his fourth Chapter Pag 788. Chap 14. The answer to his fifth Chapter about Schisme Pag 846. Chap 15. The answer to his sixth Chapter about Heresy Pag 884. Chap 16. The answer to his seaventh Chapter that Protestants are not bound by the Charity which they owe to themselves to reunite themselves to the Roman Church Pag 932. Touching the necessity of diuine Grace for all vvorkes of Christian Piety I. THe necessity I find of premisinge this Introduction giues me iust cause to begin with those sad passages of the Prophet Ieremy c. 9.1 VVho will giue water to my head and to myne eyes a fountayne of teares and v. 18. Let our eyes shed teares and our eye liddes runne downe with waters And c. 13. v. 17. My soule shall weepe because of the pride a S. Aug. l. 2. de peccatorum meritis remiss cap. 18. saieth Ipsa ratio quemlibet nostrum quaetentem vehementer angustat ne â—ic defendamus gratiam vt liberum arbitrium auferre videamur rurlus ne liberum sic asseramus arbittium vt SVPERBA IMPIETATE ingrati Dei gratiae indicemur O England what greater pride then to make humane reason the measure of Christian faith and to beleeue Faith to be only a probable assent because Reason cannot with euidency comprehend how it should be infallibly true O soules deny not the satisfaction of Christ our Lord for our sinnes and his Merit of supernaturall Grace to enable our nature towards workes of Piety Be not eleuated Jerem 13.16.17 but Giue you glory to our Lord your God before it wax darke and before your feet stumble at the darke mountaynes Otherwise you shall looke for light and he will turne it into the shaddow of death and into darknes But if you will not heare this in secret my soule shall weepe because of the pride b S. Anselmus ad illud 1. Cor. 4. Quid habes quod non accepisti sayth Fecit Deus vt esses tu fecisti vt bonus esses absit Si enim Deus dedit vt esses alius tibi dare potuit ut bonus esses melior est ille qui dedit ut bònus esses quam ille qui dedit ut esses Sed nullus Deo melior igÃtur à Deo accepisti esse bonum esse Thus sayth our Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome but he that gloryeth let him glory in this because I am the Lord that doe mercy For it is not Rom. 9.16 of the willer nor of the runner but of God that sheweth Mercy by freely offeringe Pardon Grace and Glory Let vs not ô let vs not make vaine the Life Sufferings Death Satisfaction and Merit of God incarnate by setting vp an idol of reason but let vs say with the Apostole Galat. 2.21 I cast not away the Grace of God For if iustice by the Lawe of Mòyses if Faith by reason then Christ dyed in vaine II. But heere some will not faile to aske the reason why I should treate this seeming farre fetchd matter in this occasion The Answer to this demand cannot be so fitly and fully deliuered by me in this place as it will of it selfe appeare in severall occasions through this whole worke For the present I say that the necessity of supernaturall grace being once established the most substantiall parts of M. Chillingworths booke will remaine confuted For jf Divine faith be the Gift of God infused into our soules and that we cannot exercise any one Act therof without the particular grace and motion of the Holy Ghost it followes immediatly and clearly against his fundamentall and capitall heresie that Christian Faith must be infallible and exempt from all possibility of errour or falshood It being an evident and certaine truth that the supreme and Prime Ueritie cannot by his speciall supernaturall motion inspire a falshood S. Iohns aduise 1. Ioan 4.1 is Beleeue not euery spirit but proue the spirits if they be of God But if we find our spirit to be of God and yet maintayne that it may be stayned with errour what further triall can we make must we raise vp the spirit of man and rely on the strength of reason to trye and so perhaps to check and reject the spirit of God though knowne and acknowledged to be his spirit We reade in holy Scripture Deuter c. 18.21.22 If in secret cogitation thou answer How shall I vnderstand the word that our Lord spake not This signe thou shalt haue That which the same Prophet foretelleth in the name of the Lord and cometh not to passe that our Lord hath not spoken but by the arrogancy of his mynd the Prophet hath forged it Which yet were no good or infallible signe if the spirit of God who spoke by the Prophets could inspire a falshood III. This truth is granted even by sectaryes themselues who will not deny to be true what Caluin Jnstit l. 1. c. 7. saith Testimonium spiritus omni ratione praestantius esse respondeo I answer that the testimony of the spirit is to be preferred before all reason And even Chillingworth Pag. 145 n. 33. saieth that Potter ascribes to the Apostles the Spirits guidance and consequently infallibility in a more high and absolute manner then any since them Where we see he proportionates infallibility to the guidance of the Spirit IV. Besides if the Theologicall vertues of Hope and Charity be the Gifts of God and their Acts require supernaturall assistance Faith also by which they are directed must be supernaturall and require Gods particular Grace which excludes all falshood Jf Faith Hope and Charity be Gifts infused by God not acquired by Acts proceeding from our naturall forces and for that reason we can not be assured of their presence by sensible experience as we may be of acquired naturall Habits Jf they be Powers to enable not meere Habits to facilitate vs in order to Actions of Piety we must inferre that they are not to be increas'd or diminishd lost conserved or acquired or measured according to the rate of naturall Habits Which truth being once granted his doctrine that Repentance consists in the rooting out of all vicious habits That Charity may consist with deadly sinne and Faith with heresy and the like Tenets instantly fall to the ground their whole foundation being an imaginary paritie or rather identity of infused and naturall Habits or Gifts as will appeare when such particular points shall offer themselues to be examined V. Heere I cannot forbeare to reflect in what manner they who haue once withdrawne their beleife and obedience from Gods Church and an jnfallible living judge in matters belonging to Faith do runne into extremes Some of them to maintayne the necessity of Grace denie freewill others in direct opposition to these giue all to free-will and denie the necessity of Grace Some reject inherent Justice though infused by God yea they teach that the guilt of sinne still remaining doth stayne all our actions
Charitie vvhich by the Apostle is preferrd before those other two vertues 1. Cor. 13.13 Now there remayne Faith Hope Charity these three but the greater of these is Charity Besides Charity being the fulfilling of the law if we cannot keepe the commandements without grace as we will proue in the next Section it followes that without grace we cannot Loue as we ought for attaining saluation But yet let vs alledge some places of Scripture wherin this truth is set downe 1. Ioan 4.7 Charity is of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God aÌ„d knoweth God Ioan. 14.23.24 If any loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and vve vvill come to him and will make aboad with him He that loueth me not keepeth not my words Who dare ascribe to a loue acquired by humane forces these priuiledges of keeping Gods word in so supernaturall a way as that the B. Trinitie will come and remaine vvith him Rom. 5.5 The charity of God is powred forth in our harts by the holy Ghost vvhich is giuen vs. Rom. 13.8 He that loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the lavv V. 10. Loue therfor is the fulness of the lavv Galat. 5.22 The fruite of the spirit is charitie Ephes 6.23.24 Peace to the brethreÌ„ and charitie vvith faith from God the father and our Lord Iesus Christ Grace with all that loue our Lord Iesus Christ in incorruption XXIV Euen Chilling Pag. 20. saith what can hinder but that the consideration of Gods most infinite Goodness to them Protestants and their owne almost infinite wickedness against him Gods spirit cooperating with them may raise them to a true and syncere and a cordiall loue of God In vvhich vvords he may seeme to require the particular grace of the holy Ghost for exercising an Act of loue or charitie I say he may seeme because it is no nevves for him to dissemble or disguise his true meaning vnder some shew of words vsed by good Christians though it cost him a contradiction vvith himselfe and his ovvne Grounds Hovvsoeuer it be at least his manner of speach shevves hovv christians must not deny this truth SECTION V. The Necessity of Grace for keeping the Commandements and ouercoming temptations XXV THis point giues me againe iust occasion to obserue how they who deny a liuing jnfallible iudge of controuersies cannot auoyd running into pernitious extremes Some hold that Christians are not bound in conscience to keepe the Commandements a Vide Bellarm de justificatione l. 4. Cap. 1. in somuch as Luther is not afraid nor ashamed to say b In Commentario ad Cap 2 ad Galatas When it is taught that indeed faith in Christ iustifies but yet so as we ought to keepe the commandements because it is writteÌ„ if thou wilt enter into life keepe the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts there Christ is instantly denyed aÌ„d faith abolished And elswhere c In Sermone de nouo Testamento siâ—e de Mâ—ssa Let vs take heed of sinnes but much more of lawes and good works Let vs attend only to the promise of God and faith I wonder how a man can take heed of sinne and ioyntly take heed of good workes Shall he be still doing and yet doe neither good nor badd Some teach that it is impossible to keepe the commandements euen with the assistance of diuine grace Others that they may be kept by the force of nature and that the assistance of Gods grace is not necessary except only to keepe them with greater ease or facility XXVI The true Catholike doctrine is that we may keepe the commandements and ouercome temptations by the grace of God not by our owne naturall forces which is manifestly declared in Holy Scripture EZechiel 36.26 I will giue you a new hart and put a new spirit in middest of you and I will take away the stony hart out of your flesh aÌ„d will giue you a fleshie hart And I will put my spirit in the middest of you and I will make that you walk in my precepts and keepe my iudgments and doe them 1. Ioan. 5.3 This is the charity of God that we keepe his commandements Ioan. 14.23.24 If any loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come to him and will make abode with him He that loueth me not keepeth not my words Behold louing or not louing keeping or not keeping the commandements goe togeather But we haue proued that Grace is necessary to loue God it is therfor necessary to keepe his commandements Rom. 8.3 For that which was impossible to the law in that it was weakned by the flesh God sending his son in the flesh of sinne euen of sinne damnes sinne in the flesh That the iustification of the Law might be fulfilled in vs. 1. Cor. 7.7 The Apostle teaches that not only the continency of virgins and widdowes but maried people also is the gift of God saying Euery one hath a proper guift of God one so and another so Sap. 8.21 And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent vnless God gaue it this very thing also was wisdom to know whose this gift was I went to our Lord and besought him Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the Law are iust with God but the doers of the Law shall be iustifyed And yet the same Apostle sayth Galat 2 21. If iustice by the Law then Christ dyed in vaine And we may say in the same manner If iustice by nature and not by Grace Christ died in vaine S. Iames 3.8 The tong no man can tame Rom. 5.20.21 The Law entered in that sinne might abound and where sinne abounded grace did more abound that as sinne raigned to death so also grace may raigne by iustice to life euerlasting through Iesus Christ our Lord. Which words declare that grace is so necessary for fulfilling the Law that without it the Law was occasion of death by reason of humane frailty and corruption Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath Rom. 7. V. 23.24.25 I see another Law in my members repugning to the law of my mynd and captiuing me in the law of sinne that is in my members Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death The grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. 1. Cor. 15.56 57. The power of sinne is the law But thankes be to God that hath giuen vs victory by our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you are able but will make also with teÌ„ptation issue that you may be able to sustaine Psalm 17.30 In thee I shall be deliuered from teÌ„ptation Psa 26.9 Be thou my helper forsake me not Psalm 29.7.8 I sayd in my aboundance I will not be moued for euer Thou hast turned away thy face from me and I became troubled Psalm 117.13 Being thrust I was ouerturned to fall and our Lord receyued me 1. Pet. 5. V. 8.9 Be sober
