2. I haue spokē in the answere vnto his secōd argument But heere it appeareth that such heretikes did then trouble the church Last of al not al the vehemēt speeches of the fathers are to be taken or vnderstoode as they sound but they must be warely red and wisely examined by the touchstone of Gods word And then it will appeare that the Fathers either may well bee taken or iustly refused And thus hauing I trust in the iudgement of the indifferent Reader sufficiently confirmed the trueth answered the Scriptures alleadged to the contrary and shewed some causes why the fathers should in this point be read with good aduise and iudgement it now onely remaineth that I lay open the absurditie of that shift wherein they trust much and which indeede is the chiefe strength of their cause For being pressed with the testimonies out of scriptures especially out of saint Paul which plainely testifie that we are iustified by faith Rom. 3.28 without the workes of the law first they deuised this answere that S. Paul speaketh of the ceremoniall laws that we are iustified without them but not without doing the works of the law morall or of the commaundements But this being so vntrue an answere that master Bellarmine himselfe is ashamed of it De iustificat lib. 1. cap. 19. and reasoneth against it Master Bellarmine bringeth another answere namely that the Apostle speaketh of the workes before faith So that he would haue the wordes of the Apostle thus to sound Wee are iustified by faith without the works of the law that were done before we beleeued And for the credit of this interpretation he would faine father it vpon S. Augustine and S. Ierome De gr lib. arb ca. 7. de praedest sinctor cap. 7. In praefat ps 31 Ier. ad Ctesiphontem contra Pelagianos but most vntruely as he that examineth those places shall easily see that S. Augustine and S. Ierome in those places doe not so expound those wordes of saint Paul neither giue vs anie rule so to expound them Neither yet doe Chrysostome Ambrose Theophilact or Primasius vpon those words either in the third to the Romans or second to the Galathians so expound it Rom. 4.4 Or yet S. Ierome vpon the Galathians And in the Epistle that he writeth against the Pelagians to Ctesiphon he denieth that those words may be vnderstood of the law ceremoniall but concerning this exposition which master Bellarmine bringeth there is no word As for the reason that Bellarmine hath out of S. Paul to prooue this his exposition let vs consider of it Vnto him that worketh saith S. Paul the wages is not counted by fauour but by debt Therefore saith M. Bellarmine he speaketh onely of those workes that are done by the power of free will without grace How little S. Paule dreamed of free will hath in the former chapter beene declared And that hee doeth not in these wordes expound what he meant before by the workes of the lawe the text it selfe prooueth For hauing said that Abraham beleeued God and that was counted to him for righteousnes therevpon the Apostle inferreth that if he had beene iustified by workes his iustification had bin of debt not of grace So that he doth not heere expound his former wordes but beginneth in this fourth chapter an other argument by the example of Abraham being already iustified and a holie man to prooue iustification by faith without workes euen by forgiuenesse of sinnes or couering them And as I haue shewed master Bellarmines interpretation to stand vppon no good ground but that the place aledged maketh against himselfe so that which we gather out of S. Paules words to be the most true meaning namely that workes neither before nor after our first iustification as they call it can merit the circumstances of the place do proue the whole course of his doctrine He instructeth the Rom. Galath in this doctrine who were already become christians already were iustified He doth not only shew that the works of the law do not iustifie but telleth vs that the nature of the law is to make vs to know sin Rom. 7.7 Rom. 4.15 to cause wrath euen after we be iustified And S. Paul himselfe teacheth so much in that he counted al that was in him to be but losse yea dung That he might win Christ Philip. 