Rejoinder to Bristows Reply, Part 1 · Chapter 9 · Section 2
2 About onelyonly faith.Bristo.
I quoted Ambrose, Origen, and Cyprian, for iustification by faith only. To this Bristowe answereth Fulke.first generally, that hath satisfied these Doctors Cap. 8. Par. 4. that they meane a man may be iustified by faith, although before he was a Christian Catholike, he did no good works. But he cannot so escape, for they speake not only of the first conuersion, of a man, but of iustification vntounto saluation of euerie faithfull man, according to the example of Abraham and Dauid, who both had good workes, yet were not iustified by them before God, but by theyr faith only. And Saint Paule expressely saith of himselfe, and all other Christians that were in his time, & that shalbe in all times, that the example of Abrahams iustification is the example of his and their iustification: Rom. 4. Therefore his faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse, and it is not written for him onelyonly, that it is imputed to him, but also for vsus, vntounto whō it shalbe imputed, which beleeue in him that raised vp Iesus from the dead, who was deliuered for our sinnes, and raysed againe for our iustification. I wish that Bristow in the next conference that he maketh, after the reading hereof, would marke this text with the circumstances of the persons of whom it is spoken, & of ye temps in which the holy Ghost speaketh, that faith shalbe imputed for righteousnes. In the meane time, I must proue that these fathers speake generally of all Christians and the only way of iustification, and not of newe conuerts only, and of the instinct of their baptisme or newe conuersion onelyonly, but that they are iustified by faith vntounto eternall saluation.
First Origen, after he had brought the example of the theefe iustified by faith only, bringeth in the example of the sinnfull woman. Luk. 7. Ex nullo legis opere, sed pro sola fide ait ad eam, remit…ur tibi peccata tua: & iterū, fides tua saluam te fecit, &c. For no worke of the lawe, but for faith only, he saith vntounto her, Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee: And againe, thy faith hath saued the, goe in peace, But also in many places of the Gospell we reade, that our Sauiour vsed this speache, that he saith, the faith of the beleeuer, is the cause of his saluation. By all which it is cleare, that the Apostle iudgeth, rightly that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe. See you not that iustification is not only to sett a man in free will, discharged of his sinnes committed before baptisme, but continueth with him vntounto saluation? Also where I saide that Origen answereth this obiection, which the Papists make against vsus, for teaching iustification by faith only, (though Bristowe say it is false) it is very true Lib 3. Cap 3. in epi. ad Rom. Sed fortassis, &c. but peraduenture some body hearing this, may become idle and negligent in doing good workes, if only faith suffice to iustification. Is not this one of the Papists obiections? Againe that this doctrine of iustification perteineth only to them yt are newly conuerted to Christianity, against which Origen sheweth by example of the Pharisee trusting in himselfe that he was righteous, and boasting thereof. Luk 18. that it perteyneth to all men, that boasting may be excluded, and that none boast in any thing, but in the crosse of Christ, Vides Apostol… non gloriantem, &c. Thou seest the Apostle not glorying of his righteousnes, nor of his chastity, nor of his wisdome, nor of his other vertues and acts, but most manifestly pronouncing and saying, let him that gloryeth glory in the Lorde, &c. and so at length sheweth, that all this doth verifie the saying of the Apostle, we iudge that a man is iustified by faith, without the workes of the law, which before he had interpreted by faith only, whether they hauehave no works going before as the theefe, the sinfull woman, or whether they hauehave workes of the lawe without the faith of Christe, as the Pharisee, or whether they hauehave neuer so many workes and vertues with the faith of Christe, as the Apostle Paule, there is but one way of iustification, for all men, which is by remission of sinnes, through faith onelyonly. Where Cyprian saith: that faith onelyonly profiteth Ad Quirin. Cap. 42. Bristowe saith, he meaneth that faith profiteth, and without faith nothing profiteth. I confesse in deede he meaneth all that Bristowe saith, and more too, namely that faith profiteth, therefore workes do not profite vntounto iustification, as appeareth by that testimony of Scripture which he citeth, to proue his saying: Abraham beleeued God, and it was imputed to him for iustice. Gen. 15. By which Saint Paule proueth, that Abraham was iustified by faith without workes, and yet Abraham was not voyde of good workes. Out of the Booke De duplici Martyrio I cited Cyprians saying: That he beleeueth not in God at all, which placeth not the trust of all his felicity in him only. To this Bristowe answereth without shame, that the Booke De duplici Martyrio is thought to be supposition, coyned by Erasmus: as though it were credible that Erasmus being such an vtter enemy to all forgery and supposition, would himselfe counterfet a booke vnderunder the name of Cyprian. But Bristowe doubting, least he may be conuicted by auncient copies of this booke, remaining in Libraries, as no doubt, but that he may, for a second aunswer saith, That this sentence is of it selfe Catholike inough. For to trust Gods giftes, as in the Catholike faith, and good workes that he worketh in vsus, also to trust in Saints: to trust in these, I say, as they be his, is to trust in him onelyonly.
