and Euangelicall Scriptures, let him bee accursed. Now what can be of greater moment concerning faith and life, than the Popes authority ouer the Scriptures; which being not found in the Scriptures, it is, together with the Pope and all his worshippers, branded with Anathema. Which leauing to the Pontificians, let vs now come to pitch the certainty of salua∣tion vpon the vnmoueable Rocke of the holy Scriptures.
Now for the Catholicke doctrine of the certainty of iusti∣fication, we affirme against all Pontificians, That this certainty is no probable coniecture, no generall hope, no plausible opi∣nion, no deceiueable perswasion, no vaine and hereticall presumption, no speciall reuelation, no peculiar donation to this or that Saint: but that this certainety is the natiue and inbred propertie of a true iustifying Faith, a perswasion that cannot be deceiued, common to euery true beleeuer, though after a different degree and measure, in some greater, in some lesser, in some stronger, in some weaker, according to the measure of Faith, and the mixture and allay of humane frail∣ty, fighting one against another in euery regenerate man, as lacob and Esau in the same wombe; shaken with temptati∣ons, not subdued, sustaining long fight, but euer at length victorious; and when at the weakest, yet it is certaine, be∣eeuing, though with vnbeliefe, against hope beleeuing in hope, aboue hope, vnder hope.
For the confirmation of this truth, we call the two Testa∣ments to witnesse. The Hebrewes haue three speciall words, whereby they expresse the nature of true iustifying Faith, as touching the certainety of it. One is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Emun, which sig∣nifieth Faith, the roote where of is Aman, which signifieth to nourish: to which Dauid alludes, Psal. 37. 3. Trust in the Lord, and doe good, so shalt thou dwell in the Land, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and thou shalt be sed by Faith; word for word as Tremelius ren∣ders it. And in the sixt of Iohns Gospell, the Lord ioyneth be∣leeuing on him, and feeding on him, together, as both one•• As St. Augustine saith, Crede, & manducasti: Belecue, and thou hast eaten. Now this word which the Hebrewes vse for faith, signifieth also truth, or that which is firme, stable, or settled.