A treatie of iustification. Founde emong the writinges of Cardinal Pole of blessed memorie, remaining in the custodie of M. Henrie Pyning, chamberlaine and general receiuer to the said cardinal, late deceased in Louaine. Item, certaine translations touching the said matter of iustification, the titles whereof, see in the page folowing

That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paule and S. Iames, concerning the doctrine of Iusti∣fication, and howe they are to be vnderstanded. THE X. CHAP.

BIcause S. Paule saieth: Abraham was iustified by faith and not by workes: And S. Iames writeth, that Abra∣ham was iustified by woorkes, and not by Faithe onely, some haue thought ther was a contradiction imploied in the wordes of the two Apostles: but the holy Ghost, who ruled bothe their pennes, and is neuer contrary to him selfe, meante one thing in them both, and by them both vttered one trewth well agreing with it selfe.

For the plaine declaration whereof it is to be vnder∣standed, that our Iustification is compared vnto a perfecte building, or vnto a fruitefull tree. For as in building there muste be a foundation to beare vp the house, and the tree muste haue a roote owte of the whiche the leaues and fruite maie spring: and yet it is to no purpose to laie a foundation if a man builde nothing vppon it, neither is it inough in a fruitefull tree to haue the roote with∣owt branches, leaues, and fruite: euen so is there in our Iustification, as it were a foundation and roote, and a per∣fecte building and fruit. The foundation and roote is Faith, whereby we haue accesse to God, and be made of

wicked rightuouse: when I say, Faith, I meane not Faithe alone, but accumpanied with charitie as S. Paule doth. The building vppe or fruite of our Iustification, is the conti∣nuance, increase, and perfection of iustice, whereby such as are once iustified, be made more iuste, and in the ende perfited in iustice, that is to say, saued: Of al which I haue saied sufficientely before.

Of the roote and foundation, which is the entrie and first degree of Christian iustice, S. Paule speaketh. Of thin∣crease and perfection S. Iames. S. Paule saith, we are iusti∣fied by Faith declaring what he meaneth by Iustification: Habemus accessum per fidem in gratiam istam. We haue ac∣cesse and comming to this grace throughe Faith. And when he saithe through faithe, he meaneth especially through grace and throughe mercie, whereby Faith is geuen. It was not for the workes of iustice, that we did, but through his mercy he saued vs. All men are borne sinners, called when they be sinners, by grace called, by grace iu∣stified, and made of sinners rightuouse. Before our Iusti∣fication, S. Augustine his wordes maie be saied to euery one of vs: Attenduntur opera tua: & inuentuntur omnia mala. Thy workes are loked on, and they be founde all euill. If God shoulde rendre vnto these workes that is due, he should condemne thee. For the wages of sinne is death. So was neither Abraham, nor any man iustified by workes: Neither Abraham, nor any other could deserue Iustification by his workes. For workes done without Faith, and before God geue his grace in some degree, de∣serue not at Gods hand either grace or reward of life euer∣lasting. And thus do wee see, in what sense S. Paule saied, Abrahā was iustified by faith, and not by workes. He was first

called by mercie, and by grace, without anie deserte of his woorkes going before. The like he saith generally of al men, that by grace they are called, and by faith haue ac∣cesse to God, and be planted in Christe, and so iustified by faith, and not by woorkes.

But here let the Reader take hede that he deceiue not him selfe. For as before the grace of God, no man is able to doe any woorke good and profitable towarde the life euerlasting: so as many as are called, receiued to Gods fa∣uour, and iustified, be made able and meete to doe all good woorkes. And as God calleth al men without iustice and holines: So doth he call them to serue him in iustice and holinesse. And as he found al men of them selues without good workes: so did he suffer, to cleanse vnto him selfe a people that should folowe good woorkes. And suche good woorkes, being the fruites of the holie Ghoste, woorkes of faith, done in God, God working in man, and man working togeather with God, through the bountiful and liberal pro∣mise of God, are rewarded with increase of grace and iu∣stice here, and in the life to come with perfection of iu∣stice, that is, life euerlasting. And bicause the Scripture calleth increase of iustice Iustification, S. Iames saith: Abra∣ham was iustified by workes, that is to saie, made more iust then he was, strengthened and increased in iustice by woorkes. In this sense he saith: you see that a man is iusti∣fied by woorkes, and not by faith onely.

And thus saith S. Paule truely, a manne is called to iu∣stice, hath accesse to God, and is made of wicked righte∣ouse by faith deseruing it not by woorkes. And S. Iames as truely saieth: A man is iustified by woorkes, that is, a manne alreadie iuste, is by woorkes made more iuste,

strengthened and increased in iustice.

There is faith, saith Oecumenius, that requireth no workes that goeth before Baptisme. And there is faith that must be coupled with good woorkes: and that is faith after Baptisme, after whiche sense certaine of the Greeke Fa∣thers (saieth he) vnderstoode S. Paule to speake of faith be∣fore Baptisme, which bringeth a sinner to Chsist, and iusti∣fieth him without respect of any woorkes going before, and S. Iames to speake of faith which is in a Christian man after Baptisme, which must be ioyned with good workes, as Abra∣hams faith was, or els iustifieth no man: Grace goeth before, saith S. Augustine, but good woorkes folowe.

