Christ imputed to us by faith And so also doe the Divines of Coleyn teach that we are Iustified by the righteousnesse of Christ not as it is without us abiding in him but as the same being apprehended by faith is imputed to us CHAP. IV. Certaine objections of the Adversaries answered concerning this matter of Iustification FIrst the ambiguitie of this word Iustificare seemeth much to misleade you in this point for you will have it to signifie and import to make a man iust who before was uniust by a quality of Iustice inherent in his owne person And true it is That whosoever is Iustified is also sanctified so that hee hath in some sort a Sanctitie or Iustice inherent in his owne person by the operation of Gods spirit within him This then which you call Inherent Iustice in a man is the same that wee call Sanctification and is not all one with Iustification but is a fruit effect and consequent of it Neither doth the word Iustificare to Iustifie evermore so signifie but sometimes it signifieth to declare or approve one to be Iust as in Psal. 51.4 and Rom. 3.4 where it is thus said to God himselfe That thou mayest be iustified in thy sayings meaning that thou maist bee declared or approved to be Iust. And so in the first of Tim. 3.16 Christ is said to be Iustified that is declared or approved to be iust And this sense also doth S. Iames in his second Chapter of his Epistle say That a man is Iustified by vvorkes that is declared or approved to be Iust by them as being the fruits and declarations of his faith And sometimes againe it signifieth by a Iudgement or sentence to absolve and acquit a man of faults and crimes laid to his charge of all punishments to the same belonging as in Pro. 17.15 it is said Hee that Iustifieth the vvicked and hee that condemneth the Iust even they both are an abhomination unto the Lord that is hee that absolveth or acquiteth a wicked man in Iudgement when contrariwise he should be condemned and he that condemneth a Iust and innocent person who should of right be acquited both these are abhominable in Gods sight Where you see that to Iustifie the wicked is not by alteration of qualities actuallie to make a man Iust who before was unjust but it signifieth by sentence and Iudgement to acquit and free him that is accused And thus is the word Iustifie taken in S. Pauls discourse touching this matter as to omit all other places is manifest by that one place of Rom. 8.33 34 where it is said thus VVho shall lay anything to the charge of Gods elect It is God that Iustifieth who is he that condemneth Where you see that the word Iustifie is set as opposite to the word Condemne and consequently signifieth an acquiting cleering freeing or discharging of whatsoever may bee laid to the charge of anie of Gods elect and chosen children 2 Neither can anie rightly conclude because this righteousnesse of Christ is thus said to be imputed by faith that therefore it is onely an imaginarie and phantasticall Iustice and no Iustice or righteousnesse indeed yea such blasphemies must be detested For the word Imputed doth not diminish or detract from the truth of the Iustice as though it were imputed or reputed for Iustice which were none revera but it signifieth that as it is in it selfe a most pure full perfect and complete righteousnesse being farre above the best righteousnesse that is to be found in anie earthly Saints or such as be meere men so doth God accordingly reckon and esteeme of it So that although we be most uniust in respect of our selves yet by having Christs righteousnesse imputed to us we are in him really and truely Iust righteous and without all spot staine or imperfection For Christ with all his merits righteousnesse satisfaction and obedience is not by way of fancie opinion conceit or imagination but revera actuallie and verilie bestowed and given of God to all his faithfull and beloved children Vnto us a childe is borne unto us a sonne is given saith Esay the Prophet And againe it is said That God so loved the vvorld that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. And it is said againe that He vvas given of God his Father to the Elect and that those Elect were likewise given of God to him Agreeably whereunto speaketh also S. Paul saying that Christ is made unto us of God vvisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that as it is vvritten vvhosoever glorieth should glory in the Lord. Seeing therefore Christ with all his obedience and righteousnesse is given unto us of God and that wee take and receive him by faith there can be no doubt but that he is as verilie and reallie become ours as anie mans lands possessions or goods become his which he hath by lawfull conveyance or gift from another man 3 But when we say that Faith only Iustifieth in Gods sight you further obiect that this word Onely is more then is in the Scripture to be found Howbeit you may observe that in the Gospel of S. Marke Christ said thus to one Be not afraid onely beleeve But neither are these words Trinity Consubstaâ—tiall c. expressely found in the Scripture but so long as the effect and equivalencie of them is there found it sufficeth In like sort if words equipollent or equivalent to this word Onely be found in the Scripture it sufficeth What is then the sense of this word onely in this position Faith onely iustifieth it is added to exclude vvorkes and their merit from being anie cause of that our Iustification in the sight of God Now then when the Scriptures expresly and plentifully affirme that vvee are Iustified by faith vvithout vvorkes and by faith and not by vvorkes is it not as much as if they had said in plaine termes that wee are Iustified by faith onely Againe when the Scriptures say and teach that vve are Iustificati gratis and ex gratia and per gratiam Iustified franckely and freely that is for nothing paid or performed on our parts and of grace and by grace Doe not these words fully import and cleerly shew that we are Iustified without anie merits or workes of our owne deserving it Can anie thing be more plainely declared 4 Neverthelesse they still seeke refuges and therefore sometimes say that When S. Paul speaketh of the Workes of the Law excluding them from Iustifying in Gods sight he meaneth only the vvorkes of the Ceremonial Law and not the vvorkes of the Morall Law But indeed S. Paul speaking of the Workes of the Law verie apparantly meaneth as well the Workes of the Morall law as of the Ceremoniall for when he saith that Not the hearers of the Law but the doers of the Law shall be Iustified can this be intended onely of the Ceremoniall law without anie regard at all had to the Morall Or when
he speaketh of the whole Booke of the Law saying that It is written Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that be vvritten in the booke of the Law to doe them doth not this extend to the Morall Law or can these words be restrained only to the Ceremoniall Yea when he further saith thus I had not knowne sinne but by the Law for I had not known lust or concupiscence to be sinne except the Law had said Non concupisces Thou shalt not covet or Thou shalt no lust doth not everie one hereby most plainly perceive of what Law it is that he chiefly speaketh meaneth namely that it is principally of the Morall Law that is of the Decalogue or Law of the Ten Commandements For to what other end else is it that he there expresly and by name rehearseth and bringeth in one of those ten Commandements But yet further he sheweth that there be but two waies of righteousnesse namely the righteousnes that is of the Law and the righteousnes which is of faith and saith that Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law in this sort viz. That the man vvhich doth those things shall live by them But the righteousnesse vvhich is of faith speaketh after another manner and he sheweth it to consist not in anie doubtfull questioning but in a firme beleeving in Christ vvho is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth When therefore he here againe saith touching the vvorkes of the Law and the righteousnesse compassable that way That the man that doth those things shall live by them is it his meaning thinke you that hee that observeth the workes of the Ceremonial Law only without observing or doing anie of the workes of the Moral Law shall live thereby and enioy everlasting happinesse I presume none can be so absurd or unwise as to thinke it It is then a thing verie manifest that hee speaketh not onely of the workes of the Ceremonial Law but of the workes also of the Morall Law and of these chiefly excluding aswell the works of the one as of the other from being anie cause of our Iustification in Gods sight And this is so much the more evident because S. Paul yet further in that his dispute of Iustification excludeth not only the Iewes but the Gentiles also from all hope of Iustification by the Law teaching that they both are to expect iustification in Gods sight Not by the vvorkes of the law but by faith in Iesus Christ. Now yee know that the Gentiles be not bound to the observation of the ceremonial law as the Iewes were but the Gentiles aswell as the Iewes bee bound to the observation of the moral law of the ten Commandements When therefore S. Paul teacheth that aswell the Gentiles as the Iewes are to expect Iustification not by the workes of the law but by faith in Christ it is apparant that he must needes meane to exclude herein aswell the workes of the Moral law whereto the Gentiles are bound as the workes of the Ceremoniall law whereto the Iewes onelie were bound and not the Gentiles for otherwise you will make him a verie vaine and idle disputer in this point as in respect of the Gentiles 5 Howbeit being thus repulsed from this hold they then retire and returne to their old wonted and ordinarie nold wherein they seeme to repose their greatest strength and that is the same which is before mentioned namely that S. Paul when he excludeth workes from being anie cause of Iustification in Gods sight meaneth it of vvorkes done before faith received and whilst a man is an unbeleever and not of workes done after faith received Which works done by a beleeving person doe as they suppose Iustifie before God and in his sight This hath beene before sufficiently answered yet because they so often and usuallie urge it I hope it will not be offensive that I also here once againe make answer unto it First therefore it might suffice to call to your remembrance that which hath been spoken concerning those two faithfull godlie men Abraham and David who albeit they had after faith grace received from God lived well and done sundrie good workes for which they might deserve praise and glorie amongst men yet for al that they deserved no praise nor glorie with God as S. Paul witnesseth nor were thereby iustified in his sight Yea as touching Abraham he saith that notwithstanding all that he did not his vvorkes but his Faith vvas imputed to him for righteousnesse before God And as touching David though he were a man likewise verie faithfull and godly and did manie good workes yet by his godlie life and good workes he never thought to be iustified before Gods tribunall but found all the godlines and goodnes that was in him to bee too defective and to come too short for that purpose and therefore also he crieth out thus unto God saying Enter not into iudgement vvith thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be iustified Yea hee discribeth the blessednesse of everie man even of the holiest man that liveth to consist not in his owne sanctitie or righteousnesse but in this that His sinnes be forgiven or not imputed to him And so doth S. Paul inferre and teach out of this example of David That God imputeth righteousnesse vvithout vvorkes So that neither the workes which David did nor the workes which Abraham did nor consequently the workes that anie other godly or holie man doth after grace and faith received be sufficient to Iustifie in Gods presence For I knovv nothing by my selfe saith S. Paul yet am I not thereby iustified I might here further desire you to call to your remembrance that holie man Iob and that holy Prophet of God Daniel yea all that godlie companie and Church of God in Daniels time and Esaies time who all did as themselves testifie renounce all their owne inherent righteousnes as too insufficient and unmeet to stand before Gods most pure eies to claime Iustification thereby in his sight Yea if God should looke narrowlie to see what is said done amisse and to recompence it in the rigor and severitie of his Iustice according to mens merits and deserts VVho as the Psalmist speaketh should bee able to stand or to abide it Yea I might here moreover desire you to remember whatsoever is conteined in the former Chapter touching this matter For not the workes even of a iust man doe iustifie in Gods sight as S. Paul prooveth by an expresse testimonie out of the Prophet Abacuk where he saith even of the iust man that He liveth by his faith and not by his Workes And this he urgeth and enforceth againe in his Epistle to the Galathians saying thus But that no man is iustified by the lavv in the sight of God it is evident for saith he The iust shall live by
