The Ancient Faith of the Romans and the Romish Religion, Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
WEe hauehave ſéene then the moſt auncient doctrine of iuſtification by faith (grounded vponupon the firſt promiſe of the womans ſeede, that ſhoulde breake the head of the ſerpent) taught by the Apoſtles:Gen. 3. 15. who yet ment not thereby, to open a gap to licentious life, becauſe they ſpeak not there of a deueliſh faith, a popiſh faith, a dead faith, that may be fruitleſſe, but of ſuch a perſuaſion, and ſo aſſured a confidence, ſetled in the heart of the faithfull, as will not ſuffer them to be idle, or vnoccupied in godly workes as occaſion ſhall bee offered. And if wee looke further into the doctrine taught by the Apoſtles, we ſhall alſo learne out of it, not onelyonly that it is neceſſary to doe good works, but alſo howe, and to what ende wee ſhoulde doe them.How and why good workes muſt be done. For if our affection in doing them be not ſincere, if our direction and rule be not Gods holy word, if our intention and ende be not Gods glory, and the performance of our dutifull obedience, vntounto our Lord and Lawgiuer: whatſoeuer our worke be called in name, or ſeeme in ſhew, it is not in deede a good worke. Firſt therefore for our affection, not onelyonly our Sauiour Chriſt who is a heauenly and true teacher of all trueth,Math. 7. 17. telleth vsus, that the trée of our heart cannot bring forth good fruite,Luke. 6. 43. 44. vnleſſe it (I meane the tree) be good it ſelfe: but alſo S. Paul teacheth vsus that the fleſh, that is that part of man that is not regenerate, ſtriueth againſt the ſpirit, whereby he is brought to that, that, Hee doth not the good thing which hee woulde, Rom. 7. 19. 23.but the euill which he would not. And that through The rebelling Lawe in his members, rebelling (I ſay) againſt the lawe of his mind, and leading him captiue vntounto the Lawe of ſinne, which is in his members. Nowe if we marke why the Apoſtle maketh this complaint, and addeth that grieuous and pitifull exclamation O wretched man that I am we muſt confeſſe, that he was forced thereto, becauſe that Although he woulde doe good, 24. 21. 22.and had delight in the Lawe of God concerning the inner man: yet his rebellious fleſhe did trouble and moleſt him ſo,28. that he could not ſo freely, ſo holily and ſincerely,Rom. 6. ſerue God as he ſhoulde hauehave done. And that is it that in the ſixt chapter he perſwadeth vsus, that we ought not to ſinne, becauſe we are dead to ſinne, ſo that we ſhould not any more hauehave to doe therewith, but ſhould hauehave our affections freed from the ſame,Rom. 12. 1. and wholly bent to ſerue God in holines. And for this cauſe afterwardes, when he beginneth to come to exhortations, he layeth this as the ground and foundation of al, That we muſt offer vp our ſelues euen our owne bodies a ſacrifice to God. For if we beginne not with our ſelues, euen with our owne affections, to hauehave them ſanctified, whatſoeuer we doe cannot bee holy. And therefore S. Peter alſo who plentifully exhorteth to the performance of Chriſtian dueties, yet telleth vsus before, that we are elect vntounto Sanctification. 1. Pet. 1. 2.For heereby our affections are reformed, that in doing of al our works, we may do them with a good heart. And afterward (he ſaith) Seeing your hearts are purified in obeying the trueth through the ſpirite, to louelove brotherly without fayning, 22.louelove one another with a pure heart feruently. In which wordes we cannot but ſee, how ſincere an effection the Apoſtle requireth, in performance of this dutie of louelove, which muſt alſo bee a patterne for vsus to doe all good workes by,Auguſt. in pſal. 77. enarrat. for thy heart not béeing ſincere, thy workes are not pure, though they ſeeme good. As for the ſecond point. which is, that our workes, if we will that God ſhoulde accompt them good, ſhould be commaunded in Gods word, and agréeable to his will: it may appeare to be the auncient faith of the faithfull Romans, becauſe S. Paul teaching them to doe good workes, ſeemeth to require nothing of them but louelove, which he ſaith is the fulfilling of the Law: ſo that he would hauehave vsus occupied in performing of louelove to God,Rom. 13. 8. and louelove to man, which God in the ten commandements requireth of vsus, and then we ſhall not faile but doe good works. But this yet he teacheth more plainely,Rom. 14. 