ashes no clowd of sinne can depriue the iustifyed person of his right to heauen which do not dismantle him of the robe of Iustice Answere therfore heereunto what you list escape you cannot vnles you leape into some detestable heresy 6. My fourth argument is when the Protestant perswades himselfe or vndoubtedly beleeues the remission of his sinnes either he hath his sinne by that act of fayth remitted before or after he that sayth it is after alloweth his precedent perswasion to be false and deceitfull beleeuing the forgiuenes of his sinnes which then was not he that will haue it before admitteth a remission of sinnes and consequently a true iustification before his beliefe which cannot be for without Fayth it is impossible to please God he who holdeth that his beliefe causeth the remission which it beleeueth will haue his beliefe Gab. Vas in 1. 2. disp 110. c. 3. and knowledge so omnipotent as to make the obiect which it knoweth the mystery it beleueth as if a man by beleeuing himselfe to be a great Lawyer a great Physitian a great Deuine should endow himselfe with the Aug. l. 4. de Genes ad lit c. 32. perfect knowledge of Law Phisicke and Diuinity wherein they seeme to surpasse the nature of God whose knowledge being most efficacious and practicall yet it followeth as Gabriel Vasquez teacheth the obiect it knoweth according to the posteriority of vnderstanding It followeth I say in affirming or knowing it to be true In which sense S. Augustine teacheth that no knowledge can be vnles things knowne precede and we may auow that no fayth can be vnles it first presuppose the article beleeued for as our knowledge is true or false because the obiect we know is such so our beliefe is certaine and vndoubted because the thing is infallible which we beleeue 7. M. Field beholding the ruines this Cannon-shot makes in the walls of their perfidious and faythles perswasion rayseth the engines of his wit to diuert the battery and annoyance thereof and first proposeth the argument thus When men begin to beleeue either they are iust and then their fayth iustifyeth them not being in nature after their iustification Field in his 3. booke of the Church c. 44. or els they are not iust then speciall fayth making a man beleeue he is iust is false and so man is iustifyed by alye To this horned argument we answere sayth he that speciall fayth hath sundry acts but to this purpose specially two the one by way of petition humbly intreating for acceptation and fauour the other in the nature of comfortable assurance consisting in a perswasion that that is graunted which was desired Fayth by her first act obtayneth and worketh our iustification and doth not find vs iust when we begin to beleeue by her second act she doth not actiuely iustify S. Thom. 1. 2. q. 83. â—â—t 3. but finding the thing done certifyeth assureth vs of it c. So then quoth he fayth in her first act is before the iustification procureth or obtayneth it Hitherto M. Feild and very profoundly without doubt distinguisheth fayth into two acts whereof the first he mentioneth is no act of Fayth but a prayer or petition humbly intreating for acceptatioÌ„ Fulk in c. 2. Iacobi sect 9. circa finem Abbot in his defence cap. 4. fol. 487. and fauour which properly as S. Thomas proueth is an act of Religion as much different from fayth as a man from a Calfe And the second seemeth rather to be an assured confidence of the will then any supernatural assent of the vnderstanding in which Fayth consisteth But these thinges I let passe The opposition heere he maketh against his owne adherents the contradicting of Doctour Fulke the ouertwharting of M. Abbot the impugning of another principall and generall article of Protestancy is more remarkable then a priuate absurdity or ignorance of his For to affirme That fayth by way of petition humbly intreâ—â—eth for fauour obtaineth and worketh our iustification and doth not find vs iust is to graunt a certaine kind of preparation congruency merit or disposition to go before the life of grace and iustification of our soules which how earnestly M. Fulke and Doctour Abbot gainesay I haue declared and refuted in the precedent Controuersy Then it is opposite to that common principle which Protestantes maintaine That the captiued will of man concurreth passiuely only to his iustification vntill he be truely iustifyed in Christ. Howbeit M. Field heer teacheth this petition to obtaine to procure to worke our iustification before it be effected which M. Abbot writing against our preparatiue workes of prayer and petition reproueth thus There can be no true prayer without the spirit of grace without the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Abbot c. 4. sect 20. fol. 4 â— Father the spirit of adoption and grace is the spirit of sanctification It followeth then that we