the Protestants concerning iustification by this lively faith and not by anie dead faith is such as you can no way dislike that it is so far from making anie carelesse of doing good works that contrariwise it urgeth abetteth perswadeth and provoketh men unto them if they meane or desire to have such a faith as whereby they may be saved But now although the Protestants doe thus rightly teach that this faith and good workes goe together and be inseparable in respect of the person so that he that hath this faith hath also good workes yet in the point of our Iustification in Gods sight and before his Tribunall they are to be distinguished and to be considered apart and not confusedlie because it is Faith onlie and not Workes whereby we apprehend and applie Christ Iesus unto us as our Righteousnesse To understand this the better you must ever remember that Christ Iesus is in verie deed our Righteousnes for so the scriptures doe plentifullie teach and proclaime Our faith is but the hand or instrument whereby we apprehend and applie that righteousnesse unto us and our good workes be the fruits testimonies and declarations both to our selves and other men of that faith in Christ which iustifieth us before God And therefore it is not enough for a man to say hee hath faith but if hee have that true livelie and iustifying faith which he pretendeth he must declare shew it by his workes for so S. Iames saith Ostende mihi fidem tuam ex operibus tuis shew me thy faith by thy vvorkes And agreeablie hereunto S Paul calleth good workes and a sanctified course of life fructus Iustitiae the fruits of righteousnesse So that wee are first righteous by faith in Christ before wee doe or can bring forth these fruits of righteousnes And so S. August likewise teacheth affirming directly that Opera sequuntur Iustificatum non praecedunt Iustificandum Good vvorkes doe follow him that is formerly iustified and doe not goe before him that is afterward to be iustified And this even Christ Iesus also himselfe declareth namelie that the tree must first be good before it can bring forth good fruit By all which it is verie manifest that good works be not causes but fruits effects and consequents of that faith which iustifieth us before God But this is yet further evident because S. Paul saith expresselie that wee are Iustified by faith and so have peace vvith God Hee further excludeth Workes verie directlie and by name from having anie thing to doe in that act of our Iustification Therefore vve conclude saith he that a man is Iustified by faith vvithout the vvorkes of the Law And againe he saith that God imputeth righteousnes vvithout vvorks Againe he saith It is by grace and not of works Rom. 11.6 And againe he saith It is not of vvorkes Rom. 9.11 And againe hee saith By grace are yee saved through faith and that not of your selves for it is the gift of God and not of vvorkes lest any man should boast himselfe In all which places yee may perceive that how requisite or commendable soever good workes be and what good use soever they have yet they bee directlie excluded from being anie cause of our Iustification and salvation in Gods sight and censure And with this also agreeth that saying of S. Paul in his Epistle to the Galathians where he giveth this conclusion saying Yee are all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus And so also testifieth S. Iohn saying That as many as received Christ to them he gave this prerogative to be the sonnes of God even to them that beleeve in his name Where you may observe that beleefe or faith is reckoned as the hand or instrument whereby Christ is apprehended or received Againe he saith That God so loved the vvorld that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that vvhosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life In which words you may observe againe the first and originall cause of our salvation to be the meere grace and love of God Secondly the materiall cause to be Christ the Sonne of God with his obedience and righteousnesse And thirdlie the instrumentall cause to be faith or beleefe in that his Sonne and our Saviour Iesus For he saith the text was sent into the world to this end that vvhosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life But consider that he saith yet further That as Moses lift vp the Serpent in the vvildernesse so must the sonne of man be lift vp that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have eternall life Some of you no doubt remember the storie of the Serpent there mentioned which is in the booke of Numbers for after that the people of Israel had wickedly spoken and murmured against God and against Moses The Lord sent fierie Serpents among the people which stung the people so that manie of the people of Israel died Therefore the people came to Moses and said VVe have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray to the Lord that he take away the Serpents from us And Moses prayed for the people And the Lord said unto Moses make thee a fierie Serpent and set it up for a signe that as many as are bitten may looke upon it and live So Moses made a Serpent of brasse and set it up for a signe and when a Serpent had bitten a man then he looked to the Serpent of brasse and lived As therefore Moses lift up this brazen Serpent in the wildernes to the end that whosoever was stung by those fierie Serpents and did looke upon that brazen Serpent might be cured live and was cured and did live accordingly So was also the Sonne of man Christ Iesus lift up upon the Crosse where he was crucified to the end that whosoever is stung with the deadly stings of sinne or of that old Serpent the Divell and doth with the eies of his faith applying him looke upon Christ Iesus so lifted vp and crucified for him should bee healed and have eternall life Where you may againe perceive that as Christ is compared to that brazen Serpent so is our beliefe or faith in him compared to their looking upon the brazen Serpent so that still it appeareth that faith is as the eie or instrument whereby wee behold apprehend and apply Christ crucified as a salve unto us for all our sores For in him is comprehended whatsoever is necessarie or fit to cure us When therefore wee say and speake in this sort that Sola fides iustificat Faith onely iustifieth wee meane not that this faith is so sole or alone as that it is without good works but that in the act of our iustification before God and in his sight and as it respecteth and apprehendeth Christ the obiect of it it is sole and alone workes having no
anie righteousnesse of our owne or inherent in our owne persons but by that immaculate and spotlesse righteousnesse of his imputed unto us So that In him it is as this Text most plainlie sheweth and not in our selves that wee are deemed righteous in Gods sight Yea here consider further what righteousnesse also it is that God approveth and will have to stand for the Iustification of sinfull men in his sight for it must be a righteousnesse transcendent and going farre beyond the righteousnesse of anie sinfull creatures namelie it must be that which S. Paul here calleth the righteousnesse of God that is a most pure perfect and complete righteousness wherein must not be anie the least spot speck or staine to be found as S. Chrysostome also declareth Which kind of most pure and spotlesse righteousnesse because no other man hath but Iesus Christ only the second Adam who is both God and Man therefore in his person only and not in ours it is to be both sought and found For which cause also it is that the Church and people of God considered not in themselves but in Christ are by the Apostle S. Paul said to have not so much as a spot or vvrinckle or any such thing in them Well therefore doth S. Augustine make this double observation upon this Text of 2. Cor. 5.21 saying Videâ—e duo Iustitiam Dei non nostram In ipso non in nobis Behold and consider two things saith he first That vvee are made the righteousnesse of God and not our owne righteousnes and secondly In him and not in our selves The same observation likewise giveth S. Hierome upon the same Text saying Christus pro peccatis nostris oblatus peccati nomen accepit ut nos efficeremuâ— Iustitia Dei in ipso non nostra nec in nobis Christ being offered for our sinnes tooke the name of sinne that vve might be made the righteousnesse of God in him not our owne righteousnesse nor in us And therefore doth S. Paul againe not onlie for himselfe but in the behalfe of other Christians also speake in this sort even after faith and grace received VVe vvhich are Iewes by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles doe know that a man is not Iustified by the vvorkes of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ even vve I say have beleeved in Iesus Christ that vvee might be Iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the vvorkes of the Law because that by the works of the Law no flesh shall be iustified Be not these wordes verie direct for this purpose shewing that even those that be Christians and beleevers in Christ doe neverthelesse expect Iustification by Faith in Christ and not by the Workes of the Law Yea what man ever yet Christ Iesus onely excepted did fully and perfectlie keepe the whole Law and commandements of God in his owne person For which cause it is that none can be Iustified in Gods sight by anie works or observance of the Law which he by and in his owne person can doe or performe If theâ—e had beene a Law given vvhich could have given life then indeed righteousnes should have beene by the Law as S. Paul affirmeth But the Scripture saith he hath concluded all under sinne that the promâ—se by the faith of Iâ—sus Christ should be given to them that beleeve In which words you see he sheweth it verie significantlie to be a thing Impossible for anie that be but meere men to keep the Law of God in that full measure and perfection which the Law reâ—uireth and therefore that they must seeke to be Iustified in Gods sight and to have eternall life another way namelie by Faith in Iesus Christ. Againe he saith thus Be it knowne unto you men and Brethren thâ—t through this man Iesus is preached unto you the forgivenes of sinnes and by him every one that beleeveth is Iustified from all those things from vvhich yee could not be Iustified bâ— the Law of Moses Here also observe that hee saith they could not be Iustified by the Law as noting it likewise to bee a thing Impossible But hee speaketh yet further saying That vvhich vvas Impossible to the Law inasmuch as it vvas vveake because of the flesh God sent his owne Sonne in â—he similitude of sinfull flesh for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh thâ—t the righteousaesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us vvhich vvalke not after the flesh but after the spirit Where you may againe perceive that he teacheth it constantly expresly to be a thing impossible by reason of the vveakenesse that is in all flesh for the most godly person upon earth being but a meere man fullie exactly to keepe and performe the law and that therefore the Son of God Christ Iesus himselfe was sent into the world and became Man for our sakes that so the righteousnesse of the Law which hee in his humane nature in all points and perfection fully performed might by our faith apprehending and applying it bee made ours and so be fulfilled in us namelie by imputation and application and not by anie inherent and actual performance of it by in our owne persons for this he before affirmed to be impossible And this also do the ancient Fathers themselves affirme and teach S. Ambrose saith That the commandements of God bee so great vt impossibile sit servare ea as that it is impossible to keep them S. Chrysostome speaking of the Law and performance of it saith Id vero nemini possibile est That it is possâ—ble to no man S. Hierome saith That no man can performe the Lavv S. Bernard saith that God commanding things impossible made not men transgressors but made them thereby humble Yea it was the heresie of the Pelagians as S. Hierome sheweth ad Clesiphontem to hold as the Papists also hold that Mandata dei sunt possibilia The Commaundements of God are possible And they went about to prove it as the Papists likewise doe by these Texts viz. My yoake is easie and my burthen light in Mat. 11.30 And his commandements be not burdenous in 1. Ioh. 5.3 wheras they did not rightly understand those speeches no more then the Papists their followers doe For it is true that none of the commandements of God be grievous heavie or burthensome to a regenerate godly and sanctified minde which is ever desirous endeavoring and delighting to keepe them and to walke in the obedience of them though hee shall never be able during this mortall life fully and perfectly to keepe and performe them And therefore thus saith S. Hierome to the Pelagian and we also say the same to the Papists â—acilia dicis dei mandata tamen nullum proferre potes qui universa compleverit Thou saist the commandements of God be easie and yet thou canst bring forth none that hath kept them all Againe he saith Tunc ergo iusti sumus quando
