A Golden Chain, Section 20
The XX. point. Of sauing faith: or, the way to life.
Our Consent.
Conclus. I. They teach it to bee the propertie of faith, to beleeue the whole whole word of God, and especially the redemption of mankind by Christ.
Conclus. II. They auouch that they beleeue & looke to be saued by Christ and by Christ alone, and by the meere mercy of God in Christ.
Conclus. III. Thirdly, the most learned among them hold & confesse, that the obedience of Christ is imputed vntounto them for the satisfaction of the lawe, and for their reconciliation with God.
Conclus. IV. They auouch that they put their whole trust and confidence in Christ, and in the meere mercy of God, for their saluation.
Concl. V. Lastly they hold that eueryevery man must apply the promise of life euerlasting by Christ vntounto himselfe: and this they grant we are bound to doe. And in these fiue points doe they and we agree, at least in shewe of wordes.
By the auouching of the fiue conclusions, papists may easily escape the handes of many magistrates. And vnlesse the mysterie of popish doctrine bee well known, any common man may easily be deceiued, & take such for good protestants that are but popish priests. To this end therefore that we may the better discerne their guile, I will shew wherein they faile in each of their conclusions, and wherein they differ from vsus.
The difference.
Touching the first conclusion, they beleeue indeed all the written word of God, and more then all: for they also beleeue the bookes Apocryphal, which antiquitie for many hundred yeares hath excluded from the canon: yea they beleeue vnwritten traditions receiued (as they say) from Councills, the writings of the Fathers, and the determinations of the Church: making them also of equall credit with the written worde of God, giuen by inspiration of the spirit. Now we for our parts despise not the Apocrypha, as namely the books of the Machabees, Ecclesiasticus and the rest, but wee reuerence them in all conuenient manner, preferring them before any other bookes of men, in that they hauehave beene approoued by an vniuersall consent of the Church: yet wee thinke them not meete to bee receiued into the Canon of holy scripture, and therfore not to be beleeued, but as they are cōsenting with the written word. And for this our doing we hauehave directiō from Athanasius, Origen, Hierom, and the Councel of Laodicea. As for the vnwriten Traditions they come not within the compasse of our faith, neither can they: because they come vntounto vsus by the hands of men, that may deceiue and be deceiued. And we hold and beleeue, that the right Canon of the bookes of the old and newe Testament, cō taines in it sufficient direction for the Church of God to life euerlasting, both for faith and maners. Here then is the point of difference, that they make the obiect of faith larger then it should be, or can be: and we keepe our selues to the written word; beleeuing nothing to saluation out of it.
In the second conclusion, touching saluation by Christ alone, there is a manifest deceit: because they craftily include and couch their owne works vnderunder the name of Christ. For (say they) works done by men regenerate, are not their owne, but Christs in them; and as they are the workes of Christ; they saue, and no otherwise. But we for our parts looke to be saued onelyonly by such workes as Christ himselfe did in his owne person: and not by any worke at all done by him in vsus. For all workes done, are in the matter of iustification and saluation, opposed to the grace of Christ: Rom. 11.6. Election is of grace not of workes: if it be of workes, it is no more of grace. Againe whereas they teach that wee are saued by the works of Christ, which he worketh in vsus, and maketh vsus to work; it is flatte against the word. For Paul saith, Wee are not saued by such workes as God hath ordained that men regenerate should walke in. Eph. 2.10. And hee saieth further, that hee counted all things euen after his conuersion losse vntounto him, that he might be found in Christ, not hauing his owne righteousnes which is of the lawe. Phil. 3.8. Againe, Heb. 1.3. Christ washed away our sinnes by himselfe: which last wordes exclude the merit of all workes done by Christ within man. Thus indeede the Papists ouerturne all that which in word they seeme to hold touching their iustification and saluation. We confesse with them that good works in vsus are the workes of Christ: yet are they not Christs alone, but ours also, in that they proceede from Christ by the minde and will of man: as water from the fountaine by the channell. And looke as the channell defiled, defiles the water, that is without defilement in the fountaine; euen so the minde and will of man defiled by the remnants of sinne, defile the works, which as they come frō Christ are vndefiled. Hence it is that the works of grace which we doe by Christ, or, Christ in vsus, are defectiue: and must be seuered from Christ in the act of iustification, or saluation.
