purest Let these hardely be thy Arbitrers in decision of these present controuersies They lacked no learning to know the Truthe They wanted no vprightnesse to write as they knewe They can not be partiall They knewe neither parties They liued taught and flourished in the time of Truth by the Aduersaries owne Confession To speake farder in the commendation of these most holy and learned Fathers it were but a vanitie There nedeth no candle when the day light shineth Where good wine is there nedeth no garland to hange out These Fathers commends them selues All the Christian worlde reuerenceth them and crediteth them as holy Fathers as most learned Doctours as singular lightes of the Churche of Christe bothe Greke and Latin. To whom this publike testimony of all Christendome suffiseth not to him nothing will suffise Reade therefore Christian Reader Vse and peruse And reading these remember that thou readest not any writer of late yeares any priuate learned man any particular Iudgement or doctrine But that thou readest in these the doctrine of the primitiue Churche Auncient and generally approued Fathers briefely the publike Testimony and common voice of all Christendom And that not certaine of their sayinges culled out from the whole but their whole and full Treaties word for word as they wrote them laied before thee Last of all not any suche writinges as they wrote by waie of controuersy as against an Aduersary but partly a settled and deliberated doctrine such as S. Augustines Treatie is partly Homelies and sermons made and pronounced to the whole people suche as all the rest are in whiche kinde of exercise the Pastour of Goddes people will be most aduised what he speaketh and muche more what he writeth To make an ende Thou hast hitherto hearde learned men prouing and debating matters now in controuersy
by certaine of the Fathers sayinges gathered together with their owne deuise and industry Nowe thou hearest the Fathers them selues to tell their owne tales Thou seest the maner of their writing Thou learnest by their owne talke what their faith was Onely I haue made them to speake in English as faithefully as truly and as familiarly as I coulde possibly doo not swaruing one iote from their wordes and meaning Accepte my poore labour in good parte which I haue taken to edifie many to offend none And our Lorde of his mercy geue bothe to thee gentle Reader and to me of his holy Grace that we may folow and practise in woorkes that which these holy Fathers do teache vs in woordes That as sinne hath bene the cause of this horrible schisme and manifolde heresies that nowe raigne so amendement of life maie be a meane to stay the raging course thereof and to call vs home to vnite againe to the honour of God and peace of his Church Amen A TREATISE MADE BY THAT BLESSED AVNCIENT FATHER S. AVGVSTINE BISshoppe of Hippo in Afrike in the yeare of our Lord 380. Which he intituled Of Faith and Woorkes Against them that did admitte all men to Baptisme without any difference THE FIRST CHAPTER SOME be of opinion that all persons An olde errour without any difference should be admitted to the fonte of regeneration which is in our Lorde Iesu Christe although they haue no will to chaunge their lewde and filthie life being infamouse with notoriouse crimes yea and though by open protestation they professe that they meane to continewe therein As for example If a man kepe a harlot he should not be commaunded first to departe from her and then to come vnto Baptisme but that euen remaining with her and meaning stil so to doe he should notwithstanding that his presumption be admitted and baptised and should not be staied from being a member of Christ though he continew the member of an harlot but should afterward be taught how euil a thing that is and so being baptised should be instructed to amende his manners For these men thinke it a peruerse and preposterouse thinge first to teache them howe a Christian should liue and after to baptise them But in their iudgement the Sacrament of Baptisme should rather goe before that the doctrine of life and manners may after folowe Which if the baptised wil kepe and obserue he shal doe it with profit If not but retaining the Christian faith without the which he shuld perish euerlastingly he perseuer in al wicked and sinneful liuing yet shall he be saued as by fier euen as he whiche vpon the foundation which is Christe buildeth not golde 1. Cor. 3. siluer or pretiouse stones but wood haie and stooble that is to saie not iust and chaste conuersation but wicked and vncleane The cause of this their imagination and opinion is that that they see such are not admitted to baptisme who being menne and putting awaie their wiues marrie others Or being wemen and forsaking their husbandes marrie others And that bicause our Lord Christ doth testifie these to be without al doubt adulteries and not marriages For these men when they could not denie that to be adulterie Matt. 5. which the truth it selfe doth without al question pronounce and confirme to be adultery and yet had a desire to helpe them to the receiuing of baptisme whom they sawe so intangled in that snare that if they were not admitted to Baptisme thei had rather liue yea and die to without any Sacrament at al then to be deliuered of that snare with breaking their bond of adulterie they were moued with a certaine humaine pittie and compassion so to consider of their cause that they thought meete to admitte vnto baptisme not them onely but also all maner of lewde and shameful liuers though they were neyther rebuked with any prohibition nor corrected with instruction nor amended by any penaunce as thinking except that were done they should perish euerlastingly but if it were done though they stil continewed in those euils yet should they be saued through fier That the Church indureth the Commixtion of euil persons togeather with the good and yet doth not omitte the seueritie of discipline THE SECOND CHAPTER TO whiche sorte of men for answere first this I say Let no man so take those testimonies of Scriptures which either declare a commixtion of bothe good and euill in the Church presently or foretell it to come assuredly let no manne I saie being not taught by those Scriptures but deceiued by his owne opinion so take them as to thinke therefore either seueritie of discipline or diligence in noting and punishing of vice is to be omitted or taken awaie Num. 23. For al be it Moyses the seruaunt of God most paciently suffered that commixtion in the first people yet so was it that he punished also diuers with the sworde And Phinees the Priest did with the reuenging sworde thrust through both the adulterers being found together Degradations Which thing verely was signified should be also done by degradations and excommunications in this time when in the discipline of the Churche the visible sworde should cease Neither the blessed Apostle 2. Cor. 11. Ad Phil. 1 albeit he moste paciently lamented emongest false brethren 1. Cor. 1. yea and suffered some being driuen forwarde with diuelish prickes of enuie to preache Christe did yet thinke meete to spare him which toke his Fathers wife whome he commaunded the Churche being assembled to be geauen ouer to the Diuell 1. Tim. 1. into the destruction of his bodie that his sowle might be saued in the daie of our Lorde Iesu Christe or did him selfe therefore lette to deliuer vppe others to Sathan 1. Cor. 5. that they should learne not to blaspheme Neither did he in vaine saie I haue written to you in mine Epistle that you shoulde not keepe companie with fornicators I meane not with fornicators of this worlde or couetouse persons or extorcioners or suche as serue Idolles for then you should haue gone out of this worlde but nowe I haue written to you not to keepe companie with any suche of your brethren as is knowen and named to be a fornicator a seruer of idolles a couetouse man a slaunderour a dronkerd or an extorcioner no not so muche as to take meate with suche for as of them which be without howe can I iudge But of them whiche be within doe not your selues iudge Of them whiche be without God shall iudge Take awaie the euill from emong your selues Whiche wordes from emong your selues some doe vnderstande that eche man should take awaie and remoue the euil out of him selfe that is to saie that he him selfe should be good But how so euer it be vnderstanded eyther that lewd persons should by seueritie of the Church be rebuked and throwen out by excommunications or els that euery man by taking vp and correcting him selfe should remoue the
