A Treatise of Justification, Book 5 · Chapter 6
CAP. VI. Bellarmines third argument, that because the righteousnesse infusedDe iustif. lib. …. c. 7. §. tertiò. in iustification is perfect, refuted.
§. I.
BELLARMINE his third argument, whereby in the secondBellarmines third argument: iustice infused is perfect, therefore imputation of iustice is needlesse. place hee would prove the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to bee needlesse unto justification, is because the righteousnesse which in justification is infused, is perfect. But his argument is unsufficient, and his disputation is …ophisticall. Vnsufficient, for although our righteousnesse for the time to come should be perfect: yet for the temission of sinnes past, wherein in justification partly consisteth, the imputat…on of Christs satisfaction is absolutely necessary. His disputation is Sophisticall; wherin he argueth à posse ad esse: and worse than so: for where he ought to prove, that the righteousnesse infused in our justification is perfect in all that are justified, and so soone as they are justified; hee proveth, that in some men whom he accounteth perfect, it may in some part of their life, after thay have been good proficients, be perfect. But that is not the question: but whether the righteousnesse which in the justification of a sinner is infused, which they call their first justification, be perfect, or not: for if it be unperfect and but begun… it cannot possibly justifie a sinner before God; but for all it, the imputation of Christs righteousnesse will be most necessary. But let us follow him in his proofe, such as it is. Inherent righteousnes, saith he, …onsisteth in these three especially, faith, hope & charity: if therefore these may be perfect in this life, then o…r inherent righteousnesse may be perfect. Here againe he disputeth sophistically: First, because, when he should prove, that these habits of grace, when they are infused to justify men (as namely in baptisme) are perfect, and therefore that the imputation of Christs righteousnesse is needlesse: hee proveth, that they may bee perfect in some men, in some part of their life: secondly, whiles hee proveth severally the perfection, or rather the possibility of the perfection of this or that vertue: for perfection of inherent righteousnesse is not proved by the perfection of any of these severally, but of them and of all others joyntly. For if there bee imperfection in any of those vertues or graces wherein inherent righteousnesse consisteth, then is not the inherent righteousnesse perfect. But let us see, how he proveth them severally. And first, for Faith: which he proveth may bee perfect in this life: what it may bee in some choise men, and in some part of their life, it is not here questioned, but whether it be perfect, when men are first justified thereby. The Apostles in some part of their life had a great and a strong faith, yet for some time, even after they were justified, were, by the censure of our Saviour, but foreign aMat. 8. 16. 14 l 31. 16. 8. Luk. 12. 28…men of little faith.
§. II. But yet let us see how he proveth it may be perfect in this life. This he endevoureth to prove by sixe arguments, his first proofe is this.Bellarmines sixe proofes that faith is perfect. First, because it is perfect either here or never. If faith cannot be perfect in this life, then it can never be perfect, but it is not to be beleeved, that so excellent a vertue shall never be perfect. The consesequence of the proposition he proveth; because in the life to come it shall not be perfected, but evacuated, or made void. I answer, first, to the prosyl. logisme, or proofe of the proposition: for first, that, which hee calleth the evacuating of faith, is the perfecting of it. It is eternall life bIohn 17. 3.to kn…w God: but in this life wee know him by faith, in the life to come by vision: here, as it were in a looking-glasse, and obscurely; there, face to face: here wee are in our foreign, or growing age, wherein wee must still grow towards perfection: there we come to our foreign and perfection: here wee lead a mortall life; there an immortall. As therefore our mortall life is swallowed up of immortality, wherby it is perfected, and our growing yeeres by perfect age, our obscure knowledge, and as it were in a glasse, by intuitive aspect: so our faith in the life to come is to bee swallowed up in vision, and our hope in fruition. For faith and hope are not of things seen and enjoyed. But when the things beleeved are seen, and the things hoped for enjoyed; then are faith & hope broght to their consumm…tion and perfection. Secondly, if our faith shall be evacuated, as hee speaketh, in the life to come, that is an evidence that in this life it is unperfect. The Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 8. saith, that our knowledge, meaning the knowledge of faith, shall bee evacuated, or made void and of no further use; for wee know, saith hee, in part, verse 9. and wee prophesie in part, c… Cor. 13. 9. 10. 11, 12.but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be evacuated; that is, saith Augustine, dLib. de perfect. justitiae.ut … jam ex parte sit sed ex toto: when I was a child, I spake as a childe, I understood as a child, I reasoned as a child: but when I became a man, I evacuated childish things: for now, to wit, by faith wee see and know as it were, in or by a looking-glasse, and as it were in a riddle or in a d…rke speech; but then wee shall see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know, even as also I am knowne. If therefore faith shall bee perfected by vision, the consequence of the proposition with the proofe thereof is to be denyed: and the evacuating of it by vision is a pregnant proofe, that in this life it is but in part. As touching the assumption I say, that faith, which is the evidence of things not seene, and the substance of things hoped for, shall never bee perfected, untill the things which are beleeved shall bee seene, and the things hoped for shall be enjoyed.
