are not imputed but pardoned in Christ all Mortall in the Reprobate M. Fulke conformably deliuereth Allsinnes are pardonable to the Penitent and faythfull and without fayth and repentance euen the least and ligh est sinne are damnable and deadly Against whom I reason thus 2. If there be any sinnes which euen then wheÌ„ they are voluntarily committed without repentance can stand with grace and Iustice the life of our soules they are of their owne nature neyther damnable nor deadly but there are some suchsinnes Therefore there are some sinnes which neyther of their owne nature Prou. 24. v. 16. cause the spirituall death of our soules in this life nor damnation in the next That there are some such sinnes I proue out of Scripture out of the Prouerbes Seauen tymes doth the Iust man fall and rise againe If he be Iust how falleth he into sinne If a sinner how is he called Iust vnlesse some sinne may consist with Iustice Out of Ecclesiast There is not a Iust man vpon earth who doth good and doth not sinne Out of S. Iohn If we shall say we haue no sinne we seduce Eccles 7. v. 21. 1. Iohn 1. Aug. l. dâ— natu gra c. 36. Haeb. 5. our selues and the truth is not in vs. Where S. Augustine expoundeth S. Iohn of the sinnes of the Iust and speaking of our Blessed Lady absolutly pronounceth This Virgin excepted if all holy Persons whilest heere they liued were assembled togeather with how great sanctity soeuer they shined c. they would all crie out If we say we haue no sinne we seduceour selues Out of S. Paul Euery Bishop ought as for the people so also for himselfe to offer for sinnes Whence S. Hierome collecteth He Hier. apud Panigarol part 2. lect 12. Iaco. 3. v. 2. lacob 1. v. 14 Hier. in CoÌ„menta c. 5. Mat. Psal 31. Math. 5. 1. Cor. 3. Orig. bo 5. In Leuit. Amb. in Psalm 118. Naz. or at 2. Iulia. in Cbrys bo 24. in Mat. Hier. l. 2. con Pelag. Aug. l. de natura gra ca. 38. in Enchir c. 22. 71. ser 41. de Sanct. Fulke in c. 1. Iaco. sect 6. Ezech. 18. 4. Rom. 6. 23. Iacob 2. 10. Aug. Ep 29. Cbrys bo 35. in Mat. should neuer be commanded to offer for others vnlesse he were Iust nor for himselfe if he wanted sinnes Out of S. Iames In many things we all offend And in his first Chapter Euery one is tempted of his owne concupiscence abstracted and allured afterward concupiscence when it hath conceaued bringeth forth sin but sinne when it is consummate engendreth death Behold three things in man Concupiscence the ground or entisement to sinne Conception the first and imperfect motion which yeeldeth therunto ConsuÌ„mation the absolute deliberate consent Concupiscence is no sinne Conception is a sinne but not damnable not deadly ConsuÌ„mation or full consent is only that which engendreth death S. Hierom agreable heereunto maketh a great difference betweene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Desire with Consent and withous Consent Many other places I omit cited out of King Dauid S. Mathew and S. Paul I omit the Fathers who acknowledge this diuersity of Veniall and Mortall sinnes Origen S. Ambrose S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostome S. Hierome S. Augustine c. 3. M. Fulke obiecteth by Ezechiel and S. Paul Of all sinnes in generall it is sayd The soule which sinneth shal die And The wages of sinne is death I answere They speake of haynous sinnes not of euery small offence For God were too seuere his leagne of friendship intollerable if for the least idle word or sleight default he would depriue his Friends of grace and persecute them to death S. Iames also writeth of grieuous sinne the breach of Gods Commandment in the place you commonly alleadg against vs He that offeudeth in one is made guilty of all For S. Augustine teacheth that he is made guilty of all because he breaketh the band of Charity which is the totall summe and perfection of the law Or can no lesse escape the sentence of death and damnation who transgresseth one commandement then if he were guilty of all as the Authour vpon the imperfect worke vpon S. Matthew singularly well expoundeth S. Basil and S. Augustine I grant make great account of Veniall sinnes in that they diminish the feruour of Charity are somewhat contrary to the Easil in quaest q. 4. q. 293. Aug. Con. 3. super Ps 118. tract 12. in Ioan. law and now and then dispose to the transgreslion of it in that they truly offend the infinite maiesty of God yet in a matter so light and with such imperfect apprehension as it diminisheth the indignity and wholy altereth the quality of the fault For if the want of all knowledge and all consent in children and mad men vtterly taketh away the guilt of sinne then imperfect knowledge imperfect consent must needs cause imperfect sinnes Not such as absolutly violate the law of God or throughly incurre his high displeasure but such as are to be shunned notwithstanding as dangerous infirmities and diseases of our soule Which is all that S. Augustine and the rest of the Fathers intend when they exaggerate the enormity of small offences Thus much in confutation of our Aduersaries second ground Concerning the third 4. We stand not vpon the name but vphold the thing that is a certaine penall estate or cleansing of some soules after this life which cleansing we call as Suarez Tom. 4. in 3. par disp 45. sect 1. Esay 4. Malach. 3. Suarez well noteth Purgation and the place where it is made Purgatory which the ancient Fathers themselues haue constantly gathered out of sundry texts of holy Write In the old Testament S. Augustine teacheth it from the mouth of Isay Our Lord shall purge the dregs of the daughters of Syon and shall wash the bloud of Hierusalem out of the middest therof in the Spirit of iudgment and in the Spirit of Aug. l. 20. de â—iuit Dei c. 25. Hiero. in hunc locuÌ„ Amb. in Psalm 36. Orig. ho. 6. in Exod. combustion or as the English Protestant translation readeth By the spirit of burning He teacheth it likewise from the mouth of Malachy Our Lord is like a purging fire and like fullers sope he shall sit downe to trye and fine the siluer he shall euen fine the Sonnes of Leui and purify them as gold and siluer Where S. Augustine addeth That these wordes cannot signify a separation only of the polluted from the pure in the last penall iudgment c. but must intimate a purgation of the good who haue need thereof With whome S. Hierome S. Ambrose Origen consent in the interpretation of that place The same S. Augustine and Venerable Bede deduce out of that passage of Aug. in Ps 7. Beda in Psal 37. Psalm 65. Amb. in Psal 36. ser in Psal 118. Orig. hom 25. in Numer the
powred into our harts men are iust whosoeuer are iust Moreouer conferring the law written in tables of stone with the law of Grace engrauen in our harts he auoucheth That was written out of man that it might terrify him this in man himselfe that it might intrinsecally iustify him Further This iustice of ours is the grace of Christ regenerating vs De spirit lit c. 17. by the holy Ghost In fine explicating these wordes of the the Apostle The iustice of God by faith of Iesus Christ which the Caluinists glose to be that which is resident in Christ De peccat reâ—is c. 25. S. Augustine expoundeth thus The Iustice of God by fayth of Iesus Christ that is by fayth wherewith we belieue in Christ for as that fayth is called Christs not by which Christ belieues so that Rom. 3. v. 22. Aug. de spirit lit c. 9. cap. 11. iâ— psal 30. Conc. 1. tract 26. in Ioan. Iustice is called Gods not whereby God is iust both of them fayth and iustice be ours but therefore they are tearmed Gods Christs because through their liberalâ—â—y they are giuen to vs. 6. The third and chiefest point whereby the former two are more strongly confirmed that our inherent iustice doth truly iustify vs in the sight of God the Apostle himselfe manifestly teacheth saying As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one many shall be made iust For the fall of Adam made vs truly sinners by inward infection before the face of God Rom. 5. v. 19. therefore the merits of christ did make vs truly iust by internal iustice in the sight of God This place so vexeth all Sectaryes as they know not how to rid themselues of Calu. l. 3. instit c. 11. sect 2. it Caluin answereth that we are iust because we are declared and pronounced iust by the iudgment of God but to be constituted or made iust as the Apostle writeth importeth more then to be declared such Againe this authenticall true iudgment of God presupposeth iustice in vs before it can be Caâ—â— ibid. rightly pronounced as not to depart from Caluins owne example If an Innocent be brought to be arraigned before the Fulk in c 5. ad Rom. sect 3. Abbot in his defence of the reformed Cathol c. 4. sect 6. 8. Abbot loc citato Fulke vbi supra VVhitak l. 8. aduer Dureum fol. 602. Aug. l. 1. de peccat merit remis cap. 9. 15. Chrys ho. 10. in c. 15. ad Rom. Theoph. in hunc loc seate of a righteous iudge when iudgment is giuen according to his innocency he is sayd to be iustifyed quoth he before the Iudge Well I say so too but as innocency there so iustice heere precedeth iudgment in the party adiudged or declared iust euen in the sight of the Almighty who pronounceth his sentence according to truth Doctour Fulke and Doctour Abbot help out their Maister and graunt that imputatiue Iustice by which he is constituted and made iust indeed goeth before the sentence yet not inherent Iustice But S. Paul teacheth that as we are made sinners by the offence of Adam so iust by the grace of Christ therfore as besids the imputation of Adams default there is a true and proper sin of nature which infecteth vs all and maketh vs truly properly sinners in the eyes of God as both they and all English ProtestaÌ„ts hold with vs against the Pelagians so besides the imputation of Christs iustice which cannot make vs formally iust there ought to be a true and inhabitant iustice which beautifyeth our soules before the throne of heauen or els we could not be truly made iust by Christ as we are made sinners by Adam and therein consisteth the force of the Antithesis S. Paul vseth betweene them which M. Abbot and Fulke like cunning Pylots who warily shunne the most perilous rocks silently passe ouer but M. Whitaker perceiueth it well rather ventureth to dash himselfe against it by denying the comparison then not to take notice therof Though sayth he we be iust in Christ as we are sinners in Adam yet not after the same manner No I appeale againe to the sacred Text to S. Augustine S. Chrysostome Origen Theophilact and all Interpreters Heretikes only excepted whether the opposition doth not wholy accord in this that as true sinne hatefull to God was distilled from Adam so true iustice acceptable in his sight is communicated vnto vs by Christ for S. Paul doth not only teach That as Adam was the authour of sinne so Christ of righteousnes wherein VVhitak loco citato Origen l. 5. in c. 5. ad Rom M. Whitaker only placeth the summe of his discourse he addeth moreouer That as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one man many shal be made iust where he maketh sayth Origen a comparison of sin and death diffused into all men from Adam of iustification and Theoph. in hunc loc life from Christ. A little before he explaineth how they are both alike in the diffusion or communication from one to many and differ in the thing they communicate because from the one sin from the other iustification is imparted Rom. 3. v. 15. Ibid. v. 17. And Theophilact As by the default of one sinne crept in vnto condeÌ„nation of death so by the iustice of one saluatioÌ„ entred to iustification of life Besides the Apostle in the same place amplifyeth this point and affirmeth that the grace instilled by Christ hath more power to iustify then sinne to destroy saying If by the offence of one many dyed much more the grace of God and the guift in the grace of one man Iesus Christ hath abounded vpon many Likewise If in the offence of one death raigned by one much more they that receaue the aboundance of grace and of donation and of iustice shall raigne in life by one Iesus Christ. Out of which wordes we collect fiue infallible verityes against the erroneous doctrine of Protestants First that grace communicated by Christ is not weake and imperfect but copious and abundant Secondly it is not only imputed vnto vs but receaued of vs. Thirdly it is not the meerâ— grace of sanctification but of Iustice Fourthly it raigneth and preuaileth in vs to produce workes of iustification to life as sinne raigned to bring forth workes of iniquity to death Fifthly it is much more powerfull to iustify and make vs acceptable to God then sinne was to condemne and make vs odious vnto him Therfore he concludeth Where sinne abounded grace did more abound that as sinne raygned to death so also grace may raigne by iustice to life euerlasting through Iesus Christ our Lord. Ibid. v. 10. 22. 7. Let vs match these Texts of holy Writ with others and make all modest men ashamed to spurne against a truth warranted by the collation of sundry
places The same S. Paul writing to the Corinthians sayth As we haue 1. Cor. 15. v. 49. borne the image of the earthly let vs also beare the image of the heauenly but the Image of earthly Adam we haue truly borne by the deadly impression of internall and hatefull sinne Cent. 3. c. 4. Column 48. therefore we must truly beare the figure of Christ by the beautifull stampe of internall and acceptable grace as Origen cyted by the Centurists doth plainely insinuate and the Apostle likewise confirmeth in his Epistle to the Ephesians Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which according to God is created in Iustice and holynes of Ephes 4. v. 24. truth behold we haue not the new man imputed vnto vs but we put him on vs formed and created not in signe and sanctification but in iustice and holynes of truth and that according to God Besides it is sayd We are buryed with him by ad Rom. 6. Baptisme to the end that as Christ did rise from death so we may walke in newnes of life Vpon which wordes S. Augustine auerreth Aug. in Enchir. cap. 52. That as in Christ there was a true resurrection so in vs there is a true iustification Whosoeuer then detracteth from the truth of our infused iustice detracteth from the verity of Christs resurrection and whosoeuer impayreth the perfection of this darkneth also the glory of that S. Chrysostome commenting vpon that passage of S. Paul aboue cyted You are washed you are sanctifyed you are â— ad Cor. 6. v. 11. iustifyed sayth He sheweth that you are not only made cleane but holy and iust Illuminated and made perfect sayth S. Clement of Alexandria Of old made new of humane diuine sayth S. Gregory Nazianzen Which are most euident testimonyes Clem. l. 1. Pedago cap. 6. Nazian ora in san bap for my purpose yet to leaue no place of tergiuersation to wrangling Sophisters I will further corroborate this chiefe and fundamentall article with other most cleare and irrefragable arguments 8. That grace and renouation is perfect entire and not the effect but the true cause of our iustification by the VVhitak l. 8. aduers Dutaeum very consent of our Aduersaryes which absolueth vs from sinne endueth vs with purity and holynes in the eyes of our Creatour engrafteth vs into Christ vniteth vs vnto God and giueth vs life in him maketh vs his adopted children entitleth vs to the right and purchaseth the inheritance of our eternall kingdome All this is wrought not by any other precedent cause but by that inherent Rom. â— v. 4. iustice or infused charity which God deriueth into our soules therefore that maketh vs truly righteous and iust before the Tribunall of his highnes First it cleanseth vs Ibid. v. 7. from our sins as S. Paul to the Romans defineth saying We are buryed togeather with Christ by Baptisme into death Rom. 8. v. 2. Tertul. l. de resur carn c. 46. Basil de spir san c. 15. Aug. l. 1. de nupt concup c. 22. Lib. de lib. arbit c. 14. 15. 16. de sprit liter 8. 17. What death but the death of sinne of which it immediatly followeth he that is dead is iustifyed from sinne to wit is released and absolued from sinne by the newnes of life wherin he resembleth the resurrection of Christ Againe The law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus hath deliuered me from the law of sinne where Tertullian insteed of deliuered vseth the word manu misit hath set free like a bound man enfranchized and set at liberty by the benignity of his Maister S. Basil explicating the former place sayth The spirit infuseth liuely and reuiuing force recouering our soules from the death of sinne into a new life And S. Augustine the later writeth thus The law of the spirit of life in Christ hath dissolued the guilt of concupiscence procuring remission of all sinnes who doth also often testify that the law of the spirit of life is the grace of the new Testament written in our harts Secondly it doth not only expell the mists of sinne but garnisheth also our soules with the lustre of vertue as I haue already conuinced in my first encounter against M. Abbot which cannot be interpreted Ephes 1. v. 4. of signes of beauty grateful to men who pierce not into the closet of our soule nor behould the light and brightnes therof mentioned aboue Therefore it must Ioan. 15. 1. Cor. c. 12. v 26. needs be expounded of the purity splendour and holynes it displayeth before the face of God according to that of S. Paul He chosevs that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in charity that is by meanes of his habituall charity harboured in our brests 9. Thirdly this inward renouation doth truely incorporate vs in the mysticall body of our Lord Sauiour Coloss 3. v. 13. Gal. 3. v. 17 Rom. 8. v. 11. Aug. de spir lit c. 29. Rom. 13. v. 13. 14. it engrafteth vs like liuely branches into him our true vine it maketh vs the body of Christ and members of member Doinge on sayth S. Paul to the Collossians the new man him that is renewed vnto knowledge according to the image of him that created him To the Galathians as many of you as are baptized in Christ haue put on Christ. And how haue yee put him on but as the same Apostle testifyeth By his spirit dwelling in you Wherof S. Augustine sayth By the spirit of Christ incorporated made a member of Christ euery one may inwardly affoarding increase accoÌ„plish works of iustice Besids that very word to put on Christ often vsed in holy Write doe on the armour of light doe yee on our Lord Iesus Christ according to the Hebrew * Indui haebraicâ— laâ—aâ— Isa 61. Chrys in 1. c. ad Gal. in c. 3. ad Rom. Cyril l. 9. in Genes Hieron ad Pamach Rom. 6. v. 10. 1. Cor. 6. v. 17. Ioan. 14. v. 23. 1 Cor. 3. v. 16. 17. 1. ep Ioan. c. 3 v. 24. 1. Ioan. 4. v. 16. 1. Ioan. 4. v. 17. Rom. 6. v. 11. Augu. de verbis Apostol ser 18. 28. l. de ciuit Dei c. 24. phrase and allusion to the long gownes of the Iewes signifyeth great plenty and aboundance of grace sanctity and iustice with which they that put on Christ are inwardly clad as it were with a rich and gorgeous robe which doth not only couer the nakednes but wholy adorneth the temple of our soules with heauenly rayes of incomparable vertues Therefore Isay calleth it The vestment of saluation the garment of iustice or coate of ioy as the 70. Interpreters or vestment Iesus as other translate it wherof read S. Chrysostome S. Cyrill S. Hierome 10. Fourthly by this inhabiting grace a true vnion is made a league is contracted betweene God and vs We liue to him Are one spirit with him
was an hungred and you gaue me to drinke c. Get you away froÌ„ me you cursed c. I was an hungred and you gaue me not to eate I was a thirst and you gaue me not to drinke For this cause the Apostle Matth. 25. v. 34. v. 41. 1. Cor. 4. v. 17. Tertult l. de râ—sur carnis c. 40 in Scorp cap. 13. Aug. ep 105. Chrysost hom 3. de Lazaro auerreth the sufferances of his life to win or cause faluation Our Tribulation which presently is momentary and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs where for worketh our Protestants corruptly translated heretofore prepareth albeit they haue since corrected it because it is in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is potently or forcibly worketh In liew whereof Tertullian readeth perficiet in nobis shall perfect and accoÌ„plish in vs an eternall weight of glory yet not physically as the efficient but morally as the meritorious cause which winneth and purchaseth the laurell of be atitude as sinnes procure the bane of endles misery Whereupon S. Augustine Euen as death is rendred for astipend to the merit of sinne so is euerlasting life as a stipend to the merit of iustice And S. Chrysostome By good workes we deserue heauen as by euill hell THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The same is strengthned by other reasons authorities and the Obiections satisfied THE third Argument to support the merit of workes is drawne from those places of Scripture which testify the singular valew prerogatiue of Almes-deeds Tob. 1â— v. 9. and Eccles 3. v. 33. Prou. 25. v. 27. Pro. 16. v. 6. Dan. 4. v. 24. that it deliuereth from death purgeth sinnes maketh vs find merit and life euerlasting Giue almes and behold all things are cleane vnto you By mercy and faith sinnes are purged By mercy and truth iniquity is redeemed Redeeme thou thy sinnes with almes and thy iniquities with the mercies of the poore which place by the Protestants former and by their later translation set forth by commaundement of his Maiesty is thus adulterated Breake of thy sinnes by righteousnes For although the Hebrew or rather Chaldeack word Peruk of Perak the roote signifieth sometime to breake in pieces to deuide to rend in sunder and also to redeeme yet neuer properly to breake off or cease to do couering by righteousnes as our sectaries wrest it not extinguishing by almes deeds as the Verbe inforceth the remaynes of sinne But albeit the Chaldeake word had beene ambiguous as in no indifferent mans iudgement it is in that place yet the Latine word Redime redeeme at least the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which hath no other natiue signification then ransome or redeeme thy sinnes should haue taken all doubt and ambiguity away had those Protestant translations syncerely followed the originall fountaines as they pretend 2. The fourth and last reason is insinuated in holy writ in these very textes which commend some vertuous and heroicall actes as better in themselues more gratefull vnto God then others although both the faith be equall inhabitant grace by which they are wrought 1. Cor. 7. v. 38. â—bidem v. 39. 40. Matt. 19â— v. â—1 For so S. Paul sayth He that ioyneth his virgin in matrimony doth well and he that ioyneth not doth better Likewise speaking of the widdow Let her marry to whom she will only in our Lord but more blessed shall she be if she so remaine In like manner to distribute all our goodes to the poore and follow Christ is of it selfe more perfect then to enioy the riches of the world and bestow them in his seruice Yf thou wilâ— be perfect go and sell the thinges that thou hast and giue IoaÌ„ 15. v. 13 to the poore c. To sacrifice our liues in testimony of our faith is more precious in the eies of God then to releeue the poore with a cup of cold water Greater loue then this no man hath that a man yield his life for his friends In so much as there is some valew some worthines in the act of Martyrdome which is not in almesdeeds some dignity in voluntary pouerty which is not in rich liberality some excellency of merit in virginity beyond the degree or holines of wedlocke wherein least our aduersaries should wrangle that they are more excellent and worthy only as they are signes of greater faith both our Sauiour and the Apostle speake absolutely without any condition of greater or lesser prerogatiue of faith Therefore the thinges considered in themselues are better more grâ—tefull and meritorious all other circumstances being equally weighed For as conditionall assertions cannot be absolutely In conc Mediolan Ambros Epist 81. Ambr. ibid. ep 8 c. Aug serm 143. de teÌ„p Diuersa specits claritatis quia diuersa suÌ„t merita charitatis Centur. 5. c. 4. col 518. Aug. l. 3. de peccat meritis Contur c. 4 4. col 301. Amb. l. 2. ad Marcel Cent. 3. 4. col 86. Orig l. 10. ep ad Rom. Cent. 4. c. 4. Col. 192. Cbrom in concion de Beat. Cent. 4. c. 10 col 1250. Ierom aduer Iou. Cent. 3. c. 4. col 86. Tertul l. de Ieiunio Cent. 2. c. 4 col 64. vnderstood no more can absolute and irrestreyned be expounded conditionally vnles we peruert the ten our of Gods sacred lawes and shake the whole fabrike of diuine oracles in peeces Whereupon very religiously S. Ambrose Bassian and other Bishops without any condition of more feruent faith absolutely auouch Mariage is good by which the posterity of Irumane succession is propagated but Virginity is better whereby the inheritance is gotten of our celestiall Kingdome and the succession is found out of heauenly merits Also the same S. Ambrose with Bassian and the rest a little before It is a wild and rusticall howling to awaite or looke for no fauour of virginity no prefermeÌ„t of chastity to be willing promiscuously to confound all thinges to abrogate the degrees of diuers merits and bring in a certeine pouerty of celestiall remunerations S. Augustine You see that clarity is promised to the bodies of Saintes and a various lustre of clarity for the various merits of charity But of him S. Ambrose Origen Chromatius S. Hierome Tertullian and S. Ignatius the Apostles Scholler I alleadge no other then the words of the Centuristes It is apparant say they that Augustine was of this mind that Virgins deuoted to sanctimony haue more merit with God then the faithfull married folkes For because Iouinian thought the contrary that they haue no more merite this he reprehended in him Ambrose to insolently pronounceth of the merit of virgins Origen maketh virginity a worke of perfection Chromatius extolleth voluntary Pouerty and sayth that by the merite thereof the riches of the heauenly Kingdome are obteyned Hierome de striuing too much for Virginity is somewhat vniust or aduerse to marriage Tertullian attributeth merit to Fasting It appeareth out of the Epistles of
the diseases of the body famine sicknes and death it selfe 5. And although Original sinne be now the cause of all these euils yet it doth not properly consist in them all but in the priuation of that prime grace by which the soule of Adam was enriched adorned and conuerted vnto God For as Originall righteousnes included these three prerogatiues or triple rectitude to speake in S. Thomas language first the vnion of the mind with soueraigne goodnes secondly the subiection of the inferiour powers of the soule to reason thirdly the like subordination of all the members of the body to the soule yet it did truely and principally reside in the former and contayned S. Thom. 1. p. q 95. â—â—t 1. the later two as accessaryes or dependants thereof So Originall sinne which is only knowne by his contrary habit is truly formally nothing els then the voluntary priuation of the same Originall iustice which ought to be in vs as it maketh the soule deformed blemished Feild in his 3. booke c. 26. and auerted from God Wherefore seing this want and priuation is taken away by Baptisme and the whole grace as it cloathed beautifyed and adorned the soule entierly restored the whole guilt of sinne is forgiuen the formall cause or true essence of Originall iustice recouered againe by the passion of Christ and the other deordinations the remaynder of concupiscence are only the effects or punishments of the precedent fault and not any true and proper fault For if man had beene created in the state of pure nature as the Philosophers thought he was and many Deuines against M. Feild teach he might be because it inuolueth no contradiction neither in respect of the creature nor Creatour Then I say he should haue beene pestered with the same inordinate concupiscence and rebellion of the inferiour parts as now he is but then it had been a meere infirmity langour or fayntnes of nature growing out of the matter whereof man is compounded and not any wound or punishment also of sinne as in our case it is The reason appeareth for as man in the state of pure nature must haue been coÌ„pacted of two diuers and repugnant natures of soule body flesh and spirit and consequently of a corporall and reasonable of asensuall and spirituall appetite which could not chuse but maintaine a perpetuall warre of contrary and repugnant desires it being naturall to euery thing according to Philosophy to couet that which is conuenient and sutable to it selfe so the sense euen then would hunt after sensible pleasant delight-some obiects and the spirit would seeke for spirituall the spirit would often checke restrayne and bridle the pursuit of Aug. de pec merit remis l. 2. cap 4 de nuptijs concup l. 1. c. 27. l. 13. de Triâ— c. 10. contra Iul. Pelag. l. â— 1. retract c. 15. sense and sense would likewise hinder weaken and repine at the heroicall workes and endeauours of the spirit Thus the winds of diuers opposite passions the fluds of contrary inclinations would naturally striue and resist one the other yet as in that case this contrariety had beene no sinne but a sequele a disease a feeblenes of nature so now the same abiding in the regenerate from whome the dregs of all impurity are cleansed it is only according to S. Augustine left as an exercise of vertue to wrastle against or as a punishment of sinne and not as any true or proper sinne Which by two irrefragable arguments I conuince in this manner Ezech. 36. v. 25. Mich. 7. v. 19. â—01 lasâ— v. 12. Ioan. 1. v. 29. Psal 50 v. 6. Whatsoeuer filth or vncleanes our soules contracted by the sinne of Adam is wholy washed away in Baptisme by the grace of Christ But the filth or guilt of concupiscence descended from Adam therefore it is clean abolished by the vertue of Christ The Maior or first proposition is euery where testifyed in holy Writ by the Prophets and Apostles who often witnes that there shal be left no sinne in vs after we are once new borne in Christ for he shall cleanse vs from all our iniquityes he shall drowne our sinnes in the bottome of the sea he shall discoast them from vs as far as he East is distant from the West he taketh away sinnes blotteth them out wipeth them away dissolueth them like a clowd he shall forgiue the iniquity to the house of Iacob and this is all the fruit that the sinne thereof be taken away But none Isa 44. v. 22. Isa 27. v. 9. Ad Rom. 8. v. 1. Hier. in Com. in hunc locuÌ„ Ad Rom. 5. v. 19. of these Prophesyes not one of these assertions were true if the guilt of concupiscence still lurked in the soule of the regenerate It were not true which S. Paul teacheth There is no damnation to them that are in Christ Iesus to wit Nihil damnatione dignum nothing worthy damnation as S. Hierome commenteth vpon that place if any damnable sinne remayned in them Not true which the same Apostle auoucheth As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one many shall be made iust if we be not as truely iustifyed and purged from the drosse of sinne Psal 50. v. 9. Ad Ephes 1. v. 4. ad Collos 1. v. 22. ad Ephes 4. v. 22. 24. ad Colos 3. v. 9. ad Rom. 6. ad Ephes 5. 2. ad Corinth 6. Chrys ho. 40. in 15. 1. Cor. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the merits of Christ as by the fall of Adam we were infected therewith 7. Secondly King Dauid speaking of the purity of the soule cleansed by grace sayd Thou shalt wash me and I shall be made more white then snow S. Paul writeth that the iustifyed are holy and immaculate that they cast off the old man and put on the new that they liue in Christ are light in our Lord temples of the liuing God Therefore free from the darknes free from the impurity death and idolatry of sinne for what participation hath iustice with iniquity what society is there betweene light and darknes what part hath Christ with Beliall what agreement hath the temple of God with Idolls Only God sayth S. Chrysostome can deliuer from sinne which in this lauer of regeneration he effecteth he toucheth the soule it selfe with grace and plucketh from thence the rooted sinne he who by the fauour of the King is pardoned his cryme hath his soule still defiled whome Baptisme washeth not so but he hath his mind more pure then the beames of the Sunne and such as it was when it was first created Which testimony of his so euidently discouereth the spot of Originall guilt to be quite abolished as the Magdeburgian Protestants censuring this place doubt not to say Chrysostome speaketh of the efficacy of Baptisme very dangerously And yet he speaketh no otherwise then the word of God and generall voyce of