nor of the will of man but of God are borne Ephes 1.4 As he chose vs in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in charity and V. 13.14 In whom you also when you had heard the word of truth the Gospel of your saluation in which also belieuing you were signed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the pledge of our inheritance This promise is made to vs and so we being the Creditours the pledge must remaine with vs and signed signifyeth a thing both permanent and intrinsecall Like to this we reade Ephes 4.23.24 Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which according to God is created in justice and holyness of the truth and V. 30. contristate not the holy spirit of God in which you are signed vnto the day of redemption And 2. Cor 1.21 He that annoynted vs God who also hath sealed vs given the pledge of spirit in our harts Rom. 6.23 The stipends of sinne death but the grace of God life euerlasting in Christ Iesus our Lord. Rom. 8.14 Whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God 1. Cor 3.16.17 Know you not that you are the temple of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you The temple of God is holy which you are 2. Cor 6.16 You are the temple of the liuing God as God sayth because I will dwell and walke in them Ephes 2.21.22 In whom all building framed togeather groweth into a holy Temple in our Lord in whom you also are built togeather into an habitation of God in the Holy Ghost 2. Timoth 1.14 Keepe the good depositum by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in vs. Ioan 6.57 As the liuing Father hath sent me and I liue by the Father and he that eateth me the same shall liue by me Who can deny but that life signifyes an intrinsecall permanent thing XLIV To these authorityes of holy Scripture which clearly proue that just men are such by a gift inherent and not due to nature but supernaturall we might add conuincing Reasons grounded in principles of faith if it were my purpose to treat this matter at large But I will content my selfe with one taken from the many Texts of holy Scripture which we haue alledged and many more might be brought in this manner God concurres to certaine Actions v. g. Belieuing hoping c. with a particular influence aboue the naturall exigence of humane nature therfore such Actions are both Good and Supernaturall Good because it were impiety to say that God doth or can by speciall motion produce an ill and sinfull Action Supernaturall because no naturall cause alone can produce them nor hath any naturall exigence that they be produced by some more high and powerfull cause as though our soule cannot be produced by any naturall Cause or Agent yet there is an exigence in nature that it be created by God when sufficient dispositions are preexistent in the Body Now it being once granted that there are good and supernaturall Actions it followes that there must be in our soule some supernaturall powers or facultyes as connaturall Principles or Causes of such Actions therfor such Powers must be grāted as in thēselues are supernaturall and absolutely good without any tincture or staine or inclination to sinfulness Which sequeles are so cleare that protestants not deny them but grant at least the supernaturall Habits of the three Theologicall Vertues Faith Hope and Charity which is sufficient for our present purpose though I know not any generall ground or doctrine of theirs for which they doe or must deny the supernaturall infused Habits of Morall Vertues but they denie that either by these or any other quality or Gift we are just in such manner as that we do not still remayne stayned with habituall deadly sinne which heresy is clearly confuted by the Elogiums of the Fathers and Texts of Scripture alledged in this and the former Sections XLV For if deadly sinne still remaine how doth Grace take away the rust of sinne make the soule resplendent whiten it enlighten and make vs like to God is it the beauty and brightnesse of our mynd the picture and image of God the garment of heauenly beauty purity derived from Christ the first stole the riches of the diuine essence the marke of God since deadly sinne is of a direct opposite nature and produces contrary effects XLVI How shall holy Scripture be verifyed in saying that as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made just if we remaine truly sinners by the disobedience of Adam but not truly just by the obedience of Christ who merited for vs iustice and grace How is it true that if in the offence of one Death raigned by one much more they that receiue the aboundance of grace and of donation and of justice shall raigne in life by one Iesus Christ For if sinne remaine Death also remaines with which Life cannot raigne How can the holy Ghost be giuē vs while we persist in sinne How can he abide in God and God in him in whom sinne and satan abides How can Faith worke by charity in him who is voluntarily possesd by deadly sinne than which nothing is more repugnant to charity whose inseparable effect is effectually to detest all mortall sinne how is he a new creature who is in state of sinne which alone makes one a child of Adam or the old man not of Christ How doth he cleaue to God and is one spirit with him who cleaueth to sinne and is one spirit with it vnles men haue a mynd to blaspheme and say that the spirit of sinne and the spirit of God is all one how can he who abides in God and God in him beare much fruite if ioyntly he abide in sinne and sinne in him Yea for this very cause that sinne still abides in man these heretikes teach that all our workes or fruites are deadly sinnes so farr are they from being fruites of Gods abiding in vs And how doth this agree with that saying 1. Ioan. 3.9 Euery one that is borne of God committeth not sinne because his seed abideth in him seing sinne the seed of the serpent abides in him Or how doth the continuall breach of Gods commandements agree with what is sayd V. 24. He that keepeth his commandements abideth in him How can regeneration and renouation of the holy Ghost powred vpon vs aboundantly stand with deadly sinne which is directy opposite to regeneration and renouation How is the seale and pledge of spirit in our harts togeather with the seale and pledge of the diuell How can the vnction which we haue receiued from him abide in vs in company of deadly sinne How are men partakers of the Diuine nature while they remayne in sinne which is most opposite to God and all the Diuine perfections How cā we be called frendes being deadly
enemyes How can we performe that exhortation of the Apostle As we haue borne the image of the earthly let vs beare also the jmage of the heaueÌ„ly if we neither are nor can be free from the jmage of the earthly which is sinne How doth the Father giue vs another Paraclete to abide with vs for euer the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue seing if all men be in state of deadly sinne they are all comprehended vnder the name of the world and so cannot receiue the Paraclete the spirit of truth How can men be named and be the sons of God heyres of God and coheyres of Christ and in the meane tyme be sons of Satan heyres to him and coheyres to damned ghosts How are any borne not of bloud nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man if all remaine ouerwhelmed in the will of the flesh and will of man in sinne and corruption How are we both holy and immaculate in his sight and in his sight wicked aÌ„d polluted How can wee be renewed in the spirit of our mynd and put on the new man which according to God is created in justice and holyness of the truth being in state of deadly sinne which is contrary to renouation of spirit to the new man created in justice and holy ness How are we signed in the holy spirit of God while we are signed with the wicked spirit of Gods enemyes How are the stipends of sinne death but the Grace of God life euerlasting if there be no Grace of God without sinne and so no Grace that can be life euerlasting How are men the holy Temple of God how doth he dwell and walke in them how are they his habitation how do we liue by him if they be still the Temple and habitation of satan and liue in him XLVII Certainly if any do hartily belieue Scripture and consider vnpartially these and the like Texts and what is sayd of our Sauiours Satisfaction and Merit for mankind and nothing of humane Reason or forces of nature except to declare the weakness of them contrary to the speaches of Chillingworth it is inpossible for him to belieue that men are justifyed either by any naturall Act or Habit which were to euacuate our Sauiours Death or that we haue no inherent true supernaturall justice at all but remaine still vgly and defiled in the sight of God which is to turne both Earth and Heauen notwithstanding that of Heauen it is sayd Apoc. 21.27 There shall not enter into it any polluted thing to Hell in which the worst thing is not the endless payne but those sinnes for which the damned merited that just punishment For if the torments in Hell were only paynes and not punishments that is the effect and wages of sinne they were nor so much to be abhorred and auoided as any least sinne or offence of God Yea innumerable Saints in Heauen by this doctrine are greater sinners than diuerse who liue on earth or burne in Hell because many are saued who were once guilty of sins more for number and greater in quality than some other who are damned ô doctrine deseruing all detestation XLVIII Besides it is a true Axiome Bonum est ex integrâ causa malum ex quocumque defectu One defect is sufficient to make a thing be absolutely ill but good must be good in all respects both for substance and circumstance How then can holy Scripture so often call men holy immaculate just c. if indeed they be not perfectly so but full of the impiety and staines of sinne Holy Scripture describing the happy fruites and diuine effects of our B. Sauiours Merits amongst the rest sayth Isaia 35.7 In the dennes wherin dragons dwelt before shall spring vp the greenâ—esse of reede and bulrush that is in the soules of Gentiles which once were the dennes or receptacles of Diuells and vices there shall arise the greenesse of Grace and Vertue But that in the dennes wherin dragons not only dwelt for the tyme past but dwell for the present ther should spring the greenesse of reed and bulrush no scripture doth set downe as a benefit For to couple Grace with sinne were not to destroy sinne but deforme Grace which to doe cannot be any effect of the Messias his comming and our Redemption XLIX We must therfore conclude that just men are indued with a supernaturall Gift which is the nature and soule of a spirituall man as such and with which the infused supernaturall Habits of Faith c are conjoyned by jnfusion of the Holy Ghost and are not produced by our euen supernaturall Acts. Thus glorious S. Austine teaches that these words Psalm 118. I haue done judgment and justice are to be vnderstood of the Act and not of the Vertue of justice because saith he none produces in man this Vertue of Iustice but he who justifyes a sinner and makes him from vnjust become just L. From this ground that the infusd Vertues and Habits of Faith Hope c are not produced by any Act of ours but immediatly by the Holy Ghost and that they giue vs not a facility but an ability to produce Acts of Belieuing Hoping c it further followes that we cannot by any as it were sensible feeling or experience know that we haue such Habits because as S. Thomas profoundly saith 1.2 Q. 65. A. 3. ad 3. of the infused Habits euen of Morall Vertues Habitus moralium virtutum infusarum patiuntur interdum difficultatem c The Habits of the Morall infused Vertues somtymes find difficulty in their operations by reason of contrary dispositions remaining of the former Acts of vices which difficulty is not found in morall acquired vertues in regard that by the exercise of Acts by which they are acquired the contrary dispositions for example Passions indisposition of corporall organs and the like are taken away LI Now these things being so in vaine would Chilling prooue that the vertue of Charity may stand with deadly sinne or Faith with Heresy as I touched aboue by reason men fynd facility in some seeming Acts of Charity or Faith though they be guilty of deadly sinns or Heresy Because as I sayd the infusd vertues cannot be prooud by experience but the sayd facility may proceed from some other reason as for example from acquired Habits of Faith Charity c. or from the remouall of impediments Passions disposition of the materiall organs of our body and the like and much lesse can we gather that we haue or want or haue in a more intense or remisse degree the infused supernaturall Habits by our hauing or wanting or possessing in a greater or lesse measure or number Habits acquired by exercise of naturall acts seing naturall and supernaturall habits are in nature and kind wholie different LII This I hope may suffice for what I intended for prouing the necessity of grace and weaknesse of nature in matters belonging to heauen As also for shewing the vtility aÌ„d necessity
