Of free justification by Christ written first in Latine by John Fox, author of the Book of martyrs, against Osorius, &c. and now translated into English, for the benefit of those who love their own souls, and would not be mistaken in so great a point.

Concerning the Vertue and Efficacy of Di∣vine Grace, a more enlarged dispute a∣gainst the Adversaries; Answering their Objections.

BUT Those Men will deny that they detract any thing * 1.1 from the Grace of God, yea, they say that this is the common Sin of the Lutherans, not theirs, because all that they drive at is to maintain the mercy of God and to celebrate it with due praises: Why so I pray? for what, say they? Do not the Pious Works of the Saints please God? Well, and what next? Should not the same Works having proceeded from God himself the Author, be referred to his bounty and mercy Why not?

Now then Catholick Reader, re∣ceive a conclusion, Roman Catholick * 1.2 enough? as I suppose. Therefore he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 detracts from good works wrought by Christ, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 from the Grace and Mercy of God: Well said, but pray who detracts from those? Who denies good Works, which Christ living and dwelling in us Works, to be good Works? Does any Man take away due praise and dignity from those? Now Hosius talks, Osorius pleads, Andradius crys out, that the Lutherans do it eagerly. Why so, I beseech you? Because they do not at∣tribute

unto the performance of good Works, the Salvation that is due to them, but tran∣slate it to Faith only.

What then, such as do not attribute Sal∣vation to good Works, should they be there∣fore supposed to attribute nothing to Works, or to cast reproach upon the grace of God? On the contrary, they that detract the pro∣mise of Eternal Life from the Christian Faith, Shall they be accounted Friends to Grace?

By the same reason we may turn Light in∣to Darkness, and Darkness into Light: Let Christ remain in his Sepulcher, let Moses rise again to be Iudge of the Living and the Dead. But now what Arguments do they rely upon in disputing thus? Because, say they, Works of Righteousness flow from the Fountain of Divine Grace. But what? Is not Faith in Christ the Mediatour as singu∣lar a gift of God; and does it not pro∣ceed from the Election of Divine Grace? But now let us hear an Argument more than Catholick.

Argument.

Ma. We are justified by the * 1.3 Grace of God only.

Mi. Our good Works have their rise from the Grace of God only.

Con. Therefore all our Iustifi∣cation * 1.4 consists in good Works.

The deceit of this Paralogism must be drawn forth: And again the word Grace must be explained: Which is * 1.5 taken one way in the major and another way in the minor; for there it is taken for mercy, and the free good will of God, where∣by he hath redeemed us freely, whereby he loves us in Christ Iesus, and forgives us our Sins, and whereby also he imparts his Spirit and Life Eternal to us. And this is peculiarly called Grace of forgiveness, of which the writings of the Apostles speak aloud in many places. It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that run∣neth, * 1.6 but of God that sheweth mercy: And again: Sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the Law but under Grace. And what the same Apostle cites out of a Psalm: Blessed are they whose Iniquities are for∣given, and whose Sins are covered, &c.

And also that which elsewhere he testified very evidently: They are justified freely by his Grace; moreover that none should be un∣certain, what is understood by the word Grace, presently subjoining, and as it were ex∣plaining himself, he infers next: By the Re∣demption which is in Christ Iesus. But what

other thing does this adding of Redemption signifie, but the Re∣mission * 1.7 of all Sins? That this may be the Argument: We are justi∣fied by that Grace, whereby we are redeemed. But Grace by renewing us doth not redeem us. Therefore we are not justified by Grace renewing us.

I come now to the minor, in which the word grace is taken otherways than in the major. For there it is put for remission or re∣demption, here for renovation: That is, for the effectual energy * 1.8 of the Divine Inspiration; in com∣municating Gifts and Endowments, wherewith he afterwards adorns those whom first he hath justified: Whence arises a twofold manner of distinguishing Grace, according to the twofold diversity of effects on this side, and on that side, of which one consists in the remission of evil Works, the other in the operation of good Works. And that is called pardoning Grace, and this is called renewing Grace: From the one where∣of proceeds the Salvation and the Iustification of the Ungodly, and from the other come the good Works of the Godly; and yet those are not full, nor perfect.