it then shall he be reputed an vnlawfull possessour and then is he rightly called a wrong dealer God forbid therefore that by compassion not humaine but vaine we should so sorrow when wickednesse is corrected as though Marriages were broken Namely in our Lorde his Cittie in his holie hill Matrimonie a Sacrament that is the Church where not onely the bond of Marriage but the Sacrament thereof is so commended that it is not lawfull so muche as to the husbande him selfe to graunt his wife vnto an other man. Which thing yet in the Romain common welth it is saied Cato did not onely without blame but also commendably But I neede not dispute any farther in this pointe sith they them selues to whome nowe I answeare dare not affirme that this is no sinne nor yet deny it to be adultery lest they should be conuinced manifestly to gainesaie our Lorde him selfe and his holie Ghospell But whereas they are of opinion that such shoulde be first admitted to the Sacramente of Baptisme and to our Lordes Table although with open mowth they refuse correction yea rather that no admonishmente shoulde at all be geuen them of this faulte but that afterwarde they shoulde be taught that if they will take vppon them to keepe the commaundementes and to amende their faulte they shoulde be accompted emong the good corne but if they contemne the same they shoulde be tolerated emong the cockell in this saying they shewe plainely inough that they doe neither defende these crimes neyther yet esteeme them as lighte or no crimes For what Christian manne is there of any towardnesse that will esteme adulterie as a small or as no crime Notwithstanding they perswade them selues that the manner and order how these faultes and crimes in others may eyther be corrected or tolerated they haue founde out in the holie Scriptures when they saie thus did the Apostles bringing foorth for that purpose out of their writinges some testimonies where they finde that the Apostles firste taught the Doctrine of Faith and afterwarde deliuered the preceptes of manners Wherevpon they gather and inferre that onely the rule of faith must be shewed and opened to them which come to receiue Baptisme but the preceptes of good lyfe must be geuen after Baptisme As though they read some of the Apostles Epistles disputing of onely Faith written to suche as were not yet baptised and some other Epistles disputing of good lyfe written to suche as were alreadie baptised But nowe whereas it is well knowen that the Apostles wrote their Epistles onely to Christians already baptised why yet doe their Epistles then conteine bothe these preceptes I meane preceptes towching faith and preceptes towching good lyfe But wherefore shoulde they not so doe Thinke these men trowe wee that to suche as come to be baptised we ought not to geaue bothe and to suche as are baptised we must geaue bothe Whiche if they thinke absurdly spoken then lette them confesse that the Apostles in their Epistles gaue their doctrine perfecte of bothe those pointes but therefore to haue most commonly begunne with Faith and then to haue folowed with that whiche apperteineth to good lyfe bicause that in man him selfe onlesse faith goe before good lyfe can not followe For what so euer man seemeth to doe as well onelesse it be referred to pietie which is to God it must not be called a good woorke Nowe if some foolishe and vnskilful personnes would thinke the Epistles of the Apostles to haue benne written to Cathecumenes and suche as are not yet baptised truly then must they withall confesse that preceptes of good manners agreable with faith are togeather with the rules of faith to be opened and taught vnto suche are as not yet baptised Onlesse perhappes by this their disputation and reasoning they will haue vs to saie that the former partes of the Apostles Epistles wherein they spake of faith were to be readde of the Cathecumenes and the latter partes wherein preceptes are geauen howe Christians shoulde liue to be readde of the faithfull Whiche is to fonde a thinge to be spoken of Theyr Doctrine therefore hathe no proufe out of the Apostles Epistles nor argument to perswade vs to thinke that those which are to be baptised shoulde be instructed in faith onely and those that be baptised instructed in good life by reason that in the former partes of their Epistles they commended faith and after consequently exhorted the faithfull to liue well For although that be in the first place and this in the later place yet are bothe by one vndiuided maner of speache most often to be taught bothe to the Cathecumenes both to the faithfull bothe to them that are to be baptised and bothe to them that are alreadie baptised To the one that they may learne to the other that they forgette not what they haue learned To the one that they may professe to the other that they may continewe in moste holsesome and sounde doctrine To the Epistles then of Peter and of Iohn out of the whiche they bring certaine testimonies lette them adde both the Epistles of S. Paule and of al the other Apostles and vnderstande them all so to be written as that they would haue first faith and then manners to be ioyntly spoken of And this to be their meaning I haue if I be not deceiued euidently declared vnto you That it behoueth men not onely to knowe but also to leade a good lyfe before they come to receiue Baptisme THE VIII CHAPTER An Obiection BVT in the Actes of the Apostles saie they Peter spake in suche sorte to the three thowsandes whiche hearing his woorde were in one daie baptised as that it may appeare he preached vnto them onely the faith whereby they should beleeue in Christ For when these men had said vnto Peter What shall we doe Actor 2. He answered them Doe ye penance and be ye baptised euery one of you in the name of our Lorde Iesu Christ into the remission of sinnes and ye shall receiue the gift of the holy Ghost Ansvvere But howe then is it that they doe not marke these woordes Doe ye penance For therein is expressed a throwing away of the olde life that they which be baptised may put on a newe But to whome is that penance whiche is done from dead woorkes fruitful and auaileable if he perseuer in adulterie and other wickednesse wherein the loue of this worlde is wrapped But he meant saie they that they shoulde onely doe penance for their infidelitie An obiection bicause they beleued not in Christe Ansvvere A marueilouse presumption I wil not terme it nowe more grieuousely that hearing it saied Ephes 4. Doe ye penance they will thinke the onely actes of infidelitie are spoken of sith that in the Doctrine of the Ghospell it is plainely taught that the olde lyfe must quite be changed into a newe In whiche place also and euen in the same sentence the Apostle saieth Let him that did steale
the Scriptures Nowe if they will say that this point of Christes Resurrection is contayned in the Doctrine of of Christe crucified then let them also knowe that in Christe crucified men doo in deede learne many other thinges Rom. 6. Namely this also that our olde man is crucified with Christe that the body of sinne be brought to naught and that we be no longer slaues vnto sinne Galat. 6. And therefore thus saith he of him selfe but God forbid I should glory but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesu Christe thorough whome the worlde is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde Hovv vve learne Christ crucified Let them then marke and consider howe Christ crucified is taught and learned and let them vnderstande that this is one pointe of our lesson when wee learne Christe crucified that we in his bodie be crucified vnto the worlde In whiche phrase is vnderstanded all manner brideling of our euil concupiscences Hereof it foloweth that to such as haue learned Christe crucified open aduouteries can in no wise be permitted For the Apostle Peter doth also admonishe vs of the Mysterie of Christes Crosse that is of his Passion that they whiche are consecrated therewith should cease to sinne saying thus 1. Pet. 4. Christe therefore hauing suffered in the fleshe arme ye also your selues with the same minde for hee whiche is deade in the fleshe hath ceased to sinne that he may nowe liue the rest of his tyme in the fleshe not after the lustes of menne but after the will of God c. And so forthe Where consequently he sheweth that he truly appertayneth to Christe crucified that is to saye hath suffered in his fleshe who beyng crucified in his bodye to all carnall lustes lyueth well according to the Ghospell But what a thinge is this Obiection that they thinke also those twoo commaundementes whereon oure Lorde saieth that all the lawe and the Prophetes doo depende Math. 22. doo confirme this their opinion reasoning thus God vttered firste this commaundement Deuter. 6. Thowe shalt loue thy Lorde God with all thy harte with all thy sowle and with all thy minde Leuit. 19. And after thys he vttered the seconde lyke vnto this Thowe shalt loue thy neyghhour as thy selfe Ergo the firste perteyneth to hym that is to be baptised where the loue of God is commaunded and the seconde perteineth to them that are already baptised where the order of conuersation with menne seemeth to be taught Ansvvere 1. Ioan. 4. For here they forgette cleane that which ys other where written If thow looue not thy brother whome thowe seeste howe canste thow looue God whome thowe seeste not And an other sayinge also in the same Epistle of S. Iohn If a man looue the worlde the loue of the Father is not in him For whereunto belongeth all the wickednesse of euill life but vnto the looue of this worlde And hereof yt followeth that the firste commaundement whiche they thinke belongeth to them that are to be baptised can by no meanes be obserued without good woorkes I will not stande any longer herein For if wee marke well wee shall finde these twoo preceptes so to depende the one of the other that neyther the looue of God can be in man if he loue not his neighbour nor the loue of his neighbour if he loue not God. But to the matter nowe in hande this whiche we haue said of these twoo preceptes suffiseth VVhat is signified and meant by the comming of the Israelites out of Egypt THE XI CHAPTER An other Obiectiō Exod. 14. Exod. 20. Ansvver BVT the people of Israell say they was firste ledde through the red sea wherby baptisme is signified and afterward receaued the lawe wherein they shoulde learne how to liue If this example helpeth them then why do we deliuer so much as the Crede