3.8 9 be found in him not hauing his own righteousnesse which is of the lawe but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through Christ Marke heere how the Apostle saint Paul in these wordes which were written almost thirty yeeres after his conuersion still relieth vpon the righteousnesse that is by faith and he calleth it Gods righteousnesse and refuseth that which commeth by workes and that he calleth mans righteousnesse Now of this which is said I trust I may thus reason Saint Paul excludeth from iustification not only the works that are done before we beleeue but also the works which we afterwards doe therefore master Bellarmines interpretation is not true If then workes cannot iustifie as hitherto I haue taught wee may say with saint Augustine Wo bee euen to the commendable life of man Confess lib. 9. ca. 13. if thou Lord setting mercie aside examine it For Enarrat psal 109. as he saieth in an other place Whatsoeuer God hath promised hee hath promised to them that are vnworthie that it shuld not be promised as wages for good works but grace according to the name of it should be freely giuen Confess lib. 9. cap. 13. O therefore that all men that with Saint Augustine I may wish that godly wish would know themselues and they that reioyce Ad Ctesiphontem contra Pelagianos would reioyce in the Lord. For this onely perfection is left to men that they knowe themselues to be vnperfect as truly and godlily saint Hierome writeth Of iustification by Faith and what Faith is CHAP. 26 THE PROTESTANTS ANd this Iustification which by our workes we can not deserue yet by faith we do obtaine Not because our faith can of it selfe worke any such effect What faith is But it beeing a liuely and certain perswasion of our heart and conscience that God for Christ Iesus his sake forgiueth vs al our sinnes and in him accounteth vs holie and righteous doeth thus iustifie vs not as that that worketh our iustification but as that which apprehendeth and taketh holde of that righteousnes that Christ hath wrought for vs. And so by faith he being made ours is vnto vs wisdome 1. Cor. 1.30 and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption And being thus iustified by faith Rom. 5.1 wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ THE PAPISTS BVT our aduersaries because they like not that Christ shoulde bee the onely salue for our sores neyther will they haue faith to bee the hande that applieth this soueraigne medicine
to our maladies But they are content to confesse that it doeth iustifie yea Bellar. de iustif li. 1. ca. 15. Con. Trid. Sess 6. cap. 6. Orth. explica li. 6. and that faith doth somewhat merit our iustification because it doeth prepare and dispose the hart to iustification or as Andradradius saith because it goeth before to open as it were the doore to hope and charitie and is the beginning and foundation of iustification but that it iustifieth as the instrumentall cause that maketh vs to rest and settle our selues for our iustification onely vpon Christ without any regarde to the merit and woorke of Fayth they will not graunt A great cause of the difference betwene vs and the papists in this question is that we agree not in the signification of the worde what it is to be iustified This therefore is the question whether wee that are not only by nature sinners but also euen after our regeneration haue that Lawe in our members rebelling against the lawe of the minde Rom. 7.27 Bellar. de Amiss grat li. 5. ca. 13. which saint Paul calleth sinne and the papists themselues confesse to be euil damned and hated of God whether I say we being such sinners shal appeare righteous before God in hauing our sinnes pardoned couered and not imputed vnto vs and Christs righteousnesse accounted ours or in that goodnes or holines or those good workes which Gods grace worketh in vs. We say that Christ by faith is made ours Christ I say with all his holinesse and righteousnesses Ephe. 1.7 By whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace And in this assurance we stand euen before Gods iudgment seat without feare and say with the apostle Who shall laie anie thing to the charge of gods chosen Rom. 8.33.34 It is God that iustifieth who shal condemne vs. It is Christ that is dead yea or rather is risen againe Who is also at the right hand of God and also maketh request for vs. And in this faith and assured perswasion we haue peace of conscience here and are in Christ and for his sake accounted righteous elsewhere euen before him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead They teach vs that after baptisme sinne is so killed within vs Popish iustification that we are able to doe such workes as doe merit iustification and eternall life That iustification is not by works but by imputation Gen. 22.18 And by this righteousnesse that is in vs we are made so iust and righteous that we are so iustified before God To confirme that which we teach we haue the promise made to Abraham That in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed In his seede I say not in our selues we must all be blessed And that Christ is this seede saint Paul to the Galathians doth affirme Gal. 3.16 Secondly the iustification of the people of the Iewes which they by their sacrifices obtained is a right pattern of our iustification For though the bloud of of the beasts could not make them holy yet the sacrifice being offered for them according to the law Hep. 9.9 did worke so much that they who before were accounted vncleane and might not appeare before the Lord nowe were accounted cleane and might serue before him Euen so we though wee bee not in our selues yet by