A Treatise of Justification, Book 6 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Bellarmines proofes, that true faith may bee severed from Charity, first, from the Scriptures, and then from Fathers.
§. I.
NOw let us examine Bellarmines proofes. And firstHis first proofe out of Ioh. 12. 42, 43. out of the Scriptures. 1. Ioh. 12. 42, 43. Many of the princes or rulers beleeved in Christ, but they did not confess…: for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. Her…, saith …ee, the Evangelist testifieth, that in these Princes, there was Faith without Charity. His reason is thus to be framed.
The Princes, which did not confesse Christ, were void of Charity:
The same Princes beleeve in Christ.
Therefore some that beleeve in Christ are void of Charity.
The proposition is proved, because they loved the glory or praise of men more than of God. Answ. If they did absolutely and altogether preferre the glory of men before the glory of God, then h…d they neither love of God, nor faith in Christ, see Ioh. 5. 42, 44. But if by force of temptation or by humane frailty, as fe…refulnesse, aIoh. 19. 38.and too much love of the World, which are corruptions incident to the best, they were for a time hindered from professing Christ; I dare not say, they were void of Charity. For Saint Peter, when he both loved Christ and beleeved in him, did deny him; which was worse than not confessing him. And it may be, that among those rulers were reckoned, Nicodemus, and Ioseph of Arimath…a; who, though they had not for … time openly professed Christ: yet when there was greatest cause of feare and of doubt, and least encouragement to professe him, they express… their love towards him, Ioh. 19. 31, 39. To the assumption, I a…swere, those princes, who being void of Charity, loved the glory of men more than the glory of God, by the testimony of Christ, neither did, nor could beleeve, Ioh. 5. 42, 44. Neither did all they truely beleeve in Christ, who in the Scriptures are said after a sort to have beleeved in him, For Ioh. 2. 23. many are said to have bel…ved in his name, to whom our Saviour would not, foreign concredit himselfe, because hee knew what was in them, vers. 24. 25.
§. II. His second proofe is out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. If I had all faith, soHis second proofe out of 1 Cor. 13. 2. that I could remove mountaines, and have not charity, I am nothing. therefore faith may bee severed from Charity. Answ. This place is either generally understood of all faith, or particularly of the whole faith of working miracles, but in neither sense doth it favour the popish sancie. If generally, then the Apostle must bee understood, as speaking foreign, by way of supposition, and not as positively affirming, that either he, or any other having all faith wanted Charity; therefore this supposition (qu… nihil ponit) proveth nothing. Yea, in suppositions and fained comparisons a man may suppose things incredible and impossible; and much more improbable, (as in this place it selfe, if I should speake with the tongues of men and Angels and have not love, if I had all faith so that I could remove mountaines, and have not love, and though I bestow all my goods as it were by bforeign,morsels to free the poore, and though I gave my body to be burnt and have not Charity) and yet those suppositions, whether improbable or incredible, are of no lesse force in arguing, than if they were absolutely true. Indeed if the adversary could from this hypotheticall proposition truly assume the antecedent (as he cannot) then might hee urge this place to some purpose: but if it may more truely be denied, or taken away, (as for example, if I or any other had all faith, and yet had not love, as n…ver man yet had) then is this allegation to no purpose. To this Bellarmine replyeth, that the Apostle doth not argue from a condition impossible, but us…th an hyperbolt; when notwithstanding it is most evident, that the Apostle speaketh not in a simple hyperbolicall speech, as Bellarmine maketh him, but foreign if I had, which I have not, but this supposall or fiction of a condition incredible doth no lesse prove the necessity of Charity, than if it were absolutely true.
If the place be understood particularly of the faith of miracles, the particle all being not universall but integrall, as if it had beene said, the whole faith including all the degrees of it (which is very probable, not onelyonly in respect of the authority of the Fathers heretofore mentioned, but also by the words themselves: first, because he saith foreign, as speaking of a particular; secondly, because hee doth instance in a high degree of that particular, so that I could remove mountaines,) then this alegation is impertinent. For the question is not of the faith of miracles, whether it may be severed from Charity, which we confesse: but of the true justifying faith: which not all they have, who have the faith of miracles. For that hath beene bestowed upon Iudas and other reprobates, Matth. 10. 1. & 7. 22, 23. which plainely overthroweth Bellarmines conceit, that the faith of miracles is the same with j…stifying faith but excelling, which is false in two respects: for first, it would then follow, that all they who have had this faith, should have beene endued with justifying faith, and that all, who have excelled in the greatest measure and degree of justifying faith, should have beene adorned with the faith of miracles. Both which are untrue. Secondly, the Schoole men when they distinguish grace into gratia gr…tum …, (which is the justifying and sanctifying grace tending to the good and Salvation of the party who hath it) and gratia gratis data tending to the good of others, the faith of working miracles is reckoned in the later ranke, 1 Corinthians. 12. 8, 9, 10.