his spirit which secretly he powreth into Infants also as they then so likewise we are iustifyed not by actuall and imputatiue but by habituall and inhabtant Iustice inwardly cleansing and adorning our soules 8. Sixtly as no man can be truly accounted the obiect of Gods hatred and worthy of damnation by the meere imputation of fault vnles he be faulty indeed and guilty of crime so as Gabriel Vasquez solidly disputeth none can be reputed the obiect of his loue and worthy Gab. Vasquez in 1. 2. disp 206. cap. 3. of heauen by the extrinsecall will of God not imputing sinne or imputing Iustice vnles he be truely free from sin and endowed with Iustice Againe as no man can be made truly and formally wise by the wisdom which is in another or liue by the life which another enioyeth so neither formally iust by the iustice which is in another Abbot in his defence c. 4. fol. 423. 424. and so not by the Iustice which is in Christ M. Abbot in his defence answereth That a man may be formally iust two manner of wayes A man is one way formally iust in quality another way formally iust in law And then he graunteth That it were absurd indeed that a man should be formally iust in quality by the iustice of another But he may be sayth he formally iust in law For in the course of Law and iudgment the forme of Iustice is not to be subiect to crime or accusation he is formally iust against whome no action or accusation is lyable by law c. And this is the state of our Iustice and righteousnes in the sight of God Hath not he shaped a fine answere very sutable to Scriptures and much to the credit of Christ his Maister For did he giue Tit. 2. v. 24. himselfe for vs that he might redeeme vs from all antiquity and might cleanse to himselfe a people acceptable Did he shed his pretious bloud to take away our sinnes purging vs by the lauer of water in the word And hath he only performed it by immunity from punishment not by cancelling and purging Ioan. 1. v. 29. z. loan 3. v. 5. ad Ephes 5. v. 26. Ioan. 17. v. 19. Rom. 8. v. 15 2. Petr. 1. v. 3. ad Ephes 4. v. 14. Feild l. 3. c. 44. of the Church fol. 178. our faults The Scriptures manifestly teach That he sanctifyed himselfe that we might also be sanctifyed in truth giueth vs his spirit of adoption most great and pretious promises that by these we may be made partakers of the diuine nature created a new in iustice and holynes of truth And is all this done in the externall proceeding and course of law remaining in our selues still tainted with the inherence of sinne 9. All Philosophers accord that the denomination of a subiect is more truly and properly taken from the inherent quality which abydeth in it then from the outward forme which is referred vnto it as a Black Moore although he be apparelled in a white liuery is properly notwithstanding tearmed blacke of his innate blacknes not white of his outward habit Therefore if vve be truly sinners by invvard infection If the inherence of sin as Field confesseth be acknowledged in euery iustifyed person notwithstanding his iustification howsoeuer the iustice of Christ be Feild ibid. imputed vnto vs to free vs from the processe of the Law yet we cannot be truly tearmed iust holy innocent and imâ—aculate the children of God and heires of heauen as we are often called in holy Write Being as I say in very deed impure defiled channels of sinne by the inherence therof and consequently in our selues slaues to Sathan worthy hell worthy damnation Neither is it inough to say we may be accounted innocent because no inditement can be drawne no accusation heard no attachement take place against vs for as the guilt of sinne and heynousnes of treason goeth before the desert of punishment much more before the action or accusation which is layd to our charge so the exemption or immunity from the executioÌ„ of the law is no acquittance or freedome from the desert much lesse from the guiltynes or treachery of our harts Therefore the holy Ghost who iudgeth of vs as we are indeed should falsly tearme vs holy iust c. once darknes now light in our Lord if we be still darckned with the mists of sinne and are only freed from the punishment thereof 10. Moreouer what if M. Feild the polisher of the rough and crabbed speaches of other Protestants the refiner of their impure doctrine what if himselfe auow that sinne still lurketh in the faythfull not wholy exempted from all action in law but only from dominion and Feild 3. l. c. 44. f. 178. guilt of condemnation Read his wordes once againe and returne your verdict of him The inherence of sinne the iustifyed man acknowledgeth in himselfe notwithstanding his iustification which still subiecteth him to Gods displeasure and punishments Feild ibid accompanying the same Againe in the same page continuing his discourse of the iustifyed he sayth They are not already freed actually from the inherence of sinne and the displeasure of God disliking it But how can he be formally iust by course of law free from all crime action and accusation in whose spotted soule sinne still inhereth lyable to punishments and which is worse obnoxious to the disfauour of God hating and disliking it Shall I not thinke these iarring Ministers like the ancient Southsayers of whome Tully reporteth laugh the people to scorne and make merry among themselues in their secret meetinges when they remember with what contrary tales and lying fables they beguile their Readers For shall not I thinke this a cosening deuise a most exorbitant course that the Father of heauen should not absolutly extinguish but wincke at our faults cloake our iniquityes fauour whome he hateth wrong his Iustice and falsify his word in not punishing sinners according to the rate of their misdeserts for the loue of his Sonne vvho either vvould not or could not offer an equiualent ransome for Cal. 4. v. 6. the cleansing of our soules heere vpon earth 11. The seauenth is that we all participate of the same spirit with Christ our Sauiour Because you are sonnes Ioan. 1. v. 16. God hath sent the spirit of his Sonne into your harts We liue with his spiritual life of his fullnes we all haue receaued We receaue of the same fullnes life of grace in substance although not in perfection that in substance which the Angels enioyed in their state of merit for all the members of one mysticall body partake of one life the members enioy the same property of life with the head the branches are nourished with the sapp or iuyce which springeth from the vyne but the spirituall life and Iustice of Christ both is and was heere vpon earth inherent the Iustice of Angells inherent and pleasing to God therefore ours must of necessity
con 2. epist Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 4. obseruation of the decalogue and in liew of them imposeth a light carriage Aug. ser 9. de verb. Domini not pressing vs downe with weighty loade but lifting vs vp as it were with winges A preceps of loue which is not heauy 10. Furthermore a slaunderous reporte is spread against vs touching the diuision of the Decalogue which I thinke not amisse heere to insinuate as it were by the way that we leaue out one of the commaundments the second as Protestants count it of not worshiping grauen Idolls but this is a meere cauill for we deuide the decalogue with S. Augustine branching the first Table into three precepts which instruct vs in our duty to God the second Table into seaueÌ„ appertayning to our neighbour Aug. de perfect iustit c 15. Sarcinam subleuanteÌ„ vice pennaruÌ„ Aug. de nat gra c. 43. 69. Aug. q. 71. in Exod. and we proue this diuision to be most consonant vnto reason because the internall desire of theft as mainly differeth from the desire of adultery as the externall actes vary amongest themselues in their specificall natures Wherfore as it pleased God seuerally to forbid the outward actes so we distinguish the inward consentes into seuerall commandements making two of the last which Protestants combine in one and vniting the first vpon far better grounds then they distinguish it For seeing he that draweth the pourtraiture or maketh the similitude of any creature to the end to adore it maketh to himselfe a straung God another God besides the liuing God of heauen which is forbidden in the first wordes of the first commandement all the prohibitions appertayning thereunto as thou shalt not make to thee a grauen thing Thou shalt not adore c. are but members and explications of the same precept and so ought not to be deuided from the first This is the cause why in our Catechismes where a briefe summary or abridgement of the comandements is contracted we omit these declarations of the first as likewise of other preceptes for breuities sake and not because they prohibite our adoration of images For we allow euery member word and syllabe of the whole to consist there with as hath bin heretofore expounded 11. Finally they obiect S. Augustine S. Bernard and S. Thomas affirming the precept of louing God to apperteyne Augu. de spir lit c. vltim in l. de pers iustit Bern. serm so in Cant. S. Thom. 3. 2. 444. art 6. to the life to come and that it cannot be perfectly accomplished in this life which S. Augustine also teacheth of that other commandment Thou shalt not couet I answere hey auouch both impossible to be kept in the anagogicall meaning of those preceptes for which they were enacted that is according to the end or supereminent perfection as S. Augustine writeth or deyned by God which is that extirpating by little and little all euill inclinations we may perpetually without intermission be inflamed with the loue of vnspeakeable goodnes this is the marke at which those precepts ayme this is the goale vnto which we must runne and cannot heere arriue vnto it yet they confesse that these and al other commandements taken in their literall Bern. serm 50. in Cant Abbot cap. 4. sect 43. ful 572. Bernar. in l. de praec dispens c. 15. August de spir lit c. 35. Aug. com 3. de spirit lit c. 5. item l. 6. cont luliaÌ„ c. 5. sense may be perfectly accomplished according to the substantiall fullfilling of them and satisfaction of the whole bond they oblige vs vnto Therfore S. Bernard By coÌ„manding thinges vnpossible vnto vs he hath not made vs preuaricators or trespassers as M. Abbot englisheth it but humbled vs impossible he calleth theÌ„ in respect of the vnmatchable inteÌ„ded purity which admitteth not the least mixture of vncleanes possible notwithstanding and easy he accounteth theÌ„ to such as haue tried the sweet yoke of Christ Impossible in respect of the end proposed possible and easy by Gods grace in regard of the obligation exacted ayming at that we increase in humility crying for help to be discharged of the infirmities with which we are clogged performing this we become not trespassers or preuaricators but doers keepers of the law In respect of that there is no example of perfect righteousnes among men S. Augustine In regard of this we cannot deny quoth he the perfection of Iustice to be possible euen in this life And Grace doth now also perfectly renew man altogether froÌ„ al sinnes in respect of that al the commandments are esteemed as kept wheÌ„ whatsoeuer is not done is pardoned vz. * Gabr. Vasquez in 1. 2. disp 212. c. 2. Stapleton l. 6. de perfe iustit c. 23. August de spir lit cap. 36. August de pec mer. remis l. 2. c. â— what soeuer is not done according to some litle precept or smal circuÌ„stance binding only vnder venial sinne In regard of this the whole law is fulfilled nothing is to be pardoned in respect of transgressing the coÌ„mandement because that which is wanting is not to be accounted a breach therof And so I end with this my S. Augustine who neuer maketh end of impugning our aduersaries Neyther doth God command any impossible thing to maÌ„ neyther is there any thing impossible to God for to help assist him to the performance of that which he coÌ„mandeth by this man may if he wil be without sinne ayded by God THE XXIX CONTROVERSY DEFENDETH God from being Authour of sinne against Doctour Fulke and his Companions CHAP. I. BECAVSE some moderne Protestants deeme both themselues and their gospellers maliciously wronged with the false imputation of this detestable Heresie I will set downe the words of a chiefe Ringleader amongst English Reformers that you may apparently Aug. in enchir cap. 100. l. de corr gra cap. 10. Ful. in cap. 6. Matth. sect 6. 4. 3. ad RoÌ„ in sect see I challenge them no further then their owne writings giues me iust cause of combat in defence of his Goodnes who neuer would haue permitted these or any other euils as S. Augustine teacheth vnles he could from them draw forth some good M. Fulke commenting vpon those words Lead vs not into temptation sayth The text is playne lead vs not whereby is proued not only a permission but an action of God in theÌ„ that are lead into temptation Likewise all sinne is manifestly against the will of God reuealed in his word although nothing come to passe contrary to the determination and secret will of God c. it is not against his secret will that there is sinne God worketh not as an euill authour of sinne but as a iust iudge c. Caluin often Caluin l. 1. instit cap. â—8 §. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. l. â— cap. 4. l. 3. cap. 23. §. 4. 7. Fulke in c. 9. ad Rom. sect 1 ibid
vrget Tertul lianus lib. de poenit vsitatâ—s fuisse priuatam confessionem qua delicta cogitata quoque prauâ— confesst sunt ex aliquot Cyp. locis apparet vt exsâ—ron 5. de lapsi l. 3. ep 14. 16. vbi disertè ait in minoribus etiam peccatis c. necesse esse ad exomologesin venire Deuter. 32. v. 31. Exod 8. v. 19. Cyprian that priuate Confession was vsed of deeds thoughts and lesser sinnes that Satisfaction was enjoyned c. and the penitents were absolued with the ceremony of imposing hands 17. Thus thou seest Gentle Reader according to the prediction of the Prophet Moyses in al Controuersyes our enemyes are judges in our behalfe Thou seest how strange our Aduersaryes pretenses against Priests absolution haue seemed to antiquity thou hast heard both Fathers and Councells maintaine our Confession thou hast heard all Christian people imbrace and practise it And can it sinke into the mind of any Iudicious man a thing so hard and difficult so cumbersome vnto sinners and repugnant to nature could be so vniuersally receaued by Greekes Latins Kings Emperours Princes and Subiects vnles it had beene instituted and ordained by God 18. But if thou couldest passe a little further and discouer the manifold fruits and singuler commodityes which plentifully flow from the obseruation thereof thou shouldest be forced to cry out with the Magicians of Pharao Digitus Deiest hic The finger of God is heere Thou shouldst behold a sinner before he repaire to his Ghostly Father sorrowfull pensiue vexed and grieued with the cumbersome load of sinne and yet so soone as he hath receaued the benefite of absolution depart so cheerefull so full of in ward comfort as if some heauenly ioy dilated his hart Thou shouldest behould another who reuiled and iniured his Neighbour come from the Sacrament of Confession go reconcile himselfe vnto him and craue pardon for the wrong he offered Thou shouldst behould by this meaÌ„es him that robbed restore the goods he embezeled away him that cosened leaue his cheating thou shouldest see the proud man humbled the dissolute reclaimed the lasciuious become chast a thousand such Psal 76. v. 11. alterations thou shouldst be wray in the harts of sinners of which thou must needs pronounce This is the mutation of the right hand of God whose instice goodnes mercy could no way be more manifestly shewed then by this humble Confession 19. His instice chiefly â—â—â—â—eth in making the guilty sinner both plaintiffe witnesse and accuser of himselfe making him who by sin rebelled against God his Lord Bern tract de instabili cordis buma c. 6. and maister by sorrowfull repentance humble his hart to his fellow-seruant which S. Bernard pithily denoteth saying It is conuenient that be who by contumacy sinned against God should by Pennance become suppliant to the Priestes his Ministers and that the man who to preserue his grace needed no Mediatour should for the recouery of it once lost implore of necessity the mediation of man Gods mercy like wise and goodnes are heere apparent in that he wresteth not from vs after the fashion of earthly Iudges this secret accusation as a testimony to punish but as an acquitance to pardon vs and therefore S. Angustine most excellently writeth To this end he exacteth Confesion to free and release the humble to Aug in Psal 66. this end he condemneth the sinner not confessing to chastise the proud 20. What shal I say of infinite other benefits which the discreet Confessour and humble Penitent gleaneth from hence The wife and prudent Confessour sayling in this sea of Conscience discouereth the wonderfull Psal 106. vers 230 workes of God as the Prophet sayth In aquis multis In the Psal 106. vers 23. ebbe and sloate of sundry waters In the calmes of prosperity and stormes of aduersity in the admirable change and alterations of minds And in respect of his ghostly children where could he haue fitter meanes to know their diseases then when they open and disclose them vnto him Where could he more fruitfully correct and rebuke their faults then when they repent and plead guilty of Greg. ho. 26. in Euang. quae est de Octa. Pascha them From whence could the Penitent receaue better aduise and sweerer comfort then from them whom God electeth the Church consecrateth the holy Ghost instructeth to be the spiritual Surgeons heauenly Physitians as S. Gregory calleth them Iudges of our soules 21. I can not stand to dilate vpon the generall coÌ„modityes which by this holsome discipline redoundeth to the whole Common-wealth Many publike abuses which neither by seuerity of Lawes nor vigilancy of Magistrates can be hindred are often redressed by help of ConfessioÌ„ In this Court of Conscience many vnlawfull bargaines are dissolued many wronges satisfyed wicked designements stopped good purposes furthered much vertue aduanced much vice suppressed Which the famous Citty of Norinberge in Germany after the abolishing of this holy Sacrament to her griefe acknowledged Dominicus Sotus l. 4. sent dist 18. q. 1. art 1. sent an Embassage as Dominicus Sotus recordeth to Charles the fifth to haue auriculer Confossion by his Imperiall decree restored againe Because they saw by experience their Common-wealth swarme with sundry vices against iustice and other vertues which were vnknowne vnto them before O England England Happy wert thou if God would giue thee like grace to discerne what an inundatioÌ„ of sin ouerwhelmeth thy Land for want of this law Happy if not forced by Princes Statutes but moued by Gods Commandment thou wouldest returne againe to the discipline of Confession which is as thou seest the Hedge of vertue the Bridle of iniquity the Key of iustice and Locke of good life THE SEAVENTH CONTROVERSY Establisheth Satisfaction against D. Field and D. Fulke CHAP. 1. IT sufficeth not we disburden our harts by true Confession to a lawfull Priest of which I spake in the precedent Chapter but to returne into the fauour of God by the benefite of Absolution Contrition also and Satisfaction are necessary Contrition whereby we vtterly detest the offence commited in forsaking God our chiefe and soueraigne good Satisfaction whereby we seeke to recompence the wrong we offered in placing our last end and finall delight in the loue of that we preferred before him For first it is a generall principle amongst all the learned that two thinges are included in the enoâ—mity of mortall sinne a disloyall Scotus in 4 sent dist 46. guaest 4. auersion from Gods vnchangeable goodnes and an inordinate conuersion to his transitory creatures to which a double punishment correspondently belongeth to the auersion that which is called poena damni the paine or penalty of dammage or losle of our chiefest good to the coÌ„uersion paena sensus the paine or punishment of sense By the Tho. 1. 2. q. 76. 87. Gabâ—â—â—l Vasquez ibidem disput 139. 140. former euery sinner incurreth disgrace of God is banished
for euer from the sight of his countenance and hath his soule infected with the vgly spot of sinne which the Schoolmen tearme Malum culpae The euill or desormity of the fault By the second he is liable to punishment and made guilty of the perpetuall paines of Hell 2. Secondly all * Greg. de Valen. disput 7. q. 14. puncto 1. de Satisfact S. Thomas 1. 1. q. 87. artiâ—ulo 6. alij communiter in eum locum Apoc. 18. ver 7. Field in ap pen. 1. par pag 66. Field vbi supra l. 3. of the Church cap. 16. and in append part 1. pag. 42. 43. Field ibideÌ„ pag. 43. Catholike Deuines accord that a deadly sinne being pardoned after Baptisme the whole guiltnesse of the fault is taken away in regard of the contagion it included and priuation of Gods grace But the guiltinesse and desert of punishment albeit it be vtterly released in respect of the eternall duration yet oftentimes some temporall chastisement remaineth to be suffered greater or lesser according to the measure of vnlawfull delights taken in sinne which the Holy Ghost enacted in the Apocalyps As much as shee hath glorified her selfe in delicacies so much torment mourning heape vpon her These be the immoueable grounds of true Theologie 3. Our Sectaries herein dissent from vs chiefly in this later point affirming no punishment to remaine where the fault is remitted For saith M. Field Where grace is so perfect that it expelleth sinfulnesse there it must worke aperfect reconciliation to God with which the guilt of punishement cannot stand Againe Charity saith he in such perfection as is able to purge out all impurity of sinne implieth dislike of that which in sinning was ill affected and sorrow for the same equtualent to the pleasure and delight taken in sinning and consequently doth satisfie God in suchsort as that no punishment shall come vpon him that so sorroweth Thirdly Christ quoth he suffered all that the iustice of God requireth not onely for the staine but also for the punishment due to sinne either before or after Baptisme to be committed therefore whensoeuer we are wholy purged by the infusion of Christs sanctifying grace from the deformity of all faults we are in like manner by the imputation of Christs satisfactory workes fully discharged from all touch of punishment And the contrary he dubbeth An heresie of the Papists And M. Fulke accounteth it Horrible blasphemy against the effect of Christs Passion Fulke in c. 8. ad Rom. sect 4. in ca. 2. 2. ad Cor. sect 2. Mat. 26. Ioan. â—0 Act. 24. v. 14. 4. But of such blasphemy the Sonne of God was appeached by the Scribes and Pharisies And of such heresy Tertullus the Oratour of the Iewes accused S. Paul Therefore we confesse with him that according to the way which you call heresy we doe so serue the Father our God belieuing all things that are written in the law and the Prophets Where it is often recorded that the Diuine Maiesty hath iustly inflicted vpon some the fine of punishment after the whole debt of sinne hath byn discharged God pardoned at the intercession of Moyses the crime of Idolatry the Iewes committed in adoring the golden Calfe notwithstanding he sayd I will visit this their sinne in the day of reuenge God pardoned the sister of Moyses and receaued her into his fauour Exod. 32. v. 34. he punished her notwithstanding with seauen dayes leprosy God pardoned King Dauict his murther adultery and pronounced absolution by the mouth of his Prophet Nathan Our Lord hath forgiuen thy sinne neuerthelesse Num. 12. v. 15. he imposed this penance and satisfaction But the Sonne which is borne of thee shalt dye God pardoned Adam our first Progenitour as appeareth in the booke of Wisdome 2. Reg. â—2 v. 13. 14. albeit after reconciliation he was not exempted from that heauy curse Because thou hast giuen eare to the voyce of thy wife accursed be the earth in thy worke Moreouer the Apostle reporteth Sap. 10. Vers 2. Gen. 3. Vers 27. 1. Cor. 11. Vers 30. Aug. tract 114. in Io. Droductior est poena quà m culpa ne parus putaretur culpâ— c. of certaine punished with death and grieuous diseases for their vnworthy receauing although some of them as we may piously suppose were reconciled to God before their departure 5. And not to be ouer long in particular examples all mankind feeleth the bitter scourge and calamitie of sinne as hunger cold wants sicknesses and death the iust imposed penalties of our fore-fathers transgression Notwithstanding many haue had the guiltinesse thereof cleansed before by the Sacrament of Baptisme Therefore S. Augustine most notably sayth The punishment is more prolonged then the fault least the fault might be little accounted of if the punishment ended with it S. Irenaeus writing of the pressures inflicted vpon Adam Eue and their posterity affirmeth Irand 3 cap. 35. They were thus chastised that neyther accursed they might wholy perish be abandoned of God nor without correction might perseuere contemning God 6. With these might be numbred diuers others who Aug tract 50. homil ho. 50 Cyp. serm de opere eleemosyn l. 1. ep 3. Hier. ep ad Eustochium de obitu Paulae Amb. l. ad virg laps cap. 8. Orig. hom 15. in Leuit. Tertul. l. de Poeniten Lact. de verasapionca 17. li. 6. de vero cultis cap. 13. Bafil in Psa 29. exponens vers ilâ—â—â—â— Conuertisti planctum meum c. Greg Naz. orat de Pauperum amore Pacianus in paraenesi ad Poenit. teach that the punishment remayning after sinne remitted by teares almesdeeds and other workes of Penance may be mitigated and released Of which mind S. Augustine is in his treatise of 50. Homilies And S. Cyprian sayth Sinnes and staines contracted after baptisme may by almesdeeds be washed away And in another place Our offences by satisfaction may be redeemed S. Hierome Long laughter ought to be recompensed with continuall weeping S. Ambrose A great crime needeth great satisfaction And therefore Origen calleth our good workes The price or ransome by which sinnes are redeemed Tertullian Lactantius S. Basill S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Pacianus and all the ancient Fathers preach nothing more then Penance and Satisfaction for offences past The ancient * Conc. Turonen Can. 22. Concil Laodicen ca. 2. Concil Ancyr can 4. 5. 8. 9. Conc. â— Nicen. can 11. Theodor. l. 4. haeret fabularum Dan. 4. Luc. 3. vers 8. 1. Cor. 11. Chrys hom 42. in Mat. Beda in cap. 11. 1 ad Cor. Matth. 4. Councels prescribe place of Penance tyme of SatisfactioÌ„ The ancient Priests after Confession inioyned Penance imposed Satisfaction The ancient Church condemned certaine Heretikes called Audiani because they gaue remission to such as confessed without prescribing tyme of Penance The Apostles the Prophets and Christ himself often exhorteth hereunto Daniel counselled Nabuchodonosor Redeeme thy sinnes with almedeeds