30. Libro ad Simpitcianum quaest secunda enables vs to worke aright which according to S. Hierome Lib. 1. aduersus Pelagianos Capite tertio doth whiten which according to S. Gregory NaZianZen Orat. in sanctum Lavaâ—rum doth cast its beames vppon vs and make vs liketo God which according to N. Austin Epist 85. is the beauty of the internall man and the brightness of mans mynd which according to S. Ambrose Lib. 6. Hexameren Cap. 8. is the picture of God which according to S. Irenaeus lib. 5. aduersus haereses Cap. 8. is the image of God which according to Macarius de libero arbitrio is the garment of heauenly beauty which according to S. Greg. Nyssen de perfecta hominis forma is purity deriued from Christ as the riuer from the fountaine which according to S. Hierome Lib 3. aduersus Pelagianos is the First stole and heauenly dewe which according to S. Gregory Nyssen Homil. 4. in Cantica is the riches of the Diuine essence which according to S. Austin de spiritu litera Cap. 28. is the stamp of God which according to S. Isidore in primum Regum C. 10. is the milke of a mother XLII But if we consult holy Scripture this truth that we are iust by true inherent iustice is so frequently and so clearly deliuered therin that it may seeme a wonder how it can be so much as called in question by any who belieue the Scripture Let vs alledg some few Texts of the many which might be produced Rom. 5.19 As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one many shall be made just Since therfor none can deny but that we are sinners by sin or iniustice truly and really inexistent in our soules it followes that we are just by true inherent Justice And V. 17. If in the offence of one death raigned by one much more they that receyue the aboundance of Grace and of donation and of justice shall raigne in life by one Iesus Christ But death though proceeding from and by one Adam was truly participated by all and not meerly imputed to them Therfore the aboundance of Grace justice and life is really in all though by one Jesus Christ Ioan. 4.14 The water which I will giue him shall become a fountayne of water springing vp vnto life euerlasting And that this fountaine is the Holy Ghost dwelling in vs by Grace or Grace giuen by the Holy Ghost dwelling in vs appeareth in the 7. Chap v. 38. of the same Evangelist where our Sauiour hauing sayd He that beleeueth in me as the Scripture sayth out of his belly shall flow riuers of liuing water adds and this he sayd of the spirit that they should receyue which belieued in him S. Cyrill also Lib. 2. in Ioan Cap. 82 and Theophilact in cap. 4. Ioan. call this fountaine of liuing water the grace of the Holy Ghost S. Hierome in Cap. 55. Isaiae and S. Chrisostome Hom. 31. in Ioan Somtyme call it the Holy Ghost somtyme the grace of the Holy Ghost neither can any man doubt but that a fountaine signifyes a thing stable and permanent Rom. 5.5 The charity of God is powred forth in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs. 1. Ioan 4.7 Euery one that loueth is of God V. 16. God is charity and he that abideth in charity abideth in God and God in him Galat 3.29 You are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus In which words that the Apostle speakes of a liuing faith appeares by the Chap 5. where hauing sayd V 4. you are euacuated from Christ that are iustifyed in the law you are fallen from grace V. 6. he explicates what that grace is saying in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision auayleth ought nor vncircumcision but faith that worketh by charity And Chap. 6. v. 15. this liuely faith he calls a new creature saying In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision auayleth ought nor vncircumcision but a new creature 1. Cor. 6.15.16.17.18 Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Taking the members of Christ shall I make them the members of an harlot God forbid Or know you not that he which cleaueth to an harlot is made one body For they shall be sayth he two in one flesh But he that cleaueth to our Lord is one spirit Fly fornication What then shall we say of them who blasphemously joyne the spirit of God with the spirit of satan the spirit of fornication and all other vices XLIII 1. Ioan 4.13 In this we know that we abide in him and he in vs because he of his spirit hath giuen to vs. Ioan C. 15.5 He that abideth in me and I in him the same beareth much fruite Behold a permanency or abiding before fruite or good workes 1. Ioan 3. v. 9. Euery one that is borne of God committeth not sinne because his seed abideth in him v. 24. He that keepeth his Commandements abideth in him and he in him And in this we know that he abideth in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. Tit 3.5.6.7 He hath saued vs by the Lauer of regeneration and renouation of the Holy Ghost which he powred vpon vs abundantly by Iesus Christ our Sauiour That being iustifyed by his grace we may be heyres according to the hope of life euerlasting All these words clearly signify a supernaturall thing permanent and inherent in vs 2. Cor. 1.21.22 He that annointed vs God who also hath sealed vs and giuen the pledge of Spirit in our harts 1. Ioan 2.27 The vnction which you haue receiued from him let it abide in you 2. Pet. 1.4 By whom he hath giuen vs most great and precious promises that by these you may be made partakers of the diuine nature Ioan 15.15 Now I call you not seruants but you I haue called friends 2. Cor. 5.18 If then any be in Christ a new creature 1. Cor. 15.49 As we haue borne the image of the earthly let vs beare also the image of the heauenly Ioan. 14. v. 16.17 I will aske the Father and he will giue you another Paraclete that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receaue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but you shall know him because he shall abide with you and shall be in you v. 23. If any loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come to him and will make aboade with him 1. Ioan. 3.1 See what manner of charity the Father hath giuen vs that we should be named and be the sonnes of God Rom. 8.14 Whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God V 15.17 If sonnes heyres also heyres truly of God and coheyres of Christ Ioan. 1.12.13 As many as receiued him he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God to those that beleeue in his name who not of bloud nor of the will of flesh
producible by our Acts but infused by God for enabling vs to loue his Divine Majesty aboue all things you would easily see that it could not be destroyed by parts but all togeather and that only in case of committing a deadly sin wherby the sinner in fact voluntarily prefers some creature before God his Creatour and therby ceaseth to loue him aboue all things which yet is essentiall to Charity and without which it cannot exist in any least degree Holy Scripture tells vs he that loves not remaines in death which declares that Charity is the life of the soule and de dly sin being the death therof if Charity may stand with deadly sin the life and death of the soule should abide togeather But as I sayd it appeares by this that you discourse of the Theologicall vertrue of Charity as of naturall acquired habits produced by our Acts may be encreased diminished produced and destroyed without any like alteration in the habits of the infused vertues which are of a different nature and higher kind And by this appeares how necessary it was to premise the Introduction concerning the infused habits and necessity of Grace 16. In the meane tyme every one may see that either you make small account of Scripture which yet you pretend to be a totall Rule of Faith or els that it is not cleare even when it seemes to speake most cleare For what principle is more received in Christianity or more evidently set downe in Scripture than that by true and harty Contrition a sinner doth instantly obtaine pardon of his sins And yet you deny this first principle and as it seemes can see no such evidence in Scripture concerning it The Protestant Church of England once so termed at the beginning of their morning Prayer hath this sentence out of the Psalme 51. according to their account a sorrowfull spirit is a sacrifice to God and that out of S. Luke 15.18.19 of the Prodigall child I will goe to my father and say to him Father I haue sinned against Heaven and against thee I am no more worthy to be called thy son who vpon such Repentance was instantly received into favour as S. Basill Homil de penit saith of him Caeperat dicere mox illum Pater complectitur He had searce begun to aske pardon when it was granted him And S. Chrysost priore epist ad Theodor laps In eo momento totius vitae peccata abstergit In that very instant the sins of his whole life were wiped away Thus we reade Ezech 33.12 The justice of the just shall not deliver him in what day soever he shall sinne and the imprety of the impious shall not hurt him in what day soever he shall convert frō his impiety Therfore as a just man doth instantly loosegrace by his sin so a sinner repēting doth presentlyobtaine pardon of his sin and lives by justifying grace God being more ready to pardon than punish And no wonder seing a sinner performes all that is in his power for that instant And god requires of vs no more than is in our power nor can he seriously command impossible things as you expressly confesse Pag 390. N. 7. in these words The Rule of the Law is also the dictate of common reason and equity that no man can be obliged to what is impossible We can be obleged to nothing but by vertue of some command Now it is impossible that God should command in carnest any thing which he knowes to be impossible For to command in earnest is to command with an intent to be obliged which is not possible he should doe when he knowes the thing commanded to be impossible These I say be your words ād they are very true but directly against the common doctrine of Protestants that it is impossible to keepe the commandements of God who surely commanded them in Scripture in good earnest and not in jeast neither is there any moment wherin a man indued with the vse of Reason may not avoide eternall damnation if he cooperate with Gods grace which is never wanting nor can there be any moment wherin a man may not hope to be saved It is a true Axiome of Divines facienti quod in se est c God doth not denye his Grace to him who doth all that lyes in his power assisted by grace I sayd A sinner doth all that lyes in his power at that instant For if he surviue he is obliged to keepe all the Commandements which oblige vnder mortall sin but this observance is not a part of Contrition or Repentance but only the Object therof for as much as Contrition implyes an effectuall purpose of keeping the Commandements And for that cause the same Prophet Uers 14.15.16 saith If I shall say to the impious Dying thou shallt dye and he do pennance from his sin and do judgment and justice and the same impious restore pledge and render robbery walke in the Commandements of life and do not any vnjust thing living he shall liue and shall notdy All his sins which he hath sinned shall not be imputed to him he hath done judgment and justice living he shall liue This appeares in the conversion and justification of David 2. Reg 12. who repenting had scarce vttered two words I haue sinned to our Lord when he heard of the Prophet Our Lord also hath taken away thy sin Where some obserue that the Prophet sayd not our Lord will take away thy sin de futuro but hath taken away thy sin de praeterito to signify that Contrition and remission of his sins mett in the same instant Which David himselfe witnesseth Psalm 31. V. 5. I sayd I will confess against me my injustice to our Lord and thou hast forgiven me the impiety of my sin Vpon which place S. Austine speaking in person of David saith my confession had not come so far as to my mouth and God heard the voyce of my hart My voyce was not yet in my mouth and the eare of God was already in my hart Actor 2.38 Peter sayd to them do pennance and be every one of you baptized in the name of Jesus Christ And Uers 42. They therfore that received his word were baptized But it is cleare that these men could not haue tyme to roote out all vicious habits therfore that cānot be required to true Repentance Prov 8. I loue those who loue me But how cā God be sayd to loue those who loue him if he forgiues not the sin but remaines offēded ād an enemy to one who loves him by true Contrition which implyes the loue of his divine Majesty aboue all things S. Austine in Enchirid C. 65. saith Not so much the measure or quality of tyme as of sorrow is to be considered For God doth not despise a contrite and humbled hart Which last words taken out of the 40. Psalme do of themselves proue our Assertion So that Scripture Fathers and Theologicall reasons do all concurre in this that effectuall sorrow for