to such as are to be baptised and make them to rendre it vs againe For no such thing you wote was done to them when God through the red sea deliuered them from the Egyptians But againe if they wil haue this their opinion to be signified by the Mysteries that went before Exod. 12. as by the postes sprinckled with the sheeps bloode and by the sweet breade of sinceritie and truth why doo they not also consequently vnderstand that their departing from the Egyptians signifieth a departure from sinne which they that are to be baptised do professe For hereunto agreeth wel that which was said by S. Peter Act. 2. Do ye penance and be ye baptised euery one of you in the name of our Lord Iesu Christ as though he should say Depart ye from Egypt and passe through the red sea And therefore in the Epistle writen to the Hebrues when mention is made of the firste beginning and rudimentes of them which are baptised there is plainely expressed repentaunce from dead workes For thus he saieth Hebr. 6. Wherfore letting passe the beginninges and rudimentes whereby wee were entred into the knowledge of Christe let vs looke and haue regard to the ende and consummation not laying againe the foundation of penaunce from dead workes and of the Faith whiche wee ought to haue in God the doctrine of the water of regeneration of the imposition of handes of resurrection of the dead and of the last and eternall Iudgement All whiche thinges the Scripture there doth sufficiently and clerely witnesse to apperteine to the entrie of the nouices in the faithe But what other thing is penance from dead woorkes then a renouncing of such thinges whiche must be mortified in vs that wee maie liue Of whiche kinde if adulteries and fornication be not what is to be named emong dead woorkes But yet the profession of renouncing suche workes doth not so suffice except also al sinnes past which doo as it were followe and pursue vs be taken awaie and destroied by the foont of regeneration no more then it suffised the Israelites to departe from Egypt except the multitude of ennemies whiche followed them had perished in the same waues of the sea which opened them selues to the passage and deliuerie of Gods people He therefore that professeth he will not forsake his adulterie how may he be ledde through the redde see when he yet refuseth to departe out of Egypte Againe they doo not marke that in that Lawe which after the passing of the redde sea was geauen vnto that people the first commaundement is Thou shalt haue none other Goddes but me thou shalt not make to thy selfe any Idolles Exod. 20. nor the leeknesse of any thinges whiche are in heauen aboue or in the earth beneth or in the water or vnder the earth thow shalt not adore nor serue them with the rest pertaining to that commaundement Let these men then affirme if it leeke them against their owne assertion that euen the woorshipping of one God and fleeing of Idolatry is not to be preached to them which are yet to be baptised but to
them which are all ready baptised and so let them no more saie that to them whiche are to receiue Baptisme the faith onely which is to be had in God is to be preached and after the receiuing of that Sacrament they are to be instructed of good life as of a second precepte teaching that whiche belongeth to the looue of their neighbour For the lawe whiche the people receiued after the passage of the read sea as it were after Baptisme conteineth bothe Neither was the distribution of the commaundementes so made that before the passing of the readde sea the people was taught to beware of Idolatrie and after they were passed were taught that their Father and Moother were to be honored that they should not committe adulterie not kill and suche leeke orders of a good and innocent conuersation emong men That suche as will not change and amende their wicked life are not to be receiued to Baptisme THE XII CHAPTER IF therefore any man so come to the requiring of holy Baptisme that he professe he will not departe from the sacrifices of Idols except it be perchaunce after when he list him selfe and yet doth presently requier Baptisme and earnestly praie that he maie be made the temple of the liuing God being not onely an Idolater but also a continuer in most wicked sacrilege I aske of those menne whither they woulde thinke him so muche as to be allowed for a Cathecumene No doubt they will crie he ought not For we can not iudge otherwise of their meaning Let them therefore render a reason by the testimonie of the Scriptures whiche they thinke so to be vnderstanded howe they dare repell any from receiuing Baptisme whiche will protest and saie thus I haue learned and I woorshippe Christe Crucified I beleeue Iesu Christe to be the Sonne of God Differre me no longer Acto 8. Requier no more of me The Apostle woulde not them whome he did begette through the Ghospell to knowe any thing els for that time but Christe Crucified And Philippe after that the Eunuche had pronounced that he beleeued Iesus Christe to be the Sonne of God did not delaie the baptising of him Why then doo you forbidde me the woorshipping of Idols And why refuse you to admitte me to the Sacrament of Christe except I doo first departe from Idols I haue learned to worshippe Idols from my childhood I am rooted in it by a longe custome I will leaue then when I am able and when it shall be conuenient but though I doo not let me not yet ende my life without the Sacrament of Christe lest perhappes God aske my soule at their handes What thinke we woulde they answere to suche a man. Would they haue him admitted God forbidde I doo not beleeue them to be so farre gonne What then will they answer to him that shall so saie Yea and that shal adde farther that nothing ought to be saied vnto him at the least before baptisme of forsaking Idolatry no more then that former people heard thereof before their passage through the redde sea bicause the lawe whiche they receiued after their deliuery out of Egypte taught them that Truly they would saie to that man Thou shalt become the temple of God when thou hast receiued Baptisme But the Apostle saieth 2. Cor. 6. what hath the temple of God to doo with Idolles But why then doo they not see that it is leekewise to be saied Thou shalt become the member of Christe when thou hast receiued Baptisme The members of Christ can not be the members of an harlot For thus saieth the Apostle also in an other place 1. Cor. 6. Erre not for neither fornicators nor seruers of Idolls nor diuers others which he there reckeneth vp shall inherite the kingdome of heauen How then is it that wee exclude from baptisme Idolaters and thinke meete to admit fornicators When both to these and to other euil liuers the Apostle saieth And truely suche haue you bene but now you are wasshed sanctified and iustified in the name of our Lord Iesu Christ and in the spirite of our God What is then the cause that when it appeareth wee haue power to repell both sortes yet I permit the fornicatour cōming to baptisme to remaine in his lewdnes and doo not permitte the Idolater Especially when I heare it spoken both to the one and to the other this haue you been but nowe are you wasshed But the grounde of these mens errour is that they thinke all such which beleue in Christe The errour vvhich S. augustin in this vvorke cōfuteth and haue receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme are sure to be saued but yet through fire though they be so negligent in correcting their manners that they liue extreme wickedly Whereof I shall by and by see by Gods helpe what is to be thought and iudged according to the Scriptures VVoorkes of faith should go before Baptisme THE XIII CHAPTER BVT as yet I will stande a while vpon this question wherein they holde that such as are baptized should be instructed in good life and suche as come to be baptized onely to be instructed in the faith Which if it were so besides so many thinges which we haue saied already Iohn Baptist woulde not haue saied to them that came to his baptisme Generation of Vipers Matt. 3. who shewed you to flie from the wrathe to come Doo ye therefore woorthy frute of penaunce c. In whiche words he warneth them not of faith but of good workes In like manner to the souldiars saying what shall we doo He said not beleeue first and be baptised and afterward ye shal know what you must doo Luca. 3. but he foretolde them and forewarned them that in dede like a forerunner he might prepare and cleanse their life against our Lordes comming into their harte saying Vexe no man sclaunder no man content your selues with your wages Likewise to the Publicans asking what they should doo exact saith he no more then that which is appointed to you Th'euangelist thus briefly reporting these thinges for he needed not at large to put in the whole Catechismes gaue sufficiently to vnderstande The holy Scripture reporteth not all thinges that it apperteineth to his dutie who instructeth the person to be baptised to teache him and instruct him in good life Now in case these men had aunswered Iohn flatly wee wil not doo worthy frutes of penance wee will slaunder we will vexe we will exact those thinges which are not dewe vnto vs and yet notwithstanding after this their protestation Iohn had baptised them yet could it not therfore be said in this matter whereof now our question is that when a man cometh to be baptised he should not be instructed to leade a good life But to passe ouer other thinges let them remember and marke what our Lord him selfe answered when the riche man asked of him what good he might doo to attaine the life euerlasting Matt. 19. if thou wilt
