to have done them for none can truly be said or thought to have performed such righteousness or satisfactions that hath not done them himself but another for him but as to the benefit or effect of them χ. χ. Bellarm. de Justificat 2. l. 10. c. Dominus Jesus Christus justitia nostra 1. Cor. 1. Quoniam satisfecit Patri pro nobis eam Satisfactionem ita nobis donat communicat cum nos justificat ut nostra satisfactio justitia dici potest And a little after Non esset absurdum si quis diceret nobis imputari Christi justitiam merita cum nobis donentur applicentur ac si nos ipsi Deo satisfecissemus modo non negetur esse in nobis praeterca justitiam inhaerentem c. Again Ibid. 7. c. Si solum vellent nobis imputari Christi merita or justitiam quia nobis donata sunt possumus ea Deo Patri offerre pro peccatis nostris c. Recta esset eorum sententia Cap. 11. Potest sano modo accommodari exemplum Patriarchae Jacob justitiae imputativae si quis dicat oportere ut induamus merita Christi I add or Justitiam sive obedientiam activam Christi for this also is part of his Merits See Bellarm. de Christo 5. l. 9. c initio and illis quodammodo tecti petamus a Deo indulgentiam peccatorum nam solus Christus pro peccatis nostris satisfacere potuit I add tam obedientia activa See Rom. 5.18 19. Gal. 4.4 5. Phil. 2.5 c. Matt. 3.15 quam passiva and illa satisfactio nobis donatur applicatur nostra reputatur cum Deo reconciliamur justificamur Thorndike Epilog 2. l. 29. c. p. 248. The Supposition that one man's doings or sufferings may be personally and immediatly imputed to another man's account is utterly unreasonable And I therefore must and do say that as it is sufficient so it it is true that the sufferings of Christ are imputed unto us in the nature of a meritorious cause moving God to grant mankind those terms of Reconcilement which the Gospel importeth Not all the benefit and effect in such a manner as that whatever is any way due to the active or passive righteousness of Christ is thus due to us for so we should all receive a future reward equal to one another and also equal to that of Christ our Lord's but all that benefit and effect of them which our sinful condition stands in need of and which God hath further thought fit to dispence for the purchasing by an equal compensation and satisfaction of our present pardon and future Glory The benefit and reward of which merits as to our glorification he applies variously according to the different degrees of our own present sanctity and good works that dispose us for such a participation of these Merits Such dispositions produced by prevenient and assistant Grace in adultis are a certain degree of Faith or believing the truth of all the Divine Revelations and Promises and particularly that of God's justifying the ungodly by his Grace thro the redemption which is in Christ Jesus the fear of God's judgments for Sin hope and trust in his mercy thro Christ love of his goodness hate and repentance for former Sins serious purpose of a better life and observance of God's Commandments and the desire and susception where oportunity of Baptisme the Sacrament instrumental hereunto See Conc. Trid. Sess 6.6 c. 4ly They grant that among these previous dispositions or conditions of Justification Faith is the beginning of the rest and so the Foundation and root of all our Justification and that without which it is impossible in any other act to please God So we neither fear God's Judgments nor hope for his Pardon nor love his Goodness nor put confidence in his only Son's Merits unless we first believe these And therefore St. Paul opposing the condition of the new Covenant Faith and all other acts or works following it as by God's promise to them and not their own worth applying Christ's Merits to us for our Justification to the merits of the works of the Law in the Jew and of Nature in the Gentile but never opposing Faith to any of those acts of Grace consequential so long as these maintained in no other manner to concur to our Justification than Faith it self doth therefore most perfectly agreeeth with St. James λ. λ. Mr. Thorndike Just Weights 9. c. p. 60. To be justified by Faith alone is with St. Paul to be justified by Christianity alone St. James in arguing that a Christian is justified by Works and not by Faith alone intended to teach that the profession of Christianity justifieth not when it is not performed Bishop Forbes de Justifie 4. l. 6. c. p. 173. Sanctus Paulus intellexit semper ex fide viva quatenus viva i. e. operante vel externe vel interne per charitatem nos justificari Atque hoc ipsum est quod Beatus Jocobus hic sed Paulo clarius distinctius affirmat hominem ex operibus justificari non ex fide tantum The same thing appears from St. Paul's Arguments made against Justification by Works many of which are faulty if made against Works following Faith and wrought by Grace As his arguing Rom. 4.4 Rom. 4.13 compared with 2.6 1. Cor. 3.13 14. Jo. 15.10 Gal. 2.21 5.4 3.13 