probability be alledged on both sides that men of vpright harts may some goe one way and some another 30. What words more cleare than those of our B Saviour Matth 26. V. 26. This is my Body Insomuch as Luther in his Booke Defensio verborum Coenae saies against the Sacramentaryes who deny the Reall presence This Heresy doth not impugne doubtfull opinyons and doubtfull Testimonyes of Scripture but plaine and express sentences of Scripture yet many Protestants deny this Mystery of the Reall presence vpon pretence that other Texts of Scripture are contrary to it and in particular that in S. Iohn's Gospell Cap 6. V. 63. It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing Which is a strange kind of interpreting words most cleare by a Text very obscure But God in his holy Providence permits these men to fall vpon such impertinences for their owne confutation as happens in this occasion For as they deny the Reall presence of our Saviours Body in the Eucharist so they deny or elude the reall Presence or Descent of his soule into Hell interpreting those words of the Acts 2.27 Thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell Non relenques cadaver meum in sepulchro Thou wilt not leaue my dead Body in the sepulcher So Beza vpon that place And Vorstius in Antibellarm Pag 42. Nihil vetat per Animam synecdochicè intelligere ipsum corpus quidem jam mortuum We may well by a synecdoche vnderstand by the soule the body even the dead body Serranus contra Hayum sayth that per animam Act 2. V. 27. non intelligitur anima marke soule not the soule sed mortuus homo siue cadaver but a dead man or a dead body And which is strange he assirmes that this interpretation is cleare For the present I will not examine this strange interpretation of an Article of our Creed Descendit ad inferos He descended vnto Hell Of which Potter Pag 240. sayth The words are so plame they beare their meaning before them nor will I obserue even by this example how far Scripture is from being evident to these men who faine such glosses vpon words so cleare and yet say that their interpretation is cleare But I will only say if the soule which is a spirit may signify flesh and flesh be taken for the soule or spirit those words Spiritus est qui vivificat caro non prodest quicquam It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh prositeth nothing may be inverted and taken thus against themselves caro est quae vivificat spiritus non prodest quicquam It is the flesh which quickeneth the spirit profiteth nothing For if the soule may signify the body why may not the body signify the soule by the same new kind or Figure In the meane tyme these men should consider that their owne Divines assirme S. Iohn in that sixth Chapter not to speak of the Sacrament and it is a strange kind of proofe to argue out of Scripture for that of which that Scripture is confessed even by him who so argues not to speak But because many examples or instances may be alledged to proue the difficulty of Scripture even in the most Principall and Fundamentall Articles of our Faith we will touch some in the next Reason for to speak of all would be endless 31. Fiftly The same is demonstrated by these particulars What can be more cleare to proue the Consubstantiality of the son of God with his Eternall Father than Ego Pater vnum sumus Ioan 10. V. 13. I and the Father are one And yet the old and new Arians with Chilling and other Socinians deny it pretending falsly that it is against Reason and contrary to other Text of Scripture What can be more expressly delivered if we respect the bare word than that there is one God Creatour of Heaven and Earth And yet for the signification of the words to omit old Heretiques as the Simoniani Menandriani Basilidiani Valentinistae Marcionistae Manichaei and the whole rabble of the Gnostici who taught that there is not one God Omnipotent Creatour of Heaven and Earth haue we not in our dayes Socinians who indeed destroy the true God by making him a Subject of Accidents and depriving him of his Immensity Omniscience of futura (a) Crellius Lib 1. de vera Religione Cap 24. Contingentia or the future Actions which are to proceed from Freewill although nothing be more cleare in Scripture than that God is every where filling Heaven and Earth and that one distinction of the true God from false ones is that he can infallibly foretell things to come and that he inspired Prophets to prophecy with absolute certainty things remote for Tyme and Place which being denyed the books of the Prophets must be rent from the Bible as deluding men and worse than Apocriphall Tertullian Lib 2. cont Marcion Cap 5. ait Deum quot facit Prophetas tot habere testes suae praescientiae God hath as many witnesses of his Prescience as are the Prophets whom he makes Doth not Calvin depriue God of Mercy and Justice in teaching that he predestinates men to eternall damnation and punishes them for sins to which they were necessitated by the same God What can be more cleare in our Creed and scripture than that Christ was conceyved of the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary suffered dyed rose agayne and ascended into Heaven if we looke vpon the words And yet for the sense which is the life and soule of scripture there are most different and contrary doctrines concerning these Poynts I let pass those Heretiques who taught that Christ suffered not really but only in appearance or shew And why might not they as well say that the words he was crucifyed and dyed are not to be taken litterally as our Sacramentaryes teach the words This is my body are to be vnderstood figuratively But these I let pass and only reflect that for the thing signifyed by those words according to our moderne Sectaryes there is neither certainty who he is that was borne suffered dyed rose agayne c nor of the End for which he was borne suffered and dyed nor of the Effect and Fruite of his life and Death For Socinians deny that he who was borne suffered c was true God and Man or that the End for which he suffered was to redeeme vs by satisfying and paying the ransome of our sins but only by way of instructing or giving vs exāple And Calvinists teache that the Effect or Fruite of our Saviours Actions and sufferings is not any true remission or washing away our sins but only a not imputing them their guilt and deformity still remaining as Calvin in 2. Corinth 5. V. 21. declares Quomodo justi coram Deo sumus Qualiter scilicet Christus fuit peccator How are we just befor God in such manner as Christ was a sinner O injury to men as if none were otherwise just than Christ was a sinner of whom
it is sayd It was seemly that we should haue such a high Priest holy innocent impolluted separated from sinners Heb 7. V. 26. O blasphemy against Christ our Lord as if he had bene truly a sinner as just men are truly just of whom we reade evident texts that they are renewed in the spirit of their mynd and haue put on the new man which according to God is created in justice and holiness of the truth Ephes 4.23.24 not of a falshood or disguise of truth that they are regenerated and Renewed of the Holy Ghost Tit 3.3 that their sins are taken away 1. Paral 21.8 that cleare water is powred vpon them and they clensed from all their contaminations Ezech 36.25 that they shal be sprinkled with hyssope clensed washed and made whyter than snow Psalm 50 9. that their sins shal be sought and shall not be found Psalm 9.5 that their sins are purged Prov. 19.27 that they are all fayre and there is not a spot in them Cant. 4.7 If thy sins shal be as scarlet they shal be made whyte as snow and if they be red as vermelion they shal be whyte as wooll Isay 1.18 they haue washed their robes and haue made them whyte in the bloud of the lamb Apoc. 7.14 With sundry other evident texts which I cited in the Introduction Sect. 9. And yet our Sectaryes will haue just men and Saints to be still in sinne and so Calvinian saints are eternally stayned with that which is the most detestable thing in the very Divells namely deadly sinne The Apostle sayth Rom. 5.18 As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the Obedience of one many shal be made just Will Calvin say that we were made sinners only by imputation and not by true sin inexistent in our soule And how then can he deny but that men are just by true inherent Justice And if it be so how dare he blaspheme that Christ was a sinner as just men are just which is to say that he was a sinner by inherent sinne or injustice as other sinners are But this is the fruite of relying on scripture alone that is indeed of following their owne fancy What can be more evident and in more express words delivered in scripture than that without the speciall Grace of God merited by our Saviours Life and Death we cannot doe any worke or speak any words or think any thought avayling towards eternall salvation and yet Pelagians taught the contrary and Socinians hold that we merit all for our selves and Christ nothing for vs as contrarily Protestants commonly say that Christ merited all for vs and we nothing for our selves So contrary Heresyes arise when once men despise the Authority of Gods Church What Poynt more cleare in scripture and more purposely and carefully proved by S. Paule than that Article of our Creed the Resurrection from Death and yet the Socinians teach that in Heaven we shall haue I know not what celestiall body essentially different from that which was buryed in the graue (a) Vid Volkel de vera Relig Lib 3. Cap 35. Besides do not those Lutherans who defend the Vbiquity of our Sauiours Humanity vnderstand evident words or do they want skill in lang uages And yet it is manifest that they destroy all the Mysteryes of the Nativity Ascension c of our Saviour Christ For who can come or goe or ascend or descend from one place to another who is presupposed to be in all places no less then God is according to his Deity who therfor cannot be mooved from one place to another 32. Sixtly These things considered the Reader may justly wonder at Chilling who expressly specifyes the sayd Mysteryes of our Saviour Christ for instances that the Scripture is evident concerning them His words Pag 101. N. 127 are If any one should deny that God is Omnipotent Omniscient good just true mercifull a rewarder of them that seeke him a punisher of those that obstinately offend him that Iesus Christ is the senne of God and Saviour of the world that it is he by Obedience to whom men must looke to be saved If any man should deny either his Birth or Paâ—sion or Resurrection or Ascension or sitting at the right hand of God his having all power given him in Heaven and Earth That it is he whom God hath appointed to be judg of the quick and the dead that all men shall rise againe at the last day That they which believe