ye ware lest being seduced into the errours of suche as be false ye fall from your strength But increase in grace and the vnderstanding of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesu Christ to him be glory both nowe and for euer Iames. 2. But Iames is vehemently offended against them which conceiue faith to be of value vnto saluation without woorkes in so much that he compareth them euen with diuelles saying Thou beleuest that there is one God Thou doest well and the diuelles also beleue so and tremble thereat Marc. 1. Matt. 16. What could be saied more truely more briefly and more vehemently Verely we reade in the Ghospel that the diuelles said no lesse confessing Christ to be the sonne of God whiche saying yet in them was rebuked though in Peter praised and commended Iac. 2. Note What shall it profitte you my brethern saith Iames if a man say he haue faith but haue not workes can faith saue him He saith also in the same place that faith without workes is dead Howe farre then are they deceiued that by a dead faith promise vnto them selues euerlasting life Faith and good workes together are required for the attaining of saluation THE XV. CHAPTER WHERFORE we must diligently consider how that sentence of the Apostle Paul which in dede is hard to be vnderstande ought truely to be taken where he saieth 1. Cor. 3. for other foundation can no man lay but that which is laid which is Christ Iesu But if a man build vppon the foundation gold siluer precious stones blockes hay and stubble euery mans woorke shal be shewed for the day of our Lord shal declare it bicause it shal be reuealed in fier and the fier shall trie what euery mans woorke is Yf the woorke that any man hath builded thereon do tarry it shall receiue rewarde but if any man his woorkes doo burne it shall receiue hurt but him selfe shal be saued so yet as by fier Which wordes of the Apostle some do so expounde that they be said to build vppon this foundation golde siluer and precious stones who doo adde good workes vnto the saith which is in Iesu Christ and they to builde hay blockes and stubble who hauing the same faith doo euill woorkes Whereupon they thinke that through certaine paines of fier these later kinde of menne may be purged and made meete to receiue saluation through the merite of the foundation whereupon they build If this opinion be true then we graunt that these men vpon a charitable cōsideration do labour that al persons should without difference be admitted to baptisme not only men and wemen that be adulterers pretending false mariages against Gods ordinance but also common harlottes persisting in their most filthy profession whom surely no Church how meanely so euer it were gouerned hath vsed to admitte onlesse they first forsoke that shamelesse prostitution of them selues But by this their opinion why they should not absolutely be admitted I see not For who had not rather that suche as laying first the foundation though they heape thereon blockes hay and stubble should not though with somewhat the longer fire be purged then to perish euerlastingly But then should those textes be false which are cleere and haue in them selues no darcknes or ambiguitie at all If I haue all faith so as I may remoue mountaines 1. Cor. 13. and yet haue no charitie Iac. 2. I am nothing And what shall it auaile my brethern if a man say he haue faith and yet haue no workes can his faith saue him That also shal be false where it is said Be not deceiued 1. Cor. 6. for neither fornicators Idolaters Adulterers effeminate persons offenders against kind nor theues couetous persons Dronckards sclaunderers or extorcioners shal inherite the kingdome of heauen Gala. 5. Then also is that false Manifest are the workes of the fleshe which are fornications vncleanes lechery idolatry witchcraft enmite contentions emulations stomaking dissension heresie enuie dronckennes glottonie and suche like which I foretell you euen as I haue done heretofore that they which doo suche thinges shall not possesse the kingdome of heauen These places I saie by their opinion shal be all false For if they onely beleeue and be baptised though they perseuer in suche euils they shal be yet saued thorough fier say they And so they that are baptised in Christ yea though they doo such thinges shal possesse the kingdome of heauen which S. 1. Cor. 6. Paul denieth Againe in vaine is it said such haue you bene but you are now whasshed if they that be wasshed and baptized remaine yet such In vaine also may that seeme to be spoken by Peter 1. Pet. 3. Euen so in like manner doth baptisme saue you not the laying down of the filth of the flesh but the testimony of a good conscience For by them Baptisme saueth euen those which haue the worst consciences and ful of al wickednes and iniquitie yea though they be not chaunged by any penaunce from those euils For thorough the foundation which in the same Baptisme is laied they shall be saued saie they though it be by fier Neither doo I see to what purpose Christe saied If thou wilt come to life keepe the commaundementes Matth. 19 Nota. or why he taught those thinges that pertaine to good woorkes if without keeping them a man may come to life Iacob 2. by onely Faith which without woorkes is dead And how shal that be true that to them which he wil put on his left hand he shal saie Goe ye into euerlasting fier which is prepared for the diuel and his aungels where he blameth them Matth. 25 not bicause they did not beleue but bicause they did not good woorkes For truly lest any man should promise vnto him selfe eternal life by faith which without woorkes is dead therfore did he saie he would cal out and seperate all nations Nota. which being mingled together did feed as it were in one and the same pastour that it maie plainely appeare those they are that shall saie vnto him Lord when did wee see thee suffer suche and suche thinges and did not minister vnto the who beleeuing in him did not care to woorke good workes as though by their dead faith they shoulde come to euerlasting life But what Shall they trowe wee goe into euerlasting fier whiche leaue the woorkes of mercie vndone and shal not they go which haue taken awaie other mens goodes and haue ben vnmercifull againe them selues in corrupting within them selues the temple of God as though the workes of mercy did profitte any thing without Charitie considering that the Apostel saieth 1. Cor. 13. If I geue all my good vnto the poore and haue not Charitie it auaileth mee nothing Or may a man loue his neighbour as him selfe whiche doth not loue him selfe Psal 10. For he that loueth iniquitie hateth his owne soule Neither can that be saied here which some do saie and
so deceaue them selues that it is termed euerlasting fier but not euerlasting burning For they thinke that they to whome for their dead faith they promise saluation by fier should passe through a fier that shall be of it selfe euerlasting but that their burning that is the operation of the fier vppon them should not be euerlasting For this also our Lord forseeing Matt. 25. concluded thus So shall they goo into euerlasting burning but the Iust into euerlasting life Their burning therefore shall be euerlasting euen as the fier is and the truth it selfe saieth that they shall go into this fire in whom he hath shewed not faith but good woorkes to haue failed If therefore all these places and others innumerable whiche maie be founde spoken without any ambiguitie throughout al the Scriptures shal be false then maie that vnderstanding be trewe of blocks hey and stubble that they shal be saued through fier which holding onely faith in Christe haue neglected good workes But if these sayinges be true and clere then without doubt an other vnderstanding must be searched out in that sentence of the Apostle which maie iustly be placed emong those whiche Peter saied to be in his writinges harde to be perceiued which menne must not peruert to their owne distruction by assuring the wicked of saluation against these most manifest testimonies of the Scriptures namely where they doo most obstinately continue in their wickednes and be not tourned by amendement or penaunce VVhat faith it is that saueth a man and what it is to beleeue in Christe also the exposition of the place of S. Paule THE XVI CHAPTER HERE perhappes it maie be demaunded of me what I my selfe thinke of this saying of S. Paule the Apostle and how I thinke it to be vnderstanded I confesse I had rather heare in this pointe menne of more learning and vnderstanding that might so expounde and laie foorth the same that all those places of holy Scripture which I haue before alleaged might remaine true certaine and vndoubted and euen so of other textes also not by me rehersed whereby the Scripture dooth most euidently witnesse that no faith profiteth but only that whiche the Apostle defineth to wit that whiche woorketh through looue and Charitie Galat. 