23. in the ſhutting vp of that notable diſcourſe,Degrat & libero Arbit. li. 5. ca. 10. in the fourtéenth Chapter. Whatſoeuer is not of faith is ſinne. In which place Maſter Bellarmine wil hauehave vsus by faith to vnderſtand knowledge, as alſo the Rhemiſtes teach vsus, or perſuaſion of conſcience, that the thing which we doe is good and lawfull. But whatſoeuer we doe, for the which we finde not our direction in Gods word, what perſuaſion can we finde for the ſame in our conſcience, that God ſhall recken it among good workes? Or rather why ſhoulde we not alwaies feare, leaſt God for ſuch workes of ours ſhould ſay, Who hath required theſe thinges of your handes? in which reſpect al the fathers in our good workes require faith. Eſa. 1. 12.And is not I pray you our good worke a flower of ſweete ſauour, and a fruite of pleaſant taſte vntounto the Lorde? All men wil confeſſe it is ſo.1. Pet. 1. 23. From what roote then muſt it come?1. Pet. 2. 2. doubtleſſe from no other, but from that immortall ſeede that Saint Peter ſpeaketh of, The worde of God, Whereby hee woulde alſo hauehave vsus to growe. Regulae breu. interrogat. 119And if S. Baſil (concerning the precepts of their monkiſh life) doth think they muſt not be left vndone to take other workes in hand, and that ſpecially becauſe that eueryevery one knoweth not what is conuenient for them to doe, but may as well chooſe that may be to his hurt and hinderance, as to his helpe and furtherance: then how much more ſhould Gods lawes be in ſuch accompt among vsus (who are by our profeſſion regular, hauing an expreſſe commaundement to doe that onelyonly which God commaundeth) that we would not for any thing adde vntounto the ſame our owne inuentions, or mingle with the ſame our owne traditions? And if we ſuppoſe that one man may better ſee how to ſet downe rules of life then another: how is it that we are ſo be ſotted, that wee giuegive not that glory to God, that he knoweth better (I ſay not then any, but) then all men, what workes they are that pleaſe him beſt? Or if we confeſſe him to hauehave that wiſedom, why doe we not follow then this his direction, why do we not ſtudie to keepe his commaundementes? why doe wee weary our ſelues in our owne waies, and waſt our time in doing our owne workes? Thirdly in eueryevery good worke, God alſo conſidereth to what ende it was done. And principally we muſt reſpect Gods glorie. Whether ye eate or drinke, or whatſoeuer ye doe, 1. Cor. 10. 3….doe all to the glorie of GOD. And therefore Saint Paule findeth greate fault with the Romans, or rather writing to the Romans that neyther the Gentiles when they knewe God;Rom. 1. 21. did glorifie him as God, and the Iewes by their ſinnes diſhonored the name of God.Rom. 2. 23. And for that cauſe giuing to the Romans a caueat,Rom. 16. 17. 18. he willeth them to take heede of ſuch as made deuiſion. And why? For they ſerue not the Lorde Ieſus Chriſt, but their owne bellies. They ſeeke not to glorifie the Lorde, but to pamper themſelues.Rom. 16. 17. Yea both Saint Paul and S. Peter alſo,1. Pet. 5. 11. teach vsus this leſſon by their owne example, giuing to him prayſe, glory and dominion. And this glorifying of GOD is eſpecially performed, by conſecrating vntounto him, the good grape of our holy obedience: Euen by letting our light ſo ſhine before men, Math. 5. 16.that they may ſee our good workes, and glorifie our Father which is in heauen. Thus then we ſee that the auncient religion teacheth vsus, that no good worke can procéede from vsus, vnleſſe the ſpring of our heart firſt be purged from the filth of ſinne, leaſt our affections by that corruption, ſhoulde be mingled (like muddie water) with ſinfull cogitations, and withdrawen from ſinceritie in our action. Then alſo that ſuch onelyonly are in déede good workes,In Pſal. 118. Concione. 12. for doing whereof we hauehave warrant in Gods worde. Laſtly that in the ſaid worke, eſpecially we muſt ſeeke Gods glory, by ſeruing him in duetifull obedience, for that the worke muſt be conſidered according to the ende whereunto it is directed, and which we reſpected in doing the worke Auguſtine teacheth. And if any of theſe be wanting, either a ſincere heart, which cannot be without faith, a direction out of the word, or a godly ende, the worke is not good whoſoeuer worketh it, or whatſoeuer ſhew of goodnes it ſeemeth to hauehave in the eies of men. As on the contrary, that which we doe according to Gods worde, with a ſincere heart deſiring to walk on forward in all holy obedience, that is in déede a good worke.