nos peccatores fatentur iustitia nostra non ex proprio constat merito sed ex dei misericordia dicente scriptura Iustus est accusator sui Then therefore are wee iust vvhen wee confesse our selves sinners and that our righteousnesse consisteth not upon our owne merits but upon Gods mercie the Scripture affirming that the Iust man is the accuser of himselfe The like whereunto S. Augustine also speaketh saying in this wise Omnia mandata dei facta deputantur quando quicquid non fit ignoscitur All the commaundements of God bee then accounted to be done when vvhat soever is not done is pardoned Yea this is so cleare a truth that Thomas Aquinas also saith that Implere totam legem est impossibile To performe the vvhole law is a thing impossible And Cusanus likewise saith Nemo unquam ad implevit legem quae in dilectione consistit nisi Christus qui nonvenit solvere legem sed implere No man ever yet performed the law which consisteth in love but onely Christ which came not to breake the lavv but to fulfill it And therefore is it further said by S. Paul in another place That Christ is the end accomplishment or fulfilling of the lavv for righteousnes unto everie one that beleeveth S. Chrysostome likewise saith Quid lex vult hominem iustum facere sed non potest nemo siquidem illam implevit VVhat meaneth the lavv doth it meane to make a man Iust but it cannot doe that for no man hath fulfilled it Yea the law was not given as S. Paul also teacheth us to anie such end as thereby to iustifie us in Gods sight but to shew us our weaknes our sinnes and transgressions and our guiltinesse and the wrath and curse of God due unto us for the same and so to drive us unto Christ our Saviour by whose obedience and fulfilling of the law for us applied unto vs by faith it is that wee are iustified and compleatly righteous even before the Throne of God Howbeit as touching the law it is true neverthelesse that wee must all endeavor to walke in the waies of it and in obedience to all Gods commandements to shew our subiection to God and to declare the dutie tokens and fruites of Gods children in us but not to the end to obtaine righteousnesse and iustification thereby in Gods sight and censure Yea S. Paul telleth you directly that as manie as are of the workes of the law thinking thereby to be iustified they are under the curse So far are they of from obtaining righteousnesse or blessednesse by that meanes Will you have the reason of it himselfe delivereth it in the next words by a sentence and testimonie out of the law it selfe For it is vvritten· saith he Cursed is everie one that continueth not in all things vvhich are vvritten in the booke of the lavv to doe them And so likewise speaketh S. Iames That vvhosoever keepeth the vvhole lavv and yet faileth in one point he is guiltie of all because he offendeth the Maiestie of the Lavv-giver and by committing though it be but one offence or sinne during his whole life hee hath made himselfe subiect to the curse of the law By the sentence then of the law yee see that everie man is accursed and lieth inthralled and subiect unto all manner of punishment and even to everlasting horrour and eternall condemnation What then shall a man doe that is by the law thus sentenced and brought to this wofull estate and perplexitie and what course shall he take or what meane is there to be freed and delivered from this direfull sentence the Curse of the Law The Apostle answereth and sheweth that there is no other way but one namely Christ Iesus who hath for us and in our steede borne the wrath of God and curse due unto us for our sinnes for so he saith in the same Chapter Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the lavv being made a Curse for us O the unspeakeable love of Christ who was thus content to be made a Curse for us to the end to free us from that Curse and to purchase unto us Eternall blessednes and felicitie His love towards us can never be sufficientlie manifested For it is hee that with his most bitter passion and sufferings hath satisfied Gods wrath and iustice in our behalfe and by whom it is that wee have remission and forgivenes of all our sinnes and he it is that is made of God to be our righteousnes Wherfore being by him freed from the guiltinesse of sinne and the punishment of it and having withall his most pure cleare compleate and spotlesse righteousnesse imputed to us by faith what is it that wee neede to feare Or how can wee choose but ioy and reioyce againe and againe in the sense and feeling of so great and incomparable a benefite Yea even this verie point namelie that faith only doth iustifie us in Gods sight as being the onely instrument to apprehend and apply Christ with his satisfaction and righteousnes unto us and not workes though done after grace received the ancient Fathers also themselves doe againe cleerely testifie S. Augustine saith Quantaelibet iustitiae sancti praedicentur vel novi vel veteris Testimenti tamen non eos salvos fecit nisi fides Mediatoris qui in remissionē peccatorum sanguinem fudit Of hovv great righteousnes soever the holy men either of the old or nevv Testament are said to be yet nothing saved them but the faith of the Mediatour vvhich shed his blood for the remission of their sinnes S. Basil saith Hoc est in domino gloriari quando quis non effertur sua iustitia sed agnoscit se destitutum vera iustitia sola fide in Christum iustificari This is to glorie in the Lord when a man is not lifted up with his ovvne righteousnes but acknowledgeth himselfe destitute of true righteousnes and that he is iustified onely by faith in Christ. In like sore speaketh S. Hillarie saying that Sola fides iustificat Faith onely iustifieth S. Ambrose also saith Hoc constitutum est a deo ut qui credit in Christum salvus sit sine opere sola fide gratis accipiens remissionem peccatorum This is determined vvith God that he that beleeveth in Christ should be saved without workes by faith onelie freely receiving remission of sinnes S. Chrysostome likewise saith Sed unum illud a severarim quod sola fides per se salvum fecerit This one thing I will affirme that faith onely by it selfe saveth Therefore also it is that the Church and people of God doe ever disclaime their owne merits and their owne righteousnes so often as they duely consider themselves and come into Gods presence saying in Esay that All their righteousnes is as filthy clovvtes for the best righteousnes that is inherent in earthly Saints hath some defect staine or imperfection in it And so
the earth so are my vvayes higher then your vvaies and my thoughts then your thoughts Yea what are they else but superstitious vvorkes which are done by the will and pleasure of men without the Commandement of God or his rule and direction for so Isidorus giveth the Etymologie of that word superstition to be a thing done supra-statutâ—m more then is appointed by the law of God upon mens pleasures and devisings May not God say in these cases as sometime he spake Quis requisivit haec de vobis VVho hath required these things of you A good Intention therefore is not sufficient to prove or make the worke to be good in Gods sight unlesse it bee a worke or action commanded from God or by his word approoved For King Saul had a good intention or meaning when being sent against the Amalâ—kites and commanded from God to kill both man and woman infant and suckling oxe and sheepe camell and asse hee neverthelesse spared some of the Cattell suffering the people to take Sheepe and Oxen to this intent to sacrifice to the Lord. But notwithstanding this his good intention the fact was odious in Gods sight and because he had thus reiected the vvord of the Lord not suffring his actions to be thereby squared and ruled therfore also did the Lord reiect him from being King over Israel So likewise had Vzzah a good meaning or a good intention when driving the Cart wherein the Arke of God was and the Arke being shaken and in danger of falling hee put forth his hand to the Arke and tooke hold of it to keepe it from falling yet because it belonged not unto him so to doe with the Arke and that he therein did an action not commanded nor warranted unto him from God or his word therefore notwithstanding this his good intention God was offended with him and hee smote Vzzah there for his error and there hee died by the Arke of God The workes then which men doe of their owne heads and devisings without Gods commandement or approbation by his word be not to be accounted amongst the number of good workes in Gods censure what faire shew soever they make amongst men or what good meaning or intention soever they have For that which is highly esteemed amongst men is oftentimes abhomination in the sight of God as Christ himselfe also teacheth and affirmeth 2 But yee have further in the Papacie workes preparative or workes or merits de Congruo as yee call them such as bee done by a man before faith received which ye also account good workes But first How can a man that is not himselfe as yet made good bring forth any good vvorks for The tree must first bee good before it can bring forth good fruit as Christ himselfe teacheth Yea good workes and a sanctified course of life be the fruites of righteousnesse as S. Paul declareth and therefore before that a man be made righteous and iustified by faith hee cannot possibly bring forth these fruites of righteousnesse Againe the Scripture witnesseth expresly that VVithout faith it is impossible to please God How then can the workes of anie man before faith received please God be accepted of him or merit anie grace or favour at his hands The Heart is the fountaine of all mens actions and by faith it is that mens hearts be purified and cleansed as S. Peter witnesseth Vntill such time therefore that mens hearts bee thus clensed and purified by faith in Christ they can bring forth no good cleane or pure vvorkes but works like themselves that is most impure and uncleane For to them that be uncleansed and unbeleevers nothing is pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled as S. Paul also directly affirmeth And so hee saith againe of all the corrupt naturall men in the world untill they bee regenerated converted and iustified in Gods sight by faith they be such as have all gone out of the way they are all become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Not without good cause therefore hath S. Augustine before told us that all the workes of Infidels and Heathens and even the Morall vertues of the Philosophers as they were done and performed by them that had no beliefe in Christ were no