The suruey of popery vvherein the reader may cleerely behold, not onely the originall and daily incrementes of papistrie, with an euident confutation of the same; but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension, contained in the first and second part thereof: and throughout the third part poperie is turned vp-side downe.

The answer.

I answer, that albeit these & like moral deeds be indifferent in their owne nature, glorious in the eyes of the world, and right profitable to others; yet are they meere sins in the doers, & dis∣pleasant in Gods sight. And I prooue it,* 1.1 because that without faith God cannot be pleased, as the apostle witnesseth. Again, the same apostle saith, that whatsoeuer is not of faith is sin, and so euery act of the infidel must needs be sin, because it is not of faith. Neither wil it help to say, that if the said acts of infidels be not good, yet are they not euil. For as their great popish ca∣nonist Nauarre, & their Romish cardinal Caietan auouch;* 1.2 eue∣ry act in indiuiduo, must perforce be good or euil: & the reason therof is euident. For euery act must either be referred to some end, or to no end at al: if to no end, then it is an idle act, and wee must render an account for the same: if it be referred to any o∣ther end then to God, it is flat sin; bicause as the apostle saith,* 1.3 whatsoeuer we do, we ought to do it for Gods glory.

S. Austen in his f••urth booke against Iulianus the Pelagi∣an handleth this question so learnedly, and in so ample and per∣spicuous maner, as none that shal reade the booke with iudge∣ment, can stand any longer in doubt thereof. I wil cite one one∣ly periode, for breuitie sake. Thus doth he write; Si gentilis, in∣quis,* 1.4 nudum operuerit, numquid, quod non est ex fide, peccatum est? prorsus in quantum non est ex fide, peccatum est; non quòd per se ipsum factum quod est nudum operire, peccatum est, sed de ta∣li opere non in domino gloriari, solus impius negat esse peccatū. If an infidell, saist thou, shall clothe the naked, is such an act sinne, because it is not of faith? it is doubtlesse sinne, in that it is not of faith; not for that the worke it selfe is sinne of it owne nature, (for to clothe the naked of it owne selfe is not sin,) but to clothe the naked for any other end then for Gods glorie, is sinne indeede. And it is so manifest a sinne, as none but the wicked can denie it to be sin. Thus did Saint Austen answere the Pelagians then, and thus do I answere the papists now, telling them that they are become Semipelagians herein.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Heb. 11.•• Rom. 1••.2.
• * 1.2

  Na••arr. i•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Caietan ib••••
• * 1.3

  1. Cor. 10.••••. Colo••. 3.
• * 1.4

  August. contr. Iu∣••ian. lib. 4. cap. 3. ••om. 7. p. 705.