Truths Triumph Over Trent, Chapter 11
CHAP. XI. Of the Romane-Catholicke faith it selfe, what kinde of faith that is which the Church of Rome admitteth as their Christian faith, or the faith of Romane-Catholicke beleeuers.
BY that which hath beene already declared of the Romane-Catholicke doctrine, touching the iustification of a sinner, it is more than euident, that they hauehave quite barred vp the beautifull gate of the Temple of Heauen, blocked vp the way to saluation, beset the Tree of life with their Seraphicall flaming sword of Anathema, fire and fagot, lest neuer a Mothers sonne of Adam should put forth his hand to taste of it, and so liue for euer in the heauenly Paradise. So that the Romish Doctors, specially the Trent-Fathers, are iust like those Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites, which shut vp theMat. 23. 13. Kingdome of Heauen, and for all Peters pretended keyes, take away the key of knowledge, neither going in themselues, nor suffering others to enter in. Or they are like to the Philistims, who stopped vp those Wels, which Abraham had diggedGen. 26. 15. for his flockes, filling them with earth and rubbish. So these Romish Philistims, enuying Isaacs riches, the riches of Gods grace in the children of the promise, Abrahams seede, hauehave with the earth and rubbish of humane inuentions, and of Satans Sophistry, stopped vp those Wels of saluation, which Abraham by faith had digged, and found, & enioyed, & left also to his faithfull posterity to enioy to the worlds end. And in stead therof they hauehave hewed to themselues Cisternes,Ier. 2. 13. broken Cisternes, that will hold no water, hauing forsaken the Lord, the fountaine of liuing waters, as Ieremy speaketh.
But yet say, that the Romane-Catholicke Church had not thus stopped vp the Wels of saluation, but that, as the promiscuous Samaritans (who were a perfect type of the Popish Church: for they meddled not with the Iewes, the true Church; they had a mixt Religion of the true God, and of Idols, false gods; they had built a Temple in Mount Garizim,Ioseph. de Antiquit. Iud. lib. 13. cap. 17. not onelyonly in imitation, but in emulation and opposition to the Temple in Ierusalem: So the Romish Church will not meddle with the true Christian professors, and true Iehudahs, praysers of God, vnlesse it be by treachery and treason, by powder and poyson, fire and fagot, and sword: their Religion is mixt, and so mixt, as their Idols hauehave quite shouldred out the seruice of the true God; and against Christ, the true Temple, whose Religion is Catholicke, and spred ouer the whole world, as Christ told the Samaritan woman, they hauehave builtIohn 4. 21. 23. an Antichristian Church vponupon the Romane Hils, whose imaginary foundation is Peters Chaire, and whose gates are opened and shut with Peters keyes) Say (I say) if, as the Samaritans retained Iacobs Well intire; so the Pontificians did preserue the Wels of saluation pure, not hauing despitefully stopt them vp, as the Philistims did Abrahams Wels: yet, as the woman of Samaria said to Christ; The Well is deepe, and thou hast nothing to draw withall: so the Well of saluation is deepe, what is there then to draw withall; that, as Esay faith, yee may with ioy draw water out of the Wels of saluation.Esa. 12. 3. This may therefore be fitly obiected to the Church of Rome, which the Samaritan woman foolishly obiected to Christ: The Well is deepe, and thou hast nothing to draw withall. Nothing? yea nothing; not so much as a small sheard to take water withall out of the pit, as Esay speaketh: For there is noEsa. 30. 14. line to reach, no bucket to take the liuing waters out of Gods Well, but onelyonly Faith. With this it was, wherewith the Samaritan woman her selfe, both drew and dranke of the true liuing water, out of Iacobs true liuing Well, and the Wel was Christ. With this Faith it was, wherewith the woman withMat. 9. 22. the bloudy issue drew the liuing water out of Christ, which washed away the running bloudy issue of her sins: For it was her faith, that made her whole, and that by Christs own testimonie. With this faith it was, that the blinde man in the Gospell went and washed in the Poole of Siloam, yea in theIohn 9. soft running waters of Shilo, Iesus Christ, by vertue wherof he returned seeing.
