when we doe things prescribed in the way of counsell we may profit our selues and merit therby But this answer doth not stand with reason For things commanded in that they are commaunded are more excellent then things left to our libertie because the will and commaundement of God giues excellencie and goodnes vnto them Againe counsells are thought to be haâ—der then the commandements of the law and if men can not profit themselues by obedience of moral precepts which are more easie much lesse shall they be able to profit theÌ„selues by counsells which are of greater difficultie Reason IV. If it be not in the abilitie and power of man to keepe the law then much lesse is he able to doe any worke that is beyond and aboue all the law requireth but no man is able to fulfill the lawe and therefore no man is able to supererrogate Here the Papists deny the proposition for say they though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Now as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the moral lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists I. Isaie 56. 4. The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keepe his sabbath and choose the thinge that pleaseth him will he giue a place a name better then the sonnes and daughters Now say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vow of chastitie herevpon he is said to deserue a greater measure of glory Ans. If the wordes be well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make and performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lordes Sabbath and chose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God to obey the commandements of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mat. 16. 12. Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of this text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie doe willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more libertie without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues and others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9 21. Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This young man beeing in likelihoode a most strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question imporieth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart and herevpon the words alledged are a commandement of triall not common to all but special to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpoÌ„ the mountaine which I shall shewe thee Gen. 12. 2. IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7. 8. Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marry and this he speakes hy permission not by commandement v. 26. Ans. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9. 15. 17. 18. Paul preached that excelled in faith in the times of the olde and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his conuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1. 13. And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meekenesse repentance the feare of God all good vertues wherin they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithful now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their TRVERELIQVES that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shewe vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference stands in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worshippe The highest they cal Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angells that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worshippe they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the bodie to them beeing in heauen in invocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbathes and festiuall daies lastly in pilgrimages vnto their reliques images We likewise distinguish adoration or worship for it is either religious or civill Religious worship is that which is done to him that is Lord of all things the searcher and trier of the heart omnipotent euery where present able to heare and helpe them that call vpon him euery where the author and first cause of euery good thing and that simply for himselfe because he is absolute goodnes it selfe And this worship is due to God alone being also commaunded in the first and second com mandements of the first table Ciuill worship is the honour done to men set above vs by God himselfe either in respect of their excellent gifts or in respect of their offices authoritie whereby they gouerne others The right ende of this worship is to testifie and declare that we
yet is it made ours by imputation For as his righteousnesse is made ours so are his merits depending theron but his righteousnes is made ours by imputation as I haue shewed Hence ariseth an other point namely that as Christs righteousnes is made ours really by imputation to make vs righteous so we by the merit of his righteousnes imputed to vs doe merit and deserue life euerlasting And this is our doctrine In a word the Papist maintaineth the merits of his owne workes but we renounce them all and rest onely on the merit of Christ. And that our doctrine is truth and theirs falshoode I will make manifest by sundrie reasons and then answer their arguments to the contrarie Our reasons The first shall be taken from the properties and conditions that must be in a worke meritorious and they are fowre I. A man must doe it of himselfe and by himselfe for if it be done by another the merite doth not properly belong to the doer II. A man must doe it of his owne freewill and pleasure not of due debt for when we doe that which we are bound to doe we doe no more but our dutie III. The worke must be done to the profit of an other who thereupon must be bound to repay the like IV. The reward and the worke must be in proportion equall for if the reward be more then the worke it is not a reward of desert but a gift of good will Hence followes a notable conclusion That Christs manhoode considered a part from his godhead cannot merit at Gods hand though it be more excellent euery way then all both men and angels For being thus considered it doth nothing of