5. and that the same faith without woorkes can saue no man either without fier or by fier For if it maie saue by fier then yet it saueth but it is absolutely Iacob 2. and plainely saied what auaileth it a man to saie hee hath faith and yet wanteth woorkes can his faith saue him Yet will I saye as breefely as I canne what I my selfe thinke of this sentence of the Apostle whiche is hard in dede to be vnderstanded My former protestatiō alwaies reserued where I said I had rather heare and geue place to my betters 1. Cor. 3. Christ is the foundation in the woorke of the wise and circumspect builder This needeth no exposition For it is plainly saied Other foundation can no man laie besides that is laide which is Christ Iesu But if Christ be the foundation then without doubt the faith of Christ is the foundation Ephes 3. For Christ dwelleth in our hartes by faith as the same Apostle saith Now the faith of Christ is none other then that which the Apostle defineth to witte that whiche woorketh through looue and Charitie For the faith of the diuels wherwith they beleeue also yea and tremble and confesse Iesu Christ to be the Sonne of God can not be taken for the foundation Why so Bicause that is not a faith which woorketh through looue but is a faith wrested out by feare The faith therefore of Christe the faith of Christian grace that is to saie the faith which woorketh through charitie being laide in the foundation suffreth no man to perishe But now what it is to build vppon this foundation gold siluer precious stones and blockes hey and stubble if I shall labour exactly to expounde I feare least the verie exposition it selfe will become somewhat harde also to be vnderstanded Yet will I endeuour so farre as our Lord shall geeue me grace bothe breefely and as plainely as I can to open that I thinke Beholde he that sought to learne of the good Master and teacher what good he might doo to come to euerlasting life had this aunswer Matth. 19. if he would come vnto life he should keepe the commaundementes And when he asked further what commaundementes It was saied vnto him Exod. 20. Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not committe adulterie thou shalt not steale Thou shalt not geeue false witnesse Honour thy Father and Mother Looue thy neighbour as thy selfe To the ende that doing these thinges he might holde the faith of Christe that faith no doubt whiche worketh through loue For he could not loue his neighbour as him selfe excepte he had receyued the loue of God without the whiche he could not loue him selfe But if he would further doo that whiche our Lorde there added saying If thow wilt be perfit goe and sell all that thou haste and geaue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen come and followe mee then should he haue builded vppon that foundation golde 1. Cor. 7. siluer and pretiouse stones For he woulde not then haue thought but of those onely thinges that pertaine to God howe he mighte please God and these thoughtes to please God are as I thinke golde siluer and pretiouse stones But now if he had yet a certaine carnal affection and loue towarde his richesse though he gaue great almes thereof and neither woulde for the increase thereof attempt any fraude or extortion or for feare of diminishing or loosing them Take hede Reader least thou leese the foundation by louing to muche vvorldly thinges fall into any lewde or wicked doing for by so doing he shoulde quite leese the foundation it selfe but if for the carnall affection which as I saied before he bare to those goodes he could not without griefe and sorrow lacke them then shoulde this man builde vpon that foundation heie blockes and stubble Especially if he had also a wyfe and vsed her in suche sorte that he would for her sake thinke the more earnestly of those thinges which appertaine to the worlde and howe he might please her Seing then that these goodes loued with a carnal affection are not loste without sorrowe for that cause they whiche so haue and possesse them as long as they keepe in the foundation that faith whiche worketh thorough Charitie and doo not by any meanes or couetousnes preferre those worldly pleasures before the looue of God doo by susteyning hinderaunce in the losse of them attayne yet by a certayne fyer of sorrowe vnto saluation From whiche sorrowe and losse a man is so muche the more safe and sure by howe muche the lesse he hath looued those thinges and enioyed them in suche sorte as though he had not had them But he that eyther for the
keeping or for the getting of wordely riches committeth murther adulterie fornication Idololatrie and suche lyke shall not bycause of the foundation be saued through fyer but loosing quyte the foundation shal be tormented with euerlasting fyer Wherefore that also whiche they alleage out of the Apostle thinking to proue thereby that only faith profitteth where he saieth 1. Cor. 7. If the infidell partye departe let him or her departe for a broother or a sister is not in suche thinges subiect vnto bondage The duty to God is to be preferred before the bonde of vvedlocke that is to say that for the fayth of Christe euen the very wife coupled in lawfull Matrimonie should without fault be forsaken yf she will not tarry with a Christian man onely for this cause bicause he is a Christian they marke not withal that by the same saying of the Apostle shee may very wel and lawfully be dismissed and put away yf shee say vnto her husband I will not be thy wyfe onlesse thou heape riches vnto me by theft or except thou nowe thou art a Christian man vse thy accustomed robberies wherewith thou diddest furnish our house or any other kinde of lewdnesse or wickednesse that her husband before had vsed wherewith shee being delighted did either satisfie her lust or get her liuing easely or goe the more gaily apparelled For then he to whom his wyfe shal thus saye if he haue truely done penaunce from deade workes at his comming vnto Baptisme and haue in his foundation faithe whiche woorketh through looue without doubt he shal haue more regard to the looue of the grace of God then to the voluptuousnes of the fleshe Gal. 5. and will strongly cut awaye the member that doth offende him and what soeuer sorrowe of his harte he doo by carnall affection to his wyfe indure by suche separation that lo is all the hurt that he shall suffer that sorrowe is the fyer by the whiche his heie being burned he shall be saued But yf he so enioyed his wife as that he kepte her not for concupiscence but for charitie and pitie to see yf perhaps in time he might winne her to the faith yelding rather then requyring the duty of wedlocke truly he shal not be carnally sorry when he is separated from such mariage For why he did not though married purpose any other thing then godly 1. Cor. 7. and howe he might please God. Math. 5. And by this meanes looke howe muche the more he buylded by such godly purposes gold siluer and pretious stones so much the lesse losse should he susteyne and so muche the lesse coulde his buylding whiche was not nowe of heie but of substantiall golde and siluer be burned with any fyer And thus whether men do suffer such thinges in this lyfe only or that after this lyfe some such Iudgementes do followe the saying of S. Paule thus expounded doth not I trowe vary from reason or truth How be it if there be any other good exposition thereof that my happe is not to chose or to light on yet so long as we holde this we are not forced absurdely to saie vnto vniust personnes 1. Tim. 1. rebelles traitours the lewde and defiled killers of their fathers or mothers murtherers fornicatours offenders againste kinde theeues bribers lyers periured personnes or suche like whiche are contrary to the sownde doctrine whiche is according to the Gospel of the glory of the blessed God if ye do no more but beleue in Christ and take the Sacrament of his Baptisme though ye doe not forsake your moste wicked lyfe yet shall ye be saued Neither can herein the woman of Chananee prescribe against vs because our Lorde gaue her at the firste that shee asked Mat. 15. when he had saied before It is not good to take the breade of children and geaue it vnto dogges For he being the searcher of the heart sawe her chaunged within whome he praised by worde of mouthe And therefore he saide not O dogge great is thy faith but O woman Mat. 15. great is thy faith He chaunged his terme bycause he sawe the affection chaunged in her and knewe that of suche his rebuking of her was growen good fruite But it were in deede to be maruailed at if he had praised in her Iac. 2. faith without good workes that is to saie a dead faith and not suche a faith as might woorke through loue which S. Iames was not afraied to call a faith not of Christians but of Diuelles Finally if they will not vnderstande this woman of Chananee to haue chaunged in her heart her wicked woorkes and manners when Christe by contempt and reproche rebuked her then whome so euer they shall finde onely to beleeue and yet not onely not to hide their wicked life but freely to professe it and neuer meane to chaunge it let them on Gods name heale their children if they can as the daughter of that woman of Chananee was healed but let them not make them members of Christ which wil not forbeare to be the members of an harlotte In dede they doe not amisse vnderstande that he doth sinne against the holy Ghost and is without pardon giltie of eternall sinne whiche till the very ende of his life wil not beleue in Christe But this were true if they rightly vnderstoode what it were to beleeue in Christe For it is not to haue the faith of Diuelles which is rightly called a dead faith but to haue that faith which worketh through loue and charitie Suche as obstinately continue in lewde and vngodly life should be put backe from Baptisme and what it is to hide our Lord his money THE XVII CHAPTER WHICH thinges being so when we dooe not admitte suche vnto Baptisme we goe not about to pul vppe the cockle before the time but we are lothe to goe farther and sowe cockle as the Diuell dothe Neither doe we lette or kepe of him that is willing to come vnto Christe but by their owne profession we conuince them that they haue no will to come vnto Christ Neither doe we forbid them to beleue in Christ but we plainely shewe that they will not beleue Christe who doe either saie that it is not adulterie which he saith is adulterie or els doe beleeue that adulterers may be his members who as he teacheth vs by his Apostle shall not inherite the kingdome of heauen but are enemies to the sownde doctrine Gallat 5. 1. Tim. 1. which is according to the Gospell of the glory of the holy God. And therefore these men are not to be accompted emong them Luc. 4. which came vnto the marriage feast but emong them that woulde not come For when they dare moste openly gainesaie the very Doctrine of Christe and contrary the holy Gospel they are not repelled when they come but them selues refuse to come But as for them who renounce the worlde at the the least in woordes though not in deedes they come and