this our sacrifice that hath offered him selfe a sweete smell vnto God the father wee are accounted cleane and without sinne Rom. 5.2 and haue by him accesse vnto that grace wherein we stand Thirdly this iustification is commended vnto vs by Dauid Psal 32.1.2 Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie And for this cause he stirreth vp his soule to praise the Lord Psal 103.3 because saith he He forgiueth al thine iniquities It is promised by Ieremie I will forgiue their iniquities Iere. 31.34 and remember their sinnes no more And the Prophet Hose teacheth the people to pray for it Hose 14.2 saying thus Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously Where this is also by the way to be marked that the prophet here biddeth vs come to God with such words as if he had said Your works are euill and cannot helpe they cannot merit Yet come with good words be suiters for grace Fourthly our sauiour Christ doth commend vnto vs this iustification which we haue by him apprehend by faith Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish Iohn 3.16 but haue euerlasting life Of whom the apostles also haue learned that we are iustified by faith that righteousnes is imputed vnto vs that we are accounted righteous Rom. 3.28 Rom. 4.3.11 Lastly we see how the apostle doth exclude works frō iustifying than which there can be no stronger argumēt against this inherent iustification which the papists contend for or for the imputation of righteousnes by faith in Christ Iesus which we according vnto the scriptures doe preach And therefore he doth not onely exclude works in generall from iustification Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.11 Rom. 4. Iustified by faith without the workes of the law But also those works that Abraham did after his first calling when now he was regenerate euen then I say attributing iustification to faith and not to his workes And likewise for his owne works long after he was regenerate Phil. 3.9 he reiecteth them that he might attaine vnto righteousnesse by faith So little did he trust vnto that inherent righteousnesse that he counted it but dung and so wholie did he depend on that righteousnes that we haue by faith in Christ Iesus But of this I haue spoken in the end of the former chapter And I trust this may serue the turne to shew how farre we are from that inherent righteousnes and keeping of the law which our popish Pharisees dreame of especially if we consider what great perfection the law requireth to be in our workes Master Bellar. his profe for inherent iustice De iustif li. 2. cap. 3. Rom. 5.19 and what want through our corruption there is in the same But master Bellarmine bringeth some arguments to proue this inherent righteousnesse The first is out of these words As by one mans disobediēce many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made iust Of this argument because I haue spoken at large towards the latter ende of the 23. chapter I leaue the reader to that place His second argumēt is this Al are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24.25 throgh the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set to be a reconciliation In which place by grace master Bellarmine vnderstandeth that righteousnesse that God hath giuen or infused into vs for so he speaketh But saint Augustine in that place vnderstandeth
alleadge M. Bellarmines reasons though not alwayes because he is accounted learned amongest vs and also commeth after others so that he hath seene what others haue and hath taken out of them what he liketh And as in all this treatise my endeuour is to proue I trust with some good effect that the doctrine of the church of Rome is not catholike so that it may the better appeare I haue towards the end set downe an abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis whereby I trust the meanest that seeth it shal be able to iudge how they make an vniust claime to the catholike religion And although I know my own wants and could rather submit my selfe to be a scholer vnto many than a teacher almost of any yet because I know not how my minde giueth me that this manner of writing may do some good especially among the vnlearned that are desirous to be taught I thought my duetie forced me to take this in hand though I want many helpes and meanes that other haue And to whom should this my labour such as it is be due rather than vnto you next after that place where I did sucke as it were my first milke of learning and laid almost the foundation of that knowledge such as it is that God hath indued mee withall By your good liberalitie I confesse my selfe to be the better inabled to do any good be it neuer so little that I can do in the church of God To your Worships therefore I confesse this my trauell to be due as a simple token of my sincere heart which would haue yeelded a better remembrance if my abilitie could haue affoorded it And the rather