and repent shall be saved That they which do not belieue or repent shal be damned If a man should hold that either the keeping of the mosaicall Law is necessary to Salvation or that good works are not necessary to Salvation In a word if any man should obstinately contradict the truth of any thing plainly delivered in Scripture who does not see that every one who believes the Scripture hath a sufficient meanes to discover and condemne and avoyd that Heresy without any need of an infallible guide Thus he But by his leaue who does not see both by Reason and Experience the contrary of that of which he sayth who does not see And how hard is it to distinguish and judg what is or is not plainly delivered in Scripture if we respect the sense and not the words only And if we consider not one text alone but coâ—â— are it with other passages which seeme to signify a different or even contrary thing especially if he add the great disserence and contrariety of opinions amongst his Brethren the Protestants concerning such poynts some of them judging that to be plaine and evident in scripture which others belieue not only to be obscure but the contrary to be true and all this out of evident scripture as they apprehend as appeares by these very examples which he picks out for Truths plainly delivered in scripture as we haue alredy demonstrated For Gods Omniptency the scripture saith plainly Matth 3.9 God is able of these stones to raise vp children to Abraham And Matth 20.53 Thinkest thou that I cannot aske my Father and he will giue me presently more then twelue legions of Angels Luc 1.36 there shall not be impossible with God any word And yet Calvin in severall occasions impugnes the distinction of Catholique Divines of Potentia Dei ordinaria absoluta of Gods ordinary Power and his absolute power and rejects that which they call Potentia absoluta We haue shewed already that Gods Omniscience is denyed by the Socinians whom Chilling highly esteemes for learning and piety also as appeares in what he sayes in his Answer to the Direction to N.N. N. 29. and yet they did wel vnderstand the learned languages and the words of scripture for the Grammaticall signification 33. With what modesty can Hee say that it is evident in scripture that Iesus Christ is the son of God Saviour of the world and sitteth at the right haÌ„d of God and hath all power giveÌ„ him in heaveÌ„ aÌ„d
protestāts that they haue no certaine meanes to judg whē scripture is evidēt ād consequētly it alone is not sufficiēt to judg evidētly of all poynts necessary to be believed Nay seing they haue no evident Ground to know that scripture is the word of God they cannot be certaine of any one text of scripture though we did suppose that the sense therof were very cleare 89. 16. It is a maine ground with Heretikes that a living judg was necessary till the whole canon of scripture was perfited which being done they say the scripture alone is sufficient But even from this principle of theirs I argue thus seeing they belieue nothing which cannot be proved out of scripture they are obliged to proue out of scripture this very Ground that the necessity of a living judg did expire as soone as scripture was written This is impossible for them to do because no such text is to be found in the whole bible Therfor they cannot hold it even according to their owne principles See what I haue sayd in my nynth reason N. 59 to proue that according to their grounds on text will serue their turne for our presēt purpose vnless it be the last book or text because they teach that scripture alone was not sufficient till the whole Canon was perfited and yet who will vndertake that such a last booke or text hath evidently this Proposition After the Canon of scripture was perfited the necessity of a living judg did cease To say nothing that it is not certaine what part of Holy scripture was written last as also that Protestants do not agree whether some of those scriptures which were the last or among the last be Canonical or no as I sayd aboue 90. 17. I take an argument from the confession of Protestants themselves that the Ancient Fathers stand for vs against them and that therfor the Fathers erred Which could never haue happened to Persons so holy wise learned sincere laborious dispassionate and whom all Christians acknowledg to haue wrought miracles on earth and to be glorious Saints in heauen if the scriptures were so express and evident as our adversaryes pretend Or if they will needs haue scripture to be so cleare every man of Conscience and discretion will stand for the anciēt Fathers ād vs who are acknowledged to agree with them Now that the Fathers are confessed by Protestants to haue taught the same doctrines which we at this day maintayne is diligētly demonstrated by that judicious exact and Faithfull Author of the Protestants Apology for the Roman Church concerning divers poynts which the Reader to be assured of the truth and for the Eternall good of his soule may find in the Alphabeticall Table Verb. Fathers and then examine them vnpartially as the Reall Presence Transsubstantiation Reservation of the Sacrament Masse and Sacrifice Sacrifice according to the order of Melchisedech Propitiatory Sacrifice euen for the dead Purgatory Free-will the possibility of keeping the commandements justification and Merit of works invocation of Saints Translation of Saints Reliques and their worship Pilgrimage to holy places Grace conferd by Baptisme necessity of Baptisme Chrisme and Confirmation Confession of sinnes injoyned pennance or satisfaction Absolution the Fast of Lent other sett Fasting daves Fasting from certaine meates vnwritten Traditions Hallowing of Alters Churches Water Oyle Bread Candles c More Sacraments than two that Antichrist shal be but one man the great vertue of the signe of the Crosse the worshipping of it Lights in the Church in the day-tyme Images in the Church their Worship S. Peters Primacy ouer the Apostles the Popes Primacy aboue other Bishops Vowed Chastity monasteryes of vowed virgins their consecration their religious habit Mòks that priests might not marry that Bigamus may not be priest the inferiour orders of deacons subdeacons acolyts exorcists c In so much as in regard of these and many mo like premises many of the learned Protestants do deale plainly in making generall disclaime in the Fathers as may be seene in Brierley tract 1. Subdiv 14. where beside other Protestants he names Whitaker Iacobus Acontius Napper Fulk Downham Melancthon Peter Martyr Beza Caelivs Secundus Curio Sebastianus Francus c Besides it cannot be denyed but that learned Protestants do taxe the Fathers of divers errours as is notorious and may be particularly seene in Brierly ibid wherin although they manifestly wrong those Holy and Ancient Doctours yet these their Accusers ought to gather from thence that scripture is not evident since men indued with all ornaments and helps for attayning the true meaning therof were so much mistaken as our sectaryes pretend 91. The same is also clearly demonstrated by reflecting that very many of the most learned Protestāts agree with vs in many points against their Protestant brethren as Brierley Tract 3. Sect 7. lit M. exactly demonstrates For example the Reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament that Sacraments do not only signify but also conferr grace that Christ after his corporall death did descend in soule into Hell that the Church must continue visible concerning Evangelicall Councells Viz. that a man may do more than he is commanded concerning the vniversality of Grace and that Christ dyed for all that men are not certaine of their election and that he who is in state of Grace may finally fall that in case of divorce vpon adultery the innocent party may not marry againe that to children of the Faithfull dying vnbaptized salvation is not promised Freewill That in regard of Christs Passion and promise our good works proceeding from Faith are meritorious Temporall punishment reserved by God in justice for sin remitted The impugning of the civill Magistrates headship though but of a particular Church Intercession of Angels Intercession of Saints invocation of Saints vowed chastity voluntary Poverty Chastity and Obedience prayer for the dead purgatory Limbus Patrum Images in the Church worship of Images Reverence and bowing at the name of Jesus the power of priests not only to pronounce but to giue remission of sinnes private confession of sins to a priest distinction of mortall and veniall sin in one and the same person the indifferency of communion vnder one or both kinds sacrifice of the New Testament according to the order of Mechisadech that first motions of our concupiscence without our concent therto are not sinnes that the commandements are not impossible Transubstantiation that the Sacraments of the old Testament were not in working and effect equall with ours The visible signe of imposition of hands in confirmation with the grace therby conferred The like visible signe and grace given in Orders yea expressly counted a Sacrament An indeleble character imprinted by certaine Sacraments The baptisme of women and lay persons in case of necessity The knowen intention of the church needfull to the administration of Sacraments Seaven Sacraments implicite Faith that Antichrist is yet to come the patronage and protection of certaine Angels over certaine countries and Kingdomes
though the absolution be valid At least these considerations are more then sufficient to put every dying man and indeed every man in mynd to implore the Divine assistance and to endeavour the exercising an Act of Contrition If you be resolved not to approue these Answers let vs see what better you can giue and how you will apply it to satisfy the Argument which I haue made to shew that the Faith and salvation of Protestants rely vpon vncertaine Grounds 49. You say Pag 79. N. 68. That it is altogeather as abhorrent from the goodness of God to suffer an ignorant Lay-mans soule to perish meerly for being misled by an vndiscernable false Translation which was commended by the Church which being of necessity to credit some in this matter he had reason to rely vpon either aboue all other or as much as any other as it is to damne a penitent sinner for a secret defect in that desired Absolution which his Ghostly Father perhaps was an Atheist and could not giue him or was a villaine and would not 50. I answer as aboue The totall and proper cause of damnation of men is their sin and not any secret defect or invalidity in the Absolution and therfore in your case an vnlearned man shall not be damned meerly for being missled by an vndiscernable false Translation but for the sins which he hath voluntarily committed and his damnation can be imputed to himself alone and in no sense to any want on Gods behalfe from whose Goodness it is not abhorrent to suffer a manes soule to perish for his sins which punishment he might haue permitted and inflicted in the very moment wherin they were committed for sin of it self gives most just cause for a man to be instantly lodged in Hell as we see māy are permitted to dy in the Act of some wickedness without foresight of that just punishment hanging over their head and therfore without possibility to repent vpon the motiue of being so forewarned neither shall they be damned for their vnvoluntary omission of repentance in that case but for the sin itself never forgiven And this I returne to say your self must affirme as I proved aboue For suppose by such a false Translation on were misled into some errour destructiue of a Fundamentall poynt of Faith such a man cannot be saved and it would not be abhorrent from the Goodness of God to damne such a person not for his errour which we suppose to be vnvoluntary but for his sins God hath promised pardon to repentant sinners but hath no where obliged himself to expect their leasure for repenting or to giue his efficatious Grace at their pleasure who believing man to be what he is infiinitely inferiour to the Divine Majesty and infinitely obliged to his Goodness and God to be what He is infinite in all kind of perfections and sin to be what it is infinitely vgly deformed and malitious a sinner I say firmely believing all this and yet differring his repentance if it were but for one momēt must blame himself alone if he dy without true repentance and so be damned for his sins never repented If I were not well acquainted with your custome of