pray not but by being first sanctifyed and because sanctification is consequent to iustification it must follow also that iustification must go before prayer Hitherto he warring against M. Feild one Sectary against another as Esay prophesyed of them saying I will make the Aegyptians to run togeather against the Aegyptians a man shall fight against his brother euery man against his friend But I will not further exaggerate these horrible breaches betweene him Isa 29. v. his fellowes I will not intreate M. Field to reconcile his assertion with their other fornamed principles I only desire him to tell me whether the petition which worketh our iustification and doth not find vs iust be in his opinion an act of true iustifying fayth or no Let him answere that it is and he yieldeth that fayth alone doth not iustify he yieldeth this first act to be an act of true fayth and yet that it doth only impetrate and procure iustice and not make vs formerly iust but if the first act of true fayth doth not iustify neither can the second or third or any other ensuing act affoard that benefit for they being all and euery one of the same speciall nature they hauing all the same essentiall forme that effect which in no degree is performed by one cannot be effected by any other except they dreame that one the same vertue should consist of diuers essentiall formes and so by diuers actes yield diuers formall effects which very nature it selfe and euery Puny in Philosophy will condemne of implicancy and contradiction 8. Let him deny it to be an act of iustifying fayth and he denyeth his owne diuision of speciall fayth into sundry acts he deludeth our argument proposed not of any other vertue but of their speciall fayth and of the first act thereof which can be but one and of that one it proceeds whether iustification be before it after it or caused by it as is vrged aboue 9. Againe supposing these two actes into which he brancheth his speciall fayth how is
man iustifyed by Fayth The second act of comfortable assurance doth not as he sayth actiuely iustify but finding the thing done certifyeth and assureth vs of it the first doth but impetrate obtaine and procure it by way of request no act can he assigne betweene the first and the second therefore no act of fayth can he assigne whereby he may be formally iustifyed On the other fide I thinke the Protestants petition which humbly intreateth for acception and fauour must needes proceed from fayth For how shall they humbly ad Rom. â—â— v. 14. intreate How shall they inâ—ocate in whome they haue not beleeued Beleeue then they do before they intreate and yet they are not iust therefore Fayth alone doth not iustify but only by way of impetration by stirring vp our affections and exciting our will to craue and desire it which with S. Augustine and the whole schoole of Catholike August ep 105. de praedest Sanctor c. 7. Deuines we willingly imbrace And to which M. Feild must at length retire for rest and safeguard or els well canuased he is driuen to the wall which way soeuer he turneth 10. The fifth argument which I meane to prosecute is of the regeneration of young baptized Infants who Feild in his 3. booke â— 44. fol. 179. cannot be iustifyed by an act of special fayth because they can haue none as M. Field accordeth with vs but by the habituall qualityes or inherent habits of Fayth Hope and Charity therefore all others are iustifyed by the like because the same spirit of adoption the same title of diuin Augu. l. 1. cont 2. ep Pelag. â— 7. c 21. l. 1. deÌ„ pecc meri c. â—â— ep 157. Marc vlt. v. 16. Act. Apost c. 8. v. 37. filiation the same new birth and regeneration in Christ the same seed of life the same formall cause of iustification is in euery one of these faythful in euery child of God in euery state whatsoeuer as S. Augustine teacheth 11. Likewise when the Adulâ—i or such as arriue to the vse of reason are baptized fayth is required as a necessary disposition for them worthily to receaue the grace of Baptisme therefore our Sauiour sayd He that beleeueth and is baptized shal be saued And S. Philip to the Eunuch desirous to be christned answered If thou beleeue withall thy hart thou mayst But the Fayth which Christ the fayth which Philip exacted before Baptisme was no doubt true perfect fayth that fayth which togeather with the SacrameÌ„t was sufficient to saluation and yet that fayth alone did not iustify or if it did it remitted them their sinnes it regenerated and implanted them in Christ acheiued before all those heanenly effects for which that holy Sacrament was ordayned in vaine then was it instituted in vaine was it after applyed No say you it is after applyed as a signe or seale of regeneration as the outward pledge of adoption Rogers art 27. VVhitak l. 1. aduers Duraeum fol. 675. Calu. l. 4. instit c. 24. §. 