agree fully but onely in part with the Councell of Trent And is it not possible to accord in something with the Councell of Trent and to bee no Papist nor maintaine Popery What say you to M. PERKINS in his Reformed Catholick who professeth conformity in many and different points with them and even in this point of Iustification is HEE a Papist Even in your owne understandings though not much there are some Decisions and Conclusions in that Councell which you will imbrace as well as Papists doe What say you to this Si quis ADAE praevaricationem sibi soli non ejus propagini nocuisse asserit acceptam à DEO sanctitatem justitiam quam perdidit sibi soli non nobis eum perdidisse aut in quantum illum per inobedientiae peccatum mortem poenas corporis tantùm in omne genus hominum transfudisse non autem peccatum quod mors est animae Anathema sit and your selves will say Amen will you not unto it It is not therefore a necessary illation M. MOUNTAGU holdeth somewhat determined in the Councell of Trent he is therefore a Papist That Councell were it worse than it was and yet for my part I hold it in some respect pestem Reipublicae Christianae yet resolving upon such a Truth as is warranted in Reason in Divinity with generall consent of all Ages is not in that to be condemned Now such is the point there concluded for which M. MOUNTAGU is called Papist A man justified is changed from that state wherein hee was borne the childe of the first ADAM unto the state of grace and adoption of the Sonnes of GOD by the second ADAM IESUS CHRIST our Saviour and of an unjust person is made righteous of an enemy is made the friend of GOD that so he may become heire of eternall life Which is good Catholick Doctrine non Romano sed antiquo more Christian and justifiable if S. PAUL taught Catholick and Christian Doctrine Rom. V. X. when we were enemies wee were reconciled unto GOD by the death of his Sonne and being reconciled wee shall bee saved by his life And againe Heb. IX XIV For if the bloud of Buls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkling them that are unclean sanctifieth as touching the purification of the flesh how much rather shall the bloud of CHRIST who through the eternall Spirit offred himself without spot unto GOD purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God! Can this bee conceived without a change GOD pardoneth sinne in man for the death and passion of CHRIST his Sonne in that very act and instant imputing unto him the righteousnesse of CHRIST that all-sufficient and well-pleasing sacrifice for his justification and doth he leave him there his sinnes belike remaining still in being as they were himselfe indeed the very man he was before or rather as perfect are the workes of the mightie GOD not done by halves and to no purpose doth hee not also wash and clense his soule and conscience from dead workes doth he not wipe out his iniquities when he cancelleth the band and maketh him become another man doth hee not conferre upon him of his grace for the abolishing of the bodie of sinne and enabling the soule against the assaults of sinne TERTULLIAN compareth man in the state of Nature depraved unto that Leprosie described Levit. XIII where as there is a change in the body made cleane and whole from the leprosie so violent and infectious so doth he and that justly acknowledge the like in the clensing and purifying of the soule Conversum enim hominem de pristino carnis habitu in candorem fidei quae vitium macula aestimatur in saeculo totum novatum mundum voluit intelligi qui jam non sit varius non sit de pristino novo aspersus Si verò post abolitionem in vetustatem aliquid ex ea re vixerit rursum in Carne ejus quòd emortuum delicto habebatur immundum judicari I would TERTULLIAN had never written worse than so The rest of the Fathers run the same way CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS in his Paedagog pag. 96. and VII Strom. pa. 319. commenting as it were upon that of the APOSTLE But you are washed but you are sauctified DOMINUS qui in mentes nostras indulgentiae coelestis allapsu clementer influxit in animi obtestantis hospitio justa operatione tenetur saith S. CYPRIAN and appealeth unto DONATUS for witnesse Scis c. quid detraxerit nobis quidve contulerit mors ista criminum vita virtutum which generally he had a little before expressed thus Sed postquam undae genitalis auxilio superioris avi labe detersâ in expiatum pectus ac purum desuper se lumen infudit postquà m coelitus spiritu hausto in novum me hominem sensinativitate secundâ reparatum mirum in modum protinus confirmare se dubia patere clausa lucere tenebrosa facultatem dare quod prius difficile videbatur geri posse quod prius impossible videbatur ut esset agnoscere terrenum fuisse quod prius carnaliter natum obnoxium delictis viveret DEI esse coepisse quod jam spiritus animaret Nor doth the Church of England differ heerfrom which never did so much as dreame of denying an alteration in state condition life manners unto a man that is justified How could our Church doe it and make answer unto S. PAUL Ephes 2. 11. 