The Disabled Debtor Discharged, Part 53
Goe in Peace. Text. Poſt quam ei peccati dimifit non ſiſt it in remiſſione peccati, ſet adijcit operationem boni, unde ſubditur, vade in pace Theoph.]
In which words we cannot but obſerve. Firſt, the Courſe enjoyned [Goe.] not ſit ſtill; be idle, &c. Secondly, the way directed, in Peace.
foreign Goe.
To the benefit of Remiſſion is added this Injunction, which in Beda's and Theophilacts opinion is as much as Bene vive, or bene age. Doe well, Live well, &c. So that you ſee,Ʋbi vigilanter collige, divinam clem…ntiam peccata non dimittere dormitanti, bis, ſed cooperā tibus fide, ſpe, at que dilectione, &c. Royard.
More is required of a Chriſtian then bare beleeving.
Though no more be required in the act of Iuſtification, yet more is required in reſpect of Converſation, as theſe places prove, Pſal, 1.1, 2. & 3….1, 2 & 119.1, 2. Mat. 5.20. Iam. 2.18 2 Pet. 25.—10.
And good reaſon there is for it, for that Gods elect are brought to glory, not by Iuſtification alone, but by Vocation and Glorification alſo, Rom. 8.30. Acts. 26.18. we muſt paſſe through Sanctification before we come to Glory.
Vox & praeterea nihil.What ſhall we think then of the wording Chriſtian, (the tribe of Nepthalie) who like the Spartons Nighting all, are voice and little elſe. Surely they are fitter for the Cage then Church, ſing they never ſo ſweetly. Theſe are they who have brought the ſtaine of Sol fid ans upon us.Hofin. in judicio ſup articulo. 4. Confeſ. Auguſtanae. Nor had the Papiſts ſtood ſo ſtiffe againſt the Doctrine of Iuſtification by Faith alone (as one amongſt themſelves profeſſeth) but for ſome mens diſgracing of Good workes.
What we write and preach, concerning the neceſſity of Good workes the world knowes: how in your lives you ſhew the power of what you heare and learne,D Willets Catalogue of charitable workes annexed in the end of his Synopſis Papiſmi. we have little cauſe to glory. And yet with them we will glory (for it ha…h beene proved by a particular induction from an able Penne, that more charitable workes have beene performed in the times of the Goſpell, then they can ſhew to have beene done in the like time of Poperie: And if we looke homewards and conſider the workes of this nature, that have beene done by us within the ſpace of 80. yeares, under the happy Raignes of King EDVVARD, Queene ELIZABETH, King JAMES of bleſled memory, and now under the Raigne of our gratious Soveraigne King CHARLES, it will appeare that there hath beene more workes of charity ſhewed, then was in twice ſo much time going immediatly before) yet wee juſtifie not our ſelves, for what is this we have done, or doe, anſwerable to the meanes we do enjoy, and the profeſſion we make?
Our Church is peſtered with a company of Hypocrits, whoſe Faith is cloathed much after the faſhion that Iohn the Baptiſt was. They put upon it a Coat of Camels haire, ſome refuſe and cheape outſide, which they tye together with the leathern girdle of diſſimulation, and the Food of it is Locuſts, 2 Kings. 5.11.meere ſpeculation, and wildhoney, table talke. We may ſay of them as Naaman ſaid of the Prophet, I thought hee would have done ſomething, that hee would have come out unto mee, and ſtood and ſtrike his hand over the place, and recover the leper, &c. ſo wee hearing ſuch a profeſſion of their Faith expect great matters, but behold no deeds at all, or very few and ſmall.
Yea ſo confidently doe ſome hope for Salvation by Faith, that there is worſe then naught done; little honeſty, or true dealing to be found from them. They are ſo farre from cloathing of their Faith (as I ſaid before) that they ſtrip it as Ioſephs Bretheren ſtripped him, and leave it as naked as Idolatry left the Iſraelites.
Alas my beloved are you no farther yet? what all your life long in S. Paul, and never take forth ſo farre as to come unto S. Iames. Are Gods Commandements torne out of your Catechiſmes, and nothing left in it beſides the Creed for you to learne? How can wee thinke but by ſuch a Faith, you make onelyonly a pretence to protect prophaneneſſe with?1 Kings. 3.16. Play not the Harlots part to overlay the Infant. A ſmothered Faith will not ſave you, Abrahams Faith was a working Faith; ſo was Rahabs, ſo muſt yours be, if you would that it ſhould bring you unto Heaven. Where there is no light, I may ſay there is no Sunne: 2 Kings. 4.31.and as Eliſhaes ſervant ſaid of the Shunamites ſonne, when he ſaw that there was neither ſpeech nor ſenſe: The child is not yet awaked. So where workes are not, you muſt give me leave to tell you your Faith is ghoſtleſſe.