good workes in Gods sight but Splendida peccata glittering sinnes Yea hee hath told us expreslie that Good vvorkes do follow him that is before iustified and doe not goe before him that is aftervvard to be iustified And againe he saith that faith goeth before that good vvorkes may follow neither are there saith he anie good vvorkes but those that follovv faith going before And therefore touching Cornelius the Centurion whose praiers to God and Almesdeâ—des be much commended before he was baptised whose example the Rhemists and other Papists alledge in this case the same S. Augustine giveth a sufficient answere thereunto saying That hee did not give Almes and Pray without some faith So likewise testifieth Beda and that out of Gregorie that Non virtutibus ad fidem sed fide pertingitur ad virtutes c. Men attaine not to faith by vertues but to vertues by faith as S. Gregorie expoundeth it For Cornelius saith he vvhose almes before baptisme as the Angell witnesseth be praised came not by vvorkes to saith but by faith to vvorkes And againe he saith Hee had faith vvhose prayers and almesdeeds could please God So that at this verie time of his Prayers and Almesdeedes hee beleeved in the Messias albeit most true it is that hee did not then so well know Christ or so firmely beleeve in him as hee did afterward by the ministerie of Peter 3 The merits also de Candigno as the Popish Church calleth them be not to be reckoned in the number of good works yea this conceit and opinion of Merit is it that poysoneth and marreth the vvorkes so that they are not reputed in Gods sight and censure to be good but bad and odious vvorks that be done with that affection and to that end For even those good workes that be done after grace and faith received and by a man regenerate and Iustified doe not merit or deserve salvation or eternall life because in the best works that men regenerate or sanctified persons doe is some humane frailtie defect or imperfection intermingled for which defects they are to crave pardon at Gods hand and not to stand upon the merit of them VVee are all saith Esay as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthy raggs If thou O Lord shouldst straitely marke iniquitie saith the Psalmist O Lord vvho shall stand But there is mercie vvith thee that thâ—u maist be feared In many things vvee all offend saith S. Iames And therefore well saith S. Augustine Vae universae iustitiae nostrae si remota misericordia Iudicetur VVoe to all our righteousnesse if it be iudged mercie being laid
had deserved that the due judgement of God should have condemned even those that are justified unlesse mercie had relieved them from that which was due that so all the mouthes of them which would glory of their merits might be stopped and he that glorieth might glorie in the Lord. They further taught as S. Augustin did that Man using ill his Free will lost both himselfe it that as one by living is able to kill himselfe but by killing himselfe is not able to live nor hath power to rayse up himselfe when he hath killed himselfe so when sinne had beene committed by freewill sinne being the conqueror freewill also was lost forasmuch as of whom a man is overcome of the same is he also brought in bondage 2. Pet. 2.19 that unto a man thus brought in bondage and sold there is no libertie left to do well unlesse he redeeme him whose saying is this If the Sonne make you free yee shall be free indeed Ioh. 8.36 that the minde of men from their very youth is set upon evill there being not a man which sinneth not that a man hath nothing from himselfe but sinne that God is the author of all good things that is to say both of good nature and of goodwill which unlesse God do worke in him man cannot doe because this good will is prepared by the Lord in man that by the gift of God hee may doe that which of himselfe hee could not doe by his owne free-will that the good will of man goeth before many gifts of God but not all of those which it doth not go before it selfe is one For both of these is read in the holy Scriptures His mercie shall goe before me and His mercie shall follow me it preventeth him that is unwilling that hee may will and it followeth him that is willing that hee will not in vaine and that therefore vvee are admonished to aske that we may receive to the end that what we doe will may be effected by him by whom it was effected that vvee did so will They taught also that the Law was not given that it might take away sinne but that it might shut up all under sinne to the end that men being by this meanes humbled might understand that their salvation was not in their owne hand but in the hand of a Mediator that by the Law commeth neyther the remission nor the removeall but the knowledge of sinnes that it taketh not away diseases but discovereth them forgiveth not sins but condemneth them that the Lord God did impose it not upon those that served righteousnesse but sin namely by giving a just law to unjust men to manifest their sinnes and not to take them away forasmuch as nothing taketh away sinnes but the grace of faith which worketh by love That our sinnes are freely forgiven us without the merit of our workes that through grace wee are saved by faith and not by workes and that therefore we are to rejoyce not in our owne righteousnesse or learning but in the faith of the Crosse by which all our sinnes are forgiven us That grace is abject and vaine if it alone doe not suffice us and that wee esteeme basely of Christ when we thinke that hee is not sufficient for us to salvation That God hath so ordered it that he will be gracious to mankinde if they doe beleeve that they shall be freed by the blood of Christ. that as the soule is the life of the bodie so faith is the life of the soule and that wee live by faith only as owing nothing to the Law that he who beleeveth in Christ hath the perfection of the Law For whereas none might be justified by the Law because none did fulfill the Law but only he which did trust in the promise of Christ faith was appointed which should be accepted for the perfection of the Law that in all things which were omitted faith might satisfie for the whole Law That this righteousnesse therefore is not ours nor in us but in Christ in whom wee are considered as members in the head That faith procuring the remission of sinnes by grace maketh all beleevers the children of Abraham and that it was just that as Abraham was justified by faith onely so also the rest that followed his faith should be saved after the same maner That through adoption we are made the sonnes of God by beleeving in the Sonne of God and that this is a testimonie of our adoption that we have the spirit by which we pray and cry Abba Father forasmuch as none can receive so great a pledge as this but such as be sonnes onely That Moses himselfe made a distinction betwixt both the justices to wit of faith and of deedes that the one did by workes justifie him that came the other by beleeving only that the Patriarches and the Prophets were not justified by the workes of the Law but by faith that the custome of sinne hath so prevayled that none now can fulfill the Law as the Apostle Peter saith Act. 15.10 Which neyther our fathers nor wee have beene able to beare But if there were any righteous men which did escape the curse it was not by the workes of the Law but for their faithes sake that they were saved Thus did Sedulius and Claudius two of our most famous Divines deliver the doctrine of free-will and grace faith and workes the Law and the Gospell Iustification and Adoption no lesse agreeably to the faith which is at this day professed in the reformed Churches then to that which they themselves received from the more ancient Doctors whom they did follow therein Neyther doe wee in our judgement one whit differ from them when they teach that faith alone is not sufficient to life For when it is said that Faith alone justifieth this word alone may be conceived to have relation either to the former part of the sentence which in the schooles they terme the Subject or to the latter which they call the Predicat Being referred to the former the meaning will be that such a faith as is alone that is to say not accompanied with other vertues doth justifie and in this sense wee utterly disclaime the assertion But being referred to the latter it maketh this sense that faith is it which alone or only iustifieth and in this meaning onely doe wee defend that proposition understanding still by faith not a dead carkase thereof for how should the iust be able to live by a dead faith but a true and lively faith which worketh by love For as it is a certaine truth that among all the members of the bodie the eye is the only instrument whereby wee see and yet it is as true also that the eye being alone and seperated from the rest of the members is dead and for that cause doth neyther seâ—
onely nor see at all so these two sayings likewise may stand well enough together that among all the vertues in the soule faith is the onely instrument whereby we lay hold upon Christ for our iustification and yet that faith being alone and disioyned from the societie of other graces is dead in it selfe as S. Iames speaketh and in that respect can neyther only iustifie nor iustifie at all So though Claudius doe teach as we doe that faith alone saveth us because by the workes of the law no man shall be justified yet hee addeth withall this caution Not as if the workes of the law should be contemned and without them a simple faith so hee calleth that solitarie faith whereof we spake which is a simple faith indeed should be desired but that the workes themselves should be adorned with the faith of Christ. For that sentence of the wise man is excellent that the faithfull man doth not live by righteousnesse but the righteous man by faith In like maner Sedulius acknowledgeth with us that God hath purposed by faith onely to forgive our sinnes freely and by faith onely to save the beleevers and that when men have fallen they are to be renewed onely by the faith of Christ which worketh by love intimating by this last clause that howsoever faith only be it which iustifieth the man yet the worke of love is necessarily required for all that to iustifie the faith And this faith saith he when it hath beene justified sticketh in the soyle of the soule like a root which hath received a showre that when it hath begun to be manured by the law of God it may rise up againe into bowes which may beare the fruit of workes Therefore the root of righteousnesse doth not grow out of workes but the fruit of workes out of the root of righteousnesse namely out of that roote of righteousnesse which God doth accept for righteousnesse without workes The conclusion is that saving faith is alwaies a fruitfull faith and though it never goe alone yet may there be some gift of God which it alone is able to reach unto as Columbanus also implieth in that verse Sola fides fidei dono ditabitur almo The greatest depressers of Gods grace and the advancers of mans abilities were Pelagius and Celestius the one borne in Brittaine as appeareth by Prosper Aquitanus the other in Scotland or Ireland as Mr. Persons doth gather out of those words of S. Hierome in one of the Prefaces of his commentaries not upon Ezechiel as he quoteth it but upon Ieremy Hee hath his off-spring from the Scottish nation neere to the Britans Against these Palladius and Patricius sent into these parts by Celestinus Bishop of Rome bent their forces by whose meanes the grounds of sound doctrine in these great points were well setled among the Scottish and Irish. And when the poyson of the contrarie heresie about two hundred yeares after that beganne to breake out among them againe the Clergie of Rome in the yeare of our Lord DCXXXIX during the vacancie of the See upon the death of Severinus directed their letters unto them for the preventing of this growing mischiefe Wherein among other things they put them in minde that it is both blasphemy and folly to say that a man is without sinne which none at all can say but that one mediator betwixt God and man the man Christ Iesus vvho was conceived and borne without sinne Which is agreeable partly to that of Claudius that it is manifest unto all wise men although it be contradicted by heretickes that there