Common Places, Part 3 · Chapter 3 · Section 5
VVhether charitie may be called the forme of faith.
27 As touching the ſecond queſtion, we are to examine, whether charitie be (as the Schoole-men terme it) The firſt reaſon.the forme of faith. And firſt I ſaie, that they ſo ſpeake, not properlie, but rather fondlie: for it is not beſéeming, that one qualitie of one and the ſame kind ſhould be the forme of another. For we grant not, that one accident cleaueth like a forme vntounto another accident; and that chéeflie among qualities. It is ſaid of figures or ſhapes, that they happen vntounto quantitie, when as yet they be qualities. But whether figures doo trulie or properlie perteine vntounto the predicament of qualitie, I will not ſtand at this preſent to prooue: it ſufficeth as concerning our purpoſe, that one qualitie cannot be called the forme of another. A feigned deuiſe of the School-men.But the School-men by that their maner of ſpéech ment no other thing, but that faith is made perfect by charitie; euen as matter is woont to be made perfect by the forme of the ſame: which feigned deuiſe of theirs muſt not be allowed. For if faith be compared vntounto hope and charitie, it is euen ſo towards them, A ſimilitude.as wiſedome is to thoſe vertues, which they call vertues of intelligence; and as prudence is towards thoſe, which they call morall vertues. For euen as morall vertues are knit togither in prudence; ſo thoſe things alſo, which belong vntounto intelligence, are ioined togither in wiſedome. But no man will ſaie, that other-vertues of the mind bée the forms of wiſedome, neither that morall vertues are the forms of prudence: wherefore, neither hope nor charitie may be called the forme of faith.
The compariſon, which I tooke vponupon me to make of faith vntounto prudence, is to be read in Chryſoſtome vponupon the epiſtle vntounto Titus, Chryſoſt.the third homilie, where he ſaith; that faith is of no leſſe power to the gouerning of life, than wiſedome is. The third reaſon.Furthermore, that our wiſedome conſiſteth in faith, no man I thinke doubteth: and that hope and charitie are knit togither in faith, it is hereby declared; inſomuch as where faith is, theſe alſo are preſent with the ſame. Moreouer, to ſpeake of the forme, according to the nature thereof, we make the ſame to be the beginning of the action: but faith, by a naturall propertie and vertue thereof, maketh vsus to hold faſt the word of God. Neither dooth charitie tend vntounto that end, the which rather compelleth vsus to louelove him, whom we hauehave alreadie knowne by faith; therefore charitie in reſpect of faith ſhall not be accounted a forme, ſéeing it is no beginning of the action thereof, the which chéeflie conſiſteth in beléeuing. Furthermore, matter is gouerned of the forme, The fourth reaſon.and thereby it is both contriued and conteined; and not the forme by the matter. But charitie is obedient vntounto faith; faith gouerneth the ſame: for whatſoeuer we louelove vprightlie, it muſt be knowne by faith, that we ought to louelove the ſame. For this in nature we ſée, that louelove followeth the iudgement of the partie that knoweth. Beſides this, the thing which begetteth, is more perfect, than that which is procreated. And we make no doubt, but that hope and charitie is ingendered by faith: wherefore, neither hope nor charitie can be the forms of faith. That good works are ingendered by faith, Dauid ſheweth, when he ſaid; I beleeued, Pſa. 116, 10.and therefore hauehave I ſpoken: whereby appéereth, that confeſſion procéedeth of faith. He ſaith alſo; Pſ. 119. 101.I hauehave not declined from thy iudgements, bicauſe thou haſt taught me. By theſe things it is manifeſt, that the vprightnes of life procéedeth from the aſſent of faith.
28 But let vsus ſée after what ſort hope and charitie are ingendered of faith. How hope and charitie are ingendered of faith. Rom. 5, 1.In the epiſtle to the Romans we read; We being iuſtified by faith, hauehave peace towards GOD through Chriſt, by whom alſo we hauehave acceſſe through faith vntounto the grace wherein we now ſtand, and reioiſe vnderunder the hope of the glorie of God. Behold, the apoſtle expreſſelie ſheweth, that wée hauehave peace and acceſſe vntounto God, and hope of the glorie through faith. The ſame dooth he more plainlie teach in his epiſtle to the Epheſians, the third chapter, where he writeth; verſe. 12.that Wee hauehave acceſſe with confidence, which commeth by faith. Here againe thou ſéeſt, that confidence (which is hope) dooth ſpring of faith. And that charitie is deriued from thence, the ſame apoſtle teſtifieth vntounto Timothie, when he ſaith; Charitie out of a pure hart, a good conſcience, 1. Tim. 1, 5.and faith not feigned. And the reaſon which we touched before, perſuadeth the ſame: for ſéeing that by faith we apprehend GOD, as the ſouereigne good; as he that is mightie, wiſe, and moſt louing toward vsus, Which gaue his onelie ſonne vntounto death for vsus, & hath giuen all things with him; how can it be, but that our louelove muſt breake out towards him, and towards all things, which apperteine vntounto him? But touching order, it is to be vnderſtood, that hope ſpringeth out firſt. For when as by faith we hauehave imbraced the promiſe of eternall life, an hope is conceiued of obteining the ſame; and from hence in the third place ſpringeth louelove: for we louelove not thoſe things, which we are out of hope to obteine.
