is more than his inherent righteousness as I shewed before or inherent holiness is as coâ—pleatly made †'T is so by Gods imputation theirs as if they theâ—selves were compleatly and perfectly righteous and that upon no other * They call not Faith a condition but the only instrument of the soul condition or qualification wrought in them but 〈◊〉 believing whereby too many of them meâ—â— strongly fancying this rightcousness to 〈◊〉 theirs This he saith in the Margent iâ— a false notion of it and is grosly false doctrine For he saith there are two palâ—ble mistakes in it 1. That Christs righteousness is properly †'T is as properly made ours by imputation as Adam's first sin is made ours made ours I am coâ—fident there is no Scripture that tells us 〈◊〉 All that we find asserted in the Gospel 〈◊〉 to this matter is this that real benefits 〈◊〉 advantages which are likewise exceedingâ—â— great * But what are they is justification one of them or not in the sense I have treated of it and excellent do by the righteousness of Christ accrue to us and those â—â—less great and excellent than if that righteousness were in the most proper seâ—â— ours 2. The other mistake is that this righteousness is made ours upon no other terms than that of believing †Who saith so what other terms are required on our part besides faith in Christ believe and thou shalt be saved antecedent to Justification it is so This is not only a * And yet this man saith Conformists must not write against the Doctrine of the Church of England false but also a most dangerous opinion And then he saith That be and his moral Preachers are careful to shew the falsity and defectiveness of some definitions of faith of dangerous consequence and that this is one of the false ones namely that is is a taking hold of †Who are the men that so define it and where Assembl Definition of Justifying Faith Christs righteousness or a believing thâ—â— it is made over to us p. 129 130 this he calls a mysterious faith and non-sâ—nse p. 130. The Learned and Orâ—hodoâ— Assembly of Divines in their larger Catechism did give us this Definition of justifying Faith Justifying faith is a saving grace wrought in the heart of a sinner by the Spirit and Word of God whereby he being convinced of his sin and misery and of the disability of himself and all other creatures to recover him out of his lost condition not only assenteth to the truth of the promise of the Gospel but receiveth and resteth upon Christ and his righteousness therein held forth for pardon of sin and for the accepting and accounting of his person righteous in the sight of â—oâ— for salvation Joh. 1. 12. Act. 16. 32. Phil. 3. 9. Is this a false or defective definition of Faith or non-sense if it be speak out and prove it And p. 130 131. he saith The reason why those moral Preachers use not at all or but seldom the phrase imputed righteousness is because those mens very untoward notion hath so leavened * And yet you 'l use the word Altar and the phrase holy Altar though the Papists have levelâ—â— it with their false notion of oftering the sacrifice of Christs body and blood upon it the heads of the vulgar that they can scarcely hear of Christs imputed righteousness but they are ready to make an ill use of it by taking from thence occasion to entertain low and disparaging thoughts of an inward real righteousness I think saith he it would be well if it were never used I pray mark 1. He calls our Orthodox Divines notion of Christs imputed righteousness an â—ntoward notion 2. He gives a Popish reason and very untoward false and dangerous one why his Divines use not the phrase imputed righteousness because forsooth ' tâ—s in danger to be abused the same that Papists give for their prohibiting vulgar people to read the holy Scriptures in a known tongue left they should abuse it 3. Christs righteousness and the imputation thereof must not by these mens reason be mentioned Lest people should take occasion to disparage mans own real moral righteousness Doth not this shew that you prefer your own righteousness above Christs And pag. 132. he saith But take notice that this expression Christs * So saith Bellarmine as Tâ—lenus in his Syntag. de Justiâ— p 726. tells us where he saith frontem persricat Bellarmiâ—â— 'T is plainly in Rom. 4. 6. â—hil 3. 8. 9. and by necessary consequence in Rom. 5. 18 19. 1 Cor. 1. 30. and many other plâ—ces of Script 2 Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 imputed righteousness is not to be found in all the Bible Nor in any of the places where we find the word imputed relating to the righteousness of Christ at all to be understood but only an effectual faith which is the very same with inherent righteousness which as I said is that moral righteousness only that those Preachers may be justly charged with altogether insisting upon p. 133. Here the man speaks out plainly that our persons are justified befoâ—â— God by our own inherent righteousness as 't is taken in opposition 〈◊〉 the righteousness of Christ imputed to us which latter he utterly denies And in his other Book intituled The design of Christianity c. 19. p. 221. he saith That faith justifies as it includes a sincere resolution of obedience or true holiness in the nature of it Which is as directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England as any that his Father Bellarmine hath written concerning Justification whose arguments he urgeth and improves as will be evident to any man that reads Bishop Downham of Justification and Dr. Ames his Bellarminus Enervatus And in p. 133. of his Free Discourse he saith There are but two Chapters in all the New Testament where we find the word imputed mentioned as relating to righteousness one is in the fouâ—â— to the Romans and the other the second of St. James In the fourth to the Romans we have it four or five times and it is most evident that there still it is to be interpreted as I said that is above p. 132. * Which is most false it 's evident that 't is taken as all our sound Protestant Divines understand it of Faith not as 't is effectual by works but as it 's relatively considered apprehending the righteousness of Christ and applying it to our selves as I have shewed before Bishop Sanderson was no Antinomian consider what he saith That Justification of sinners by the imputed righteousness of Christ apprehended and applied unto them by a lively Faith without the works of the Law is a sound true comfortable profitable and necessary Doctrine Serm. upon Rom 3. 8. p. 49. in 410. of an effectual faith which is the very same with inherent righteousness And what he saith for confirmation of his opinion That Abrahaâ— was justified by his faith
that which was set down by the Reverend Assembly of Divines the Confession of Faith c. 3. a. 1. God from all eternity did the most wise and holy counsel of his own will freely and unchâ—â—geably ordain whatsoever comes to pass yet so as thereby neiâ—â— is God the Author of sin nor of violence offered to the will of 〈◊〉 creatures nor is the liberty or contingenâ—y of second causes taâ—â— away but rather established And this Doctrine is clear in 〈◊〉 25. 34. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit ye the kingdom prepared you from the foundations of the world Ephes 1. 4. God hath chosen 〈◊〉 him that is in Jesus Christ before the foundations of the world 2 Tâ—â— 1. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling not accoâ—â— to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was gâ—â— us in Christ Jesus before the world began Which is directly contrary the erroneous Doctrine of those who teach That God chuseth 〈◊〉 this or that particular person before others till he see whether he 〈◊〉 believe or not and persevere in the faith who make a persevering liever in the point of death to be the object of Gods peremptory complâ—â— full and irrevocable election unto life condemned the Synod of Dort in the Remonstrants who teaâ—â— Acta Remonst a. 1. p. 7. That Gods Election unto salvation is manifoâ—â— one general and indefinite another singular anâ—â— definite and this again either incomplete revocable not peremptory or conditional or else complete irrevocable peremptory oâ—â— absolute likewise that there is one election unto faith anothâ—â— unto salvation so that election unto justifying faith may be witâ—â— out a peremptory election unto salvation for this saith the Synoâ—â— is of mans brain devised without any ground in the Scriptures coâ—rupting the Doctrine of Election and breaking that golden chain of salvation Rom. 8. 30. Whom he hath predestinated them also he hath called and whom he hath called them also he hath justified and whom he hath justified them also he hath glorified 3. That they that are predestinated to everlasting salvation cannot perish eternally or be damned for the Article saith plainly That God hath constantly decreed by his counsel to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation as vessels made to honour Now this is also consonant to holy canonical Scripture in those places before alledged and also many others as Mat. 16. 18. The gates of Hell all the power and policy of the Devil and his instruments shall not prevail against it that is against the Church of Jesus Christ and Mat. 24 If it were possible they shall deceive the very elect where note that it is impossible totally and finally to deceive the elect of God unto eternal life John 10. 28 29. And I give unto my sheep eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand 1 Pet. 1. 