is none who can live upon earth without the touch of some sinne partly to that of Sedulius that there is none of the elect so great whom the Divell doth not dare to accuse but him alone who did no sinne and who said The Prince of this world commeth now and in me he findeth nothing For touching the imperfection of our sanctification in this life these men held the same that wee doe to wit that the Law cannot be fulfilled that there is none that doth good that is to say perfect and intire good that Gods elect shall be perfectly holy and immaculate in the life to come where the Church of Christ shall have no spot nor wrinkle whereas in this present life they are righteous holy and immaculate not wholy but in part only that the righteous shall then be without all kinde of sinne vvhen there shall bee no law in their members that shall resist the law of their mind that although sinne do not now raigne in their mortall body to obey the desires thereof yet sinne dwelleth in that mortall body the force of that natural custome being not yet extinguished which we have gotten by our originall and increased by our actuall transgressions And as for the matter of merit Sedulius doth resolve us out of S. Paul that wee are Saints by the calling of God not by the merit of our deed that God is able to doe exceeding aboundantly above all that we aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in us not according to our merits that whatsoever men have from God is grace because they have nothing of due and that nothing can be found worthy or to be compared with the glory to come The next point that offereth it selfe unto our consideration is that of Purgatory Whereof if anie man doe doubt Caesarius a Germane Monke of the Cistercian order adviseth him for his resolution to make a iourney into Scotland the greater Scotland he meaneth and there to enter into S. Patricks Purgatory and then he giveth him his word that he shall no more doubt of the paines of Purgatory If Doctor Terry who commendeth this unto us as the testimonie of a most famous author should chance to have a doubtfull thought hereafter of the paines of Purgatory I would wish his ghostly Father to injoine him no other penance but the undertaking of a pilgrimage unto S. Patricks purgatorie to see whether he would prove any wiser when he came from thence than when hee went thither In the meane time untill he hath made some further experiment of the matter he shall give me leave to beleeve him that hath beene there and hath cause to know the place as well as anie the Iland wherein it is seated being held by him as a part of the inheritance descended unto him from his ancestors and yet professeth that he found nothing therein which might afford him anie argument to thinke there was a Purgatorie I passe by that Nennius and Probus and all the elder writers of the life of S. Patrick that I have met withall speake not one word of anie such place and that Henry the monke of Saltrey in the dayes of king Stephen is the first in whom I could ever finde anie mention thereof this onely would I know
good ends and purposes and not to satisfie the severity of his Iustice by that meanes for their sinnes and the punishment thereto belonging p. 125. c There is no iust cause to be shewed vvhy the pretended Catholicks should refuse to take the oath of Supremacy or refuse to come to our Churches Their obiections and reasons answered p. 1 2 c p. 407 c. See also throughout the vvhole booke for this purpose Concerning auricular Confession and to vvhom confession of sinnes is to be made and that it ought to be free and voluntarie and not forced or compelled pag. 302 303 c. pag. 253 254 D FOr vvhom Christ Dyed and to vvhom hee is a Redeemer pag. 187 188 189 c Every sinne Deadly in his owne nature although all sinnes be also veniall and remissible in respect of Gods mercie grace and bounty except the sinne against the holy Ghost pag. 114 115 E THe Emperor in ancient time had the Supremacy and not the Pope pag. 30 The Emperor in times past had power to place and displace Popes pag. 27 The Emperor in ancient time banished imprisoned and otherwise punished aswell Bishops of Rome as other Bishops pag. 22 Hee did make Lawes concerning Ecclesiasticall causes and religion pag. 24 As also Commissioners in an Ecclesiasticall cause and the B. of Rome himselfe vvas one of those Commissioners pag. ibid. An appeale to the Emperor in an Ecclesiasticall cause pag 24 Generall Councils in ancient times called by the Emperor and his Authoritie pag. 24 The Christian Emperor did and vvas to meddle in matters of the Church and concerning Religion pag. 25 The Christian Emperor in ancient time did nominate and appoint Bishops of Diocesses and Provinces and even the Bishop of Rome himselfe pag. 25 Emperors in ancient time did ratifie the decrees of Councils before they vvere put in execution pag 28 Miltiades Leo and Gregory all Bishops of Rome in their severall times subiect to the Emperor and at his command pag 24.26 Ancient Fathers Popes of Rome and Councils aswell generall as provinciall may erre even in matter of faith aswell as in matter of fact pag. 49 50 51 52. c See also the Preface for this point The Romane Empire dissolved ever since the Emperors have ceased to have the soveraigne command and rule of Rome and that the Popes have gotten to be the heads and supreme Rulers of that City and to be above the Emperors pa. 331.332 and pag. 391.392.393 The Pope of Rome hath no power or authoritie from Christ to Excommunicate any pag. 299 c Excommunications be they never so iust and lawfull be by Gods law and appointment of no force to depose from Earthly kingdomes or to dissolve the dutie and allegeance of subiects pag. 299 300 301 c F OVr Forefathers and ancestors not to be followed in any vices or errors they held pag 34 35 Foretold in the Booke of God that an apostacie from the right faith and a mysterie of iniquitie otherwise called an Antichristianisme should come upon the Church and that so the Church by degrees should grow corrupted and deformed pag. 35 36 280 Foretold also how long the Church should lye in those her corruptions and errors and vvhen she should begin to be clensed and reformed pag. 35 36 VVhat is to be thought of our Forefathers that lived and dyed in the time of Popery pag 39.40 41 42 Foretold that a strong delusion to beleeve lyes shouâ—d possesse them of the Antichristian Church because they received not the love of the truth extant in the divine Scriptures pag. 307 308 Men are iustified in Gods sight and before his tribunall by Faith only and good vvorkes be the fruits and declarations of that faith pag. 99 100 101 c. to the end of that chapter and pag. 116 117 118 c. to the end also of that chapter G God is not the author of sinne pag. 168 169 c. H NOt Protestants but Papists be the Heretickes pag. 72. and Schismaticks pag. 37 38. pag. 413.414 c Not the Pope but Christ onely is the Head of the universall militant Church as well as of the triumphant pag 94 95 96 97 98 I VVHo is to be the infallible Iudge of controversies in religion or vvhich commeth all to one effect in the conclusion vvhat is the infallible Rule vvhereby men must iudge and be directed for the finding out of truth in those controversies pag. 49 50 51 c. See also the Preface for this matter The Implicita fides of Papists reproved pag 78 79 80 K KIngs have the Supremacie over all maner of persons aswell Ecclesiasticall as Civill vvithin their own Dominions pa. 1. to p. 5 Their Supremacie in all kinde of causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as Civill pag. 5 c Kings and Princes although they have the Supremacie yet thereby claime not nor can claime to preach to minister the Sacraments to excommunicate absolve or to consecrate Bishops or to doe any other act proper to the function of the Ecclesiasticall ministers pag. 32 c Kings and Princes be notwithstanding their Supremacies under God and subiect to him and his vvord pag. 33 Even heathen Kings may command and make Edicts and Proclamations for God and his service pag. 7. c Christian Kings and Queenes are by Gods appointment to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to his Church and Religion p. 7. The authoritie of a Christian King in respect of contemptuous disorderly and unruly persons requisite and necessary in the Church as vvell as in the Common-weale pag. 6 c Kings and Princes may command and compell their subiects to externall obedience for God pag. 6 7 8 9 10 Christian Kings may make lawes about matters Ecclesiast p. 7 8.24 Hee may make Commissioners in Ecclesiasticall causes pag. 24 He may have Appeales made unto him in a cause Ecclesiastical ib. He may nominate and appoint Bishops of Diocesses and Provinces pag. 27. Councels and Convocations to be assembled by his authoritie and the decrees thereof by him to be ratified and confirmed before they be put in execution pag. 26 27 28 Christian Kings doe punish offendors in Ecclesiasticall causes not Ecclesiastically but Civilly pag. 6 7.32 Subiects ought not to rebell against their Kings and Princes though they be adversaries to the Christian Religion and though subiects have power force enough to do it pa. 20 21 22.299 300 Kings of Rome did sometimes send the Bishops of Rome as their Ambassadors pag. 22 How thankefull subiects ought to be unto God for Christian Kings and Princes pag. 33 The power of the Keyes most grossely abused by the B of Rome to vvorke his owne exaltation above Kings and Princes pag 299 300 301 c The Keyes of the kingdome of heaven no more given to S. Peter then to the rest of the Apostles pag. 292 293 294 295 L NO Licentiousnesse or impiety in the doctrine of Iustification by faith or in the doctrine of predestination or
but two Sacraments of the new Testament properly so called and that Confirmation Penance Mariage Orders and Extreme unction be not Sacraments properly pag. 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 c That the Sacraments doe not give grace ex opere operato by the verie vvorke or action done by the Minister but grace commeth and is given another vvay pag. 215 216 T TRaditions not specified in the Scriptures affirmed to be Apostolicall there being no assured proofe that they came undoubtedly and originally from the Apostles be not to be urged or imposed upon the faith of men pag. 57 58 c How men in ancient time vvere deceived by Traditions said and supposed to be Apostolicall See the Preface That these Traditions be needlesse because the sacred and canonicall Scriptures vvithout them be perfectly and completely sufficient for all instruction of truth concerning divine and heavenly matters pa. 57 58.64 c. See also the Preface V THat the Bishop of Rome if hee vvere a good and orthodoxe Bishop is no more the Vicar of Christ then other Bishops are pag. 97 To vvhat Vse and end God gave his Law of the Ten Commandements pag. 151.152 it being impossible to be exactly and perfectly fulfiâ—led by men by reason of the vveâ—kenesse that is in all flesh and â—hat God therein is neither cruell tyrannicall or uniust p. 151 152. and pag. 108 109 c W GOod Workes be the effect and fruite of a iustifying faith and doe not iustifie in Gods sight pag. 101 c. p 112 c There is a reward belonging to good Workes but it is a reward of bountie and grace and not of merit or due desert by men pag. 113 114 c. Good Workes be the vvay that men must vvalke in towards the kingdome of God but they be not the cause of their comming thither pag. 105 c. Good Workes and a good life and godly conversation must be observed but not to purchase or merit heaven thereby for it cost a greater price but for other godly uses and ends pag. 110.111 112 c. pag. 121.122.123 124 pag. 151.152 â—o good Workes in Gods sight and censure before faith received pag 147 â—â—od Works done after faith received do not merit at Gods hands â—or iustifie in his sight pag. 148.149.150 â—orkes of supererogation most abominable pag. 151.152 â—orkes of mens owne invention and devising done for and in the â—way of Gods service and religion not commanded by him nor warranted by his VVord whatsoever good intention is pretended â—e neverthelesse not good nor approved in his sight and censure pa. 145.146 FINIS TABULAE ERRATA PAg 1 in marg 1. Pet. 5.12 for 1. Pet. 5.1 2. pag. 3. l. 1. audiens for erudiens p. 10. l. 6. knoâ— for knew p. 11. l. 17. otger for other p. 27. l. 25. Grantzius for Crantzius p. 74. l. 10. hirdly for thirdly p. 96. l. 19. alwayes to be blotted out p. 109 l. 22. Clesiphontem for Ctesiphoâ—â—â—â— p. 111. l. 29 manifested for magnified p. 116. l 18. reade in this sense p. 128. l. 28. able to dye 〈◊〉 able to doe it p. 130. l. 31. highest for highest p. 139. l. 37. himselfe to be blotted out p. 148. â— marg Psal 3.12 for Phil 3.12 ib. Gal. 5 1â— for Gal. 5.17 p. 159 l 4. sim for sum p. 177. l â— hâ—â—gh for though p. 190. l. 28. bloud for beloved p. 193 l. 1. sinnes for sinne p. 200. l. 14 of to 〈◊〉 blotted p. 207. l. 13. outward for inward p. 211. l 31. end for and p. 212. l. 25 popist for â—â—â—pish p. 216. l. 1. in marg Graces for Grace p 222. l. 7 member for members p. 231. l. 25. Traâ—â—substation for Transubstantiation p. 232. l. 6. aswell sense for aswell as sense l. 7. Transubstaâ—â—tiation for Transubstantiation p 239. l. 30. manet for manent p 43. l 13. ef for of p. 184. â— marg Ioâ— 4.10 for 1. Ioh. 4.10 Ioh. 4.19 for 1. Ioh. 4.19 p. 253. l. 8. it for is and l. 26. â— in good measure to be blotted p 254. l. 26. Espencaelus for Espencaeus p. 256 l. 6. continuaâ—â—â— for câ—â—ntenance p 263. in marg Exod. 23.8 for Exod 32.8 p. 271 l. 28 due for done p. 283. l. â— reade Titus Vespasian and the rest c p. 296. l. 1 althought for although l. 25. Legall 〈◊〉 Regall p. 318. l. 3. fable for fables p. 331. l. 31. Imperio for l. 