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CAP. XI. Bellarmines arguments, proving obliquè or indirectly justification by inherent righteousnesse, and first because faith is not the integrall and onely formall cause of justification.
§. I.
ANd these were all the arguments, which Bellarmine hath produced to proove di•…•…ectly his assertion con∣cerning justification by inherent righteousnesse: now follow two other ranks, of proofes▪ whereby he doth obliquè, indirectly, and by consequence prove the same; by disproving two assertions which it pleaseth him to father upon us. The one, that faith is the onely formall cause of justification; the other, that justification consisteth onely in remission of sinnes. For if faith be not the integrall cause formall of our justifica∣tion, but that with it charity and other graces doe concurre, by which as well as by faith we are justified formally; then it followeth, that wee are justified by inherent and habituall righteousnesse, which consisteth in the habits of faith aud charity, and other graces. And if justificati∣on doth consist, not onely in remission of sins, by which our soules are cleansed from sinne, but also in the renewing of us according to Gods image by infusion of righteousnesse, by which our soules are not onely purged from sinne, but also adorned and beautified with grace; then it followeth, that we are justified by inherent righteousnesse.
The former question he disputeth lib. 2. de justif. c. 4. the title where∣of is, fidem non esse integram formalem caussam justificationis, that faith is not the whole formall cause of justification. This opinion, hee confes∣seth none of us doe now hold, though falsly hee would lay it upon Lu∣ther a and Melancthon; for we deny faith to bee the formall cause of ju∣stification at all: and yet this is it, which he, and all of his side evermore object unto us, to make us odious to the world, as though wee required nothing to make us formally and inherently righteous, but onely faith. And for this cause, though wee hold not this assertion, yet hee thinkes good to confute it, as if we held it.
§. II. Of his proofes, onely the first serveth to prove, that, with faith, charity doth concurre unto justification. It is taken out of Gal. 5. 5. 6. the fifth verse containing the latter part of the Antithesis between justitiaries (who were apostates from the doctrine of grace) and the true prosessours of the Gospell. For the former looked to bee justified by the Law, that is, by obedience performed to the Law, and so were fallen from grace: but the latter looked not to be justified by the Law,