The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
ANd as this ancient faith which was then ye faith of the Romans when their faith was commended,The maner of iuſtifying by faith. doth put vsus paſt hope of béeing ſaued by our workes:Rom. 3. 24. 25. ſait doth teach vsus that this ſaluation is without our merit fréely beſtowed vponupon vsus that beléeue. Wee are (ſaith S. Paule) iuſtified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Chriſt Ieſus. Whome GOD hath ſet forth to be a propitiation by faith in his bloud, in declaring his righteouſneſſe, by the forgiuing of ſinnes that are paſt, &c. In which wordes wee ſee againe that our iuſtification is free, therefore not for our workes, but by grace. Wée ſée the meanes of this our ſaluation, euen the redenption that is in Chriſt Ieſus. We are alſo taught the meanes how it is applied to vsus by faith: And that not ſimply by faith, as if it were frée for vsus to repoſe this our faith and confidence, according to our owne fancy, vponupon any helpes that we can deuiſe, but by faith in his bloude. Then alſo we learne héere what is this iuſtification, the forgiuenes of ſinnes. But is Chriſt onelyonly profitable to them that were in his time, and to vsus that hauehave béene or are ſince? Yes verily He declareth his righteouſnes in forgiuing the ſins that are paſt, ſuch as his choſen ſeruantes hauehave committed ſince the world began, for ſo both S. Ambroſe, and their owne friend Tho. of Aquin ſéeme to vnderſtand the ſins that are paſt. Which former ſins or ſins that are paſt ſeing it is receiued by ſo generall a conſent of the olde tranſlation,The Rhemiſts take from the word. and the interpreters, I maruell that the Rhemiſts do leaue it out. If we had ſo done we ſhould hauehave beene cryed out vponupon, for falſifyers of the worde of God, and deprauers of the ſame. I woulde alſo aſke why in tranſlating into Engliſh, they would rather retaine the Latin worde Gratis, then ſet downe the Engliſh word Freely. What was the Engliſh ſo plain, that you could not deuiſe any colour, that might ſeeme plauſible to your fauorits, for the maintenance of your new hereſie? If you thought ſo, why giuegive you not glory vntounto God, confeſſing your errour, that others might learne by you, not to be deceiued any longer. If you ſaw not your miſliking why when you ſhould tranſlate and make the worde plaine, doe you ſo hide this light, vnderunder the cloſe buſhell of your wordes, vnknowen to them that ſhoulde read your booke? For thus our newe Maſters of Rheimes do tranſlate Iuſtified gratis by grace & caet. Rom. 3. 24.what theſe mean by tranſlating thus let the world iudge. But the ſumme of the auncient doctrine is this, that we are iuſtified fréely without deſeruing euen by the forgiuenes of our ſinnes through faith in Chriſt his bloud, which is gathered not onelyonly out of the words of S. Paule by me alledged, but alſo through out all his Epiſtles. Which teſtimonyes I omit becauſe that which is already ſaid is ſo plaine, and my eſpeciall purpoſe is to ſhew what hath béene the auncient faith of the Romans. As therefore we ſee what S. Paule taught them, ſo let vsus ſee if S. Peter in that his Epiſtle, which they ſay he wrote from Rome, hauehave ſaid any thing for that point. Hée ſaith That we are kept by faith vntounto ſaluation. And that The reward or end of our faith, 1. Pet. 1. 5.is the ſaluation of our ſoules. And againe that Chriſt was ſhewed in theſe laſt times for your ſakes (ſaith he) which by his meanes doe beleeue in God. 9. 20. 21.And whoſoeuer ſhall mark, how the Apoſtle S. Peter in that firſt Chapter, of his firſt Epiſtle, doth ſet forth the excellency of our hope, and the redemption that we hauehave in Chriſt, which is the end or reward (not of our workes) but of our faith, yea how that Chriſt is ſhewed for vsus that beléeue, and that the Apoſtle in ſpeaking of our ſaluation doth not make our workes any cauſe thereof, but on the contrary aſcribeth it wholly to Gods mercy, euen to his abundant mercy apprehended by faith: he muſt needs confeſſe that S. Peter hauing ſo good occaſion to hauehave ſpoken of iuſtification by works & yet not hauing once mentioned the ſame, had not any purpoſe to deliuer that doctrine, that our own works may iuſtify vsus.
But our new Romiſh Rabbies that hauehave nothing to vant themſelues of,Iuſtification taught by Chriſt and his Apoſtles hereſie. but the rotten ruines of auncient Rome, can abide no doctrine worſe then this that wee are iuſtified by faith in Chriſt his bloud. It is hereſie with them to ſay, that wee obtayne forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes by faith in Chriſt. But to attribute that which onelyonly Chriſtes merites by his death and bloudſhedding, and faith apprehendeth, to holy bread, holy water, pardons,Popiſh iuſtifications. Agnus deis, bleſſed graynes, pilgrimages, monkes, bookes and cowles, candels, croſſings, and ſuch like trifling traſh is good deuotion, and ſound religion. That which they call hereſie, we teach word for word, out of the auncient doctrine of the Romans. But that which they would hauehave the people beleeue, concerning theſe toyes, S. Paul, S. Peter, and S. Marke his ſcholler, would hauehave been aſhamed to hauehave taugh it, to any Chriſtians.