'imperio l 37. had led for hanâ—â— p. 332 l 1. for for so p. 341. l. 6 no for not p. 343 l. 11. redigerint for redegerint and l. 9 â— qurdringentos for quadringentos l. 23 Empires for Empire p. 361 l 9 Doranus for Dorâ—â—nus p. 380. l. 15 21. et for est p 387. l. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 39â— l 5. Apostles for Apâ—â—stle p. 393 l. 26. or three to be blotted p. 395. l. 1 2. in the Church relation to Antichrist 〈◊〉 whose spirit they speake as S. Iohn affirmeth to be blotted p. 400. l. 20. true-Christians 〈◊〉 true-Christian p. 410. l 22. bni for bin p. 243. l 4. heree for here p. 296 in marg l 6. petrus â—â—â—spondet for unus respondit p. 380. l. 20. Theodorum for medorum p 48 Finis libri primi 〈◊〉 Finis primae partis hujus libri p. 63 l 26. that for the. l. 5. uphold for hold p. 64. l. 37. prâ—â—structae for praestructa p. 27. l. 21. Minister for Ministers p. 69. l. 1. perish for passe p. 119. l â— for not p 16 l. 15. by them for to them p. 88. l. 4. strang for strange p. 100. l. 5 truth for trutâ—â— p. 113. l. 26. to superfluous p. 38â— l. 34. odoravit for adoravit p 345. l 19. velunt for velut 〈◊〉 358. l 24. Apostolici for Apostoli p. 365. l. 3. after peace add and ioy p 375. l. 32. of prohibiâ—â—â—on for of a prohibition p. 40. in marg for Cyprian in psalmo ad quid Iustificationes meas 〈◊〉 assumis Testamentum meum per os tuum read Cyprian lib. 2. Epist. 3. ad Caecilium p. 3â—â— l. 1. howres to be blotted p. 401. l 26. licentiousnes for covetousnes Other faults may also escape in the printing which I desire the Reader to correct witâ— his pen. THE FIRST PART of the BOOKE CAP. I. Concerning the Kings Supremacie and the Oath in that behalfe to be taken HIS MAIESTIES Supremacie is chiefly considerable in two respects namely in respect of Persons and in respect of Things or Causes First then concerning his Supremacy in respect of Persons Ecclesiasticall as well as Civill within his owne Dominions who can iustly denie it him Doth not S. Peter expresly require of all Christians that live within the Dominion of anie King that they should submit themselves unto him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as unto the chiefe or supreame person over them It is evident that hee calleth the King
signes or vvonders wee say that those which were done by Christ and his Apostles and in those ancient and primitive Churches be sufficient for the confirmation of that most ancient primitive Christian and Apostolicke faith and religion conteined in the booke of God which wee professe Yea now in these daies saith S. Chrysostome the vvorking of miracles is ceased and they be rather counterfeit miracles saith he vvhich be found amongst them that be false Christians Againe he saith There be some that aske vvhy men vvorke not miracles novv in these dayes If thou bee beleeving saith he as thou oughtest to be and if thou lovest Christ as he should be loved thou needest no miracles for signes be given to unbeleevers and not to beleevers Againe S. Cyrill saith that to vvorke miracles maketh not a man one iot the more holy seing it is common to evill men and to such as he obiects or reprobates For so the Lord himselfe witnesseth saying Manie shall say unto mee in that day Lord Lord have not vvee prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out divels in thy name done manie great vvorks And yet will he neverthelesse professe unto them I never knevv you depart from me ye vvorkers of iniquitie And on the other side working of no miracles hindereth not a mans holinesse for Iohn wrought neither signe nor miracle and yet was this no derogation to his holinesse for amongst them that are borne of vvomen arose there not a greater then hee as Christ himselfe testifieth Yea that miracles signes or wonders may be done by false Prophets and false teachers is further manifest for even Christ himselfe saith that There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and they shall shevv great signes and vvonders so that if is vvere possible they should deceive the very Elect. S. Paul also directlie testifieth that in the Antichristian Church there shall be the vvorking of Sathan vvith all power and signes and lying VVonders Which saith S. Augustine be called lying signes and VVonders for this cause that either mens senses be deceived thinking that to be done which revera is not done or else because if they be done in deed they draw men to beleeve that they could not be done but by the power of God whereas they know not the power of the Divell For S. Iohn in the Revelation mentioneth spirits of Divels vvorking Miracles to deceive those that be of the Antichristian Church By all this then you see that the Miracles wrought in Poperie be no argument or proofe that therfore it is the right or true Church or that the Teachers therein be the right and true Teachers for they may be false Prophets and false Teachers and the Popish Church may be as indeed it is the false and Antichristian Church all these their Miracles notwithstanding But hereof I shall have occasion to speake more fullie afterward when I come to speake of Antichrist and his Miracles In the meane time concerning this point thus much may suffice CAP. III. Of Iustification by Faith onely The right sense and meaning of that position and of the truth of it And that being rightly understood it excludeth not good workes nor importeth anie licentiousnesse at all in it but the cleane contrarie IT is a thing well knowne how busie and earnest Popish Teachers be not only by word of mouth but by their books writings also to perswade you all that ever they can against ours the most ancient most pure and only right Religion and amongst other their bad devises which they plot contrive for their owne advantage and behoofe this is not the least that they accuse our Religion to be a doctrine and religion of much licentiousnesse and that in sundrie points which therefore must be answered And manie there be also that be too hastie and over credulous to beleeve them as if all that they speake and write were to be held for undoubted truth and oracles without further enquirie or examination But howsoever they thus boldly presume they for all that be not able to take anie iust exception against our Religion or to shew or prove it in anie point whatsoever to be an allower of anie the least impietie or licentiousnesse if it be rightly understood It is true that sundrie that professe Protestancie live licentiously and wickedly and so doe manie also that professe Poperie likewise live wickedly licentiously If therefore they allow not this for an argument sufficient to convince their religion of wickednesse licentiousnesse which is taken from the wicked lives manners and conversations of men Why will they be so unequall as to make it of anie force against our religion Wise men can easily distinguish inter vitium rei personae betweene that which is the fault of the thing and the fault of mens persons For the religion may be good though some persons that professe it live not answerably thereunto yea the Protestant that is the Christian Religion which we professe is so good godly divine holy and pure as that it neither alloweth nor tolerateth the filthie Stewes nor anie other impuritie nor anie treasons or rebellions nor perjuries nor lying or deceitfull equivocations nor anie other wickednesse or impietie whatsoever but utterly condemneth them all So that for true pietie puritie integritie and all manner of good life and godly conversation the religion of Poperie commeth farre short of it and is in no sort to be compared with it If then anie professing our religion live wickedly or licentiously as too manie do it is the fault of the men that live so dissolutely and not of the religion which requireth and commandeth the cleane contrarie at their hands But for all that they persist and say that even the Protestants religion it selfe is licentious because it teacheth and holdeth that men are justified in Gods sight and before his Tribunall onely by faith in Iesus Christ which doctrine say they maketh men licentious and carelesse of doing good workes Howbeit both they and you must understand that when the Protestants doe say or have said at anie time that Faith onely iustifieth in Gods sight it is and ever was meant and intended howsoever some seeme purposely to mistake it not of anie dead faith which hath no life in it to bring forth anie good workes but of a true and lively faith which is accompanied with good works and is fruitfull and working by love as S. Paul and S. Iames and S. Peter and the rest of the holy Scriptures cleerly declare Whilst therefore they teach both in their Sermons writings with S. Iames and the rest of the Scriptures That the faith that is vvithout vvorks is dead and that such a faith cannot save or iustifie a man but that it must be a true and lively faith that is such a faith as produceth bringeth forth good workes I hope you sufficiently perceive that the doctrine of
part with it in that apprehensive facultie Where also you may understand how S. Iames S. Paul be cleerly reconciled between whom neverthelesse there neither is nor ever was anie variance being rightly understood namely even by that evident common and knowne distinction that CHRISTVS iustificat effectivè Fides instrumentaliter sivè apprehensivè Opera declarativè CHRIST is he that iustifieth in verie deede effectually Faith iustifieth instrumentally or apprehensively and workes iustifie declaratively that is they doe declare or shew forth unto men the goodnesse and livelinesse of that faith whereby as by an instrument apprehending Christ our righteousnesse wee are iustified in the sight of God And this is the reason that S. Iames spake in that sort before mentioned viz Declare or Shew me thy faith by thy vvorkes and I will shew thee my faith by my workes In which sense also he further saith that Abraham was iustified that is was shewed or declared to be iust by his workes when he offered Isaac his sonne upon the Altar Likewise hee saith that Rahab the harlot vvas iustified that is was shewed or declared to be iust through workes when she received the messengers and sent them out another vvay So that to bee iustified by workes in S. Iames is nothing else but thereby to be shewed or declared to be iust For all S. Iames his dispute in that place if you well observe it is directly and expresly against a Dead faith which hath no good workes with it and against that vaine man that shall say or thinke that he hath a faith good enough to save him when as being without workes it was indeede but an idle brag and conceite and not a lively or saving faith but like a bodie without a soule as he there resembleth it for that it hath not the action of a living thing appearing in it The iustification therefore by faith without workes whereof