Bulling ser 87. super Apoc. fol. 270. Centu. 3. col 127. Centu. 4. col 254. Centu. 5. c. 4. 10. Cent. 6. 7. 8. c. witnesseth with vs. 11. Caluin sayth I am little moued with the Sentences of the Fathers which concerning Satisfaction do euery where occurre I see truely some of them I will speake simply in a manner all of them whose bookes are extant were either deceaued in this point or spake tooto roughly and crabbedly Againe In this point the immoderate austerity of the Ancients can by no meanes be excused which disagreed from the prescribed order of our Lord and was aboue measure dangerous Kemnitius noting the like speaches of the Fathers reprehendeth them As hyperbolically spoken inconsideratly vttered too much ouerreaching the Truth Bullinger affirmeth Satisfaction and iustification of workes incontinently after the Apostles tyme layed their first foundation The Centurists record That in the tymes of Cyprian and Terullian PennaÌ„ce or Satisfaction was inioyned according to the quality of the fault And in the age immediatly following which was foure hundred yeares after Christ they write A Priest was appointed who absolued his Peâ—â—tents vpon this condition that Vvbitian his answer to M. Ed. Campians 5. reason pag 1 9. they should exact punishment of themselues for their offences past The same professed doctrine they report to haue continued in the fiue hundred and six hundred yeares after Christ by the euident testimonyes of S. Chrysostome S. Augustine S. Leo Cassianus Hesychiuss Prosper S. Gregory S. Isidore and Venerable Bede 12. D. Whitaker in his answere to M. Campians ibidem reasons professeth of S. Cyprian he wrote something of repentance very vnseasonably and indiscreetly and not he alone but all the holy Fathers of that tyme were tainted with that errour immediatly D. Hâ—mâ— â—esu par 2. rat 5. pag. 540. Ibidem pag 439. 543. after They made the greatest part of repentance to consist in certaine outward disciplines c. they thought the punishmeÌ„t of sinne to be discharged Gods iustice satisfyed freedome from sin and certaine forgiuenes with righteousnes heereby to be procured heerein they diminished the power of Christs death they attributed too much to their owne inuentions and in a word depraued the doctrine of repentance D. Humfrey among many sentences of S. Cyprian which he like a bold Censor condemneth reiecteth also this as harsh and crabbed By our satisfactions lamentations sinnes are redeemed and wounds by tears are washed Printed Anno Do. 1606. Bullinger vbi supra The Centurists Caluin and D. Humfâ—â—y locis citat VVbitakerin his answer to â— EdmuÌ„d Campian translâ—ted into â—nglish c. away Then taking vpon him the defence and Apology of his fornamed complices Whitaker and the Magdeburgians he alloweth their seuere censuring of the Fathers and only excuseth them That they do not condemne all of the third hundred yeare but the most part to haue depraued the doctrin of Pennance which they collect out of Tertullian Origen Cyprian Thus he Insinuating that besides these or the most part of that age there were some of his hidden and inuisible congregation who wrote the contrary But because M. Whitaker knew not who these were not in what corners of the Skye they composed their bookes he in his English Treatise intituled An Answere to the reasons of Edmund Campian c. Whereunto is added in briefe Marginall notes the summe of the Defence of those reasons against Duraeus c. boldly protesteth as I haue quoted him all the holy Fathers of that tyme were tainted with that errour 13. Notwithstanding be it so that Whitaker only reproueth the most part of the Fathers let this be the Protestant Printers or Translatours fault or be it so that you haue since corrected his Latin Copy Is there yet any dealing more audacious any madnesse more blind then this to confesle That satisfaction layd her foundation incontinently after the Apostles tyme To confesse that S. Cyprian Origen Tertullian almost all the holy Fathers of the first 300. or 400. yeares in a manner all whose workes are extant do command Pennance exact SatisfactioÌ„ To confesse they thought by outward disciplines of repentance to satisfy Gods Justice And neuerthelesse presume to say They were deceaued they diminished the power of Christs death they attributed too much to their owne inuemious Is there any dealing I say more audacious Any madnes more blind then this Doctour Field had once the grace to write The imagination that the Field in ap 1. par so 2. Fathers generally from the beginning were in errour is so barbarous a conceit that it cannot enter into the hart of any reasonable man Caluin then by this censure was no man of reason D. Whitaker voyd of reason D. Humfrey and all the former Protestants without sense and reason all rude and barbarous whose harts once harboured and pens haue vttered this barbarous conceit Grosly mistaken partly by those vngrounded reasons M. Field and Fulke proposed at the beginning partly by some other texts of Scripture I shall presently refute 14. To M. Fildes first argument I answere and deny Field in append â— par pag. 66. That the guils of punishment cannot stand with perfect reconciliation to God For you must vnderstand that he who sinneth against his diuine Maiesty doth not only breake with him the bands of friendship but violateth also the lawes of justice and that which repaireth the one doth not alwaies requite the other Therefore a sinner may receaue sufficient grace to be perfectly reconciled vnto God in respect of his loue and friendship and remaine stil subject to some fatherly correction or temporall punishment to make vp the breach recompence the wrong of justice M. Field vrgeth againe That as Charity reneweth the friendship of God so sorrow equiualent to the pleasure taken in sinning satisfyeth him for the debt of punishment I acknowledge Field vbi supra that God may infuse such feruent Charity such perfect sorrow or true Contrition as the Deuines call it as may both cancell the fault and acquit the sinner of all future punishment but this is a peculiar fauour not granted to all not to Adam not to Eue not to Moyses and Aaron Rein. in his cor fe c. 8. diuis 4. fo 517 c â— Phil. Mornay l. 3. de Euchar. c. 2 Caluin l. 3. Inst c. 12. §. 4. Field in his 3. booke of the Chur. c. 16. Push in ca 8. ep ad Rom. sect 4. in c. 2. 2. ad Cor. sect 2. not to King Dauid A man according to the heart of God Of these and such others who arriue not to this depth of sorrow our former doctrine is verified 15. And I wonder not a litle M. Field or any of his complices should auerre that such Charity or sorrow could proceed from man as were able not only to purge out the staine of vice but free vs also from the chastisment when as Reynolds
him so he freely and sufficiently satisfyed for al but effectually for such as by penall afflictions by mercy and truth redeeme their iniquity Fulke against pur p. 45. 49. c. Calu. vbi supra Ezeth 18. v. 21. 22. Esay 38. v. 18. 44. v. 22. Micb. 7. v. 19. Psal 3â— v. â— 2. after regeneration willfully incurred In the second ranke are mustered the senteÌ„ces of holy Writ which meÌ„tion no memory but a cleane abolishment of sinne thorough true repentance as by Ezechiel If the wicked do pennance c. I will not remember his iniquityes By Isay Micheas King Dauid where God is sayd to cast our sinnes behind his backe To disperse them like a cloud To sinke them into the bottom of the Sea To hide them To couer them Not to impute them I answere these places are spoken 1. Of most true and perfect contrition which freeth both from the fault and punishment 2. Of imperfect with pennance and Satisfaction which Ezechiel seemed to insinuate saying If the wicked do pennance c. 3. They are vnderstood of the vtter abolishment of the fault and freedome from eternall paine in respect of which God is truly sayd To blot our Ezech. 18. v. 21. sinnes out of his mind to disperse them like a cloud to cast them into the sea to hide them to couer them and not to impute them as S. Augustine elegantly interpreteth the wordes of King August in Psal 3â— Dauid If God couer our sinnes he will not see them if he will not see them he will not punish them to wit with euerlasting punishment nor with temporall if we redeeme them with condigne satisfaction 21. Therefore he that pronounced by the mouth of Ezech. 18. v. 22. Num. 14. vers 34. Esay 38. v. 17. Eccles c. 5. vers 5. Haeb. â— v. 3 1. Ioan. c. â— vers 2. Prouerb c. 1â— v. 6. Ezechiel he would not remember our iniquityes threatned reuenge in his owne person to some he had forgiuen saying Scietis vltionem meam Yee shall feele the rod of my reuengement He who promised by the Prophet Isay To cast our faults behind his backe commanded vs by the mouth of Salomon Of pardoned sinne be not without feare He who by himselfe purged our offences he who sayd he was the propitiation for sinne auouched also By mercy and truth iniquity is redâ—emed So that both cooperate to satisfy for our trespasses the Passion of Christ and our workes of Pennâ—nce his Passion freely plentifully independantly of our merit or Satisfaction cancelleth the fault eternity of punishment our works sanctifyed in his bloud partly concurre by his ordinance to expiate the remaines of temporall chastisement Matth. 2â— Luc. 7. v. 48. 50. Luc. 18. v. 15. Luc. â—â— Ioan 8 v. 11. M. Fulke against purg p. 43 85. 22. In the last place are sorted the examples of Scripture of Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican the thiefe vpon the Crosse and the Adulterous woman whose sinnes were forgiuen without Satisfaction To which they adioyne the authorityes of S. Ambrose and S. Iohn Chrysostome confirming the same I answere 1. To the instances out of Gods word priuate examples are no presidents for publike rules 2. What the maister sometyme doth by prerogatiue of his person the seruant may not vsurpe as the priuiledge of his law 3. I say the teares of Peter the contrition of Magdalen the humility of the Publican the admirable confession of the theese the shame and confusion the adulterous woman endured with the inward sorrow of her hart might be sufficient satisfactions for their enormous crimes albeit the Scripture doth not in plaine termes expresse it As S. Ambrose affirmed of S. Peter when he sayd His teares I read his Satisfaction I read Amb. l. 10. in cap. 12. Lucae Lâ—chrimae veniam non postulant sed merentur not howbeit his teares were both a confession and singular satisfaction which craue not according to him but deserue and merit pardon Or S. Ambrose taketh Satisfaction in that place for the excuse and defence of his fault which S. Peter vsed not but would rather as he affirmeth condemne his sinne that he might be iustifyed by confessing then aggrauate it by denying S. Chrysostome accordingly vseth that word in his Homilyes vpon Genesis Where he likewise graunteth no Amb. ibid. Chrys ho. 10. in Gen. hom de Beato Philogonio satisfaction necessary for the recouery of Gods friendship although he after require it for recompence of the wrong committed against him in the course of his Iustice 32. Two other darke sentences M. Fulke scrapeth out of him the one out of his homilyes vpon the Epistle to the Romans Vbi venia ibi nulla est poena where there is forgiuenes there is no punishment In which place S. Chrysostome speaketh of the forgiuenes giuen to a Iew in Baptisme M. Fulke against purg p. 43. S. Chrysost Hom 8. in Epist ad Rom. who passing from the wrath of the law to the grace of Christ had full remission of all both fault punishment Another out of the booke he wrote of sorrow and compunction God requireth not the burden of shirts of haire nor to be shut vp in the straites of a little cell neither doth he command vs to sit in obscure and darke caues this only it is which he exacteth that we alwayes remember and recount our sinnes Where S. Chrysostome only reproueth the negligence of such dainty S. Chrys de compunct cordis l. 1. sinners as omit the behoofull bewayling and lamenting of their sinnes Quasi quidam intoler abilis labor sit As though it were a thing intollerable And thereupon discourseth that God commandeth not as necessary any such rigorous or insupportable satisfaction as they imagined Not to betake themselues to the strait mourning of Monks not to the inclosures of Anchorets not to be shut vp in caues dungeons which seuere pennances although many voluntarily and laudably vndergo yet God exacteth them not as necessary but he only requireth sorrowfull bewayling and some moderate satisfaction or due chastisement of our sinnes as that Golden Mouth often teacheth other where with whome S. Augustine so punctually agreeth Chrys hom 2. de lapsu primi hom in orat de beato Philogo hom 10. in Matth. Aug. in Psal 50. as I will only recite his wordes for a finall conclusion of this matter If he be iust whome thou inuokest he reuengeth sinnes If he be iust thou canst not depriue thy Lord God of his Iustice Implore his mercy but consider his Iustice His mercy inclineth to pardon the sinner his iustice to punish the sinne What then When thou seekest mercy shall sinne remaine vnpunished Let Dauid answere let the lapsed answere let them answere with Dauid that they may deserue mercy as Dauid did and say Not so O Lord my sinne shall not be vnpunished c. Therefore I will not that thou punish me because I punish my
â— Tim. 2. v. 5. Aug. l. 2. de pecca orig c. 28. Aug. praefat in Eâ—ar 2. Psa 29. Aug. de Ciuit. Dei â— 10. c. 20. Cyr. in Apol pro 12. Capitibus Chrys in c. 6. ad Haeb. Fulgent l. de incarna gratia Christi Amb. l. 3. de fide c. 5. Idem inquit Sacerdos idem hostia SacerdotiuÌ„tamen sacrifiâ—um humanae conditionis officium est c. Nemo ergo vbi ordineÌ„ cernit humaâ—â— conditionis ibi ius diuinitatis asâ—ribat a Physitian yet you cannot say he ministreth physike by his skill in law but by the art of physike so our high Bishop our mercifull Redeemer who sacrificed himselfe vpon the Altar of the Crosse was as I say both God and man If you inquire according to what nature he offered this Sacrifice or vsed mediation in our behalfe then we reply he accomplished them in his humane nature and not in his diuine which S. Paul by the instinct of the holy Ghost and the Fathers with him manifestly declare 6. S. Paul auerreth There is one God one also Mediatour of God and men man Christ Iesus He did not say as S. Augustine here obserueth Christ Iesus but Man Christ Iesus to denote the nature by which he was mediatour expressely inferring By this therefore a Mediatour by which he was man and a litle before Not by that by which he was equall to his Father In his explications vpon the Psalmes What is it to be a Mediatour betwene God and men Not betweene the Father and men but betweene God and men What is God The Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost What are men sinners wicked mortall Between that Trinity and mens infirmity iniquity a man is made Mediatour not wicked but yet infirme In his booke of the Citty of God Christ is a true mediatour in as much as he assumed the forme of a seruant whereas in the forme of God he receiueth the Sacrifice with his Father with whom he is one God S. Cyril S. Chrysostome Fulgentius I let passe S. Ambrose only I ioyne with S. Augustine the Father with the Sonne the ornament of Italy with the glory of Afrike who affirmeth The same is the Priest and the same the Host Neuertheles the Priestood and the Sacrifice is the office of humane condition And a litle after Let no man therefore where he seeth the course of humane property there ascribe the right of diuinity 7. But you will say the knot of his Maiesties difficulty is not yet vnloosed For suppose he prayed sacrificed and satisfyed for our sinnes according to his manhood how could his prayer his sacrifice his satisfaction amount to such infinit value the nature of man being finit and all his actions finit I answere that this proceeded from the dignity of our Sauiours person which being not the person of man as Nestorius wickedly held but the sole sacred diuine person of the Sonne of God it dignified and ennobled the actions of his humane nature which it sustayned and made euery one of such Rom 5. 20 inestimable price as they farre surpassed the summe of our trespasses that where sinne abounded grace might more abounde For as the basenes of the person who iniureth another increaseth the nature of the wronge so the worthines of him that satisfyeth enhaunceth the valour of satisfaction Hence it commeth that the recompence made by a Prince is more esteemed then that which is exhibited by a priuate person and the outrage attempted by a base companion against a Prince more hainous then the iniury which a Prince committeth against one of meane condition Therefore Aristotle in his Ethicks sayth Arist. 5. Ethic. c. 8. Arist 1. Metaph. c. 1. If a Magistrate strike another he is not to be stroken againe but if any man strike him he is not only to be stroken againe but seuerly also to be punished Where by the basenes of the offender and worthines of him that is offended he exaggerateth the grieuousnes of the crime and greater desert of punishment So on the other side in the way of recompence and satisfaction the excellency of him that satisfyeth and submitteth in our behalfe maketh the submission farre more acceptable because Aristotle saith The Clem. 6. in extra vnigenitus de paeniten remis Proclus hom de Chri. natiuitate in Concil Ephe. c. 7. â—om 6. Amb. praf in Ps 35. Leo epist 83. Vniuersitatem captiuoruÌ„ Cyp. ser de rat cir cuÌ„cisionis 1. Tim. 2. v. 6. Ephes 5 v. 2. Philip. 2. v. 8. Chrys ho. 7. in eum loc Cyr. cate cheâ—i 13. Haeb. 5. v. 7. actions are to be attributed to the persons that worke Wherefore seeing it was the diuine person of the Sonne of God which by the operations of his humanity prayed sacrificed and humbled himselfe to his Father he aduanced his prayers his sacrifice his humble submission and euery action he atchieued in his manhood to be in morall estimation truly accounted of infinit and vnspeakable worth 8. He purchased for vs by his merits and satisfaction as Clement defineth an infinite treasure He payed sayth Proclus such a price as did equall the debt of sinne euen in the axact nor me or rule of iustice He disbursed as S. Ambrose auerreth gold so pretious a ransome so rich as it was able to wash away al sinne able to redeeme sayth S. Leo the whole multitude of cap. iues Not through the benignity only of Gods fauourable acceptation but by the worthynes as S. Cyprian writeth of our Redeemers oblation who with so great authority entred the holy places c. Where he deriueth the excellency of his oblation from the great preheminence of his person who offering and submitting in our behalfe not only the actions of his humanity but himselfe also his owne diuine and sacred person morally deriued as much worthinesse to his workes as there was true reuerence and dignity in himselfe Which maketh S. Paul so often repeate He gaue himselfe a redemption for vs He deliuered himself for vs an oblatioÌ„ and hoast to God He humbled himselfe being made obedient Where S. Chrysostome sayth As much highnes and dignity as he had so much humility likewise did he vndergo And S. Cyrill Iesus offering himselfe the price shall he not appâ—ase the wrath of God conceaued against men Yes yes The Apostle againe auerreth it He was * Our ProtestaÌ„ts perniciously corrupt those words say ing He was heard in that which he feared to proue that he feared the payns of hell O horrible blasphemy S. Chrys the rest in eum lolum â—uar in 3. par disp 4. sect â— heard for his reuerence That is for the reuerence which was due vnto him being the Sonne of God as S. Chrysostome S. Anselme Hugo de Sancto Victore and Theophilact interprete it And S. Paul seemeth to insinuate immediatly adding And truly whereas he was the Son of God for that great dignity of his person
all kind of sinne another guilty of mortall the third only spotted with some veniall fault The first whither goeth he To Heauen immediatly The second whither goeth lie To Hell no doubt The third whither goeth he Not to Hell because he is departed in the grace and fauour of God Not to heauen immediatly Apoc. 21. v. vlt. because Nothing defiled can enter that kingdome Therfore to some purging place where his soule may be cleansed froÌ„ the staines of infection 22. No such place is necessary sayth M. Field for Field in appen 1. p. fo 65. 66. by the dolours of death at the moment of dissolution all impurity of sinne is purged forth But how can this be so Death is the punishment of Originall and not any remedy against actuall sinne It is the state and condition of our corruptible nature inflicted on the Reprobate as well as on the Elect. And so neither by it selfe nor by the ordinance of God hath force and vertue to scoure out of our souls all the rust of sinne a prerogatiue denyed by you to the holy Sacraments of God And such a prerogatiue as is proper indeed to the excellency of Martyrdome and not common to the departure of euery faythful sinner whose panges are often more short and farre lesse painefull then the grieuous dolours of the cleane and vnspotted 23. Besides to procure this abolishment of sinne Field ibid. fol. 60. M. Field requireth Charity and sorrow in such perfection as may worke our perfect reconciliation to God And may not thousands or some at least with the spot of veniall or remainder of mortall crime be taken out of this world either in their sleep or vnawares before they arriue to that depth of sorrow It being so hard a thing in perfect health much harder in the agony of death impossible in tyme of sleep to attaine vnto it Or if you pretend the prouidence of God to be so carefull of his elect as they cannot be surprised vpon a sudden to what effect I pray are those exhortations of Christ so often repeated in Scripture Matt. 24. Matt. 25. That we pray and be watchfull least death preuent vs before we are aware To what effect the Parable of the foolish Virgins the Parable of Death stealing vpon vs like a thiefe To what effect are the labours and works of Pennance many zealous followers of Christ vndertake to expiate the faults of their former life when euery faythfull belieuer let him be neuer so slouthfull in this behalfe shal be sure in the last houre to haue grace inough to redeeme the debt and cancell the obligation of his sinnes This is a doctrine I graunt sutable to Protestant professioÌ„ it tendeth to the restraint of vertue it tendeth to all vitious and Epicurean liberty it ministreth occasion of slouth to Christian people and maketh God tooto indulgent to their idle sluggishnes But they that make him authour of the horrible iniquityes of the Reprobate what meruaile though they would haue him a fauourer of the smal imperfections and negligences of his Elect And rather then they will iniury as they fondly surmise the bloud of Christ they iniuriously blaspheme and truly wrong heerin the Iustice of God 24. To be briefe Caluin and Plessy Mornay affirme The hereditary naughtines and corruption of Originall sinne drowneth Calu. lib. 2. Iâ—st cap. 1. §. 8. 9. l. 3. inst cap. 15. §. â— Plessy l. 3. de Eucbar cap. 2â— as it were with a deluge the whole nature of man so that no part remayneth free from this filthy contagion Secondly they auouch No worke proceedeth from man be he neuer so perfect but is defiled with the staines of sinne Graunt these assertions true which commonly all Protestants defend how can there be either charity or sorrow in such perfection as is able to purge out all impurity of sinne When the most perfect Charity it selfe is impure and stayned how shall these staynes be taken forth By some other act of charity or worke of repentance But this worke also issuing from the inward rottenes of mans corrupted nature shall still be putrifyed with Originall infection 25. For this cause D. Field is so vnconstant in resoluing Field in append 1. part p. 66. p. 65. ibid. in appeâ— 1. par p. 4. p. â—4 65. how or when the whole vncleanes of sinne is washed from the soule as he wauereth and reeleth vp and downe not knowing where to take hold One while he sayth It is purged out by Charity and sorrow of sinning otherwhile by the dolours of death then by the very separation of soule and body wrought by death but when he dareth not auouch and therefore stammeringly vttereth It is in or immediatly vpon the dissolution of soule and body in the first entraÌ„ce of the soule into the state of the other world What giddines is heere If by the dolours of death al sinnefullnes be expelled how in the moment of dissolution If in that moment how immediatly vpon it How in the first entrance into the next life Or if in that entrance how doth Charity then worke or sorrow procure it Read his wordes Field in append 1. part p. 4. 26. The vtter deletion and full remission of their sinnes the perfect purging out of sinne being in or immediatly vpon the dissolution in the last instant of this life and first of the next and not while the body and soule remaine conioyned Pitty it is great pitty to see vnto what distresse a man of wit and learning may be driuen by the weaknesse of his cause For heere M. Field in these few wordes maketh either two instances immediatly togeather the last of this life and first of the next and so composeth diuisible tymes of indiuisible moments against the principles of Philosophy or he supposeth the instant in which sinne is remitted to be intrinsecall to this life and extrinsecall to the next and so crosseth himselfe in his owne speach affirming this full remission of sinne both to be and not to be while the body and soule remaine conioyned Or he taketh the instant of Purgation to be extrinsecall to this life and intrinsecall to the next And contrary to the whole stream of Sectaryes he alloweth with vs a remission or Purgation of sinne and Purgatory-place after this life at least for a moment For that which is done must be done in some place or els it is not done at all To which of these inconueniences he will yield I know not to one he is constrained And if I may gesse at the meaning of his variable and vnconstant speaches seeing he will not haue the perfect purging out of sinne c. while the body and soule remaine conioyned he alloweth it after the dissolution and so admitteth a remission and purgation of sinne in the next life which his fellowes renounce he himselfe would seeme to impugne 27. But when I pray is this perfect purging out of of sinne