Vſe 2 Wherefore, up and be Going. The divine Goodneſſe as here you ſee diſchargeth the ſinnes, not of ſleepers; but of workers and Goers; Mat. 19.17.The grace of God that bringeth ſalvation hath appeared (ſaith S. Paul, Tit 2.11.) And whither doth it ſend us? To the denying of ungodlineſſe and worldly luſts, to a ſober, righteous and godly living. If then thou wouldeſt enter into life, keepe Gods Commandements.
Queſt. But doth not this ſavour of Popery, ſo earneſtly to preſſe good workes?
Resp. If it be Popery, we muſt crave leave to teach it. The times through our long peace and plenty (ſo much abuſed) waxe ſo prophane and irreligious, as that it may be thought good diſcretion to preach rather for workes then Faith, but I muſt further tell you, the Papiſts and wee (on both ſides) agree, that to doe good workes is neceſſary for every man who expects to bee Iuſtified and ſaved by Christ. Extra cauſam juſtificationis opera ſatis laudari non poſſūt, ad cauſam hujus admitti non debent.The difference conſiſts in this; they ſay good workes are neceſſary to Iuſtification as being Cauſes of it, wee ſay they are neceſſary to Iuſtification as being Effects thereof. To Iuſtifie thy Perſon before God they are fruitleſſe, but to approove thy Iustification both to thy ſelfe and others, they are needfull.
By theſe thou mayeſt have ſome aſſurance of thy Faith and ſalvation. And reaſon a poſteriori thus, I have workes, therefore I have Faith: I have Faith, therefore I have Chriſt. I have Chriſt, therefore I have Heaven. Tam certus eſſe debes (ſaith S. Auſtin) de requie, Aug. in Pſ. 94.de faelicitate, ſi mandata ejus cuſtodieris, quàm certus es de perditione, ſi ea contempſeris; By thy keeping of Gods Commandements thou mayeſt be as ſure of happineſſe and▪ ſalvation, as through thy deſpiſing and contemning of them thou mayeſt be ſure of perdition.
Aliud eſt fiduciam ponere in operibus, aliud eſt fiduciam oriri ex operibus. It is one thing to put ones Confidence in works, and another thing to have a Confidence from ones workes. Though we put not the confidence of our ſalvation in our workes, as the Papiſts doe; yet we hold that a confidence of our ſalvation may ar…ſe unto us from our workes, becauſe our workes do teſtifie our Faith whether it be lively or no.
Object. But workes may be hypocriticall and imperfect.
Reſp. True, but being ſincere they may aſſure us of ſalvation: Moſes putting his hand into his boſome tooke it out leproſe; putting it in again into his boſome he tooke it out cleane. The hand is the inſtrument of working, and the workes of men are ſometimes leprous and unſound, ſometimes healthy and good. Whence is this? but from the boſome or heart of man. If they proceed from an honeſt and good heart, and done by Gods direction; then they are good, the fruits of Faith, and will yeeld thee comfort. If they come from a Corrupt heart, and be done for baſe and mercinary ends, then they are leprous and abhominable. Thus ſee thou make thy calling and election ſure unto they ſelfe by good workes, for that end they are neceſſary.
Secondly, they are neceſſary in reſpect of others, that they may ſee and glorify God. By the finger without we know how the Clock goes within, ſo by our outward obedience, how Faith ſtirres. When the Sunne ſhines upon the Dyall, it reflects a ſhadow; whereby the paſſenger perceiveth how the day paſſeth: So doth Faith reflect the ſhadow of a good and Chriſtian converſation, whereby others may perceive, how the day of grace goes with us. And in theſe reſpects wee are called on, to call on you to ſhew forth good workes, Tit. 3.8.
By this that hath beene ſaid; it may appeare, how eaſily S. Paul and S. Iames may be reconciled.Piſcator. S. Paul calls for Faith without workes, S. Iames calls for workes, averring that Faith is no Faith without them, underſtand both rightly and there is no contradiction. Theſe two Apoſtles did handle two divers Queſtions. S. Paul ſpends his pains, in proving Quod fides juſtificat, That Faith doth juſtifie. S. Iames in ſhewing, Qualis fides juſtificat, what kind of Faith doth juſtifie. The one ſpeakes of a juſtice of juſtification, the other of a juſtice of teſtification. Faith doth juſtifie (ſaith S. Paul) he meanes before God, and that it doth it apprehenſivé: Workes do juſtifie (ſaith S. Iames) he meanes before men, and that they do …fſtenſive. Thus of what is enjoyned on this penitent. The next and laſt thing to ſpeake of, is the way preſcribed or ſet forth.