But the Church of Rome doth not deny faith. True. Yea but eueryevery faith will not reach this Well, nor comprehend this Water: let vsus see therefore, what that faith is which the Pontificians hold, and whether it will hold water, as we say. And now are wee come to the maine point of the matter of our iustification: as Soto confesseth, that this doctrine of faith it selfe, is the princeps Controuersia, the head controuersie betweeneDom. Soto de nat. & grat. l. 2. c. 5. the Pontificians, and whom they call the Lutherans. But, as the same Soto saith, ibid. Est lis haec de sola fide, adeo tum à suis exordijs abstrusae, tum ob diuturnam vtrin que pugnam obuoluta ac implexa, vt ad eruendam veritatem vix nobis alicunde pateat aditus: This controuersie of sole faith (saith he) is both from the first originall of it so abstruse, as also by reason of the continual contentions on both sides, so inuolued and intricate, that to cleare the truth, we can scarce finde where to beginne. And herein he saith perhaps too true.
But the Pontificians treading this endlesse maze, may thank their owne Shoolemen, who first drew this Labyrinth, filling it full with the many meanders of their manifold distinctions, whereby they hauehave so intoxicated euen their strongest brains with often turnings, as it is no maruaile, if subtile Soto himselfe, and others of his society, doe so much busie themselues in vaine to finde the right doore of faith, as the blinde Sodomites were puzled in seeking the doore of the righteous Lot, which they could not finde out. So that for a man to go about to tread this Pontifician Maze, may seeme an endlesse labour. But if wee repaire to the Councell of Trent, therein wee shall finde the whole spawne of the errours of faith compact in one lumpe together.
The Councell of Trent, or the Church of Rome (which you will) acknowledgeth and admitteth only one kinde of faith, namely, an Historicall faith, which (say they) is common to all men, good and bad, yea common to the very Diuels themselues. The summe whereof is set down in the fifteenth Chapter of the sixt Session, and in the twenty eight Canon:Concil. Trid. Sess. 6. c. 15. can. 28. Their words are these, Aduer…us etiam hominum quorundam callidaingenia, qui per dulces sermones, & benedictiones, seducunt corda innocentium, asserendum est, non modè infidelitate, per quam & ipsa fides amittitur, sed etiam quocunque alio mortali peccato, quamuis non amittatur fides, acceptam iustificationis gratiam amitti: diuinae legis doctrinam defendendo, quae à regno Dei non solum infideles excludit, sed & fideles quoque fornicarios, adulteros, molles, masculorum concubitores, fures, auaros, ebriosos, maledicos, rapaces, caeterosque omnes, qui laetalia committunt peccata, à quibus cum diuinae gratiae adiumento abstinere possunt, & pro quibus à Christi gratia separantur: That is, Also against the cunning wits of certaine men, which by *Note the sugar-tongued serpent, pro…aning Scripture, by an hypocriticall mis-applying it to others, when it directly taxeth seducing Pontificians themselues.sweet words, and benedictions, seduce the hearts of the innocent, wee are to affirme, that not onelyonly by infidelity, whereby euen faith it selfe is lost, but also by any mortall sinne whatsoeuer, although faith bee not lost, yet the grace of iustification being receiued, is lost: maintaining the doctrine of Gods law, which excludeth from the Kingdome of God, not onelyonly vnbeleeuers, but also beleeuing or faithfull fornicators, adulterers, effeminate, abusers of themselues with mankinde, theeues, couetous, drunkards, raylers, extortioners, and all other, that commit deadly sinnes; from which they might hauehave abstained by the helpe of Gods grace, and for which they are separated from the grace of Christ. In which words, we may obserue two remarkeable things, concerning the Popish faith: first, that it hath no coherence with the grace of iustification, seeing (as they teach) the grace of iustification may be lost, and yet faith remaine stil in a man: the second is, that this faith of theirs is cōmon to whoor-mongers, to adulterers, and all kind of lewd persons, whom they cal beleeuing or faithfull, though shut out from the kingdom of God.