it selfe but by grace receiued from the godhead though it also be without measure Secondly Christs manhoode is a creature and in that regarde bound to doe whatsoeuer it doth Thirdly Christ as man cannot giue any thing to god but that which he receiued from God therfore cannot the manhoode properly by it selfe merit but onely as it is personally vnited vnto the godhead of the Sonne And if this be so then much lesse can any meere man or any angel merit yea it is a madnes to thinke that either our actions or persons should be capable of any merit whereby we might attaine to life eternall Reason II. Exod. 20 8. And SHEVV MERCIE vpon thousands in them that loue me and keepe my commandements Hence I reason thus where reward is giuen vpon mercie there is no merit but rewarde is giuen of mercie to them that fulfill the law therefore no merit What can we any way deserue when our full recompence must be of mercie And this appeares further by Adam if he had stood to this day he could not by his continuall and perfect obedience haue procured a further increase of fauour at Gods hand but should onely haue continued that happie estate in which he was first created Reason III. Scripture directly condemneth merite of workes Rom. 6. 23. The vvages of sinne is death but THE GIFT OF GOD IS eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The proportion of the argument required that S. Paul should haue said The reward of good workes is eternall life if life euerlasting could be deserued which cannot because it is a free gift Againe Tit. 3. 5. We are saued not by vvorkes of righteousnes which vve haue done but according to his mercie he saued vs. And Ephes. 2. v. 8 10. By grace you are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of works which God hath prepared that we should walke in them If any workes be crowned it is certen that the sufferings of Martyrs shall be rewarded now of them Paul saith Rom. 8. 18. The sufferings of this life are NOT VVORTHY of the glorie to come Where then is the value dignitie of other works To this purpose ` Ambr. saith The iust man though he be tormented in the brasen bull is still iust because he iustifieth God and saith he suffereth LESSE THEN HIS SINNES DESERVE Reason IV. Whosoeuer will merit must fulfill the whole law but none can keepe the whole law For if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues 1. Ioh. 1. And he that sinnes against one commandement is guiltie of the whole law And what can he merit that is guiltie of the breach of the whole law Reason V. We are taught to pray on this manner Giue vs this day our daily bread Wherein we acknowledge euery morsel of bread to be the meere gift of God without desert and therefore must we much more acknowledge life eternall to be euery way the gift of God It must needes therefore be a satanicall insolencie for any man to imagine that he can by his workes merit eternall life who cannot merit bread Reason VI. Consent of the auncient Church Bernard Those which we call our merits are the way to the kingdome and not THE CAVSE OF RAIGNING August Manuali cap. 22. All my hope is in the death of my Lord. His death is my merit my MERIT IS THE PASSION OF THE LORD I shall not be voide of merits so long as Gods mercies are not wanting Basil. on psal 114. Eternall rest is reserued for them which haue striuen lavvfully in this life not FOR THE MERITS of their doings but vpon the grace of the most bountifull God in which they trusted August on ps 120. He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits And psal 142. Lord thou wilt quicken me in thy iustice not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou hast compassion Obiections of Papists Obiect I. In sundrie places of Scripture promise of reward is made to them that beleeue and doe good workes therefore our works doe merit for a reward and merit be relatiues Ans. Reward is twofold of debt and of mercie Life euerlasting is not a reward of debt but of mercie giuen of the good will of God without any thing done of man Secondly the kingdome of heauen is properly an inheritance giuen of a father to a child and therefore it is called a reward not properly but by a figure or by resemblance For as a workeman hauing ended his labour receiueth his wages so after men haue lead their liues finished their course in keeping faith and good conscience as dutifull children God giueth them eternall life And herupon it is tearmed a reward Thirdly if I should graunt that life euerlasting is a deserued reward it is not for our works but for Christs merit imputed to vs causing vs thereby to merit and thus the relation stands directly betweene the Reward and Christs Merit applied vnto vs. Obiect II. Christ by his death merited that our works should merit life euerlasting Answ. That is false all we finde in Scripture is that Christ by his merit procured pardon of sinne imputation of righteousnes and life euerlasting and it is no where saide in the word of
difference We dissent not froÌ„ the Church of Rome in the doctrine of repentance it selfe but in the damnable abuses thereof which are of two sorts generall and speciall Generall are these which coÌ„cerne repentance wholly coÌ„sidered they are these The first is that they place the beginning of repentance partly in themselues and partly in the holy Ghost or in the power of their naturall freewill being helped by the holy ghost whereas Paul indeede ascribes this worke wholly vnto God 2. Tim. 2. 