Defense of Perkins Book Called a Reformed Catholic, Point 4 · Section 3
Our reasons.
speaker W. P. I. Rom. 3. 28. We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law. Some answer, that ceremoniall workes bee excluded here: some, that morall workes: some, works going before faith. But let them deuise what they can for themselues: the truth is, that Paul excludeth all workes whatsoeuer, as by the text will appeare. For vers. 24. hee saith, We are iustified freely by his grace: that is, by the meere gift of God: giuing vsus to vnderstand, that a sinner in his iustification is meerely passiue, that is, doing nothing on his part whereby God should accept him to life euerlasting.
speaker D. B. P. Ans. The Apostle there speakes of the iustification of a sinner: for he saith before, that he hath proued both Iew, and Greeke, to be vnderunder sinne; and that all hauehave sinned, and need the glory of God: Wherefore this place appertaines not vntounto the second iustification: and excludes only either workes of the law, as not necessarie vntounto the first iustification of a sinner: against the Iewes who thought and taught them to be necessary: of else against the Gentiles any worke of ours, from being any meritorious cause of that first iustification: for vve acknovvledge ve…e willingly (as you hauehave heard often before) that eueryevery sinner is iustified freely of the meere grace of God, through the merit of Christ only, and See the point of freevvill.without any merit of the sinner himselfe.
speaker A. W. Your answere of the second instification is idle, because the distinction, as I hauehave shewed, is vaine. Master Perkins prooueth, that iustification is wholy of faith, because tRom. 3. 28the Apostle excludeth workes from it: whereas you teach, that faith and workes together make vp that iustice or righteousnes, whereby a man is iustified before God.
speaker D. B. P. And yet is not a sinner (being of yeares of discretion,) meerely passiue in that his iustification, as M Perkins very ab…urdly saith: for in their owne opinion he must beleeue (which is an action:) and in ours not only beleeue, but also Hope, LoueLove, and Repeet.
speaker A. W. Master Perkins makes not a sinner meerely passiue in his iustification, but in receiuing the gift of faith; and in being stirred vp to beleeue. And yet is he not in these neither passiue, as fondly you imagine we say: for he heares, and sometimes meditates, feares, hopes &c. but in this respect he is said to bee passiue, because his yeelding to beleeue, proceedes not from any strength of his free will, vponupon the good motion inspired, but from the spirit of God inclining him ineuitably, to beleeue freely.
speaker W. P. And vers. 27. he saith, iustification by faith excludeth all boasting, and therefore all kind of workes are thereby excluded: and speciallie such as are most of all the matter of boasting, that is, good works. For if a sinner, after that hee is iustified by the merit of Christ, were iustified more by his owne workes, then might hee hauehave some matter of boasting in himselfe.
speaker D. B. P. And this kind of iustification excludeth all boasting in our selues, as well as theirs. For as they must giant, that they may not bragge of their faith, although it be an act of theirs so necessa…ily required at their iustification, that without it, they could not be iustified: euen so let them thinke of the rest of those good preparations, which we hold to be necessarie, that we cannot truely bpast of them, as though they came of our selues, but we confesse all these good inspirations, as all other good, to descend from the bounteous liberality of the …ather of lights: and For the yeelding of our consent to them; we can no more vaunt, then of consenting vntounto …aith, all which is no more then if a man be mired in a lake, and vnable of himselfe to get out, would be content that another of his goodnesse should helpe him out of it.
speaker A. W. From this ariseth the true difference betwixt you and vsus, concerning boasting; that we hauehave nothing left vsus to brag of; because not onelyonly the abilitie, but the very act of beleeuing is brought to passe by Gods spirit in…uitably: but your many actions of fearing, hoping, repenting, louing, beleeuing, are caused by your owne free will, without any certaintie of euent on Gods part, as a cause thereof.
speaker D. B. P. Yet obserue by the way: that S. Paul forbiddeth not all glorying or boasting: For he …orieth in the hope of glorie of the Sonne of God, and in Rom. 5. 2. Cor. 10. 2. Cor. 12.his tribulations: Againe, He defiueth that vve… may glorie in measure, and that he might glory in his power. And that he vvas constrained to glory in his visions and reuolations: So that a good Christian may glory in our Lord, and in his heauenly gifts, so it be in measure, and due season. Acknowledging them from whence they come. But to boast and say that either God needed vsus, or that our good parts were cause, that God called vsus first to his seruice, is both false, and vtterly vnlawfull.