S. Paul speaketh and the iustification by workes and not by faith onely that is when faith onelie is pretended or alledged which is destitute of good workes whereof S. Iames speaketh appeare to have no contradiction or contrarietie at all but a verie plaine evident and cleare consent and agreement For both those Apostles doe teach alike and concurre in this that the iustifying and saving faith is not an idle or dead faith but such a one as is livelie and operative working by love and bringing forth the fruites of good workes And therefore doth also S. Paul aswell as S. Iames require of all beleevers in Christ that they be carefull to shew forth good vvorkes and of as manie as be redeemed by him and iustified by faith in him that They should bee zealous of good vvorkes Yea although hee teacheth that wee are iustified in Gods sight and saved by grace through faith and not by workes yet he further addeth and saith neverthelesse that VVee are his vvorkemanship created in Christ Iesus unto good vvorkes and that God hath before ordained those good vvorkes that vvee should vvalke in them So that good workes be as S. Bernard also witnesseth of them Via regni non causa regnandi The way vvherin men must vvalke tovvards Gods kingdome but they be not the cause of their raigneing or of their comming thither As for that they obiect touching the Heresie of faith only iustifying or saving which S. Augustine saith was held by some in the Apostles time the same S. Augustine himselfe there plainely declareth that the heresie was of them that thoght they might be iustified or saved by such a faith as was void of good works which is indeed an heretical or erroneous opinioÌ„ which nothing toucheth us yea which we likewise condemne detest as much as anie ever holding with the same S· August with S. Paul S. Iames and the rest of the Scriptures that a iustifying or saving faith will produce good workes and a care to live well and in obedience to all Gods commandements Here then you may see the unsoundness of that distinction which the Rhemists and other Papists use viz. that workes done before Faith received that is whilst men be Infidels and unbeleevers do not indeed Iustifie but works done after faith received that is after that men be beleevers do say they iustifie in Gods sight For doth not S. Paul in that his dispute concerning Iustification expressely mention the example of Abraham as being the father of the faithfull in that case And doth he not say of that beleeving and godlie man Abraham that his Faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse before God and not his Works And doth he not further say that David likewise describeth the blessednesse of a man to consist not in anie workes or inherent righteousnesse of his owne but in remission of his sinnes and in Gods not imputing sinne unto him yea unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes as he there directlie speaketh Was not S. Paul also a godlie and faithful man and one that had received grace from God and done manie good workes after that faith and grace received and yet he saith thus of himselfe Doubtlesse I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knowledg sake of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have counted all thiâ—gs lâ—sse do iudge them to be dung that I might win Christ might be found in him that is not having mine owne righteoâ—snes vvhâ—ch is of the Law but that righteousnes which is through the faith of Christ even the righteousnes which is of God through faith In which words ye see that S. Paul thogh a godly man yet disclaimeth all his own works and inherent righteousnesse whatsoever accounting it as Dung and altogether unmeet to stand in Gods presence and before his Iudgement seate to claime Iustification by that all his ioy delight and desiâ—e was to goe out of himselfe and to be found In hâ—m that is in Christ and so to have his righteousnesse and not his owne imputed to him For in Christ it is that the Father is vvell pleased and in Christ it is and for his sake and not for our owne that vvee are accepted As hee likewise saith againe There is no condemnation to them that be in Christ Iesus And againe he saith God hath made him to bee sinne for us vvhich knew no sinne that we should be made the righteousnesse of God in him Where you also see that Christ Iesus our most kinde Suertie and most loving Saviour though hee had not anie the least speck or spot of sinne but was most holie most pure and in all compleate fulnesse and perfection righteous in himselfe had neverthelesse our sinnes imputed to him that wee might be made the righteousnesse of God In him as this Text speaketh and not in our selves As Christ then became sinne in respect of the imputation of our sinnes unto him so are we iudged righteous in Gods sight not by
likewise doth the Church and people of God in Daniels time disclaime all merite and conceite of inherent righteousnes in themselves as appeareth by their praier which they make unto God saying VVee do not present our supplications before thee for our ovvne righteousnesse but for thy great tender mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgive O Lord consider and doe it That holy man Iob likewise speaketh to the same effect If man saith hee dispute vvith God hee cannot answer him one thing of a Thousand And againe he saith If I vvould Iustifie my selfe mine owne mouth shall condemne mee and If I vvould be perfect hee shall Iudge mee vvicked But now although the Protestants doe thus rightly teach Iustification by Faith onely and not by Workes or by anie Inherent righteousnesse in men therewithall condemne the doctrine of mens merits most justly yet doe they confesse that there is a reward in Scripture promised to them that doe good workes But Reward and Merit doe differ and be not all one For it is a Reward not of merit or desert of mens behalfe but of meere grace favour and bountie in God farre above the merits and deserts of anie men and performed given and bestowed for Gods promise sake and for the merits onely and mediation of Iesus Christ. There is Merces ex gratia a Reward counted by favour aswell as ex debito of Debt or Due desert as S. Paul himselfe distinguisheth even in this verie case Yea Saint Paul saith againe that though Christ paid a price and ransome for us yet in respect of our selves vve are Iustificati gratis Iustified frankely and freely without our paying or performing anie thing toward it or in that behalfe What could be spoken more plainely or more forcibly to quell the swelling pride of men and to dash all conceit of their merit at GODS hand It is true which is written in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where it is said thus To doe good and to to Distribute forgett not for vvith such sacrifices God is vvell pleased The Papists translate it for maintenance of their meritts that with such Hosts or Sacrifices God is promerited for so is their Latin Translation Promeretur Deus Which word in Latin as it is not used passively as the Rhemists in their English have translated it so neither is that Latin translation which they follow right in that point being not answerable to the originall in Greeke according whereunto the ancient Fathers would have all translations to be reformed and framed as before is declared for the Greek word in that Text is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth as our Translation hath it is wel pleased or is delighted but it importeth no such thing as matter of merit in it And therefore you must hereby learne to take heed of your false translations Yea the Parable in the Gospel of the Servant that did the commandement of his Maister plainlie and purposelie sheweth that we deserue no thankes or recompence at Gods hand for anie duetie or obedience we performe to him For saith Christ doth the Maister thanke that servant because hee did that vvhich vvas commanded him I trow not So likewise yee vvhen yee have done all those things that are commanded you yet say VVe are unprofitable servants vvee have done no more but that vvhich was our duety to doe It is here then verie manifest that no men by anie duetie or obedience they performe to God can possiblie merit or deserve anie benefite at Gods hand much lesse Eternall Heavenlie happinesse And yet you have a conceit that so long as yee acknowledge those vertues and good workes to come not from your selves but from God from his gift ye may repose confidence in them matter of merit but what is this if yee well consider it but plaine Pharisaisme for all that For did not the Pharisee in the Gospel say O God I thanke thee c. acknowledging therein the vertues and workes which he had to come from God and to be of his gift and therefore gave him thankes and yet for reposing confidence therein for being proud of Gods gifts he is disliked and reproved Bernard saith Meritum meum miseratio Domini The merit I relye upon is the Lords mercy Againe he saith Non est quo gratia intret ubi meritum occupavit There is no place for grace to enter vvhere merit hath taken possession Againe he sheweth That men can by no manner of meanes possiblie deserve or merit eternall life and salvation And so teacheth Anselmus likewise and Cusanus Yea both wee and yee be so farre from meriting and deserving salvaon that contrariwise wee all in respect of our owne merits must confesse that we deserve damnation For yee for your parts aswell as wee cannot denie but yee sometimes sinne and goe astray and if you did sinne but once in all your life time yet were that sufficient in the sentence of Gods Law and the severitie of his Iustice to make you subiect to his curse and to throw you down to hell and eternall torments Never therefore sooth nor flatter your selves with that your distinction of some Veniall and some deadlie sinnes For although it be true that some sinnes be greater then other some are and that all sinnes be in respect of Gods mercie veniall that is remissible and may be forgiven except the sinne against the Holie Ghost of which it is directlie said that it shall never be forgiven yet is it also as true that everie sinne even the least that can be named is in his owne nature deadlie and maketh a breach and transgression of Gods Law and consequently deserveth his curse and condemnation for so have S. Paul and S. Iames before instructed us whereunto the rest of the Scriptures doe accord So that even those which you call small and veniall sinnes if they should be laid to your charge and should not be forgiven you through Christ the Saviour and Redeemer they be of weight sufficient to presse you downe to hell there to be everlastinglie tormented And yet it is true that in respect of the quantitie and qualitie of sinnes committed by reprobates and according to the difference of them shall be the diversitie of their punishments in hell some being there to be tormented more and some lesse Doe ye not then all this while perceive in what a wofull and damnable estate they all be that stand upon their owne deservings merits and workes and looke to bee Iustified before Gods tribunall by a righteousnesse inherent in their owne persons and not by the righteousnesse onlie of Iesus Christ apprehended and applied by faith Well therefore did S. Bernard say that Assignata est homini aliena Iustitia quia caruit sua There is assigned to a man another mans righteousnesse because he vvanted his owne Pigghius likewise speaketh teaching that we are Iustified by the righteousnesse of