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 John 2. 27 But the annointing which ye have received abideth in you the grace of God abideth in him that is truly sanctified by Gods Spirit 1 John 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him that is the seed of Gods Spirit and Word saving grace so remaineth in him that he doth not commit sin as the Devil doth studiously purposely affectionately impenitently and maliciously he committeth not the sin unto death the sin against the Holy Ghost 1 John 5. 18. He that is born of God cannot commit and live and lie down in sin as the Devil and the wicked do but though he fall into sin yet he riseth again Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their heart that they shall not depart from me Rom. 5. 8 While we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him and according to this is the 5th Arâ—icle of Lambeth and the 38th Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland A true lively justifying faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanisheth away in the elect or regenerate either totally or finally â—nd because Dr. Heylin most falsly saith That this Doctrine of the Papists and Arminians was the Doctrine which our godly Reformers and Martyrs taught and sealed with their blood I shall give you a little of what they 〈◊〉 lieved said and sealed with their blood Thomas Whittell Priest 〈◊〉 Martyr in his Letter to John Carles saith thus That God sufferâ—â— his to fall but not finally to perish Fox Book of Martyrs in one Wâ—â— lume p. 1742. and John Carles aâ—â— swered Dr. Martin who examiâ—â— King James in his Paraphrase upon Revel c. 9. p. 27. saith That these spiritual grashoppers shall be so bridled that they shall not have power to pervert the elect of whatsoever degree or sort but their power shall extend only upon them that bear not the mark or seal of God upon their foreheads so on c. 13. p. 41. him about Predestination thus believe that Almighty God our 〈◊〉 dear loving Father of his grâ—â— mercy and infinite goodness did eâ—â— in Christ before the foundation the earth was laid a Church 〈◊〉 Congregation which he doth câ—â—tinually guide and govern by 〈◊〉 grace and holy Spirit so that 〈◊〉 one of them shall ever finally peâ—â— and otherwise he holdeth not Aâ—â— John Philpot that learned Martyr maintained the Doctrine of Prâ—â— stination which Calvin taught in his Institutions to be agreeing with tâ—â— which the Doctors of the Church did teach and the holy Scriptures and wâ—â— he sealed with his blood as I shewed you before out of Mr. Fox his Boâ—â— of Martyrs p. 1697. 2 Col. and p. 17â— 1722. John â—â— â—greeable to * John Bradford Martyr in his Letter to N. and his Wife saith thus This is the difference betwixt Gods children which are regenerate and elect before all times in Christ and the wicked cast-aways that the elect lie not still in their sin continually as do the wicked but at length do return again by reason of Gods seed which is in them hid as a sparkle of fire in the ashes as we may see in David Peter Paul Mary Magdalen and others Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1573. one Volume thâ—â— also is the Doctrine of the Synod oâ—â— Dort c. 5. of the perseverance of the Saints Canons 6 7 8. For Gâ—â— who is rich in mercy according 〈◊〉 the unchangeable purpose of Electioâ—â— doth not wholly take away his hoâ—â— Spirit from his no not in their grâ—â— vous slips nor suffers them to waâ—â— der so far as to fall away from thâ—â— grace of adoption and state
and godly feâ— 2 Pet. 3. 18 But grow in grace 2. That the * Aquinas 12ae q. 114. a. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Medina in 12ae q. 114. a. 3. Schoolmen speak of 〈◊〉 twofold merit whereof the 1 Is Meritum de congruo merit oâ— congruity which is not truly and properly merit but such as it is 't is defined to be this That it is congruous convenient Dr. Davenant de justitia c 6. p 603. â—emble of Justification c. 1. S. 2. p. 163. or agreeable to goodness that Gâ—l do reward a man working according to his vertue or power â—â—at he hath Which many learned men do deny to be truly and properly merit For that is truly and properly meritorious that doth properly and absolutely for it self deserve a reward or which doth in its formal reason include equality or condignity to that reward of which it is said to be meritorious But merits of congruity do not truly and properly deserve a reward or carry an equality or proportion with the thing said to be merited the grace of God and therefore are not truly and properly merits their merit of congruity is nothing else but fitness for which they have no ground in Scripture or right reason yet Bellarmine the Council of Trent and other Papists retain the name and give it chiefly to those dispositions and preparations which they say go before Justification according to which they say grace is ex congruo due and so comply with Pelagius his false Doctrine long since condemned Gratiam secundum merita dari i. e. Grace is Aug. Epist 106 107. contra duas Epistolas Pelagianorum lib. 2. c. 8. to be given according to merits That is it 's congruous or fit that grace or favour be bestowed upon men by God according to their deservings For if those dispositions be merits and if according to them grace be given as the Council of Trent * Secundum propriam cujusque dispositionem Sess 6. cap. 7. defineth do they not plainly hold that grace is given to men of God according to their merits 2. Meritum de condigno Merit of condignity is that which includes in its formal reason equality condignity or worthiness proportionable to the thing of which 't is said to be meritorious And thus they say the good works of regenerate men do merit heaven of which hereafter Not to trouble you with a full confutation of this Scriptureless and reasonless distinction of merits but to apply it to our present purpose in hand I say 1. That good * I call them good works so quoad substantiam but formally are evil because they call them so works done by an unregenerate man before the grace of Christ be received or the inspiration of his Spirit do not ex congruo merit the favour of God For 1. there is no proportion between them 2. Then our Election should not be of Grace as 't is said to be by the unerring Spirit of God Rom. 11. 5. but of sinful mans sinful works which they call deserts confuted before in Article the sixth 2. That good works of unregenerate men before the saving grace of Jesus Christ be infused into them 〈◊〉 Quia ego volo Deus me adjuvat est Pelagianorum Alvarez de auxiliis Divinae gratiae l. 1. disp 1. p. 11. wrought in them by his holy Spirit 〈◊〉 received by them do not merit ex câ—â—gruo or deserve grace that is saving grace of congruity Papists indeed 〈◊〉 hold that good works done by man before he receive the spâ—â— grace of Christ do provoke God to bestow his saving grace 〈◊〉 him and that the man himself a 〈◊〉 tle * The Synod of Dort reject as an error the Doctrine of them that teach that in spiritual death no spiritual gifts were separated from the will of man for that the will of it self was never corrupted but only INCUMBRED by the darkness of the understanding and unruliness of the affections which IMPEDIMENTS BEING REMOVED the will may put in ure her own inbred faculty of freedom that is of her self will or nill chuse or refuse any kind of good set before her Which they say is contrary to Jer. 17. 9. Ephes 2. 3. Chap. 3 4. Errour 3d. hindrance being taken away 〈◊〉 rendred disposed to receive the graâ—â— of God Hence is that of some Schoâ—â— men of some I say for they do not agree but some are sounder than Jesuits and Arminians that God doth not deny grace to him that doth endeavour to do what is in him to obtain it And he doth what is in him that doth forsake the act of sin the will of 〈◊〉 ning and doth endeavour to do good and to convert himself to God He that doth this deserves grace say they by this merit of congruity because it is congruous say they that to a man acting according to his vertue God should give a reward according to the excellency of his vertue And also because it were incongruous or unfit 〈◊〉 give grace to them that neglect to 〈◊〉 these things and voluntarily oppoâ—â— grace offered And this merit of congruity was brought into the Church by some erroneous Schoolmen and 〈◊〉 others made use of that some reason might be given or shewed of mans part why to sâ—â— grace is given and to others not given and so they make the first 〈◊〉 ving cause of grace taken either for the favour of God or gifts of grace of God Spirit to be in man and in mans own natural power or free will Which I suppose is sufficiently confuted before Articles the sixth and seventh 3. That good works done before the saving grace of Christ received and wrought in a man â—o make him meet to receive the saving grace of God These works I call good according to them which may be good quoâ—â— substantiam materialiter but are evil quoad modum formaliter because not done to Gods glory in faith and in love and obedience to God and his will Now these Errors I renounce because they are contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England 1. In her 13th Article which is this Works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his 〈◊〉 are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesâ—â— Crist neither do they make men meet to receive grace or as the School-Aâ—rthor say deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not 〈◊〉 â—s God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of sin In which Article are these three Conclusions 1. That works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant unto God 2. That works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of 〈◊〉 Spirit do not make men meet to receive grace or do not deserve grace of congruity 3. That works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of 〈◊〉 Spirit have the nature of sin