12 13. Wherefore remember that you being in time past Gentiles in the flesh and called uncircumcision of them which are called circumcision in the flesh made with hands that you were I say at that time without CHRIST and were aliens from the common-wealth of Israel and were strangers from the covenants of promise and had no hope but were without GOD in the world But now in IESUS CHRIST you which were farre off are made neere by the bloud of CHRIST So heer is variation of place and station and an alteration also in state ver 19. Now you are no more strangers and forreyners but citizens with Saints and of the houshold of GOD. Not that only but Two made one As if saith CHRYSOSTOM two statues were the one of brasse the other of gold and both being cast into the furnace should from thence come out gold Such is the changed estate of men justified that they are also regenerate and borne anew that are justified I will not justifie the Councell of Trent farther than needs they have not deserved it at the hands of any Protestants but Truth is truth even from the Divels mouth And if they meant no otherwise than thus as I conceive they did not I see no reason to quarrell them or dissent from them But yet one peg higher is this imputation strained namely that I not onely agree with the Councell of Trent but disagree from the Church of England I deny this absolutely prove it and take all If I disagree from the
gratiâ NULLA possunt esse liberi arbitrij bona merita saith the Controversor But wee need a supply continually of Divine Operation Protection Direction and new Inspiration to goe on with Free-will which is Comes non Dux Pedissequa non Praevia as S. AUSTEN speaketh Epist 106. If this were not so then faith and repentance were not the actions of man neither could man be said to beleeve or repent but the holy Spirit that infuseth grace Now Id agit gratia ut sanata natura quod vitiata non potest POSSIT per cum qui venit quaerere salvare id quod perierat S. AUGUST Retract 1. cap. XIII We may saith RUARD TAPPER consider in every vertuous action of man two things the qualitie of goodnesse and the work it selfe The qualitie of goodnesse is WHOLLY from grace the worke it selfe is wrought by the FREE-WILL of man ASSISTED by grace Opera pietatis Credere poenitere c. fiunt per NATURALEM virtutem liberi arbitrij in quantum LIBERE fiunt OPERA sunt à gratiâ verò ut PIETATIS opera sunt Tamen UT SIC à libero arbitrio gratiâ informato EFFECTIVE fiunt non autem à SOLA gratiâ He that saith thus doth not say nor thinke that man can by any NATURALL power EXCITE and prepare himself to grace or apply himselfe unto GOD to the motions of his Spirit as if GOD'S concurse needed not or that man by the power of his owne will without any speciall help of grace could sorrow for sinne or by his PURE NATURALS had power to love GOD above all or to do works holy and acceptable unto GOD as some have prodigiously thought and written nay not that the grace of GOD and power of WILL are ex aequo joint copartners to goe passibus equis much lesse that man's will can outstrip the grace of GOD. This is denied and cannot be inferred upon the activenesse intended or actions insisted on in and of our wills prevented and enabled by grace all that is said is COOPERAMUR SEQUIMURQUE PATREM NON PASSIBUS AEQUIS as that childe did his father in the Poet. This is I conceive it the doctrine of the Protestant Schooles Vbi interim DUO observanda esse docemus say the Helvetians in their Confession PRIMUM regeneratos in boni electione operatione non tantùm agere PASSIVE sed ACTIVE Aguntur enim à DEO ut AGANT IPSI quod agunt Rectè enim AUGUSTINUS adducit illud quòd DEUS dicitur noster ADIUTOR nequit autem ADIUVARI nisi is qui IPSE ALIQUID AGIT S. PAUL speaking of Beleevers saith You have obeyed from the heart that forme of Doctrine whereunto you were received ROM VI. XVII And SALOMON saith PRO. IV. XXIII Keepe thine heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life OUR SAVIOUR saith A good tree bringeth foorth good fruit The WILL of man is a true naturall faculty given to man in his creation In the state of corruption this naturall faculty is a true efficient cause of sinne and this naturall faculty is punished for sinne In the state of justification the same naturall faculty is truely and really endued with grace and bringeth forth the works of righteousnes and shall be rewarded with glory and immortality In both these states the WILL is a TRUE Efficient but differently a PRINCIPALL Efficient in the first state a SUBORDINATE Efficient in the second because the holy Ghost activateth and enableth it For By the grace of GOD wee are that wee are and that grace is not in vaine in us in the Doctrine of the Church of England ARTIC X. working with us when we have that good will GOD'S preeminence in the worke of our salvation his chiefe hand in the businesse his GRACE preventing inspiring enlightning exciting upholding sustaining and concurring doth not take away mans FREE-WILL in cases where Will hath any interest at all The STOICKS amongst others held that Paradox of old DEUM ire per omnes Terras tractusque maris coelumque profundum they meant it substantially and so impiously CHRISTIANS doe hold and beleeve it too but disposingly c. in his providence according to that Axiome of the wise Perting it à fine ad finem fortiter disponens omnia suaviter according to the severall natures and exigences of things to which he gave being and power to worke so not DESPOILING them of their OWNE by