The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
BVT this our doctrine of iuſtification by faith in our Sauiour Chriſt Ieſus, without the workes of the Lawe, that it may both the better be vnderſtoode, and more throughly be deliuered from the vniuſt reproches of ſuch ſlaunderous ſpirits: It ſhall not I ſuppoſe be amiſſe,What iuſtifying faith is. but verie neceſſary to declare, what maner of perſuaſion this Faith is, by the doctrine of the Apoſtles, if any thing may out of theſe their writinges, which doe any way concerne the Romans) be brought to teach vsus the ſame. Firſt therefore this Faith is not only a generall perſuaſion of Gods power, merciemercy, and ſuch other things,A particular confidence. but euen a particular confidence and truſt, wherby we do not onelyonly giuegive our aſſent or conſent that GOD is mighty and mercifull, but alſo we do with comfort applie particularly vntounto our ſelues, whatſoeuer greatnes and goodnes, in generall perſuaſion we yéeld to be in God. And this is plainly proued by thapoſtle vntounto the Romans, ſetting forth the faith of Abraham before our eyes, as a perfect patterne of true faith, in that he beléeued not onelyonly in generally, that God could or would do ſuch a thing,Rom. 4. 18. 19. 20. but euen particularly, that he would and could performe his promiſe that he made vntounto him concerning Iſaac, So ſhall thy ſeed be. And ſo it came to paſſe, that neither he conſidered his owne bodie now dead, when he was almoſt a hundred yeares old, neither yet the deadnes of Saraes womb. But contrary to hope, beleeued in hope, that he ſhould be the father of many nations. Now this conſtancie of Faith cannot poſſibly be in any man or woman, vnleſſe they hauehave (beſides a generall perſuaſion, and hiſtoricall aſſent to this that they heare, that God is good) a particular application, and an inward féeling, whereby they may ſay as their old tranſlation bringeth in Iob, Iob. 19. 7.ſaying: This hope is laid vp within my breſt. Faith alſo muſt be, if it be true and ſuch as is required, a conſtant confidence without doubting. Not becauſe that we can héer attaine to that perfection, that our faith ſhould hauehave no infirmitie, but that all weakneſſe in faith, doth argue great want in the ſame. Such was that Faith, that héer the Apoſtle commendeth vntounto vsus, in the example of Araham. Rom. 4. 21.For Abraham was Fully perſuaded, aſſured or certified, that what GOD had promiſed, he was able to performe. Now fully to be perſuaded of a thing, and to doubt of it are contrarie. And Saint Peter willeth vsus, To truſt perfectly, in that grace that is brought vntounto vsus. wherby he doubtleſſe meaneth nothing els, then thapoſtle S. Iames, Iames 1. 6.when he oppoſeth Doubting or wauering, againſt true faith: Let him aske in faith nothing doubting. But that faith muſt hauehave theſe properties, that is, that it muſt be a confidence and truſt, wherby aſſuredly and particularly, we applie vntounto our ſelues the comfort of Gods promiſes, or of the examples of his merciemercy. Thapoſtle in this Chapter doth farther teach vsus,Rom. 4. 11. I meane Saint Paule, in the fourth to the Romans, A Seale.teaching circumciſion to be, A ſeale of the righteouſnes of Faith. A ſeale is ſet to the writing, to take away all occaſion of doubting from the ſame. So are the Sacraments added to Gods promiſes (if it were poſſible) to make vsus without all wauering in Faith. And the writings whervnto ſeales are affixed, contain for the moſt part, particular benefits beſtowed vponupon them, to whom they are made and ſealed: Euen ſo the Sacraments, are to the godly aſſurances, not onelyonly that God loueth mankind, or Chriſt is a Sauiour, that taketh away ſinnes, and maketh attonement with God for them, but alſo that God loueth vsus, and Chriſt ſaueth vsus: I ſay eueryevery particular man and woman, if they be faithfull, hauehave within them this faith. Which application of this benefit of Chriſt to themſelues, and to their conſciences, is beléeuing. And they that can attaine to this, hauehave attained to Faith, and this their particular faith is ſealed vp to them in the Sacraments. But an aſſent to the hiſtorie hereof we may yéeld, without comfort or conſolation. For ſo do the Diuels beléeue and tremble. Yea let vsus ſée, what an example of Faith,Iames 2. 19. thapoſtle in the viii. of this Epiſtle ſetteth forth himſelf to hauehave, I warrant you we ſhall find it neither mingled with doubtfulneſſe, nor reſting onelyonly vponupon Gods generall promiſes: But in wonderfull aſſurance, he findeth and confeſſeth in himſelfe, to his vnſpeakable comfort, Gods great mercy in iuſtifying and ſauing him. For he is not only aſſured,Rom. 8. 33. that none can lay any thing to the charge of Gods choſen, becauſe God iuſtifieth, and none can condemne, becauſe Chriſt died and roſe againe,34. and at Gods right hand maketh interceſſion for vsus,35. but alſo that nothing can ſeparate vsus from that louelove wherwith God loueth. And this he ſaith he is ſure of.38. This then is the auncient faith of the Romans, Rom. 14. 5.That eueryevery one ſhould be fully perſwaded in their owne mind, (for if in meates this perſwaſion muſt be, then much more in the cauſe of our iuſtification) and Truſt perfectly (without doubting) on Gods grace.1. Pet. 1. 13.