To this they adde also the twenty eight Canon: Si quis dixerit, amissa perpeccatum gratia, simul & fidem semper amitti: aut fidem, quae remanet, non esse veram fidem, licet non sit viua: aut eum, qui fidem sine charitate habet, non esse Christianum: anathema sit: If any man shall say, that grace being lost by sinne, faith together with it, is alwaies lost: or that which remaineth, is not true faith, though not a liuing faith: or that he, who hath faith without charitie, is not a Christian: let him be accursed. So that according to Romes doctrine, a man may hauehave faith, and want grace: and a dead faith with them is a true faith: and faith without charity may serue to make a Christian. According to which doctrine, the Diuell should hauehave a true faith, and consequently not to bee denyed to bee a Christian: Euen as the Turkes call their circumcised, Mussel-men, that is, true Beleeuers; such true Beleeuers may the Pontificians be allowed to be. Vega giues the reason of this. Quod sancta Synodus Vega de mortal. & venial peccat. l. 1. c. 14.fidem peccatorum fidem veram appellauit, &c. That the holy Synod of Trent, called the faith of sinners true faith, surely she did it being compelled of you (O ye Lutherans) being desirous by a fit terme to make plaine to all men the Catholicke doctrine of the identity of faith vnformed and formed. And lest any hereby should bee deceiued, therefore shee hath put this qualification, licet non sit vi…a, although it be not a liuing faith. And yet the same Vega saith there, Quod si Lutherus, &c. If Luther had only said, that which he writ in his Commentary vponupon the Galathians, Si vera fides est, &c. If faith be true, and if a man be truly a Sonne, charitie shall not be wanting; we had neuer opposed him. Yea Vega, but take Luthers meaning withall, That wheresoeuer true faith is, there is charity; and then you will retract your words, and hold on your opposition, not against Luther, but against the truth. Soto alsoSoto de nat & grat. l. 2. c. 7. puts the matter out of doubt, saying, That fides mortua propriè est fides, the dead faith is the proper faith. And chapt. 8. ibid. That this faith doth not only fictè, fainedly, or falsly, as Lutherans say (saith hee) sed propriè, legitimè, & verè, but properly, legitimately, and truly, make a man a Christian, and theCo…cil. Trid. Sess. 6. can. 28. member of Christ: according to the Text. But thus we come to discouer the Councels reasons, why she cals a dead faith a true faith: as also her meaning, where she saith, That the instrumental cause of iustification is the sacrament of Baptisme, which is the sacrament of faith; sine qua, without which faith, no man euer came to be iustified. This might giuegive some colour to iustification by faith; sauing that they say, They may hauehave faith without iustification. And againe in the same Chapter, whereas they equiuocate egregiously, saying, That faith, vnlesse hope and louelove be added to it, doth not perfectly vnite vsus vntounto Christ; alledging that of Iames, Faith without workes is dead and fruitlesse: and that of Paul, That in Christ Iesus neyther circumcision auaileth any thing, nor vncircumcision; but faith which worketh by louelove: yet they meane no other faith, but that which is by nature voyde of louelove, and hope, seeing it can subsist without them. And so consequently the faith that they hold and maintaine, is no liuing, but a dead faith, which may bee in the damned, yea which is in the very Diuels.
And for the further opening and confirming of the Councels minde … …his maine point, let vsus heare further what her two Champions and Expositors, Vega and Soto in their learned Commentaries vponupon this Session of the Councell, hauehave said concerning their iustifying Faith. These, as all other Pontificians at this day, taking the Councell of Trent for their guide and rule, as Bellarmine and others, with one mouth do affirm, That there is no kinde of Faith, but one: as Soto saith, Eadem Soto de nat. & grat. l. 2. c. 7.vniuersorum fides est: The Faith of all men is one and the same. Indeede in the sixt Chapter of the same Booke, he sets down a two-fold acception of Faith: the first, of that Faith which he cals a morall vertue, which is in the will: the other, an intellectuall vertue, in the vnderstanding. The first he takes for fidelity in keeping ones word: The second for the credit giuen to it. In this latter sense Soto takes that Faith, which is in man towards God: and what this Faith is, he further sheweth in the seuenth Chapter, where he propounds two things concerning faith: first, Quod nullatenus duae, sed vna▪penitus Soto ibid.Fides est, qua credimus vniuersa reuelata, sine histori… sin…, sine promissiones, sine pr…ceptiones, aut consilia: first, that there bee not two, but altogether one Faith, whereby we beleeue all things reuealed, whether they be histories, or promises, or precepts, or counsels. The second is, Quod promissionum assensus, ad fidem Catholicam pertinens, non est specialis ille, quo quis que de se credit, seu recipere modo, seu habere iam gratiam; sed ille in genere, quo firmiter credimus, Iesum Christum vniuersalem esse Redemptorem, &c. That the assent of the promises, appertaining to the Catholicke faith, is not that speciall assent of faith, whereby eueryevery man beleeueth of himselfe, that hee eyther now receiueth, or hath grace already; but that generall assent, whereby we firmly beleeue, that Iesus Christ is an vniuersal Redeemer, &c.