CONCURRING with them nor by any accesse ANNIHILATING his former grants or indowments conferred on them Thus having with as great diligence as I could examined this question inter partes of FREE-WILL so farre as was coïncident unto my purpose I do ingenuously confesse that I cannot find any such MATERIALL difference between the Pontificians at least of better temper and OUR Church But if the Informers can make the contrary appeare submittam fasceis and turne over a new leafe even in this Article opposing the Church of ROME as farre as any of the preciser Cut or zealous Disciples of THOMAS CARTWRIGHT'S Schoole whosoever Then then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am a man reserved abhorring to multiply controversies where is no cause CHAP. X. The Councell of Trent not wholly to bee condemned Man's Will not meerely passive but active and free in the proper acts thereof The memorable saying of SCOTUS The power of the Will in things divine INFORMERS IN the next page thrice hee approveth the Doctrine of the Councell of Trent touching Free-will MOUNTAGU WHolly or in part It would have beene explaned by honest men For say I beseech you will not your owne wisedomes or charity or common sense or understanding or what you will call it commend and approve some Determinations of the Councell of TRENT Saepè etenim est olitor valdè opportuna loquutus And why not they learned men at least resolve some thing truely where was no cause of Faction to be opposite Secondly whatsoever I approve in that Councell is not thrice approved as you doe enlarge in your suggestions but twice at most nor yet twice but by repeating the same thing twice remembred occasionally That which is so approved is this Sess VI. cap. V. Si quis LIBERUM hominis ARBITRIUM post ADAE lapsum amissum extinctum esse dixerit aut rem esse de SOLO TITULO imò TITULUM SINE RE FIGMENTUM denique A SATANA INVECTUM in Ecclesiam Anathema sit And so say I and so I hope if your wits be your owne will you say Man ever since the Fall of ADAM is not senselesse a stocke a stone meerly PASSIVE in all things active and AGENT voluntarily in nothing That which hee doth at least something that hee doth he doth it willingly and freely QUUM homini non sit per peccatum adempta neque intelligendi neque volendi facult as sed duntaxat RECTE intelligendi volendi facult as saith BEZA at least hee doth it according to his WILL not compellable in the
of Salvation In the second Homily there I have read thus Iustification is not the office of man but the office of GOD. and againe Iustification is the office of GOD onely and is not a thing which we render unto him but which we receive of him not which we give to him but which we take of him by his free mercy and by the onely merits of his most deerly beloved Sonne our Lord our only Redeemer Saviour and Iustifier IESUS CHRIST And yet it is Popery in M. MOUNTAGU to have said and written Properly to speake GOD only justifieth who alone imputeth not but pardoneth sinne En quo vaecordia caecos For yet moreover is it not your owne Beleefe and Profession for which if he should say otherwise M. MOUNTAGU should be cryed downe Papist that Iustification consisteth in Remission of sinnes or not imputing of them unto the man justified Ne posthac dubites saith CALVIN Instit III. XI XXII and you subscribe it quo modo nos DEUS justificet cum audis Reconciliare illum nos sibi non imputando delicta and againe Nos justificationem simpliciter interpretamur acceptationem illam quâ nos DOMINUS in gratiam receptos pro justis habet Eamque in Peccatorum remissione ac justitiae CHRISTI imputatione positam esse dicimus Sect. 2. to whom per omnia agreeth M. PERKINS in mo places than ten defining Iustification to be an Act of GOD absolving c. And yet with you M. MOUNTAGU is a Papist for affirming GOD only justifieth properly when your selves confesse that Iustification at least properly consisteth in Remission of sinnes and that none can forgive sinnes properly but GOD. How this should hang together I professe my ignorance I cannot tell For eyther Iustification in your opinions must not consist in forgivenesse of sinnes or else others beside GOD must have power of imputing or of not imputing sinnes And heere it is worth the while to observe how these detracters doe crosse their owne shinnes It will not be long before that M. MOUNTAGU with them be accounted a Papist for saying A Priest GOD'S Minister in GOD'S place can forgive sinnes and heer he is a Papist for saying GOD only justifieth properly when themselves will have Iustification to bee meerly forgivenesse of Sinnes and yet hold that none doth or can forgive Sinnes but GOD. May I not say well ô vertiginem In sober and not in madde Puritanicall sadnesse dare you say that some other beside GOD some creature over and above GOD can forgive Sinnes This is contrary to the doctrine of the Church of England in that Homily which you remember indeed but can produce no testimonie thence Because all men bee sinners saith that Homily and offenders against GOD and breakers of his Lawes and Commandements therefore can no man by his owne acts workes or else deedes seeme they never so good be justified and made righteous before GOD but everie man of necessity is constrained to seek for another righteousnesse or