Against Ierome Osorius Byshopp of Siluane in Portingall and against his slaunderous inuectiues An aunswere apologeticall: for the necessary defence of the euangelicall doctrine and veritie. First taken in hand by M. Walter Haddon, then undertaken and continued by M. Iohn Foxe, and now Englished by Iames Bell.

¶Osorius Argument out of the Tridentine councell.* 1.1

There is no iustification without the sanctification and renouation of the inward man.

Sanctification and Renouation consisteth in holy actiōs and workes.

Ergo, Iustification consisteth in good workes, and not in fayth onely.

This Captious Sophistication can no man better aūswere then Augustine:* 1.2 Good workes do not goe before in the worke of iustification, but followe iustification. If workes doe followe, how doe they goe together then? If workes must be ioyned together with fayth, how are they reported in Augustine to fol∣low? Now therefore to aunswere the Argument. If the Maior be taken in this sence, that an vnauoydable necessity of coupling and conioyning new obedience must neédes be required in the worke of iustification, as the very cause thereof, so that there be no hope for the vngodly man to be iustified, but by his owne me∣rite and innocency of life,* 1.3 then is the Maior false. But if good workes be sayd to be required as y^e fruites of iustification, & not the cause of iustification, the Maior is true. And it is not to be doughted, but y^t with remissiō of sinnes the freé giftes of the holy ghost are ioyned, who doth beginne and lay the first foundation of renouatiō, & sanctificatiō of life. And yet is it not therfore true, y^t this renouatiō is the thing for y^t which y^e vngodly man is to re∣ceiue remission of sinnes, and to be adopted into euerlasting life.

Moreouer whereas the Tridentine Fathers doe add fur∣ther, that Iustification is not the onely Remission of sinns, but the sanctification and Renouation of the inward man (To speake their owne wordes) through the voluntary recea∣uing of grace and Gods giftes. &c.* 1.4 By what testimony of the Scripture will they proue this to be true? Surely if sinne be the onely thing which did scatter abroad death into the world: which alone doth procure the vengeaunce of God, and make seperatiō betwixt God and men: which alone doth make vs guilty of eter∣nall damnation:* 1.5 which alone forced Christ to suffer death vpon the crosse: Now I beseéch you tell me for the loue of Christ, what thing is iustification els, but a continuall skourging, and sup∣pressing of sinne? Euen as the life and the health of the body is nothing els, but an excluding of death and Sickenesse: Euen so sinne (the reward wherof is death) being vtterly extinct through remission: what remayneth els but life? and sinne being vtterly blotted out, what remayneth els but iustification?

Howbeit neither doe we alleadge this on this wise, as though \

we were ignoraūt, or did deny that sanctifiaction & Renouation, and such godly actions and vertues, which do proceéd from thēce, be the proper and peculiar giftes of Christ, and must be practi∣zed of all godly Christians of very necessity.* 1.6 But this is ••ot the state of the question properly: for the state of the question here doth not consist vpon the direction and gouernement of this pre∣sent life, but of the life to come, & of the cause thereof: not whe∣ther vertuous and godly actions of Christian piety ought to be exercised in this life, but when they be accomplished, whether they be of such valoure in the sight of God, as to be able of them∣selues to deserue saluation, and reconcile God vnto mankinde? and whether vertues or the good workes of them which be rege∣nerate be of such efficacy, as may stand vpright, and coūteruaile the rigorous curse of the law agaynst the iudgement of god, to preserue vs from damnation: and whether in extreame terrours of conscience, man may vndoubtedly, and without feare rest as∣sured vpon workes, when that dreadfull question shalbe demaū∣ded to become the Sonnes of the liuing God, and to deserue the euerlasting inheritaunce of our Father.

In y^t which you seé two maner of questions Osorius: in y^e one whereof we doe easily agreé with you:* 1.7 In the other not we onelye do gaynesay you, but the whole authority of Gods Testament doth determine agaynst you, whereby we be taught that man is not iustified by workes, but by fayth in Iesu Christ. Rom. 3.* 1.8 And that we, whiles we seéke to be iustified by him, are not founde righteous, are not found already endued with excellent integri∣ty, but are found vngodly sinners: so that in this life which we lead in this flesh, we liue none otherwise, then through fayth in the sonne of God, who loued vs, and deliuered himselfe to death for vs. Gala. 2.* 1.9 Let vs note the wordes of the Apostle himselfe: of being found sinners we liue by fayth, howe cann Osorius make it good that we be righteous?* 1.10 but if we be found righteous, howe doth Paule iustify vs to be sinners? but onely because whom this life doth make guilty of death, the same is released by faith of the Sonne of God: not whom he doth finde righteous, but whom he doth make righteous, not by liuing vprightly, but by not imputation of sinne.