Euerie man that wil be saued, must be made a member of Christ, whiche is done through faith, hope, and charitie: and of this incorporation speaketh S. Paule: but it is not inough for vs to be made members of Christ, vnles being knitte in the bodie, we increase in all thinges in Christ, who is our heade. Of this increase and growing, speaketh S. Iames: It is not inough for vs to be called and iustified, we must also be glorified, and that shall not be, vnlesse we be conformed and made like vnto the Image of Christ by godly lyfe, which S. Iames speaketh of.

Al this is comprised in our perfit Iustification. As it is necessarie for our saluation, that we be made members of Christ (which S. Paule calleth our Iustification) so is it ne∣cessarie for the same end that we do good workes, which S. Iames calleth our Iustification. If Abraham had offred his sonne without faith, saith S. Augustine, the worke had nothing auailed him, what so euer it were. If he had kepte his faith and not offred his sonne when God bad him, his faith without woorkes had ben dead, and shoulde haue remained

like a roote barren, and drie without fruite.

When S. Paule had taught that we are iustified by faith, meaning thereby as hath ben declared: Suche as vnder∣stode him not, thought he had said, faith had ben suffici∣ent for a man though he liued yl, and did no good workes. And bicause this opinion was then sprong vppe, the other Apostles, as S. Iames, S. Peter, S. Iohn, and Iude in their Epistles, directed their intent, specially againste the same, earnestly affirminge, that faith without woorkes auaileth nothing. So did S. Peter exhorte menne to pietie, and good conuersation against the comming of Christe, war∣ninge them, that there were many thinges in S. Paules Epistles, darke and harde to vnderstande, which the vn∣skilfull and vnstable did peruerte to their owne damnation: sayinge further, that who so lacketh good conuersation, is blinde and gropinge with his hande. Therevppon did S. Iames call him a vaine manne that thoughte faith with∣out woorkes mighte saue him, and called faith without woorkes, a deade faith, and the Diuelles faith. There∣vppon didde S. Iohn speake as muche in the commenda∣tion of Charitie, as S. Paule had donne of Faith: say∣ing: He that loueth not, remaineth in deathe: not that these Apostles did teache contrary to S. Paule, but bi∣cause that S. Paule was misconstrued: Their preaching was one: For as S. Paule dothe saie, by faith a manne is iustified, and by grace are ye saued, not of your selues: So saieth S. Iames: Euery good thinge that is geauen, and eue∣ry perfite gifte commeth from aboue. And seeing that Faith, Hope, Charitie, and good woorkes be the giftes of God and the fruites of grace, S. Iames saying that we are iustified by woorkes, disagreeth not with S. Paule,

that saith we are saued by grace: And when S. Iohn saieth: charitie commeth of God, and we knowe we are translated from death to life, bicause we loue our brothers, he saieth no more then S. Paul doth, that in Christ Iesu neither circumci∣sion, nor to be without circumcision auaileth aught, but faith which worketh through charitie. So did S. Paule, S. Pe∣ter, S. Iames, and S. Iohn, being mooued to speake by one spirit, agree in one minde, concerning our Iustification. S. Paule commendeth the foundation, roote, and beginning of it. S. Iames th'increase, the fruite, and perfection of the same, without the which, the foundation should be voide, and the roote barren and drie.

God graunte vs to beginne with Abrahams faith, and to increase with Abrahams woorkes: that faith may ioyne with our woorkes, and by woorkes our faith may be perfited, that we may be blessed with the faithfull Abraham.

Notes

• Rom. 4. Iacob. 2.
• 1 Cor. 4. Aug. in Praefa. Psal. 31.
• See the first Chap. of this treatie.
• Rom. 5. Ephes. 2. Gala. 5.
• Rom 4. Iaco. 2. Rom. 5. Ephes. 2.
• Ephes. 2.
• Tit. 3.
• In Praesa. Psal. 31.
• Rom 6.
• Workes done vvithout Faithe.
• Rom. 5. Ephes. 2.
• Of vvorks don vvith faith, and after God hath geuē his grace. 2. Timo. 3. Luc. 1.
• Tit. 2. Galat. 5. Ioan. 3. 1. Cor. 3.
• Apoca. 22 Eccles. 18. See the 12 Chapt. of the firste booke. Iacob. 2.
• Oecom. in ca. Iaco. 2
• Aug. ad Simpli. li. 1. quaest. 2. August. ad Simpli. ib. de fide. & oper. c. 14 August. ser. 61. de ver. Dom. Ephes. 4.
• Rom. 8.
• In praefat. Psalm. 31.
• Aug. de fid. et oper cap. 14.
• 2. Pet. 3.
• 2. Pet. 1.
• Iacob. 2.
• 1. Ioan. 3.
• Rom 3. Ephes. 2. Iacob. 1.
• Ephes. 2.
• Ephes. 2. 1. Ioan. 3.
• Galat. 5.
• Iacob. 2. Galat. 3.