We contrary wise teach that actual concupiscence much lesse habituall is no sin at all vnles the allowance and approbation of our will concurre thereunto which S. Iames auoucheth in his Catholike Epistle Euery one is tempted of his owne concupiscence abstracted and allured afterward concupiscence when it hath conceaued bringeth forth sinne Iac. 1. v. 14. 15. Lo heere the act of concupiscence first tempting to sinne before it be formally sinne therefore of it selfe it is no sinne neither are the suddayne motions and suggestions therof culpable except we some way yield vnto them which our thrice learned and euer worthy admired S. Augustine of set purpose inculcateth in diuers places in his Aug. l. 5. cont Iul. c. 5. fift booke against Iulian and cyting that very text of S. Iames he sayth Truly in these wordes the brood is distinguished from that which breedeth or bringeth forth for concupiscence is that which breedeth the brood is sinne but concupiscence begetteth not vnles is conceaue it conceaueth not vnles it induce that is gayneth the assent of the willer to perpetuall euill When therefore it is striuen against this commeth to passe that it may not conceaue Augu. de ciuit Dei l. 1. c. 25. Idem ep 200. ad Asel Iâ—em l 2. de Gen cont Maâ—i c. 4. Cyril l. 4. c. 5â— Chrys ho. 13. in ep ad Rom. Basil l. de virg l. const Monast c. 2. Ambr. l. de Sacram. regen Hier. ep ad Ocea or trauell with sinne In his booke of the Citty of God That rebellion of concupiscence which dwelleth in our dying members c. how much lesse is it without fault in the body of him that consenteth not if it be without fault in the body of him that sleepeth In his epistles If we consent not to those disordered motions we need not say to our Father which is in heauen forgiue vs our trespasses In his second booke of Genesis against the Manichees Sometyme reason doth stoutly resist and bridle concupiscence euen stirred vp which when it is performed we fall not into sinne but with some wrastling are crowned With S. Augustine accord S. Cyrill S. Chrysostome S. Basil S. Ambrose S. Hierome and all the ornaments both of the Greeke and Latin Church as Caluin the Proto-sectary of this our vnfortunate age fully witnesseth writing of Concupiscence in these wordes Neither is it needfull to labour much in searching what old writers haue thought heerein for as much as only Augustine may be sufficient for it who hath faythfully and with great diligence gathered all their iudgments therefore let the Readers gather out of him such certainty as they shall desire to learne of the opinion of antiquity And then immediatly setting downe what S. Augustine taught of this matter and wherein he dissented from him There may seeme sayth he to be this difference betweene him and vs that he when he graunteth that the faythfull so long as they dwell in a mortall body are so holden bound with lusts Calu. l. 3. instit c. 3. §. 10. that they cannot but lust yet dareth not call that disease sinne but being content to expresse it by the name of weaknes he teacheth that then only it becommeth sinne when either worke or consent is added to corruption or apprehension that is when will yieldeth to the first desire but we account the very same for sinne that man is tickled with any desire at all against the law of God I need no more The opinion and iudgment of all antiquity touching concupiscence by Caluins confession is to be taken out of Augustine Augustine auoucheth it no sinne without the consent of the will as himselfe also confesseth Augustine therefore and all antiquity agree with vs in this point against himselfe and his confederates by Caluins owne confession 3. But I will not only beare downe my aduersaryes by Caluins testimony and authority of Ancient Fathers Concupiscence without consent proued by reason to be no sin I will wage also reasons with them I aske what sinne the instigation of coÌ„cupiscence is if it vnwillingly inuade vs or be checked and restrained by vs Originall or Actuall Not Originall because that equally infecteth all this is more violent more exorbitaÌ„t in some theÌ„ others according to the various coÌ„plexion disposition of the persoÌ„s that is of one essence and nature in euery sinner this of diuers one of wrath another of lust the third of reueng c. that neither is nor can be any act but a defect or priuatioÌ„ only this is a personall act in him that coueteth therfore it is not Original sinne distilled from another Nor Actuall Aug. l. 3 de lib. arb c. 18. for we cannot sinne actually against our will No man as S. Augustine teacheth is sayd to sinne in that which he cannot auoyd Therfore the vnuoluntary motions which maugre our will often assault vs cannot be truly sins Our opponents reply it is sufficient they were once voluntary in their origen that is in Adam But it is false that Adam euer voluntarily consented to the personal motions of coÌ„cupiscence which arise in vs neither was our will coÌ„prehended in him as head of his posterity in any other thing then in keeping or casting of the armour of original iustice from himselfe and vs therin only his will was our assent his perseuerance our crown his reuolt our fall his transgressioÌ„ our sin in other acts or desirs of ours which are not of their owne nature faulty though free his voluntary disobedience cannot make them faulty And although I should graunt that they willingly proceed from him as the voluntary cause of all our euills yet that is not inough to make vs now guilty of the outrage committed to say we once sinned in the cause wheron it depended for you may be faulty in the cause and yet incurre no sin when the effect falleth out For example the Maister commandeth his seruant or solliciteth his friend to murder his enemy without doubt he grieuously offendeth when he giueth that charge or vseth such wicked perswasions yet if after he hartily repent before it be atchieued and do his vttermost to recall and hinder the effect although the Lesâ—â—â—â— l. 2. de iure iust c. 13. â—ub 3. Molits de Restit tract 2. disp 73â— censure of excommunication and irregularity sometyme may yet the guilt of sinne neuer can be incurred when the slaughter is committed contrary to his mind the reason is because he hauing recouered the grace and fauour of God by his sorrow and repentance cannot be depriued of it against his will If this be true in the effectes once caused by our owne counsayle or aduise how true is it in the motions caused in vs by the consent of another And if actuall coÌ„cupiscence may be without sinne much more habituall which is nothing so ill as that for the euill habits of mortall and deadly sinne may comply with grace the euill acts can neuer
Aug. l 2. de peccat merit remis c. 27. not with the issue of consecrated children Which a little before he doth thus corroborate with the strength of reason because renouati parentes c. renewed parents do carnally ingender not of the first fruits of newnes but of the reliques of oldenes They communicate vnto their posterity not the personall blessings of new restored life but the common Aug. l. de peccat merit remis c. 12. 1. ad Cor. 7. vers 14. maledictions of old depraued nature so enthrall their of spring in the bondage of Adam cannot indue them with the inheritance of Christ In his next booke handling that obiection the Caluinists now as the Pelagians then vrged out of S. Paul How the vnbelieuing party is sanctifyed by the faythfull and the children of their marriage are cleane and holy He solueth it in this manner that the Christian is often the occasion of gayning the other vnto God procureth also the baptizing of their children And concludeth a little after what other sanctification soeuer is meant by the Apostle neither the incredulous Aug. loc citato can be saued or purged from their sins without the sacrament of the Church Nec paruuli de quibuslibet sanctis iustisque procreati c. Nor children begotten of what soeuer holy iust parents are assoyled of the guilt of Originall sinne vnles they be baptized in Christ for whome we ought to speake so much the more earnestly by how much they are lesse able to speake for themelues In fine what followeth of the contrary doctrine but that all descendents from regenerate parents take from them their right to heauen that to know my election is sufficient to know that any of my carnall progenitours was a belieuing Christian in the dayes of Christ or at any tyme since that no children or childrens children in any succeeding generation can be damned whose parent when they were borne was a faythfull belieuer These heresyes and the like hatefull to repeate necessarily attend on the fornamed absurdity vvhich I leaue as bones for Puritans to gnavv on and vvill aduance my pen to more profitable discourses THE SEAVENTEENTH CONTROVERSY DEMONSTRATETH That our Iustice is inherent in vs and not imputed only against Doctour Whitaker Doctor Fulke and Maister Abbot CHAP. I. MAISTER Whitaker M. Abbot and the rest of their crew who deny the perfect remission of sins in the beautifull flocke of Christs chosen sheep which come vp from the lauatory of sacred Baptisme Cantiâ— 6. v. 5. do much more disauow the inward iustice and splendour of their soules which cannot reside with those abyding spots therfore as they hold their christned children faythfull belieuers only rid of their offences by the meere exemptioÌ„ from paine or not imputation of fault so they affirme theÌ„ no otherwise iustifyed beloued of God then by the sole imputation of Christs extrinsecal fauour or outward righteousnes ascribed vnto them But we that haue proued the true forgiuenes and destruction of sinne do likewise maintaine the internall renouation and iustification of man whereby he is not only outwardly accompted iust but inwardly endowed beautifyed and enriched with a heauenly guift or supernaturall quality pleasing vnto God which we tearme with S. Paul our spirit of adoption Rom. 8. v. 15. idem v. 23. Ioan. 3. v. 5. Coloss c. 1. v. 12. 13. Ephes 5. v. 8. 1. Pet. 2 v. 9. the first fruits of the spirit or our new birth our inherent iustice because it doth inherently dwell and inhabite in our soules We teach moreouer that the purgatioÌ„ and remission of our sinnes is formally nothing els then the infusion of that celestiall guift For as this materiall Sunne with the same beames expelleth darcknes and enlightneth the regions of the aire so the true Sunne of Iustice dissolueth the cloudes of iniquity and garnisheth our soules with the selfe same rayes of grace which the Apostle testifyeth Willing vs to giue thankes to God and the â—ulg l â— de remis peâ— c. 4. Concil Trid. sess 6. c. 3. Luc. 15. v. 24. Ephes 2. v. 5. Gal. â— v. 15. Aug. ep 54. Colos 3. v. 9. Basil de spirit sant Chrys in Psal 118. Aug. ep 1â—0 de spir lit c. 27. Father who hath made vs worthy vnto the part of the lot of Saints in the light who hath deliuered vs from the power of darknesse hath translated vs into the kingdome of the Sonne of his loue Again to the Ephesians You were once darknes but now light in our Lord. S. Peter From darcknes he hath called you into his mâ—rueilous light Where he compareth the state of infidelity or vicious life to darckenes the state of iustification to light because it expelleth the mists of sinne adorneth with inward and inherent brightnes the tabernacles of our soules as S. Fulgentiuâ— and the Councell of Trent expound the former place to the Colossians The same is confirmed by many other Texts where we are sayd to receaue life by the benefite of Iustification My sonne was dead and is reuiued When we were dead by sinne God quickned vs togeather in Christ In respect of which we are called A new oreature we are borne againe by a spirituall generation we spoyle our selues of the old man doe on the new c. Which newnes of ours S. Basil calleth The participation of the holy Ghost S. Chrysostome Infused bountifulnes S. Augustine The grace of the new Testament written in the tables of our harts S. Iohn The seed of God which remaineth in vs. S. Paul The excellent grace of God in you the holy spirit of God in which you Ioan. 1. ep c. 3. v. 9. 2. Cor. 9. v. 14. Ephes 4. v. 30. 2. Cor. 4. v. 7. Rom 15. v. 5. are signed a treasure which we haue in earthly vessels Charity diffused into our hartes by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. 2. A thing so cleare that our Aduersaryes haue not the face to gaine-say it But confesse an inward sanctification of the Holy Ghost and alteration of man yet togeather with this sanctification there is still quoth M. Abbot a remaynder of originall corruption by the touch and staine whereof the holynes and newnes that is wrought in vs is defiled Likewise inherent righteousnes although it be the worke of God yet it is soyled in the puddles of our corruption What say you Is sanctification stayned Holynes defiled The worke of God soyled in the puddles of sinne All the fornamed sentences of holy Scripture define the contrary they teach That we cast off the old man and put on the new that we are translated from the power of darknes to the kingdome of light that we were once darknes but now light in our Lord once dead but now aliue to God Likewise the Scripture often recordeth That the Abbot in his defence c. 4. fol. 403. 430. puddles of sinne are cleansed destroyed blotted
out remitted taken away separated from vs. How do they then abide Orabiding not how do they destaine the brightnes of succeeding grace Can the banished darknes ouercome the conquering and preuailing light The oldnes cast off defile the newnesse brought in by Christ The destroyed guilt Ezech. 30. v. 25. Rom 6. v. 6. Act. 3. v. 19. â— Luc. 7. v. 48. Ioan. 1. v 29. Psal 102. v. 12. or death of sinne infect the beauty of restored life Let S. Paul be iudge who speeking of some sanctifyed persons who before had beene fornicatours drunkards idolatours affirmeth These thinges some of you were but you are awashed you are sanctifyed you are iustifyed 3. Now if these faythfull Corinthians were not such as they had beene before if the spots of their fornication drunkenesse idolatry and all other sinnes were cleansed and washed away by the guift of sanctification or true iustification created in theÌ„ how durst you giue the checke 1. Cor. 6. v. â—â— to so great an Apostle and say their sanctification is tainted with the loath some touch of their abyding puddles Salomon auerreth Wisedome will not enter into the malicious soule nor dwell in a body subiect to sinne much lesse will ioyn league and be corrupted with the filthines of sinne Christ Sap. 1 v. 4. cannot accord with Belial nor the Arke of our Lord with the Idoll Dagon no more can sanctifying grace stand togeather 2. Cor. 6. v. 15. with mortall sinne for what participation hath Iustice with iniquity What society is there betweene light and darknesse Marry M. Abbot will contract a society between them at least 1. Reg. 5. in some low degree to which purpose he sayth Doth not Philosophy teach that contraryes are incompatible only in their 2. Cor. 6. v. 14. extremes But hath he quite forgotten or did he not rightly vnderstand of what contraryes that was meant The Philosophers speake of some positiue not of priuatiue coÌ„traryes Abbot in his defence c. 2. f. 171. whereof the one is the habit the other the priuation of these no Logicke or Philosophy euer taught they could reside togeather in the same subiect in any remisse degree as one cannot be both dead and aliue bereft of sight and enioy it also at the same instant such contraryes are infused grace and mortall sinne therefore they cannot comply in any measure the one with the other for a deadly crime howsoeuer it be resisted and curbed of his raigne which is al you pretend to linke it with grace yet so long as it formally dwelleth soiourneth in man it must needes denominate and make him a sinner for euery forme giueth the formal effect to the subiect it informeth If a sinner a slaue to sinne starcke dead to God wholy bereft of his fauour truly hated and abhorred of him throughly vncleane and deseruedly guilty of eternal damnation therefore he cannot possibly at the same tyme by any sparke of grace be aliue to God enioy his fauour be accepted and beloued of him be truely cleane and Medina iâ— 1. 2. q. 113. art 2. Caiet ibid Vasq in 1. 2. disp 10. 4. c. 4. 51 worthy of his kingdome The soule which by sinne is the aduoutresse of the Diuell and thrall of Sathan cannot be also the spouse of Christ and the adopted child of God vnles it be by such vnequall shares as that which is the Diuells by true possession of inherent sinne you will account to be Gods by outward clayme of imputatioÌ„ only and make the Prince of darcknes too strong an armed man to be presently cast forth by the King of heauen 4. The Fathers likewise so much abhorre this diabolicall Luc. 11. v. 21. Phrensy that the Diuell should haue any part in vs who are renewed in Christ or that the tainture of our contagion should staine the sanctification wrought by Chrys ho. 40. in â—5 â— ad Cor. S. Basil in psal 23. August tract 9. in ep Ioan Hier. l. 3. cont Pela Euseb de corp sang Dei Niss l. de perfec homin forma Macar l. de lib. arbit VVhitaker in his answere to Campians 8. reason Fulk in c. 4 ad Ephes sect 2. Abbot in â—is 4. c. sect 10. VVhitaâ— vbi supra Aug. l. 6. 〈◊〉 Iul. â— â— him as they contrarywise teach that our inward renouation euer expelleth the dregs of mortall and sometyms also venial default which I inuincibly proued in the precedent Controuersy and maketh our soules as S. Chrysostome sayth more pure then the beames of the Sunne so amyable to God as he sitteth according to S. Basil in the shining soule making it as it were his throne for which cause S. Augustine calleth that internall sanctification the beauty of our soule S. Hierome The purity of our soule Eusebius Hidden purity Macarius A certaine hidden or mysticall garment of heauenly beauty But Protestants do answere how beautifull soeuer that grace may seeme it only declareth quoth Whitaker the good will clemency of God towards vs it is the effect not the cause of our Iustification This renouation sayth Fulke is only begun in this life and not perfected These beames quoth M. Abbot are too dimme and darke to iustify vs in the sight of God for that righteousnes that iustifying grace they place with Whitaker in the free mercy and fauour of God who reconciled vs to himselfe in Christ that according to them is in God only and not in vs vnles it be by meere imputation but I will manifestly proue first that our inward renouation is perfect and pure from the staine of sinne though not from the defects and infirmityes which haue sprong vp from sinne secondly that grace by which we are iustifyed is inherent in vs and not in Christ thirdly that that inherent grace or inward iustice doth truly instify vs before the face of God 5. The first is testifyed by S. Augustine saying Grace doth now perfectly renew man so far forth as it appertayneth to the dâ—â—â—â—erance wholy from all sinnes not so farre as it belongeth to the freedome from all euills Againe In Christian baptisme perfect newnes and perfect health is attayned from those euills by which we were guilty not from these with which we must yet combate least Ibid. c. 7. Augu. de nat gra c. 42. Augu. de gra Christ l. â— c. 30. De sprit literae cap. 32. Lib. de nat grat cap. 63. we become guilty speaking of charity by which this renouation is made he sayth Charity it selfe is most true most plenteous most perfect iustice The second is also warranted by the same S. Augustine who expresly affirmeth The grace by which we are iustifyed not to be Gods gracious and extrinsecall fauour but his charity diffused into our harts by the Holy Ghost who is giuen vs and this charity not to be that by which he loueth vs but that by which he maketh vs louers of him Likewise by this only charity
the first encounter beaten to the ground 14. For the scope and tenour of the Apostles Analogy doth not consist in the manner but in the cause of Christs being made sinne to the end he might make vs iust albeit in a different sort he made sinne by a meere imputation because it was impossible for him to be truly a sinner we properly and truly iust because it is more Tit. 2. v. 24. Leuit 4. v. 11. 24. Ezec. 44. v. 29. Osee 4. v. 8 honourable and glorious vnto Christ to cleanse to himselfe a people acceptable to enrich and endow vs with the treasures of his inherent iustice then to leaue our filth and ordure ouershaddowed with the mantle of his externall righteousnes Secondly Christ is sayd to be made sinne that is an hoast and sacrifice for the extirpation of sinne So the Hebrew word Chattat peccatum Sinne often signifyeth a victime for sinne as in Leuiticus Ezechiel and Osee peccatum * Hebraicé Chattat Peccatum in the latin it is Pecca ta populi mei comedent they shall eate the sinne of my people that is the hoast or victime for their sinne Therfore as Christ was not by the meanes of another but in his owne person truly and really made a sacrifice for sin so we not only by imputation but truely and really in our selues ought to be the iustice of God in him And the Apostle elegantly sayth that we must be not iust but the iustice of God in Christ to oppose it to sinne signifying withall that it is the effect and likenes of Gods increated iustice by infused and created charity communicated vnto vs as S. Cyril expoundeth it or for that it is giuen vs Cyril l. 22. the saur c 3. August l. de spirit lit c. 18. Chrys Theoph. in bunc loc through the merits of Christ from God according to S. Augustin or lastly to betoken the excellency of the Iustice which leaueth no spot or blemish of sinne but maketh vs as it were wholy Grace wholy Iustice it selfe as S. Chrysostome and Theophilict do insinuate 15. Another argument they take out of the first to the Ephesians He hath gratifyed vs in his beloued Sonne or as they to boulster their heresy corruptly translate he hath made vs Ephes 1. v. 6. 3. acceptable in the beloued As though we were only outwardly accepted by the fauour of his Sonne not in wardly endowed with the participation of his Iustice how beit the In the Bible set forth by his Maiesty Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not only import to accept as gracious but to make gracious and acceptable indeed by communicating vnto vs inherent iustice in ward ornaments by which God maketh our soule as S. Chrysostome sayth pulchram desiderabilem ac dilectam beautifull Chrys in â—um loc desired and beloued of him 16. Thirdly Whitaker and Fulke obiect out of S. Paul to the Corinthians Christ is made vnto vs from God wisedom VVhitaker in his answere to 3. reason of â—â— Campian Fulk in c. 2. ad Cor. sect 2. 3. Cor. 1. v. 30. righteousnes sanctification and redemption Therefore say they our righteousnes is placed in Christ not heaped vp with our vertues But the contrary is gathered out of the same wordes for Christ is there affirmed to be our righteousnes as he is our sanctification and wisedome now he is our sanctification as they themselues agree by inherent sanctity our wisedome likewise by the habit or guift of wisedome infused into vs Therefore our righteousnes or iustice rather by created iustice imparted to our soules I answere againe that Christ is called our iustice diuers and sundry wayes 1. In the way of Communication because the perfectioÌ„s of the head are communicated to the body 2. In way of Richardus Tap. in explica ar de iustif Stapl l. 7. de iustit imputat c. 9. Rom. 8. v. 29. Bernard ep 190. assimilation for that God the Father hath predestinated vs to be made conformable to the Image of his Sonne 3. In way of satisfaction because he hath fully satisfyed for the debt of our sinnes which satisfaction of his is applyed vnto vs and made ours indeed by imputation as S. Bernard testifyeth yet not without true and inherent iustice also in our selues 4. In the way of merit for that he hath merited and purchased for vs true iustice from the handes of God 5. In the way of causality for that he is also togeather with God the efficient cause of our sanctification and iustice These and other causes which Protestants ignorantly Concil Trid sess 6 c. 7. Aug. l. de spirit â—it c. 9. in psal 30. Hier. dial aduers Pâ—lag mingle and confound the holy Councell of Trent doth wisely distinguish and set downe in this manner The sinall cause of our iustification is the glory of God of Christ eternall life the efficient God the ineritorious his beloued Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ c. the instrument all baptisme c. the only formall cause is the iustice of God not that by which he is iust but by which he maketh vs iust by which he cloatheth man as S. Augustine speaketh when he iustifyeth the wicked or as he saith in another place which God imparteth that man may be iust which S. Hierome S. Bernard and sundry reasons manifestly Bernard epist 290. approue as I shall more plentifully discouer in the Chapter ensuing THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The former doctrine is confirmed by more reasoÌ„s authorityes and other obiections of our Aduersaryes refuted AS the in-bred naughtynes of Originall infection neuer cleanly rinsed or scoured out is the sluse of filthines in Protestants iudgment and roote of al their impious opinions which I named aboue so the heauenly beame of inhabitant grace which garnisheth the soules of Christs faythfull seruants is the head well-spring according to vs of all the good that proceedeth from vs. This iustifyeth vs before the Tribunal of his highnesse this maketh our works pleasing to his Maiesty this aduanceth them to the dignity of merit this purchaseth the crowne of reward this ministreth power and ability to fullfill his Commandments and whatsoeuer els we do acceptable to him and worthy of his kingdome al floweth from the veines of this celestiall fountaine Therfore I labour to fense and strengthen it further with some other impregnable reasons 2. The first prosecuted by Andreas Vega is to this purpose The iustice which Adam had before his fall was not imputatiue but inherent and true Iustice which made him amyable and gratefull in the sight of God as all the Vega l. 7. in Concil Trid. c. 22. Fathers and our aduersaryes with them generally confesse but the same Iustice is restored vnto vs by the merits of Christ which we lost in Adam therefore true Iustice before God is heere communicated to our soules by the benefit Rom. 5. of his passion The minor
proposition is taught by the Apostle that we receaue by Christ more then we lost by Adam Aug. tom 3. de Gen. l. 6. c. 21. Aug. l. dâ— spir lit cap. 21. Iraen l. 3. c. 20 Cyril l. 1â— in Ioan. â— 25. and subscribed vnto by S. Augustine saying We receaue not the immortality of a spirituall body which man had not but we receaue Iustice from which by sinne man was fallen And in another place he affirmeth in the inward man renewed by the grace of Christ that iustice to be written which fault had cancelled By S. Irenaeus who teacheth that the SoÌ„ne of God was to this end incarnate that that which we had last lost in Adam of the Image and likeness of God we might recouer in Christ Iesus By S. Cyrill Patriarch of Alexandria the nature of man to be sanctifyed is to be reformed and renewed by participation of the spirit according to the first image that inuested with that first grace we may ouercome the raigning sinne adhering to diuine charity and wholy giuen to the study of vertue and so the law of the flesh being vanquished we may preserue inuiolable the beauty of the image imprinted in vs. 3. Doctour Abbot ouer-borne with the weight of this reason and poise of some of the former auctorityes Abbot â— 4. sect 13. fol. 431. plainely affirmeth that Christ came to restore the inherent Iustice we lost in Adam yet so as he beginneth but doth not perfect it as long as we continue in this life and therfore inherent Iustice is not such in any men heere as that therby he can be found iust in the sight of God Yes you cannot deny but that Adams iustice before his fall was such as it made him iust in the sight of God but these Fathers contest that we partake by the merits of Christ that iustice from which by sinne man was fallen that which fault had cancelled yea sayth M. Abbot we receaue the same not really but in hope Neither Abbot lol citato will this serue your turne for in hope we possesse the immortality of our bodyes of which notwithstanding S. Augustine affirmeth we receaue not the immortality of a spirituall body c. but receaue Iustice therfore we receaue this really and not only in hope as we do immortality Besides he testifyeth this iustice to be giuen when man is renewed by grace which not only the holy Scriptures but your selues also confesse to be really performed euen in this life S. Cyrill auoucheth the like with whome Irenaeus agreeth in such perspicuous tearmes as no shift can be deuised to expound them otherwise Andreas Vega vbi supra 4. The second reason insinuated by the fornamed Vega is that one and the same thing can neuer be both the efficient and formall cause of the same effect The Sunne for example cannot be the cause of heate and be the heat itselfe which is produced but the Iustice of Christ is the cause of our iustification and that by producing iustice in vs for of his fullnes we al partake more or lesse according to the measure of his donation Which cannot be meant of imputatiue iustice which without limitation or proportion of measure is equally referred to euery one therefore of inherent wherof Christs iustice being the efficient cannot be also the formall cause or if it be how is it also the free fauour and mercy of God as Protestants VVhitak in his answere to 8. reason of M. Campian fol. 228. likewise vnaduisedly teach How doth Whitaker auouch We acknowledge no other iustifying grace then the great and free mercy of God whereby he did elect and predestinate vs in Christ before all eternity vnto life euerlasting And yet he sayth a little after This obedience of Christ imputed vnto vs and apprehended by fayth is that righteousnes of ours which you enquire after Ibid. fol. 229. What Is the obededience of Christ all one with the mercy goodnes of God the humility of him that obeyeth with the greatnes of him who is obeyed Or do such diuers causes both worke the same formall effect I need not wonder at your ignorance in points of diuinity who are so little seene in the principles of Philosophy 5. The third reason is the diuine grace with which we are heere iustifyed vpon earth is the same which shal be heereafter crowned in heauen for the reward of glory is there proportioned to the small pittance of iustice or 2. Cor. 9. v. 6. great measure of grace which heere we obtaine He that soweth sparingly sparingly also shall reap and he that soweth in blessings of blessings also shall reape Now the haruest of celestiall iustice which we shall heereafter enioy is not imputatiue but such as shall inhere and beautify our soules therefore that which is heere either infused by God or which we purchase by our good workes is likewise in herent and dwelling in vs. 6. The fourth reason if by the iustice of Christapprehended and applyed vnto vs by fayth we be formally iust we should all equally participate the perfection of iustice one could not be more holy righteous and iust Ioan. 14. v. 2. Hiero. l. 2. aduers Iouin 1. Cor. 15. v. 41. 42. â—eild in his 3. booke of the Church c. 30. fol. 140. then another and consequently because according to the proportion of iustice the crown of glory is assigned there should be no distinction of glory no difference of reward in heauen contrary to that of Christ In the house of my Father there be many mansions of the Apostle One glory of the Sunne another glory of the stars for starre differeth from starre in glory so also the resurrection of the dead And wheras M. Feild auoucheth That from imputed righteousnes which is equall in all men no imparity of ioy can flow c. but from the imparity of inherent righteousnes it is that there are so different degrees of ioy glory found among the Saints of God that are in heauen he auoucheth two thinges which countenance our doctrine the one directly that our iustice is inherent the other coÌ„sequently that this inherent iustice is perfect entiere cleane from al impurity and wholy pleasing to God otherwise it could not deserue any reward at his handes it could not be renowned honoured nor yet admitted into that pure and immaculate kingdome into which no defiled thing can enter 7. Fiftly the Iustice with which baptized infants are endowed by the water of regeneration is not the extrinsecal Iustice of Christ apprehended by an act of fayth which sucklings depriued of reason cannot haue but they are iustifyed as M. Feild with vs auerreth and striueth to wrest the meaning of Luther with the habits or potentiall habilityes of Fayth Hope and Charity but according to S. Augustine Feild in his 3. booke of the Church c. 44. Aug. l. 1. de peccat merit c. 9. God giueth to the faythfull the most secret grace of