contradicting yourself I should wonder that you should object to vs as a thing abhorrent from the Goodness of God that men should be permitted to be misled by a false Translation and so chance to be damned seing you teach that God may in his Justice permit true Miracles to be wrought to delude men in punishment of their sins and besides this seing you affirme true Repentance to consist not only in harty sorrow and firme purpose to amend but to require as you say Pag 392. N. 8. the mortification of the Habits of all Vices and effectuall conversion to newness of Life and Vniversall Obedience and withall that an Act of Attrition which we say with Priestly Absolution is sufficient to salvation is not mortification which being a worke of difficulty and tyme cannot be performed in an Instant It followes clearly out of this Doctrine that neither Attrition nor Contrition can saue a poore soule at the houre of death because this your kind of Repentance being a Worke of difficulty and tyme cannot be performed in an instant Nor can such a man be saved at that tyme though he doe as much as God can require of him for his salvation in those circumstances You object against vs as a huge absurdity that one may be damned by reason of an invalid Absolution when as yet it is in the Penitentes will assisted with Gods Grace to exercise an Act of Contrition wherby he shall certainly be saved and yet you are not afrayd to tell vs that a sinner though he do all that possibly he can and haue that most perfect kind ofsorrow which is called Contrition yet cannot be saved without the Mortification of the Habits of all vices and effectuall conversion to a newness of life and Vniversall Obedience Which things cannot be performed in an instant but require long tyme And then his damnation shall not proceed from his not doing as much as he is able in those Circumstances for we suppose him to do all that nor for any accidentall defect in applying such Meanes as Almighty God hath provided but because according to your Doctrine God hath not provided sufficient Meanes for the salvation of a Repentant sinner at the houre of his death Which to affirme is no better then blasphemy and makes mens salvation depend not only vpon vncertaintyes as you object to vs but also vpon impossibilityes And they shall be damned by reason of the nature of those very Meanes which are appointed by God for forgiveness of their sins and salvation that is by your way of Repentance The like I may say of your Doctrine That Attrition alone is sufficient for salvation which being certainly most false and if you haue any modesty must be even in your owne Oppinion vncertaine as not being the common opinion of Protestants for ought I know you put salvation of soules vpon Grounds which are in themselves and not only in the application of them vncertaine And the same I say of your wicked Doctrine that Christian Faith is not infallible which must be a sourse of all other vncertaintyes 51. Having thus answered for ourselves and retorted your Arguments it will not be amiss to examine what you vndertake to speake for vs without any Commission to a considering man lying on death bed who feeles or feares that his Repentance is but Atrition only and not Contrition and consequently believes that if he be not really absolved by a true Priest he cannot possibly escape damnation Such a man for his comfort you tell first you who will haue mens salvation depend vpon no vncertaintyes that though he verily belieue that his sorrow for sinnes is a true sorrow and his purpose of amendment a true purpose yet he may deceiue himself perhaps it is not and if it be not
regeneration Tit 3. And Baptisme is a meane or instrument by which is made the communication of Christs benefits For by Baptisme Christ cleanseth and sanctifyeth Ephes 5. Yea he saith expressly The testimonyes of Scripture are manifest which as they cannot be denyed so they ought not to be shifted of Ephes 5. Clensing her with the laver of water in the Word Joan 3. Vnless one he borne againe of water c. Act 22. Be Baptized and wash away thy sinnes 1. Pet 3. Speaknig of water c He sayth Baptisme being of the like forme of the Arke of Noë saveth vs. And he concludes These being most manifest tectimonyes which expressly ascribe Efficacy to Sacraments and declare what that Efficacy is are not to be perverted by tropes from their simple and native signisication which the proper signification of the words giveth and so the ancient Fathers haue vnderstood these testimonyes simply as they sound Behold the Doctrine of a chiefest Protestant proved out of Scripture and confessed to be the Doctrine of the Ancient Fathers interpreting Scriptures so as our Catholike Doctrine comes to be approved by Protestants by Scripture and by the Ancient Fathers and by Protestants interpreting Scripture all which Poynts are further taught by the Protestant Urbanus Regius In 1. Part Operum in Cathechismo minori Folio 105. confessing that the Scripture and the Authority of the ancient Church constraine him to belieue that children dying vnbaptized are damned The same Doctrine is delivered by Sarcerius ād by Confess Augustana The Protestants of Saxony and sundry other Protestant Writers as may be seene in the Tripl Cord Chap 20. Sect 4. Pag 456. 61. Now we may reflect First seing these Protestants for their Doctrine of the necessity of Baptisme rely vpon Scripture as indeed the words of Scripture are as cleare for this Point as any can be I would gladly know what certaine Ground you or any man can haue that so many learned Protestants to say nothing of all Fathers Antiquity and moderne Catholike Writters haue erred in this their Interpretation of Scripture Is it not your owne Rule That when men truly desirous to know the truth and of vpright meaning I hope you belieue Protestants to be such at least most of them differ about the sense of Scripture it is a signe that such places are not evident And seing we now treat of a Point which at least is necessary to be knowen whether or no it be necessary otherwise we cannot be assured that we want nothing necessary to salvation it followes that Scripture is not evident in all things necessary to be knowen and therfor we must haue recourse to a Living Judg. 2. Seing so many of those whom you call brethren teach our Catholique Doctrine whatsoever you object against vs makes no less against them 3. Your saying That Baptisme is a casuall thing and in the power of man to conferr though yet many learned Protestants hold Baptisme to be necessary is a prophane speech as if God had not a most particular Providence in disposing all rhings for the good of his Elect particularly in things necessary to salvation Why do you not likewise object against all Christians their making the salvation of every one depend on the preaching of the Gospell of which our Saviour spoke when he also commanded his Apostles to conferr Baptisme Matth 28.19 which you may also say is a casuall thing and in the power of man to doe or omitt as if God could not be sure how to order infallibly all events or effects vnless they fall out by necessity Nay I say more Our God is so good and desirous that all be saved that if men did strictly concurre and cooperate with his holy Providence and Grace in all occasions things would so fall out as that mediatè or immediatè proximè or remotè one way or other there would never want sufficient Meanes for infants to be baptized So farr is this matter from being a casuall thing And still we must consider that infants dying without baptisme are deprived of salvation not for the fault of those who omitted to Baptize them nor properly for want of Baptisme itself but for Originall sin once contracted and never abolished by that meanes and instrument which God hath appointed for that End and Effect as he might in his Justice haue left all Mankind in their sins without providing for them a Redeemer according to the proceeding which he held with the apostating Angells and therfore this Doctrine That children dying without Baptisme cannot be saved implyes no cruelty absurdity or strangeness to those who believe other Poynts of Christian Faith Especially if we consider that although they shall not enjoy felicity in Heaven yet they shall lead their life with much content by contemplation and also by considering that perhaps if their Creatour had granted them longer life yea and procured them to be baptized they might haue dyed in actuall deadly sinne and haue bene damned in Hell with Poena Damni Sensus both of being deprived of the beatificall Vision and of insufferable torments of sense and what greater absurdity is it that infants should Misse of salvation for want of intention in the Minister then if they had not bene in the occasion of not being baptized at all by reason of some other impediment And therfor I see no reason why we should for such cases of want of Intention in the Minister or of due Forme or Matter haue recourse to any extraordinary Meanes which should not be extraordinary but ordinary if God did provide it whensoever the infant is not baptized vpon whatsoever occasion or impediment and so indeed Baptisme should never be absolutely necessary to salvation Besides seing there can be no certainty of extraordinary meanes the matter will still remaine doubtfull and objections must be answered some other waie 62. But you will object That at least we differ from Protestants in suspending the salvation of infants on the Baptizers Intention 63. Answer I haue shewed that some learned Protestants of chief note require the same intention which we doe and also that every iudicious man will certainly judg that there is no danger of invalidity in Baptisme for want of intention but rather in respect of the Matter or Forme and yet not only the Protestant Church of England teaches that the Matter and Forme are necessary for Baptisme but also divers other Protestants deliver the same Doctrine as may be seene in The Triple Cord Pag 457. and the thing is evident of it self to every one who vnderstands the termes of Matter and Forme If men may be damned for their Actuall sinnes though they be supposed to be invincibly ignorant of necessary or fundamentall points of Faith as Potter confesses why may not infants be deprived of Heaven for originall sinne though theire want of Baptisme be not immediatly voluntary to any 64. Your last Objection N. 69. is against Our making he Reall Presence of Christ in
in so much that in those respects his Feast is solemnly kept in the Grecian Church and all the Orthodox Bishops of the whole World never ceased to hold their Communion with Him his Predecessours and Successours which they neither would nor could haue done if they had discovered any one and much more if so many and so enormious Errours and corruptions had appeared in that Sea which was not any private obscure and as it were invisible Church but was ever visible and conspicuous and like a beacon to all Nations And therfore what she taught and professed could not be hidden vnder a bushell but being placed vpon a candlesticke did so shine to all that all must needs see it and either contradict which none did or approue it as they did And here we may alledg the saying of King James ad Peron Pag 388. Durst one but lightly corrupt the Faith approovea through the World It was easy for a child to discover the new Maister by his Novelty And the beliefe of truth being found all the Pastours of the whole World if need were were mooved and being moved did not rest till they had removed the ill and provided for the security of the sheepe of Christ How then is it possible that this heape of pretended Errours in the Roman Church could appeare without being discovered till Luther an Apostata from his Faith and Religious Order did sacrilegiously marry a vowed Nunne and in the middest of his shamefull carnall pleasures receaue revelations from the Divell as himselfe doth openly confess Wherfore we must conclude that these Points which Protestants would needs miscall Errours were indeed the Orthodox Doctrines of the Ancient Fathers and whole Church of all precedent Ages of the Possession of which Truths and good Name we ought not to be deprived without most certaine evidence which is impossible for any Heretike so much as pretend to doe with any modesty or shew of truth as I haue proved and will saie more hereafter 59. Sixthly Protestants can proue nothing against vs with evidence but by Scripture alone which is