Therefore that wee may trace these Pontificians to their fourmes or holes, we will insist in their owne foot-steps; and first shew what species, or kinde of faith they hold: and secondly, what qualities they appropriate vntounto it in particular. First therefore what kinde of faith they meane, wee hauehave had the testimony of the Councell of Trent ioyntly, and generally; and then more particularly, the Commentary of Soto vponupon it: namely, that it is a meere Historicall faith, common both to good and wicked men. To whom also wee will adde Vega's iudgement and Commentary, who also excludeth all kindes of faith, but this one Historicall faith, as any way requisiteVega de iustif. grat▪ &c. qu. 1. to iustification: Nor doth any of them allow vntounto faith any other worke in iustification, but onelyonly as it disposeth a man thereunto. Let vsus heare Vega's owne words, who not fearing to blaspheme the doctrine of faith deliuered by Christ and his Apostles, by peruerting it to serue his Antichristian doctrine, saith: Et Paulus & caeteri Apostoli, imo & ipse Christus, cum fidei tribuebant nostram salutem & iustificationem, Ibid. qu. 2. rat. 1.cum & eam exigebant ab eis, quibus praedicabant; agebant de fide, per quam acquirere possumus, & verè acquirimus iustitiam, docebant que nos dispositionem, qua nos ex parte nostra disponimus ad gratiam; sed ista fides non est fides formata, aut saltem non in quantum formata, habet ista essicere: both Paul and the other Apostles, yea euen Christ himselfe, when they attributed to faith our saluation and iustification, and required it of those, to whom they preached; they handled that faith, by which we may acquire, and doe truely acquire righteousnesse, and they taught vsus that disposition, whereby on our part we dispose our selues to grace; but this faith is not a faith formed, or at least not as it is formed, doth it effect these things. And by and by he explaines this more clearely, saying: Fides formata non est via, ne que dispositio ad iustitiam nostram, siquidem illa iam habet secum praesentem iustitiam: Faith which is formed, is not the way, nor the disposition to our righteousnesse: for His meaning is, by grace inherent, as hope, & louelove, &c.this already hath righteousnesse present with it. It remaines therefore that Vega alloweth no faith in iustification, but that which is vnformed, or voide of charity, and that this serues onelyonly to dispose a man to iustification, which iustification charity possesseth, when once it hath giuen forme and life to faith.
Now Vega in the former question, among other sundry acceptions of this word Faith, doth most willingly imbrace, and pitch vponupon that, which signifieth credulity, or aptnesse to beleeue, or a perswasion, or a firme and certaine assent: sed ineuidens tamen; but yet vneuident. And omitting others, this hee most diuinely proueth out of a prophane Author and Historian, Titus Liuius. As also out of the Poet Virgil:
Credo equidem, ne que vanafides genus esse Deorum.
I verily beleeue there is a generation
Of Gods, nor is my faith a vaine imagination.