be also inherent and acceptable vnto him 12. Lastly why are the faythfull outwardly accepted only as iust not inwardly inuested with the garment of Iustice It is because God will not honour them so much whome he most dearly loueth for his Sonnes sake This cannot be It derogaterh from the riches of his infinite goodnes Or because Christ with his bitter Passion hath not made so great a purchase This were to debase the treasure of his incomparable merits Is it because God cannot endow a fraile creature with so rich a rayment But thus you blaspheme the Maiesty and power of God What then Doth it plant humility Doth it enkinkle in our harts the loue of God As though the smoak of pride the ordure of hatred the contagion of sinne abyding in our souls were apter fuell to nourish vertue then the seeds of grace the ofspring of Iustice the habits of Charity Meeknes Piety and the like Or lastly doth it tend to the greater glory of God and renowne of Christ Not so for it is far more honourable to God to haue all his seruants suited in the liuery of his beloued Sonne far more for the crowne and dignity of Christ that we be all clad in his Courtely robes all shine with the inward beames of his righteousnes then that apparelled in the raggs of our own miseryes we seeme to be cloathed with the couerture of his Iustice Is it not more stately and magnifical for a Prince to be rich welthy and valiant himselfe and without any impouerishing or diminution to his owne estate to endow his subiects with the like qualityes and store of riches receiued from him and still continued by the benefit of his fauour then he in all his pompe to be attended on by beggarly ignorant and cowardly vassals Is it not more credit for a Maister to be deeply learned to make his Schollers also florish with learning then for them deuoyd of all good literature meerly to vaunt of their Maisters skill So it is more glory to God more honour to Christ for him to abound with such an Ocean of grace or welspring of iustice as without any losse hinderance or diminution Dionys l. de diuinis nomin c. 4. S. Thom. 1. part q. â— he may deriue the riuers of true Iustice to others then if he alone should swimme in all aboundance and leaue his followers dry barraine and wholy destitute of that celestiall dew Chiefly sith it is the nature soueraigne property of goodnes according to S. Dionysius and all Deuines to diffuse and communicate it selfe to others and therefore as the bounty wisedome beauty and other Aug. l. 1. de peccat mer. c. 9. 10 Aug. in psal 98. Ipsam iustitiam ipse in nobis fecit qua illi plaâ—eamus Cyril l. 6. de Trinit Hieron l. 1. 3. aduers Pelag Basil l. 1. de Bapt. c. 2. Amb. l. 6. exam c. 8. Vener Beda in c. 11. Matth. attributes of God are made more glorious by imparting them to men in some inferiour degree why should not the Iustice of Christ become more illustrious by communicating it in some conuenient measure to the faithfull of his flocke Which according to my custome I will now corroborate with the authorityes of Fathers 13. S. Augustine They are iustifyed in Christ that belieue in him through the secret communication and inspiration of spiritualgrace whereby euery one leaneth to our Lord. Againe We are impious he the iustifyer when as he hath created in vs that iustice it selfe by which we may please him Behould we are not only sanctifyed but iustifyed also through the secret communication and inspiration of grace and that grace the iustice it selfe created in vs by which we please God S. Cyril The spirit is a heat who as soone as he hath infused charity into vs and hath with the fire of it inflamed our mindes we haue euen then obtayned Iustice. The like hath S. Hierome S. Basil S. Ambrose and Venerable Bede houldeth it to be a sinne against the Holy Ghost to deny his grace by which sins are remitted to be giuen in Baptisme Eucharist and the rest of the Sacraments I cyte not Origen because the Centurists reprehend him That he doth with open mouth declaime Cent. 3. â— 4. Column 78. Idem Column 82. Cent. 2. c. 4. Colum. 58. Cent. 4. c. 10. Col. â— 49. Luth. in commen S. Petri. Calu. l. 3. instit c. 1◠§. 15 Kemnitius in 1. part examinat Concil Trident. Patribus non mouemus litem Kemnitius ibid. paulâ— post of the Iustice of Iob nor S. Cyprian whome they also blame for saying The baptizing person imparteth the holy Ghost and inwardly sanctifyeth the baptized nor Clemens Alexandrinus of whom they report That in all his writings it appeareth he neuer knew the force of Originall sinne or the inherent malady thereof Likewise touching S. Hierome they approue that saying of Luther This point which in Christian doctrine is to be vndoubtely established that in Saints sinne abydeth was neuer by Hierome vnderstood And why did neither Hierome nor Clement vnderstand it but only because they teach with vs the infection of Originall sinne to be wholy extinguished by the inhabitant grace or Iustice of our soules Moreouer Caluin of S. Augustine touching this point sayth The very sentence of Augustine or at least his manner of speaking is not altogeather to be receaued And Kemnitius of many other Fathers writeth We sue not processe against the Fathers albeit they commonly take the word to iustify for the renewing therby the workes of righteousnes are wrought in vs. Againe I am not ignorant that the Fathers do often vse the word iustify in this signification namely to make inherently iust Thus you haue the sentence of S. Augustine the doctrine of S. Cyprian of Origen of S. Hierome of S. Clemens Alexandrinus and the common current of the Fathers speach running on our side by the partiall iudgment of no meane Protestants VVhitak in his answere to 8. reason of M. Campian fol. 231. Abbot in his defence c. 4. sect 5. 2. Cor. 5. v. 19. Psal 3â— v. 1. 14. Howbeit from these testimonyes of Fathers and deposition of their owne associates Whitaker and M. Abbot make their appeale once againe to the Tribunall of holy Scripture and to those places by name wherein our sinnes are sayd to be couered not imputed hidden c. As God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe not imputing to them their sinnes And blessed is the man whose iniquityes be forgiuen and whose sinnes are hidden or couered Likewise blessed is he to whome the Lord imputeth no sinne To which I haue answered in the former Controuersy now I add that three seuerall wayes a thing may be couered First we couer things to preserue them as sweet oyntments or perfumes least they loose their sent fragrant odour Secondly to hide and conceale them from our eyes by reasoÌ„ of their loathsomnes which we cannot otherwise
destroy or ridd out of the way Thirdly to remoue and extinguish them quite as the Surgeon with salues couereth our woundes to cure take away and free vs from them and as Christ spread clay on the blind mans eyes thereby to heale them Now God cannot couer our sinnes either the first or second way because nothing can be immediatly kept and preserued by him which is not good nothing loathsome which may be hid from his sight or which if he list he cannot abolish therefore he must needs couer them after the third and last manner as S. Augustine August conc 2. in psal 31. Nazian orat de Baptism Gregor Papa in psal ◠poenitent S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Gregory the Great declare by healing and expelling them with the rich emplaister of his heauenly grace by cloathing vs with the shining vestement of charity with the glittering robes of vertue which inwardly deck and adorne our soules 15. Not to impute is so perfectly to expell so throughly to cure the feuer of sinne as no infirmity no fayntnes no vntovvard habit or crooked inclination remaine behind therfore S. Hierome admirably vvell sayth Sinnes by Baptisme are remitted by charity couered by martyrdome Hiron in Psal 31. not imputed Because Martyrdome taketh avvay all the reliques not only of fault but also of punishment or other infirmityes which ensue of sinne 16. Then against the aforesayd sentences of the Fathers they oppose other testimonyes wrenched by them to a contrary sense M. Abbot vrgeth this place of S. Augustine Abbot in his defence c. 4. f. 411. 412. Augu. in Ioan. tract ◠All that are iustifyed by Christ are iustifyed not in themselues but in him if a man aske of them in themselues they are Adam if in him they are Christ Which wordes make for vs for how are we Adam but by corruption of nature transfused frō him Hovv Christ but by infusion likevvise of grace deriued vnto vs from the sea of his merits And so it is true that all are iustifyed not in themselues as they descend enter into the world the sonnes of Adam but in Christ as they are regenerated in him and by his spirit of adoptiō August ibid. powred into their soules inwardly renewed the children of God Thus S. Augustine interpreteth himselfe in the same place As in Adam all dyed so in Christ al shal be quickned VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum Bernard in Cant. serm 61. Abbot vbi supra fol. 419. 420. Who appertaine to Adam All that are borne of Adam Who of Christ All that are borne of Christ 17. Secondly Whitaker obiecteth this sentence of S. Bernard which M. Abbot also very gloriously displayeth I will sing the mercyes of the Lord for euer Shall I sing of my owne righteousnes Lord I will remember thy righteousnes for that is myne also for thou art made vnto me righteousnes of God Am I to stand in feare least one righteousnes be not sufficient for vs both Abbot in his defence c. 4. sect 8. fol. 420. Prouer. 10. v. 12. 1. Pet. 4. v. 8. Note that by the name of multitude all sinnes are meant therfore Salomon sayth Prouer 10. v. 12. Vniuersa delicta operit Charitas Charity couereth all sinnes Abbot ibidem Is it not a short cloake such as cannot couer two this righteousnes being large and euerlasting shall largely couer both thee and me in me verily it couereth a multitude of sinnes but in thee what but the treasures of piety the riches of Goodnes I answere that the iustice of Christ which couereth vs is inherent in vs and tearmed Christs by S. Bernard because he with his bitter Passion merited it and through his mercyfull goodnes bestoweth it vpon vs. But sayth M. Abbot The righteousnes heere spoken of is but one and only one it is righteousnes sufficient both for Christ and vs it couereth both Christ and vs it couereth in vs a multitude of sinnes and in him the riches of mercy And is this meant of inherent righteousnes Yes good Syr the inherent iustice of Christ couereth in him the treasures of piety his inherent iustice communicated vnto vs couereth in vs the multitude of sinnes which is both King Salomons and S. Peters phrase writing of charity diffused into our soules Charity couereth the multitude of sinnes or all sinnes according to King Salomon and it truly performeth it by remitting thē by restoring the vestment of grace the couerture of Iustice of which sinnes depriued vs as I haue already expounded the meaning of that word 18. How is this righteousnes then quoth he againe called one and a holy one if it be resident both in Christ and vs I will shew him by this familiar example The light which inhereth in the globe of the Sunne which garnisheth the heauens which illuminateth the earth which cleaueth on the wall and which shineth in our eyes although it be as the Philosophers say numero distinct yet it is tearmed the one and the only light of the Sunne it is sufficient to compasse the heauens and reflect on the earth it is not ouer scant to reach vnto both there it adorneth the beauty of the stars heer it enlightneth the dungeons of darknes our prisons of clay Cōpare the Iustice of Christ with the beames of the Sunne confront S. Bernards sentence with this saying of myne tell me what absurdity yee find in the one speach more then in the other Tel me why the iustice inhabiting in vs may not be stiled Christs the Iustice only of Christ seeing it is only deriued from Christ only merited by Christ if we speake of the first finally ordained to the glory of Christ as the light inherent in the ayre is called the light of the Sunne and the light only of the Sunne Why likewise may not his iustice be counted large inough to couer himselfe vs with the robe of in ward Iustice apparelling both as the light of the Sunne is resplendent and powerfull inough to illuminate all the celestial orbes and al the clymates of the earth by true light abyding in them all 19. In fine when our Aduersaryes can scrape no syllable out of Scripture nor sentence out of Fathers to vnderprop their errours they quarrell at lenght with vs for countenancing the like namely that by Popes Indulgences as M. Abbot obiecteth we may be maile partakers of the merits Abbot in his defence c. 4. f. 411. VVhitak l. 8. aduer Duraum pag. 581. and good workes one of another Wherupon Whitaker thus insulteth ouer vs If the merits of Saints as you thinke can make them moreiust in whome they are not inherent what an impious and absurd thing were it to giue lesse power of imputation to the merits and righteousnes of Christ Nay What an impious diabolicall slaunder haue you coyned Do we thinke M. Whitaker or did we euer dreame that the Iustice or merits of Saints do formally denominate or make vs iust Do
we attribute lesse power of imputation to their merits then to the merits of Christ when we vtterly deny the imputation of theirs and absolutly graunt the imputation of his yet that it sufficeth not to make vs truely iust But concerning Saints we only hould that their merits may by way of impetration obtaine for vs increase of grace We teach that the surplusage of their satisfactions may by holy indulgences be applyed vnto vs but that their merits should be thus applyed we neuer teach Christ only say we hath merited for himselfe and vs his obedience his humility his iustice hath beene only the efficient and meritorious cause of our Iustice and not the merit of any Saint or Angell whosoeuer 20. Therefore that which M. Abbot reciteth out of Abbot loc citato Matth. Paris in Hen. 3. Matthew of Paris of the Cistercian Friers who communicated vnto other the participation of their good workes is only vnderstood of their penall and satisfactory works which by reason of the neere coniunction and mutuall intercourse that is betweene the members of Christs mysticall body are not only profitablle to the doers but appliable also to the benefit of any their fellow-mem-bers after which sort we graunt that the PassioÌ„s of Christ are far more forcibly applyed vnto vs and the sufferings of Saints as dedicated and consecrated by the dignity of Coloss 1. v. 24. 2. Cor. â— v. 6. Cypr. ep 13. 14. 15. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraum â—ag 60. Abbot in hâ—s 〈◊〉 cap. 4. Perkins in his reforms Cath. c. 4. his pretious bloud So S. Paul reioyced in his tribulations one while for the Colossians another while for the Corinthians And the Martyrs of the primitiue Church often communicated vnto others the fruit of their bands chains and afflictions for although one cannot as I say properly merit for his friend yet he may beare the burden and discharge the debt which he oweth Hence our Aduersaryes picke a new occasion of quarrell for say they as one may be truly freed from his debt released out of prison by the payment which another disburseth for him so we may be truly made iust by the iustice of Christ by which he intierly pleased and fully satisfyed the law of God But the difference and disparity is cleare for to discharge the foresayd debt is an extrinsecall actioÌ„ which may be performed by another and accepted of by the creditor as the payment of the debter but to be made iust is an intrinsecal thing which requireth an intrinsecal forme and cannot be truly wrought by any outward denomination Secondly as the payment which is made for a captiue is not his releasement out of prison or the liberty to which he is restored but the procurement and cause thereof so the ransome which Christ gaue for our redemption the Iustice which he purchased to himselfe in our behalfe is not the liberty of Iustice or freedom from fault which he imparteth to vs but the true cause which meriteth and procureth those effectes by inward grace infused into our soules Auant therfore you accursed Sectaryes auant you enemyes of Christ and cruell robbers of men who rob and despoyle them of the chiefestiewell of their soule Auant you pleaders for contagious sinne And thou O faythfull Christian washed with the bloud and enamelled with the beauty of thy celestiall spouse admire the brightnes of thy inward iustice admire the splendour of thy wedding garmeÌ„t triumph with the glory of that heauenly weed thy stole of ioy thy mantle of honour thy dowry of blisse pleadge of immortality yet triumph with humility for feare of loosing it triumph with gratefullnes praysing the giuer of so faire a liuery And with the cooperation of his grace who hath clad thee with it labour to keep it from all staine and infection labour to preserue it heere vnblemishhed and present it after white immaculate before the throne of mercy THE EIGHTEENTH CONTROVERSY IN WHICH It is proued that Fayth Hope Feare Loue Sorrow c. precede as dispositions to Iustification in such as are arriued to the vse of Reason against D. Fulke and Maister Abbot CHAP. I. HAVING inuincibly demoÌ„strated that our Iustification is not imputatiue but inherent adorning and dwelling in vs three other questions heereupoÌ„ Fulke in c. 2. Iacobi sect 9. Abbot in his defence c. 1. sect 5. cap. 4. sect 1. sect 20. fol. 467 arise First how we may be disposed and prepared to attaine this heauenly grace pretious gemme of oursoules Secondly in what vertue it principally consisteth whether in Fayth orin Charity Thirdly by what meanes it may be afterwards nourished and increased Of all these in their due place Now concerning the first Fulke peremptorily denyeth all dispositions and preparations of mans hart by prayer or other meanes to procure his first iustification And M. Abbot in his defence of Perkins most bitterly inueigheth against them as the reliques of Pelagianisme and stifly contendeth that man before Iustice can no more intreate aske or dispose himselfe to grace no not by the ayde of God then a dead man only helped can prepare himselfe to his resurrection Notwithstanding we constantly teach that sinners endued with the vse of reason do vse the help of sundry vertues as preparations or manuductions to guide and bring them to the fauour of God as the holy Scripturs manifestly teach Be prepared O Israel Amos 4. v. 12. 1. Reg. 7. v. 3. Prouer. 16. v. 1. to meet thy God And Prepare your harts to our Lord. It pertayueth to man to prepare his hart Which holy and behoofull preparations commonly proceed in this manner He who by the inspiration of God beleeueth in him and considereth the seuerity of his iustice depth of his iudgments riches of his mercy goodnes benignity patience c. and remembreth withall the multitude and enormity of his sinnes first conceaueth a Feare of his most terrible dreadfull punishments Feare stirreth vp hope of mercy pardon and forgiuenes Hope enkindleth loue of so good and bountifull a Lord Loue breaketh into sorrow and repentance of former defaults Sorrow accompanyed with the precedent vertues and full purpose of amendement inclineth the hart of our heauenly Father to cleanse Hebr. 11. v. 6. Habac. 2. v. 4. Ecclesiast 1. v. 28. Prouer. â—4 v. 27. Prouerb 1. v. 7. Rom. 8. v. 24. Psal 36. v. 40 and remit all our iniquityes And that these vertues doe not follow as sequels but go before as preparations necessary to iustification we proue by the same arguments by which they conuince the precedency or necessity of fayth for as fayth is required because it is written Without fayth it is impossible to please God And The iust man liueth by fayth c. so feare of God is likewise necessary because of that it also sayd The feare of our Lord expelleth sinne And he that is without feare cannot be iustifyed Againe The feare of our Lord is the
true Iustice consisteth Remission of sinnes sayth he it selfe is not without some merit if fayth do get or impetrate it neither is the merit of fayth none by which fayth he sayd Lord be mercifull to me a sinner and descended iustifyed by the merit of faythfull humility And in the epistle next following But if any man shall say that Fayth doth merit the grace of working well we cannot deny it nay we willingly confesse it c. They therefore that haue fayth by which they obtaine iustification through the grace of God haue arriued to the law of Iustice Likewise in another place This confession sayth he meriteth Iustification 5. The Centurists taxe Tertullian Origen S. Gregory Nissen S. Ephrem S. Hierome for fauouring heerin our doctrine Tertullian say they seemeth to hould that good workes do both goe before and follow fayth for so he auerreth of Patience And in his fourth booke against Marcion he affirmeth the chief cause of Zachaeus iustification to haue been in that he not knowing fullfilled the precept of Isay breake thy bread vnto the hungry In like manner Origen in so many places I cyte their owne wordes ascribeth to workes the preparation to saluation and cause thereof as in his Commentaryes vpon S. Matthew Such truely sayth he as do professe their fayth in Iesus and do not prepare themselues by good workes to saluation are resembled to the foolish Virgins And in his homilyes vpon Iosue The habitation or dwelling of God in vs he attributeth to our merits that is to our merits of congruity as S. Augustine taught whome I cyted before Then they reprehend and labour to refell this saying Cent. 4. c. 10. Colum. 953. Nissen l. de vita Moys Cent. 4 c. 4. Colum. â—94 Ephrem l. 2. de compunct cor cap. 8. Cent. 4. c. 10. Col. 1249. of S. Gregory Nissen The grace of the holy Ghost dwelleth not in man vnles be first mortify in himselfe the force of sinne They accuse S. Ephrem for teaching that Contrition doth merit remission of sinnes Wherupon they reiect this as one of his blemished places Who doth not admire that God by the teares of this short space forgiueth sinnes and that we gauled with the sore of a thousand woundes he at the eleuenth houre cureth vs by teares Againe When he hath healed vs he rendreth the reward of tears S. Hierome also they blame because in his commentary vpon the prayer of Ieremy Nimium tribuit contritioni he attributeth too much to contrition they blame him likewise for houlding That Cornelius receaued the holy Ghost by the works of the naturall law by which Abraham Moyses and other Saints were also iustifyed What S. Hierome there meaneth by receauing the holy Ghost and whether Cornelius were S. Basil reg 224. ex breuior Greg. hom â— in Ezech. iustifyed before the comming of S. Peter I referre my Reader to the expositours vpon that place and certaine it is that S. Basil S. Gregory do insinuate that the almes prayers and other morall good workes which Cornelius wrought were acceptable preparatiues to moue God to mercy and to communicate vnto him the grace of inherent Iustice Which preparation Prosper expresly acknowledgeth and freeth it from the heresy of the Pelagians Prosp l. de lib. arbitr ad Ruffin Beda in hunc locuÌ„ saying that they did not vnderstand that preparation of Cornelius to be made by Gods grace as we do And Venerable Bede out of S. Gregory affirmeth of the same Cornelius He knew God Creatour of all but that his omnipotent Sonne was incarnate he knew not and in that fayth he made prayers and gaue almes which pleased God and by well doing he deserued to know God perfectly to belieue the mistery of the Incarnation and to come to the Sacrament of Baptisme S. Augustine also thus Because Aug. l. â— de Bapt. c. â— whatsoeuer goodnes he had in prayer and almes the same could not profit him vnles he were by the bands of Christian society and peace incorporated to the Church he is bidden to send vnto Peter that by him he may learne Christ by him he may be baptized Wherby it appeareth that all these allowed his preparatiue workes to deserue in a manner by way of congruity the iustifying grace of the holy Sacrament of Baptisme 6. It is bootlesse to demur any longer on the recitall Rom. 4. Ioan. 20. v. 29. Matth. 8. v. 10. 15. v. 8. Luc. vltim 25. Marc. vlt. v. 14. of other sayings in a point so cleare which Protestants themselues could neuer gainesay vnles they would haue vs worke like stockes and stones or like brute and senseles creatures without freedome and election in the most noble and supernaturall act of our fayth wherein they place the summe of our spirituall life For if that be free as the Holy Ghost declareth it to be commending the fayth of Abraham and of many other that belieued rebuking the incredulity of such as belieued not which he would not haue done if it had not beene in their power to belieue or not to belieue Then it must needs presuppose a pious affection of the will to go before and bend the vnderstanding to assent vnto such hidden misteryes as he imbraceth not only because that alone can affoard it the dignity of freedome but also because the vnderstanding being not inclined by nature nor drawne by the euident sight S. Thoâ— 2. 2. of the obiect nor otherwise inforced cannot possibly as S. Thomas the oracle of Deuines reasoneth giue assent to darke obscure and ineuident articles vnles it be bowed and determined by the force of the will which force and Concil Araus c. 5. Concil Tol. 4. c 55. refer c. de Iudaeis dist 45. August tract 26. in Ioan. Ambr ad Rom. 4. in illa verb. Ei autem quioperatur c. inclination the Arausican Councell tearmeth Initium fidei ipsum credulitatis affectum the beginning of Fayth and the affection it selfe or desire of belieuing And for this cause the fourth Toletan Councell sayth Mentis conuersione quisquis credendo saluatur By the conuersion of his owne mind euery one belieuing is saued S. Augustine recyting many thinges that man may do not willingly immediatly inferreth but belieue he cannot vnles he be willing S. Ambrose To belieue or not belieue is the part of the will for he cannot be forced to that which is not manifest Origen No man is depriued of the possibility of belieuing for this is placed in the arbitrement or choice of man and in the cooperation of grace S. Clemens Alexandrinus The kingdome of heauen is yours if you will c. it is yours if you shall only be willing to belieue Which wordes the Centuristes quote and with their proud and audacious pen censure as Origen ho. 2. in diuersa loca sacrae Scripturae Clement Alexan. in paren Cent. 2. c. 4. Col. 59. Iraen Col. â—8 apud Centur. erroneous As also the like of
