Again.

Ma. They that do justly should be called just before God.

Mi. They that believe in the Son of God do most justly.

Concl. Therefore they that be∣lieve * in the Son of God, are deser∣vedly called just.

For what can any man do more justly, or more holily, than to be∣lieve in the only begotten Son of God, and to embrace him with all his faith, as the Gospel bears witness. This is the work of God, that ye should believe in him, whom he hath sent. And what Doctrine is more excellent, than to know Christ the Son of God aright, and the power of his Death, and Resurrection? Which knowledge, how much it is valued by God above all other disci∣plines and arts, it may appear by this, which is foretold unto us of Christ by the Divine Pro∣phet, Page  116 and my Righteous Servant, saith he, by his Knowledge shall justifie many. What if our Iustification is placed only in the know∣ledge of the Son of God, and the Faith of the Son is nothing else but knowledge Divinely In∣spired; what credit then should be given to those Iesuitical Sophisters, who neither admit of any external cause of justifying, nor acknow∣ledge any other but this, which they themselves place in Works.

And now what will they an∣swer to this Argument of Au∣gustin? *

Ma. Whence we are saved, thence we are just.

Mi. By Faith we are saved and reconciled to God, and become Conquerors; according to that saying of the Gospel: This is the Victory, which overcomes the World; our Faith.

Conclu. Therefore, by Faith the name of Righteousness is rightly given to us, according to the Testimony of Augustin.

But those Praters will not yet hold their Peace, neither do they endure any either Internal or Ex∣ternal Righteousness, but this only which they de∣scribe in Works, and the observance of the Law: And they endeavour to prove it by this caption. First then as touching Faith, though that is an in∣ternal Vertue, yet they plead that it doth not o∣therways justifie, but upon the account of Cha∣rity. But thus they dispute concerning the righte∣ousness of Christ: Because it is not our own, Page  117 but is peculiar to Christ. There is no cause why a Man should take upon him the Name of Righteous, from that Righteousness, * which is anothers; to wit, accord∣ing to the Law of Aristotle. Which how frivolous it is, and contrary to the Faith of the Gospel, it will not be difficult to demonstrate by very clear words of Scrip∣ture; for, to what purpose is the Divine Love Preached in the Gospel, and in the Prophets, to have given Christ his only begotten Son unto the World: Unless he had been willing to make us partakers together with him of all his Wealth, Vertues, Merits, and whatsoever good things belong to him? Whence Paul. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things? What if Christ was given to us byhis Father, poured forth, exposed, and is wholly made ours, with all his goods and gifts, is there any thing in him, whether Wisdom, or Iustice, or Sanctification, or Life, or Victory, or Death, or any other thing * besides, which we may not by a due right lay claim to as our own? If it is ours, upon what account then do those Gymnosophists Preach that it belongs not to us? Of which thing we may reason thus.

Ma. Whatsoever Christ did for us, is e∣steemed ours, just as if it had been done by our selves.

Mi. Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for us.

Conclu. Therefore all the Righteousness of Christ is ours by Faith, just as if it had been fulfilled by us.