This example Vega worthily puts among others, to demonstrate and exemplifie that faith, which the Pontificians hauehave and hold concerning God, and their owne saluation, by way at least of disposition, as we hauehave said. Now this faith, taken for credulity, or perswasion, or assent, but vneuident, hee diuides into sundry branches; as either it is humane or diuine: humane, when we beleeue mans sayings; diuine, when we beleeue Gods sayings. This diuine Faith, hee sub-diuideth into actuall and habituall. The actuall Faith hee cals a firme and certaine, but vneuident assent of those things, which are reuealed of God. That it is a firme and certaine assent, it exceeds opinion: that it is vneuident, it is inferiour to the intellect or vnderstanding science, and sapience, which are intellectuall vertues, hauing clearnesse and euidence. Habituall Faith is a certaine intellectuall habit, whereby the vnderstanding is made apt and disposed to the actuall Faith. This habituall Faith he further diuides into fidem acquisitam & infusam; into faith acquired and infused. Faith acquired, is a habit fitting vsus the more easily to beleeue, being acquired by the frequency of the acts of Faith. Faith infused, is a certain supernaturall habit, and altogether of a diuine condition, infused by God into our vnderstandings, that by it wee may easily, and certainly, and vndoubtedly assent vntounto diuine reuelations. Verùm hic habitus, &c. but this habit (saith hee) may be both in righteous men, and in sinners, as all Catholicke Doctors for certaine hold, and experience it selfe declareth. Lastly, he diuideth Faith in fidem informem, & formatam; into faith vnformed, and formed. Faith vnformed, he cals a habit of Faith, separated from charity. Faith formed, is a habit of Faith, conioyned vntounto charity, and hauing it present with it. Although these in habit are both one; for as charity ioyned to Faith, makes it to be formed: so being remoued from Faith againe, leaues it as it found it, vnformed. This is the perplexed doctrine of the Pontificians, or Church of Rome, concerning Faith; who, though they be so barren of distinctions, as not to finde out the true kindes of Faith, grounded on the holy Scriptures, but Babylonishly confound them all in one: yet againe they shew their pregnant and fruitfull veine in distinguishing, when as they diuide and subdiuide this poore Faith of theirs into so many parts, as at length it comes to iust nothing. Not vnlike to Cyrus King…rodot. lib. 1. of Persia, who in his expedition towards and against Babylon, being to passe ouer the riuer Gyndes, which afforded him no Ford to passe, but by shipping; one of his holy white steeds proudly assaying to swimme ouer, and so being drowned, hee thereupon in reuenge of his holy horse, vponupon that goodly riuer, threatned he would so diminish and diuide this riuer, as women should easily wade ouer it, and not vp to their knees. So hee set his numerous Army aworke for a whole yeare, to diuide the riuer into three hundred and threescore branches, and so being as good as his word, passed on the next summer to conquer Babylon. So deale the Pontificians with sauing Faith; which, being as a goodly riuer, able to carry the fairest ships of richest fraight, bound for the holy Land, onelyonly because it will not suffer their proud inherent holinesse, by the vertue of its owne strength, to passe ouer, they doe so cut and mince it, as they make it common (such is their common Faith) for all passengers, tagge and ragge, to passe through vponupon their owne legs.
Now let vsus see which of these branches of Faith, Vega in the name of the Councell of Trent, and Church of Rome, layes speciall hand on; whether on the actuall or habituall, acquired or infused, formed or vnformed. Vega shuts out all other Faith from the meaning of the Apostle in all those places, where he attributes iustification vntounto Faith, but onelyonly the actuall Faith. All habituall Faith, whether acquired or infused, he peremptorily excludeth, maugre all those that say the contrary, of what authority soeuer. Now what this actuall Faith is, we hauehave heard by Vega himselfe, that it is a credulity, or perswasion firme and certaine, but vneuident. Note here, how this Babylonish builder contradicts and confounds himselfe in one breath. If this Faith of his be a firme and certain perswasion, how is it vneuident? and if vneuident, how is it a firme or certaine perswasion? Indeed this Vneuident helpes all. It is like the picture of Venus drawne by Apelles, who being not able to delineate and beautifie her face to the life, drawes an artificiall shadow of a vaile or curtaine ouer it. But what might bee the meaning of this word Ineuident? Surely, I finde not Vega very free to explaine himselfe in this point. OnelyOnly in one place, he seemeth to vnderstandIbid. quaest. 1. by it, such an assent or faith, as we giuegive meerly for the authority of him that speaketh. And so it may very well be said to be ineuident, not onelyonly in regard of any particular perswasion of good towards a mans selfe, from him that speaketh, but also of the particular truth to be beleeued. This ineuident Faith is not vnlike the Iesuiticall blinde obedience; when only the authority of the commander is respected, not the equitie of what is commanded. But the most commodious property of Vega's ineuidence, is to leaue it, as we finde it, ineuident. For the maine drift of the Pontificians is, to fould vp Faith in a cloud, that no man should know it. And therefore Vega, to dazell our eyes, would hauehave vsus beleeue, that the Apostle Paul, where hee speakes of iustifying Faith, meanes not eyther Faith vnformed, or Faith formed in particular, but Faith in generall. O miserable selfe-blinding Cardinall! would you also cast a myst before the Apostles eyes, that hee should not see what he said? was euer impudencie and folly so yoaked together? But whats the reason, that Vega will not pitch vponupon one certaine and distinct Faith, specially meant by the Apostle? The reason is not hard to giuegive: For if Vega should say, that the Apostle meant Faith vnformed, then the expresse words of the Apostle would euidently confute him, where he commendeth Faith working by louelove. And againe, if Vega should confesse, that the Apostle elsewhere meant that Faith which worketh by louelove, then it must needes follow, that Faith doth truly iustifie, and not barely dispose a man to iustification, as Vega would hauehave it.
