Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.

¶ Of workes, and the law.

AS touching the doctrine of good workes and the lawe,* 1.1 what the teaching of Saint Paule was to the Ro∣manes, yee hearde before. Who although hee excludeth good workes from the office of Iustifying, yet excludeth he them not from the practise and c••••uersation of Christen life, but most earnestly calleth vpon all faythfull belee∣uers in Christ, to walke worthye their vocation, to laye downe their olde conuersation, to gyue theyr mem∣bers seruauntes of ryghteousnes, to offer their bodyes vppe to God a liuelye Sacrifice, &c. The like example of whose teachyng, if the Churches nowe reformed doe not folowe, let their Sermons, their Preachynges, wrytinges, exhortynges, and lyues also beare recorde. who although they can not say with Christ. Which of you can blame me of sinne, yet they may say to the aduersaryes, whosoeuer of you is wythout fault, cast the fyrst stone of reproch agaynst vs.* 1.2 Wherefore Hosius, Pighius, wyth their fellowes, doe them open wrong, and slaunderously be∣lye them in comparing them in this behalfe to Aetius Eu∣nominus, and other heretikes called Anomaei, who taking the good sentences of S. Paule, did abuse the same to fil∣thy licence of the flesh, and corruption of wicked life, &c.

But to let these slaunders passe, nowe what the er∣rours be of the Church of Rome, touching this part of doctryne, remayneth to be declared. Whose errour first standeth in this, that they mysunderstanding the definiti∣on of good workes, doe call good workes, not such as pro∣perly are commaunded by the lawe of God, but such as are agreable to the Popes law: As buylding of Abbayes and churches, gyuing to the high altar, founding of tren∣tales, fynding of chauntries, gylding of Images, hearing of Masses, going on pilgrimage, fyghting for the holye crosse, keeping of vowes, entryng to orders, fastyng of vigiles, creepyng to the Crosse, praying to Saintes, &c. All which are not onely reputed for good workes, but so preferred also before all other workes, that to these is gy∣uen pardon from the Pope, double and triplefolde more, then to any other good worke of charitie commaunded in the law of almightie God.* 1.3

An other errour also may be noted in the Papists, tou∣ching the efficient or formall cause of good workes. For al∣beit they all confesse in their bookes, that Gratia dei gratis data, is the chiefe principall cause thereof, and worketh in vs iustitiam primam (as they call it) yet the good workes after regeneration,* 1.4 they refer to other subordinate causes vnder God, as to fre wil, or to habitum virtutis, or ad inte∣gra

naturalia, & nothing at all to faith, when as faith one∣lye next vnder God, is the roote and fountaine of all well dooyng: as in the fruites of a good tree, albeit the planter or the husbandman be the principall agent thereof, and some cause also may be in y^e good ground, yet the next and imme∣diate cause is the roote that maketh the tree fruitefull. In like maner the grace of God, in a soft & repentaunt mollifi∣ed hart planteth the gift of fayth. Fayth as a good roote can not lye dead or vnoccupied, but springeth foorth and maketh both the tree fruitefull, and also the tree thereof to be good.* 1.5 which otherwise had no acceptatiō nor goodnes in them, were it not for the goodnes of the roote from whence they spring. So Paule although he had certeine workes in him such as they were, before his conuersion, yet had he no good workes before the grace of Christ had rooted fayth in him. So Mary Magdelene the sinner, and Za∣cheus the Publicane. So all the nations of the Gentiles began to bryng foorth frute, and especially good fruit, when they began to bee ingrafted in Christ,* 1.6 and to receaue the roote of hys fayth, whose fruites before that were all dam∣nable and vnsauery. As touchyng the cause therefore of good workes,* 1.7 there is no other in man but fayth, whose office as it is to iustifie vs in heauen so the nature of it is here in earth to worke by loue, as the roote worketh by the sappe. For as a man seeth and feeleth by fayth, the loue and grace of God toward him in Christ his sonne:* 1.8 so be∣gynneth he to loue agayne both God and man, and to doe for his neyghbour as God hath done to him. And hereof properly springeth the runyng fountaine of al good works and deedes of charitie.

