thy good works)? It is shut out. Paul saith, that the justification of only faith is sufficient. So that a man only believing may be justified, although he have done no good works at all."

Hesychius saith, "Gratia ex misericordia atque compassione præbetur et fide comprehenditur sola." "The grace of God is given only of mercy and favour, and is embraced and received by only faith."

I leave a great number of others, that have written the like, as well Greeks as Latins. Instead of them all, St. Chrysostom saith thus: "Illi dicebant, qui sola fide nititur execrabilis est; hic contra demonstrat cum qui sola fide nititur benedictum esse.""They said, whoso stayeth himself by only faith is accursed; contrariwise St. Paul proveth, that whoso stayeth himself by only faith, he is blessed."

Touching the words of St. James, if Mr. Harding well considered the equivocation or double understanding of this word justification, he might soon and easily have espied his own error, For when St, Paul saith," Abraham was justified by faith without works of the law" (Rom. iv.), he teacheth us how Abraham was received into favour, and justified before God.

Of the other side, St. James, when he saith, "Abraham was justified by works, and not by faith only;" he speaketh of the works that follow justification, and of the fruits of faith, without which fruits, Abraham's faith had been no faith,

St. Augustine saith, "Non sunt contrariæ duorum Apostolorum sententiæ Pauli et Jacobi, cum dicit Paulus, justificari hominem sine operibus; et Jacobus dicit, inanem esse fidem sine operibus. Quia Paulus, loquitur de operibus quæ fidem præcedunt; Jacobus de iis quæ fidem sequuntur."-" The sayings of the two Apostles, Paul and James, are not contrary, where, as Paul saith, a man is justified without works; and James saith, Faith without

works is in vain; for Paul speaketh of the works that go before faith; James speaketh of the works that follow after faith."

If Mr. Harding shall think St. Augustine's authority herein is not sufficient, Thomas of Aquine will avouch the same. His words are these: "Jacobus hìc loquitur de operibus sequentibus fidem; quæ dicuntur justificare, non secundum quod justificare dicitur justitiæ infusio; sed secundum quod dicitur justitiæ exercitatio, vel ostensio, vel consummatio. Res enim dicitur fieri, quando perficitur, vel innotescit."-" James, in this place, speaketh of such works as follow faith; which works are said to justify; not as justification is the procuring of righteousness; but in that it is an exercise, or a showing or a perfecting of righteousness. For we say, a thing is done, when it is perfected or known to be done."

Now concerning the assurance or certainty of salvation, the Scriptures are full. St. Paul saith, "There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. The Spirit of God beareth witness to our spirit that weare the children of God. I know that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor powers, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature else, shall be able to remove me from that love that God beareth towards me in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. viii.)

But forasmuch as these words perhaps have not the sense of the church of Rome, without which, in Mr. Harding's judgment, the Scripture of God is no scripture; let us see the sense and exposition of the holy fathers.

Tertullian saith, "Ut certum esset, nos esse filios Dei, misit Spiritum suum in corda nostra clamantem Abba Pater."-That we might be certified, that we be the children of God, he hath sent the Holy Ghost into our hearts, crying Abba, Father."

Again he saith," Non mea presumptione sed ipsius promissione in judicium non venio.""It is not of my presumption, but of his promise, that I shall not come into judgment." St. Bazil saith, "Paulus gloriatur de contemptione justitiæ suæ."-"Paul (presumeth and) boasteth of the contempt of his own righteousness.'

So saith St. Ambrose: "Non gloriabor, quia justus sum; sed quia redemptus sum, gloriabor; non quia vacuus sum a peccatis, sed quia mihi remissa sunt peccata. Non gloriabor, quia profui, neque quia profuit mihi quisquam; sed quia pro me advocatus apud Patrem Christus est; sed quia pro me Christi sanguis effusus est.""I will not glory for that I am a just man, but for that I am redeemed, therefore will I glory; not for that I am void of sin, but for that my sins are forgiven me; I will not glory for that I have done good to any man, nor for that any man hath done good to me; but for that Christ is my advocate with the Father, and for that Christ's blood was shed for me."