3. Calu. ibid. as an addition to confirme and ratify the promise of God to establish vs in the fayth thereof But this pledge seale and addition is not requisite in the behalfe of God for his truth sayth Caluin is by it selfe sound and certaine though and cannot from any other where receaue better confirmation them from it selfe Neither is it needfull for the ignorance as he fancieth and dulnesse of Protestants for their speciall affiance being as they bragge certaine knowne and infallible iustifying fayth giueth them more assurance of the remission of their sinnes and promises of God applyed vnto them then any outward signes or additions whatsoeuer Againe the performance 2. Pet. 1. v. 10. of good workes to which S. Peter exhorteth the word of God heard or read is more apt and efficacious to excite and stir vp our Fayth to confirme vs therin then the dumbe elements of water bread and wine which you only vse Besides the Scriptures and Fathers attribute vnto Baptisme not only the force of a signe or seale to Tit. 3. v. 5. Ioan. 3. Ephes 5. 1. Cor. 6. Ambr. l. â— de Sacraâ— c. 4. Leo. serm â— de natiuiitat Clement Alex. l. 1. paeda c. 6. Basil l. c. de spirit sant cap. 15. Hier. l. 3. cont Pelag Hilar. in psal 65. Tertul. l. de Bapt. c. 1. Dion c. 3. Eccles Hiera p. 1. Nazian in sanctum lauacrum Aug. in psal 73. l. 19. in Faust c. 13. Iren. l. 4. cont baer c. â—0 Chrys bo 17. in Gen. Orig. bom 3. in Gen. Epiphan baer 30. Basil l. de spir sanct c. 14. Euseb Caesar l. 1 demon Euan. c. 10 â— bistor c. 1. Emisbom in Sabb. post 1. Domin Quadr. Ambr. â—p 72. ad Iren. in cap. 4. ad Rom. August ep 19. ad Hier. tract 41. in Ioan. q. 25. in â— Numer ratify grace but the true efficacy of an instrumentall cause to iustify and cleanse our soules from the filth of sinne therefore sound and entiere fayth which goeth before as a preparation necessary doth not worke the effect but the Sacrament which is after ministred Whereupon it is tearmed not the pledge or token but the lauer of regeneration by which we are borne a new are cleansed are washed from sinne So S. Ambrose also sayth of the baptized By this fountaine he hath passed from thinges earthly to heauenly from sinne to life from fault to grace from defilement to sanctification S. Leo The power of the most high which made that Mary brought forth a Sauiour doth make that the water regenerateth the beleeuer S. Clemens Alexandrinus tearmeth Baptisme the grace perfection illumination and lauer by which we are washed and wipe away sinnes S. Basil S. Hierom S. Hilary and Tertullian haue the like 12. S. Denis S. Gregory Nazianzen and other also of the Greeke Fathers call Baptisme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 illuminationem illumination because in Baptisme man is illuminated and enlightned with the fayth of Christ he receaueth the fellowship or society of the first and increated light and the beginning or head spring of all diuine and celestiall illustrations as the same S. Denis affirmeth S. Augustine assigneth this difference betweene the Sacraments of the old and the new Law that they promised a Sauiour these affoard saluation that these are greater in vertue for profit and vtility better They according to S. Irenâ—us S. Chrysostome Origen Epiphanius Eusebius Caesariensis and Emissenus S. Ambrose and S. Augustine were signes and shaddowes only euen Circumcision in the opinion of some their chiefest ceremony which betokned the verity of our Sacraments yielding and exhibiting Grace And S. Basil sayth that the Baptisme of Basil hom 1. de Bapt. Christ giueth the Holy Ghost which the Baptisme of Iohn did not giue 13. Which it hath pleased also our mighty Soueraigne K. Iames in his answere to Card. Peron fol. 32. in Latin fol. 20. in
psal 130. and others obiected by you when they affirme This is to beleeue in Christ euen to loue Christ c. And which is also the only roote and cause of your errour who partially attribute that to fayth which is the chiefest priuiledge of Charity and function of other vertues not essentially coÌ„pounded but mutually conioyned in friendship togeather The principall obiection M. Abbot and other Protestants vrge against vs is that if fayth be not compounded of an act of Loue c. it is nothing els but the bare assent of the vnderstanding that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God But this is the fayth of the Diuells for they sayth M. Abbots professe so much O Iesus of Nazareth Abbot c. 4. sect 18. fol. 456. I know who thou art euen the holy one of God I answere there are sundry differences betweene the fayth of Christians and the fayth of the Diuells first because that if it be liuely and formed it is alwayes vnited with Charity Marc. 1. v. 24. Hope and other vertues which in the Diuels are neuer If dead and formeles as in wicked