in Christe but also in that they killed Christ of which two crimes the one grew of infidelitie the other of crueltie As that therefore is contrary to right faith so this is repugnant to good life But he is voide of both these faults Iacob 2. Galat. 5. Luca. 17. which hath faith in Christ not a dead faith without woorkes which is also found in the diuels but the faith of Grace whiche woorketh through loue This is the faith whereof it is said The kingdome of heauen is within you For this do they breake into which doe violence by beleuing and obtaining by praier the Spirit of Charite Rom. 13. in the which the fulnes of the law consisteth and without the which the law in the letter made them gilty euen of the transgressiō and breach thereof It is not therfore to be thought Math. 11. that for this cause it was saied the kingdome of the heauens suffreth violence and they which do the violence breake in to it for that euen lewde parsons onely by beleeuing and yet lyuing wickedly do come into the kingdome of heauen but bycause that the same gilte of transgression whiche the onely lawe that is the letter without the spirit made by commanding is by beleeuing loosed and by force of faith the holy Ghost is obtained Rom. 5. by whome Charity being powred into our hartes the law is fulfilled not for feare of paine but for loue of Iustice VVhat it is to know God and that it is not sufficient for saluation to haue faith onely without good workes THE XXII CHAPTER LET not therefore a rechelesse mind be deceiued in thinking it selfe to knowe God if he with a dead faith that is without good woorkes doo after the manner of diuels confesse God. Let no man thinke him selfe vpon only faith in Christ assured to come vnto euerlasting life bicause our lord saieth this is life euerlasting Iohn 21. that they may know the one true God and Iesu Christ whom thou hast sent For he must also call to remembrance that it is writen In this we knowe him 1. Iohn 2. if wee keepe his commaundementes who saith that he knoweth him and keepeth not his cōmaundementes he is a lier and truth is not in him And least any man should thinke that Gods commaundementes appertained to onely faith allthough yet no man hath presumed so to saie cheefly bicause him selfe named commaundementes in the plural number and lest by that number men should imagine and thinke of many mo he comprehended them all in two saying Math. 22. In those two dependeth the whole lawe and the Prophetes and although it might in soome sense rightly be saied the commaundementes of God are included in only faith Galat. 5. if not a dead faith be vnderstanded but a quicke whiche woorketh thorough looue 1. Iohn 3. yet S. Iohn him selfe afterwarde opened his whole meaning when he saieth This is his commaundement that we beleue in the name of his Sonne Iesu Christ and looue one an other This therfore profiteth to beleeue in God with a right faith to honour God to know God to th entent that both wee maie haue helpe from him to liue wel and if wee sinne wee maie deserue of him indulgence and pardon Psal 40. not continuing recklesse in euill woorkes which he hateth but departing from them and saying vnto him I haue saied Lord haue mercy on me heale my sowle bicause I haue sinned against thee which they can not saie vnto him that doo not beleeue him and in vaine doo suche saie it who being so farre from him are vtterly straungers to the grace of the mediatour Sapien. 15. Hereof also be those woordes in the booke of wisedoome whiche I knowe not how these mens pernicious securitie doth interpret And if we sinne yet be we thine For how is this true Forsothe bicause wee haue a good and a great God whiche will and can heale the sinnes of the penitent but not suche a one as feareth to destroie them that remaine in their wickednes Therefore the same Writer when he had saied wee be thine he added knowing thy power verely suche a power as the sinner can neither withdraw nor hide him selfe from And therfore following he addeth further but wee haue not sinned knowing that wee be deputed to be thine For who worthely thinking of the habitation that is with God wherin by predestination all be deputed whiche are called according to his purpose will not labour so to liue as maie be aunswerable and sitting to suche an habitation That therefore which S. Iohn saith These thinges haue I written vnto you to the end ye sinne not and if any haue sinned we haue an aduocate with the father Ihesu Christe the righteous and he is the intercession for our sinnes He saith not to the end wee should sinne with securitie and carelesnesse but that deparing from suche sinne as we haue committed we should not dispaire of pardon hauing that aduocate which the Infidels haue not That by this word Iudgement in the holy scripture is meant eternall damnation not any easier paine or punnishment THE XXIII CHAPTER THERE is not therefore any such fauorable condition promised by these places alleaged that men beleeuing in God may remaine therefore in their euill workes And much lesse of those wordes where the Apostle saith they which haue sinned without lawe Rom. 2. shall perish without lawe but they which sinned in the law shall be iudged by the lawe as though in this place there were some difference betwene perishing and being Iudged For here by diuerse wordes one and the selfe same thing is signified For the scriptures vse to putte Iudgement euen for eternall damnation Iob. 5. as in the Ghospell our Lorde saith The houre shall come wherein all they which are in their graues shall heare his voice and they which haue donne well shall come forth to the resurrection of life but they which haue donne euill to the resurrection of Iudgment And marke that it is not saied there this for them which haue beleeued and that for them which haue not beleued but this shal they haue which haue donne wel and that Gal. 5. they which haue donne euill For good life can not be parted from faith which worketh thorough loue Nay rather that faith is good life it selfe We see therefore that oure Lorde vsed this woorde resurrection of Iudgement for resurrection of eternal damnation For of all them that were to rise againe in which number no doubt were also those which beleeue not at all for they also were in their graues he made but two partes wherof the one he declared should arise into resurrection of life and the other into resurrection of Iudgement Now if they will say that those are not meant there which beleeue not at al but those which shal be saued by fier bicause they beleeued although they liued ill thinking thereby that by the name of Iudgement
penaunce for their vncleannes and fornication whiche they haue committed Crimes mortal but not infamous Againe if there were not certaine sinnes whiche need not to be healed by suche humilitie of penaunce as is geeuen in the Church to them which are properly called Penitentes but by some other medicines of rebuking by woordes our Lorde woulde not saie Tell him his fault betwene him and thee alone if he harken to the Matt. 18. Venial sinnes then thou hast wonne thy broother Finally if there were not some faultes without the whiche this life is not lead he woulde not haue geuen vs a daily remedy in the praier which him selfe taught wherin he willed vs to saie forgeue vs our trespasses as we forgeue them that trespase against vs. Matt. 6. The Conclusion with a learned recitall of all that hath beene saied before THE XXVII CHAPTER NOW haue I sufficiently laide foorthe I suppose what I thinke of that whole opiniō wherein three questions haue risen One of the mingling in the church of good and euil as of wheat and cockle Wherein wee must take heede that wee thinke not these parables and similitudes propounded to that ende whether it be that of the vncleane beastes within the Arke or what so euer suche lyke which signifie the same that Ecclesiasticall discipline should therefore sleepe whereof it was saied in the figure of that wooman Prouer. 