The first and third of these three Conclusions shew the reasons of the second and hold forth this truth That the works of unregenerated men done before they receive the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not good works and so pleasing unto God and that because they spring not from a lively faith in Christ but are evil because they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done And therefore they make not men meet to receive grace or deserve not grace of congruity at Gods hands 2. And this erroneous Doctrine of merit of congruity and preparing and disposing and making men meet and worthy to receive grace is also contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Engâ—â— in her Homily for Rogation-week T. 2. p. 3. p. 223. which saith thus Faith is the first entry into a Christian life without which no man can please God Faith is the giâ—t of God Ephes 2. 8. Charity wherewith we love our brethren is the work of God If after our fall we repent it is by him that we repent who reacheth forth his merciful hand to raise us up if we have any WILL TO RISE it is HE that PREVENTETH OUR WILL AND DISPOSETH us thereunto If after contrition we feel our consciences at peace with God through remission of sins and so be reconciled to his favour and hope to be his children and inheritors of everlasting life who worketh these great miracles in us our worthiness our deservings and endeavours our wits and vertue Nay verily St. Paul will not suffer flesh and clay in such arrogancy and therefore saith all is oâ— God which hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ Lo here you see that your vertue wits endeavours deservings worthiness are excluded from being the efficient disposing much more from being the meritorious cause of the favour of God or grace of faith or love or repentance c. in us and that these are the gifts of God which he by his Spirit worketh in us And 3 't is contrary to the Church of England's Liturgy as Collect for the 17th Sunday after Trinity Lord we pray thee that thy grace may alway prevent and follow us and make us continually to be given to good works And in one of the Collects after the Communion Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee c. Wherein we acknowledg that Gods grace and favour must prevent us and go before our doing or beginning to do any good works and that his grace must follow and further us with its continual help else we shall not be able to begin nor continue to do good works acceptable to him And 4. 't is contrary to the tenth Article of the Church of England of Free-will The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ PREVENTING us that we may have a good will and WORKING with us when we have that good will 2. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland Articles 25 and 26. which accords with the Doctrine of the Church of England verbatim in her tenth and thirteenth Articles 3. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Scotland which also agreeth with the Doctrine of the Church of England to be seen in the Confession of Faith made by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster Edenburgh August 27 1647. Sess 23. c. 9. Art 3 4. c. 10. Art 1 2. c. 16. Art 2 3. 7. Now these Errors of the Papists are grounded upon two Errors more which they have received from the Pelagians 1. The first Error which is the ground of these is this That men in the state of corruption before they are endued with a lively faith in Jesus Christ can by the power of their own free-will do good works which Papists call dispositions or preparations of grace which they say do out of congruâ—â—y move God to bestow his grace upon them and prepare or make them meet and worthy to receive Gods grace Now though this error be sufficiently yea abundantly confuted before especially in the seventh Article of this Renunciation yet because 't is the ground of many others and 't is so much stood upon and 't is so pleasing to corrupt reason Give me leave to say something more against it here also And 1. I say that this Doctrine is condemned by the Synod of Dort Chap. 3 4. Error 3. before recited And also Error 5 We reject the Doctrine of them that teach that corrupt and natural man can so rightly use common grace by which they mean the light of nature or those gifts which are left in him after the fall that by the good use thereof he may attain to a greater namely Evangelical or saving grace and by degrees at length Salvation it self And God for his part sheweth himself ready in this manâ—er to reveal Christ to all men seeing he doth sufficiently and efficaciously afford to every man necessary means for the making Christ known and for faith and repentance They give not their reason there for their rejecting of the former part of this Error because that they had it done before in the third and fourth Error rejected But against the latter they say thus For this is convinced to be false as by the experience of all ages in the world so also by the Scriptures Psal 147. 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel he hath not â—ealt so with any Nation and as for his judgments they have not known them Act. 14. 16 God in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Act. 16. 7 8. Paul and his company were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not And Error the ninth they reject the Doctrine of them that teach That grace and free-will are co-partening causes jointly concurring to the beginning of conversion and that grace doth not in order of causality go before the action of the will that is that God doth not effectually help mans will unto conversion before the will of man moveth and determineth or setleth it self thereunto For this Doctrine was long since condemned by the ancient Church among the Pelagian Errors out of the Apostles authority Rom. 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And 1 Cor. 4. 7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Item Phil. 2. 13 It is God which worketh in you
grace aâ—â— act or habit or quality inherent in us And if we be justified by the righteousness of Christ only which being out of us in him imputed to those who receive it by Faith which also * Lib. 4 5. before I invincibly proved then also it followeth by necessary consequence that we are justified by Faith only as it is the instrument or hand of the soul 〈◊〉 apprehend or receive Christ who is our righteousness wherefore where Faith is said to justifie it must of necessity be understood relatively and in respect of the object to which purpose both Justification and all other benefits which we receive by Christ are attributed to Faith as I have shewed ¶ L. 6. c. 4. Sec. 6. before Not that Faith worketh these things but because by it we receive Christ and with him aâ—â— his merits and benefits And for the same cause the Faith of all the faithful though unequal in degrees in some greater in some less is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alike precious in the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 1. which is an evidence That faith doth not justifie in respeâ—â— of its dignity or worthiness but in respect of the object which it doth receive which being the most perfect righteousness of Christ untâ— which nothing can be added is one and the same to all that receivâ—â— it Of tâ—is see more Lib. 1. c. 2. Sec 10. 4. Bishop Reynolds upon Psal 110. 4. p. 443. saith thus So theâ—â— between Christ and us there must be an unity or else there can be no imputation and therefore it is that we are said to be justified by faith and that faith is imputed for righteousness Rom. 4. 5. not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere the act of believing as if that were in se accounted righteousness as it is a work proceeding from us by grace but because it is vinculum instrumentum unionis the bond of union between us and Christ and by that means makes way to the imputation of Christs righteousness unto us And the same reverend learned and orthodox Bishop in his most excellent Treatise of the Life of Christ p. 476. saith That preciousness of faith is seen chiefly in two respects 1. In regard of the Objects and 2. In regard of the Offices of it And p. 478. he saith That the Offices which are peculiar to faith are principally these three 1. To unite to Christ and give possession of him 2. The second office wherein consisteth * P. 480. the excellency of faith is the consequent of the former namely to justifie a man for there is no man righteous in the sight of God any further than he is taken into the * I have inserted this not only because it makes way for what I have chiefly to alledg but also that those Antichristian Popish Arminian Socinian men who call themselves Protestants and the dutiful Sons of the Church of England that do not only deny but deride and scoff at union and communion with Christ which is indeed the ground of all our happiness here and hereafter may take notice of what a learned Bishop of their party in two several Treatises saith and proveth unity of Christ and into the fellowship of his merits God is alone well pleased in Christ and â—â—ll a man be a member of his body a