Eph. 2.8 9 10. Tit. 3 4 5. Phil. 3.9 compared with the precedent verses 3 4 5 6. and with Rom. 10.3 9.31 In all or most of which if instead of works of the Law you read works of the formerly justified and pardoned their Sins by God's meer mercy produced by Grace that is procured by Christ's merits you will find the arguing and consequence invalid and faulty This Apostle I say mentions this Faith more frequently than the rest as being the very beginning and first fruits of Divine Grace and that without which none of the rest that are added to it either can be at all or if being can be any thing worth μ. μ. Conc. Trid. Sess 6.8 c. Cum vero Apostolus dicit justificari hominem per fidem per fidem ideo justificari dicimur quia fides est humanae salutis initium fundamentum radix omnis justificationis sine qua impossibile est placere Deo ad filiorum ejus consortium pervenire Stapleton de Justificat 8. l. c. ult Fide nos necessario vel ante omnia maxime justificamur dum impius quidem justificatur quia a fide ordiendum est Dum justus autem justificatur magis quia omnia justitiae opera in fide recta fieri a fide procedere debent Bellarm. de Justificat 5 l. 7. c. In homine nondum conciliato primus motus ad salutem est fidei inde sequitur amor desiderium beatitudinis per fidem jam cognitae post amorem sive cupiditatem Beatitudinis sequitur in homine spes Mediante
fundatur Antidiagma Coloniense de Sac. Paenitent De hac satisfactione Canonica Disciplinari semper docuerunt Patres quod virtute sanguinis merito passionis Christi auferat aut saltem minuat paenam temporalem peccatis nostris debitam Christo Reconciliatori nostro cui Pater omne judicium dedit prorsus relinquenda est paenae remissio a quo petere oportet at obedientiam nostram in our Penal Works velit per meritum suum patri celesti facere acceptam paenam promeritam misericorditer avertere Dr Holden in Resolut Fidei where he endeavors to separate matters of Faith from disputable Question 2. l. 5. c. Nulla prorsus est satisfactio ab homine quovis etiam justissimo peracta quae Deo sit grata vel quae sit alicujus omnino valoris nisi per meritum Domini nostri Jesu Christi Patimur quidem satisfariendo pro peccatis sed nunquam satis patimur Christus est qui solum vere plene pro peccatis nostris satisfecit ex quo est omnis nostra sufficientia Nostra namque Satisfactio qualis qualis est quo modo nostra est potius est quaedam meritorum Christi nobis applicatio quam propria aliqua Satisfactio And see Mr. Hooker in his Discourse of Justification p. 62. quoting Panigarola Lett. 11. And the Rhemish Annotations to this purpose We put saith the one all Satisfaction in the Blood of Jesus Christ But we hold that the means which Christ hath appointed for us in this case to apply it are our Penal Works And thus the other on 1 Joh. 1.7 The Blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all Sin Whether Sins be remitted by Prayers by Fasting by Alms by Faith by Charity by Sacrifice by Sacraments and by the Priests for the Holy Scriptures do plainly attribute Remission to every of these yet none of all these do otherwise remit but in the force by the merit and virtue of Christ's Blood these being only the means and instruments by which Christ will have his Holy Blood to work effectually in us Which Point let the Protestants mark and cease to beguile their Followers perswading them that the Catholicks derogate from Christ's Blood or seek Remission either of Sin or its Punishments otherwise then by it because they use humbly the means appointed by Christ to apply the Benefit of his Holy Blood unto them And from Generation to Generation let this be repeated unto them In Testimonium Illis 10. Lastly they affirm such Penances beside the former ends very effectual also for the full cure and eradication of the stains of Sin left in the Soul and for the subduing of vicious habits and preventing the like sinful Acts for the future by removing the occasions of them practising acts of Virtue contrary to them inflicting Pains equalling the Pleasures of them c. HEAD XX. Concerning one Person his Meriting or Satisfying for another Concerning one Person 's Meriting or Satisfying for another COncerning one Person 's Meriting or Satisfying for another as to remission of Sin or Punishment 1st It is granted by all that one Man's Prayers may impetrate i. e. from God's Mercy by application of Christ's Merits to this purpose Grace Repentance Contrition and so Remission of Sin of any eternal or temporal Punishment Salvation for another α. α. Daille De Paenis Satisfact 7. l. 17. c. Caeteros i. e. Martyres vult Origenes peccata dimittere non ulla pro peccata satisfactione sed precibus quas Domino pro hominibus morientes obtulerunt quibus scilicet effectum est ut clementissimus Dominus multos ad se conversos peccatis liberaret Jam vero aliud est prece aliquod beneficium hominibus a Deo impetrare quod Sanctis vere fidelibus convenire satemur aliud ultrici Dei justitiae pro aliorum peccatis ex condigno satisfacere quod sanctis adversarii tribuunt nos negamus Spalatensis De. Rep. Eccl. 5. l. 8. c. § 18. Dispositio unjus non est neque esse potest alterius dispositio meritoria fortasse improprie potest esse impetratoria ut justi suis orationibus humiliationibus impetrent peccatori paenitentiam dispositionem ut tamen ipsorum satisfactiones humiliationes suppleant pro alterius satisfactionibus humiliationibus sic ille alter dispositus ad remissionem dicatur per alienam dispositionem humiliatus per alienam humiliationem est impossibile 2ly That one Man's Penances Humiliations Mortifications may have the same or a stronger effect for impetration of these things for others as his Prayers have Psal 34. or 35. 