the Roman Church Part III. CHAP. I. The Antiquity Vniversality and Clearness of our Religion and from whence comes our difference with Rome THus have we shewn our faith by the Scriptures The Passages are clear and for the most part express and formal which Rome and Geneva equally acknowledge in their Version which the East and West North and South read in common since the first times of Christianity to this minute without their being able to reproach us that we have violated the Original abused the Pricks of the Hebrew or the Accents of the Greek The Consequences are of so evident necessity that Children are capable of understanding them So easie is it to prove that the Beliefs which we have just now demonstrated by Scripture are common to all Christians The Antients have explained cleared them in their Symbols and Councils The Moderns have retained them notwithstanding all the Changes which has happened in Religion All the Climates of the Christian world have received them with an universal consent Rome it self doth not contest with us about them she makes a Profession to believe them also There is but Sabellius Paul de Samosate Arius Fotinus Manicheusi Pelagius Nestorius and Eutyches every one of whom debate something of them with us all Heretiques being crushed by the Thunderbolts of the Catholick Church many hundred years since They alone demand proofs of us the others believe all with us From whence it appears by the way how false the Calumny of those is who accuse our Religion of novelty or particularity For what is there either more Antient or Universal among Christians than those Creeds of which it consists Who can deny that the Catholique Church hath had them in all Ages That Rome it self hath them not now Whether Antiquity hath had any Opinion which I have not it is another Question and upon which it falls out to consider First Whether this be a thing which hath been revealed by Jesus Christ and preached by his Apostles And Secondly ipresupposing it to be a truth that it is so necessary that one cannot without believing it have part in the Grace and Glory of God But as to my Religion that is to say this faith which I have proved by the Scriptures it is clear that all the true Christians both Antient and Modern are agreed in it who by confequence are all of my Religion although perhaps I am not of their Opinion in all other things They hold all my Beliefs only I confess 't is better that I hold not all their Opinions see the terms upon which we are with those of Rome For they profess to believe the Articles which we have explained All the difference springs from the Articles which they lay down to the confession of which they would oblige us and which we cannot receive This is all our Controversie From whence every one may see the injustice of the new Methodists who press us to prove by formal passages the points of our faith controversed between them and us Whereas the Points of my faith Gentlemen are not controversed but those of yours as for Example the Question is not whether we ought to worship God and Jesus Christ which is a Point of my faith but whether we ought to worship the Host which is an Article of yours The Question is not whether Jesus Christ is our Mediator or whether the Oblation of his death is a Sacrifice which are Articles of my belief but whether the Saints departed are our Mediators and whether the pretended Oblation of your Altars is a true a properly called Sacrifice which are the Points of your Faith We do not dispute whether we ought to call upon God or hope for Paradice and fear Hell which is my belief but whether we ought to Invogue the Saints and apprehend the fire of Purgatory which is your Doctrine 'T is you then ought to prove your saith not I mine Since to dispute well and lawfully one ought to prove not things which the parties are agreed on which would be a superflous labour but those about which they differ Nevertheless to content your humour we have proved our faith by the Scripture Let us see now if you can as easily finde yours there and that which you add to ours upon which indeed is all your contest CHAP. II. An Exposition of the Principal Beliefs of the Roman Church which we reject from our Faith FOr we confess voluntarily that we cannot believe neither that which you teach that Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world besides his being once offered upon the Cross is still every day immolated and truly and properly sacrificed upon your Altars under the Signes of Bread and Wine for the expiation of the sins of men nor that which you presuppose to this purpose that the body of Jesus Christ although it be in Heaven in Sovereign Glory is notwithstanding here below really and substantially under the Species of Bread and Wine which you consecrate intirely under every part of the Species of the Bread and the Wine loosing their first substance and being changed into that of his Body and Blood nor that which you conclude that all the faithful of the Lord are obliged without scrupling to render to your Sacrament the adoration * Cult de Latria worship and service due to the true God We reject also from our faith this which you assert in yours that the Souls of some of the faithful after having been washed in the Blood of Christ which cleanseth from all sin ought yet to be purged by I know not what subterranean flames in a place which you name Purgatory Nor can we perswade our selves to believe what you so firmly maintain that sinful men obtain the pardon of their Crimes not by faith alone as we all believe but also by the merits of their own works such