justification But where shall he find it where is it to bee had It is expressed according unto truth To be received at GOD'S hand It is GOD then that justifieth in this opinion of the Homily And againe in the second Homily of that argument as is already remembred Iustification is the office of GOD only it is not the office of man Credimus SPIRITUM SANCTUM in cordibus nostris habitantem voram nobis fidem impertiri ut hujus tanti mysterij cognitionem adipiscamur saith the Belgick Confession which is the POPERY of M. MOUNTAGU as pleaseth these Great Masters in Israel Lyars against their owne knowledge in saying it contradicteth the Doctrine of the English Church Or if this be not the thing they meane what is it That GOD imputeth not sinnes unto the justified or that Iustification is not in pardoning and not imputing sinnes whereas the Papists doe clamour against us for maintayning that Iustification to be received at GODS hands is forgivenes of sins and trespasses in such things as hee hath beene offended in I confesse I am a Papist if this be Popery or else that which followeth after Remission of sins against which they informe in the next place CHAP. IX Holinesse of life added unto Iustification and Remission of sins GOD justifieth originally and Faith instrumentally INFORMERS AGaine WHO only can and doth translate from death unto life reneweth a right spirit and createth a new hart within us MOUNTAGU WHo can doe this but only GOD most high It is a work of Omnipotencie to create they say it is a greater work to recreate Where sinne is pardoned by GOD and a man is become regenerate borne anew and in state of Grace with GOD there GOD by his HOLY SPIRIT worketh inward renovation Where sinne is graciously and freely pardoned there holy life and conversation doth est soones ensue This is the divinitie that I have learned in our Protestant Schooles touching this point And to my understanding it is observed and tendred by DAVID in Psal L. X. Hide thy face from my sinnes and put away all mine iniquities which is Remission of sinnes Then followeth to make up a complete worke Create in mee a clean heart O LORD and renew a right spirit within mee which to me seemeth an Infusion of Grace And S. PAUL doth everie where after vocation unto and acceptation of us with GOD urge walking according unto vocation in newnesse and in holinesse of life But because GOD was moved thereunto by a true and a lively faith in him and his mercies in CHRIST Faith is by mee said to iustifie instrumentally That GOD justifieth causally hath beene suspected of Popery and challenged therefore Now that Faith justifieth instrumentally cannot avoide the same imputation And yet the maine exception of all Papists against the doctrine of our Church is that we hold a man is iustified by Faith which must be originally or instrumentally THAT wee exclude with the forenamed Homilies That we be iustified by Faith in CHRIST only is not That this our owne act to beleeve in CHRIST or this our faith in CHRIST which is within us doth iustifie us for that were to account our selves to be iustified by some act or vertue within our selves For saith S. PAUL Rom. VIII XXXIII It is GOD that iustifieth THIS we embrace as also in the same Homily Faith doth directly send us to CHRIST for remission of our sins And by Faith given unto us of GOD wee embrace the Promise of GOD'S mercie and of Remission of sinnes which accordeth with the traduced passage of M. MOUNTAGU because GOD was drawne unto it by our Faith which laying hold upon his mercy in CHRIST obtayneth this freedome and newnesse and renewing from Him Faith is therefore said to justifie that is instrumentally or applicatorily And so I am content to passe for a Papist with the CHURCH of England CHAP. X. An Accesse declaratory made to the act of Iustification by the works of a lively Faith S.
required by the Roman Writers to make it rewardable as far as they are positive no Protestant disalloweth of To those conditions may others be added INFORMERS THese are his words This is your owne doctrine in the Romane Schooles and so farre the Protestants for these conditions do go along with you MOUNTAGU THis doctrine And what doctrine is this that there is merit of condignity that it is so farre forth due unto good works as that through and for the worke it selfe wrought and performed we may deserve and challenge upon desert or else GOD should wrong us grace goodnesse heaven happinesse at GOD'S hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I never said it never thought it doe detest it from my heart That doctrine which is to be found in the specified place is touching the quality not the validity concerning the condition not the imputation or account of a good worke which conditions specified and remembred by me are 1. That it be morally good not simply evill 2. Freely wrought and not out of compulsion 3. By man yet in this life not after death 4. In the state of grace and not by any naturall man without GOD. Of these conditions which doe not exclude other what Protestants doe not allow I adde and may adde many more Faith is necessarily required in the person before that any thing hee doth can please GOD. For whatsoever is not of faith is sinne These Informers it seemeth are otherwise minded for they traduce and calumniate