do I dedicate this Booke vnto your W. Company that you seeing the meaning of bestowing your exhibition which is to bring vp Labourers in Gods haruest teachers in his church to be in some part performed in me who first in Oxford receiued your liberalitie as I doubt not but you haue seene much more plentiful fruit in many other you may the more willingly continue your godly course and not be weary of your wel-doing Accept in good part I pray you this simple gift and if you see in it but my desire to doe good giue glo◠y to God to whose good grace I commit you and yours and my selfe to your good prayers From my house at Ryton in the Bishoprike of Durham Anno 1595. ⧠A necessarie Table of all the principall matters contained in euery chapter of this Booke THAT the Scriptures or word written is onely Gods word and not traditions Chapter 1 That this word is sufficient Chapter 2 The Scripture a sure rule Chapter 3 Scriptures easie Chapter 4 That onely the canonicall bookes of the old and new testament are this written word or Scriptures Chapter 5 What the catholike church is that in the creede is mentioned Chapter 6 That the catholike church mentioned in the articles of our creede is not visible or to be seene Chapter 7 The church here militant vpon the earth may erre Chapter 8 Of the markes of the church or how we may know the true church Chapter 9 What a sacrament is what is the effect of it or what it worketh how many sacraments there are Chapter 10 Of the sacrament of Baptisme Chapter 11 Of Confirmation Chapter 12 Of the Lords supper and Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ and namely of transubstantiation Chapter 13 That the wicked receiue not in the sacrament Christs body and bloud Chapter 14 That the cup ought not to be denied to the lay people which thing the papists do Chapter 15 Against their sacrifice of the Masse or of the altar as they call it Chapter 16 Of true and christian repentance and of the Popish Sacrament of penance Chapter 17 Of lawfull calling into the ministerie and against the sacrament of Orders as they call it Chapter 18 Of matrimony that it is not a sacrament and that it is lawfull for all Chapter 19 Of anoiling or extreme vnction that it is not a sacrament Chapter 20 Of originall sin what it is and whether concupiscence be sin or not Chapter 21 Of the works of infidels and such as are not regenerate Chapter 22 Of Baptisme whether it doe extinguish and kill in vs originall sinne or not Chapter 23 That we haue not of our selues free wil or power to deliuer our selues from sinne Chapter 24 That by our workes we cannot bee iustified and against the doctrine of merites Chapter 25 Of iustification by faith and what faith is Chapter 26 That good works are necessary duties for all christians to perfourme Chapter 27 Of prayer to whome and how we should pray Chapter 28 Against Images in churches or anie where else for religions cause Chapter 29 What fasting is and of the true vse of fasting Chapter 30 Of Purgatorie Chapter 31 An Abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis with obseruations vpon the said Author Chapter 32 An exhortation to christian magistrates for to defend this truth Chapter 33 FINIS That the Scriptures or written word is onely Gods Word and not traditions CHAP. 1 THE PROTESTANTS The rule of faith life BEcause it is confessed of al that gods worde must bee the rule and square of our faith and life of our religion and conuersation It is very meete that first wee enquire what is this word of God And wee affirme What is gods word that that onelie which is contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament is the very true word of God First bicause we are so often earnestly charged not to adde any thing to it or to take any thing from it Secondly this is prooued by the practise of the godlie of all times The Iewes most religiously kept the word written with great sinceritie and made it the Touchstone to try their actions by and by it they reformed such things as were amisse in religion especially As in Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others it may appeare Christ also and his Apostles confirmed that which they taught out of the Scriptures yea they confirmed and expounded the Lawe Mat. 5. and preached no other gospell thā that which before was promised by the Prophets Rom. 1.2 And accounted them accursed that shoulde preach any other Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Lastly the Fathers of the purer times of the Church did not only with open mouth submit their writings and doctrines to the iudgement of the Scriptures but also they tried doubts established all trueths and confuted all heresies onely by this word written THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of ROME not suffering herself to be hemmed in within so narow lists Prou. 22.28 hath remoued the ancient bounds which their fathers made and faineth that God who hath hitherto had but one voice now in our dayes shoulde speake with two tongues What is gods word in the Ro. church For they make Gods word to consist of two partes namely of the word written which we