as most of you say as they even merit Divine Grace and life eternal Neither can we receive that which you teach that besides this great God whom we adore we ought also to serve the Saints departed and besides the love and honour which we bare them as persons who have lived in the fear of God and who now rejoyce in his Glory we ought moreover to invoke them pray to them and have recourse to their aide and render as well to their Images as to those of Christ a certain Religious Veneration in kissing and saluting them uncovering our heads and prostrating our bodies before them Less yet do we think our selves obliged as you do to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for the Head and Spouse of the Universal Church besides Jesus Christ our Lord or to attribute to him a Sovereign and Independant Authority over all other Pastors and Bishops and even over Councils and an infallible Light in the Faith never erring in the decision of things which concerns it and therefore we do not believe that the Laws which he hath made of celebrating certain Feasts and of
LA FOY fondée sur les Saintes Escritures FAITH Grounded upon the Holy Scriptures Against the NEW METHODISTS by JOHN DAILLE Printed in French at Paris anno 1634. And now Englished by M. M. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Rom. 10.18 LONDON Printed for Benj. Tooke at the sign of the Ship in S. Pauls Church-yard 1675. AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER ALthough the French translation of the Holy Bible made by the Doctors of Louvain can by no means be comparable to the neatness clearness and faithfulness of that which is read among us yet to fit my self to the gust of our Adversaries I have drawn from their Translations and not from ours the most part of the places of Scripture which I make use of in this little book namely in the second and third parts to the end they might not wrangle with us about words as many of them doe and perticularly these new Methodists against whom I have composed this Treatise Onely let me inform you that in three or four passages which are nothing to our controversie I have taken the liberty to correct that in the Greek and Latine texts which these Gentlemen had too evidently turned false by in advertency as I am willing to believe and ignorance and not by malice As for example in the second part Chap. 4.3 pag. 124. I produce the first verse of the Gospel of S. John in these words the word was God and not as these Doctors have expounded it God was the word whereof the two construction which these words are capable of Deus erat verbum they chuse to follow that which is less to purpose and which besides the consusion which it brings to the contexture of the Apostles thoughts does manifestly overturn the words of the Greek text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shews that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot of necessity be the predicate but the subject of the propâ—sition as those who have any knowledge in the Laws and use of the Greek tongue know well enough So in the Epistle to Titus see how they translate the words of S. Tit. 2.13 Paul expectantes beatam spem adventum gloriae magni Dei Servatoris nostri Jesu Christi expecting say they the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ separating this God whose advent we expect from our Saviour Jesus Christ as if the Apostle should say we expect the coming of God and we expect also the coming of our Saviour Jesus Christ an interpretation neither pertinent nor advantagious to the Church for first the Greek text cannot bear it which binds and ties up all these words great and our Saviour in the same bundle by means of the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Apostle put into their heads 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obliging us necessarily to take them not as names of two persons one of which is called God and the other Jesus Christ but as two different qualities attributed to one onely and the same Jesus Christ which is altogether the same with the great God and the Saviour whose advent we expect but this same interpretation is also prejudicial for it takes away from the Catholicks a clear and invincible proof of the divinity of Jesus Christ for if you follow it suppose that Jesus Christ be our Saviour which the Samotosateniens and Arrians confess yet still he is not our God and this is that which they struggle for principally No body then can blame me for leaving the Louvain version in this place to follow the Greek Text in translating this passage Part 2. Chap. 4.3 pag. 124. where I produce against the hereticks expecting the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ That which I have changed part 2. Chap. 8. 1. pag. 106. in the second chapter of the first of S. Peter is less important Love the brotherhood instead of which our adversaries Bible saith Love brotherhood leaving out the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is in the Greek So in the first of S. Luke I read and therefore that which is born of thee holy shall be called the Son of God Part 2. Chap 4. Sect. 7. pag. 92. therefore the holy one that shall be born of thee as they of Louvain have translated it contrary to the Faith of the Greeks who say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Latine which saith likewise quod nascetur ex te Sanctum not qui nascetur ex te Sanctus As for the small change of words in the 2 Cor. chap. 5. verse 8. where we say we have a good will rather to be out of the body and to be with the Lord instead of that which is in the Louvain bible I have a good will better to be out of the body we have done this only to sweeten the manner of speaking avoir bonne volonte meiux estre is rough and unknown in our language and the Greek and Latine texts do no way oblige us to interpret it so These are if my memory doth not cheat me all the passages in which I have varied from the Louvain version in divers other places I bear with its faults because they do no great prejudice to the justice and truth of my cause although there are some of them which testifie in these Doctors a passion unworthy of the quality which they take of interpreting the Word of God as among others when in Pet. 1.5 3. alledged part 2. ch 8. 