12 13 14. 2. Sam. 12.16 3ly It cannot rationally be denied but that whetever worth or value such Penal Works have as to removing any one 's own temporal Punishment the smae they have as to removing another's If his Divine Majesty please to accept of them to this purpose and that one man's Satisfactions are applicable also to another is clear in Christ's so applied β. β. Lugo De Penitent Disp 26. § 1. Hic modus solvendi patiendo pro aliis non repugnat ex se cum Christus Dominus utroque modo nobis profuerit nempe merendo rursus satisfaciendo etiam pro nobis ut constat ex satisfactione ipsius quae pro debito paenae nobis applicatur per Sacramenta aliqua Indulgentias poterit ergo satisfactio unius justi alteri applicari But whether such Works are prevalent with God for others by this way of Satisfaction or only of Impetration and whether the Satisfaction excepting only that of Jesus Christ for Sin or its Punishments is not made by God personal and cannot be vicarious or supplied by another is disputed in the Schools nor on any side a matter of Faith γ.
cause of Justification that is within us and from which we are denominated really just whereas the remission of Sin is an act of God without us and of the deletion of the habit of Sin inherent not of the pardon of the acts of Sin formerly committed After that this is agreed on also by Protestants that these two go always together and that none is reconciled or received into God's favour by remission of Sin who is not also at the same time renewed in his mind and made righteous by infusion of the Holy Spirit β. β. Calvin Institut Lib. 3. ch 14. § 9. Fatemur dum nos intercedente Christi justitia sibi reconciliat Deus ac gratuita peccatorum remissione donatos pro justis habet cum ejusmodi misericordia conjunctum hoc esse beneficium quod per Spiritum suum in nobis habitat Lib. 3. cap. 16. § 1. Jam utrumque nobis confert Christus utrumque fide consequimur vitae scilicet novitatem gratuitam reconciliationem De vera Christianae pacificationis ratione 2. Cap. Si quis ex adverso objiciat non aliter nos fieri participes Christi justitiae quia dum ejus Spiritu in obedientiam legis renovamur hoc quidem fatendum est c. Again Neque vero cum homines dicimus gratis justificari Christi beneficio tacenda est regeneationis gratia Quin potias cavendum ne a nobis separentur quae perpetuo Dominus conjungit Quid ergo Doceantur homines fieri non posse ut justi censeantur Christi Merito quin renoventur ejus Spiritu in sanctissimam vitam frustraque gratuita Dei adoptione gloriari omnes in quibus Spiritus regenerationis non habitat denique nullos a Deo recipi in gratiam qui non justi quoque vere fiant Mountague Appeal p. 170. Whom Christ doth not quicken he doth not justify This is directly the Doctrine of the Scripture Gal. 3.22 1. Cor. 6.11 Heb. 9.14 Rev. 1.5 6. 1. Pet. 2.9 Fathers also are cited c. Bishop Forbes de Justific Lib. 2. c. 4. Protestantes unanimi consensu fatentur inhaerentis justitiae seu sanctitatis infusionem cum gratuita nostri justificatione necessario ac perpetuo conjunctam esse Now first that our Justification consists not only in the former but also in the later Catholicks evidently collect from many Texts of Scripture which do apply our freedome from God's wrath and punishment and inheriting eternal life to this later as other Texts do to the former Such are these Rom. 3.24 Where we are said to be justified freely i. e. without any thing in us deserving it by his Grace i. e. infused as all grant it is at that time when God justifies us Titus 3.5 ver Where speaking of Baptisme the Apostle saith That according to his mercy he saved us by the laver of regeneration and renovation i. e. internal of the Holy Ghost that being justified by his Grace i. e. in this internal renovation c. we should be made Heirs of eternal life 1. Cor. 6.11 compared with the former where speaking of the same Baptisme he saith But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus into which they are baptized and by the Spirit of God i. e. infused in our Baptisme by which infused we are said here expresly as to be sanctified so justified and this put the last as also Rom. 8.30 it is put alone but there necessarily including also our Sanctification Rom. 