part of his fulness he cannot a pear in Gods presence This was the reason why Christ would bave none of his bones broken or taken off from the Communion of his natural body Joh. 19 36. to note the indissoluble union which was to he between him and his mystical members So that now as in a natural body the member is certainly fast to the whole so long as the bones are firm and sound so in the mystical where the body is there must every member be too because the bones must not be broken asunder If then Christ go to heaven if he stand unblameable before Gods justice we all shall in him appear so too because his bones cannot be broken That which thus puts us into the unity of Christ must needs justifie our persons and set us right in the presence of God and this is our faith The Apostle gives two excellent reasons why our Justification should be of faith rather than of any other grace the first oâ— Gods part that it might be of grace The second on the part of the promise that the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 16. First Justification that is by faith is of meer grace and favour no way of work or merit sor the act whereby faith justifies is an act of humility and self-dereliction a holy despair of any thing in our selves and a going to Christ a receiving a looking towards him and his all-sufficiency so that as Mary said of her self so we may say of faith the Lord hath respect unto the lowliness of his grace which is so far from looking inward for matter of Justification that it self as it is a work of the heart Tâ— credere doth not justifie but only as it is an apprehension or * This Mr. Fowler saith is false in his Free Discourse p. 129. taking hold of Christ For as the hand in the very receiving of a thing must needs first make it self empty if it be full before it must let all go erâ— it take hold of any other thing so faith being a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. must needs suppose an emptiness iâ— the soul before Faith hath two properties as a hand to work and to receive when faith purifies the heart supports the drooping spirits worketh by love carries a man through afflictions and the like these are the works of faith wheâ— faith accepts of righteousness in Christ and receives him as the gift of his Fathers love when it embraceth the promises afar off Heb. 11. 13. and lays hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6. 12. this is the receiving act of faith Now faith justifies not by working * This is directly against Mr. Fowler 's Doctrine before mentioned and against Dr. Heylin's too lest the effect should not be wholly of grace but partly of grace and partly of works Ephes 2. 8 9. but by bare receiving and accepting or yielding consent to that righteousness which in regard of working was the righteousness of Christ Rom. 5. 18. and in regard of disposing imputing appropriating unto us was the righteousness of God Rom. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. Pag. 480 481 482. 3. The third Office of faith is to give us with Christ all things 5. I might alledg the Testimony of Luther Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Zanchy Musculus Pareus Polanus Tilenus Vrsinus Wendelinus Wollebius Festus Hominius Amesius Junius Macrobius Sharpius Piscator Threâ—â— and many more of our own Writers but those you usually answer by slighting saying they were particular men and Presbyterians or Nonconformists therefore I forbear but I
Error rejected by them Dr. Heylins Introduction to his Cyp. Angl. p. 36. S. 37. p. 31. Montagues Gag p. 163 164 186. Appeal p. 213 214. be certain of their eternâ—â— salvation but may totally anâ— finally fall away from the actâ— and habits of saving-grace before they dye and be eternally damned THis I renounce In which there are two notable points 〈◊〉 Popery 1. That truly regenerated persons cannot be certain of their eterâ—â— salvation which Bellarmine for Papists affirms Dr. Ames for Protestants denies Vid. Dr. Ames his Bellarmin Enervat T. 4. l. 6. de justificatione c. 2 3 4. p. 152 153 154. 1. The Church of England saith thus That the faith that doâ—â— justifie us is a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God 〈◊〉 be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ and an aâ—â—ureâ—â— faith and trust in Christ ubi supra p. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which necessariâ—â— implies that truly regenerated persons who have this sure trust aâ—â— Homil. of Salvation of mankind p. 20. Homil of Christs Death p. 187. assured faith and confidence of their justification may be certain of their everlasting salvation 2. 'T is contrary also to the 6th Article of the Articles of Lâ—â—beth which is this A man truly believing or endued with justifying faith is certain by or with fâ—ll assurance of faith of the remissâ—â— of his sins and of everlasting salvation by Christ 3. 'T is contrary to the 37th Article of Religion of Irelanâ— A true believer may be certain by the assurance of faith of thâ— forgiveness of his sins and of his everlasting salvation 4. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine of the Synod of Dort c. 5. of perseverance Articles 9 10. Of this perseverance of the elect unto salvation and the perseverance of true believers in the faith the faithful themselves may be and are ascertained according to the measure of their faith by which they assuredly believe that they are and shall for ever continue true and lively members of the Church and that they have remission of their sins and everlasting life and therefore this certainty is not from any special Revelation made beside or without the word but from faith in Gods promises which he hath most plentifully revealed in his word for our comfort from the testimony of the holy Spirit bearing witness with our Spirit that we are the Sons of God and heirs Rom. 8. 16. Lastly From a serious and holy care of keeping a good conscience and endeavour of good works And if Gods chosen in this world should want this solid comfoâ—â—u of obtaining the victory and this infallible pledg and earnest of eternal glory they were surely of all men most miserable See also Article the 11th 5. 'T is contrary to the experience of many of Gods dear Children of Robert Glover who had assurance of Gods love in Christ in the pardon of his sins and of eternal life when he came in the sight of the place where he was to be burned for Christs sake He is come he is come said he to his friend that comforted him John Carles another holy Martyr answered Dr. Martin plainly thus That God hath predestinated me to eternal life in Jesus Christ I am most certain and even so am I sure that his holy Spirit wherewith I am sealed will so preserve me from all heresies and evil opinions that I shall dye in none at all Fox Acts and Monuments in one Volume p 1813. 1st 2d Col. 6. 'T is contrary to canonical Scriptures as Job 14. 17. But ye know him that is the Spirit for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you And v. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Rom. 8. 15 16. But ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ And v. 35 38 39. of the same Chapter Who shall separate us from the love of Christ For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor hight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God whicâ— is in Christ Jesus our Lord 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received not 〈◊〉 spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know thâ— things that are freely given to us of God 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selvâ— whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Ephes 3. 12. In whom 〈◊〉 have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him 2 Tim. 4 7 〈◊〉 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnes 1 John 3. 2â—â— But we know that when we shall appear we shall he like him and we 〈◊〉 that he was manifested to take away our sins and v. 14. of the saâ—â— Chapter We know that we have passed from death to life because 〈◊〉 love the brethren and v. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God beâ—â— he laid down his life for us which he explicates in 1 John 4. 16. 〈◊〉 we have known and believed the love 〈◊〉 God hath tâ— us 1 John 5. 〈◊〉 He that believeth in the Son of God 〈◊〉 tâ—e witness in himself and 〈◊〉 v. 13. of that Chapter These things have I written unto you that beliâ—â— on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal 〈◊〉 and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God 2 Pet. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 thren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if 〈◊〉 these things ye shall never fall To pass by many other places of Sâ—â—cred Scripture which might be produced to prove this comfortâ—â— truth That truly regenerated persons may in this life be certain of 〈◊〉 eternal salvation These I have produced may if well observed and applied be sâ—â— ficient to make it good and evident A certainty of hope Papists grâ—â— but they deny a certainty of faith To which I answer 1. That if they understand by hope that which doth arise from 〈◊〉 ceitâ—ul conjectures and discourses of human reason they grant no mâ—â— to true believers in Christ than they grant to hypocrites for sâ—â— a hope may be in them 2. But if by hope they mean a true Theological infused grace whiâ—â— is the daughter of faith then they grant that which they seem to dâ—â— for the Apostle doth teach That tâ—â— that have this hope have the sâ—â— certainty with faith as Bishop * Deter 3. p. 18. Nos hac spâ— jam servatos esse Dâ—â— â—ant argueth from Rom. 8. 24. â—or we are saved by hope and this