29 Now let vsus come to the arguments, A feigned deuiſe of the Sophiſters. Gal. 5. 6.which our aduerſaries doo vſe, to prooue charitie to be the forme of faith. They alledge that ſentence of Paule vntounto the Galathians; Faith which worketh by louelove. Séeing (ſaie they) that faith doth worke by charitie, the ſame it ſhall hauehave in ſtead of a forme. Hereof groweth the error of theſe men, that they imagine ſomething to themſelues, that ſhould be compounded of faith and charitie, the which being all wholy compact of theſe, might hauehave the firſt entrance of the working thereof from charitie, as from the forme. But this deuiſe of theirs is vaine; for ſéeing faith and charitie be ſeuerall vertues, and that one qualitie (as I hauehave ſaid before) is no forme of an other, there ſhall be no one thing compact of theſe two faculties. Moreouer, this maner of ſpéech (to wit, Not alwais that by which an other thing is wrought is the forme of it, it may be the inſtrument of it. 2. Cor. 5, 10.that euerie thing worketh by an other thing) doth not alwaie reſpect the forme, but ſomtimes the inſtruments. The writer writeth by his pen, the ſouldier fighteth by his weapon, & the ſoule worketh by the bodie; but all theſe things they confeſſe to be no forms, but inſtruments. And Paule ſiad, that We muſt all ſtand before the tribunall ſeat of Chriſt, that euerie man ſhall beare away according as he hath behaued himſelfe in his bodie; be it good, or be it euill. We ſaie alſo, that prudence worketh by morall vertues; which vertues notwithſtanding are not counted the formes thereof.
Alſo they obiect, that charitie hath therfore the nature of a forme; bicauſe it is the end of the precept: and whatſoeuer is done without that, cannot pleaſe God, but is condemned as ſinne. But if this argument be of force, wée alſo will prooue thereby, that faith is the forme of other vertues; Rom. 14, 23.ſéeing Paule hath ſaid; Whatſoeuer is not of faith, is ſinne. Out of the which ſentence Auguſtine in his 4. booke and 4. chap. againſt Iulian taught, that all the workes of the infidels are ſinnes. Theſe men alſo bring the ſaieng of Iames, Iames. 2, 22.that Faith is made perfect by workes: the which maketh nothing againſt vsus; for it onlie teacheth, that faith is then perfect, when it worketh. Euen as the Philoſophers teach, that a forme is not perfect, when it is taken as the firſt act (for ſo they ſpeake) but when it is reſpected as a ſecond act: for in working it putteth foorth his ſtrength, & declareth it ſelfe. Wherefore wée grant, How faith is made perfect by workes.that after this maner faith is made perfect by workes; not that it is either increaſed, or made more earneſt by the vertue of workes: but through the more effectuall operation of the holie Ghoſt, the which in working declareth it ſelfe; but in time of idlenes laie hid. And this is not the propertie of charitie alone, but is common vntounto all other vertues: for vntounto this end are vertues giuen vntounto the mind, that out of them actions might be drawen.
30 Moreouer, they ſaie that charitie is therefore the forme of faith; bicauſe by it is the firſt beginning, whereby the godly are known from the wicked. And this they prooue by that place of the Goſpell, where Chriſt is brought in to ſaie at the daie of iudgement; I was hungrie, Mat. 25, 35.and ye fed me: I thirſted, and ye gaue me drinke, &c. VntoUnto theſe things wée anſwer, that the diſcerning and knowledge of things is ſometimes had by the cauſes, & by the beginnings of them, which they commonlie call A priori, that is, The knowledge of things commeth partly by the beginnings, and partlie by the effects.By that which went before; and an other is vnderſtood by the effects and properties, which they name A posteriori, to wit, By that which cōmeth after. Wherfore I willingly admit, that charitie is that, whereby the godly are diſcerned from the wicked, by the latter knowledge, and by the effects: but this knowledge pertaineth to vsus. Chriſt otherwiſe, without the ſame, very well knoweth them that be his, and ſetteth them apart; namelie, by election and predeſtination: the which be in a maner the beginnings & cauſes of our ſaluation. Wherefore, that knowledge is had by the effects, out of the forme of things, which they take as granted, we muſt not grant. Neither is there anie doubt, but in the laſt iudgment the ſaints ſhall be diſcerned from the wicked, by the workes and effects, according as the words which theſe men bring doo declare. The ſentence of the laſt iudgement. Ibidem. 34.Howbeit, if they will hauehave reſpect vntounto thoſe wordes which the iudge pronounced before time, when he ſaid; (Come ye bleſſed of my father, take the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world) they ſhall eaſilie vnderſtand, that there is a more noble & excellent knowledge ſet forth of ſaluation to be giuen, than that knowledge which is afterward added through workes. As for the forme of faith (if anie ſhuld be brought in, which properly is not lawfull to be done) The ſpirit (if anie thing be) ſhould be the forme of faith.the ſame ſhould be the ſpirit. For we hauehave faith according to the portion thereof; & the more there is of the ſpirit, the more ample faith is preſent; and the more ſcarſitie there is of the ſpirit, the weaker is faith.