5. pag. 109. they read having dominion of the Clergy of the People of God instead of the plainness of the Greek and Latine having dominion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Cleris over the heritage being licensed to add the words and people of God and to hide by this means the sence which the Apostle gives in the word Clergy imployed to signifie the Christian people which is contrary to the use and pretence of those of Rome FAITH Grounded upon the Holy Scriptures Part I. CHAP. I. The Preface of the whole Work SOme years since certain Doctors started up who to render our Religion odious published that it could not be proved by the Scriptures which nevertheless according to us is the only thing capable to ground our Faith upon Their invention was found so plausible that many of our adversaries have reduced all their dialectiques to it thinking that to defeat us there needs no more but to demand some express and formal passages upon every Article of our Confession of Faith and whosoever can press that demand home he is the man that must overcome us This easie way of arguing hath increased Disputants among them and instead as at first of shunning conferences concerning Religion and not permitting any but Priests to discourse it now all sorts of people hunt after it even to the
against the Pharises who denyed the resurrection from the dead you err said he to them not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God c. Have you never read that which was spoken to you by God I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead but of the living He blames them for not having learned the resurrection of the dead in this sentence of Scripture Certainly then they ought to have learned it there for he is too good to blame him who hath done his duty Now the sentence which he produceth saith nothing of the Resurrection of the dead expresly and directly he draws it only by the consequences of that which he layeth down We must confess then that t is our duty not only to learn and believe the things which we read in the Scriptures but also to draw from them and conclude those things which may be deduced from them although they are not read there in so many words and to embrace them with the same faith as we do the others and that without this weare ignorant of the Scriptures and are in danger of erring CHAP. VI. That the new method is contrary to the procedure and maximes of the holy Fathers in their disputes and favourable to the Heretiques and Infidels THe Holy Fathers following the command and example of Christ and his Apostles make use every where of this sort of proofs without any scruple esteeming they have sufficiently shewed their belief by the Scripture when they had drawn them from thence by good and clear consequences Those whom we have above named do not dispute otherwise injoying freely that right which they give their adversaries I should be too long should I here repeat all the examples of them as when they prove by the Scripture against the Sabellions that God the Father is not begotten and is without beginning * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and against the Arians that the Son is consubstantial with the Father †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and against the Nestorians that the Holy Virgin is mother of God * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and against the Eutichians that Jesus Christ hath two natures †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all propositions which are not found in the Scripture exactly set down in the same words and which nevertheless they profess to demonstrate by the Scripture as every one may see in their books are an evident sign that they have believed that t is a good and sufficient way to prove a belief by the Scriptures when one draws from it by reasoning although one cannot alledge any passage where it is formally and expresly set down In a word you must either forsake the cause of God and instructions and convictions of the Heretiques or proceed in this manner For otherwise how could the fathers dispute against them Let us give an Arian to one of our Methodists to be instructed or convinced which way will he take how will he prove the consubstantiality of the Son he cannot alledg one exact text for it for it is clear that in the whole Bible there is not one of that nature and he cannot take advantage of the texts which shew this truth since they do not exactly express it for the law of his Method forbids him the use of this sort of proofs Will he use the Authority of the council of Nice or of the Church which he pretends is Catholique but this would be to deceive himself and not to dispute this would be to alledge for proofe of the question the same thing which is directly in question For if the Arian should appeal either to the Nicean faith or to the authority of the Catholique Church he would not be an Arian