impossible for them to do as I haue shewed at large Chap 2. For seing words are capable of diverse senses it is impossible by the words alâ—â—e to convince that they are vnderstood in such or such a particular determinate sense and not in some other of which they are capable and what is possible for ought we know doth actually happen and Gods free Decrees in this matter of vsing words in some set meaning are not evident either in themselves or are notifyed to vs by any certaine Rule and therfore Protestants cannot with any evidence proue out of Scripture that our doctrine containes any Errour Fundamentall or not Fundamentall And it is well to be considered that the same Arguments which Protestants object against vs now were observed and answered by Catholike Divines before Protestants appeared to the world as they answered objections made against Christian Religion or Catholike Verityes by Pagans Turks Jewes and such Heretiks as Protestants detest and it is therby apparent that they did not dissemble difficultyes but did propose them with no less candor and sincerity than they answered them with truth learning and solidity They alone were the men who opposed themselves murum pro Domo Dei against all the enemyes of Christianity and the world believed that they gaue at that tyme as true solutions of those very objections of old Heretikes which now happen to be made by Protestants as they did to those difficultyes which were vrged against Christian Religion or against Catholique Verityes by old Heretiks whom even Protestants condemne Wherfore to come now and tell the world that the Answers of those Catholike Doctours against some few Points were not solid must needs breed a huge scandall against Christian Religion and Orthodox doctrine impugned by Pagans Jewes Turks and old condemned Heretiks Certaine it is that the enemyes of Christian Religion may object greater difficultyes against Christianity than any Heretike can invent against vs. It is therfore cleare that Protestants can haue no necessary or demonstratiue Argument to proue that the Church hath degenerated into any least falshood in matters concerning Faith and so we must conclude with these words of Hooker cited by Chilling Pag 311. As for the orders established sith equity and reason favour that which is in being till orderly judgment of decision be given against it it is but justice to exact of you and perversnes in you it should be to deny thervnto your willing Obedience Doth not every word of Hooker condemne Luther and his followers Sith equity and reason favour that which is in being and no orderly judgment of decision had been given against the orders which they found established in all Churches it was but justice to exact of them and worse then perversness in them to deny therunto willing obedience and a formall sin of Schisme by such disobedience to forsake the Communion of the whole Church 60. Seventhly As the Roman Church and all Churches of Her Communion could not be despoyled of the Possession they held of being accounted true and pure Churches so also the Pope Bishops and other Prelats and Pastours vnder Him could not without Sacriledge and injustice be disobeyed and deprived of the Right which they did peaceably possesse when Luther first appeared And for the Popes Primacy in particular it is acknowledged by Protestants to haue beene ancient and taught by Holy Fathers even with in the compass of yeares which Protestants admit for Orthodox and by some chief Protestants is held as a thing indifferent yea and profitable And I desire the Reader for his satisfaction in this behalfe to see Brierlyes Index Verbo Peters Primacy and Popes Primacy and turne to the places which there he shall find cited See also Charity Maintayned Pag 1. Cap 3. N. 19. of this matter If then this Point be maintayned by Ancient Fathers if believed and practised in those incorrupt Ages if acknowledged by Protestants for a thing profitable who will so much as pretend any evidence of Scripture or necessary demonstratiue reason against it And consequently who will not inferr that the separation of Protestants from the whole Church was causeless and so according to your owne Memorandum sinfull and Schismaticall 61. Let vs now come to examine your second evasion Pag 265. N. 31. The imposing vpon men vnder paine of Excommunication a necessity of professing knowne Errours and practising knowne corruptions is a sufficient and necessary cause of separation And that this is the cause which Protestants alledg to justify their separation from the Church of Rome But 62. First It is manifest that Protestants departed from the Roman Church voluntarily before they were forced by Excommunication or by any other meanes For they voluntarily professed a Faith contrary to that of the whole Church which most carefully and even sollicitously endeavoured by all meanes possible to reclaime them as appeares in the life
sorrow which being once duly perfomed and accepted if any reall entity or habit chance to remaine it is devested of all formall relation to any Act as it was injurious and offensiue seing that Act is retracted and revoked and therfore remaines no more voluntary in the offending person as if we suppose one to haue shot an arrow or cast a dart with purpose to kill another and to be instantly by particular motion of the Holy Ghost strooken with effectuall sorrow and Repentance before the shaft arriue to the party against which it was levelled the wounding or killing in that case will indeed be sayd to proceed from the hand which discharged the dart in nature of a reall naturall effect but not in the nature of a voluntary morall sinfull action since all that which was voluntary and sinfull is supposed to haue beene retracted by true repentance before the effect was produced This which we haue declared by the example of one man compared to another that the Habituall offense or injury consists not in any reall Habit or Quality but in a morall consideration holds much more if we transferr it to the Habituall offense of man against God who though de facto he be pleased to forgiue sin vpon our Repentance yet considering the thing in itselfe he could not be obliged to forgiue our sin though our sorrow were never so perfect and though we were assisted to extirpate all vicious Habits by the contrary naturall Habits of vertue but besides all this and all that can be imagined to be done by vs there is required a mercifull and free condonation from his infinite Goodness whether by infusing Grace or otherwise I do not dispute for the present without which our sinns are not forgiven wherby it clearly appeares that the denomination of being an Habituall sinner or to be in state of sin consists not in any reall Quality or Habit since these may be destroyed and yet habituall sin remaine and these may remayne though habituall sin be taken away as likewise if we suppose Almighty God to hinder miraculously the production of any reall habits or Qualityes by not affoardingh his vniversall free concurrence or cooparation without which no second cause can produce any action or reall habits yet whosoever commits a sinfull action vnavoidably is and is denominated a sinner till he repent Therfore it is manifest that habituall sin or sin remayning Habitually consists not in any reall phisicall habit or quality and consequently habituall sin may remayne though the vicious habit either be destroyed or never exist Which shewes that your Repentance by rooting out all vicious habits is impertinent to true Repentance and forgiveness of sins 12. The second kind of habits which belong to our present purpose are reall physicall and naturall Qualityes or habits of vertue orvice produced by vertuous or vicious Acts which acts being immediatly voluntary and produced by our free-will are in themselves good or bad vicious or vertuous deserving prayse or disprayse reward or punishment But good or bad habits are not voluntary in themselves but only in their causes for as much as they were produced by voluntary free Acts which produce habits no less necessarily than fire produces heat in a matter capable and approximated nor is it in the power of man to exercise Acts good or bad and forbid or hinder them from producing vertuous or vicious habits When therfore a sinfull Act is once effectually retracted by true Repentance the habit which proceeded from it and was voluntary only in its cause or sinfull Action remaines now no more voluntary to that repentant sinner but retaines meerly its as I may say innocent reall nature and entity being in itselfe a dead Quality and no more a sin to such a one than sickness or death was to Adam after his fall and repentance that is effects of sin not sin They may perhaps facilitate and incline to Acts which may proue sinfull yet that facilitation and provocation being not voluntary but purely naturall is of itselfe no sin at all As the naturall inclination which men haue to certaine Objects may be occasion of sinfull Acts if the will giue free consent yet is not of itselfe any sin nor voluntary vnto vs but naturall and may be occasion of great merit if bad motions proceeding from it be resisted by our will assisted by Gods Grace And you might as well say that Repentance requires the destruction of our nature I meane that naturall inclination which Divines call Fomes Peccati from which sinfull Acts may proceed and which in Adam proceeded from his actuall sin which deprived him of Originall Justice as you require the abolition of all Habits inclining to sin and produced by sinfull Acts which being retracted by Repentance the Habits or effects of them can retaine no relish or relation to them as they were voluntary free and sinfull For which cause such Habits haue now nothing to doe with any sin either actuall or habituall and therfore it is impossible that they can haue any least repugnance with justifying grace Sanctity Charity and Loue of God and consequently true Repentance cannot require their destruction seing their existence is compatible with grace and Sanctity Besides if the Acts by which one vitious Habit is destroyed doe not of themselves destroy any degree of some other vicious Habits with which those Acts haue no connexion much less can justifying grace be incompatible with any naturall acquired Habits of vice these being of an inferiour nature and order to that and therfore habituall sin with which grace and Sanctity cannot stand consists not in such naturall acquired ill habits neither can the extirpation of them be necessary to true Repentance which may take away the sin though those habits remaine Morover the acts wherby some vicious habit is acquired may destroy some contrary vicious habit as for example Acts of Prodigality tend to the destruction of the habit of Avarice and the same may be sayd of all other vices which are Extremes in order to the meane of vertue But it is absurd and impious to say or imagine that habituall sin can be forgiven by any sinfull Act since no habituall sin can be taken away without Repentance which being a speciall supernaturall Gift of God cannot be a sin Therfore we must affirme that reall Qualityes which we call habits are not habituall sin otherwise sin might be pardoned by sin Which is further confirmed by considering that vicious habits may be expelled immediatly and formally by naturall habits and mediate by Acts wherby the habits of such vertues are produced For example The habit of Injustice by the Contrary habit of Justice and so other vices by their contrary vertues habits and Acts. And therfore if habituall sin consist in reall Qualityes or habits of vice sin shall be forgiven formally by a forme or Quality or habit acquired by Acts produced by force of nature which being but naturall yet shall be vltima dispositio
