A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to…A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to…

Further ye say, A true Faith may be idle, and utterly without works: & therefore ye think it not true, that we say, A true Faith is Lively, and can in no wise be idle. Here perhaps ye will set Faith upon the Last, and Rack her to a larger •ise. For so Latomus, one of your Fellows, saith, that Socrates, and Plato, and other Heathen Philosophers had as good understanding, and Faith in Christ, as had Abraham. And Andradius, an other of your Fellows, saith, that the Heathen, and Infidel Philosophers had the Righteousness of Faith, and Everlasting Life.¹ His words be these, Philosophi, qui ab inani Deorum multitudine abhorruerunt, &c. illos tu illa Fide, Deique cognitione destitutos dices, per quam, scilicet, impius justificatur, & ex qua justus vivit? The Philosophers, that abhorred, and shunned the vain multitude of Gods, &c. wilt thou say, they lacked that Faith, and that knowledge of God, whereby the wicked is justified, and whereby the Righteous liveth? An other or your near Fellows saith, Petrus, non Fidem Christi, sed Christū, Salua Fide, negavit: Peter denied, not the Faith of Christ: but he denied Christ, his Faith nevertheless being safe. If ye call this True Faith, M. Harding, that may be found in Heathens, and Infidels, and may well, and safely stand with the abjuring of Christ, then, without question, your True Faith may be without good works.² But S. Paul, whose words we ought rather to credit, saith far otherwise: He, that hath no regard to his own, specially such, as be of his household, hath denied the Faith, and is worse, then an Infidel. Again he saith:³ They say, they know God: but by their works they deny God. S. John saith, Who so saith, he knoweth God, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him. S. James saith, Faith without works is dead: And the Devil believeth, and trembleth for fear. But a Dead Faith is no more a True perfect Faith, then a Dead man is a True perfect Man. As for the Faith of Devils, in deed, and verily it is no Faith.

Further ye saie, A true Faithe maie be idle, and vtterly without woorkes: & therefore ye thinke it not true, that wee saie, A true Faithe is Liuely, and can in no wise be idle. Here perhaps ye wil set Faithe vpon the Laste, and Racke her to a larger ise. For so Latomus, one of your Felowes, saithe, that Socrates, and Plato, and other Heathen Philosophers had as good vnderstandinge, and Faithe in Christe, as had Abraham. And Andradius, an other of your Felowes, saithe, that the Heathen, and Infidel Philosophers had the Righteousnesse of Faithe, and Euerlasting Life.