That which made him renounce both these is the beleif that you will prove it to him You must necessarily then leave him in an error because your pretended Method hath divested you of all the means of drawing him out of it You can prevail no better against a Sabellion an Eutichian or in general against any of the Heretiques who denie the Church any of her positive beliefs not expressed in so many words in the Scripture Even the Jew will take advantage of your maximes and laugh by your example at all which you produce from the Old Testament to make him believe the New and will say as you do that the consequences are Chimeras and phancies and will protest not to yield unless that he hath a formal passage which saith expresly that Jesus Son of Mary born in Bâ—thlehem under Augustus Caesar is the Christ promised by the antient Oracles Concil Lateran sub 4. lex 3 cap. 24 Concil Lateran sub Innoc. 3. exped pro recup terr sanct p. 63. col 1.8 So he will find when all is done that your fine Method is the gagg of the Church and not Heresie and that it fortifies it instead of subdueing it And acquires to the Church nothing but losses and Funerals instead of victories and Triumphs which it promised her But if formally one hath judged them worthy of an Anathema and of the loss of liberty by the Council who should furnish these infidels with sword poinyard and cordage What thunderbolt and ex-Communication do the Fathers of this Method merit who as much as in them lies arme the Jews and Heretiques with a buckler Shot-proof and take from the Church the only arms which God hath put into her hands to scatter all sorts of enemies to wit his Holy word But this method doth not only deprive us of the use of the Scriptures against those who receive them either all or in part It renders likewise all truths unuseful to us the knowledge of which God hath imprinted in the nature of men taking from us discourse or reasoning without which it is not possible to explain them to be useful either for the instruction or conviction of the ignorant For according to these new maxims every one will demand formal proofs of that which one would perswade them and will hold himselelf obliged not to believe any thing beyond those very things which nature hath taught him The Pagans will reject the unity of the Divinity because it cannot be drawn but by consequences from our General notions he will receive none of the arguments which you will use to establish the Justice goodness and Power of God the truth of the Scriptures the Authority of the Church and other such like grounds of Christianity because you have taught him that these reasonings are but meer dreames and none of their conclusions is worthy of an assured beleif Briefly there was never any method so perplexing and troublesome as this which renders all the differences of philosophy and Religion Aeternal without leaving us any means to determine them For since that to make them agree it will not suffer us to imploy any other that an express and formaldecision by the Authority of
which these two parties should be agreed it is clear that their debates will never be decided since it hath its birth from that same thing which this method wants to determine it For if in their common principle there should be found any such decision of their controversies they would not enter into contest about it for example the Methodists will not let any one make use of any one thing in Scripture to prove that the Pope is not the head of Church if there be not some passage which saith expresly that the Pope is not the head of the Church Who sees not that t is to flie the decision of the controversie and desire the continuation of it for ever for to demand of me to determine it is a condition according to all the appearance of reason impossible to be done it being not credible that the adversaries who acknowledge with me the Divinity and truth of the Scriptures should bare me down that the Pope is the head of the Church though it denies it formally and in so many words If we desire then to end our differences we must absolutely renounce this Method and proceed that very way which they so unjustly condemn by proving all our conclusions by the principles so well known to both parties and those are by the grace of God the oracle of the old and new Testament determining doubtful things by certain clearing the obscure by evident and perswading those things which they reject as false by the connexion and dependance which they have one with another that they confess them true This is the true Method which one ought to follow in all disputes and which indeed all masters of all Sciences have followed those of Philosophy Civil-law Physick and others St. Augustin defended it a long time against the calumnies of the Donatists who because he took it upon himself to dispute against them accused him of being a Logician †Aug. contr Crecon l. 1. c. 13. and under this pretence shunned him as a dangerous man He shewed at large that the Lord * The same chapt and 14 17 18. Aug. tom 6. l. ◠cont Circon Gramat c. 15. G. and his Apostles made use of this Method and were Logicians if this is to be a Logician to reason and from a clear thing to prove a thing that is obscure and willing to propose to us a Pattern of a wise Disputant see how he describes him First he endeavours saith he not to be cheated himself for want of discerning truth from falshood and this he cannot obtain without the help of God Then being willing to unfould for the instruction of others that which he hath in himself he first considers what it is they already know for