ashes no clowd of sinne can depriue the iustifyed person of his right to heauen which do not dismantle him of the robe of Iustice Answere therfore heereunto what you list escape you cannot vnles you leape into some detestable heresy 6. My fourth argument is when the Protestant perswades himselfe or vndoubtedly beleeues the remission of his sinnes either he hath his sinne by that act of fayth remitted before or after he that sayth it is after alloweth his precedent perswasion to be false and deceitfull beleeuing the forgiuenes of his sinnes which then was not he that will haue it before admitteth a remission of sinnes and consequently a true iustification before his beliefe which cannot be for without Fayth it is impossible to please God he who holdeth that his beliefe causeth the remission which it beleeueth will haue his beliefe Gab. Vas in 1. 2. disp 110. c. 3. and knowledge so omnipotent as to make the obiect which it knoweth the mystery it beleueth as if a man by beleeuing himselfe to be a great Lawyer a great Physitian a great Deuine should endow himselfe with the Aug. l. 4. de Genes ad lit c. 32. perfect knowledge of Law Phisicke and Diuinity wherein they seeme to surpasse the nature of God whose knowledge being most efficacious and practicall yet it followeth as Gabriel Vasquez teacheth the obiect it knoweth according to the posteriority of vnderstanding It followeth I say in affirming or knowing it to be true In which sense S. Augustine teacheth that no knowledge can be vnles things knowne precede and we may auow that no fayth can be vnles it first presuppose the article beleeued for as our knowledge is true or false because the obiect we know is such so our beliefe is certaine and vndoubted because the thing is infallible which we beleeue 7. M. Field beholding the ruines this Cannon-shot makes in the walls of their perfidious and faythles perswasion rayseth the engines of his wit to diuert the battery and annoyance thereof and first proposeth the argument thus When men begin to beleeue either they are iust and then their fayth iustifyeth them not being in nature after their iustification Field in his 3. booke of the Church c. 44. or els they are not iust then speciall fayth making a man beleeue he is iust is false and so man is iustifyed by alye To this horned argument we answere sayth he that speciall fayth hath sundry acts but to this purpose specially two the one by way of petition humbly intreating for acceptation and fauour the other in the nature of comfortable assurance consisting in a perswasion that that is graunted which was desired Fayth by her first act obtayneth and worketh our iustification and doth not find vs iust when we begin to beleeue by her second act she doth not actiuely iustify S. Thom. 1. 2. q. 83. â—â—t 3. but finding the thing done certifyeth assureth vs of it c. So then quoth he fayth in her first act is before the iustification procureth or obtayneth it Hitherto M. Feild and very profoundly without doubt distinguisheth fayth into two acts whereof the first he mentioneth is no act of Fayth but a prayer or petition humbly intreating for acceptatioÌ„ Fulk in c. 2. Iacobi sect 9. circa finem Abbot in his defence cap. 4. fol. 487. and fauour which properly as S. Thomas proueth is an act of Religion as much different from fayth as a man from a Calfe And the second seemeth rather to be an assured confidence of the will then any supernatural assent of the vnderstanding in which Fayth consisteth But these thinges I let passe The opposition heere he maketh against his owne adherents the contradicting of Doctour Fulke the ouertwharting of M. Abbot the impugning of another principall and generall article of Protestancy is more remarkable then a priuate absurdity or ignorance of his For to affirme That fayth by way of petition humbly intreâ—â—eth for fauour obtaineth and worketh our iustification and doth not find vs iust is to graunt a certaine kind of preparation congruency merit or disposition to go before the life of grace and iustification of our soules which how earnestly M. Fulke and Doctour Abbot gainesay I haue declared and refuted in the precedent Controuersy Then it is opposite to that common principle which Protestantes maintaine That the captiued will of man concurreth passiuely only to his iustification vntill he be truely iustifyed in Christ. Howbeit M. Field heer teacheth this petition to obtaine to procure to worke our iustification before it be effected which M. Abbot writing against our preparatiue workes of prayer and petition reproueth thus There can be no true prayer without the spirit of grace without the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Abbot c. 4. sect 20. fol. 4 â— Father the spirit of adoption and grace is the spirit of sanctification It followeth then that we pray not but by being first sanctifyed and because sanctification is consequent to iustification it must follow also that iustification must go before prayer Hitherto he warring against M. Feild one Sectary against another as Esay prophesyed of them saying I will make the Aegyptians to run togeather against the Aegyptians a man shall fight against his brother euery man against his friend But I will not further exaggerate these horrible breaches betweene him Isa 29. v. his fellowes I will not intreate M. Field to reconcile his assertion with their other fornamed principles I only desire him to tell me whether the petition which worketh our iustification and doth not find vs iust be in his opinion an act of true iustifying fayth or no Let him answere that it is and he yieldeth that fayth alone doth not iustify he yieldeth this first act to be an act of true fayth and yet that it doth only impetrate and procure iustice and not make vs formerly iust but if the first act of true fayth doth not iustify neither can the second or third or any other ensuing act affoard that benefit for they being all and euery one of the same speciall nature they hauing all the same essentiall forme that effect which in no degree is performed by one cannot be effected by any other except they dreame that one the same vertue should consist of diuers essentiall formes and so by diuers actes yield diuers formall effects which very nature it selfe and euery Puny in Philosophy will condemne of implicancy and contradiction 8. Let him deny it to be an act of iustifying fayth and he denyeth his owne diuision of speciall fayth into sundry acts he deludeth our argument proposed not of any other vertue but of their speciall fayth and of the first act thereof which can be but one and of that one it proceeds whether iustification be before it after it or caused by it as is vrged aboue 9. Againe supposing these two actes into which he brancheth his speciall fayth how is
wit Christ is truly iust before God by Iustice worthy of heauen therefore he that doth iustice is also iust before God by the like iustice or els the similitude S. Iohn maketh is wholy defeated 1. Againe S. Iohn in both places compareth him that worketh iustice and increaseth therein to the peruerse wicked sinner who still continueth heaping sinne vpon sinne but he that walloweth in the filthines of sinne waxeth more filthy not only before men but also before God by hoording vp wrath and extremity of torments against the day of wrath and indignation Therefore he that goeth forward in the course of Iustice augmenteth the same not outwardly in the eyes of men but inwardly in the sight of the highest by increasing heere his treasure of mercy and reward of glory heereafter which S. Paul punctually confirmeth As you haue exhibited your members Rom. 6 â— 19. to serue vncleanes and iniquity vnto iniquity so now exhibite your members to serue iustice vnto sanctification Lo heer sanctification is all one with iustice or it is as Hugo sayth the Hugo in illum locuÌ„ stay or confirmation of Iustice. Besides they that proceed externall workes of iustice increase the summe thereof and become more gratious vnto God euen as when they were subiect to sinne by continual often sinning they Theophil in â—um loc Tertul. de resur carn c. 47. Orig. l. 6. in e. 6. ad Rom. Chrys ho. 12. in c. 6. ad Rom. Ambr. in hunc loc Cùm hic salus illic damnatio operetur augmented their wickednes waxed more odious and detestable in his presence For those words to serue iniquity vnto iniquity are vttered after the Hebrew Phrase which signify as Theophilact noteth as it were an addition of sinne to sinne the like addition is after required of Iustice to Iustice as Tertullian Origen S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose expresly interprete the Apostle of such addition and increase of Iustice by which we obtaine saluation saying He hath commanded vs with the same measure or degree of diligence to serue God with which we serued the Diuell whereas we ought more obsequiously obey God then the Diuell because heere saluation there damnation worketh Heerupon the law of God his very Commandements are tearmed our Iustifications Would God my wayes might be directed to keep thy iustifications My soule hath coueted to desire thy iustifications I was exercised in thy iustifications It is good for me that thou hast humbled me that I Psal 118. v. 5. Vers 120. Vers 48. vers 71. may learne thy iustifications And why is this But because the obseruation and keeping of his law doth make vs truly and perfectly iust because it doth quicken reuiue and giue life to our soules which cannot be without perfect Iustice gratious allowable before the throne of grace whereof the Psalmist in the same place is also witnesse Ibidem v. 93. I will not forget thy iustifications for euer because in them thou hast quickened me And Ezechiel When the impious shall turne away himself from his impiety and do iudgment and iustice he shall Ezech. c. 18. v. 27. viuificate or make his soule to liue 2. Likewise S. Paul auoucheth He that ministreth seed to the sower will giue bread also to eate and will multiply your seed will augment the increase of the fruits of your iustice 2. Cor. 9. v. 10. Theophil in buncloc Anselm in bunc loc Where the Apostle resembleth almesdeeds to seed which sowed in the hands of poore and needy persons yieldeth increase of grace sayth Theophilact in this life and glory in the next or they are compared to seed which he that once soweth twice reapeth according to S. Anselme The fruit thereof abundance of temporall goods in this world of heauenly in the world to come Which supposeth it to be the increase of true iustice and of such whereunto the glory of heauen is due as the very Text it selfe declareth both in this and in the former two places Heere the wordes immediatly before are He distributed he gaue to the poore his iustice remayneth Ibid. v. 9. Rom. 6. v. 21. Apoc. 22. v. 12. for euer In the sixth Chapter to the Romans after the forementioned exhortation it is added You haue your fruit to sanctification but the end life euerlasting In the two twentith of the Apocalips the wordes ensuing are Behould I come quickely and my reward is with me to render to euery man according to his workes Therefore by conference of places and connexion of the Text it euidently appeareth that the Apostle spake of the going forward in true Iustice before God for no other remaineth for euer to no other euerlasting life and reward of glory belongeth For this cause S. Paul prayeth for the Collossians that they may walk Coloss 1. v. 10. worthy of God in all thinges pleasing fructifying in all good workes Euery word strengthneth our cause that we fructify in good workes and in workes pleasing God worthy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God as the Greeke Text more plainly openeth Salomon Feare not to be iustifyed euen to death because the reward of God abydeth for euer Where although M. Abbot out of Caluin contendeth that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betokneth ne differas do thou not procrastinate or delay yet it also signifyeth ne cesses surcease not leaue not off And S. Augustine Eccles 28. v. 23. Abbot c. 4. sect 36. fol. 541. Ang. in speculo ex vtroq Testament ex Ecclesias 1. Pet. 2. v. 2. readeth ne verearis feare not according to our approued vulgar translation S. Peter As infants euen now borne reasonable milke without guile desire you that in it you may grow vnto saluation the * Lâ—â—haije â— Aug. ser 16. de verb. Apost Syriacke hath that in it you may grow to life Both translations import that by going forvvard in vertue vve dayly grovv and increase our saluation our life of grace vpon earth our right and title to the life of glory in heauen vvherupon S. Augustine sayth We are iustifyed but that iustice it selfe increaseth when we profit and go forward Thus he 3. But because the cauilling Protestant will hardly be satisfyed with this expound O Augustine expound yet more playnly what iustice it is in which we increase He telleth you That we proced and increase in that iustification in which we obteyned remission of sinnes by the Aug. ibid. lauer of regneration in that by which we receaued the Holy Ghost in that wherof we haue some part by Fayth some beginning by fayth in that we profit from day to day that is augmented partly by Hope but most of all by Charity as by the most supereminent way demonstrated vnto vs by the Apostle by which our fayth is circumcised and discerned from the fayth of the Diuells And in his second booke against Iulian Iustification in this life according to
l. de Euchar opinion of the Church concerning imputatiue Iustice. The like accusation of the most ancient Fathers made by Bullinger D. Whitguift Humfrey Whitaker and others you may see heereafter recyted in the Treatise of merit and in the first part of this worke in the Controuersy of Satisfaction which more then aboundantly conuinceth the consent Feild in append 1. p. fol. 19. of the Primitiue Church for of the later there is no doubt to be wholy with vs in this substantiall point of Fayth and that our Reformers bandy against it and the long continued current of truth in all tymes and Countryes euer since Howbeit M. Field to win credit with the simple audaciously craketh We no way oppose our selues against the vniuersall resolution and practise of the whole Church which to do Augustine pronounceth insolent madnes Let this then M. Field be your taske or let some of your * Thus S. Ambrose derideth ProtestaÌ„ts before they were hatched l. 10. ep â—p 82. new Maisters take the payns to discouer some other publick or hidden Congregration of theirs some other pastours besids the fornamed who taught your doctrine and reproued our errours in S. Cyprian S. Hierome S. Austine the rest as the true sheepheards watchmeÌ„ ouer the house of God haue alwayes done Were they reckoned such small defects as might be cloaked dissembled And not essentiall not fundameÌ„tall points of fayth which shake the whole ground of Religion Were they whispered in corners by some vnknowne or obscure companions not printed in books preached in pulpits diuulged to the whole world by sundry troups of learned men in such vast Regious kingdomes and not one of your â—olifidian professours to open their mouth against them Shall we expect after so long tyme your wresting of their words to some fauourable exposition of your deuising The Centurists your own Collegues partners in beliefe wanted neither will wit diligence or cunning to haue performed it had they not found their sayings vnanswerable their words vndefeatable the mayne drift scope of their discourses wholy vncapable of other construction Shall we thinke they also fauoured the opinion of Protestants and so breathed out of the same mouth truth falshood fire water heate Pomeran vbi supra cold as Pomerane blasphemeth or which is all one that they contradicted themselues as the Centurists sticke not in plaine tearmes to auerre of Clemens Alexandrinus that famous Cent. 2. c. 4. Colum. 6â— Cent. 5. c. â— Colum. 1008. Writer and Maister to Origen and of Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus It were too notorious a stumbling and headlong course not heard of before that so huge an army of deuout and learned pillers of the Church should all vniformely precipitate and contradict themselues in this sole point In a chiefe point of Fayth and that not once or twice but ech of them diuers and sundry tymes and none to haue the grace to see so great an ouersight or seeing it to amend it to recant it to seeke to reconcile it with other of their sayings no zealous man in the whole world for so many ages who durst note or twite them of it vntill drunken Lutherans enraged with the fury of an Apostata Frier began to espy that horrible Antichristian and often repeated contradiction It is incredible it cannot be imagined or of it could certes they were no Protestants who maintayned beleeued an article of Fayth quite opposite to the life of Protestancy or worse then Infidells who sought to perswade and inculcate to others that which they beleeued not or knew to be falfe Fye vpon such impious Chams as cannot vphold their follyes without disgracing their predecessours who cannot enter the kingdome of heauen without they condemne these Saints into the pit of hell nor become Christians themselues without making them impious Luth. tom 5. in Gal. c. 4. f. 382. hypocrits damnable Idolaters for no better doth Luther account such as dissent from him and his mates in the iustice of only Fayth Let vs heare his words 13. Whosoeuer falleth from the article of Iustification he becommeth ignorant of God and is an Idolater therefore it is all Luth. ibid. fol. 400. one whether he be a Monke a Turke a Iew or Anabaptist for this article once taken away there remayneth nothing but meere errour hipocrisy impiety idolatry although in shew there appeare excellent truth worship of God holynes c. And some VVhitak l. 8. aduers Dureum and in his answere to 〈◊〉 Câ—mpiaÌ„â— râ—ason Abbot in his defence caâ— 4. Fulke vpon sundry of these places against the new Testam few lines after If that face and forme of old papistry stood now if that discipline were obserued now with so much seruerity and rigour as the Hereâ—its as Hierome Augustine Gregory Bernard Francis Dominicke and many others obserued it little perhaps should I profit by my doctrine of Fayth against that state of papistry yet neuertheles after the example of Paul inueighing against the false Apostles in appearance most holy good men I ought to fight against such Iustice workers-of the Papistical kingdome Thus he confessing S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Gregory S. Bernard c. to haue beene iustice-workers of our kingdome and to haue beene bondmen of the law of sinne and the Diuell cast out of the house of God as he wretchedly auoweth in the same place of which some of his followers being since ashamed haue clipped and pared off much of this his discourse in the later editions But it is high time to view the forces wherein the Aduersary confideth 14. The huge host of obiections which the mutinous enemy disorderly leuieth against vs the Tenent of their Ancestours in â—his and the former two Controuersyes I for more perspicuity and orders sake sunder and part into diuers wings or squadrons In the first I rank those texts of Scripture which attribute vnto Fayth the corporall benefite of health or saluation by which the Matth. â— v. 22. Luc. 18. v. 42. Luc. 8. v. 50. Luc. 17. v. 19. Matth. â— v. 2. spirituall was betokned because our Sauiour seldome cured any in body whome he cured not also in soule As when to the woman troubled with an issue of bloud he sayd Haue a good hart daughter thy Fayth hath made thee safe To the blind man Do thou see thy fayth hath made thee whole To the Prince of the Synagogue Feare not beleeue only and she shal be safe To the cured leaper Aryse go thy wayes because thy fayth hath made thee safe Likewise Iesus seeing their fayth sayd to the sicke of the palsey Haue a good hart Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee These and the like which our aduersaryes produce rather witnes against them then speake in their behalfe for not one of them mentioneth their speciall assurance and particuler fayth relying on the mercy of God remitting their sinnes of which the fornamed Calu. l.
3. instit c. 2. §. 2. Luc. 18. v. 41. persons had not at the first any thought or imagination vnles it were in a couert implicite as the Schoolemen call it and vnexpressed Fayth which Protestantes deride with Caluin their forerunner but they all specify the Fayth of miracles grounded on the power of God which our Reformers deny to be sufficient for saluation For what was the fayth of the womaÌ„ healed of her bloudy fluxe but the fayth of miracles by which she beleeued such power and vertue in Christ as she sayd in her hart If I shall touch only his garment I shal be safe What was the fayth of the blind man but the fayth of miracles that Christ could restore him his sight What wilt thou that I do â—o thee He sayd Lord that I may see What the fayth of the Prince of the Synagogue but the fayth of miracles that Christ could recall to life his deceased daughter The same I auerre of the rest yet this later was not the proper fayth of the reuiued daughter but the fayth of the Father So the Fayth which Christ chiefly regarded in pardoning the man sicke of the palsy was the â—ayth of those that carryed him brought him vp vpon the roofe through the tyles let him downe Iesus seeing their fayth whereby Matth. 9. v. 2. Luc. 5. v. 19. though we Catholikes proue that the Fayth of one may preuaile to obtaine health and safety for another yet no Sectarye graunteth that the fayth of one can iustify another Therefore not one of these places serueth to rayse but all pluck downe the rampire of their iustifying fayth in so much as they labour to vnderprop it by some other testimonyes crowded into the selfe same rancke as the iust liueth by Fayth Abraham beleeued and it was reputed him to iustice Being iustifyed by Fayth let vs haue peace towards God Likewise Abac. 2. v. 4. Rom. 4. v. 3. Rom. 5. v. 1. Act. 13. v 39. 1. Ioan. 5. v. 1. Gabr. Vasq in 1. 2. disp 210. c. 7. Clemens Alexand. l. 2. Strom. Orig. in 4 ad Rom August serm 22. de verb. Dom. de hono perseu c. â— serm â—6 de verb. Apo. In him euery one that beleeueth is iustifyed whosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is Christ iâ— borne of God 15. All which haue so many true and litterall expositions as it can betoken no lesse then grosse dulnes in Protestant Ministers who either for want of reading did not find or finding conceaued not some one of them The first is that by Fayth we liue are iustifyed and are made the children of God inchoatiuely as the Deuines speake because fayth is the first supernaturall seed roote or beginning from which our iustification springeth and the first foundation or ground-worke vpon which our whole spirituall building relyeth as Gabriel Vasquez solidly proueth by the authority of Clemens Alexandrinus Origen and S. Augustine Secondly Fayth iustifyeth by way of impetration excyting our will by the consideration of Gods goodnes and other beleeued mysteryes to aske and obtayne the remission of our faults iustice of our soules Thus S. Augustine often interpreteth those and the like wordes of S. Paul saying Therefore by fayth the Apostle affirmeth man to be iustifyed not of workes because sayth is first giuen by which the rest are impetrated by the law the knowledge of sinne by fayth impetration of grace against sinne by grace health and saluation of the soule The same in diuers other places Not workes but fayth doth inchoate merit Aug. l. de praedestin Sanctor c. 7. de spir lit c. 30. Idem epist. 105 106 Idem l. de gra lib arbit c. 14. defide oper c. 21. August l. de grat lib. arbitr cap. 7. Thirdly all the former places may be vnderstood of liuely fayth formed with Charity and accompanyed with the retinue of other vertues which wholy and intierely iustify vs in the sight of that infinite Maiesty So also S. Augustine Men not vnderstanding that which the Apostle sayth we count a man to be iustifyed by Fayth c. did thinke that he sayd Fayth would suffice a man though he liued ill and had no good workes which God forbid the Vessell of Election should thinke who in a certaine place after he had sayd In Christ Iesus neither circumcision nor prepuce auayleth any whit he straight added but fayth which worketh by loue Fourthly fayth as all other vertuous and laudable acts flowing from Grace doth likewise iustify meritoriously by procuring increase of former iustice Therefore S. Paul to the Hebrewes sayth of holy men and Prophets That by fayth they ouercame kingdomes Hebr. 11. v. 33. Cypr. l. 4 ep 6. wrought iustice obtayned promises And S. Cyprian teacheth That God in the day of iudgment payeth the reward of Fayth and deuotion These foure wayes the forenamed Texts may be truly vnderstood howbeit our Reformers stupidity was such as they could not light on them euery Apo. 22 v. 17. Isa 55. v. 1. Rom. 3. v. 24. Ephes 2. v. 8. where obuious to the diligent searcher 16. The second bande of Obiections are those which affirme our iustification to be freely made by the benefite of grace therefore without the supply of works viz. He that thirsteth let him come and he that will let him take the water of life gratis All yee that thirst come to the waters c. come buy without siluer without any exchange wine and milke Aug. l. de spir lit c. 10. 16. Cent. 5. c 4. Colum. 505. Againe Iustifyed gratis by his grace By grace you are saued thorough Fayth I answere our first Iustification is free gratis because fayth which first beginneth and stirreth vs vp vnto it is freely giuen vs Charity which after accomplisheth it is likewise freely imparted not due to nature or hauing any connexion or dependance with our naturall actions be they neuer so good or commendable in themselues which is not my exposition but the interpretation of S. Augustine confirmed by the diuine sentence of the thrice holy Councell of Trent By grace man is iustifyed Similia habet Aug. in psal 18. exp 2. ep 106. de praedest Sanctor c. 15 praef in psal 31. Concil Trid sess 6. c. 8. Ioan. 6. v. 2â— that is no merits of his workes going before and which the Centurists reprehend the Apostle will haue nothing els vnderstood in that which he sayth gratis but that workes do not precede Iustification The Councell of Trent hath defyned the same Therefore we are sayd to be freely iustifyed because none of those thinges which go before iustification whether it be fayth or workes do promerit the grace it selfe of iustification But if our Aduersaryes by reason that iustification is free and of the grace of Christ will renounce all workes they must euen renounce true fayth itselfe of which S. Iohn sayth This is the worke of God that yee beleeue
once maliciously abandoneth Christ by willfull heresy or Apostacy can neither be admitted heer by true repentance into the bosom of the church nor which is worse euer heereafter to the mercy of God contrary to these expresse sentences of holy Scripture If the impious shal do pennance for all his sin which he hath wrought c. liuing he shall liue shal not dye Euery one that shall inuocate the name of the Lord shal be saued Let the impious forsake his way the vniust man his cogitations returne to our Lord and he will haue mercy on him Which I might strengthen with the authorityes of S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine but I am to prosecute the matter in hand And touching these Apostata's of whom S. Paul mentioneth I aske our Reformers whether they were euer implanted into Christ by iustifying fayth or by the beames of sactification and renouation only which they impiously distinguish from the beautifull rayes of Iustice graunt they were once vnited vnto him by a liuely fayth as euery member euery verse of the sentence seemeth to demonstrate saying They were once illuminated with the light of Fayth haue tasted the heauenly Chrys in cum lois gift that is as S. Chrysostome interpreteth the remission of sinnes which if Protestants also allow where then is the security they promised to the iustifyed of neuer falling Where is their certainty of saluation when these iust persons after the aboundance of heauenly sweetnes haue tumbled backe into such irremediable Apostacy as they can neuer as long as Protestants may sit in iudgment recouer Gods fauour againe neuer haue any possible means to obtayne mercy or purchase saluation But if Fulke and his fellows cauill and say that they were only sanctifyed and renewed by the grace of the holy Ghost through the merits of Christs passioÌ„ yet not truly iustifyed which is impossible at least to proppe vp one they vndermine many ruinous castles of their owne defence to wit that some not predestinate but plainly reprobate may be inwardly regenerated and new borne in Christ that internall renouation is no infallible seale of Gods election that the grace of iustification which Christ purchased by his death is common other while to the reprobate as well as to the elect all repugnant to the principles which they themselues defend 3. Lastly if they answere with Caluin for their replyes are as various and different as their fancyes that Câ—lu in c. 6. ad Hebr. â— 4. l. 3. Inflit. those Apostata's were neuer truly sanctifyed but only sprinkled withsome smacke or relish of grace shined on with some sparks of light lightly ouerwashed not throughly soaked in the waters of heauenly blessing So he wantonly dallyeth with the oracles of God labouring to peruert them with his simpering speaches let him open his mouth and tell me plainly whether those sparkes of light or relishes of grace were any the least drams or particles of true renouation and inward iustice or not If they were they expelled sinne and iustifyed them for the tyme if not how fell they from that which they neuer enioyed How doth the Apostle teach it impossible for them to be renewed againe who neuer receaued any renouation at all How were they illuminated how tasted they the heauenly * Grecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est supercaeleste donum guift the powers of the world to come how were they made partakers of the Holy Ghost who lay still oppressed with the darknes of vice I am ashamed to see these new Euangelists boasting of Scripture and yet oppose themselues so obstinatly against it and against the Venerable Consistory of all expositors both ancient and moderne heretiks only excepted who albeit they vary in the manner yet all agree in interpreting S. Paul of these Apostata's loosing and recouering iustice their only difficulty variance is in explicating what he meaneth by the word impossible For S. Anselme Hugo Dionysius and Lyranus with many late writers expounding him of true renouation to their former grace through the vertue of pennance by the word impossible vnderstand very hard and difficile for those vngratefull and malicious Apostata's after such lights Chrys in eum locum Hier. l. 3. cont Iou. Ambros l â— de poen August in inâ—hoatione ep ad Rom. Sedulius Primafius Theod. in eum loc 1. Cor 9. v. 27. Chrys ho. 1. in c. 3. ad â—hilip hom 23. â— ad Cor. August apud Peâ—rum Lumâ—â—â—â— in hunc locuÌ„ Paulin. ep 58. ad August 2. Pet. 2. v. â—1 Aug. defide oper c. 14. 15. graces and benefits receaued willfully reuolting to recouer Gods fauour againe by vnfaigned sorrow and perfect repentance But S. Chrysostome S. Hierome S. Ambrose S. Augustine Sedulius Primasius Theodoret and others interpreting S. Paul of renouation by the penitentiall water of Baptisme take the word impossible properly as though the Apostle should extend his speach to all such as fall after they haue beene purifyed by the lauer of regeneration should affirme it impossible for them to be repaired againe in that full and plenteous manner to receaue a new remission and perfect indulgence from all both fault and punishment due to their sinnes by the benefit of that pretious and all-sauing liquour which is most true although the former exposition seemeth more literall and both maintaine the right of our cause 4. Further more the Apostle sayth I chastize my body bring it into seruitude least perhaps wheÌ„ I haue preached to others my selfe become a reprobate Which reprobation from God vtter extirpation of grace if S. Paul feared how much more we sayth S. Chrysostom Heer may we lambes tremble quoth another when the ramme the guide of the flocke must so labour punish himselfe For in lieu of chastize the Greeke hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Paulinus and Erasmus translate liuidum facio I make blacke and blew S. Peter witnesseth the same with S. Paul It was better for theÌ„ not to know the way of iustice then after the knowledge to turne backe from that holy coÌ„mandment which was deliuered to them Where according to S. Augustine he writeth of them who once enioyed and were after depriued of iustifying grace And S. Peter explicating himselfe straight way after affirmeth That of the true prouerbe is chaunced to them the Dog returned to his vomit and the 2. Petr. 2. v. 22. Ezech. 10. v. 24. Sow washed into her wallowing in the mire Likewise the Prophet Ezechiel If the iust man turne away himself from his iustice do iniquity according to all the abhominations which the impious vseth to worke shall he liue Yet least Fulke should reply that he may returne away for a tyme but shall be sure to returne before he dye it followeth in the same place All his iustice which he had done shall not be remembred in the preuarication which he hath preuaricated and in his sinnes which he hath