Yea the auncient Fathers, do not know any other faith for a true faith, but onelyonly this aſſurance and particular perſuaſion of the heart.De Mortal. Ser. Ciprian calleth it A confidence of good things to come,Baſil. de vera fide. Tom. 2. fol. 12. and proueth that it muſt ſo be. S. Baſil ſaith it is An approbation of that which is ſaid, with aſſent, and without wauering, with full aſſurance that it is true. Which confident perſuaſion, is manifeſtly againſt popiſh doubting neyther can it be without particular application of the promiſes to our ſelues, which in their groſſe diuinitie they finde to bee néedeleſſe.Jn Mat. Can. 5. Hilary will hauehave no doubt at all in our faith. Neyther can a generall faith, without applying particularly to vsus Gods promiſes, make vsus abſtaine from euill and doe that is good,Ope. Imper. Ho. 39. which Chryſoſtome ſaith is the worke of faith. And this doth S. Ambroſe plainely teach by the ſimilitude of a phiſition who although bee promiſe to heale all,In cap. 2. 1. Tim yet they that will hauehave helpe, muſt ſeeke to the phiſition. And why? Is it not eueryevery one that ſtandeth in neede may hauehave the medicine applyed? yes verily. For it will not otherwiſe doe them any good. Now ſaith he, faith giueth vsus this (ſpirituall) health, which vnleſſe the minde receiue withall the heart, it doth no good but rather hurt. As therefore it doth no good to a diſeaſed body to know that he may hauehave helpe, vnleſſe the phyſicke be miniſtred to him: euen ſo in theſe ſickneſſes of our ſoule, the aſſaultes of ſinne, without this particular applicution there can be no helpe. Let therefore Maſter Bellarmine tel vsus if he will,Bellarm. de Iuſtif. li. 1. cap. 4. that his fellow Catholickes of the Romiſh ſtamp, do hold it rather a preſumption then faith, To be aſſured of the promiſe of ſpeciall grace or mercy: yet will we rather holde faſt that auncient faith of Rome, approued alſo by ſundry fathers, then wander with them, in their wauering opinion, and deſperate doctrine.
But our new Romiſh teachers can abide nothing leſſe then that we ſhould teach men to aſſure themſelues by faith of their ſaluation.Bellar. de iuſtif. li. 1. ca. 6. 7. And therefore they teach this faith to be but an aſſent,Aſſent or generall knowledge. not a confidence, and that it may be a generall knowledge not a particular and vndoubted perſuaſion, or truſt, that we are iuſtifyed by Chriſt. They take for a patterne of their faith, that faith that the diuels hauehave,Iac. 2. 15. as before out of Saint Iames I taught that they beleeue, yea feare and tremble. And while they make faith to be but a bare aſſent, they thinke it an eaſy matter to beleeue (for in deed the moſt wicked may hauehave ſuch a fayth:)What faith we ſay iuſtifieth. by this meanes it commeth to paſſe, that they ſpeake euill of our doctrine which they knowe not. For wee doe not teach that popiſh faith doth iuſtify, which is but an hiſtoricall aſſent, to thoſe thinges that are ſpoken of GOD: but we ſay that that aſſured perſuaſion which Sainte Paul commendeth in Abraham, Rom. 4.and whereof himſelfe reioyceth:Rom. 8. And whereby we are kept by the power of GOD vntounto ſaluation:1. Pet. 1. 5. wee teach that that doth not onelyonly iuſtifie vsus before God, becauſe it apprehendeth and taketh holde of him, by and in whom onelyonly, wee are accompted righteouſſe in Gods ſight: but God by it doth alſo purifie our heartes. Becauſe it cannot be but that wee will hauehave a delight in Gods commaundementes, if once this aſſured and vndoubted perſuaſion of Gods eternall goodneſſe towardes vsus, be planted in our heartes. Although therefore we ſtill teach conſtantlie with our Sauiour Chriſt, & his Apoſtles, that fayth without workes doth iuſtifie, ſpeaking of a true fayth, and an aſſured confidence, which was the olde Roman fayth: yet we wil alſo ſay with the new Romaniſtes, that the fayth of the nowe Church of Rome, or that fayth which the diuels may hauehave cannot iuſtifye.Romiſh ſaith iuſtifieth not. But this doth nothing hinder our cauſe, for wee accompt not that baſtard Roman faith, worthy the name of faith. So that in this latter aſſertion wee yeelde to them. And in the former, wherein we affirme that faith, as it is an aſſured confidence, taking holde of Gods mercy in Chriſt doth iuſtifie, I would they alſo woulde yeelde vntounto the trueth.