Therefore, I answer the Argu∣ment proposed, which hath more * 1.9 errours than one. Moreover it is made up of mere particulars: Also in the minor contrary to the man∣ner of Disputants, the case is changed, where∣as

the same case should be kept that goes be∣fore in the major, and the minor should fol∣low thus: But our good Works are by the grace of God only; or at least, in the major the same case of the minor should have been kept, after this manner: Our Iustification arises twice from the grace of God. There∣fore all our Iustification flows from good Works. So that the true nature of this Pseu∣dosyllogism, belongs not to the first, but the second figure simply concluding both affirmatively and also most * 1.10 absurdly, just as if a Man should argue thus: Our corporeal Na∣ture was made of the slime of the Earth: Earthen-Pots are made of the slime of the Earth, there∣fore our corporeal Nature was made of Ear∣then-Pots. What need is there of words? Whatsoever way these Men form their Ar∣gument, or reform it, they shall never be able to prove, that the works of the Law, whe∣ther such as we our selves have wrought, or such as the Divine Grace works in us, do contain in themselves any cause of Salvation. For what manner of consequence is this? Because habitual influences of Works, which make us acceptable to God, proceed no o∣therways but from co∣operating Grace: There∣fore Faith without inherent Righteousness doth not justifie, neither doth Sal∣vation consist of any other thing * 1.11 but good Works. But because there is a twofold sort of Works,

one of those which go before Faith, ano∣ther of those which follow Faith, I would know of which of those rwo parts they un∣derstand it. If of the preoedent they will not deny those to be Sins: For that which is not of Faith is of Sin: But if they under∣stand it of Works subsequent to Faith, they will say that those are either perfect or im∣perfect. If perfect, and of such a sort, that they answer the things commanded in the Law, not only according to the substance, but also according to the manner of doing. To what purpose then is that daily saying of the Church made mention of: Forgive us our debts? Or what will they answer to Augustine, who evidently confutes * 1.12 what they maintain?

On the contrary, if they are Imperfect, Languid, and Lame, upon what account will they make us acceptable to God the Iudge, which are of themselves defective,. and be∣sprinkled with faults, and spots, and need another Grace, by the commenda∣tion whereof they may be plea∣sing * 1.13 to God? What if that infi∣nite and Eternal purity, for the most part in the Levitical Sacri∣fices did not endure whatever seemed any way defective, or deformed, or defiled with the

least pollu on, and which was not exquisitely entire and blameless in all respects; if so great integrity of all parts was * 1.14 required in the Levites and Priests, that it was not lawful to suffer any one to enter into the holy place of the Sanctuary, who was wounded in any member of his body, or deformed in any part, or had a Wen: Do you think that you can endure the presence of the most holy God with that half-torn and ragged Imperfection? Where∣fore seeing it must needs be perfect and un∣blameable upon all accounts, which by Iusti∣fication indemnifies and frees us from all sin before the dreadful Tribunal of most perfect Righteousness; surely no man can believe that it consists in our works, but only in the works of the Son of God; not those which his ha∣bitual grace works in us, but those which he himself hath both graciously undertaken to do for us, and also, having undertaken them, hath performed them to the full.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Osor. lib. 6. p. 151.
• * 1.2

  〈1 line〉〈1 line〉
• * 1.3

  A pseudo∣syllogism.
• * 1.4

  An Answer to the Argu∣ment.
• * 1.5

  Pardoning Grace, or Grace of Re∣mission.
• * 1.6

  Rom. 9. 6, 4. Coloss. 1. Rom. 3.
• * 1.7

  Renewing Grace.
• * 1.8

  Grace is di∣vided into Two parts.
• * 1.9

  The Syllo∣gism is re∣dundant with four Termini.
• * 1.10

  Aparalogism in the second figure con∣cluding affir∣matively.
• * 1.11

  A twofold sort of Works Rom. 14.
• * 1.12

  Aug. of Na∣ture and Grace. The reparation of the Grace of Christ, though it is begun in respect of the mind, it is not yet perfected in re∣spect of the Flesh: Which shall be in the Countrey where Man shall not only be able to persevere, but shall not be able to Sin.
• * 1.13

  An Argu∣ment from like Com∣parison.
• * 1.14

  Levit. 22. Deut. 15.