But it is almoſt a common receiued opinion of our new Romiſh Catholicks,Popiſh good workes. that the good intent maketh a good work: Inſomuch as many think it muſt needs be a good worke, that a man or woman doth with a good purpoſe. Neither yet do they meaſure this their intent or purpoſe, with the true line of Gods worde, but with the falſe meaſure of their owne imaginations. And heereby it commeth to paſſe, that the outward appearance of a good worke, is taken of many to be an action acceptable to God, although it be not either directed to the right end, or commaunded in Gods word, or done by him that hath the ſpirit of regeneration. And this maketh them ſo groſly to teach concerning good workes, becauſe they would for the better credit of their workes, commend the actions, not only of the wicked, but of the Infidels alſo, that neuer knew God, as if they might be perfect and void of ſinne. which is a thing as abſurde, to him that by the light of Gods ſpirit, doth walk in the pathes of Gods word, as if they would affirme, that a wild vyne whileſt it remayneth wild, might bring forth a kindly grape, a crab tree a good apple,Workes not commaunded of God. or from a foule and corrupt puddle, might ſpring ſweet and wholſome waters. As for Gods Law, becauſe the waies therof are not roomy enough, for ſuch reelers and rouers to run in, who according to their owne fooliſh phanſies, are alwaies hatching ſome new deuotions, as not only the infinite ſwarues of their Religious orders (as they falſly call thoſe irreligious companies) but alſo their innumerable toyes and ſuperſtitions, whereby they would beare the world in hand, that they pleaſe GOD, and deſerue his fauour doe plainley prooue: they therefore now in the new Romiſh Religion commaund vntounto vsus many things, whereof in the Scripture they can find no one commaundment, no one example. They quite forget the ſtraight charge that GOD layeth vponupon his people,Deut. 12. 8. when he telleth them, that They muſt not doe vvhat ſeemeth good in their owne eyes, 32.and concerning Gods Law: That they muſt ad nothing therto, nor take any thing therfrom. But that they may ſeem to be full fraught with good workes, they eſteeme euerie thing wherein they tye themſelues to any ſtrait rule, (although with neglect manie times of ſundrie Chriſtians dueties) or beſtow their goodes (for the moſt part verie ſuperſtitiouſly) or make any ſhewe of Religion, glorious in the eyes of the world, this I ſay and ſuch like deuiſes they accompt for good workes. And what ſhould I ſpeake of the end where vntounto they hauehave eſpeciall regard in doing of theſe good workes?The end of Popiſh works. Let the practiſe of the Church of Rome at this daie, whereſoeuer her deceites are not yet knowen, or her blaſphemies abhorred, let their owne conſciences I ſay teſtifie heerein, what they think, what their Prieſts do teach them. Do they not inioine them penance to ſatisfie for their ſinnes? do they not teach therby to merite eternall life? Yea, what do the moſt deuout of them, all their life long, but toyle themſelues, to kindle to themſelues a fire,Eſay 50. 11. in the ſparkes whereof they alſo walk for a time, who yet ſhall in the end lie downe in ſorrow. That is, they ſeek by their owne workes, to make for themſelues peace with God, and procure an attonement with him. But when God ſhall ryſe vp, and lay open to their owne conſciences their fooliſh waies that they hauehave found out, then ſhall their owne wickednes correct them,Ier. 2. 19. and their turnings back reproue them: Yea their plague ſhall be, the fruit of their owne imaginations,Ier. 6. 19. becauſe they hauehave not taken heed (ſaith the Lord) vntounto my words, nor to my Law, but caſt it off. And becauſe they are not perſuaded that euer they can be ſo ſure of heauen (now when they are once brought to think that by worke, they muſt get it) they buy Maſſes and trentals,Buying of helps for ſin. both quick and dead, they build places wherein they may alvaies be prayed for (that by that work they may be holpen to Heauen.) They hire Priſtes and Friers to ſing and ſay for them. They ſpare no coſt, they refuſe no trauell. They impoueriſh themſelues and their poſteritie, to purchaſe (if by any meanes they may) pardon for their offences: according to that good Fryer-like and Catholike verſe.
Veſtris noſtra damus, pro noſtris veſtra roga…us.
Part of our prayers your friends ſhall hauehave,
Your goods for recompence we craue.
But in the mean time, while Chriſtians are ſo buſied (as themſelues imagine) to ſaue their ſoules by workes, where is there any time or ſpace to think of Gods glorie,The true end of good works not regarded. or of our owne dutie and performing of our humble obedience? We ſee then how the Romiſh Catholikes doe all that they doe, not in reſpect of dutie, but for reward: not for louelove, but for payment. And therfore with them no wages, no work, no pennie, no pater noſter. Whereas on the contrarie, we are ſo far from denying that it is neceſſarie for Chriſtians to do good workes, that we rather affirme that they are not a good tree, that in due ſeaſon will not bring forth good workes. But theſe our workes muſt be directed to Gods glory, and muſt proceede from an earneſt louelove that we hauehave to be occupied in doing of his will and keeping of his commaundementes: In ſo much as though there were no promiſe of reward, no hope of recompence, yet becauſe God hath ſhewed his mercy,Luk. 1. 74. 75. That we being deliuered out of the handes of our enemies, might ſerue him without feare, in holines and righteouſnes all the daies of our life, and hath commaunded vsus to doe good workes, wee will therefore earneſtly indeuour to doe them.