me for a Papist who require as necessary these conditions unto a good worke which were never to my knowledge denied untill now And these are the conditions concerning which only I write So far the Protestants go along with you Concerning which consent in these particulars I confesse I thought it was reall and I think so still I never could finde I never did imagine I doe not beleeve any Protestant living setting your selves aside so ignorant peevish or prophane as to deny those conditions specified Now it being as I conceived agreed upon on all sides concerning the necessity of them I did make this conclusion unto the GAGGER If your texts doe contradict this either expressely or obliquely look you unto it it concerneth you as much as us And why might I not make it when they oppose a Position in the Protestants hands in which themselves are as deeply interessed as Protestants are But the men proceed to a specification of my consent more particularly CHAP. XIII GOD surely rewardeth good works according to his promise of his free bounty and grace INFORMERS ANd in that very page his words are If this be your Merit wee contradict it not And this is the Merit you plead for MOUNTAGU ANd so it is For all the Gagger's Texts of Scripture plead for that Merit I speak of and no other And that Merit is no more but this Verily there is a REWARD for the righteous doubtlesse there is a GOD that judgeth the earth A point of Popery put into my mouth by the Prophet DAVID and that totidem verbis And so King DAVID is become a Papist as well as I. For my words upon which that inference is made are REWARD in heaven no man denyeth REVVARD appointed for our good workes all doe confesse If this be your MERIT we contradict it not Doe you Dare you doe it that there is no REWARD for the righteous Cast the lye then into the Psalmists throate Psal XIX XI In keeping of them GOD'S Commandements there is GREAT REVVARD and unto him that said GOD REVVARDETH everie man according to his worke not onely according to the Qualitie of the worke that he that soweth of the flesh shall of the flesh reape Corruption and he that soweth in the spirit shall of the spirit reape glory and honour and immortality but according to the degree and proportion of his worke He that soweth sparingly shall reape sparingly and he that soweth liberally shall reape liberally Not of works or for works but according unto works rather For there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alia est merces liberalitatis gratiae aliud virtutis stipendium aliae laboris remuneratio saith S. AMBR. specially in the intercourse betwixt GOD and man where Non debendo sed promittendo DEUS se fecit debitorem S. AUGUST And from this no Protestant I know dissenteth I am sure a speciall man in your bookes though I hold him of another spirit and Sect than you better by farre precisely setteth downe the same in his Comment upon the Epistle to the Galathians See then Reader the sincere and honest dealing of these misdeeming Informers that accuse me of Popery for positive Scripture by a trick of concealement in saying GOD REWARDETH GOOD WORKES CHAP. XIV The Church of England holdeth no such absolute certainty of salvation in just persons as they have of other objects of Faith expressely and directly revealed by GOD INFORMERS TOuching the Doctrine of the certainty of salvation having cited BELLARMINE'S opinion he hath these words This BELLARMINE assigneth and this is enough Faction may transport a man to wrangle for more but when once they ioine issue the difference will not be much CHAP. XXII pag. 186. MOUNTAGU ET quid haec ad IPHICLI Boves what hath this to doe with merit of good workes whereto by the Informers it is consigned Neither in my opinion nor yet in BELLARMINE'S judgement doth Certaintie or Incertainty of salvation depend so necessarily upon Merit or Demerit of good workes If a man continue constant in the course of good workes he is sure and certaine of salvation in BELLARMINE'S judgement and in my opinion also though differently Causally in his as procured by them Consequently in mine as following of them But whether hee that doth good workes be certaine of Salvation that is shall continue to the end faithfull constant in doing good workes and so obtaine Salvation the promise of GOD behighted unto those that doe good is another Question of a different and disparate Nature But to leave these Extravagancies and come to the point unto assurance of which they speake It being by the Gagger fastned unto our Church ignorantly or maliciously verie absurdly as almost everie particular in that Pamphlet is That everie one ought infallibly to assure himselfe of his Salvation and to hold that he is of the number of the Elect and predestinate unto eternall life I tooke him short for such his conclusion so generall that everie one ought singuli generum so the words intend to assure himselfe whereas that assurance upon which the poore fellow grounded his imputation resting upon the infallible purpose and decree of GOD'S predestination of the Elect was by the So perswaded in the Church of England for the Church of England it selfe was not of that opinion restrained unto some only and not enlarged unto all as the man hath it Every one ought Secondly that concerning even those some the Church