vs who willfully conculcate his heauenly fauours 11. Heere our Aduersaryes make a new sally out against vs and contest that we being once quickned with the seed of life and throughly soaked with the dew of heauen cannot waxe barren with the sterility of sin cannot renounce or disgorge these waters of life For euery one that is borne of God committeth not sin because his seed in him abydeth A good tree cannot yield euill fruits I will mak an euer lasting couenant with them and will not cease to do them good I wil put my feare into their harts that they shal not depart frōme So M. Abbot aduantagiously readeth it whereas the passage it selfe truly translated hath no difficulty at all For it is either vnderstood of the Church in generall which God will neuer cease to protect or of his forwardnes as much as lyeth in him to affoard sufficient meanes to all the members thereof that they * The Hebrew Lebilti surmehalai ad non recedere à me The Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latin vt non recedant à me That they reuolt not from me Aug. de na gra c. 54. l. 2. de pec mer. rem c. 7. de gra Christ cap. 21. tract 5. in epist Ioan. Hier. l. 1. aduers Pelag 2. ad Iou. l. 1. comm in 7. c. Matt. Dydim Beda in illum locum Ioan. Aug. de nat grat c. 14. Possumus si volumus non peccare propter vim gratiae in quātum in ea manemus Chrys in c. 5. ad Rom. VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Campian l. 8. aduers Duraeum fol. 625. reuol◠not from him as the Hebrew Greeke and Latin wordes manifestly betoken To the former two which Iouinian pressed for the bolstering of his heresyes that the faythfull once regenerated could neuer si any more I answere with S. Austine S. Hierome Dydimus Venerable Bede that he who is borne of God cannot sin ne whilest he perseuereth the child of God and retayneth in his soule the fire of Charity which is repugnant to all sinne or rather that he cannot sinne as long as he liueth and worketh according to his new and diuine regeneration receaued from aboue and that the good tree cannot of his owne nature produce euill fruits no more then the sower and vnsauoury crab affoard from his owne naturall iuyce or radicall disposition any other then vnsauoury yet as by some other accidentall quality or forraine graffe the one may yeild sweet fruits the other sower so albeit as S. Augustine sayth We may if we will not sinne through the force of grace as far forth as we abide in it notwithstanding by the infirmity of the flesh malice of will or corruption of nature it is in our power grieuously to offend and slide backe from God 12. That which Whitaker and his fellowes oppose out of S. Chrysostome The grace of God hath no end it knoweth no full point but it maketh progresse vnto greater choaketh an heresy of their owne that true iustice increaseth not but standeth at a stay c. maintaineth the truth of our contrary doctrin that seeing grace iustice are beames participated from the illimited fountaine of Gods iustice they may be dayly augmented by new meritorious deeds with new accesse of grace after which manner it is true that it had no end knoweth no full point still maketh progresse to greater by multiplying greater store of good workes The rest of the Fathers to whome our Reformers lay claime are semblably quitted otherwise they speake of the certaine perseuerance of the election in generall or els they mean that grace fayth and iustice are perpetuall of their owne natures and alwayes flourish with the spring of vertues vnles we blast them in their buds or suffer them to be ouergrowne with the weeds of sinne THE XXIIII CONTROVERSY AVOVVETH Freewill against D. Fulke and D. Whitaker CHAP. I. BEFORE I begin to enter the list and combate with my Aduersaries concerning the liberty of mans Freewill I thinke it expedient exactly to set downe the whole state of this question what Protestants hold and what we in all things vphold against them First then they distinguish with vs a fourfold estate or condition of man 1. The state of Innocency which Adam enioyed before his fall 2. The state of Corruption which he and all his posterity incurred Foure estates of man Perkins in his refor Catho 1. Chapter of freewil by sinne 3. The state of vprising and Entrance into Grace And 4. the state of Iustification which the Righteous enioy by the merits of Christ. Secondly they deuide the actions of men into three sorts Into Naturall or Ciuill as to eate sleepe walke discourse buy sell c. Into Morall as to be temperate iust liberall mercifull c. And into Diuine or Supernaturall which appertaine to the spirituall good of oursoules and gaining of eternall life as to belieue to hope to loue God aboue all thing c. 2. These diuisions premised they all accord about the first estate granting therin at least in shew of words a liberty as they terme it of Nature of which I will not Calu. l. 1. Inst c. 16. §. 8. l 2. c. 4 § 6. Bucer l. de concord art de lib. arbit now dispute About the second they vary amongst themselues For Calum Bucer and their Adherents with the auncient Heretikes a Clem l. 3. Recog Simon Magus b Tert. lib. de anima cap. 10. Marcion Hermogenes c Aug. l de Hares cap. 46. the Manichees and d Wiclisse vtterly deny the liberty of Freewilll to any action whatsoeuer Which Luther and Melacthon defended at the beginning but after forced by our arguments to recant that point of Heresie they grant Freewill to actions Naturall and Ciuill whom Whitaker Perkins White and many of our English Protestants seeme to follow Neuerthelesse they all close againe and comply with Caluin that man in this case hath no freedome to any Morall good worke Man sayth Whitaker lost his freedom by sinne the will of man according to Fulke is bound to Sinne and not free Is thrall and sliue to Sinne It auaileth to b Conc. Const ses 8. art 26. Luth. in as sert art 36. Melancth in loc communib editis an Domini 15 1. VVhitaker l. 1. contra Duraeum p. 77. 78. and in his answere to M. Camp first reasō Perkins in his Reform Catho in the Chap. of Free-will White in the way to the true Church §. 40. fol. 277. Fulke in cap. 6. Ioan sect 3. In ◠10. ad Rom. sect 1. In c. 7. ad Rom. sect 7. in c. 2. ad Philip. sect 4. nothing but to Sinne. In the Regenerate it hath some freedome and strength against Sinne which it hath not at all in them that are not Regenerate Likewise Free-will is seruile Captiue lost vntill by Grace it begin to be enlarged
the power of our will to moue or Suarez iâ— opus Theoâ—og l. 1. c. 10. 13. in breu resol § 26. not to moue to will or not to will nor to vse any choice election or liberty at all For as Suarez profoundly teacheth that which neither in it selfe is free nor in the cause by which it worketh is no way free The will of man according to Caluin and his Sectaries is not free in it selfe because of it selfe it can doe nothing without the motion and predetermination of God nor in the cause for it is not in the power of man either to appoint remoue chaÌ„ge or resist this determination of God immouably made from all eternity Therefore no liberty remayneth in vs bereft of all indifferency Necessarily determined to euery particular act by the ouer-ruling motion of the prime and supreme cause What wrong then hath Bellarmine done to Luther and Caluin of which M. Field hath the fore-head to challenge him What iniurious imputation hath he layed vpon them or their followers in taxing their Doctrine with the Manichean heresie which they as you see boldly professe and labour to support with sundry arguments sorted and disposed into three seuerall classes or seats 1. Cor. 12. v. 6. Isay 26 v. 12. Hierem. 1â— v. 23. 20. In the first they place those which attribute all our workes to the generall concourse and premotion of God who first moueth inclineth and principally floweth into our actions as All in all things he doth worke All our workes O Lord thou hast wrought in vs. I know O Lord that mans way is not in his owne handes nor in his power to direct his steps c. 21. I answere it is true that God worketh all things in vs and we with him he as the vniuersall we as the particuler causes yet so as the influence of his action neither altereth nor hindreth but rather sustaineth helpeth Fulke in c. 8. Io. sect 2. in cap. 9. ad Rom. sect 7. in c. 2. 2. ad Tim. sect 1. Augu. de verbo Domini ser 2. IdeÌ„in Ench. ad Lauren. cap. 30. Aug. l. de Natu. Grat. cap. 53. and perfiteth ours He concurreth to euery creature according to their owne nature and condition with thinges contingent contingently with necessary thinges necessarily with free thinges freely 22. In the second classe Doctor Fulke rangeth those authorityes of S. Augustine wherein he affirmeth Freewil to be lost by the fall of Adam to wit Man when he was created receaued great strength of Free-will but by sinning he lost it And Man abusing his Free-will lost both himselfe and it The like he vrgeth out of his booke of Nature and Grace and other places M. Whitaker also obiecteth the former sentence of S. Austine out of his Enchyridion addeth therunto the authorityes of S. Ambrose and S. Bernard to whome I shall reply in the next Chapter heere I answere to S. Augustine 23. Man lost by sinne that strength of freedome and perfection of Nature which he had at his first creation and so he lost as S. Augustin excellently discourseth both himselfe his Free-will himselfe in respect of God and the Aug. l. 1. ad Bonif. c. 1. Aug. epi. 107. ad Viclaem Aug. tom 7. de Praed Sanct. c. 2. Aug. l. de perfect Iustitiae de spiri lit de Naâ— gra c. finall end whereunto he was created his Free-will which he had in Paradise First Habendi plenam cum immortalitate iustitiam Of hauing full and perfect Iustice with immortality Secondly He lost his Free-will of louing God by the grieuousnes of his first sinne Thirdly He lost his Free-will of beginning or performing any good and pious deed Fourthly He lost his Free-will of fulfilling the Commandments of God of vanquishing all tentations of perseuering still in the state of Innocency in which he was created For Adam ourforefather endowed with the habit of originall iustice could by the liberty of Free-will ayded with the speciall cooperation of God alwayes fullfill and performe those thinges without any new excyting grace to quicken and stir him vp which we though iustifyed in this state of corruption by reason of many carnall allurements assaults of Sathan and dulnes of nature cannot atchieue without his diuine grace of excitation direction and protection Therefore S. Augustine speaking of the accomplishment of the aforesayd dutyes sayth This is not Aug. lib de bono perseue cap. 7. in the forces of Freewil as now they are it was in man bedore his fal Those freedomes then Adam lost himselfe according to that height of dignity he lost yet as he did not absolutly loose but impaire himselfe as he lost not the nature and Ioa. c. 8. v. 14. Rom. 6. v. 16. 2. Pet. c. 2 v. 19. Aug. l. de corr gra c. 13. Aug. cont 2. ep â—ela l. 3. ca. 8. Concil Arausi can 7. 22 Mileuit can 4. Ambr. in c. 6. ad Roman Ruper l. 4. com in Gen. c. 3. Aug. tract 41. in Ioan. cap. 8. noli in quit libertate abuti ad liberè peccandum sed vtâ—râ— ad non peccandum Aug. l. 1. ad Bâ—â—if c. 2. liberum arbitrum vsque adeo in peccatore non perijt vp per illud peccent maximâ— omnes qui cum delectatione peccant condition of man so neither the faculty of his will which still continuing remaineth free 1. To thinges in different with Gods general concourse 2. To things morally good with his peculiar assistance 3. To accept or refuse his motions offered 4. To worke and purchase his saluation by meanes of infused grace 24. In the third and last classe are digested such sentences as insinuate the will of man to be in the bondage and slauery of sinne as He that doth sinne is the seruant of sin And You are seruants of that to which you obey Seruants of corruption And S. Augustine I say Free-will but not made free Free from iustice but slaue of sinne To which purpose M. Fulke often repeateth this other saying of S. Augustine Free-will being made captiue auayleth nothing but to sinne 25. I answere S. Augustine in this later place writing against the Pelagians speaketh after the manner of two Venerable Councels who define and teach as he doth that the will of man of it selfe without the grace of God auayleth to nothing but sinne that is to nothing of piety oriustice to nothing appertayning to Saluation or damnation but only to Sinne. 26. To all the former instances I ioyntly reply with S. Ambrose Rupertus and the same S. Augustine that he who sinneth supposing he doth sinne is slaue to the sinne he doth commit yet hence it followeth not that he necessarily sinneth or is depriued of his naturall freedome By which as S. Augustine auerreth men sinne chiefly all who sinne with delight Secondly I say he who maketh himselfe the bond-slaue of sin is so far from being necessarily tyed to trangresse the
themselues haue also arriued The third is perpetually without intermission withall the forces and powers of our soule to be actually carryed away with the supernaturall streames of loue This only is proper to the Saints in heauen and not axacted by God of any mortall creature besieged with the infirmityes of flesh and bloud in respect of this our iustice on earth yea the iustice and perfection of S. Paul is tearmed vnperfect it is an image or shaddow of vertues it may be sometymes touched with the spots of vncleanes and therfore of this Philip. 3. v. 12. 1. Ioan. 1. v. 5. only the Apostle auouched Not that now I haue receaued or now am perfect yet in regard of the former two degrees he arriued to perfection and was already perfect euen by the phrase of holy Scripture which speaking of the first degree sayth He that keepeth his word in him in very deed the Charity of God is perfected Of the second it is also written If Matth. 19. v. 21. thou wilt be perfect go sell the things that thou hast and come and follow me By these degrees therefore of perfection all the obiections may be easily warded which our aduersaryes bring either out of Scriptures or Fathers as when they affirme our Iustice to be imperfect defiled with the touch of impurity they speake of the first degree soyled with the dust of wordly cares and too often distayned with veniall defaults When they exhort vs to greater perfection that is not to the common of all the iust but to that singuler of the mortifyed and feruent persons finally when they teach that we can neuer be perfect in this life it is true in the last acceptation of the word according to the third degree heer specifyed Which triple diuision of perfection keepeth the aduersary at such a bay as he knoweth not whither to turne him how to escape or what to mutter against it THE XXVII CONTROVERSY WHEREIN Our good workes are acquitted from the spottes of sinne against Doctour Whitaker Doctour Fulke and Doctour Abbot CHAP. I. THIS calumniation is euery where so rife and frequent amongst Protestant writers as M. Abbot in his defence c. 4. sect 44. 45. 46. VVhitak in his an swere to the â— reason of M. Camp f. 250. in the translation whereunto is added in brief marginal notes the summâ— c. Abbot spendeth many Sections to attach his owne paynes and endeauours iustly all other mens good workes wrongfully yea perniciously with the guilty stayne of sinne and M. Whitaker vndertaking the patronage and approbation of that drunken sentence of Luthers All good actions be sinnes if God be seuere in iudgement they are damnable sinnes If he be fauourable they â—e but small ones auoweth Luther sayd this and he sayd it truly for in euery action of a man though neuer so excellent there is some fault which may wholy marre the action and make it odious to God if that which is done be weighed in the ballance of diuine iustice 2. But if Luther sayd truly then as Duraeus most pithily argueth against M. Whitaker the Apostle S. Paul sayd not truly If thou take a wife thou sinnest not theÌ„ S. Peter sayd not truly Doing these things you shall not sinne at any time VVhitak ibid. fol. 251. 1. Cor. 7. v. 28. 2. 2. Pet. 1. vers 10. 1. Ioan. 3. v. 8. 1 Ioan. â— v. 9. 1. Cor. 3. v. â—1 Matth. 6. v. 22. Luc. 11. v. 36. August l. 2. qq Euang c. 15. Maldon in c. 11. Luc. Matth. 5. v. 17. S. Iohn sayd not truly For this appeared the sonne of God that he might dissolue the workes of the Diuell If there be no worke which is not diuellish and sinnefull he sayd not truly Euery one that is borne of God committeth not sinne Neyther did S. Paul wel to compare good workes to siluer gould and pretious stones nor did the Prophets and Apostles well to exhort vs to good workes Christ did not well as Cardinall Bellarmin prosecuteth the argumeÌ„t saying If the eye be simple thy whole body shal be lightsome and If then thy whole body be lightsome hauing no part of darknes it shal be lightsome wholy and as a bright candle it shall lighten thee Where by the eye S. Augustine and others vnderstand the intention of maÌ„ By the whole body Maldonate expoundeth all his facultyes by the whole absolutely of which it is also sayd the whole shal be lightsome he interpreteth all his human actions which proceed froÌ„ the powers faculties of the soule All these sayth Christ flowing from the iust and leuelled by a right intention to a good end and obiect are so bright as they inlighten the whole man so pure and vnspotted as they haue no part of darknes no blemish of sinne to destaine them For which cause he calleth them in another place light So let your light shine before men c. Matth. 5. v. 17. 3. Lastly if Luther sayd truely God himselfe sayd not truly writing of Iob In all these things Iob sinned not with his lips neyther spake he any foolish thing against God And in the next Chapter he calleth him A right man fearing God Iob. c. 1. v. 22. Iob. 2. v. 3. departing from euill and retaining innocency Whereby it is euident that Iob in all his troubles committed no sinne neyther in thought word nor deed not in word because he sinned not with his lips not in deed because he departed from euill not in thought because he still retayned innocency in his hart And if we follow the Hebrew Text all this may be gathered out of the former words of the first Chapter For the Hebrew addeth not with his lips but without restriction absolutely readeth Iob sinned not or as our Protestants translate In all this did not Iob sinne Which Origen and the Grecians according to Pineda reférre to his Origen in his commeÌ„tary vpon Iob. Pineda in â—um loc Nihil peccauit Iob coram Domino Psal 16. v. 3. Psal 7. v. 9. 1. Tim. â— v. 17. 18. Matt. 5. v. 17. cogitations to wit that he entertayned no euill thought or cogitation against God but iudged wel of his goodnes and the 70. Interpreters subscribe hereunto who read in all these things which hapned vnto him Ioâ— sinned not at all in the sight of our Lord. The like King Dauid affirmed of himselfe Thou o Lord hast tryed me in fire and there was no iniquity found in me Therefore albeit he otherwise offended yet at that tyme he was cleane from sinne as also when he sayd Iudge me o Lord according to my iustice and according to my innocency Moreouer some workes of the iust are pronounced by the holy Ghost to be good God giueth vs all things abundantly to enioy to do well to become rich in good workes That they may see your good workes and glorify your Father which is in heauen And yet they could not be good nor commendable in
Gods sight much lesse pleasing sacrifices to him as in the precedent discourse hath beene shewed if they be defyled with sinne 4. M. Abbot answereth Therefore good works being touched and infected with the contagion of sinne before they can please God must haue some meanes to take away the guilt imputation of the sinne c. which Christ doth perfuming them with the sweet Abbot c. 4 sect 44. fol. 578. 579 incense of his Obedience But how doth Christ take it away By abolishing or not imputing the contagion By not imputing sayth Abbot but thus he taketh away according to them the filth of adultery of murder of sacriledge and all heynous crymes from the beleeuing Protestant And are those sinnefull workes thereby made gratefull hostes and acceptable sacrifices pleasing vnto God No sayth he agayne Our good deedes are not sinnefull workes Are they not What is that guilt then of contagious sinne which must be taken away before they can please God If they be not sinnefull no contagion of sinne is to be pardoned by not imputing if they be sinfull then your sinneful acts inherently in themselues sinnefull by not imputing the guilt of contagion become gratefull pleasing and acceptable vnto God Neyther can M. Abbot any way cuade by his frequent and worm-eaten answere that the action we do is not sinnefull because it is in substance a good Ibid. â—7â— worke and the fruit of the good spirit of God and the default and imperfection is only an accident to the worke Nor Whitaker who to the same purpose replyeth in his answere to Duraeus VVhitk â— in his answere to Duraeus l. 8. pag. 698. We meane not that good workes are sinnes but that they haue some sinne mixed with them For it followeth not that siluer is drosse because it hath some drosse mingled with it Seeing our dispute is not heere of the physicall substance which in euery action euen of murder theft and the like is transcendentally good or in genere Entis to vse the Philosophers tearmes but of the morall bounty or deformity of a worke which if it be tainted with the mixture of any euill how accidenttally soeuer it cannot be good sith it is true which Dionysius teacheth Good ariseth from an entiere cause euill from euery defect So that Whitakers example which Abbot also alleadgeth Dionys de diuin nomin c. 4. par 4. Bonum ex vna tota causa malum ex multis particularibuâ— que proficiscitur defectibus of gold or siluer mingled with drosse is nothing to the purpose because there be two materiall substances really distinct heere we question of one morall act which admitteth no distinction there although one metall be mingled with the other yet by seuerall veynes in seuerall places they are so incorporated as the siluer is not drosse or drosse siluer heere the same act flowing from the same will aymed at the same end must be both good and bad pure and defiled siluer and drosse which is impossible For as it inuolueth contradiction that one and the same assent of vnderstanding should be at the same tyme both true and false in the agreement of all Philosophers and Deuines so likewise it implyeth that one and the same acte of the will should be ioyntly at the same moment good and euill laudable and vituperiall pleasing displeasing vnto God Wherefore if euery action of it owne nature be euil no worke of ours can be in substance good as M. Abbot would haue it none excellent as Whitaker pretendeth but the most excellent must needes in it selfe be wholy marred wholy odious vnto God wholy and substantially naught howsoeuer by outward acceptation it may seeme beautifull and fayre Not so say they for our good workes are not wholy euill not hatefull not sinnes but infected quoth M. Abbot with the contagion of sinne We say not quoth Whitaker to marry a wife is sinne Abbot VVhitak in the places cyted aboue but that they who marry wiues intermixe some sinne in that good action But you say that that intermixed sinne may wholy marre the action make it odious to God if that which is done be weighed in the ballance of diuine iustice Therefore you say that the action of it selfe is wholy euill wholy marred altogeather odious vnto God and hatefull of his owne nature vnles you beleeue that an action weighed in the ballance of diuine iustice becometh thereby worse more odious and abhominable then of it selfe it is and that our supreme highest Iudge who iustly condemneth the wickednes of man maketh it more wicked by the seuerity of his iudgement 5. Moreouer from whence creepeth this spot of sinne into that good and lawfull action of marriage Not from the will of taking a wife for that is laudable no sinne according to the Apostle not from the substance of the act for that M. Abbot also alloweth to be good not from any other accidentall circumstance of end tyme place or person for I suppose they be all guided by the rule of reason How then is sinne intermixed in the good action of marriage By the same act which inseparably draweth the stayne of corruption with it or by some other adioyned The desire of taking a wife for a good end in such as may lawfully marry is free from all sinne as by a wicked intention to which it is ordeyned if by the same one and the same action is both good and euill a sinne and no sinne agreable to reason and disagreable consonant and dissonant to the will of God the often refuted vnauoyded implicancy which you incurre If by some other act or vicious intent either this intention is principall and the cause of marriage as to marry the easier to contriue the murder of his wife or some other then the action of marriage is not good but impious wicked and detestable or it is a secondary intent and followeth the desire of marriage so it cannot vitiate the former good desire nor be termed a sinne intermixed therewith which albeit obstinate and ignorant aduersaryes can hardly be drawn to confesse yet will I make it so cleare as they shall not be able to deny Let vs take for example the act of louing God or dying for his sake what mixture hath it or slyme of euill any stayn that ariseth from the obiect beloued or will which loueth it Not from the obiect for that is infinite goodnes without all spot or blemish therefore no blemish can be intermixed with that act as it tendeth to so pure an obiect nor from the will of louing it for no feare of excesse no danger of impurity can possibly flow from desiring to loue the fountaine it selfe and mayne sea of purity not from the mudd of distraction not from the scumme of vaine glory not from the froath of pride which sometyme may accompany that heauenly loue for as it is impossible the act of loue should be an act of distraction vanity