Neither is this therefore false, that a godly carefullnesse of

liuyng vertuously is required in the faythfull, which may ex∣clude presumption of sinnyng: but it must be considered after what maner it is required. If you suppose it be requisite to the necessitie of obedience: you say truely: but if you thinke it to be an infallible assuraunce of Saluation and eternall lyfe, there cā be nothyng more false and more damnable: for as much as the same is not obteyned by our owne merites, and deseruynges, but is freély geauen to the vnworthy and vndeserued:* 1.11 and is thē also geauen, whenas we are founde Sinners: so that in this whole worke, the mercy of the Lord doth beare the whole and full prayse and palme, not our workes, which do but folow Gods re∣conciliation as fruites, and not make attonement with God. None otherwise then as Osorius, whenas he doth Consecrate, when he doth geaue orders, when he doth weare his Myter, he doth not all these to the ende he would be made a Byshopp: but bycause he was made a Byshopp before, therefore he doth exe∣cute the duties apperteignyng to a Byshopp. And as the Ser∣uauntes of noble men are knowen by their seuerall Badges: but do not weare noble mēs badges bycause they shall become those noble mēs seruauntes. In semblable wise Christian Fayth, al∣beit it worke allwayes by loue, and doth shew a speciall demon∣stration of pure and true Fayth:* 1.12 doth not therefore procure Sal∣uation, bycause it worketh: but bycause it doth beleéue in Christ Iesu, who beyng able alone to geaue that absolute integritie, which is required: for this cause therefore onely Fayth in Christ Iesu doth obteyne our Saluation, not our perfection and inte∣gritie. So that all the whole felicitie of our happy lyfe doth not proceéde from any efficacy or force of our owne worke, but by consideration of the Obiect onely, which is receaued thorough Fayth.

Neither are the endeuours and actions of loue, charitie, and pietie, excluded in this course of transitory obedience (as I haue often declared before) as though by this meanes they should be of any lesse necessitie not to accompany,* 1.13 or not to attend vpon Fayth: Agayne neither are workes so ioyned with Fayth, as though they should exclude Fayth from her dignitie and her pro∣per operation: nor enfeéble or abase the wonderfull riches of the grace of God, which is in Christ Iesu: nor that they should ex∣tinguish

the Glory of Christes Crosse: nor dispoyle afflicted con∣sciences of their heauenly cōsolation, nor should destroy the syn∣ceritie of sounde doctrine which the Apostles haue left vnto vs: which for as much as ascribeth the whole estate of our Salua∣tiō to no one thyng els, then to the onely freé liberalitie and mer∣cy of Christ Iesu: I doe appeale to the secrett Iudgementes of all the godly, whether the opinion of them be better, which doe establish their sauetie in Fayth onely: or of Osorius, which doth measure all our assuraunce and confidence of Saluation, by the onely Rule of our owne righteousnes? and who doth affirme that Fayth onely,* 1.14 is onely rash temeritie. Truely if the Spirite of the Lord could not disgest those Laodiceans, which beyng droū∣ken with vayne persuasion of their owne righteousnesse, hadd not any feélyng or perseueraunce of their owne vgly deformitie and filthy barraynesse: It may easily be coniectured, what we may determine of the hawty spirite of this Portingall Deuine, and of all his Diuinitie.

Wherefore in that you seéme so inwardly carefull for our sauety Osorius, as herein your honest inclination of gentle courtesie towardes vs may not vnthankefully be neglected of vs altogether: Euen so we also in requitall of our good will to∣wardes you, do earnestly exhort and hartely desire you, that ei∣ther you will vouchsafe to instruct vs in the true doctrine of Saluation more wholesomely and purely hereafter, or els that you reteigne still with your selfe this your safety, which you do wish vnto vs, if you can wishe vs no better: and enioy the same to your great comfort as much and as long as you will for euer and euer, world without end.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  An Argu∣ment of the Tridentine Councell agaynst righteous∣nesse of fayth.
• * 1.2

  An Aun∣swere out of Augu∣stin••.
• * 1.3

  New obe∣dience is not the cause, but the fruite of Iustifica∣tion.
• * 1.4

  The Asser∣tion of the Tridentines confuted.
• * 1.5

  It is proued that Iustifi∣cation in the sight of God, is no∣thing els then the Remission of Sinnes, agaynst the Tridentines
• * 1.6

  The state of the questiō.
• * 1.7

  Two kindes of questions
• * 1.8

  Rom. 3.
• * 1.9

  Galath. 2.
• * 1.10

  To lyue Through fayth.
• * 1.11

  When good workes be necessary.
• * 1.12

  Wherefore fayth onely doth iu∣stify.
• * 1.13

  Fayth wor∣keth by loue, but not as effe∣ctuall to e∣ternall life.
• * 1.14

  Apoca. 3.