we read thus And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours The word here most observable is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which saith Cornelius a Lapide and Pâ—reus saith that all Copies except Montanus's doth end the full sense of the former sentence Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ab hoc tempore from this very time that is from this instant of time that they dye they are blessed as learned Mr. Leigh in his Criticks expounds the word and assures me in his Notes upon the place that Dr. Reynolds and Gerard do so interpret it and so doth Scriveliâ—â— too and the Latines interpret it * Amodo id est ex nunc deinceps in aternum puta a tempore mortis illico requiefcunt requiescent in omne aenum Cor. a Lapide 〈◊〉 amolâ—â— which we English henceforth that is from this time forward that is from the time of their death and so forward for ever are they blessed that die in the Lord. Pareus upon the place saith That this is a true and charitable opinion that those that die in the Lord do from the point or instant of their 〈◊〉 become and continue to be blessed And 't is observable that they are said to be blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 morientes dying or qui moriuntur who 〈◊〉 die in the Lord in the present tense not in the future who shall diâ—â— hereafter though they shall be blessed too which shews that 〈◊〉 soon as ever they are dead they begin to be blessed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 preseâ—â— and perfectly as some expound the word and henceforth even for eâ—â— though before their death they are in some sort as St. Paul was partly carnal as well as spiritual yet their souls depart not so 〈◊〉 are if not immediately before yet in the instant of their departure from their bodies through faith purged by the blood and spirit of Jesus Christ from all their sins and so their spiritual uncleanness being perfectly done away they are fitted for and received into that City into which nothing that defileth shall enter And this may be proved further 5. From Joh. 5. 24. Verily I say unto you he that believeth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life So Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life he hath it not only in the price and promise and expectation but also in the * inchoation and first Vrsin Catechis p. 2. q. 58. p. 414. Dr. Reynolds in 1 John 5. 12. p. 430. He that hath the Son hath life 1. In pretio 2. In permisso 3. In primitiis fruits he hath the beginnings of it here in this life in the kingdom of grace and he shall have it in more full and compleat possession of it as soon as he departs out of this life habenti dabitur to him that hath shall be given to him that hath true saving grace shall be given more grace not only quoad sufficientiam here but quoad gloriam hereafter Cornelius a Lapide a great Jesuit and Father in the Church of Rome assures me that the Church he means the Church of Rome calls the days of Saints death dies natales their birth-days and that hac de causa for this reason because the same days they are new-born into a blessed and glorious life and upon this account saith he doth the Church solemnize their birth-days not those in which they are born with sin into a temporal life but those in which by a temporal death they pass to an eternal life And 6. This may be further confirmed by that of the wise man the Preacher King Solomon Eccles 12. 7. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the Spirit to God who gave it then that is when a man dies his body which was made at first of the dust of the earth returns to the earth its first material principle and the soul that was immediately made by God of a spiritual substance returns to God the Father of Spirits for judgment either of absolution or condemnation which is more particularly and privately passed upon every Heb. 9. 27. mans soul immediately after its separation from the body that is saith the learned Bishop Reynolds in his Notes upon the place commonly called the Assemblys-notes Vt stet judicio ante Deum that it may appear before his tribunal to be judged and certainly as the body goes into the dust so certainly the soul returneth unto God to be judged Now the bodies go immediately to the dust to the earth so the souls immediately to God Hence saith he the godly are translated into Paradise in Abrahams bosom into the condition of just men made perfect Luke 16. 22. Luke 23. 43. The wicked into the prison of disobedient spirits reserved there in Hell unto the judgment of the great day Luke 16. 23. 1 Pet. 2. 19. As the souls of wicked men when they die go immediately from God into Hell so do the souls of godly men go immediately to God into Heaven and consonant to this is that of our Saviour John 5. 24 before alledged He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into judgment that is into the judgment of condemnation as our translation according to the sense hath it and John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life it notes a present and indeseasable interest and possession in heaven 7. Very agreeable to this is that devout and believing confident prayer of St. Stephen at his death Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Upon which this is the Assembly-note as 't is commonly called That this is the true comfort of the elect that they are assured that Christ Jesus who died for them in their dissolutions receiveth their souls into his safe and blessed custody to live with him who is the life and God of the living And 8. This is confirmed also by 1 Pet. 4. 19. Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing as unto a faithful Creator 9. To these testimonies may be superadded 2 Cor. 5. 4. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habemus we have in the present tense a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens and that the souls of all believers enter into this heavenly house as soon as they depart out of their earthly tabernacles may be further proved from the 6th and 8th verses of that Chapter where 't is said thus That while we are a home in the body we are absent from the Lord and that we
A Renunciation OF SEVERAL Popish Doctrines BECAUSE Contrary to the Doctrine of Faith of the Church of ENGLAND By R. R. B. D. Babylon's Brats must not be dandled but dasht against the wall Phinehas his Zeal Jehu's March Josiah's Resolution Luther's Heroical Spirit have ever best prevailed against the mystery of iniquity Bishop Prideaux his Sermon upon Revel 2. 4. Pag. 25. Whosoever denieth this Doctrine That Faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily of Salvation of mankind Pag. 16 17. Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum S. August l. de fide operibus c. 4 14. The Pope is Antichrist and Popery is the loosing of Satan for blasphemeth he not in denying us to be saved by the imputation of Christs righteousness King James his Godly Meditations upon certain Verses of Revel 20. Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Jude vers 3. LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockeril at the Three Legs in the Poultry over against the Stocks-Market 1680. CHRISTIAN READERS THough I confess I have long had it in my thoughts to prove That the Doctrine of the Laudensian faction is not the Doctrine of faith of the Church of England and that the greatest Conformists to the Ceremonies are the greatest Nonconformists in deed and in truth to the Doctrine of faith or the articles of Religion of the Church of England concerning the Confession of the true Christian faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments yet I sate still earnestly expecting that some one Orthodox Conformist or other whom it most concerned to maintain it would appear to prove the former or some learned Nonconformist to the Ceremonies would do the latter but neither seeing nor hearing of any one of them to attempt either the one or the other being incouraged by the Parliaments late Act for renouncing Transubstantiation I have though the unfittest of a thousand adventured to renounce not only that blasphemous Doctrine but many more of the Papists erroneous and Antichristian Doctrines and in doing of this may possibly be thought obliquely if not directly to do them both And I begin with renouncing their abominable Transubstantiation partly because the Parliament did so and also because it 's not only destructive of the humane nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but also inductive of adoration of the Lords-supper and the Tables or Altars whereon 't is celebrated Several of our high Conformists having so beld and 't is feared that some do so now the presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament of the Altar as they have been pleased to call it that they might well be thought to hold it after the Papists or Lutherans Doctrine for 't is clear that they have not only been against Orthodox mens discovery of the way that Christs body is not in Bp. Forb's de Eucharist l. 1. c. 1. par 7. A. B. Laud in his Star-Chamb Speech Dr. Heyl. Hist of Presbytery p. 2. the Sacrament of the Lords-supper but they have plainly held that he is more and some other way in that Sacrament than in that other of Baptism and that he is there truly really substantially as 't is in the 18th Article of the Popes Creed to be seen in this Renunciation Article 14th yea essentially as Dr. Lawrence speaks