2. Seuere are the conuersations of her house but that vnaduised and rash temeritie rather then diligent seueritie should not so farre proceed that it presume as it were to seperate the good from the euil by wicked schismes For neither by these similitudes parables and foreshewinges is there geeuen to the good any counsel of slouth or slacknes wherby they should neglect that which they ought to forbid but of pacience wherby preseruing alwaie the doctrine of truth they may suffer and beare that whiche they can not amende Nor yet bicause it is written that there entred also vncleane beastes into the Arke to Noe Genes 7. therfore the Prelates shoulde not forbid and stay if any most lewde and vncleane persons will presume to enter to Baptisme as light dawncers which were verely lesse yll then filthy adulterers But by this figure of a thing done it was foreshewed that vncleane persons should be in the church by meane of toleration not by corruption of doctrine or dissolute breaking of discipline and good order For the vncleane beastes came not in where and of whiche side them listed the fast frame of the Arke being in any part broken or sundered but the same being whole and sound they entred all at one onely doore which the woorkman had made An other question is vppon that it seemed good vnto them that only faith shoulde be preached to them that were to be Baptised and that after Baptisme they should be taught of woorkes and manners But if I be not deceiued it hath beene sufficiently shewed that it dooth then chiefly appertaine to the care and dewty of the ouerseer when all they whiche desire together the Sacrament of the faithfull doo most intentiuely and carefully harken to all that is saied then expressely and plainely to open the paine which our Lord threateneth to them that liue yll least they become gilty of most greuous crimes euen in the Baptisme it selfe whervnto they come to haue the gilt of all their former sinnes remitted The third question is the most daungerous of al. Of the whiche being slenderly considered and not handled according to the woorde of God is rysen as to me seemeth all that other foule opinion wherin there is promised to suche as lyue most lewdely and shamefully yea though they continue in suche liuing if they onely beleeue in Christe and receaue his Sacramentes that they shall come to eternall life and saluation Whiche doctrine is against the most manifest saying of our Lorde who to him that desired eternall life Matt. 19. aunswered If thou wilt come vnto life keepe the cōmaundementes and shewed farder what commaundementes such truly wherin those sinnes are forbidden wherevnto eternall life is nowe I know not howe promised thorough faith Iacob 2. which without woorkes is dead Of these three questions I haue as I thinke sufficiently disputed and haue shewed that the euill are so to be tolerated in the Churche that Ecclesiasticall Discipline be not neglected That they whiche desire Baptisme are so to be instructed that they may not onely heare and take vppon them what they should beleeue but also howe they shoulde lyue That eternall lyfe is so promised to the faithfull that no man may thinke he may come thereunto through a deade faith whiche without woorkes can not saue But by that faith of grace whiche woorketh thorough looue Note the Conclusion Gal. 5. Let not therefore faithfull Stuardes be blamed Let not theyr negligence or slougthe be reprooued but rather the froward stubernesse of some whiche refuse to take our Lordes mony and whiche compell the seruantes of our Lorde to bestowe and distribute their owne counterfait coyne while thei wil not at the least be of that sort of euil men as S. Cyprian speaketh of In Ser. de lapsis renouncing the world onely in wordes and not in workes For these men wil not so muche as in wordes renounce the woorkes of the diuel but with open mouth wil professe that thei wil continue in ther adultery If there be any thing els that they do affirme which I perhaps haue not here touched in this my disputation I suppose it to be such as whereunto my answere was not necessary either bicause it apperteined not to the matter now in hande or els for that it was suche a trifel as might of euery man easely be confuted and reproued Thus endeth the learned Treatie of that auncient and Blessed Father S. Augustine Of faith and Woorkes A SERMON MADE BY S. CHRYSOSTOME PATRIARKE OF CONSTANTINOPLE IN THE yere of our Lorde 400. Of praying vnto God Extant in the fifth Tome of his Woorkes THE seruantes of God are for two causes woorthy not onely to be extolled with high prayses but also to be regarded and looked vppon with admiration Firste for that they did set the hope of theyr saluation in deuoute and holie prayers and next for that they suffered not to grow out of memorye those laudes and other seruice whiche with ioy and trembling they vsed to offer vnto God but haue ben content that being committed to writing they should remaine Whereby thei might powre foorth their treasure vppon vs as it were by succession of inheritaunce and by that meane prouoke and stirre the whole posteritie to a desyre of following and of labouring to be lyke vnto them For it is well sytting and conuenient that bothe the manners of the teachers doo flowe and descende to suche as vse theyr companye and that the scholers of suche Maisters be seene also to followe and expresse in lyfe the vertue of theyr
How may this be Except thou wilt thinke that he which feedeth Christe shall him selfe not be fed by Christe Or that earthly thinges shall want to them to whome diuine and heauenly thinges are geeuen Whence commeth this mistrustfull thought Whence groweth this wicked and sacrilegious Imagination What dooth suche a faithlesse hart in the house of faith Why is he called and named a Christian whiche dooth not altogether beleeue Christe The name of a Pharisee is more meeter for thee For when our Lord in the Ghospell disputed of almose deedes faithfully and holesomely forewarning vs that by prouident woorkyng wee should of our earthly gaines make vnto our selues frendes that might afterward receiue vs vppe into euerlasting tabernacles He is no Christian but a pharisee that vvill geue no almose for feare he shal lacke after these thinges spoken the Scripture addeth these wordes But the Pharisees whoo were moste coouetous menne hard all these thinges and mocked thereat Soome suche menne doo wee see at this daie in the Churche whose stopped eares and blinded hartes doo receiue no light of spirituall and holesome admonitions At whome wee must not marueill if they contemne a seruaunt treating of these thinges Lucae 16. when wee see that our Lord him selfe was of suche menne despised What doest thou please thy selfe with these fond and foolish thoughtes A vehement exhortation against the peuish feare of vvorldlinges As though with feare and carefulnes of thinges to come thou shouldst be kept backe from doing of good workes Why doest thou pretende such coulours toies and delusions of vaine excuse Confesse that rather which is true And bicause thou canst not deceiue them that knowe lay foorth the secret and hidden conceptes of thy mind No no. The darcknes of vnfrutefulnes hath benummed thy mind and the light of truth being thence departed the deepe and thicke mist of couetousnes hath blinded thy carnall hart Thou art a slaue and bondman to thy monie Thou art bound with the bondes and cheines of auarice and thou whome Christe had once losed art now againe come in bondes Thou kepest thy money which being kept doth not keepe thee Thou heapest thy patrimony whiche with the waight thereof dooth burden thee Thou doest not remēber what God aunswered to the riche man that with fond reioising boasted the great plenty of his abundant store Thou foole said he this night is thy soule called for from thee Luk. 12. Therefore whose shall those thinges be which thou hast gathered Why doest thou studie and trauaile to gette riches for thy selfe alone Why doest thou to thine owne paine increase the waight of thy patrimonie whereby how much the richer thou art to the world so much the poorer thou art made toward God. Diuide thy rentes with thy Lorde God. Parte thy frutes with Christ Make Christ a partaker with thee of the reuenue of thy earthly possessions that he may also make thee with him a ioyn theire of the heauenly kingdoomes Thou errest and art deceiued who so euer beleeuest thy selfe to be riche in the world Heare in the Apocalips the voice of thy Lord with iust rebukes rating suche men Apocal. 3. Thou saiest I am riche saieth he I am increased in wealth I want nothing And thou knowest not that thou art in deede a wretche miserable poore blinde and naked I aduise thee to bye of mee golde tried and burnisshed in the fier that thou maist be riche and maist put on the white garment that the filth of thy nakednes doo not appere in thee Annoint thine eyes with a medicine that thou maiest see Thou therefore that art welthy and riche bye vnto thy selfe of Christe gold burnished and tried with fier that thy filthines being purged as it were with fier thou maist be pure golde being purged by almose deedes and good woorkes Bye vnto thy selfe a white garment that thou whiche by Adam were before naked quaking and defourmed maist be clothed with the white garment of Christe And thou whiche art a riche and welthy Gentlewoman annoint thine eyes not with the Diuels Alabaster but with Christes Medicine that thou maist attaine to see God with good woorkes and iust desert meriting well at thy Lordes handes But thou which art suche a one canst not woorke in the Churche For thine eies being ouercast with a darke dimnesse and blinded as it were in the night haue not beheld the needy and the poore Thou being welthy and riche beleeuest that thou celebratest our Lord his Temple yet doest thou not one whit behold or regard the treasure huche thereof Thou commest into the Temple without sacrifice yea thou takest part of the sacrifice which the poore hath offered Behold in the Gospel the widow who being mindeful of the heauenly