§. III. Yea, but it is promised, Mark. 16. 17. that signes should follow Bellarmi…s instances.them that beleeve, namely by a justifying faith whereof is mention, vers. 16. But not, say I, that all beleevers should be workers of miracles, but some for all. From whence nothing can be proved, but that to some, which did beleeve, the gift of working miracles should bee granted for the confirmation of the faith.
Yea, but by saith in for…r times the faithfull stopped the mouths of Lyons, quenched the violence of fire, Heb. 11. 33. 34. Answ. These examples recorded in the Scriptures were not wrought by the faithfull themselves: but the Lord because they …id beleeve and trust in him, sent his Angell to stoppe the mouths of Lions, Dan. 6. 22. 23. and to quench the violence of fire, Dan. 3. 17. 25. Howbeit if themselves had wrought these miracles, it would prove no more, but that some who had justifying faith, had also the faith of working miracles.
Neither doth our Saviour, Luk. 17. say, that if a man had the justifying faith like a graine of mustard seed, hee should be able to remoove mountaines: for those who have had a great and a strong faith as namely Abraham, have had no such power. Yea, but he speaketh of that faith which the disciples pr…ied him to increase, Luk. 17. 5. But, say I, if you compare the place with his parallell, Matth. 17. 20. it will appeare that both our Saviour and his Apostle speake of the faith of miracles. For when our Saviour reproved them for their want of faith, in that they were not able to cure the Lunaticke, who notwithstanding were endued with justifying faith, as many others are, who though they have a strong faith, yet are not able to worke such a cu…e: they desire our Saviour to increase, or, as the word is cforeign.adde unto them faith: Whereupon our Saviour returneth this answeare, if you had faith as a graine of mustard seed, &c. doth hee meane justifying faith? God forbid! for then no man living could bee said to have so much of justifying faith, as is a graine of mustard seed.
§. IV. And whereas in the last place hee would prove by the conjunctiontwo other instances. of these three, Faith, Hope, and Charity, verse 13. that hee speaketh of the same faith whereof he had spoken, verse 2. I answere, first, that it followeth not: for here the Apostle maketh a new comparison of of Charity with Faith and Hope, preferring it before them as greater, both in respect of the breadth or …; for whereas the benefit of Faith and Hope respecteth habentem, him that hath them, Charity is extended to others: and also in respect of the length, or continuance. For whereas Faith and Hope doe cease in the life to come, faith being swallowed up in vision, and hope in fruition: love neverthelesse is continued with increase.
Secondly, this place maketh rather against him. Now saith the Apostle, that is, during this life, these three abide, none of them failing altogether in this life, and therefore they alwayes goe together; insomuch that whosoever hath any one of them, hath al…o the other two. No man can have love or hope, unlesse he have faith: and no man hath true saith, but he hath both love and hope; and according to the measure of his faith, such is the measure both of his love and of his hope. For as that ofdSup. Ezek. bom. 22. Gregory is most true, quantum credimus, …antum amamus; so it is no lesse true, quantum credimus, tantum speramus. As for his allegation out of Augustine, eDe Trinit. l. 5 …. 18.affirming that faith may be without charity: I deny not but that the faith of hypocrites, which beareth the name of faith, as a carcase or counterfeit do of the man whose they are, is without charity but profiteth not. But that justifying faith may be without charity, he saith not: for how can it bee a justifying faith and not profit?
§. V. His third testimony is Ia…. 2. 14. &c. Where, saith he, Saint His third testimony Iam. 2. 14.Iames not onelyonly teacheth, but also proveth, that faith without workes doth not justific, and that it may be without workes.
We answer, that hee doth not speake of a true justifying faith, but of faith professed onelyonly, or of the profession of faith, which I proved beforefCap. 2, …. 5▪ And this appeareth vers. 14. where the question, disputed in that discourse, is propounded. What doth it profit, my brethren, if a man shall say, that hee hath faith, or professeth himselfe to beleeve, and hath not workes, can foreign that faith of his, which is in profession onelyonly and without workes, save him, or justifie him? No, by no meanes, for this affirmative interrogation is a most emphaticall negation. This place therfore prooveth the contrary, viz. that faith which is wi…hout workes is not a true justifying faith, and therefore a true justifying faith cannot be without workes.