in his Court-sermon p. 18. And in the second place I have renounced Adoration or bowing to Altars or Communion-Tables purposely and upon the Religious account of more religâ—ouâ— excelâ—â—nâ—â— c. because that Doctrinâ— and practise being â—dmitted worshipping of the Sacrament of Images of the Cross of Relicks c. may easily be introduced and maintained And thirdly I have renounced their Heretical Doctrine of Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works because it overthroweth the Gospel and in effect denieth Christ to be come in the flesh and is most dangerously Antichristian and very commonly brâ—â—ched amongâ—â— us and the sound Doctrine of the Church of England against it called Antinomianism and the imputation of Christs Righteousness vilified and denied and Faith as an act habit or work or as it includes sincere obedience set up in its room and the Papists Justification of our persons before God by our own actual or habitual righteousness re-introduced I have also renounced the sufficiency of the natural active power of mans Free-will while in the state of nature to turn of it self to God to believe c. and there by the ground and foundation of the Old and New Pelagian long since condemned though of late too much revived and affected Doctrine and those that usually flow from or are companions of it as also the lawfulness of setting up and suffering of Images in places of publick worship because they have been are and will be occasions of Idolatry Superstition and much mischief in Church and State where they have been and are tolerated as may be seen in that excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry I have also proved by the Doctrine of the Church of England and our own learned mens approved works That the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist and that therefore he is not supreme Head of the Church and that therefore his humane inventions should not be imposed upon nor followed by the Churches of Jesus Christ but that Christ himself the supreme Head of his Church should be only so acknowledged his word duty and constantly consulted and followed in all matters which concern his Church â—is pure Doctrine Discipline and Worship and Truths countenanced and maintained and not suppressed or disgraced and also that Antichrists erroneous and Antichristian doctrines usurpations superstitious and scandalous ceremonies and other Worships should be detested * Vide the Confessioâ— of Faith made the 28 of Jan. 1581 in the 14 year of K. James his Reign there and subscribed and sworn to by K. James his Houshold and whole Kingdom of Scotland set down in the latter end of the Harmony of Confessions and renounced and suppressed 'T was once a sad and great complaint made to a Sub-Committee in which were many eminent Bishops and three Doctors of Divinity That all the tenents of the Council of Trent except only such points of State-policy against the Kings Supremacy as were made Treason by the Statute as good works co-causes with Faith in Justification private Confession by particular enumeration of sins needful necessitate medii to Salvation that the oblaâ—ion or as others the consumption of the Elements in the Lords-Supper holdeth the nature of a true Sacrifice Prayers for the Dead lawfulness of Monastical Vows the gross substance of Arminianism and some dangerous points of Socinianism had been preached or printed by some amongst us saith Dr. Fuller in his Ecclesiastical History Dr. Heylin ' s Cypr. Anglicus l. 5. p. 472
So Dr. Potter in his Charity mistaken p 62. and Dr. Mountague Antig. p. 14. Gag p. 50. To whom I answer 1. That the contrary is hereby evident and well known 2. That though Papists profess the Apostles or Nicene Creeds yet by their erroneous Doctrines they overthrow them as Mr. Thompson in his Arraignment of Antichrist plainly shews the Papists do ART VII That men unregenerate or in tâ—â— state of nature have by theâ—â— Deum offerre gratiam omnibus singulis istam sufficientem reddi efficacem vel inefficacem per voluntatem noluntatem hominis in cujus potestate est illam vel acceptare vel respuere is the false Doctrine of Papists N. B. Totus Pelagianismus huic sententiae includitur saith Maccovius 〈◊〉 Pontif. c. 18. p. 39. Bel. de lib. art c. 3. own free-will power sufficient 〈◊〉 themselves to turn themselves 〈◊〉 God to believe repent and 〈◊〉 good works acceptable to God whâ—â— they will and also finally 〈◊〉 resist the efficacious grace of God in converting an elected sinner to himself THis Position I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrâ—â— of the Church of England Article the 10th The condition 〈◊〉 man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare hâ—â—self by his own natural strength and good works to faith and calling upâ—â— God Wherefore we have no power to do good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the grace of God by Christ preventing us that 〈◊〉 may have a good will and working with us when we have that good 〈◊〉 And Homily of the misery of man part 2. p. 11 12. We have 〈◊〉 goodness help or salvation of our selves but contrariwise sin damnation and deâ—â— Yet Dr. Patrick saith thus All the actions of nature you will grant to be easie for they flow from us with ease and facility Now there is nothing plainer than that the ways of temperance charity and trust in God and such like wherein we are to walk are most conformable to the right frame and constitution of your soul You will move consonantly to your own principles which God hath naturally endued you withall you will but follow the inclination of rational nature and that in its highest improvement Par Pilg. p. 252. What Bishop Jer. Taylor held in favour of that Popish Doctrine see his explanation of Original sin p. 467. What Dr. Heyliâ—â— held see his Introd to his Cyp. Angl p. 36. Sec. 37. p. 33. Sec. 35. everlasting We have in our selves as of our selves nothing whereby we may be delivered from this miserable captivity 〈◊〉 which we have cast our selves We are not of our selves able to think a good thought or work a good deed so that in our selves we can find no hope of Salvation but rather what maketh unto destruction And Homily for Rogation-week T. 2. p. 217. Whatsoever is good proceedeth from God as from the principal fountain and only author And p. 220. it saith what I alledged in the former Article renounced And Part third of the same Homily p. 228. Faith is the first entry of a Christian life without which no man can please God Faith is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. Charity wherewith we love our brethren is the work of God If after our own fall we repent it is by him that we repent who reacheth forth his merciful hand to raise us up it is he that preventeth our will and disposeth â—s thereunto If after contrition we feel our consciences at peace with God through remission of our sins and so be reconciled to his favour and hope to be his children and inheritors of everlasting life who worketh these great miracles in us our worthiness our deservings and endeavours our wits and vertue nay verily St. Paul will not suffer flesh and clay in such arrogancy and therefore saith all is of God which hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ And there p. 229. 't is said That without the secret inspiration of the Spirit we cannot once so much as speak the name of our Mediator as St. Paul plainly testifieth No man can once name our Lord Jesus Christ but in the Holy Ghost much less should we be able to believe and know these great mysteries that be opened to us by Christ St. Paul saith that no man can know what is of God but by the Spirit of God As for us saith he we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God for this purpose that in his holy Spirit we might know things that be given us by Christ And Homily of Repentance T. 2. p. 263. This must be verified of all men Without me ye can do nothing Joh 15. And again Yet Dr. Patrick saith thus I am forced to love God by such a strong inclination as hath no cause but nature Par Pilgrim p. 468. of our selves we are not able so much as to think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. And again in another place God worketh in us both the will and the deed And for this cause although Jeremy had said before If thou return O Israel return unto me saith the Lord yet afterward be saith Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Jer. 4. 1. Jer. 31. 18. And a little before in the same Homily 't is said That we must beware that we do in no wise think in our hearts imagine or believe that we are able to repent aright or turn effectually unto the Lord by our own might and strength And the second Collect for Evening-prayer O God from whom all holy desires all 〈◊〉 counsels anâ— all â—ust works do proceed And Collect for second Sâ—â—day in Lent Almighty God which dost see that we have no power 〈◊〉 our selves to help our selves Collect for 19th Sunday after Triniâ—â— and Collect for Easter-day and Exhortation before Baptism 〈◊〉 he will grant to these children that thing which by nature they caâ—â— have And question after the Commandments in the Church 〈◊〉 techism That thou art not able to do these things of thy self And Veâ—â—cles said after the Lords Prayer O Lord open thou our lips and 〈◊〉 mouth shall shew forth thy praise Which implies that unless God do opâ—â— our mouths we cannot shew forth his praise 2. Because 't is contrary to Sacred Canonical Scripture Rom. 8. 7 〈◊〉 The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law 〈◊〉 God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot pleâ—â— God 1 Cor. 2. 14. But the natural man receiveth not the things of 〈◊〉 Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he 〈◊〉 them because they are spiritually discerned He wants the Spirit of Gâ—â— to discern them savingly Mat. 16. 16 17. Simon Peter answered 〈◊〉 said Thou art Christ the Son of the living God And Jesus answered 〈◊〉 said unto him blessed art thou Simon