speaker A. W. The Apostle excludes no boasting, but in a mans selfe; and all that he must needs shut out, if he will reserue Gods glorie entire to him. For he that may truly say, that he is beholding to his own free will for his iustification (as he may, who by the good vse of it, at his choise▪ without being certainly inclined thereto by the spirit, procured his own iustification) hath cause to boast of his owne goodnes, not caused by God, in respect of the act of beleeuing. Now he that boasts of the inheritance of heauen, which God onelyonly hath prouided for him; and fitted him to, boasteth not of himselfe, uRom. 5. 23.though in the middest of tribulations he breake out into this boasting. But how proou… this, that therefore all boasting is not forbidden in the matter of iustification? To which x2. Cor. 10. …3.the next place alleaged, no way belongs, being spoken by the Apostle of himselfe, in respect of those gifts that God had bestowed vponupon him, for the worke of his ministerie. The y2. Cor. ….last being of the same nature, is so farre from prouing the lawfulnes of boasting, that the zVers. 1. 5. 1.Apostle is saine to excuse himselfe for it, as a thing inexpedient. But howsoeuer, it can by no meanes prooue, that the Apostle shuts not all boasting out of iustification.
speaker W. P. And that wee may not doubt of Pauls meaning, consider and read Eph: 2. 8. 9. By grace (saith he) you are saued through faith: and that not of your selues, it is the gift of God: not of works, least any man should boast himselfe. Here Paul excludes al and eueryevery worke, and directly workes of grace themselues; as appeares by the reason following, For wee are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vntounto good works: which God hath ordained that we should walke in them. Now let the Papists tell me, what bee the workes which God hath prepared for men to walke in, and to which they are regenerate, vnlesse they bee the most excellent workes? and let them marke, how Paul excludes them wholy from the worke of iustification and saluation.
speaker D. B. P. Ephes. 2. is nothing against our Doctrine of iustification, but too too ignorantly or maliciously cited against it: and note also vvith S. Austin, that faith is there mentioned, to exclude all merits of our workes, which Lib. 83. q. 76.vvent before and might seeme to the simple to hauehave been some cause vvhy God bestovved his first grace vponupon vsus: but no vertuous dispositions requisite for the better preparation to the same grace.
speaker A. W. What ignorance or malice there is in alleaging this text against your doctrine of iustification, it shal appeare by and by: in the meane time, I answere concerning Austin; first, aAug. lib. qq. 83. q. 76.that in the place you name, there is neuer a word of the sentence in question. Secondly, that his scope in that treatise is no more, but to shew that they falsely vnderstood such bRom. 3. 27. 28.places of the Apostle, as speake against iustification by workes, who thinke, that when once they hauehave beleeued in Christ, they shall be saued by faith, though they liue neuer so wickedly. Thirdly, to refu…e that lewd conceit, Aust… addes, that the Apostle cAd hoc potius.rather therefore saith, that a man is iustified by faith, without the works of the law; because he would hauehave no man imagine, that he hath obtained iustification by faith, vponupon the merit of his former workes. This we grant to be true; but not all that the Apostle intendeth. For it cannot be doubted, but that he confuteth the opinion of the Iewes and Heathen, concerning iustification; as it is plaine by the dRom. 1. & 2. & 3.three first chapters. Now they did not make account to deserue the grace of iustification at Gods hands, by their holy and vertuous liuing, but to inherit heauen by it. Neither could they that did beleeue, so much flatter themselues, as to dreame, that their good deeds in particular had procured that fauour; when it was easie for them to see, that many thousands both Iewes and Gentiles, as good, or better than e1. Cor. 6. 10. 11.diuers of themselues, for vertuous behauiour, notwithstanding attained not to this iustification. Besides, if we mark the reasons, by which the fRom. 1. & 2. & 3.Apostle beates down their pride, they are such as generally concerne all both Iewes and Gentiles. Adde hereunto, that Austin speakes no further for the vse of good works, but to shew, that they are necessarie for a Christian man, as gVacuam esse sidē, si non bene operetur.without which his faith is voide and idle: and that no man may dreame, that if hee beleeue, it hNon ad eum pertineat bene operari.pertaines not to him to worke well: which are the words that immediatly goe before these you bring.
speaker D. B. P. And therefore very fondly doth M. Perkins inferre, that in that sentence S. Paul speaketh of vvorkes of grace: because in the text follovving he mentioned good vvorkes. Whereas the Apostle putteth an euident distinction betvveene those tvvo kinde of vvorks, signifying the first. To be of ourselues: The second, …o proceede from vsus as Gods vvorkmansh…o, created in Christ Iesus, and the first, he calleth VVorkes simplie: the second, Good vvorkes, prepared of God for vsus to walke in after our first iustification. What grosse ignorance then vvas it, to take these tvvo so distinct manner of vvorkes, for the same, and to ground himself so boldly vponupon it.