15. Proouing if God at any time will giue them repentance And men that are not weake but dead in trespasses and sinnes can not do any thing that may further their conuersion though they be helped neuer so no more then dead men in their graues can rise from thence The second abuse is that they take pennance or rather repentance for that publike discipline and order of correction that was vsed against notorious offenders in the open congregation For the scripture sets downe but one repentance and that common to all men without exception and to be practised in euery part of our liues for the necessaâ—ie mortification of sinne whereas open ecclesiasticall correction pertained not to all and euery man within the compasse of the Church but to them alone that gaue any open offence The third abuse is that they make repentance to be not onely a vertue but also a sacrament whereas for the space of a thousand yeares after Christ and vpward it was not reckned among the sacraments yea it seemes that Lumbard was one of the first that called it a sacrament and the schoole-men after him disputed of the matter and forme of this sacrament not able any of them certenly to define what should be the outward element The fourth abuse is touching the effect and efficacie of repeÌ„tance for they make it a meritorious cause of remission of sinnes and of life euerlasting flat against the word of God Paul saith notably Rom. 4. 24. We are iustified freely by his grace through the redemptioÌ„ which is in Christ Iesus whome God hath sent to be a reconciliation by faith in his blood In these words these formes of speach redemption in Christ reconciliation in his blood by faith freely by grace must be obserued and considered for they shewe plainely that no part of satifaction or redemption is wrought in vs or by vs but out of vs only in the person of Christ. And therefore we esteeme of repentance only as a fruit of faith the effect or efficacie of it is to testifie remission of our sinnes and our reconciliation before God It will be said that remission of sinnes and life enerlasting are promised to repentance Ans. It is not to the worke of repentaÌ„ce but to the person which repenteth and that not for his owne merits or worke of repentance but for the merits of Christ which he applyeth to himselfe by faith And thus are we to vnderstand the promises of the gospel in which workes are mentioned presupposing alwaies in them the reconciliation of the person with God to whome the promise is made Thus we see wherefore we dissent from the Romane Church touching the doctrine of repentance Speciall abuses doe concerne Contrition Confession and Satisfaction The first abuse concerning contrition is that they teach it must be sufficient and perfect They vse now to helpe the matter by a distinction saying that the sorrowe in contrition must be in the highest degree in respect of value and estimation and not in respect of intention Yet the opinion of Adrian was otherwise that in true repentance a man should be grieued according to all his indeauour And the Romane Catechisme saith as much that the sorrowe conceiued of our sinnes must be so great that NONE CAN BE CONCEIVED TO BE GREATER that we must be contrite in the same manner we loue God and that is vvith all our heart and strength in a most VEHEMENT SORROVVE and that the hatred of sinne must be not onely the greatest but also MOST VEHEMENT and perfect so as it may exclude all sloth and slacknes Indeed afterward it followes that true contrition may be effectuall though it be imperfect but how can this stand if they will not onely commend but also prescribe and auouch that contrition must be most perfect and vehememt We therefore onely teach that God requires not so much the measure as the trueth of any grace and that it is a degree of vnfained contrition to be grieued because we cannot be grieued for our sinnes as we should The second abuse is that they ascribe to their contrition the merit of congruitie But this cannot stand with the all-sufficient merite of Christ. And an auncient Conncell saith God inspires into vs first of all the faith and loue of himselfe NO MERITS GOINâ— BFORE that we may faithfully require the sacrament of baptisme after baptisme doe the things that please him And we for our parts hold that God requires contrition at our haÌ„ds not to merit remission of sinnes but that we may acknowledge our owne vnworthines be huÌ„bled in the sight of God distrust all our owne merits further that we may make the more account of the benefits of Christ whereby we are receiued into the fauour of God lastly that we might more carefully auoide all sinnes in time to come whereby so many paines terrors of conscieÌ„ce are procured And we acknowledge no coÌ„trition at all to be meritorious saue that of Christ whereby he was broken for our iniquities The third abuse is that they make imperfect contrition or attrition arising of the feare of hell to be good and profitable and to it they applie the saying of the Prophet The feare of God is the beginning of vvisdome But seruile feare of it selfe is the fruite of the lawe which is the ministerie of death and condemnation and consequently it is the way to eternall destruction if God leue men to themselues and if it turne to the good of any it is onely by accident because God in mercie makes it to be an occasion going before of grace to be giueÌ„ otherwise remorse of conscience for sinne is no beginning of repentance or the restrainment of any sinne but rather is that properly the beginning of vnspeakable horrours of conscience and euerlasting death vnlesse God shew mercie And yet this feare of punishment if it be tempered and delaied with other graces gifts of God in holy men it is not vnprofitable in whoÌ„ there is not onely a sorrow for punishment but also and that much more for the offence And such a kinde of feare or sorrow is commanded Malac. 1. 6. If I be a father where is my feare if I be a Lord where is my feare And Chrysostome saith that the feare of hell in the heart of a iust man is a strong man armed against theeues and robbers to driue them from the house And Ambr. saith that Martyrs in the
