simple, I would not vouchsafe them of any answer. Whereas I only allege these words of St. James, "Faith without works is dead; " you tell me, that I belie the Scriptures. And this (you say) shall be mine answer. Of such hasty answers you have good store. I thank God I believe the Scriptures; I belie them not; I would not willingly belie a child, much less the everlasting word of God, for I know it is holy. But how, and wherein, have I so foully belied the Scriptures? You answer me, A thing may be dead in two sorts, either because it had life in it of its own, or else because it had it of another thing. Faith hath life of itself, and faith hath life of charity. All this may be granted. But what conclude you hereof, Mr. Harding? If faith have life of itself, have I therefore belied the Scriptures? Behold St. James's words. Thus he saith: "Faith without works is dead." Of the other side behold Of the other side behold my words. Thus I say, "Faith without works is dead." Now compare these words together. I increase nothing; I minish nothing; I alter nothing; I report St. James's words plainly and simply as he spake them.' With what good countenance then can you so uncivilly tell me that I have belied the Scriptures? Your reader, be he never so friendly bent unto you, muist needs doubt somewhat of your dealing. If you proceed accordingly, you will be able shortly to tell us that St. James himself hath belied the Scriptures. For the words that I speak, and you condemu, be St. James's.

Faith (you say) hath life of another thing, like as the body hath of the soul. Not as the man is dead without the soul, but as the body is dead without the soul, so is faith dead without good works. Thus you say. But help us, I pray you, that we may better understand your meaning. Ye speak in parables. We need a commentary. A man (say you) dead

without a soul? What meaneth this talk, Mr. Harding? Ye lay the way for us, I trow, and would entrap us in the dark. Who ever heard of a man without a soul? I have sometimes heard of a man without wit, and of words without sense or reason; but of a man without a soul, hitherto I never heard, unless happily you mean the man in the moon.

Now let us view the handsomeness of your distinction. These be your words: Not as a man is dead without a soul, but as a body is dead without a soul. A man that had any soul would think there should be some difference between these speeches. Not as the one (you say), but as the other. But what if the one and the other be both one? Consider better of your words, I beseech you. What is a man without a soul, but only a bare and dead body? Or what is such a dead body, but only a man without a soul? Where was your soul, Mr. Harding, when you devised these distinctions without a difference?

Yet ye tell us, A body being without a soul, is still a true natural body. Ergo (say you), Faith being without good works, is still a true real faith. First, Mr. Harding, you know it is commonly said in all schools, "Omnis similitudo claudicat." You might soon have found the feebleness of this reason; it will serve you only to mock children. Howbeit, let us use your own grants. You shall see them conclude against yourself; for a body without a soul, notwithstanding it be a true natural body, yet hath it neither. sense nor life, but is indeed and verily a dead body. Even so your faith without good works, notwithstanding any truth or reality ye can give unto it, hath in it neither life nor sense, but indeed and verily is a dead faith, and therefore no faith at all.

But who taught you to shape out these pretty similitudes, and so unskilfully to liken faith unto the

body, and good works unto the soul? The wise and learned have rather likened "true faith to the soul, and good works to the body." For as the body hath no life of itself, but only of the soul, even so works have no life of themselves, but only of faith.

Yet you say, Faith without works is nevertheless a true and real faith. Verily, Mr. Harding, so is fire without heat a true and a real fire. Of such a faith St. James saith, "Dæmones credunt, et contremiscunt."-" Devils believe, and quake for fear." If the wicked without good works have a true and a real faith, then may you also say, that the devil likewise hath a true and a real faith. This faith is no faith, Mr. Harding; it is only an imaginary and a mathematical fantasy; it is not that faith whereby we are made the children of God.

Hereof St. Paul saith thus: "Habent speciem pietatis, virtutem autem ejus abnegant.""They have a show and face of godliness, but the virtue and power thereof they forsake utterly." (2 Tim. iii.) Of such a faith the angel saith in the Apocalypse (chap. iii.), "Thou hast a name of life, and yet thou art dead." Such is faith without works, a face without godliness, a show without substance, a name without life.