The third conclusion is touching the imputation of Christs obedience, which some of the most learned among them acknowledge: and the difference betweene vsus stands on this manner. They hold that Christs obedience is imputed onelyonly to make satisfaction for sinne, and not to iustifie vsus before God. We hold and beleeue that the obedience of Christ is imputed to vsus, euē for our righteousnesse before God. Paul saith, 1. Cor. 1.30. Christ is made vntounto vsus of God, wisdome, righteousnes, sanctification, and redemption. Hence I reason thus. If Christ be both our sanctification, and our righteousnes; then he is not onelyonly vntounto vsus inherent righteousnes, but also righteousnes imputed. But he is not onelyonly our sanctification (which the Papists themselues expound of inherent or habituall righteousnesse) but also our righteousnes: for thus by Paul are they distinguished. Therefore hee is vntounto vsus both inherent and imputed righteousnesse. And very reason teacheth thus much. For in the ende of the world at the barre of Gods iudgement, wee must bring some kinde of righteousnes for our iustification, that may stand in the rigour of the law according to which we are to be iudged. But our inherent righteousnesse is imperfect & stained with manyfold defects and shall be as long as we liue in this worlde, as experience tels vsus: and consequently it is not sutable to the iustice of the lawe: and if we goe out of our selues we shall find no righteousnesse seruing for our turnes either in men or angels, that may or can procure our absolution before God and acceptation to life euerlasting. We must therefore hauehave recourse to the person of Christ, and his obedience imputed vntounto vsus, must serue not onelyonly to be a satisfaction to God for all our sinnes; but also for our perfect iustification: in that god is content to accept of it for our righteousnes, as if it were inherent in vsus, or performed by vsus.
Touching the fourth conclusion, they holde it the safest and surest course to put their trust and confidence in the merciemercy of God alone for their saluation: yet they condescend, that men may also aBellar. l. 5. c. 7. de iustifi.put their confidence in the merit of their owne workes, and in the merits also of other men, so it be in sobrietie. But this doctrine quite marres the conclusion: because by teaching that men are to put confidence in the creature, they ouerturne al confidence in the Creatour. For in the very first commandement, wee are taught to make choice of the true God for our God, which thing we doe when wee giuegive to God our hearts: and we giuegive our hearts to God, when we put our whole confidence in him for the saluation of our soules. Now then to put confidence in men, or in workes, is to make them our Gods. The true and auncient forme of making confession was on this manner: I beleeue in God the father, in Iesus Christ, and in the holy ghost, without mention making of any confidence in workes or creatures: the auncient Church neuer knew any such confession or confidence. Cyprian saith, He beleeueth not in God, who putteth not affiance concerning his saluation in God alone. And indeede the Papists themselues when death comes,De duplic… Martyr, Lib. de causiss cur Euang. p. 436. forsake the confidence of their merits, and flie to the meere merciemercy of God in Christ. And for a confirmation of this I alleadge the testimonie of one Vlinbergius of Colen, who writeth thus. There was a booke founde in the vestrie of a certaine parish of Colen, written in the dutch tongue in the yeare of our Lord 1475. which the Priests vsed in visiting of the sicke. And in it these questions be found. aSupposed to be questions of An…elme.Doest thou beleeue that thou canst not be saued but by the death of Christ? The sicke person answered, Yea. Then it is said vntounto him, Go too then, while breath remaines in thee, put thy confidence in this death alone: hauehave affiance in nothing else: commit thy selfe wholly to this death: with it alone couer thy selfe: diue thy self in eueryevery part into this death: in eueryevery part pearse thy selfe with it: infold thy selfe in this death. And if the Lord will iudge thee, say: Lord, I put the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thy iudgement, and by no other meanes I contend with thee. And if he shall say vntounto thee, that thou art a sinner, say: Lord, the death of my Lord Iesus Christ, I put betweene thee and my sinnes. If he shall say vntounto thee, that thou hast deserued damnation, say: Lord, I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene thee and my euill merits, and I offer his merit for the merit which I should hauehave, and hauehave not. If he shall say, that he is angrie with thee, say: Lord, I oppose the death of our Lord Iesus Christ betweene me and thine anger. Here we see, what Papists doe, and hauehave done in the time of death. And that which they hold and practise, when they are dying; they should hold and practise eueryevery day while they are liuing.
In the last conclusion they teach, that we must not onelyonly beleeue in generall but also applie vntounto our selues, the promises of life euerlasting. But they differ from vsus in the very manner of applying. They teach that the promise is to be applied, not by faith as…uring vsus of our own saluation: but only by hope, in likelihood coniecturall. We hold that we are bound in dutie to applie the promise of life by faith without making doubt thereof, and by hope to continue the certentie after the apprehension made by faith. We doe not teach that all and eueryevery man liuing within the precincts of the church, professing the name of Christ, is certen of his saluation, and that by faith: but that he ought so to be, and must indeauour to attaine thereto. And here is a great point in the mysterie of iniquitie to be considered: for by this vncerten application of the promise of saluation, and this wauering hope, they ouerturne halfe the doctrine of the Gospel. For it inioynes two things: first to beleeue the promises thereof to be true in themselues: secondly to beleeue, and by faith to applie them vntounto our selues. And this latter part, without which the former is voide of comfort, is quite ouerturned. The reasons which they alleadge against our doctrine, I hauehave answered before: now therefore I let them passe.
To conclude, though in coloured tearmes they seeme to agree with vsus in doctrine concerning faith; yet in deede they denie and abolish the substance thereof, namely, the particular and certen application of Christ crucified and his benefits, vntounto our selues. Againe they faile in that they cut off the principall dutie and office of true sauing faith, which is to apprehend and to applie the blessing promised.