But that Saint Iames speaketh of a true faith, Bellarmine endevoureth to prove by five reasons against the maine drift of the Apostle in that place, which, as I shewed before, was to prove, that such a faith, as is without workes, is not a true justifying faith. His first reason is, because Saint Iames calleth it absolutely faith, which name in the Scriptures alw…yes signifieth the true faith, that is, (or else hee speaketh to no purpose) the true justifying faith. First, I answer, that Saint Iames verse 14. doth not absolutely call it faith: for he doth not say, if a man have faith, meaning a true faith; but if a man shall say, that hee hath faith, can that faith which is in profession only, save him? And so in the verses following, the faith which hee impleadeth, doth not signifie the habi… of true faith, but the bare profession of faith. But doth this word faith alwaies in the Scriptures fignifie the true justifying faith? Nothing lesse: for many times in the New Testament, and almost alwayes in the Old, faith is taken for fidel…ty, or faithfulnesse, as Tit. 2. 10. sometimes for the doctrine of faith, which is beleeved, which the Papists themselves call the Catholike faith. As Act. 6. 5. they obeyed the faith, Act. 14. 27, the doore of faith, Rom. 12. 6. the analogie of faith, &c. sometimes the profession of faith, as Act. 14. 22. Rom. 1. 8. and so as hereafter I am to shew, Iam. 2. 14. 24. And in this sence many are said to beleeve, that is, to have faith, and are called fideles, that is beleevers, who onelyonly professe the faith, and are in their owne profession, or opinion of others, beleevers. So Ioh. 2. 23. & 8. 30, 31. 33. Act. 8. 13. 21. and in this sence all that professe the name of Christ, are called after his name Christians, and are termed Fideles the faithfull; not that all who are so called have the true justifying faith, which is not of all,g2 Thes. 3, 2. nor yet of all that are called, but onelyonly of thehTit. …. 1. elect. For among those, who are called the Faithfull, there are many falsi fideles, who are so falsly called, as wee heard before out ofiIn evang. hom. 29. Gregory: sometimes, for the faith of miracles, kforeign. Chrysost. Theoph. Oecum. Theod. in 1 Cor. 12. 9. Gennad. apud Oecum. in 1 Cor. 13. 2.as 1 Cor. 12. 9. & 13. 2. Mat. 17. 20. Mar. 11. 22, 23. Luk. 17. 5, 6.
Secondly, hee saith, that Saint Iames in the same chapter, speaking of the s…me faith, saith that Abrahams faith wrought with his workes, Ans. this is also contrary to the drift of Saint Iames, who by this argument proveth the faith, which is without workes to bee no true justifying faith: because it is not the faith of Abraham, nor yet of Raba….
Thirdly, Saint Iames there concludeth: yee see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only, but a … faith, which Calvin calleth umbram fidei, justifieth neither alone nor at all. Ans. As I said before out of ver. 14. by faith we are here to understand faith professed, or the profession of faith. And to be justified is here understood declarativè. Now to declare a man before men to be justified before God, two things are required, the profession of the faith, and a Christian life answerable to his profession: and thus faith professed cooperateth with workes to declare a man to bee justified. For neither works alone without the profession of the faith will doe it, for workes without faith are dead,lChrysoft. de fide & lege. nor the profession of the faith without workes; for such a profession is also dead; but both must goe together.
Fourthly, saith he, this is proved by two comparisons, which hee calleth examples. The former vers. 15. 16. which hee doth very sorrily expresse: first, saith he, he compareth a man having faith without workes, to him, who seeing the poore wanting food and rayment, is content with that knowledge, and giveth them no almes. For even as it profiteth nothing the poore that the rich know their want, although it be a most true knowledge, unlesse, according to that knowledge, they bestow upon them necessaries: so true faith … nothing, unlesse a man doe study and endeavour to live according to it. Frigidè admodum & dilutè. For where doth Saint Iames compare true faith to these rich mens idle knowledge? But the comparison plainely standeth thus. As the profession of charity in giving good words to the poore that want food and raiment (depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled) is vaine and unprofitable, if men do not accordingly give them somewhat to supply their necessities: so the profession of faith without workes is dead. As therefore that charity which is in word and not in deed, as Saint Iohn speaketh, m1 Io…. 3. 18.is counterfeit, so that faith, which is in profession only severed from good workes is counterfeit and dead. Secondly, saith he, Saint Iames compareth faith without works to a body without Spirit, which certainely is a true body, though it be dead. Answ. this also is contrary to the intendment of Saint Iames who therefore p…oveth, that faith which is without works, to be no true justifying faith, because it is dead. For the profession of faith without workes is like to a mans body that is without Spirit: yea but saith Bellarmine a dead body is a true body, and a dead faith is a true faith. I answere as before. A dead carcase though it bee a true body in respect of his three dimensions, and of his composition of the Elements, yet it is not the true originall body of a man (for a man is a living creature) no more than a dead branch or bough is a true member of a living Tree.His fourth proofe, because in the Church there are both good and bad.