as doe acknowledge him to be their head and doe beleeue the doctrine established in the Councel of Trent we take it to be no Church of God Because Babylon which I haue prooued to be the Church of Rome is here opposed to the Church or people of God and because we are commanded to come out of it wheras we may not wholly forsake any people till they forsake Christ. Some will happely say the Church of Rome hath the Scriptures and the Sacrament of baptisme I answer first of all they haue indeede the bookes of holy Scripture among them but by the rest of their doctrine they ouerthrowe the true sense thereof in the foundation as I haue prooued before And though they haue the outward forme of baptisme yet they ouerturne the inward baptisme which is the substance of all standing in the iustification and sanctification of a sinner Againe I answer that they haue the word and baptisme not for themselues but for the true Church of God among them like as the lanterne holdeth the candle not for it selfe but for others Secondly it may be and is alleadged that if the Pope be Antichrist he then sittes in the temple that is the Church of God and by this meanes the Romane Church shall be the true Church Ans. He sittes in the temple of God but marke further how AS GOD that is not as a member but as a manifest vsurper like as the thiefe sittes in the true mans house For the popish Church and Gods Church are mingled like chaffe and corne in one heape and the Church of Rome may be said to be in the Church of God and the church of God in the church of Rome as we say the wheat is among the chaffe and the chaffe in the wheat Againe he is said to sit in the tâ—mple of God because the Romane Church though falsly takes vnto it selfe the title of the true Catholike church Some goe about to delaie and qualifie the matter by comparing this Church to a man lying sicke full of soares hauing also his throat cut yet so as bodie and soule are ioyned together and life is remaining still But all things wel considered it is rather like a dead carkasse and is voide of all spirituall life as the popish errours in the foundation doe manifest Indeede a knowne harlot may afterward remaine a wife and be so tearmed yet after the bill of diuorcement is giuen shee ceaseâ—h to be a wife though she can shew her marriage ring now the church hath receiued the bill of her diuorcement in the written word namely 2. Thess. 2. and Rev. 13. 11 12 c. Furthermore in this commaundement we may see a liuely portraiture of the state of all mankinde Here we see two sorts of men some are pertaining to Babylon a people running on to their destruction some againe are a people of God seuered from Babylon and reserued to life euerlasting If any aske the cause of this distinction I answer it is the very wil of God vouchsafing mercy to some and forsaking others by withdrawing his mercie from them for the better declaration of his iustice Thus saith the Lord Rom. 11. 4. I HAVE RESERVED seauen thousand that neuer bowed the knee to Baal and the prophet Isai saith Vnles the Lord had reserued areÌ„nant we had beene as Sodom and Gomorrha By this distinction we are taught aboue all things to seeke to be of the number of Gods people and to labour for assurance of this in our owne consciences For if all should be saued lesse care would suffice but this mercie is not common to all and therefore the more to be thought vpon Lastly here I note the speciall care that God hath ouer his owne children He first giueth them warning to depart before he beginne to execute his iudgement vpon his enemies with whome they liue that they might not be partakers of their sinnes or punishments Thus before God would punish Ierusalem an angel is sent to marke theÌ„ in the forehead that mourned for the abominatioÌ„s of the people And in the destruction of the first born of Egypt the angel passed ouer the houses of the Iewes that had their posts sprin kled with the blood of the paschal lambe and this passing ouer beâ—okneth safetie preseruation in the coÌ„mon destructioÌ„ to those that haue their hearts sprinkled with the blood of Christ. This blessing of protection should moue vs all to becoÌ„ true hartie seruants of God Men vsually become meÌ„bers of those societies and corporations where they may inioy many freedomes priuiledges Well behold in the societie of the Saints of God which is the true church there is the freedoÌ„ froÌ„ danger in all coÌ„mon destructions from eternal vengeance at the last day VVhen Hester had procured safetie for the Iewes libertie to reuenge themselues vpon their enemies it is said that many of the people of the land became Iewes Euen so coÌ„sidering Christ hath procured freedom from hell death and damnation for all that beleeue in him we should labour aboue all things to become new creatures ioyning our selues alwaies to the true Church of God Hitherto I haue spoken of the commandement now followeth the reason thereof drawne from the ende that they be not partakers of her sinnes and that they receiue not of her plagues Here I might stande long to shewe what be the sinnes of the Church of Rome but I will onely name the principall The first sinne is Atheisme and that I prooue on this manner Atheisme is twofold open coloured Open Atheisme is when men both in word and deede denie God and his Word Coloured Atheisme is not so manifest and it hath two degrees The first is when men acknowledge God the creatour and gouernour of heauen and earth and yet denie the father sonne and holy ghost Thus the Ephesians before they receiued the gospel are saide to be vvithout God whome in their naturall iudgement they acknowledged because they denied Christ and consequently worshipped an Idol of their owne braine in that they worshipped God out of Christ. And in this respect though the Samaritans worshipped the God of Abraham yet our Sauiour Christ saith they worshipped they knevv not vvhat And the Psalmist saith of all the Gentiles that their Gods are Idols In this degree of Atheisme are placed Turks and Iewes at this day the Anti-Trinitaries and Arians and all that conceiue and worship God out of the trinitie The second degree is when men doe rightly acknowledge the vnitie of the god head in the Trinitie of persons yet so as by other necessarie consequents partly of their doctrine and partly of the seruice of God they ouerturne that which they haue well maintained And thus I say that the very religioÌ„ of the church of Rome is a kind of Atheisme For whereas it makes the merit of the workes of men to concurre with the grace of God it ouerthrowes the grace of God Rom. 11. In