4.25 Where Christ is said to be delivered for our offences i. e. the remission of them and to be raised again for our justification i. e. for our regeneration or renovation by the Spirit given unto us upon his Resurrection comp Rom. 8.10 Eph. 4.23 24. where the new man is said to be created in justice Gal. 5 6. comp 6.15 Rom. 6.7 He that is dead i. e. to Sin by a new life given by Grace is justified from Sin comp Gal. 3.21 Rom. 5.17.21 Where 't is said That those who receive abundance of Grace and donation of Justice shall reign in life c. And that Grace reigneth i. e. in us by or thr Justice to life eternal It were needless to add more To the same matter belong all those Texts wherein we are said By being born again and by inherent righteousness to be made Friends Domesticks Children Heirs of God All those Texts which atribute Salvation or also remission of Sin or punishment either to the several particular habits and branches of this inherent Righteousness as to that of Faith of Hope or Charity of the Love or Fear or Service of God or Love Mercy and Alms to our Neighbour or to the several Act of these Habits and Graces i. e. to our good works following Regeneration Lastly All those Texts wherein God is said To accept persons for their inherent holiness or righteousness And as this is evident in Scripture so it is concluded by many Protestants that the Term Justification both sometimes in Scripture and most frequently by the Fathers is used to signify not only remission of Sin but internal Sanctification and in this Latitude have several Protestants themselves explained it γ. γ. Bishop Forbes de Justificatione Lib. 2. Cap. 4. cioncerning the Scriptures Verbum justificari quandoque etiam in Scriptura significare justitia imbui vel donari non diffitentur permulti docti Protestantes contra aliorum rigidorum id pertinaciter negantium sententiam quoting there the words of Beza Zanchy Peter Martyr Chamier and others Again concerning the Fathers Ibid. c. 5. Hanc fuisse communem Patrum omnium tum Graecorum tum Latinorum Sententiam ex quamplurimis illorum dictis Augustini imprimis acerimi gratiae Christi propugnatoris nemini in veterum lectione versato obscurum esse potest Res adeo certa manifesta est ut dissentientes ipsimet Protestantes id ultro concedunt quoting the Confessions of Calvin Chemnitius Beza Bucer Chamier c. to this purpose Imo saith the same Forbes multi etiam doctissimi Protestantes hanc ipsam sententiam secuti sunt aut saltem eam non omnino improbarunt quoting after many others Spalatensis Bishop Mountague and Dr. Feild Whose words are Append. 3. l. 11. c. The first Justification implyeth in it three things remission of Sins past acceptation and receiving into that favour that righteous men are wont to find with God and the grant of the gift of the Holy Spirit and of that sanctifying and renewing Grace whereby we may be framed to the declining of Sin and doing of the works of righteousness 2. Again Catholicks contend that in comparing these two concurrents to our Justification the later i. e. to be made internally and habitually just ut peccatis mortui justitiae vivamus 1. Pet. 2.24 is the chiefer and more principal then the first i. e. to be reputed only not unjust or not a Sinner To which may be added that there being two
eternal save only upon his free and gracious promise made to them or at least in commutative justice do deserve it from any worth in them that equals it and for both these doth not always depend only on the Merits of Christ is held by Catholicks to err from Truth and to be guilty of a most false presumption 2ly For the true concurrence that good Works have by Christ's Merits thro God's free promise for obtaining or meriting life eternal here also as every one ought in general to believe most certainly and infallibly that all who perform such Evangelical Obedience shall obtain life Eternal So they affirm 1st That none is obliged to believe specially that his own Works or Obedience is such as cannot miss of it or that if he have not a full perswasion of the merit of his own Works or of his own Justification or Salvation or of the particular application of Christ's Merits to himself he cannot be justified or saved or partake of his Merits 2ly That by reason of the liableness of the once justified by or in their Baptisme to fall away again by committing Mortal Sin from their Justification and then the difficulty of discerning exactly among their Sins committed what are Mortal and losing the Divine Grace what are not then again by reason of the difficulty of knowing in our regaining a second Justification when we have a sufficient repentance or sorrow and contrition for our former Sins without which the Churches Sacraments do not profit us and a different measure of which is required according to the greatness of our fault and when we have not And 3ly by reason If we were ascertained of our regained estate of the great allay and impairment which our actions in