doe in vs let vs giue glory vnto him only by whom we may doe al things and without whom we can doe nothing Philip. 2.13 Phil. 4.13 Iohn 15.5 And we may iustly be ashamed of such foolish reasons God helpeth vs therefore we haue free will We may perchance conclude thereupon that we doe somewhat but how little it is that we doe nay how we doe very nothing without Gods good grace in the workes of Godlinesse in all this Chapter is I hope sufficiently declared But nowe for the conclusion of this Chapter I woulde gladlie knowe of them that so stiflie maintaine free will howe they can cleare themselues from the Pelagian heresie so hated of all the Godly so often condemned by Councels and so mightilie confuted by Saint Augustin in many of his bookes Orth. explic lib. 4. Andradius answereth this matter fully They confesse saith hee our strength to bee so weake he speaketh of them that made the censure of Colen that vnlesse it be made strong by Gods grace wee can neither doe nor will anie perfect good thing But the Pelagians will grant thus much And yet S. August calleth them hereticks oftentimes enemies of the grace of Christ yea new heretickes enemies to the crosse of Christ such as fought against forsooke yea persecuted the grace of Christ And yet I say they grāted asmuch as the papists doe First they cōfesse that by grace they were holpen that they might become Gods children Aug. ad Bon. li. 1. cap. 3. Yea that they were alwaies holpen by Gods grace in euery good worke And that grace helpeth euerie bodies good purpose Cap. 19. Now let the reader iudge wherin the popish Pelagians Lib. 4. cap. 6. differ from those old condemned Pelagians They seeme to be birdes of one nest What doth S. Augustine out of whom I haue alleadged this confession of the Pelagians I say what doth he think of their words he liketh them wonderful wel In so much as doubtles saith he a man would thinke this were spoken like a catholicke Ibidem How then fel it out that stil he was accounted an hereticke and his fauorites S. Augustine although he could not mislike much of that he saide yet he could not but condemne their intent and meaning And therefore when he had said it was spoken like a catholicke he addeth If they would not thinke of merit in this their good purpose to which merit reward should bee giuen as of duty not of grace Now I pray you to what end doth the church of Rome defende this doctrine of free wil Is it not that the doctrine of merits may follow Yes I warrant you That is it they so earnestly contend for For thereby they gaine both credit and coyne So that they seeme then to agree in their words and in their intent Seeing therefore this doctrine of free wil doth so conspire with the Pelagian heresie and so dissent from the word of God as hath beene shewed let vs say with saint Augustine Thinking we beleeue thinking we speake thinking we doe whatsoeuer we doe Aug. de bon seuerantiae cap. 13. but concerning the true waie of godlines and seruice of God we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God And therefore we liue more safely when we yeeld all to God and commit not our selues in part to him and in part to our selues Ibidem ca. 6. as the same saint Augustine saith els where That by our workes we cannot be iustified and against the doctrine of merites CHAP. 25 THE PROTESTANTS BEcause no righteousnes can stand before God but that which is perfect the rule of perfection is to loue the Lord our God with all our heart Luc. 10.27 soule strength and thought our neighbour as our selfe We therfore must needs confesse that the workes that are done by vs whilest we carrie about this bodie which is a heauy burden to the soule Wisd 9.15 are so defiled with cōcupiscence which the Papists thēselues confesse to be euill and hated of God that neither wee can so freely and zealouly serue God as we would neyther whollie respect Gods glorie therein as we should But find our selues too colde and carelesse in good things and that wee alwaies will haue some respect to our selues in doing the same And therefore wee are compelled with the prophet Dauid to say Psal 130.2 If thou O Lorde straitly markest iniquities O Lorde who shall stand We knowe Iob 14.18 Iob 15.15 that hee that found wickednesse in his Angels and no stedfastnes in his faints yea in whose sight the heauens are not cleane no more the childe but of a day olde he I say wil easily finde out Iob 14.4 that none can make cleane that that is conceiued of vncleane seed Iob 15.14 neither can hee be iust that is borne of a woman according to the course of nature But we confesse with the prophet Esay Esa 64.6 we haue al bin as an vncleane thing and all our righteousnesse is as filthie cloutes Yea and if