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WEe are saide to bee iustified by faith, because faith is the beginning, [error 81] foundation, and the roote of iustification, Concil. Triden. sess. 6. cap. 8. Faith then by their sentence doth not fully iustifie the beleeuer, but is the be∣ginning, way and preparation onely to iustification, Andrad. ex Tilem. de fide err. 11. Rhemist. Rom. 3. sect. 3.
FAith is not the beginning onely of our iustification, but the principall and onely worker thereof: neither are wee iustified in part or in whole by any o∣ther meanes then by faith.
Argum. He that is at peace with God, is fully and perfectly iustified, his conscience cleared, and his sinnes remitted. But by faith wee haue peace of conscience: Ergo, by faith wee are fullie and perfectly iustified, Rom. 5.1. The Scripture also faith, The iust man shall liue by faith, Rom. 1.17. But wee liue not by iustification begun onely, but perfited and finished: Ergo, our full iusti∣fication is by faith.
Augustine vpon these words, Iohn 6.29. This is the worke of God, that yee beleeue &c. Si iustitia est opus Dei, quomodo erit opus Dei vt credatur in eum, nisi ipsa sit iustitia, vt credamus in eum? If iustice or righteousnes bee the worke of God, how is it the worke of God to beleeue in him, vnlesse it be righ∣teousnes it selfe to beleeue in him? See then, it is not initium iustitiae credere, sed ipsa iustitia: it is not the beginning of iustice to beleeue, but iustice and righ∣teousnes it selfe.