of God But there is not in them an active power or ability to regenerate themselves Ob. But God calls upon unregenerated men to cast away their sins and to make them a new heart and a new spirit and turn your selves Ezek. 18. 31 32. Now say they if they cannot do these things and if he alone can do them how can he in reason call upon them to do them Ans To this I answer thus 1. That praecepta ostendunt non quâ—â— possumus sed quid debemus Precepts do shew not what we can do but what we ought to do Or they shew what by grace we can do but not by our selves saith the learned Fasciculus controversiarum c. 3. q. 4. p. 122. Bishop Prideaux 2. That God doth do some things and yet exhort and command men to do them God worketh in men to will and to do and yet he exhorts them to will and to do to love him and to keep his Commandments Our Saviour commands us to believe in him Joh. 14. 〈◊〉 And yet he saith That no man can come to him except the Father which sent him do draw him Joh. 6. 44. And you know that Faith is the giâ—â— of God Ephes 2. 8. So here turn ye shews what we ought to do 〈◊〉 what we can do We had once in Adam a power to do what he commands he doth call upon us for doing of it though now we cannot do it without his special help and grace 3. Consider what thâ—â— Church of England saith in her Homily of Repentance T. 2. p. 263. 〈◊〉 must be verified of all men Without me ye can do nothing And again of our selves we are unable so much as to think a good thought and again it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do And for this cause pray mark this although Jeremy had before said Jer. 4. 1. If thou return O Israel return unto me saith the Lord yet afterward he saith Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned Which plainly shews that they could not turn themselves to the Lord but the Lord himself must turn them or else they would never return or be turned And the next words of the Homily are St. Ambrose doth plainly affirm that the turning of the heart unto God is of God But to return to my proof of the point That a man in the state of corruption cannot without the special grace of God turn and prepare himself to grace 2. Because a man by nature is not capable of those things which are spiritual but they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them 1 Cor. 2. 14. 3. Because the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. 4. Because an unconverted man is unfit to think any thing that is spiritually good 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our idoniety or fitness is of God The very thoughts the imaginations of unconverted men are only evil and that continually Gen. 6. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God and therefore not fit to prepare and dispose men to grace 5. Because before his conversion he is an evil tree now au evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7. 18. He is an Ethiopian accustomed to do evil Jer. 13. 23. which cannot change his skin 2. They ground this their false Doctrine of merit of congruity upon auother error which they suppose and teach viz. That God â—oth dispense his grace according to the preparations and dispositions of men that are to receive it as was shewed before But God saith otherwise Rom. 11. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Mark it he doth not say I will have mercy on them who by doing first that which is in them are by themselves disposed to the receiving of saving grace by the merit of congruity but he saith on the contrary in the next words It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy That is on whom he pleaseth Which place Peter Martyr understands thus That neither Election is in respect of any thing in man and that â—e hath no power to will of himself but that 't is of God himself who sheweth mercy on whom he will and 〈◊〉 he will he hardneth St. * De Predestinatione c. 14. Defendimus contra novum Pelagianorum errorem gratiam Dei non secundum merita nostra dari sed gratis dari cui datur quia neque volentis neque currentis sed miserentis est Dei justo autem judicio non dari cui non datur quia non est iniquitas apud Deum Augustine sâ—â— We defend against the new error of 〈◊〉 Pelagians that the grace of God iâ— giâ—â— not according to our merits but that 〈◊〉 given freely to whom 't is given Beâ—â— 't is not of him that willeth nor of 〈◊〉 that runneth that is as I humbly coâ—ceive of him that inwardly willeth 〈◊〉 outwardly endeavoureth that it's nâ—â— for any thing in man that he hath done but of God that sheweth mercy Aâ—â— that by a just judgment it is not giveâ— to him to whom 't is not given For there is none iniquity with God And that of the Apostle Ephes 1. 11. God worketh all things according to tâ—e counsel of his own will is very considerable and to our purpose And besides all these things it will follow from this erroneous Pelagiâ—â— Doctrine that some men before saving-grace received from Gods Spirit may by their own endeavours difference themselves from others which have not performed such endeavours as they have which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine in 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee 〈◊〉 differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive the sense of which is as our Church declareth in the Contents of that Chapter That we have nothing but what we have râ—ceived For every one of these men may answer and say that the preparations and disposition gotten by 〈◊〉 own endeavours have differenced me for I have had an endeavour â—o good which I have not received from the fulness of Christ the Mediator but from the fountain of nature or from my own free-will yet remaining in me but this is abominably false and contraâ—y to the Doctrine taught by St. Paul and St. Ambrose St. Augustine aâ—â— all the Reformed Churches I named before Lastly I deny this error That a man unregenerated can dispose â—â—elf to true real regeneration or that 〈◊〉 A. B. Vsher in his Sum of Christ Religion pag. 338. saith That unregenerate men do no good works which he there proves man unregenerate can do such works 〈◊〉 so please God as to move
Reverend Bishop Jewel in his Defence of his Apology c. 3. divis 10. tells us That the old Council at Carthage commanded that nothing should be read in Christs congregation but the Canonical Def. of Apol. p. 571. Scriptures Which words saith he are to be found in the Council of Vide Homil. for Rogation-week Part 3. p. 230. Hippo which is the abridgment of the third Council of Carthage in these words Scripturae Canonicae in ecclesia legendae quae sunt praeter quaâ— alia non legantur that is the Scriptures Canonical which are to be read in the Church and besides which nothing may be read Et non oportet libros qui sunt extra canonem legere nisi solos canonicos veteris novi Testamenti That is we may not read any Books that be without the Canon but only the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament There ye may find the Decrees of two of the Kings of France Lewis and Charles In Templis tantum canonici libri id est sacrae literae legantur That is Let there be read in the Churches only the Canonical Books that is to say the holy Scriptures and many other good sayings and testimonies to the same purpose And Harding's shift or addition to or exposition of the Decree of Carthage viz. That nothing be read in the Church but the Canonical Scripture sub nomine divinarum Scripturarum under the name of the Dâ—vine Scriptures will not help our Bishops for they have appointed those Apocryphal Scriptures which they have appointed in the Calendar to be read as parts of the Old Testament for they say expresly in their * See the order in the Book of Common-Prayer for reading the first and second Lessons 'T is probable that by this order our Bishops have deceived our Parliaments who believing them searched not and knew not that Apocryphals were to be read as Canonical Scripture order for reading the Lessons That they have appointed the Old Testament to be read for the first Lessons and the New Testament for the second Lessons throughout the year And in their Calendar to which they specially direct us for the finding of those Lessons they appoint as was said before and is there to be seen above 120 Chapers of Apocryphal Books to be read in our Churches and Chappels for the first Lessons many of which as I have manifested are contrary in many things to the pure word of God Obj. But Bishop Prideaux in answer to the Papists who say that the Apocryphals are called by the Fathers Scripture and Canonical saith with the Fathers there is a twofold Canon 1. Morum of manners 2. Fidei of faith these saith he are sometimes called Canonical in the first sense not in the second Answ To which I answer thus 1. That the Fathers were but meer men and not infallibly guided by the holy and unerring spirit of God 2. That they had their errors and did contradict themselves 3. That Mr. Hildersham though he speak well of the Fathers whom you say was a Conformist proves by three good reasons That our learned Divines in these days may know more and have better judgment in Religion than the Fathers had as 1. They are born and bred in the knowledg and profession of the truth and have known from their childhood the holy Scriptures which are able to make them wise unto salvation as the Apostle speaketh of Timothy 2 Tim. 3. 