to supernaturall infused justifying Grace which is both absurd and the wicked heresy of Pelagius Lastly It is a certaine truth that whosoever departs this life in any one deadly sin vnrepented cannot be saved And it is also true that some habituall sin may consist with some naturall precedent habits of vertue which are not expelled by every deadly sin seing such a deadly sin may be cōmitted in some matter which hath no connexion at all with the objects of those naturall habits of vertue and therfore such a sin shall not expell such habits of morall vertues as de facto it doth not expell even the supernaturall habits of the Theologicall vertues Faith and hope And if habituall sin may stand with naturall yea and with some supernaturall Vertues what reason can be imagined but that habituall grace and Sanctity may consist with the simple entity or nature of vicious habits being cleared by Repentance from all former relation of being effects of sinfull Acts by which they were produced And consequently true Repentance which is a disposition to the infusion of grace may consist without the extirpation of the habits seing grace itselfe may stand with them 13. The third kind of Habits I call infused Habits of the three Theologicall vertues Faith Hope and Charity which haue for their immediate object God himselfe who is our last End and infused Habits of morall vertues which respect or haue for their Objects the Meanes which bring vs to that End Now for the production or in fusion of supernaturall Habits we may dispose ourselves by voluntary supernaturall Acts produced by the particular Assistance of the Holy Ghost but the Habits themselves are produced and infused into our soules immediatly and only by God and not Physically and really produced by any even supernaturall Acts of ours as naturall Habits are acquired and produced by our naturall Acts. And as our soule which is a spirit and the life of our body is created by God alone so no wonder if justifying Grace which is the spirituall life and soule of our soule be infused by God not produced by vs. This difference ariseth from the diversity of nature between naturall and supernaturall or Infused Habits Naturall Habits do presuppose a Power or Ability to produce certaine Acts and Habits are superadjoyned to the same Power for producing those Acts with greater promptitude and facility But supernaturall Habits not finding in our soule a power to produce of it selfe supernaturall Acts for how could they be supernaturall if they could be produced by naturall forces giue vs such power and Ability and therfore in rigour of speech should rather be called Potentiae than Habitus Powers than Habits For which cause I sayd Three sorts of Habits or as it were Habits ought to be distinguished in this Question For. Habituall sin is as I may say less than an habit being no reall or Physicall Quality the infufed habits are more than meere habits they are Powers as I haue declared Naturall or acquired habits being reall Qualityes on the one side and on the other presupposing in vs a Power to worke without them are really properly and purely habits It is therfore easy to vnderstand the reason why our Acts cannot produce supernaturall habits which giue vs Power to produce such Acts it being a cleare case that no effect can produce that which of its nature is the very Power to produce or the Efficient Cause in respect of such Effects which Cause must be presupposed existent and in being before it can produce such an Effect Otherwise there would be a mutuall causality and dependance between the first production of the Cause Efficient and the effect therof the Cause would be the effect of its owne effect and the Effect would be the cause of its Cause as if the Father should be son to his son and the son father to his owne Father 14. From this Ground That supernaturall habits are Powers without which our soule is not only weake or infirme but absolutly vnable to produce any supernaturall Act and therfore cannot be acquired or produced by any Acts of ours there followes another difference That naturall acquired Habits yield as it were a sensible facility demonstration experience and feeling of themselves by remooving impediments disposing the Organs of our Body and other such wayes But those other Habits giving vs the first Ability and Power and being in their nature essentially supernaturall are not discernable by sensible experience but may well consist with vicious Habits and with the facility or inclination which they affoard towards their severall Objects as it happens not seldome that a man who in the sight of God is more holy by supernaturall Grace is carryed with a more vehement inclination or impulsion to sinfull Objects either by his naturall complexion or vicious Habits acquired before his conversion than another made of a different constitution of body or clogged with fewer vicious Habits which greater propension to sin is so far from being any sin of itselfe that it gives continuall matter of greater merit by frequent combats and victoryes 15. And here I would aske whether if you hold the habits of vice to be habituall sins even after an Act of Contrition or Sorrow with a firme purpose to amend you must not likewise belieue naturall acquired Habits of vertues to be justice and Sanctity in the sight of God And yet this were direct Pelagianisme evacuating the fruite of our Saviours Satisfaction and merit and is in itself manifestly vntrue For the End to which God hath elevated and ordained Man being supernaturall the Beatificall Uision or enjoying God in his Glory the Meanes which bring vs to that End must also be supernaturall and not to be compassed by our naturall forces and therfore naturall Habits of vertue acquired by our owne Acts cannot be true Sanctity and Justice which make vs capable of the Beatificall Uision nor can that Repentance which disposes vs for Heaven consist in the extirpation of vicious Habits in which Habituall sin doth not consist as Sanctity doth not consist in naturall Habits of vertue Neither may it seeme strang that you should belieue Sanctity to consist in the acquired habits of Uertue who hold Christian Faith to be no more than a probable Assent or Conclusion deduced by naturall reason from Premises evidently apt to inferr such a Conclusion As also who speaking of Charity say Pag 368. N. 49. It is against reason and experience that by the commission of any deadly sin the Habit of Charity is quite extirpated By which you giue to vnderstand that you belieue the habit of Charity to be produced by our Acts and to be destroyed by little and little as it happeneth in naturall acquired habits and that the presence of it may be discovered by experience which agrees only to naturall habits working in vs by a kind of experimentall way Wheras if you did belieue the habit of Charity to be supernaturall in essence not
obliges to vnsetlednes n. 25 p. 57 and professed himselfe was so n. 24 p. 56 This kind of Faith brings liberty of life n. 26 p. 58 destroyes Christian beleefe in all points n. 8 p. 41 fallâ—y put 45 is a certaine way to perditioÌ„ n. 106 p. 113 seq and with its fallibility infallibly damnes n. 31 p. 63 Faith of Sectaryes runns in a circle c. 5 n. 14.15 p. 437 438 Faith of Miracles mistaken by Chill for saving Faith c. 1 n. 48 p. 72 and n. 96 p. 104 105 Free-will accorded with grace I. n. 5 p. 3 n. 8 p. 5 n. 9 p. 6 n. 13 p. 8 Concerning Fundamentalls and not fundamentalls toto c. 6 Fundamentall and not fundameÌ„tall poâ—nts are distinguished by their materiall objects c. 7 n. 170 p. 585 c. what is vnderstood by them c. 6 n. 1 p. 440 Fundamentalls must be knowne by Protestants in particular n. 18 p. 449 450 Yet haue they no meanes for it Ibid The Creed can be no Catalogue of them n. 12 p. 446 I hil holds a particular Catalogue of fundamenmentalls vnnecessary aÌ„d vnpossible and contradicts himselfe much in it n. 6 p. 442 seq Contradictions of Protestants concerning fundamentalls c. 6 n. 2. 3 p. 441 To know fundameÌ„talls only Catholiques haue certaine meanes c. 6 n. 29 it is put 59 p. 456. 457 This meanes is the Church which manifests them as necessity requires and this serves for an exact Catalogue of them n. 18 p. 449 450 G How we desire to God his owne perfections c. 16 n. 9 p. 936 937 Goths converted from Gentilisme by Catholiques perverted by Arians c. 11 n. 77 p. 669 Actuall Grace necessary for all actions of piety I. n. 12 p. 7 seq To beleeue n. 16 p. 10 seq To hope n. 22 p. 17 seq For Charity n. 23 24 p. 18 For keeping the commandements and overcoming temptations n. 25 p. 19 seq For Repentance n. 27.28 p. 26 For Perseverance n. 29 p. 22 seq Habituall grace necessary to keep the commandements n. 34 p. 24 seq It is a participation of the whole divine nature n. 40 p. 27 The Elogiums of it out of H. Fathers n. 41 p. 27 28 Proved to be supernaturall aÌ„d inherent in vs n. 42 p. 28 seq It is inconsistent with mortall sinne n. 45 46 p. 32 How the Grecians haue ofteÌ„ submitted to the Roman Church and agree with her against Protestants c. 11 n. 78 p. 704 seq Only a living guide aÌ„d infallible caÌ„ keep meÌ„ from straying in Faith The necessity of such a Guide proved through this whole Booke H Three sorts of Habits c. 8. n. 11 p. 605 c. The difference betwixt infused and acquired Habits J. n. 4. p. 3 What dependance the reall entityes of naturall Habits haue one of another or of naturall acts or of supernatuall acts or habits c. 8 n. 12 p. 607 c Supernaturall Habits are nor produced by acts as naturall are but infused by God not to facilitate but to enable to produce acts and are properly rather Powers then Habits n. 13 14 p. 609 610 They are not discernable sensibly Ibid and J. n. 50 p. 35 Nor acquired or destroyed as are the naturall reall habits which are only properly habits by little and little but all at once c. 8 n. 15 p. 611 what it is that is reversed in vicious or morall habits by repentance n. 11 p. 605 c. Habituall sinne may remaine without the Phisicall habits of vice and these without habituall sinne Ibid If reall habits of vice be habituall sinne the reall habits of naturall vertues must be sanctity though acquired by force of nature which is Pelagianisme n. 15 p. 611 The efficient cause of the Habit of Faith is not actuall grace J. n. 21 p. 16 Heresie is a more grievous sinne then a meer externall false profession c. 7 n. 134 p. 555 Acknowledged for heresy by ProtestaÌ„ts to say that the Church Militant may possibly be dryven out of the world n. 143 p. 563 It is a marke of heresie to separate from the Church aÌ„d proved such by places of Fathers c. 15 n. 16 p. 897 seq Of two disagreeing in a point sufficiently proposed to both as revealed one is an hererique c. 12 n. 8. 9 p. 713 714 Heretiques old and new by strange glosses of Scripture destroy all the chief points of Christianity c. 2 n. 31 p. 137 seq They are batten of spirituall Children n. 73 p. 77 The reason of this and why they worke no Miracles c. 15 n. 41 p. 921 The Hierarchy of Protestant Bishops and Priests overthrowne by Chill c. 4 n. 31 p. 369 seq S. Hierome cleared about the Cannon of Scripture c. 11 n. 21 p. 664 seq I Jewes and Sectaryes remaining such may by I hil repentance be saved c. 10 n. 3 p 633 Meere IgnoraÌ„ce and positive errour distinguished and I hill gross mistakes in this point c. 12 n. 10 p. 714 seq The vse and worship of Images allowed by Protestants c. 7 n. 122 p. 543 Indulgences in Catholique Doctrine consistent with the feare of Purgatory and Hell c. 2 n. 84 85 p. 186 187 By them is not pardoned the guilt of sinne much less sinnes to come Ibid Who is in himselfe Infallible hath the ground of an infallible guide and may exercise it if accidentall impediments be removed c. 4 n. 88 p. 414 415 Intention required by Protestants for administring Sacraments c. 4 n. 32 p. 372 It is sufficient if it be to doe what the Church intends n. 33 p. 372 373 Other things essentially required may more easily chance to be wanting in the administration of Sacraments then intention n. 31 p. 371 S. Irenaeus notoriously falsifyed by Chillâ— c. 2 n. 161 p. 237 seq His true sense concerning the vnwritten word c. 11 n. 50 p. 683 seq His argument for the infallibility of the Church of Rome made good against Chill c. 15 n. 27 p. 906 seq Of the necessity of a living infallible judge c. 2 per totum and c. 4 ac alibi saepe Justice is a supernaturall quality infused against Pelagius in herent in vs against Calvin I. n. 39 p. 27 Proved to be so n. 42 p. 28 seq It is inconsistent with deadly sin n. 45 p. 32 seq S. Justine defended against Chill by the testimonyes of leatned Protestants c. 15 n. 31 p. 911 c. K Knowledge is differently taken but in generall any act of the vnderstanding though obscure as Faith may be called knowledge c. 15 n. 3 p. 884 seq L Doctor Lawds discourse about Generall Councells c. 7 n. 40 p. 481 seq His testimony and of other chief ProtestaÌ„ts cited by him that Romane Catholiques haue what is necessary for salvation n. 151 p. 572 Liberius Pope never subscribed to herefie and what he subscribed in matter of fact against S. Athanasius he revoaked as soone as he was at liberty