certain to the end that from thence he might conduct them to the things they know not or would not believe shewing them these follow from those which they hold either by reasoning or faith so that by the truths which they consent to they may be constrained to confess and approve those which they had denied and by this means the truth which seemed false to them at first would be discerned from the false being found conformable to the truths which they knew before Hitherto St. Austin who could not more clearly Authorise the procedure which these new Disputants now condemn with so much injustice and passion CHAP. VII That the procedure of the methodists is the same which the Arians and other Heretiques held formerly against the antient Fathers ANd though it be a thing most unworthy those praises which they give ordinaryly to antiquity to expose a novelty to the view of the world and that on the other side t is not much honour to be thought to be esteemed the father of an invention so impertinent and so contrary as well to the practice of the Lord of his Apostles and of the holy fathers as to the common sence and reason of men nevertheless to take from them in this place all subject of vain glory I will farther advertise the readers that those of our adversaries which at this day make use of this method are not the first authors of it For I find at the bottom of it that t is an old and superannuated wrangling of the Arians and other antient heretiques who to flie the searching and decision of the truth demanded of the Catholiques of their times in the same manner formal passages where the consubstantiality of the son and other points may be expressly read this we learn by the books of the fathers In St. Athanasius the question being concerning the word consubstantial used by the Council of Nice to express the truth of the eternal divinity of the Son say the Arians is not writ And in a dialogue printed among his works though in my opinion t is none of his leave these Sylogisms say they and give us a Demonstration by writing that the Son is the true God a Atha Ep. de Synod-Arim Seleue. T. p. 911 Part. ultim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Dialog cont Arim. p. 126. In St. Austin the Count Pascentius an Arian by Religion pressed likewise this only Doctor with whom he had the presumption to enter into Conference to shew him the word consubstantial in the Scripture not suffering him to draw it from thence by reasonings b Ep. 174.178 Aug. St. Augustine having else where proved the Divinity of the Holy Ghost by these places of the Apostle which say that we are his temple so that if he were not God he would have no Temple Maximinus an Arian Bishop against whom he disputed answered that the truth is not concluded by arguments but proved by certain testimonies c Id con Mixim l. 1 6 fol. 444. G. and in a dialogue published under the name of S. Vigil but in my judgment t is certainly Pope Gelaz's the Arian who is brought in there disputes exactly as our Methodists do now He would have one shew him the word Consubstantial expresly and properly so writ and that it be proved not by any reasonings but by the naked and pure propriety of the words Let them read it to me saith he so properly laid down or let them depart from their Confession d Dial. inter Atha Sabell Arian inter Cassand opera p. 475. Eutichus the head of another Heresie who confounded the two natures of the Lord disputed in the same manner demanding in what Scripture t is set down that Jesus Christ hath two Natures e In Act. cont chalced p. 115. A. so that one ought not to wonder if Scholarius hath long since observed that many Heretiques made use of this praetext viz. desire that they would shew them all things expressly by the Scripture f Scholar orat Henet 3. concil flor p. 590 E. CHAP. VIII That the Fathers have rejected this pretended method as impertinent and that by their examples we can retort them upon our Adversaries WHat do the Holy Fathers
which they cannot infer from it although one should grant them what they could draw from it it being clear as we said before that the body and blood of the Lord may be present in the Eucharist and the bread and wine not change their Substance But I say lastly that this which they would conclude from it cannot lawfully be inferred For if because we eat the body of the Lord and drink his blood in the Supper it follows that the substance of his body and his blood is really present there then in the same manner it will follow also that it is present in the Souls of all those who believe in him since that according to many Fathers and the most part of the Doctors of Rome to believe in Jesus Christ is to eat his flesh and drink his blood Eph. 2.17 and since according to St. Paul it is by faith that Christ dwells in our hearts it will follow that the Substance of Christ is really present in our Baptism since that those who are baptized put on Jesus Christ Gal. 3.27 Rom. 6.3 and are buried with him in his death it will follow that the Substance of his blood is really present in the Souls of all the truly faithful chosen according to the Providence of God since they are sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 Apoc. 7.14 and in the Souls of those who are come from tribulation since they have washed their long robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Now if one can eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus Christ in believing and have him dwelling in his heart and put him on and be buried with him and be sprinkled with his blood and be washed and made white in his