it might be that we might liue here so 1. Cor. 4.4 that we knew nothing by our selues and yet we are not thereby iustified how much lesse then shall wee seeke to iustifie our selues by our workes wherein by reason of our corruption we must needs finde and feele manifolde wants Which imperfection euen in our best workes is sufficiently declared in that neither the sacrifices of the Iewes neither yet the praiers or spirituall sacrifices of the Christians can of themselues bee acceptable vnto God but only through Iesus Christ our Lord whose mediation they shuld not need if of themselues they were perfect But hee must season them he must sanctifie them he must offer thē that they may be acceptable vnto God THE PAPISTS BVT the Papists trusting too much in their own power to doe good and not considering truely what maner of worke that is which may iustly be called a good worke to what end and with what affection it must be done do teach that a man may doe such workes Concil Trid. Sess 6. ca. 32 Cens Coloniens dial 5. as that hee may merit thereby Iustification and eternall life euen as a due reward And that this is a point of Gods infinite mercy that he promiseth eternal life to them that worke well Dialogo 1. Nay Cens Colon. dial 5. that by Christes passion and the holy ghost there is giuen to our workes a certaine infinitenes to the end that partly being holpen by such a gift they might worthily deserue eternall life wherein they haue in fewe wordes many blasphemies As that there may seeme to be some proportion betweene the rewarde and the worke they haue deuised how the worke it self shall haue in it a certaine infinitenesse that is an exceeding excellencie And yet S. Paul saith Rom. 8.18 that the afflictions of this present
can doe more than wee neede Because that Christ bid one that said he had kept all the commandements Mat. 19.22 Sell all he had and giue it to the poore I will not presse master Bellarmine here with the iudgement of the fathers who finde this to be a commaundement and therfore not more than neede Confess li. 13. cap. 19. And saint Augustine seeth it to be a law against couetousnes But who so euer will consider of the place maie easilie see that our sauiour Christ did purpose by this commaundement to let him see his owne ignorance of his estate and that he knew not his owne wants Not meaning that it should be a commandement of that he was not by Gods lawe bound to performe but rather a rule whereby he might trie how far he was from keeping the second table of the commaundements and therfore that he might euen condemne himselfe to be much shorter of keeping the first table As for his proofe out of Chrysostome Hom. 8. de poenitentia Manie doe more than they are commanded it is true that Chrysostome saieth so but it is also true that he speaketh of such things as are not simply of themselues good works but indifferent of themselues But the vse or abuse of them doth make them good workes or euill His examples that hee bringeth are of virginitie that it is not commaunded but this master Bellarmine omitteth of purpose because it maketh agaynst their doctrine of vowes neither is it commaunded saieth hee that men should not possesse any thing Yea I knowe that the Scribes and Pharisees did many things that God neuer commaunded as also the Iewes in the time of Esay Esa 1.12 to whom it was sayde Who required these things at your handes And this is also an answere to that which out of Augustine he alledgeth What biddest thou De verbis Apost ser 18. That wee should not bee adultresses Commaundest thou that In louing thee we doe more than thou commaundest For hee also speaketh of keeping virginitie But master Bellarmines antecedent is thus to bee vnderstoode that wee doe mo good workes than God commaundeth or else his argument is to bee denied For we see by experience that the Papists doe an infinite number of things that God neuer commaunded For which as they haue no warrant of God so shall they haue no praise of him And they may doe a thousand such workes and bee neuer a whit nearer keeping Gods lawe but much further off rather For the more that men satisfie themselues with their owne works Mat. 15 23 the lesse care they haue to keepe Gods commaundements as our sauiour Christ teacheth vs. And maister Bellarmines antecedent beeing thus vnderstoode as I haue saide that wee may doe more good workes than God hath commaunded is false For in that it is not a good worke if it bee besides Gods worde And this is all that hee sayeth in that place for the woorkes of Supererrogation Thus we see this rich doctrine hath a poore proofe But if there were nothing to conuince the wickednesse of that doctrine but this one thing that they will seeme to mende that rule of perfection that God hath made and take vpon them to prescribe more perfect rules than God hath set downe it argueth in them too prophane sawcinesse But thus much by the way