Therefore St. Augustine saith, " Quid retribuam Domino, quod recolit hæc memoria mea, et anima 'mea non metuit inde ?"-" What shall I render unto our Lord, for that I call to remembrance all these my sins, and yet my soul thereof is not afraid?"

To be short; thus saith St. Bernard: "Ubi tuta firmaque infirmis securitas et requies, nisi in vulneribus Salvatoris ? Tanto illic securior habito, quanto ille potentior est ad salvandum, &c. Peccavi peccatum grande. Turbatur conscientia, sed non perturbabitur; quoniam vulnerum Domini recordabor, nempe vulneratus est propter iniquitates nostras.""What safe rest or surety can the weak soul find but in the wounds of our Saviour? As he is mightier to save, so dwell I there with much, more safety, &c. I have committed a great sin; my conscience is troubled, yet shall it not be shaken down, because I

will remember my Lord's wounds; for he was 'wounded for our sins.".

Thus, Mr. Harding, to be assured of our salvation, St. Augustine saith, " It is no arrogant stoutness; it is our faith. It is no pride; it is devotion. It is no presumption; it is God's promise."

But your whole doctrine of the trust in man's merits leadeth directly to desperation; and therefore St. Cyprian saith well of you, "Asserunt noctem pro die; interitum pro salute; desperationem, sub obtentu spei; perfidiam sub prætextu fidei; Antichristum sub vocabulo Christi."-"They teach us night instead of day; destruction instead of health; desperation under the colour of hope; infidelity under the pretence of faith; Antichrist under the name of Christ."

I TRUST, gentle reader, thou wilt not look I should answer all Mr. Harding's ordinary idle talk; so should I lose good time without cause, and be overtroublesome to thine ears." O (saith he), what a world it is to see these defenders! They which have not kept the unity of the spirit in the bond of charity, which St. Paul requireth, but have severed themselves from the body of the church, tell us now, forsooth, that they believe there is one church of God." O Mr. Harding, if we have herein said ill, then bear witness of the ill. If we have said well, wherefore make these bitter outcries? Whatsoever ye have conceived us to be, yet might ye suffer us quietly to say the truth, specially such truth as you imagine maketh so much for yourself.

you

Ye say, we confess, that our church began only about forty years since, and was never before. No, Mr. Harding, we confess it not; and you yourself

not ours.

well know we confess it not. It is your tale; it is We say, and have sufficiently proved, and you know it right well, if ye would be known of that ye know, that our doctrine is the old, and yours is the new. If ye will needs force yourself to the denial, it may easily be proved, and that by such authority as yourself may not well deny, unless ye will once again do now as ye have twice done before.

We say that our doctrine, and the order of our churches, is elder than yours by five hundred whole years and more. If ye will not believe us, yet believe Mr. Harding, he will tell you even the same.

Mark

well his words: these they be: It standeth not with Christ's promises made to the church, that he should suffer his church to continue in darkness these thousand years past.

And thus, by secret confession, he leaveth us five hundred threescore and six whole years at the least; that is to say, the whole time of Christ, of his Apostles, and of all the godly learned doctors and fathers of the primitive church; which time, notwithstanding, is thought a great deal better and purer than all the time that hath followed afterward.

In this division, Mr. Harding, being attent and eager upon his cause, and claiming as much as he thought with any modesty he might be able, hath claimed to himself a thousand years of the night, and hath left us well near six hundred years of the day.

This is your own witness, Mr. Harding; consider well of it. It is your own. Therefore ye do yourself great wrong, and much deface your own credit, so suddenly to say our doctrine is new. God's name be blessed, it hath the testimony not only of Christ and his Apostles, but also of the old learned Catholic fathers of the church.

And this it is that so much grieveth you, that we reform our churches now according to the pattern