blood and nevertheless not touch really the substance why may not one in the like manner eate his flesh and drink his blood in the Eucharist without his being there bodily Who seeth not that these ways of speaking signifie only vertue of the death of the Lord in them to whom he communicates himself by faith and the Spirit giving them the same effects in respect of the spiritual life which Meats Vestments Liquors and Water with which one is cleansed in respect of the temporal life gives us sustaining and preserving us making sin die in us covering the nakedness of our Souls fortifying our hearts cleansing and purging us from all spiritual filthiness let us conclude then that this famous Transubstantiation the principal piece of the Roman Religion is neither expressed nor presupposed in Scripture it being not less impossible to discover it there by the light of Reason than by that of Sense CHAP. V. That the Adoration of the Consecrated Eucharist is not taught in the Scriptures FRom whence it follows that the Adoration of the Host the Sovereign Service of their Religion cannot be proved by Scripture since it hath no other ground than Transubstantiation it being clear that they should not adore this Substance covered with the Accidents of Bread and Wine if they believe it to be a true Substance of Bread and Wine and not that of the body and blood of Christ Jesus CHAP. VI. That the Scripture doth not teach in any part of it the fire of Purgatory 1. LEt us come now to the fire of Purgatory where they will have the Souls of the faithful satisfie for the temporal punishment of their sins before they enter Heaven 'T is sad to see them sweat to finde in the Scripture something wherewith to blow up light and maintain this fire For this Opinion impassions them in such a manner that they that see it in all the places where a Pit a Lake a Prison a Goal a Fire purging refining a refining pot c. are spoken of The Lord proposing to us the form of the true Sancitification required in his Church in the 5th of St. Matthew Matth. 5.25 26. Commands us amongst other things to have a heart clean from all hatred malice anger towards our neighbours threatning them with grievous torments who shall never so little offend them protesting that nothing ought to be in more commendation than to live in concord and good friendship with them adding Agree thou with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the way with him for fear that thine adversary should deliver thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer and thou be put into Prison verily I say unto thee that thou shalt not come out thence till thou hast paid the last farthing This Prison say they is the Purgatory But who seeth not that this is to suppose not to prove it For why should we understand Purgatory by this Prison rather than a true properly named Prison where the wicked Pay-masters and Cheaters are often put for their stubborness with much loss and scandal which they might escape in agreeing lovingly and betimes with their Adverse-party Chrysost Theophyl Euthym. upon this passage Barrad Harmon Evang. T. 2.1.7 c. 17. as our Lord Commands in this place and the Apostle in the first Epistle to the Corinthians St. Chrysostom and many others take it simply so and even this Jesuit Barradius But if one would take the passage Allegorically as an Image of the Judgments of God against them who will not use charity towards their Brethren why should not we understand by this Prison either the chastisements in which our Lord locks up sometimes men in this life for having neglected the duties of Charity towards their Neighbours or even the pains of Hell in which he will confine for ever after this life all those who have not used mercy towards their Brethren Maldon Mat. 5.25 To let in Luke 12. Annot. 86. 89. Jansen Concord Evang. c. 40. Stella in Luc. T. 2. c. 12. See also Salmeron T. 5. Tractat 37. as the Jesuit Maldonat Cardinal Tolett Bishop Jansenius expound it who confess ingeniously that this place cannot be urged for Purgatory and the Cordelier Stella confessing that which is indeed most evident that these words Thou shalt pay the last farthing simply signifie Thou shalt be punisht to the rigour they shall not pardon thee any thing so that they do not infer by any means that the Criminal of whom this dispute is ought at any time to go out of prison but they suppose only that he shall go out if he pays the last farthing of his debt and by consequence he shall never go out if he cannot pay it And as as to that which is said that he to whom we have not used Charity shall be our enemy and shall deliver us to the Judge 't is the same manner of speaking like that in the Proverbs and repeated in the Epistle to the Romans that he who doth good to his enemy Prov. 15.21 Rom. 12.20 Luke 16.9 heaps coals of fire on his head and like that in the fixth of St. Luke That those to whom we give alms