15. Whereas most of the Fathers were bred and had lived long in Gentilism and beresie before they came to the knowledg of the truth 2. They enjoy the benefit both of all the Fathers own labours and of the writings of many other learned men also which the Fathers themselves could not do A Dwarf may see farther upon a Giants shoulder than the Giant 3. They have the help both of far better Translations of the Scripture than the Fathers could have and of the knowledg of the Tongues also which the chief of the Fathers are well known to have been wanting in 4. The Bishop saith nothing to that that they are called Scripture 5. That there are many erroreous Doctrines contrary to the Canonical Scriptures in those Books and some in those appointed to be read as I have shewed before which may do much mischief to the true Church of Christ and teach false Doctrine instead of good manners 6. That they are not a good Canon for manners as I have shewed in Tobit's wife her passionate bidding her husband who gave her good counsel to hold his peace and immoderate bewailing her Son who was well Tob. 10. 6 7. to which may be added Raguels swearing that Tobius should stay with him fourteen days and in teaching Tobias to conjure or spell away the Devil Tob. 6. 16 17. which Tobias practised Tob. 8. 2 3. and in the Angel Raphaels lying in saying that he was Azarias the son of Ananias the great and of Tobits brethren Tob. 5. 12. and in saying that he was one of the seven Angels that did bring to remembrance Tobias and Sarahs prayers and that did present the prayers of the Saints before the holy one Tob. 12. 12 15. And in Judiths lying hypocritical dissembling and swearing to compass her treacherous and bloody design and praying to God for to bless her deceit and commending the wicked and cruel fact of Simeon which God by Jacob condemned Judith 9. 2 3 4 10 13. Judith 10. 12 13. and Judith 11. Judith 12. which may and no doubt will teach evil men and women more evil than good manners and this too not so much accidentally as by themselves and their own nature 7. The Canonical Scriptures are a sufficient Canon for Doctrine of faith and * Homily for Rogation week Part 3d p. 230. And no where can we more certainly search for the knowledg of this will of God by the which we must direct all our works and deeds but in the holy Scriptures manners and therefore there is no need of reading these Books to teach men good manners 8. If the Popish Legends are not to be read in publick because full of lyes and fictions then by the same reason should not Tobit Judith the History of Bell and the Dragon be read which are full of such things Obj. But Bishop Prideaux saith That the Apocryphal Books are read for their conformity for the most part with the Canonical as ancient and sacred Homilies to inform and teach good manners not to confirm Doctrine Fasc cont c. 1. q 2. p. 16. loc 4. Sec. 3. q 6. p. 237. Answ To this I answer as before 1. That the word of God is a perfect and perspicuous rule for Doctrine of faith and good manners 2. That there are many things in those Books inconformable to the Canonical Scriptures both for Doctrine and manners as the Bishops answer maximâ ex parte implies and as I have plainly shewed and therefore they are not sacred
authority yet for edification they are made rather superior than equal to the Canonical Scriptures that are laid aside to make room for those Apocryphals as more edificative than they 4. Apocryphals are not more easie institutes exciting to the imbracing of the Canonicals but rather to the rejecting of them in the matters of faith and good manners 5. Suppose they were such institutes yet it will not follow that such erroneous Books should be publickly read because of the greater parts easiness and conformity to the word of Truth for they may * Let us cast from us corrupt Doctrine that will infect our Souls Homily of the Resurrection p. 196. corrupt their souls with erroneous opinions and affections and lives with wicked practises 6. No corrupting-Homilies or Sermons are to be appointed to be read or preached in publick in the Church for all things are to be done to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26. 7. Apocryphals are appointed to be read in Cathedrals as well as in Country Parochial Churches Now you will not say that in Cathedrals where the Bishop Dean and Prebends sit and hear are the popular and duller or slower sort of hearers This therefore is no true and satisfactory answer but a meer pretence and put-off ART XVII That the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the supreme Head of the Vniversal Church of Christ above all Emperours Kings and Princes Pastors People and Churches THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England which in Article of Religion 37 saith thus The Queens Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended we give not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which things the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie But that only prerogative which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all Estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or temporal and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil doers The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England And I add as Dr. Reynolds offered at the Conference at Hampton-Court pag. 37. that be ought not to have any here Of which God willing and permitting I shall say more hereafter though much be said already in the 11th Article of Popery renounced as before The Articles of Lambeth the Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland THe Articles of Lambeth made by Dr. John Whitgift A B. of Canterbury Dr. Fletcher Bishop Elect of London Dr. Vaughan Bishop Elect of Bangor Dr. Tindale Dean of Eli Dr. Whitaker Dr. Chaderton and Mr. Perkins c. as I find them in Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus l. 3. p. 204. and as I find them among the Articles of Ireland 1. God from all eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated 2. The moving or efficient cause of Predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. There is predetermined a certain number of the Predestinate which neither can be augmented nor diminished 4. Those who are not predestinate to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God sanctifying is not extinguished doth not fall off or vanish in the Elect either totally or finally 6. A man truly believing or endued with justifying faith is certain or with full assurance of faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ 7. Saving Grace is not given nor communicated nor granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. No man can come to Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men drawn of the Father that they come to the Son 9. It is not in the free choice and power of every man to be saved These Nine Articles or Conclusions And when the Articles of England were received in the Church of Ireland the Title of the Canon is thus Of the agreement of the Church of England and Ireland the profession of the same Christian Faith Which shews that the Churches of England and Ireland did agree in those Articles c. in the Convocation held at Dublin Anno 1615 were resolved upon and agreed to by A. B. Vsher and the Bishops and Clergy as the publick Confession of the Church of Ireland as may be seen in the Articles of Ireland and in Dr. Heylin's Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 271. And moreover these Nine Articles of Lambeth were declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England by the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament about June 14th Anno Domini 1628 as Dr. Heylin informs me in his Cyprianus Angiicus l. 3. p. 197. And 't is observable that though Dr. Heylin affirms that the five Arminian points condemned in the Synod of Dort are the Doctrine of the Church of England and though Dean White licensed Moungues Armin an Popish Books and affirmed that there was nothing in it but what was agreeable to the profession of Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 135. and the three Arminian Bishops Buckeridg Corbet and Laud that wrote and pleaded for him affirmed the same in which Books the five Arminian points were maintained by Mountague and Limbus patrum and many Popish points more though they clamoured very much against the Parliaments declaring That he had in his Books viz. his Gagg and his Apollo Caesarem disturbed the peace of the Church by publishing Doctrines contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Book of Homilies and that the whole frame and scope of his Books was to the discouragement of the well-affected in Religion from the true Religion established in this Church and to incline them and as much as in him lay to reconcile them to Popery Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 155 And laboured by the authority and interest of the then King to have those points referred to the decision of the Convocation to whom they said they did belong though all the knot * Cyp. Angl. l. 1. p. 59. of Arminians except Mr. Barlow that met at Bishop Neils and many more were promoted and dignified persons and Mountague †Cypr. Angl. l. 3. p. 185. himself made Bishop in