Mr. Jewell (you say) is tried a liar. And why so? Because he saith, as St. James saith, "Faith without works is dead;" and therefore, as St. Augustine saith, "no faith at all." But Mr. Harding, contrary to St. James's express and plain words, telleth us, that faith without works is a true and a real faith, and is lively and forcible in itself, And yet is he tried a trusty man.

But you say, Good works have their reward, and therefore (ye say) this heresy may not so escape. Whether good works shall be rewarded, or no, it was no part of our question. For we undoubtedly believe

the words that are written by St. John, "Opera illorum sequuntur illos."-" Their works follow after them." We believe the words that Christ saith to his disciples," He that giveth a cup of cold water to any of these little ones for my sake, shall not lose his reward." (Matt. x.) We believe that St. Paul saith, "Your work shall not be in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor. xv.) We grant, good works have their reward, but the same reward standeth in mercy and favour, and not in duty.

Thus therefore we say, considering the weakness and sinful corruption of our nature, there can be no works in us so pure and perfect, that we may thereby of right and of duty deserve everlasting life.

And

this, Mr. Harding, is no heresy, but the very plain sense and substance of God's word, and the undoubted doctrine of the ancient Catholic fathers of the church.

Job saith," Si homo velit contendere cum Deo, non poterit correspondere unum pro mille."-" If a man will dispute with God, he is not able to answer him one for a thousand." And therefore he saith, "Verebar omnia opera mea."-" I stood in doubt, and was afraid of all my works." Again he saith,

Although I were perfect, yet my soul shall not know it. If I would justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me." (Job, ix.) The Prophet Isaiah saith, (chap. xlix.) "All our righteousness is like a foul stained clout."

Therefore St. Augustine saith, "Non intres in judicium cum servo tuo. Quid est, Non intres in judicium cum servo tuo? Non stes mecum in judicio, exigendo à me omnia quæ præcepisti, et omnia quæ jussisti. Nam me invenies reum si in judicium intraveris mecum. Opus ergo est misericordia tua potius quam liquidissimo judicio tuo."-" O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant. What

meaneth that, Enter not into judgment with thy servant? Thus much it meaneth; Stand not with me in judgment, requiring of me all that thou hast commanded. For if thou enter into judgment with me, thou shalt find me guilty. I have need, therefore, not of thy upright judgment, but of thy mercy."Again he saith," Merita quorumlibet hominum quæ sunt? Quandoquidem ille qui non cum mercede debita, sed cum gratuita gratia venit, omnes peccatores, solus à peccato liber, et liberator, invenit."" What be the merits of any men? For Christ, that came not with his due reward, but with his grace, that was not due, found all men sinners, being himself only free from sin, and a deliverer of sinners." Again he saith, Coronat te in misericordia et miserationibus. Hoc fiet in judicio, ubi cum Rex justus sederit in throno, redditurus unicuique secundùm opera ejus, quis gloriabitur, castum se habere cor? Aut quis gloriabitur, mundum se esse à peccatis? Ideo illic necessarium fuit commemorare miserationem et misericordiam Domini, &c."-" God crowneth thee with favour and mercy, that shall be done in the last judgment; whereas when the just King shall sit in his throne, to render to every man according to his works, who shall boast that his heart is chaste? or who shall boast that he is clean from sin? Therefore it was needful to make mention of the pity and mercy of our Lord." And again, Opera manuum mearum non commendo; timeo enim, ne cùm inspexeris, plura invenias peccata quam merita."-" Lord, I commend not the works of my hands. For I am afraid, lest, when thou shalt behold them, thou shalt find more sins than good deservings."

So saith St. Jerome, "Si consideremus nostra merita, desperandum est."-" If we behold our own merits, we must be driven to desperation."

So saith Origen," Ego vix mihi persuadeo, ullum