preceptes did woorke euen in the middest of her owne miserie and penurie putting into the treasury euen those two mites which onely remained vnto her Whom when our Lord had marked and seene waying and esteeming her woorke not by her liuelyhood but by her hart and minde and considering not how muche but out of how muche shee had geeuen he aunsweared and saied Verely I saie vnto you Lucae 21. this widow hath geuen more into Gods treasure then all these For all these haue geuen vnto God his treasure of that whiche abounded vnto them but this widow euen out of her pouertie hath put in all shee had to liue by O very happy and glorious woman that euen before the daie of iudgement deserued to be praysed by the mouth of the iudge Let them that be riche be ashamed of there owne barreinnes and miserable niggishnes A widow and a poore widow dyd deale liberally And whereas all that is geuen is bestowed on the succourlesse and widowes shee geueth who should haue receiued that wee maie know what punishment remaineth to the vnfrutfull riche man when by this doctrine euen the poore them selues owght also to woorke And that wee maie vnderstand that al suche thinges are geuen to God and that in doing these thinges wee deserue and merite at Gods hande Christe calleth them Gods treasuer and sheweth that the widowe had put her two mites into Goddes stoare that it might be made the more manifest vnto vs that he which hath compassion on the poore doth lende to God vpon vsurie The Care of children ought not to staie from geuing of almose Neither lette any Christian man deerely beloued bretherne thinke him selfe excused from dooing good woorkes vppon respecte to doo for his children For wee ought in our spirituall expences haue an eye to Christe who hath professed that it is he that receiueth our almose And so in doing almose to the poore we preferre not the poore before our children but we preferre Christe before our children He him selfe so teaching and admonishing vs Matt. 10. Who so loueth saith he his father or mother aboue mee is not woorthy of mee and who so loueth his Sonne or daughter aboue mee is not
him saying Lord whē haue we sene the hungry and did feed thee Thirsty and did geue the drinke When haue we sene the harbourles and did leade the in Naked and did cloth the But when haue we sene the sicke and in prison and haue come vnto thee Then the King answering shal say vnto them Verely I say vnto you so long as you haue don it to one of these my least brethren you haue don it vnto me Then wil he say vnto them which shal be on his left hād Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fier which my Father hath prepared for the diuel and his angels for I haue ben hūgry and you gaue me not to eat I haue thirsted and you gaue me not to drinke I haue ben harbourles and you toke me not in naked and you clothed me not sicke and in prison and ye visited me not Then shal they answere and say Lorde when haue we sene thee hungry or thirsty or harborles or naked or sick or in prison and haue not ministred vnto the and he shal say vnto thē verely I say vnto you so lōg as ye haue not don it to one of these litle ones ye haue not don it to me And the vniust shal goe into euerlasting burning but the iust into euerlasting life What could Christ say more vnto vs How could he more prouoke vs to the woorke of iustice and mercy then in telling vs that to be don to him selfe what so euer is don to the nedy and poore And in shewing him self to be offended if we do not geue helpe to the poore and nedy to th' end that he which is not moued with the respect of his brother a felow mēber of the Church should yet be moued with the contemplation of Christ and he which cōsidereth not his felow seruant being in nede and pouerty might yet be moued to consider our Lord and Master present in him whom he despiseth And therefore most derely beloued let vs that feare God let vs that despising and treading the worlde vnder our feet haue our mindes lift vp to diuine and heauenly things let vs I say with ful faith deuout mindes and continual good working bestow our seruice to winne our Lord and Masters fauour Let vs geue to Christ earthly garmentes that we may receiue of him heauenly clothing Let vs geue our worldly meat and drinke that with Abraham Isaac and Iacob we may be receiued to the heauenly feast Let vs sow much We muste prouide for our saluation Galat. 6. least we reap litle Let vs while we haue time prouide for our safty and eternal saluation For so Paul th' Apostle admonisheth vs saying Therfore while we haue time let vs do good to al and namely vnto such as are of the houshold of faith But let vs not faint in doing good for at due time we shal reape the fruit Let vs consider deerely beloued brethren how the faithful people did in th' Apostles time when in the beginning the mind florished with greater vertues when the faith of the beleuers was yet feruent with the new heate of faith Then did they sell their howses and landes and willingly and largely offered vnto the Apostles their gooddes to be distributed vnto the poore transferring their possession after their earthly patrimonie so solde and distributed vnto that place where they shoulde receiue the fruite of eternall inheritance prouiding for them selues mansions there where the◠should beginne to dwell for euer Suche was their plentifulnesse in good woorkes as was their vnifourme consente in loue and charitie as we reade in the Actes of the Apostles in these woordes Act. 4. But the multitude of them whiche beleeued wrought with one minde and with one harte neither was there emong them any diuersitie Al things vvere by charitie and mutual loue as it vvere common emōg the Apostles neither did they iudge owght as their owne of the goodes whiche they had but all thinges were to them common This is by spiritual byrth truely to be made the Sonnes of God. This is by the heauenly lawe to imitate the goodnesse of God the Father For what so euer is Gods is common for our vse Neyther is any man repelled from the vse of the benefittes and giftes of God but that all mankinde may equally enioye the goodnesse and bountifulnesse thereof So doth the daie geue light the sonne brightnesse the raine moysture and the winde blowe to all alike So is sleepe alike and common to all them that take reast the shining of the starres and Moone is alike and common to them all By whiche example of equalitie he that being a possessioner in earth diuideth his rentes and reuenewes with his brethren in Christe Thinges are not common but by voluntary liberalitie while by voluntary liberty he being iust maketh his goodes common is a follower of God the Father What a glory shall there be moste deerely belooued brethren to them that woorke Howe great and exceding shal be the ioye when our Lorde shall beginne to take vewe of his people and shall render for our merites and good woorkes the promised rewardes for earthly thinges heauenly for temporall euerlasting When for small he shall geeue great when he offereth vs vp vnto his Father to whome by his sanctification he hath restored vs When he shall geue vnto vs the eternitie and immortalitie whereunto he hath reuiued vs by the quickning of his blood When he shall leade vs againe into Paradyse and by the faith and surety of his promise open vnto vs the kingdoome of heauen Let these thinges bretherne cleaue and sticke firmely in our vnderstanding An exhortation Let them be conceiued with a full faith Let them be looued with our whole harte Lette them be bought with the couragious perseuerance of incessant well doing A beutifull and heauenly thing deerly beloued bretherne is well doing The frutes of good vvorkes a great comfort to suche as beleeue a strong sauegarde of a quiet conscience a fortification of hope a defence and shilde of faith and a remedy against sinne It is a thing sette in the power of him that dooth it It is a great thing and yet easie A Crowne of peace without perill of persecution It is the true gifte yea the greatest gifte of God necessarie to the weake and glorious to the strong With this a Christian being furnished he sheweth foorth spirituall grace he deserueth well of Christe the Iudge and he maketh God his debter To this price of healthfull woorkes lette vs willingly and cheerfully contende Lette vs all runne in the course and race of iustice God and Christe looking on And lette vs that haue now begonne to get aboue the worlde and these transitory thinges not staie now our course by any couetousnes or lyking of them or of the worlde If the daie either of our departing or of persecution shall finde vs light and free without burthen running in this race of good woorkes our Lorde will neuer faile to rewarde our merites He will geeue to suche as ouercome for their woorkes in peace a white and pure Crowne and to suche as gette the victory in persecution he wil geeue a dubble Crowne of purple colour for their pacience and suffering Amen Thus endeth the Sermon of that blessed Martyr and Bishop S. Cyprian Of Almes dedes Opus istud de Iustificatione cum alijs in linguam Anglicam versis lectum et approbatum est ab insignibus viris sacrae Theologiae Anglici idiomatis peritissimis quibus ideo tutò credendum esse existimo Cunerus Petri Pastor S. Petri Louani indignus 15. Ianuarij An. 1569. Faultes escaped in the printing of the Translations Leafe Side Line Faulte Correction 43. 2. 14. depraued depriued 45. 2. 1. And And as 66. 2. 1. oorep poore 67. 1. 4. death death 67. 2. 11. hearde horde 76. 2. 28. liberty liberalitie