this estate may receive from the mixture of many Venial sins so that our faults do many times equal sometimes exceed our good deeds nay sometimes that which we think a good act is no better than a true tho Venial Sin and is augmented also in our presumption that it is none By reason also of the difficulty to distinguish between Evangelical Counsels and Precepts in respect of which a different observance is required under penalty of falling into some Mortal Sin or only failing of Perfection And lastly by reason of the uncertainty of our perseverance and that our present Merits or Piety may not be all evacuated by some future miscarriages I say by reason of all these Catholicks affirm it the safest course especially for those who have not attained to any great perfection not to put any or much least it should happen to be a mistaken confidence in any merit or sufficiency of their own present works to those ends for which God requireth them of us But rather wholly to trust in and rely on God's mercy both for our present condition that if it be not safe he will through Christ's Merits by improving our Faith and Repentance change and amend it and for our present actions when we are in a safe condition that if they be full of defects and miscarriages he will for Christ's Merits remit these and for the future more sanctify them and give us also perseverance in them We ever remembring that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.4 Nihil mihi conscius sum sed non in hoc justificatus sum qui autem judicat me Dominus est Of which matter thus the Council of Trent Sess 6. c. 9. Sicut nemo pius de Dei misericordia Christi Meritis Sacramentorum virtute efficacia dubitare potest Sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionem respicit de sua gratia i. e. of his Regeneration formidare timere potest 7ly Yet lastly they grant That such justified as are eminent in Sanctity both may have by special revelation which God sometimes condescending to a great familiarity communicates unto them an infallible certainty of their present justification and if persevering Salvation and may also without such revelation tho not attain any infallible certainty or perswasion cui non potest sub-esse falsum by reason of the possible defect of their judgment about some of the aforenamed particulars upon which therefore can never be built any Divine Faith the object of which is only Divine Revelation and therefore that only which is absolutely infallible yet have a strong and moral-certain perswasion or faith cui non sub-est dubium or dubitatio may have a fearless and calm security that they are actually justified and consequently if persevering shall be glorified Which is called the Testimony of a good Conscience grounded on their present Obedience as the condition and service required of them for rendring them capable of such a reward and of Christ's most perfect obedience the adequate meritorious cause thereof See 2. Cor. 1.12 1. Jo. 3.18 19 20. c. 24.4.17 2. Pet. 1.10 2. Tim. 4.7 8. To which Testimony of a good Conscience is added also the witness within them of the Holy Spirit Rom. 8.15 tho this witness as also it s other ordinary operations in us most-what is not certainly known by us to be its witness or operation for if it were so this would amount to special revelation Catholicks therefore affirm not a particular application of Christ's Merits to themselves or a confidence of their own Salvation in any justified to be unlawful but only an infallible certainty of these to be except by revelation unattainable and whilst they say that one tho in the state of Justification de sua gratia formidare timere potest yet they say not that every one timere debet ξ. ξ. See the Roman Writers quoted to this purpose by Dr. Field Append. 3. l. p. 318. c. And by Bishop Forbes de Justificat 3. l. 1. c. p. 95. c. Where Communior Romanensium sententia saith he libenter admittit ex vivae fidei sensu seu charitatis bonorum operum experimento certitudinem aliquam minoris inferioris gradus oriri quae conjecturalis probabilis nominari potest quae licet non omnem formidinem pellat tamen tollit omnem anxietatem haesitationem Progrediuntur alii quidam Romani ulterius certitudinem aliquam aliam minorem quidem certitudine fidei divinae Conjecturali tamen majorem quam certitudinem moralem appellandam censent admittunt Ita ut nullam habeant de sua justificatione formidinem deceptionis The Pharisee very confident Luk. 18.11 went home unjustified the Publican very fearful justified and so the Leper believing Christ's Power but doubting his good Pleasure si vis potes yet was cleansed Matt. 8.2 HEAD XVII Concerning Sin Venial and Mortal Concerning Sin Venial and Mortal THE Catholick Doctrine is 1. That all the Baptized are truely Regenerate 2. That a Man falls not from this state of Regeneration or from God's Grace and favour by committing any Sin how small soever nor yet continues still in this State whilst committing any Sin how