Defense of Perkins Book Called a Reformed Catholic, Point 4 · Section 9
THAT FAITH MAY BE WITHOVT good Workes.
speaker D. B. P. THe first, He that hath not care of his ovvne, hath denied his faith: therfore …. Tim. … ▪saith includeth that good vvorke, of prouiding for our owne:
Ans. That faith there seemes to signifie, not that faith whereby we beleeue all things reuealed, or the Protestants the certainty of their saluation: but for fidelity, and faithfull performance, of that which we hauehave promised in Bapti…me, which is to keepe all Gods commandements one of the which, is to prouide for our children, and for them that we hauehave charge of: so that he who hath no such care ouer his owne charge, hath denied his faith: that is, violated his promise in Baptisme. There is also another ordinary answere supposing faith to be taken there for the Christian beleefe, to wit, that one may deny his faith two waies: either in flat denying any article of faith, or by doing something that is contrary to the doctrine of our faith. Now he that hath no care of his owne, doth not deny any article of his faith, but committeth a fact contrary to the doctrine of his faith: so that not faith, but the doctrine of faith, or our promise in Baptisme, includeth good workes.
speaker A. W. These reasons are such, as (to my best remembrance) I punc;neuer read in any Protestant to this purpose, if you hauehave, you should hauehave quoted the places. But howsoeuer, (I thinke) neither we, nor you, will be bound to maintaine all the arguments, that hauehave been brought, in all questions, to proue the doctrines we seuerally hold: If it had bin your purpose, to deale throughly in this point, you might hauehave found out better reasons then these, though not better for your turne. If you aske where? I will shew you, God willing, in another treatise. For the answering of these arguments, is nothing to Master Perkins reformed Catholike, nor the reason of any moment: but as it may well be suspected, of your owne deuising: that you might make babies to dallie with all.
speaker D. B. P. 2 There are among you that beleeue not; for he knovv vvho beleeued, Ioh. 6.and vvho was to betray him: Opposing treason to faith, as if he had said: faith conteined in it selfe fidelitie. This Argument is farre fetched, and The more vnwise you to trouble your reader with it. VVhat could the doctrine of the Sacrament hinder Judas gaine?little worth. For albeit faith hath not fidelitie and louelove alwaies necessarily ioyned with it, yet falling from faith, may well draw after it, hatred and treason: yea ordinarily wickednes goeth before falling from faith, and is the cause of it: which was Iudas case, whom our Sauiour there taxed, for he blinded with coue…ousnesse, did not beleeue Christs Doctrine of the blessed Sacrament, and by incredulity opened the Diuell a high way to his hart, to negotiate treason in it.
speaker A. W. First, I demaund in what the doctrine of the Sacraments could hinder Iudas from growing rich, yt the fault of his not beleeuing it, should lye vponupon his couetousnes? Secondly I wonder how it can be proued, that Iudas did not beleeue it? If you ground your conceipt vponupon that of hIoh. 6. 64.Iohn, as it is likly you do, first proue that our Sauiour spake there of the Sacrament. Thirdly, it is not plaine by anie place of Scripture, that Iudas vnbeleefe in that doctrine, opened the way to the Diuell; nay rather the text laies the blame vponupon his iIoh. 12. 6. 7.couetousnes, kMath. 26. 15.and malice, stirred vp by our Sauiours defect of Mary against him, when she had bestowed such costlie oyntments vponupon him, in Bethania.
speaker D. B. P. 3 They obiect that. VVho saith bee knovves God, and doth not keepe 1. Ioh. 2. See 12. Art. par. 2. art. 5.his commandements is a lyar.
Ans. He is then a lyar in graine who professing the only true knowledge of God, yet blusheth not to say, that it is impossible to keepe his commandements: but to the obiection, knowing God in that place, is taken for louing of God, as I knovv ye not: that is, I louelove you not. Our Math. 7. & 25. Psal. 1. Ioh. 14.Lord knowes the way of the iust: that is approues it, loues it, so he that knowes God, keepes his commandements, as Christ himselfe testifieth. Jf any louelove me, he vvill keepe my vvord. And he that loueth me not, vvill not keepe my vvords.
Lastly, they say with S. Paul. That the iust man liueth by faith. But if faith giuegive life, then it cannot be without charity.
speaker A. W. Ans. That faith in a iust man is not without hope and charity, by all The question is of workes; your conclusion of charitie. Not iustifying faith.which conioyned he liueth, and not by faith alone. But faith is in a sinfull and vniust man, without charitie: who holding fast his former beleefe, doth in transgressing Gods commaundements, breake the bands of charitie. And so it remaines most certaine, that faith may be and too too often is without the sacred society of charitie.
These obiections were not worth the making; neither will I wast time and paper in examining your answeres to them.