of this kind of worke For my purpose is not to make of it any seueral discourse because that if it bee prooued that wee cannot iustifie our selues by our workes De iustif lib. 5. ca. 5. it will followe that wee can much lesse helpe others Nowe master Bellarmine finding this weapon too sharpe this place to strong agaynst their merits would faine wrest it out of our hands And first he telleth vs that saint Ambrose willeth vs to knowe what wee are of our selues Wee must knowe the grace but not bee ignorant of our nature saieth saint Ambrose It is true he writeth so and that vpon iust occasion For the very beginning of that sentence is Peferre not thy self because thou art called a sonne and then followeth thou must confesse the grace and not forget thy nature As if he should say thinke no wrong that thou art called an vnprofitable seruant seeing thou art called a sonne Thou art a sonne by grace because God hath chosen thee but if a man looke on thy worke it is not woorth praysing But what is this to answere the argument Nothing at all Maister Bellarmine perchance thinketh that if he bring in the fathers as witnesses they will speake as hee woulde haue them Yet not Ambrose onely but also Augustine and Chrysostome Li. 8. in Luc. de verbis Apost ser de humilitate 18. in Oziam in the places by him cited and Theophilact vpon these wordes doe teach that Christ would not haue vs proude of our good workes that it is our dutie alwayes to worke and as Ambrose saieth We owe him our seruice therefore let vs not boast of our worke But as Theophilact sayth If anie thing bee giuen vs let vs be glad of it hee that giueth it oweth vs nothing But the seruant oweth to his master the keeping of all that he commandeth So all this still strengtheneth my argument that all that we can do it is but our duetie and therefore no merite And although in respect of our election we may iustly reioyce that wee are Gods deare children yet when we looke vpon our selues wee must needes confesse vs to bee vnprofitable and vnperfect Secondly the repugnancie betweene grace and merite set downe by saint Paul Merit and grace ouerthrowe one another Rom. 11.6 is a strong argument against iustification by workes If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace or if it bee of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Wherein we see how plainly the Apostle opposeth the one against the other that we cannot be said to bee iustistied by grace if we may attribute anie part of our iustification to workes Neither will their common answer serue that saint Paul speaketh of the first mercie that God sheweth vs as that we are called to be Christian men or women by grace without our workes but that hereby hee excludeth not the workes that afterwardes we do from merite For seeing our aduersaries must needs confesse that after our first calling yea and continually so long as we liue we must acknowledge that but by grace wee cannot bee saued this grace which themselues dare not but confesse taketh away merit so that if grace bee free and without workes in our first iustification it can neuer stand with workes in the rest of our life The mistrust of their workes For still must this bee true if it bee of grace it is not then of workes if of workes then not of grace Thirdly the great mistrust which I see themselues doe put in this their doctrine
according to promise And out of the reuelation Apoc. 2.10 Be thou faithful vnto the death and I will giue thee a crowne of life How can he proue merites out of it Is this a good argument I will giue thee therefore thou hast deserued it Two or three places more he there alleadgeth but out of that I haue said it is easie to answere them His fift sort of places are such as promise to good workes eternall life And out of them he reasoneth thus Promise of rewarde for a worke doeth make that he that doth the worke maie bee saide to merite his rewarde That the reward is due but yet not deserued I shewed before in the answere to his first argument and I need not heere to repeat it His sixt argument is taken from those places that speake of our worthines and are of two sortes 2. Thess 1.5 Luc. 20.35 For two of them namely that That yee maie be counted worthy of the kingdome of God and that also They shal be counted worthy to inioy that world and the resurrection of the dead doe answere themselues For that may be accounted worthy which of it selfe is not so in truth As in our workes is seene which are accounted of not as they proceed from vs but as they are presented before God in the name of Christ and their imperfection couered with his perfect obedience The other two places seeme more pertinent to his purpose but yet being rightlie vnderstood prooue nothing for him The first is in the booke of wisedome which booke although it is not Canonicall yet because the place alleadged seemeth like vnto the words that he alleadgeth out of the reuelation they may both receiue one answere Wisdom 3.5 Apocal. 