But Vega hath another pretty euasion for this. For he saith, Aliud est, &c. It is one thing to say, that those places of Scripture, wherein our iustification is attributed to faith, are to be vnderstood of Faith formed; and another, that they are to be vnderstood of Faith, which worketh by louelove. For although (saith he) others take these two, for one kinde of Faith; yet we thinke these two to be most distinct, and by no meanes to be confounded together: Prius enim est, &c. For Faith working by louelove, goes before Faith formed by charity: because (saith he) for this end it workes by louelove, that it may obtaine the holy Ghost; and by it charity, wherewith it may be formed. O admirable subtilty, surpassing all Philosophy, all Diuinitie! How doth Faith worke by louelove, before it hauehave charity? Or what is that louelove the Apostle speaketh of, but charity? Or is the Apostles Faith working by louelove, a Faith vnformed? O Vega! let me say that to thee truly, which Agrippa falsly applyed to Paul; Vega, thou art besides thy selfe; too much learning maketh thee madde. For I am sure Vega cannot answer for himselfe, as Paul did, I am not madde, but speake Acts 26.the words of truth and sobriety. For Vega's wordes are meere contradictions, senslesse and corrupt, vnsauory salt. Such is his sophisticate Sophistry, and frothy wit, that it may bee said to him as the Prophet saith to Babylon, Thy wisedome, and thy Esay 47. 10.knowledge, it hath peruerted thee: or as the Vulgar hath it, Hath deceiued thee. I know, their shift is to say, There is a louelove in man vponupon the first grace, disposing him to iustification, wherby he beginnes to louelove God aboue all things. And i… not this louelove the highest degree of charity that can bee? If this louelove be not charity, it is meere vanitie.
But to sum vp the totall of that wch Rome teacheth concerning faith in Iustification, as we find it either expressed or implyed in the Councell of Trent, & illustrated by her most pregnant Interpreters: First, they allow or acknowledge but one kinde of Faith in the Scriptures, common to good and bad. Secondly, that this is the Catholicke Faith of the Church, the obiect whereof is the whole word of God, written and vnwritten. Thirdly, that this Faith is a meere Historicall Faith, which may be in the very Diuels and damned. Fourthly, that this Faith is formed by charity; which while it hath, it is a liuing faith, but losing it, it is dead and vnfruitfull. Fiftly, that this Faith, euen without charity, dead and fruitlesse as it is, yet is sufficient to make a man a Christian, and a Beleeuer. Sixtly, though they admit of no other Faith to Iustification, yet that this Faith doth not iustifie by their owne confession, but may be in a man that is not iustified. Seuenthly, that a man hauing this Faith, whereby he is made a Christian, and a beleeuer, yet for all that hee may goe to Hell. Lastly, notwithstanding all this, yet this Faith is a true iustifying Faith, though it bee dead. This is the expresse perplext doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning Faith, without any equiuocation at all. Come wee now to examine the truth of this doctrine.