§, III. His second reason to prove that faith may be perfect in thisHis second reason because it is more precious than gold. life is this: because, that faith, which hath bene tryed in the for…ace of temptation, is perfect, whereto if hee assume, that the faith which in justification is first infused, either in infants when they are baptized, or in others in their first justification, hath beene tried in the Fornace of temptation, hee shall be ridiculous: for it must be, before by tryall it bee approved. but supposing him to speak of the faith of men being adulti and already justified: his impertinent proofe standeth thus. That faith, which is more precious than gold tryed in the fire, is perfect: That faith, which hath beene tryed and approved by temptation, is more precious than gold tryed in the fire, witnesse Saint Peter, 1 Epist. 1. 7. therefore that faith is perfect. Answ. The proposition is to bee denyed. For temptations and afflictions are trialls, not of the perfection, but of the soundnesse and unfainednesse of faith. All faith, which is foreign that is, true and unfained, though not perfect, endureth temptations. Heresies are trialls, whereby foreign, e1 Cor. 11. 19.not the perfect but the sound and upright Christians may be knowne. Affliction worketh patience, fRom. 5. 3, 4.and patience worketh foreign probation, that is sheweth them to bee foreign that is sound and approved, who patiently beare afflictions. Wherefore blessed is the man gIam. 1. 1….that endureth temptation, foreign, because when hee shall be found foreign that is, not a perfect, but a sound and approved Christian, hee shall receive the Crowne of life. Temptation therefore is fitly called hIam. 1. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 7.foreign the triall of our faith, because it tryeth those who professe the faith, whether they be foreign sound and upright Christians, or foreign, that is, hypocrites. But not all that be not perfect, are foreign, nor any perfect though foreign but all those that are not upright are foreign that is to say hypocrites.
§. IV. His third reason: whosoever beleeve with all their heart, or His third reason, because some beleeve with their whole heart.their whole heart their faith is perfect: some do beleeve with their whole heart, as namely, the Eunuch, Act. 8. 37. therefore the faith of some is perfect. To helpe him, I will confesse, that not onelyonly some, but all, who have faith unfained, beleeve with their whole heart. But the proposition is to bee denyed. For to beleeve with the whole heart, being not legally but evang…lically understood, is to beleeve not with an heart iPsal. 12. 2. 1 Chro. 12. 33. 38 Hos. 10. 2.and an heart: that is an heart divided, but with an entire and upright heart, wherein there is no guile, kPsal. 32. 2. Ioh. 1. 47.that is hypocrisie. So that hee which beleeveth integro corde with an upright heart, or with faith unfained, is said according to the scriptures, to beleeve with his whole heart; which proveth not the perfection, but the soundnesse of faith. Neither is it credible either that Philip would require perfect faith in men before they be baptized, for to such Baptisme were needelesse; or that the faith of the Eunuch, being a new convert, not yet baptized, was at that time perfect: For what I pray you was his faith? Was it not this, I lAct. 8. 37, 38.beleeve that Iesus Christ is the Sonne of God: which is the very first degree of justifying faith.