I say, (sayeth Bristowe,) what neede we further witnesse or reason? But Christe telling a parable, against them that trusted in themselues, that they were righteous, telleth of a Pharisee, that trusted in his woorkes, as they were the giftes of GOD, to whome hee gaue thankes for them. Luke. 18. This auctority of Bristowe is inough to discharge Pelagius, Celestinus, and all the rable of freewill men, who trusted in nothing, but that was the gift of God, and so acknowledged by them, in so much as they confessed, that a man was iustified by the grace of God, when he was iustified by his owne workes, because God gaue free will, and power to worke well, also a law by keeping whereof, men might be righteous. Finally this rule of Bristowe, will iustifie a man, which putting his trust in Angels, worshippeth them as Gods Angells, yea which putting his trust in any of Gods creatures, trusteth in him alone. So that nothing is so singular, but he can make it generall, nor any thing so generall, but he can restrayne it at his pleasure.
Now yt Ambrose also extendeth the grace of iustification by faith only vntounto eternal saluation, it is manifest as generally throughout his commentarie vppon the Epistle to the Romanes, so notably in 1. Cor. Cap. 1. vponupon these wordes of the Apostle, I thank my God alwaies for you, for the grace of God which hath bene giuen you in Christ Iesu. Datam dicit, &c. He saith this grace which hath bene giuen you in Christ Iesus, which grace is so giuen in Christ Iesus, because this is decreed of God that he which beleueth in Christ, should be saued, without workes, obtaining freely remission of sinnes, by faith only. Also in Praef. ad Gall. a praedicatione, &c. that from the preaching of Iohn, the lawe doth cease, that only faith may suffice vntounto saluation, which is an abridgment of the law. Likewise Exhortatione ad virgines: Videtis mysteria, &c. you see the mysteries, you see the grace of Christ, the grace of the holy Ghost, which is deliuered as it were by a certaine lot, because not of workes, but of faith, eueryevery one is iustified of the Lorde. For as the falling out of the lott, is not in our power, but is such, as chaunce hath brought, so the grace of our Lorde, is not as it were of the merite of hire, but is deliuered, as of his will. This writeth Ambrose of al that are partakers of the grace of God, and not of them that are newly baptised or conuerted only. Againe in the same Booke, he saith, speaking of all men that attaine to saluation, Hîc quidem luctamur, sed alibi coronamur, &c. here truly we do wrestle, but in an other place we are crowned. I hauehave spoken not of my selfe only, but of all men generally. For whence should I hauehave so much merite, to whom pardon is in steed of a crown? What can be said more plainly, to exclude the merite of good workes from iustification? whereas the reward of good workes that is freely giuen to the iustified man by faith only, both Ambrose and we doe neuerthelesse acknowledge.