ep 29. iudged be found vniust and scant For vniust it is meted with the iustice which is wholy infinit scant in comparison of that Likewise when he sayth That our iustice is right but not pure c. for how can it be pure iustice where fault as yet cannot be wanting he denyeth it to be pure he sayth fault cannot be wanting because it is most commonly conioyned with veniall defaults which although they hinder not the true nature and perfection of iustice yet they darken the luster and brightnes thereof and are lyable to the seuerity of Gods heauy punishment Whereupon S. Augustine Wo be to the laudable life of a man if it be examined without mercy To the other passage of this renowned Doctour where he affirmeth most perfect charity which cannot be increased is to be found in no man in this life we grant it to be true This clause which followeth And as long as it may be increased that which is lesse then it tought to be is of vice of which vice it proceedeth that there is no man who doth good and doth not sinne is to be vnderstood not of formall vice or faulty sinne but of that which is an infirmity weaknes and defect of nature from whence it groweth that there is no man who doth alwayes good and neuer sinneth at least venially sometyme Thus S. Augustine interpreteth August ibid. himselfe a litle before saying Who therefore is without some vice that is without some fomite or as it were root of sinne After which manner I haue shewed aboue in the second Chapter of Concupiscence that not only he but Vlpianus Aug. in l. de perfect iusti◠c. 15. Pliny and Cicero vse the name vitium vice for any defect either in nature or act In the same sense S. Augustine taketh the word peccatum in his booke of the perfection of iustice where he hath these wordes It is a sinne when eyther that Charity is not which ought to be or lesse then it ought to be Otherwise August de spir lit c. vlt. he would haue crossed and contradicted what he auouched before in his booke de spiritu litera That if our loue of God in this life be not so great as is due to his full and perfect knowledg it is not culpae deputandum to be imputed to any fault By sinne then in the former place S. Augustine meaneth a defect only or falling from the brimme of perfection yet no culpable sin So also many prophane writers vse the Plautus in Baceb Si vnam peccauisses syllabam Tull. 2. Tusc Quod in eo ipso peccet cuius profitetur scientiam 1. Ioan. 1. v. 8. Iac. 3. v. 3. August tract 1. epist Ioan. l. de nat gra a. c. 36 38. word peccare to sin for erring and doing amisse in any act or faculty as Plautus sayth If thou hadst fayled in one sillable and Tully If a Grammarian shall speake rudely or he that would be counted a Musitiā sing out of tune he is the more to be blamed quod in eo ipso peccet that he erreth or cōmitteth a banger in the thing it selfe whereof he professeth the skill To Origen to S. Hierome and to the rest of S. Augustine and S. Bernard which Protestants obiect I neede not frame any particuler reply The three last generall answers to the Texts of Scripture sweep all the dust away which they deceiptfully gather out of these or any other of the Fathers writings 4. Lastly it is obiected If we shall say that we haue no sinne we seduce our selues and the truth is not in vs. Likewise In many things we offend all I answere both these places are vnderstood of veniall sinnes as S. Augustine expoundeth them which often creep into the purest actions we do and from which we are seldome or neuer wholy free yet they distayne not the purity of our vertuous actions they are not intermingled with the morall bonity therof but extrinsecally accompany it abating the cleare beames of our soule without defyling the pure action whose adherents they are an assertion manifest amongst Deuines August ep 29. 50. l. de virg cap. 48. 49. l. 4. cont 2. ep Pelag. c. 10. Bonau 3. distinct 3. part dub 1. which Protestants conceauing not run into diuers and those pernicious absurdityes Secondly S. Iohn is interpreted also by S. Augustine of the fomite of sinne which euery man hath how perfect soeuer he be yet he doth not meane that that fomite is properly sinne but materially or the effect or cause of sinne which interpretation of S. Iohns words S. Bonauenture imbraceth and addeth a third exposition that S. Iohn doth not teach no man to be at any tyme without sinne but that no man can say to wit assuredly affirme without reuelatiō that he hath no sinne wherein Lyranus and Hugo Cardinalis agree with him but Caietam vnderstandeth S. Iohn of no sinne neyther actually committed nor originally contracted heertofore This no man the Virgin Mary only excepted as hath beene els where declared can auouch without seduction of his hart without he make God a lyar who sent his beloued Sonne into the world to cleanse vs from our sinnes 5. I proceed therefore to the third Caluinian dotage that all first motions or prouocations to euill are truly sinnes albeit we vanquish them which I haue heere refuted in the Controuersy and second Chapter of Originall sinne and somewhat touched in the Controuersy of Free-wil where I haue shewed that S. Augustine accounteth it a meere madnes and such a barbarical phrensy Seneca l. de mor. Aug. tom 7. l. de na gra ◠67. that man assaulted with temptations should sinne against his will as he sayth the very Poets sheepheards learned and vnlearned yea al the world doth witnes it to be false Seneca a heathen could write Away with all excuse no man sinneth against his will And It deserueth no prayse not to do which do thou caust not But S. Augustine agayne shal decide this matter with a sentence able to seale vp the mouths of Protestant Ministers and quyet the harts of all faythful Christians Whatsoeuer cause quoth he there be of the will impelling it to offend if it cannot be resisted it is yielded vnto Idem tom 4. in expos quarun propos prop. 17. Tom. 7. cont Pela l. 2. circa finem Chry. cited by S. Iohn Damas q. 2. phrall c. 27. Eccles 5. v. 2. c. 18. v. 30. without sin but if it may let it not be yielded vnto there shal be no sinnne committed What doth it perchance deceaue a man vnawars Let him therefore be wary that he may not be deceaued or is the deceit so great as it cannot be auoyded If it be so the sinnes therefore are none for who doth sinne in that which can by no meanes be escaped Likewise not in the euill desire it selfe but in our consent do we sinne Moreouer In as
later members wipe away our Protestants exposition interpreting this place of the meere knowledge not of the obseruation of the law because God speaketh there of fullfilling and doing it in worke Rom. 10. v. 6. August de na gra c. 69. q. 54 in Deuteron Theod. q. 38. in Deuteron Rom. 8. v. Yet if by reason of S. Paul who allegorically only not literally applyeth that sentence to Christ they gloze it at least to be vnderstood of the Euangelicall doctrine of Fayth then we also insist that if the precept of fayth in substance supernaturall may be obserued how much more the naturall commandments of the Decalogue of which S. Augustine and Theodoret expound that of Deuteronomy 2. Secondly the Apostle sayth That which was impossible to the law in that it was weakned by the flesh God sending his Sonne in the similititude of the flesh of sinne euen of sinne damned sinne in the flesh that the iustification of the law might be fullfilled in vs who waike not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Therefore they that are regenerated in Christ in whome the spirit of God dwelleth who walke in newnes of life do truly satisfy and fullfill the law of God They Fulk in 8. ad Rom. sect 1. Abbot c. 4. sect 38. 43. do it quoth Fulke and Abbot by the supply or imputation of Christs righteousnes imputed vnto them and made theirs not by ability giuen them to keepe it But this guilefull commentary hath beene heertofore discarded in the Controuersy of Inherent Iustice And heere S. Paul flatly auerreth the comming of Christ to haue beene that the iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs in vs whose earthly shape and similitude he tooke in vs in whose flesh he damned and abolished sinne for in his owne he neuer extinguished any because it was neuer touched with the least aspersion Therefore he cannot be expounded of the obedience performed by Christ in his own person but of that which we atcheiue in ours whome he cleanseth from vice and adorneth with grace that the iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs quickened by his spirit which in flesh weakened infeebled by sinne was otherwise without grace impossible to be kept Likewise Christs righteousnes according to Protestants is communicated vnto them by fayth only but the Apostle heere writeth of a iustification obtayned by working and going forward in newnes of life by walking not according to the flesh but according to the spivit then the causall preposition for which ensueth the comparison betweene them that pursue their fleshly appetits and such as are swayed with the desires of the spirit the correspondence and agreement with this other Text Not the heares of the law are iust with God but the doers of the law Rom. 2. v. 13. shal be iustifyed inuincibly proue that the Apostle speaketh of the iustification purchased by the doing and keeping of the law in our owne persons and not of that which by Augu. de spir lit c. 26. your almighty-vaine beleefe is imputed vnto you And so S. Augustine When it is sayd quoth he the doers of the law shall he iustified what other things is sayd then the iust shal be iustified For the doers of the law verily are iust Agayne Fullfill Aug. in psal 32. the law which thy Lord thy God came not to breake but to fulfill for thou shalt fulfill that by loue 〈…〉 are thou couldst not And a litle after Our Lord will affoard his sweetnes and our earth August ep 144. ad Anast. Idem de spir lit c. 30. will yield ber fruit that by charity yee may fulfill which by feare was hard to accomplish In another place The law teaching commanding that which without grace could not be performed discouered vnto man his infimity that infirmity discouered might seeke out a Sauiour from whome the will healed might be able to do which infirme it could not do The law therefore leadeth vnto fayth fayth impetrateth a more copious spirit the spirit diffuseth Charity Charity fullfilleth the law 3. Thirdly Christ pronounceth May yoake is sweet and Matt. 11. v. 30. 1. Ioan. 5. v. 3. my burthen light S. Ioan This is the law of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not heauy To whom are they not heauy To them to whome our Redeemer spake Take vp my yoake vpon you and learne of me Matt. c. 11. v. 29. because I am meeke and humble you shall find rest to your soules To them whome S. Iohn taught how to ouercome the world but these men were inuironed with humane infirmityes therfore men compassed with the frailty of our flesh which M. Abbot gaine-sayth may by the succour of Abbot c. 4. sect 43. Christ and assistance of his grace take vp the yoke of Gods commandments easily beare them and sweetly obserue them Fourthly our Sauiour sayd to him who desired to learne the way of saluatioÌ„ If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments Is it possible then to enter into euerlasting Matth. 19. v. 17. life Yes And not by this meanes which Christ proposed No. No Conceaue you so hardly of the blessed Redeemer and louer of our soules as to auouch that he who came to teach the way of truth who neuer counsailled the captious Pharisyes his deadly foes to run any vncouth false or straying path did now perswade this Religious Marc. 10. v. 21. Basil hom cont dinites auaros Chrys Euthim. in eum locuÌ„ Calu. in Harm in c. 19. Matt. Marc. 10. Luc. 18. Psal 118. v. 31. v. 55. 51. 168. young man whome he loued who vnfeignedly sought as S. Basil S. Chrisostome and Euthymius thinke his eternall weale to an erroneous and impossible course of of atteyning blisse Did he say vnto him hoc fac viues do this and thou shalt liue which although he would he could not do or if he did might not purchase life therby For such is the impious answere which Caluin and his followers returne to this heauenly admonition or precept of Christ forcing his meaning quite contrary to his words Fifthly Kinge Dauid auoucheth of himselfe I haue ran the way of thy commandments I haue kept thy law I haue not declined from thy testimonyes I haue kept thy commandments and testimonyes And that you might be assured he sayd true the holy Ghost addeth his seale subscription thereunto Dauid did that which was right in the sight of God turned from nothing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life except only the matter of Vrias the 3. Reg. 15. v. 5. 3. Reg. 14. v. 8. 4. Reg. 18. Luc. 1. v. â— Hethiâ—e Agayne He was not like my seruant Dauid who kept my Commandments Of Ezechias he witnesseth the same Of Zacharias and Elizabeth Saint Luke recordeth They were both iust before God walking in all the commandments and iustifications of our
in their power by Gods helpe to Basil Orat in illud Attende tibi Chrys ho. 8 de poenio Aug. tom 7. denat grat c. 6â— Hier. ep ad Damas de expos Symboli keep them Therefore to quit the soueraigne goodnes from this merciles cruelty the Fathers vniformely define That it is a wicked thing to teach the Precepts of the spirit cannot be obserued S. Basil Accuse not God he hath not commanded things impossible S. Chrysostome We stedfastly beleeue God to be iust good not able to command things impossible hence we are admonished what we ought to do in things easy what to aske in things hard and difficile S. Augustine S. Hierome accurseth their blasphemy who teach any impossible things to be imposed by God vnto man Which argument hath beene handled heertofore in the CoÌ„trouersy of Free will where the Aduersaryes cauils theretunto are reiected The like impiety it were in God to cooperate with vs in such speciall manner to affoard his heauenly grace his supernaturall ayde to the keeping of his Commandments if we transgresse and sinne in keeping of them For as our August de pec mer. remis l. 2. c. 5. great Doctour S. Augustine teacheth To commit sin we are not ayded of God but to do good things or wholly fullfill the precept of iustice we cannot vnles we be ayded by God Marke heere that by the ayde of God we may not in part but wholy fullfill the precept and that in fullfilling it we do not sinne because thereunto we could not be holpen by God To which my aduersaries cannot shape their worne-out and thrid-bare reply That our obseruation our loue of God Abb cap. 4. sect 44. for example is no sinne but a good deed by acceptation For as I haue often answered God cannot accept that for good which is in it selfe naught and sinnefull but it is good in the Abbot ibid. sol 579. originall of grace from whence it proceedeth Explane your selfe a little better whether you meane it is perfectly or imperfectly good Graunt perfectly and you go on our side yield only imperfectly and you stand at the stay you were before perhaps you imagine that it springeth perfect from the fountaine of grace and after receaueth a blemish from the weaknes of flesh You imagine amisse for the same indiuiduall morall act which once is enriched with the dowry of perfection caÌ„not be after impouerished with any basenes of vice Or is it partly good as it is wrought by grace and partly euill as it runneth through the conduct of depraued nature No such matter the thing contradicteth it selfe as hath beene often signifyed neither is nature the conduct or pipe but true cause of the act in which there is not any part good assignable to grace distinct from that which is ascribed to man but the entiere action perfect or lesse perfect is wholy assigned to mans freewill wholy thereunto ayded by grace as the characters which the scholler frameth by the Maisters guiding of his hand are not seuerally drawne fayrely by one and rudely by the other but the same fayre or deformed rude or well fashioned are wholy from both Which forceth M. Abbot from that incongruous shift We Abbot cap. 4. sect 44. fol. 579. by our corruption do disgrace that which proceedeth holy and pure from God In like manner he is ferretted out of his other berry-hole That the action is good in the will and endeauour of Abbot ibid. the person by whom it is done For the will is weake the endeauour mean the person cloathed with human corruption who if he may will and endeauour that which is good then some good may proceed from a fleshly man perfect and entiere free from all spot and blemish or els the will and intendment is no better then the worke and VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Camp VVhitah l. 8. aduers Duraum Abbot cap. 4. sect 44. fol. 578 this assignement of goodnes which you make to the will is a meere shew or treachery to cloake the badnes of your cause 2. Lastly you say although you place it not in order last that the duty we obserue is in substance good Well I am contented with this but see you recant not for heere I haue that the substance at least of louing God the substance of euery obseruation of the law which we achieue is perfect and entiere able to satisfy the will of God able to make vs acceptable vnto him Yes say they If he fauourably looke vpon it and impute not the fault but if he Abbot c. 4. sect 47. fol. 596. should strictly narrowly deale with vs he should haue iust cause of reiecting vs in the doing thereof Forbeare these ifs ands and come to the point Is the substance of the action done entierely good in it selfe or no abstracting from the fauour or dislike of God whose indulgence or seuerity VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. CampiaÌ„ being extrinsecall doth not make the substance of the worke better or worse It is not so good as it may endure the try all of the precise and perfect rule of righteousnes truth This is not the question but whether it may stand with satisfaction of his law It cannot stand with it in such full complete and absolute manner as that nothing at all may be added thereunto Neither is that the thing demanded who euer dealt with such slippery companions Must I still put you to the torture to draw out the truth My question is whether the substance of the act satisfyeth the obligation of the law Let vs heere what you say to this They answere as heertofore It is short of that which the law requireth it cannot be such VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Câ—mplan and lib. 8. aduer DuraeuÌ„ Abbot cap. 4. fol. 60â— as it ought to be as long as the flesh lusteth against the spirit there can be no such entiere good in vs. Alwayes a man doth lesse then he ought to do I thought you would flinch from your word but I pursue you also flying The act then of louing God is substantially short of that the law requireth substantially lesse then it ought to be and not only lesse of that which ought to be by perswasion or counsaile but by precept binding to more vnder payne of morall sinne therefore the substance of this lesser act is not morally good but mortally defectuous substantially faulty a deadly sinne and true transgression of the law to which God cooperating must needs cooperate in particuler manner to the accomplishment of sinne Protestants are bound to surcease from louing praying or endeauouring to performe those mortall crimes and bound to performe them because God commandeth them as I further demonstrate by this dilemma Either God commandeth the complete perfect fullfilling of his law which Protestants teach no man in this
S. Fulgentius Because God by foreknowledge saw the sinnes of men he dictated the sentence of predestination S. Prosper The grace of God did not forsake the reprobate before they foresooke him and because he foresaw they would soe doe by voluntarie defection therfore he inrolled them not in the catalogue of the predestinate Otherwise irreuocably to purpose mans endlesse paynes before the fore sight of his default in that necessarie and vnauoydable manner as Protestants teach is as far beyond the immanity and barbarousnes of other tyrants as eternall death exceedeth temporall or the paines of hell surmon◠the torments inslicted vpon earth Neyther is this immanity any thing lessened whether that slauery or thraldome wherby the reprobate are enchayned to mischeife commeth from the corruptiō of sinne as Fulke holdeth Fulk in ca. 11. Math. sect 1. Caluin lib. 3. institut cap. 23. § 8. or from the decree of reprobation which is the wil of God necessarily inferring the things decreed as Caluin also auerreth nor yet is that cruelty lessened by the slime of originall infection from whence you conuey this necessary slauery First because that taketh not place in the deuills who were reprobate not withstanding in the like sort with men Secondly because you teach reprobation to haue been decreed before the preuision of original sin Thirdly for that you depriue the reprobate of freewill in respect of all other actuall sinnes for which they are supposing that absurdity without all right and equity eternally tormented 7. Moreouer this infamous doctrine maketh almighty God not only cruell and barbarous but wicked also and vniust For S. Augustine speaking of the infected Aug. epist. 106. ad Paulinum masse or corrupted lump of humane nature out of which he deliuered some leauing others saith If that masse were so between both that as it meriteth no good so it deserueth no euill not without cause should it seeme iniquity that vessells of dishonor should Fulgent lib. 1. ad Monim cap. 21. be framed of it S. Fulgentius cōformably saith If when man was created of God he was so in his present worke good that in his predestination he should be euill without doubt he was to be euill by the worke of God by whome he was predestinated to sinne whervpon he inferreth that God shold haue in himselfe the origē of iniquity he shold be author of euill his iustice should become iust with other like Atheismes with which our Reformers are Ibid. c. 22. incombred although they giue out that God doth soe to manifest his power glorie and almightines because if the meanes be ill the end cannot be good or if it could it implieth contradiction his power should achieue any thing which crosseth his mercy and impayreth his iustice he cannot decree that to the glory of his name which derogateth from any other attribute or perfection of his nature Then what glorie can redound to God by that ignominious act of abandoning his creatures without their desert Or what mercy on the other side by decreeing mās fall into sinne that he might after rayse him vp What mercy by making him miserable to the intent he may haue mercy on him For he that is sincerely mercifull according to S. Augustin had rather there were nothing for him to pitty c. then to wish men wretched to the intent he might pitty them Aug. l. 3. Conf. cap. 2 8. Againe if God determined to create the reprobate to proclayme his power as he doth the elect the shew the riches of his mercy both originally flowing from his Echlus in Chrysopasso praedest cent 3 nu 52. Psal 144. v. 9. Eccles 15. v. 22. will and purpose it must needs ensue as learned Eckius notably disputeth that there should be many more chosen to blisse then abandoned to damnation because god is more prone to mercy then to iustice to doe good then to procure euill Our Lord is sweet to all and his mercies or commiserations are ouer all his workes he desireth not a multitude of faythlesse and vnprofitable children Therfore the huge hoast of the reprobate surpassing by so many degrees the small number of the elect proceed not from his mercifull wil but from their owne way ward and rechelesse disposition in which he foreseeth they will finally persist and depart this life 9. Besides these detestable errors which attend on the aforsaid phrensy of our Sectaries there is yet another reason à priori why God can not reiect cast away any Rom. 9. in such sort as they affirme because reprobatiō is as act of hatred as the Apostle doth insinuate but God of himselfe cannot hate his owne workes vnlesse they be defiled Aug. lib. 1 ad Simplie 9. 9. 2. with sinne God as S. Augustine Writeth hated not Esau a man but Esau a sinner that is he hated him not in that priority in which he ordeined to creeate him a reasonable man but in that after-sight in which he foresaw the contamination of his sinne Thou sayth the Wiseman vnto Sap. 10. 25 God louest all things that are and hatest nothing of those which thou hast made for thou didest not ordayn or make any thing hating it Yea he himselfe doth not only loue whatsoeuer he hath made but ingendreth in all creatures the like loue to their of spring he teacheth the Tyger to fight the Lyon to prey all beasts and birds to venture their liues in defence of their yonge ones What sauage mind then can thinke him so sauage as to hate and destroy the works of his owne hands without any cause or default of theirs Beza in tract theolog is meruailously perplexed with this argumēt and after much a do rather blasphemeth then answereth it What doth the author of nature so much degenerate from the course of nature as not to beare to his owne the affection he begetteth in all creatures to their of-spring Do you thinke that he doth communicate the perfection of loue which he hath not or by communicating it to others looseth it himselfe both wayes you detract from Gods infinite goodnes Do you thinke he naturally loueth that which he eternally hateth or cherisheth as his owne what he abandoneth as none of his Both wayes you approue a contradiction in God 13. Lastly if God hate the reprobate and determine their ruine before they be seen to be euil whence shold that art of hatred arise Not from the person hated for he we suppose deserueth it not nor yet from God he is vncapable of any such act he is the Ocean of charity wel-spring of loue Deus Charitas est God is charity he is ◠Ioan. 4. 8. loue it selfe Therfore as no clowd of error can arise from the prime origen of truth no sparcke of folly from the Oracle of wisedome so no streame of hatred can flowe from the fountaine of loue Hate then his creatures God cannot by any act of hatred which shold be in himselfe but only by
When soeuer such proportion is kept in recompensing the labours we achieue as to greater labours greater crownes to lesser lesser rewards are alloted Thē the crownes and rewards are giuen in respect of the workes done not as signes and conditions but truly according to the merit of our labours as causes of the rewardes But this proportion is obserued by our Soueraigne Iudge in remunerating the good deedes of the Iust which flow from his grace Therefore he rewardeth them not as signes but as causes of our heauenly blisse according to the worthines of their merit The maior is cleere for what other then the dignity of the worke doth God regard in ballancing the measure of them The worthines of Christs merits imputed by faith that is not our owne labour not the thinges we do in our body for which we must receaue eyther good or euill as the Apostle writeth that doth not dignify one aboue another but equally as hath beene sayd is referred to al. The promise which God maketh vnto vs If God had his eye leuelled at that alone it were as much broken in a little as in a greater as faythfully kept in recōpensing a small as in a weighty matter Therein he looketh not to the greatnes of our endeauours but to the fidelity of his owne word in fulfilling whereof the equality of recompensation the proportion of workes the repayment of seruice the reward of labours cannot be as the Scriptures so often insinuate the principall markes aymed at by God Further our vertues are rewarded as worthy of their hire but the promise of God begetteth not any worthines or dignity in our workes more then of themselues belong vnto them For as our Schoolemen teach He that shall Gab. Vasq in 1. 2. tom 2. disp 214 cap. 5. others ibid. in q. 114. D. Tho. promise a Lordship or Dukedome in behalfe of some meane seruice or peece of money of small value doth not thereby enhaunce the price of the coyne or estimate of his obsequious seruice but the estate which is giuen in lieu of that plighted faith although it require the performance of the seruice or payment of the money as conditions necessary to oblige him that promised yet it doth as much exceed the rate of the one and desert of the other as if no promise had beene no couenaunt made at all Moreouer the Deuines proue that if God should threaten to punish with eternall paine an officious lye or other light offence that sinne should not mount thereby to the heynousnes of a mortall crime nor be worthy of more punishment then of his owne nature it deserueth wherefore if the commination and threatning of greater torments then sinnes of themselues require doth not augment the guiltines of their default or change a small sinne into the enormity of a greater neither can the promise of aboundant remuneration increase the dignity of our workes to which it is promised nor the remuneration it selfe be called a reward weighed forth as S. Gregory Greg. Na. orat in san Bap. extrema Nazianzen affirmeth in the iust and euen ballance of God nor equally imparted according to our labours as the Holy Ghost often pronounceth but a free gift liberally giuen through the gratefulnes and fidelity of the giuer vnles besides the promise some worthines or value in our works be acknowledged to which an agreable reward be correspondently assigned 6. The Minor that God obserueth due proportion in 2. ad Cor. 9. v. 6. Clem. Alex. l. 4. strom Matth. 10. v. 4. recompensing our seruice more or lesse conformably to the diligence or slacknes thereof is also manifest by the sundry textes already quoted That euery one shall receaue accordinge to his owne labour And by this of Saint Paul He that soweth sparingly sparingly also shall reape and he that soweth in blessinges of blessinges also shall reape Which Clemens Alexandrinus also gathereth out of these wordes of S. Matthew He that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receaue the reward of a Prophet and he that receaueth a iust man in the name of a iust man shall receaue the rewards of a iust man both receaue rewards yet not both the same but seuerall and vnequall according to the seuerall sanctity of their persons and inequality of their merits whome they receaue Hence the conclusion of my Syllogisme without checke or controle is ineuitably inferred That seeing Almighty God portioneth forth a greater or lesser share of glory answerable to the greatnes or slendernes of our workes as the hire wages or reward of them he truly remunerateth our pious endeauours not as sequells of faith not as meere gifts of grace but as precedent causes or condigne desertes of eternall life Which when our aduersaries gainsay they make our soueraigne God an accept our of persons and not a iust and vpright iudge quit contrary to these texts of holy writ 2. ad Timoth. 4. v. 8. ad Rom. 2. v. 11. 1. Pet. 1. v. 17. Act. 10. v. 34. For acception of persons is a vice directly opposite to distributiue iustice as when a Iudge bestoweth a reward where there is no precedent merit or when he giueth a more large reward then the dignity of the merit in any sort deserueth But God truly recompenseth the labours of his seruants and recompenseth them with due proportion of greater and lesser reward therefore he either presupposeth in thē the diuersity of merits or he violateth Aug. ep 46. ad Valent the lawes of distributiue iustice In so much as S. Augustin◠might well say If there be no merits how shall God iudge the world For take away them and take away Iustice take away iudgement take away that article of our Creed that Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead 7. Another Argument or Enthymeme I frame in this sort The sinnes and euill workes of the reprobate are not eternally punished eyther because they are signes of their infidelity or by reason of Gods commination and threates which he promulgateth of punishing them with euerlasting torments But for that they be of themselues the true cause of damnation merit Gods wrath be iniurious and offensiue to his infinite goodnes Therefore the vertuous actes and good deedes of the elect which flow from the streames of heauenly grace are not only recompensed as fruites of faith or in regard of Gods promise made to reward them but because they be true and proper causes thereof because they be pleasing and acceptable in his sight and do deseruedly purchase and merit his fauour The consequence is inferred out of the words of Christ who attributeth after the same manner and with the same causall propositions the crowne of heauen to the pious workes of the iust as he doth the punishment of hell to the hard and vnmercifull hartes of sinners saying Come yee blessed of my Father possesse yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I