§. V. His fourth reason, because the faith of Abraham was altogether His fourth reason, because Abrahams faith was perfect.perfect. What will hee from thence inferre? Ergo, the faith of all, when they are first justified, is perfect? but hee commeth farre short of that conclusion. All that can bee concluded, if the premisses were true, is this. Abraham had perfect faith; Abraham was justified, therefore some justified person hath a perfect faith The proposition hee proveth out of Rom. 4. 19. 20. where it is said that hee was not weake in faith (as many are, who notwithstanding are justified) neither staggered at the promise of God through unbeleefe (as Zacharias did Luk. 1. 20. who notwithstanding his unperfect faith was a man justified) but was strong in faith, being fully perswaded and therefore had foreign fidei the full perswasion of faith, (which few or none have when they are first justified.) Now saith he, this foreign, is the perfection of faith. Answ. first to the proposition, that Abrahams faith when hee was first justified, was not perfect, whatsoever it was afterwards: secondly, to the proofe of it out of Rom. 4. 20. 21. from which testimony it is indeed proved, that the faith of Abraham, after he had beene for a long time justified, was strong, but not perfect. Neither is the foreign, or full perswasion of this point, that God is omnipotent, which here is adscribed to Abraham, the perfection of faith; nor yet every full perswasion of the truth of God concerning Christ. For first there is foreign, mCol. …. 2.which is a full perswasion of assent to any truth of God, but especially to the truth, that Iesus the Sonne of the Virgin Mary is the eternall Sonne of God and the Saviour of all that truely beleeve in him: which, though it justifie if it be a lively and effectual assent, joyned with an earnest desire and settled resolution of application; yet is farre from the perfection of faith. For there is also nHeb. 10. 22.foreign, the full perswasion of speciall faith, (which goeth beyond the ordinary faith of all Papists,) when thou certainely beleevest, not onelyonly that Christ is the Saviour of all the faithfull, but also that he is thy Saviour, and that by him thou shalt be saved. Now every assurance or assured perswasion is foreign of which there are many degrees, through which we must strive, proceeding from faith to faith, towards a full assurance: which yet is never so full, but that still more and more may and ought to be added to it. As for Abraham, though his faith were strong and excellent, yet was it not perfect: which appeareth by many signes. For if his faith had beene perfect, then it had not needed to have beene strengthened and confirmed. Why then did the Lord in every Chapter almost of his story renew and repeat his promises unto him? Why did hee confirme them by oath? Why did he seale them by the Sacrament of Circumcision, which is the seale of that righteousnesse which is by faith. How came it to passe, if Abrahams faith was altogether perfect, that twice he used that unlawfull shift, which proceeded out of distrustfull feare: calling his wife, his sister; whom, to save his owne life, he exposeth to danger: for perfect faith expelleth feare and distrust.
§. VI. His fifth reason is besides the purpose. For whereas heeHis fifth and sixth reasons. should prove, that the faith of all the faithfull is in their justification perfect; hee proveth, that the faith of some speciall men, who are highly commended in the Scriptures, as rare examples of a strong faith, was after they had beene justified, not a weake and a languishing, but a strong and valiant faith: to which purpose hee alleadgeth. Heb. 11. 33. 1 Iohn 5. 4. 1 Pet. 5. 9. Ephes. 6. 16. and thereupon inferreth: Surely that faith which can overcome the world, resist the Devill, and repell all his fiery darts, must not be a weake or languishing, but a strong and valiant faith. All which we grant. But yet deny, either that it was so strong when they were first justified thereby, or that, when it was at the strongest, it was perfect. But here, by the way, I would faine know of Bellarmine and his consorts, whether this strong faith so much commended in the Scriptures, bee onelyonly a bare assent to the truth of the word and promises of God, or rather an assurance, which wee call speciall faith grounded on the word and promises applyed to our selves? In his last reason, he urgeth againeHis sixth reason. the force of the word foreign out of Heb. 10. 22. signifying, as he saith, with our consent, a most full and most perfect perswasion. We acknowledge that it signifieth a full perswasion, which wee call assurance, which is so farre from being in all the Papists, when they are justified, as that none of them have it at all without speciall revelation, which, they will confesse, is very rare. But yet of this assurance o1 Thes. 1. 5.there are degrees; all aspiring in this life, but none attaining to perfection: for when wee have attained to some assurance, wee must still labour pPhil. 3. 14.to increase it, striving toward perfection. So much of Faith.
§. VII. As touching Hope, (saith he) the testimony of the Apostle, Heb. Of hope.6. 19. may suffice: for there he saith, that our hope must be the anchor, as it were, of our soule, safe and sure. Answ. This argueth the assurance of Hope in some of Gods children after they have beene justified, but not the perfection. Sound Hope is safe and sure; because it never confoundeth or maketh ashamed, Rom. 5. 5. where, by the way also, I would gladly learne, if there may be such a full assurance of Faith and Hope, (as here Bellarmine affirmeth) and that without speciall revelation; why there may not be the like assurance of Salvation, and of perseverance to Salvation, which elsewhere hee stoutly denieth, and by his denyall confuteth his owne assertion in this place: for if there cannot bee assurance of Salvation, much lesse can there bee perfection of Faith and Hope.