§. VI. His fourth argument is taken from those testimonies which teach that in the Church there are both good and bad; in the floore, both Wheate and chaffe; in the net, fishes both good and bad; in the flocke, sheepe and goats, &c. His reason standeth thus,
Some in the Church are wicked and void of Charity and other graces:
But all in the Church have faith:
Therefore some that have faith are void of Charity.
Answ. The assumption is most false, for not all that professe faith who from thence are called fideles in opposition to Infidels, are endued with true justifying faith, which is not of all, n2 Th…s. 3. 2. Tit. 1. 1.but of the Elect, neither be all of the Church that be in it. 1 Ioh. 2. 19. Non existimo quenquam ita desipere, saith Augustine, oContr. Crescon. l. 1. c. 29.ut credat ad Eccesiae pertinere unitatem eum, qui non habet charitatem.
But, saith Bellarmine, if the wicked who are in the Church did want trut faith, then should they chiefly bee reprehended for their unbeleefe, but they are reprehended non de amissione fidei sed de omissione operum, not for the amission or losse of faith, but for the omission of good workes. Ans. when their want of faith doth appeare, pMat. 17. 17.they are reprehended for it. But because that is many times hidden, and we are in the judgement of Charity, to judg them faithfull who professe the faith, untill the contrary appeare: therfore hypocrites escape reprehension which open sinners do incur. Bellarm. conclusion, that true justifying faith may in the same party concur with sin and that it may be found in sinners; none deny, but pharisaicall Papists, who hold themselves, being after their fashion as namely by Baptisme, or absolution justified, to be no sinners; professing that there is no sin in them, nor any thing that God can hate. And wheras Bellarmine taketh it for granted, that all in the Church have faith, and that none want it, but such as have lost it, as it is lost, they say, by every act of infidelity: hereby is discovered the most pernicious doctrine of the Church of Rome, whereby innumerable soules are nuzzled in ignorance, infidelity and impenitencio to their utter ruine and perdition. For they teach, that all that are baptized are ex opere operato justified by infusion of Faith Hope and Charity; in which estate they remaine, untill they commit some mortall sinne, then indeed they lose their charity and their justification, but they retaine their faith, which was infused in Baptisme, and still are to be accounted faithfull men and women; though they know nothing, nor actually beleeve any thing; unlesse to their Baptisme be added popish education, by which, for the most part, they are taught to beleeve as their Church beleeveth, that being the safest course: which faith disposeth them to justification, directing them after the losse of their charity, wherein their justification consisted, to seeke to the Sacrament of penance, that thereby they may recover their justification. Once a yeere therefore they goe to their priest, to him they formally confesse their grosser sinnes; formally they professe themselves sorry for them: the priest absolveth them from eternall punishment, enjoyning them some petite penance, whereby they are to satisfie for the temporall penalty, which remaineth after their absolution from the eternall: by the priests absolution they all stand actually justified, the priest refusing none, though in truth they neither have knowledge, nor faith, nor Repentance, or amendment of life, nor any other Grace, without which, for all their sacramentall justifications (and other they have none) they live and die in a most wofull state of damnation.