* 1.9Thirdly, as they erre in the cause of good works, so do they erre much more in the ende of the lawe, and of good workes: for where Saint Paule teacheth the lawe to be gyuen to thys vse and ende, to conuict our transgressions, to prooue vs sinners, to shewe and condemne our infirmi∣tye, and to dryue vs to Christ: they take and applye no o∣ther ende to the lawe, but to make vs perfect, to keepe vs from wrath, and to make vs iust before God. And likewise where Saint Paule prooueth al our good works to be vn∣perfect, and vtterly secludeth them from the ende of Iusti∣fying, they contrariwise doe teache, as though the ende of good workes were to merite remission of synnes, to satis∣fye vnto God, to deserue grace, to redeeme soules from Purgatory,* 1.10 and that by them the person of the regenerate man doth please God, and is made iust before God. For so they teach most wickedly and horribly, saying. That christ suffered for originall sinne, or sinnes going before Bap∣tisme, but the actuall sinnes, which followe after Baptis∣me, must be done away by mens meryts. And so they as∣signe to Christ the begynning of saluation, or obteyning of the fyrst grace (as they call it) but the perfection or cō∣sūmation of grace, they giue to works & our own strēgth. Neither can they in any case abide, that we be iustified fre∣ly by the mercy of God through fayth onely apprehending the merites of Christ. Howbeit neyther doe all Papistes in this their erroue agree in one. For some make distinc∣tion and say:* 1.11 that we are iustified by Christ principaliter .i. principally: & minus principaliter .i. lesse principally, by the dignitie of our owne deedes, contrary to the eight princi∣ple before mentioned, page. 24. Other holde that we are made ryghteous before God, not by works that go before fayth: but by our vertues that follow after. Some againe do thus expound y^e saying of Saint Paule: We are iustified by faith: y^t is (say they) by fayth, preparing vs or setting vs in a good way to be iustified.* 1.12 Other expoūde by it y^e figure Sinecdoche, that is, by faith conioyned together with other vertues. Other thus: by faith, that is, being formed with charytie, &c. Thus all these doe derogate from the benefite of Christ, and attribute vnto works a great or the greatest part of our iustification, directly against the true veine of Saint Paules doctryne and first institucion of the aunci∣ent Church of Rome, and against all the principles of ho∣ly Scripture.

* 1.13Furthermore, as touching the sayde doctryne of the lawe and good workes, they erre in misunderstanding the nature of the lawe and workes. For where Saint Paule disputeth that the lawe is spirituall, and requireth of vs perfect obedience of the whole power of man, which wee beyng carnall are neuer able to accomplish: they affirme otherwise that the lawe doth require but onely outward obedience of man, and therewith is contented: And this obedience they say, man is not onely able to performe, but also to do more and greater things then the law requireth. Wherof riseth y^e works of supererogatiō,* 1.14 contrary to y^e 6. and 8. principles aboue specified, page. 24. Also there be say they, among other certaine workes of the lawe, which pertayne not to all men, but are consilia, counsayles, left for perfect men,* 1.15 as matter for them to merite by, and these they call opera perfectionis, or opera indebita, adding also to these newe deuises to serue God after their owne traditi∣ons besides the worde of God, as Monasticall vowes, wilfull pouerty,* 1.16 difference of meates and garmentes, pil∣grimage to reliques and Saints, worshipping of y^e dead, superstitious ceremonies, rosaries, &c. With such like, and these they call workes of perfection, which they preferre before the other commaunded in the lawe of God. In so much that in comparison of these, the other necessary du∣ties commaunded and commended by the worde of God (as to beare office in the common wealth, to liue in y^e god∣lye state of matrimony, to susteine the office of a seruant in a house) is contemned,* 1.17 and accounted as prophane in cō∣parison of these, contrary to the 10. principle aboue men∣tioned. pag. 24.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The first errour of the Papistes touching good workes.
• * 1.2

  Hosius in 2. tom. confessio∣nis. Cap. 1.
• * 1.3

  The second er∣rour of the Pa∣pistes in the do∣ctrine of good workes.
• * 1.4

  Fayth the roote and cause of good workes.
• * 1.5

  Workes are not to be called good but by rea¦son of fayth.
• * 1.6

  The office of fayth to iustifie.
• * 1.7

  The effect of fayth to bring forth good workes.
• * 1.8

  Fides per dile∣ctionē operans. Gal. 5.
• * 1.9

  The 3. errour of the Papistes touching the end of the law & good works. The end of the law and good workes peruer∣ted.
• * 1.10

  Thom. Aquinas. Hosius in 2. tom. conses. Cap. 1.
• * 1.11

  The diuers opi∣nions of their Catholicke Pa∣pistes, how faith iustifieth.
• * 1.12

  The Popes do∣ctrine agaynst the principles of Scripture.
• * 1.13

  The 4. errour of the Papistes touching the imperfection of man in satisfiyng the perfection of the law.
• * 1.14

  Agaynst the p••inciples of Scripture.
• * 1.15

  Precepte•• and Coun∣sayles.
• * 1.16

  Workes of supereroga∣tion.

  Mens tradi∣tions pre∣ferred be∣fore the workes of Gods law.
• * 1.17

  Agaynst the principle of Scripture.