Trinity CHAP. XI Of the Liberty Efficacy Effect and Constancy of the Grace of the Lord. 1. That God gives the Grace of his Spirit according to his good pleasure ROm. 9.15 16. I will have mercy saith the Lord on him on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on him on whom I will have compassion It is not then concludes the Apostle of him who wills nor of him who runs but of God who doeth mercy Eph. 1.5 God hath predestinated us into the adoption of his children by Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of his will Phil. 2.13 T is God which hath made in you both to will and to do according to his good will Matt. 11.25 26. O Father Lord of heaven and earth I render thee thanks that thou hast hid these things from the wise and understanding and hast revealed them to little children even so Father for as much as thy good pleasure hath been such 2. That those whom God hath enlighttened by his Spirit come unto him John 6.45 Whosoever hath heard of the Father and hath learnt he cometh to me Rom. 8.29 Those whom God hath before known he hath also predestinated to be made conformable to the image of his Son c. And those whom he predestinated he hath also called and those whom he hath called he hath also justified and those whom he hath justified he hath also glorified 3. That God will give his Salvation to those who shall have-believed in his Son and lived according to his Gospel John 3.36 Who believeth in the Son hath eternal life Rom. 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Jesus Christ who walk not according to the flesh see also verse 13. and 14. Joh. 5.11 12. God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son who hath the Son of God he hath life who hath not the Son of God hath not life 4. That he preserveth and comforts them by his Spirit dureing this life John 15.18 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter to dwell with you eternally c. I will not leave you Orphans and adds Matth. 28.20 behold I am with you alwaies even to the end of the world John 17.11 Now I am no more in the world said the Lord upon the point of his passion but these are in the world and I come to thee Holy Father keep them in thy name those I say which thou hast given me to the end they may be one as we are c. And in verse 15. I do not pray that thou wouldest take them out of the world but that thou wouldest keep them from the evil and in verse 20. Now I pray not onely for them but also for those who shall believe in me by their word Rom. 8.32 God who hath not spared his own Son but gave him for us all how shall he not give us also all things with him and in verse 35.37 Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ shall it be oppression or trouble or samine or nakedness or peril or persecution or sword c. But rather in all these things we are conquerrours through him who hath loved us 1 Cor. 1.8 9. The Lord shall preserve you unto the end that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ God is faithful by whom you have been called into the company of Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted beyond what you are able so he will give you aid in temptation to the end you may be able to bear it CHAP. XII Of the last end of Men as well Faithful as Reprobate 1. That God gathers the Spirits of the Faithful into his Repose when they depart this life REvel 14.13 Blessed are the dead who die to the Lord from henceforth saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follows them 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly habitation of this body were destroyed we have a building from God viz. a house which is not made with hands but eternal in the heavens and ver 6 7 8. Wherefore having always confidence and knowing that when we are in this body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by Faith and not by sight but we are assured and have a good will rather to be out of the body and to be with the Lord. 2. That God shall raise the Faithful at the last day and shall lead them into heaven to live and reign eternally with Christ in a Soveraign glory John 6.39 The will of my Father which hath sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that which he hath given me but that I should raise them up at the last day Rom. 8.11 If the spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he who raised Jesus Christ from the dead shall quicken also your mortal Bodies because of his Spirit dwelling in you Phil. 3.20 21. We expect from heaven a Saviour viz. the Lord Jesus Christ Who shall transform our vile bodie that it may be made conformable to his glorious body according to the efficacy by which he can even make all things subject to himselfe 1 Thes 4.14 If we believe that Jesus is dead and risen likewise those who sleep in Jesus ver 16.17 God will bring them with him Then in verse 15.16 For the Lord with the command and voice of the Arch-Angel and with the trumpet of God shall descend from Heaven and those who are dead in Christ shall rise first Then we who live and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds before the Lord in the air and so shall be always with the Lord. See the description the clearness and the history of all the Mystery of our last resurrection in the Chap. 1 Cor. 3. That life eternal is a gift and grace of God Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death and the grace of God is life eternal by Jesus Christ our Lord. 2 Tim. 1.18 The Lord give to Onesiphorus to find mercy from God in the last Day 4. That the wicked and incredulous shall perish eternally 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall shew himself from heaven with the Angels of his power with a flame of fire doing vengeance upon them who know not God and who obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with eternal punishments from the face of God and from the glory of his power Revel 21.8 But the fearful and Unbelieving and execrable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Poysonous and Idolaters and all Liars their part shall be in the lake burning with fire and brimstone which is the second death The End of the Second Part. FAITH Grounded upon the Holy Scriptures Where the Articles of our Faith are justified by the Scripture Negative and Exclusive of the Creeds of