3.4 God proueth them and findeth them worthy for himselfe The other place is They shall walke with me in white for they are worthy First that this worthines doth many times signifie an aptnes or fitnes it cannot be denied Who saith Salomon can iudge 2. Cron. 1.10 this thy great people worthily Where by worthely he meaneth not as they deserue for they were a stubborne and bad people many times but as is fit or meete to gouerne them And so the Apostle willeth vs to walke worthy of God worthy of our calling worthy of the gospell that is as becommeth Gods children them that are called and fit for the professours of the gospell And this fitnes is said to be in vs in respect of the new man that is begun within vs not in respect of perfection that we doe or can attaine vnto And yet if we should indeed be worthy we must be perfect which heere we cannot be And in this sence you see his argument hath no necessity Men are worthy of loue that is fit to loued therefore they haue deserued it for this fitnesse is not of themselues Secondly although we be called worthy in respect of our election in Christ or in respect of the fruits of the spirite which God commendeth in vs although they haue their wants that we might not be discouraged but go on forwards in the wayes of godlinesse yet this argument will not hold We are worthy of loue therefore our workes haue deserued this loue or made vs worthy For our worthinesse hangeth nothing vpon our works but that God wil vouch vs to be so esteemed But in respect of our works we must confesse with the prophet Dauid Psal 53.3 There is none that doth good no not one And therefore we must pleade euen the best of vs mercy and forgiuenesse not merite or worthinesse Super Cantic ser 61. My merit saith Saint Bernard is the Lordes mercy neither am I without merite so long as hee is not without mercie His seuenth argument is grounded vpon those places of scripture that say that God accepteth no persons But must he needes therefore respect the worthinesse of the worke If there be with him no difference betweene Iew and Gentile bond or free male or female must merites needes be established I haue often said that God respecteth vs and our workes but not for our goodnesse but for his mercy sake For this must needs be true that S. Paul teacheth vs according to the consent of the scripturs that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Rom. 3 2◠Therefore as saith S. August let mans merits be silent which were lost through Adam De praedest Sanct. ca. 1◠and let the grace of God through Iesus Christ raigne as indeede it doth raigne Now for the Fathers if I should answer to euery testimony alleadged out of them it would be too long especially considering how largely I haue already handled this question Onely thus much woulde I admonish the christian Reader that when he readeth them he should remember they be but men Dial. 3. Impatib And if Theodoret said truly of the doctrines of the church the decrees of the church are to be prooued and not to be pronounced in maner of a iudgement then how much more should we reiect whatsoeuer any men speake without a good warrant Then also as they were men so were many of them great Philosophers might somwhat perchance smel of that infection speake more of mans worthines than had bin expedient for christian religion Aduersus Hermog Orat. 21. In so much as not without great cause did Tertull. cal philosophers The patriarchs of heretikes And G. Nazian cōpareth the subtilties of philosophy which he saith came vnhappily into the church vnto the whips wherewith the Aegyptians did scourge the Israelits Ser. de Arian In which kind of reasoning the tongue fighteth the words are speares the speech is the sword there is no end of contention all the day long as the same father saith in an other place And no maruel for the Philosopher is gloriae animal De anima euen the creature of glory as Tertull writeth No doubt therfore but they might be somwhat caried away with her intising words especially to thinke wel of that thēselues do Thirdly as I haue said in the former chapter the absurdities of thē that did teach that God moued man wrought in or by him as a workeman might do in or by a stocke or stone they not hauing so much as will thereto made the fathers to speake more not only of mans freewil as before I taught but also of the reward of them that worke according to the same And that this did the rather moue the fathers to speake somwhat too largely vpon this matter vnlesse they be warely red it may be gathered euen by that place that M. Bella. out of Origen alleadgeth Lib. 2. in Rom. in ca. 2. first saith he let heretikes be excluded that say that the nature of soules is good or bad let thē heare that God wil reward them not according to their nature but according to their merits Now cōcerning the vnderstāding of these words Rom