speaker A. W. Master Perkins saith, that the Apostle barres all workes before and after grace. He prooues it by the very text it self. The reason may be thus more plainly propounded; We are not saued by works (saith iEph. 2. 7. 8. Vers. 9. Vers. 10.the Apostle) that no man may boast. His proofe followeth: For good workes are appointed by God for vsus to walke in, for which purpose he hath made vsus anew in Iesus Christ. That this tenth verse is a proofe of the former, the coniunction (for) declares. But how it can serue to that purpose, if the two verses speake of diuers kindes of works, some iustifying, some not iustifying, neither I see, nor (I thinke) you can shew me. What though he call the former workes simply, the latter good workes? are not the former those workes which the law morall and naturall require? and are not they in their nature good workes? But who knoweth not, that by workes, without any addition, workes of grace, after iustification, are signified? let the Apostle kIam. 2. 14. 17. 18. 20. 21. 22. 24. 25. 26.Iames speake, who intreating of such workes, and naming them almost in eueryevery verse, doth not once call them good workes, but workes simply.
speaker W. P. II. Gal. 5. 3. If ye be circumcised, ye are bound to the whole law, and ye are abolished from Christ. Here Paul disputeth against such men as would be saued partly by Christ, and partly by the workes of the law: hence I reason thus. If a man will be iustified by works, he is bound to fulfil the whole law, according to the rigour thereof: that is Pauls ground. I now assume: no man can fulfill the law according to the rigour thereof: for the liues and works of most righteous men are imperfect, and stained with sinne: and therefore they are taught eueryevery day, to say on this manner: forgiue vsus our debts. Again, our knowledge is imperfect, and therefore our faith, repentance, and sanctification is answerable. And lastly the regenerate man is partly flesh, and partly spirit: and therefore his best workes are partly from the flesh, and in part onelyonly spirituall. Thus then for any man to be bound to the rigour of the whole law, is as much as if hee were bound to his owne damnation.
speaker D. B. P. If he can apply the text prefixed vntounto any part of the argument, Erit mihi magnus Appollo: S. Paul onelyonly saith in these vvords: That if you be circumcised, yee are bound to keepe the vvhole lavv of Moses. M. Perkins, That if a man vvill be iustified by vvorkes, he must fulfill the rigour of the S. Paul knevv no other lavv, hut that of Moses to iustification.lavv: Which are as iust as Germaines lippes, as they say: But M. Perkins sayes that it is S. Paules ground: but he is much deceiued, for the Apostles ground is this. That circumcision is as it vvere a profession of Iudaisme, and therefore he that vvould be circumcided, did make himselfe subiect vntounto the vvhole lavv of the Ievves. Of the possibilities of fulfilling the lavv, because M. Perkins toucheth so often that string, shall be treated in a distinct question, as soone as I hauehave dispatched this.
speaker A. W. Master Perkins vnderstood his owne minde in this, and other arguments, better than I can doe, and so could hauehave affoorded better answers for his defence. Yet thus much I may say, that the text of 1 the Apostle may be applied to the proposition; because they that would be circumcised, Gal. 5. 3.would be iustified by the workes of the law. Whereupon it followeth, that he that will be iustified by workes, is bound to keepe the whole law. For so the Apostle saith of them that will be iustified by circumcision.
speaker W. P. III. Election to saluation is of grace without workes: therefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without workes. For it is a certaine rule, that the cause of a cause, is the cause of a thing caused. Now grace without works is the cause of election, which election is the cause of our iustification: and therefore grace without workes is the cause of our iustification.
speaker D. B. P. Ans. That election is of grace vvithout vvorkes, done of our ovvne simple forces, or vvithout the vvorks of Moses lavv: but not vvithout prouision of good vvorkes issuing out of faith, and the helpe of Gods grace, as shall be handled more largely in the question of merits.
speaker A. W. This answere is not only against the mRom. 9. 10, 11.Apostle Paul, and nAug. Epist. 106.Austins exposition of him, but also contrarie to oLombard. lib. 1. dist. 41.Lombard, pThomas. 1. q 23. art. 5. & in 1 senten. dist. 41. q. 1. art. 3. & qq. disp. q 6. de praed. art. 2. & ad Rom. 9.Thomas, qBellarm. de gra. & lib. arb. lib. 2. c. 10. 11. & seqq.Bellarmine, and generally the learnedst Papists: as it shall appeare, if this writer giuegive occasion.
speaker W. P. IV. A man must first be fully iustified, before he can doe a good worke: for the person must first please God before his works can please him. But the person of a sinner cannot please God, till he bee perfectly iustified: and therefore till he bee iustified, hee cannot doe so much as one good worke. And thus good works cannot be any meritorious causes of iustification, after which they are both for time, and order of nature. In a word, whereas they make two distinct iustifications: wee acknowledge that there be degrees of sanctification, yet so as iustification is onelyonly one, standing in remission of sinnes and Gods acceptation of vsus to life euerlasting by Christ; and this iustification hath no degrees but is perfect at the very first.