faith And thus himselfe being otherwise dead did live or had life in him namely by faith in the Sonne of God and not by the workes of the law Yea he further excludeth even the workes of righteousnes in expresse termes saying thus Not by the vvorkes of righteousnesse vvhich vve have done but according to his mercie he hath saved us Observe that he here directlie affirmeth of himselfe of all the rest that shall be saved that they are saved not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by vvorkes done by them in righteousnes but of Gods meere mercie and grace through Christ Iesus And againe observe that speaking not to unbeleevers but to beleevers Saints and sanctified people living in Ephesus he saith thus By grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of vvorkes lest anie man should glorie for vvee are his vvorkemanship created in Christ Iesus unto good vvorkes vvhich God hath before ordained that vvee should vvalke in them Heere also you see infalliblie that workes though done by such as be sanctified and regenerate persons be neverthelesse excluded from being anie cause of their salvation yea by the verie words themselves of the text you perceive that he speaketh expresly and by name of good vvorkes vvhich God hath before ordained that vvee should vvalke in them denying them neverthelesse to be anie cause of salvation But here why doe they speake of anie good workes done by Infidels or before faith received For to speake properlie and truely none doe or can doe good workes so allowed to be in Gods censure but beleeving persons onely inasmuch as the best workes of Infidels and before a man hath received faith be not allowed for good in Gods sight but bee as S. Augustine affirmeth of them Splendida peccata Glittering sinnes Howbeit here remember that although those which be Saints upon earth that is which bee regenerate and sanctified people be thus expresly affirmed to be saved by their faith and not by their good workes yet have they neverthelesse these good workes appointed for them to walke in so long as they live in this world for so this text to the Ephesians directlie sheweth to the end their faith should not be idle but working through love as S. Paul speaketh in another place and that so it might appeare to bee not a vaine and a dead faith but a sound and a lively faith and such as will save a man as S. Iames and the rest of the Scriptures have also before declared Yea this point even Christ Iesus also himselfe by his last Iudgement in the end of the world doth declare namely that the iustifying and saving faith is not voide of good workes but furnished with them and yet that Gods people doe not relye upon them For thus will hee say to his faithfull and elect ones Come ye blessed of my father inherite yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the vvorld for I vvas hungrie and yee gave me meate I was thirstie and yee gave me drinke I was a stranger and yee tooke mee in naked and ye clothed mee I vvas sicke and yee visited mee I vvas in prison and yee came unto me But now observe that although these elect and righteous persons had these good workes yet doe not they so much as take notice of them much lesse stand upon the merite of them and therefore doe they answer and say Lord when savv vvee thee hungrie and fed thee or thirstie and gave thee drinke vvhen saw vvee thee a stranger and tooke thee in or naked and clothed thee sicke or in prison and came unto thee Reade further the rest of the Chapter to the end of it And by all of it considered together ye may verie easilie perceive first that they bee not the elect and righteous people but the reprobates that stand upon their workes obiect their workes to plead for them And secondlie that Christ their Lord taketh notice of the good works of the elect although themselves take no notice of them nor doe so much as once mention or alledge them Where Christ by alledging their good works would have the world also to take notice and to be advertised that it was not a vaine idle or dead faith but a iustifying and saving faith which these men had For their good workes be there mentioned as testimonies fruites and declarations of their faith and as being Via regni non causa regnandi The vvay vvherein they walked toward this kingdome but not as being the cause of their enioying of that kingdome as S. Bernard also himselfe hath before taught affirmed Yea in verie deede the primarie and original cause of their enioying of that most happie kingdome is there delivered in the former words where Christ calleth them the Blessed of his father and telleth them moreover directlie that they are to possesse this kingdom not by anie purchase or desert of their owne but by way of Inheritance for the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Inherite yee or possesse yee it by waie of Inheritance And further he there telleth them that this kingdom was prepared for them long before they were borne or had done anie good workes at all namelie even from the foundation of the world So that this glorious and heavenlie kingdome is given them of Gods meere bountie and grace and is unto them a Revvard according to their vvorkes as the Scripture speaketh but not for their workes as though their workes deserved it or were the meritorious cause of their salvation Yea it is a reward of grace and favour and not of debt or due desert as S. Paul hath also before testified and a revvard of Inheritance as the same S. Paul againe expresly affirmeth it In vaine therefore also is that your distinction of the first Iustification which you make to be by faith without vvorkes and of the second Iustification which you say is by workes and by living an holie and godlie life for the Scriptures speake but of one Iustification in Gods sight availeable to salvation As for that which you call the second Iustification consisting in doing good workes and in holinesse of life and conversation it is as I said before more properlie and rightly to be tearmed as the Scripture calleth it Sanctification it being an effect declaration fruite and consequent of that Iustification we have before by faith as S. Iames and S. Paul and the rest of the Scriptures doe manifestly teach CHAP. V. That Christ is our onely and all-sufficient Redeemer and hath fully satisfied Gods Iustice for our sinnes and the punishment thereto belonging against mens merits and satisfactions in that behalfe and against Popish Purgatorie And that there is no licentiousnesse in this doctrine but the cleane contrary BVt they further accuse our Religion to be licentious because relying wholly upon Christ our
worke of their owne hands to doe ordeine and dispose of it at their owne will And shall not God the maker and creator of all things be allowed the like authoritie over all and singular men to doe decree purpose ordeine and dispose of them and everie of them being his creatures even as pleaseth himselfe What a grosse strange iniurious and unreasonable dealing were this in men not to allow that in God which they allow in themselves Doth not Christ Iesus himselfe yet further give a full and sufficient answer in this case saying thus Is it not lawfull for mee to doe as I vvill vvith mine owne is thine eye evill because I am good Consider well these words for they shew plainly that God may doe with all his creatures as pleaseth himselfe and that if God bestow mercie kindnesse love and favour toward one which he bestoweth not upon another for this goodnesse and liberalitie of God no other should have an evill eye or envious heart or a murmuring or blasphemous tongue Besides God is Debtor to no man Why then should anie exclaime against God for that he was not elected to salvation nor had saving graces given unto him whilest he lived For is God compellable or standeth he tied and bound to give anie men salvation and saving graces whether he will or no or otherwise then at his owne pleasure Againe VVho hath been his Counsailer saith the Apostle Was it fit or meet thinke you that God the creator of all should not doe and determine of all his workes and creatures which he made without calling silly men or other the worke of his hands to counsaile Doe or will men hold it reasonable to aske counsell or advise of the things â—hemselves doe make what use it shall serve for or what shall become of it or doe not men first purpose and determine of everie thing they make before it be made to what use it shall serve and to what end it shall be And if these things be thus amongst men shal not the like be allowed unto God O the intolerable audaciousnesse of men that dare thus stand in contention against God their maker Although therefore it be true that by the transgression of Adam the Elect and the Reprobate were both sinners alike and in respect of themselves both worthie of condemnation alike yet it pleased God who hath full and free power in himselfe to doe whatsoever hee will to put a difference betwneene them and to shew mercie to the one sort and not to the other Yea in verie deed how could it be otherwise seeing both Iustice and Mercie were thus determined of God to be shewed among the children of men upon their fall For if all had beene saved where had beene his Iustice And againe If all had beene damned where had beene his Mercie To the end therefore that both his Iustice and Mercie might appeare to sinfull men it is that some men upon the fall of Adam be thus to goe to damnation and other some to salvation If as yet anie man conceive not the depth of this high point of Gods predestination let him not reiect nor monster-like blaspheme that which hee understandeth not but let him in all humilitie reverence and iustifie God in all his words and workes admiring and wondring at the height and depth of that wisedome which hee is not able to reach unto And let him in this matter doe as S. Paul did crying out thus O the depth of the riches both of the vvisedome and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Iudgements and his vvayes past finding out And let him also stay with patience untill the day of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God for such a day there is as S. Paul expressely affirmeth So that howsoever wicked blasphemous and ungodly men doe sometimes speake most impiously of God and of his doings herein yet at that day of the declaration of the iust Iudgement of God if not sooner it will be manifested that all the Iudgements decrees and doings of God are iust and such as no exception can be taken against And let men learne in the meane time to accuse and condemne themselves and their owne wayes as uniust and unequall and ever iustifie God and acknowledge his wayes and workes to be as they are most holy most iust and most equall as God himselfe also declareth by his Prophet Ezechiel And let us all confesse that according to his owne vvill he vvorketh in the army of Heaven and in the Inhabitants of the earth and that none can stay his hand nor may say unto him vvhat dost thou as it is written in the Prophesie of Daniel And let us likewise say as the Saints speak in the Revelation saying thus Thou art vvorthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy vvills sake they are and have beene created CAP. IX Concerning the Sacraments and that there be but two Sacraments of the New Testament properly so called namely Baptisme and the Lords Supper and that Confirmation Pennance Marriage Orders and Extreme unction be no Sacraments properly And that the Sacraments administred doe not give grace ex opere operato by the vvorke or action wrought or done but grace commeth and is given another way THe word SACRAMENT is sometimes taken in a generall or large sense and so it may comprehend all manner of Signes which God gave men at anie time to assure them of the undoubted truth of his promise in anie matter whatsoever In which sense the Tree of life in the Garden may be said to be to Adam a Sacrament or signe of his life received from God and that he should not die so long as he continued in his obedience The Rainebow also in this sense might be termed a Sacrament that is a signe to Noah and his posteritie that the world shall never more be destroyed with a floud of waters and sundrie such like But we here speake not of Sacraments in such a general signification or large acception of the word but as it is strictly and properly taken viz. of such Sacraments as God hath left to be usual and ordinarie in the New Testament and appointed to be signes and scales of our communion with Christ and of that righteousnesse we have by faith in him In this sense a Sacrament being taken is a visible signe and seale ordayned of God vvhereby Christ and all his saving graces by certaine outward rites are signified exhibited and sealed up unto all the faithful of which sort there be two namely Baptisme and the Lords Supper Baptisme succeedeth in the place of Circumcision and the Lords Supper in the place of the Passeover And as Circumcision was not onely a visible signe but also a seale to Abraham of the righteousnesse he had by faith in Christ so is Baptisme likewise the other Sacrament also of the Lords