§. VII. His fifth argument is taken from the proper nature of faith andHis fifth proofe from the nature of faith and charity. charitie: for saith he, if faith and charitie cannot be disjoyned, either it is, because one is of the nature of the other, or else because one necessarily ariseth or springeth from the other: but neither of these may be said; therfore faith and charitie may be severed. Ans. First, I deny the disjunctive proposition, because a third thing may be added; and that is this, or because the spirit of grace or regeneration, who is the author and efficient of both, hath unseparably united them in one and the same subject, wherein, working the one, that is faith; with it, and by it he worketh the other. As touching the Assumption, the former part, that the one is not of the nature of the other, it is denied by the Roman-Catholike: the latter; that the one doth not necessarily spring from the other, by the true Catholikes. For the Papists hold, that charitie is the forme of justifying faith, without which it neither doth, nor can justifie. And therefore they, of all men, ought to hold, that justifying faith cannot be severed from charitie. For whereas Bellarmine saith, that charitie is but the outward forme of faith, by which it worketh; I acknowledge no outward forme, but of artificiall bodies. As for that which is principium motus, by which any thing worketh, it is the very foreign, the actus primus, the proper forme, whereby any thing as it is that which it is; so it worketh and produceth his proper and naturall effects. And such is the unseparable coexistence of the forme and the thing formed, that posita forma, res ipsa ponatur; sublata forma, res ipsa …. The Papists therefore hold things repugnant and foreign, when they teach, that charitie is the forme of justifying faith, and yet that justifying faith may be severed from it. The second, that the one doth not necessarily spring from the other, we deny. For true faith doth necessarily and infallibly encline the beleever to love God and his neighbour for Gods sake. For that faith, whereby we are perswaded of Gods love to us in Christ, cannot but move and encline us to love God: neither can we love God as good, if we doe not first beleeve, that hee is good. And such as is the measure of our faith concerning Gods goodnesse to us, such is the measure of our love to him. Bellarmine consesseth that saith enclineth and disposeth a man to love; but saith, a disposition and inclination non cogit, doth not compell a man, but leaveth him free. As though there were no necessitie, but of coaction or constraint.
§. VIII. That charitie doth necessarily follow faith, as an unseparable Whether Charity doth necessarily follow faith.companion, he saith, we have no sound proofes; and therefore are faine to illustrate it by certaine similitudes, which he calleth examples. Answ. Whether we have any sound proofes or not, I referre the Christian reader to the fifteene arguments which Bellarmine tooke no notice of, besides those sixe I vindicated from his cavils. As for similitudes, they were not brought to prove the point, but to illustrate, and to make it more plaine. As if I should compare a regenerate soule to fire as Christ did Iohn Baptist qIoh. 5. 35. Luthers similitude.to a burning and shining lampe; I might say (which was Luthers rPrafat. in Ep. ad Rom.similitude) as in fire, or rather if you please, in the Sunnebeames two things concurre, light and heate, and neither is without the other; the beames of the Sunne alwaies by their light producing heat: so in the regenerate soule, there are faith, as the light, and charitie as the heate, and neither is without other; because the spirit of regeneration as it were the Sunne, by shedding abroad the beames of Gods love into our hearts, that is, by working in us faith, by which we are perswaded of Gods love towards us in Christ, inflameth our hearts with the love of God; the beames of Gods love reflecting from our soules some warmth of love towards God. To this Bellarmin… answereth, that charitie in the Scriptures is compared to fire, &c. Answ. So it may in respect of the heate, as faith also may in respect of the light: as therefore in the fire concurreth both light and heate, which cannot be severed, so in the regenerate soule faith and love. Bucers similitude was of a sicke man,Bucers similitude. who being desperately sicke, if a Physician shall assure him of health, and much more if hee shall cure him by forgoing something that is most deare unto him, cannot, if hee beleeve so much, but affect and love him: so wee being desperately sicke of sinne and neare to death and damnation, if the Lord shall by giving his owne Sonne, not onelyonly redeeme us from death, but also entitle us to the kingdome of Heaven: wee cannot if wee bee truly perswaded hereof by faith, but love God againe, who hath so loved us. For we love God s1 Ioh. 4. 19.because he first loved us. To this Bellarmine answereth, that hee which beleeveth is inclined to love him in whom hee beleeveth, but is not forced thereunto, which no man averreth.
§. IX. A third similitude he would seeme to produce out of Calvins Institutions, tLib. 3. c. 2. §. 8.… … Christ and his spirit cannot be separated, so faith Calvins similitude.and charitie cannot be severed: but though both the parts of this comparison are true, yet there is no such similitude propounded by Calvin. But in that place he proveth, that true faith cannot bee severed from a godly affection, because true faith embraceth Christ, as he is offered unto us of his Father: now of his Father hee is made unto us, not onelyonly righteousnesse, to bee received by faith unto justification u1 Cor. 1. 30.; but holinesse also to bee applied by his spirit unto sanctification. And therefore those that receive Christ receive also his spirit. Bellarmine answereth, that it is true indeed, that he which receiveth Christ receiveth him with his spirit, sed credendo recipit, i. credit illum habere spiritum sanctificationis, but he receiveth by beleeving, that is, he beleeveth, that Christ hath aspirit of sanctification; but from hence it doth not follow, that the spirit of sanctification is alwaies with faith in a man, unlesse it be objectively, even as health is in a sicke man (that hath it not) when he thinketh of it, and desireth it. Thus, in popish divinitie, to receive the spirit of Christ, is to beleeve, that Christ hath a spirit of sanctification; but not to be partaker thereof, or to have the communion of the holy Ghost; which notwithstanding all those have, who truely beleeve in Christ. For all that truely beleeve are the sonnes *Gal. 3. 26. Ioh. 1. 12. 1 Ioh. 5. 1.of God, as I have shewed, and to so many as be his sonnes God doth send the xGal. 4. 6. Rom. 8. 11.spirit of his sonne into their hearts; his spirit dwelleth in them, and he by his spirit. And if any man have not the spirit of Christ, yRom. 8. 9.hee is none of his. If therefore all that receive Christ, receive also his spirit, then all that truely beleeve, are also endued with charitie, as I have proved beforezCap. 2. §. 2..
§. X. His sixth argument is taken from an absurditie which, he saith, followeth upon our doctrine. For, saith he, they doe therefore contend, that a man is justified by faith onelyonly, because if justification depended upon the condition of works or our obedience of the Law, no man could be certaine of his justification: (to which effect the Apostle argueth, Rom. 4. 16.) And because they beleeve, that justification consisteth in this certaintie, therefore it wo…ld follow, that justification is impossible. But if faith necessarily must bee joyned with charitie and good workes, so that otherwise it is not faith, but a shadow or counterfeit of it: then it followeth, that justification, in that it dependeth upon a true faith, doth also depend upon works, and upon love which is the fulfilling of the Lawe; and consequently, that no man can be certaine of his justification, but that justification is a thing altogether impossible. And in this argument he doth so please himselfe, that he concludeth with this Epiphonema: forsooth so stable is the dogmaticall building of heretikes, that on each side it threatneth ruine.
I answere briefly by distinction; that justification is either before God in foro coelesti, or in the Court of our owne Conscience. Before God, when the Lord imputing the perfect righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner, absolveth him from the guilt of his finne and from damnation, and accepteth of him as righteous in Christ, and as an heire of eternall life, and this properly is the justification of a sinner. That justification, which is in the Court of Conscience, is not justification it selfe, but the assurance of it. Howbeit, commonly, men are then said to bee justified, and to have pardon of sinne, when the pardon is sealed to their owne Conscience. I deny therefore that our justification before God consisteth in the assurance thereof in our owne conscience (for those which truely beleeve, are justified and blessed, whether they be assured thereof or not) or that it dependeth upon our charitie or our owne good works, but that without respect of our charitie, or any worthinesse in us, the Lord doth freely aRom. 3. 24.and of his meere grace, even when wee deserve the contrary, justifie us so soone as wee truely beleeve in Christ; that, and no other being the condition of the covenant. And howsoever the assurance of our justification before God, if we were to be justified by our owne obedience, were impossible; because to our justification before God perfect and complete obedience is required, which to us by reason of the flesh is impossible: yet the assurance of our justification in our owne conscience is not impossible, but is ordinarily obtained by the children of God, by some more, by some lesse; because it doth not depend upon the perfection, but upon the uprightnesse of our obedience. If wee have a true desire, an unfained purpose, a sincere endevour to walke before God in the obedience of his commandements, though wee faile, contrary to our desire and purpose, in many particulars, wee may thereby make our election, our calling, our justification sure unto us. For by our works our faith is demonstrated, and our justification knowne to our selves and others: in which sence Saint Iames saith we are justified by works.
§. XI. In the seventh place Bellarmine addeth the consent of the Fathers, into whose minde, hee saith, bDe justis. l. 1. cap. 15. §. Accedat septimò.this absurditie never entred, that faith cannot be where charitie is not. And yet, for all this bragge, he is not able to produce any one pregnant testimony plainely affirming, that true faith, or justifying faith may bee without charitie: wee doe not deny, but that the faith of Hypocrites and of all other wicked and impenitent sinners, which is not a true and a lively but a counterfeit and dead faith (which not properly, but catachrestically, or rather equivocally is called faith) is severed from charitie and from all other graces of sanctification. And such is the faith, which the Fathers say may bee severed from charitie. But though hee hath not cited any one pregnant testimony against us, yet one hee hath cited for us in plaineGregor. in Evang. homil. 29. termes avouching, that they doe not truely beleeve, nor have true faith, who doe not live well; and to the same purpose I cited Augustine, and divers others of the Fathers.