beleeuers yet in them it is a supernaturall and theologicall act in Diuells naturall and not so much as a morall vertue in them voluntary and free in Diuells forced and coacted in them it proceedeth from the pious affection of the will mouing the vnderstanding to that theologicall assent in Diuells it is wrested from them by the powerfullnes of miracles or euidence of things appearing vnto them Whereupon S. Augustine fayth That the Diuells knew Christ not by the light Aug. l. 9. de ciuit Dei c. 21. which illuminateth the pious who belieue by fayth but by other effects and most hidden signes of the diuine power And as they differ in these so they agree in some other points they Aug. tom â—0 l. 50. Hom. hom 17. tract 10. in epist Iaâ—n agree in that both giue assent to the misteryes of our faith both are fruitles and wholy insufficient to iustify vs before God In which respect S. Iames in his Catholike Epistle and S. Augustine often compareth the fayth of Diuels with the vnprofitable fayth of vngodly Christians not thaâ— this is not true and supernaturall fayth but that without Charity and good works it no more auayleth to purchase saluation then the naturall knowledge or beliefe of Diuells 18. When M. Whitaker insisteth that Charity and VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum in his aÌ„swere to 8. reason of M. Campian good Workes are inseparable companions of true fayth and that it neither is nor can be without them besides the arguments already made by which this fancy is reproued I aske how Charity is inseparable from true fayth is it a fruit which springeth from it as the apple from the tree then as the tree remayneth a true and perfect tree although it be sometym barren and voyd of fruit so fayth â—hay haue all things requisite to the essence thereof howsoeuer it be somety me depriued of Charity Is it an aceidental quality of inseparable passion which floweth from fayth as the power of laughing from the nature of man It should follow that Charity could not be in heauen separated from fayth no more then risibility can be deuided from man Is it an essentiall forme which is required to the integrity of fayth Then fayth alone doth not iustify but Charity also which is essentially conioyned and worketh with it Finally who taught you thus to enterfeite and wound your selues that fayth is the fountaine of spirituall life the roote which sprouteth from branches of Charity Hope and all good Workes and yet that all the works which proceed from the faythful be all of their owne nature damnable and deadly sinnes all stayned with the infection of mortall sinnes I would you were once constant in your absurdityes and mindfull of your leasings that we might know where to haue you and what to refute 19. Thus hauing stopped the gappe by which the wily aduersary thought to escape hauing compassed him with reasons hemmed him in with Scriptures I am Cyril l. 10. in Ioan. cap. 10. now to put him to open confusion with the testimony of Fathers S. Cyrill affirmeth The faythful by sincere fayth to be sâ—â—ps or branches inocculated in the Vine And yet he sayth a little after It is not inough to perfection that is to sanctification Chrys l. â— cont vitu monast vitae Basil in Psalter psal 110. Greg. l. 6. ep 15. August tract 10. in ep Ioan. Aug. l. defide operi c. 14. 15. l. 21. de ciuit Dei c. 16. â—n â—â—chir c. â—8 de octo dupl quaest q. 1. Augu. in praef Psal 31. Cent. 2. c. 4. Colum. â—0 61. Cent. 3. c. 4. Colum. 79. 80. Cent. 4. c. 4. Colum. 292. 293. Cent. 5. c. 4. Colum. 504. 505. 506. 507. 508. 509. 510. which by Christ is wrought in spirit to be admitted into the number of branches S. Chrysostome What profit will fayth affoard vs if our life be not sincere and pure S. Basil Fayth alone is not sufficient vntes there be added conuersation of life agreeable thereunto S. Gregory It is manifest that since the Incarnation of our Lord none euen of them can be saued who haue fayth in him and haue not the life of fayth S. Augustine Many quoth he say I belieue but fayth without workes saueth not And he vvriteth a vvhole booke of purpose besides many other inuectiues against this dangerous persvvasioÌ„ of only fayth to be sufficient to saluation he likevvise shevveth many sayings of the Apostle to be false that saying of Christ If thou vvilt enter into life keep the Commandments to haue beene in vaine vnles other thinges vvere necessary besides fayth yea besides true fayth for discoursing of the fayth of Abraham vvhich you cannot deny to be true he pronounceth that euen that Fayth of his had beene dead vvithout vvorkes and like a stocke vvithout fruit dry vvithered and barren But vvhat should I recyte particuler authorityes of this or that Father We haue on our side by voluntary confession and iudgment of our Aduersaryes the Magdeburgian Protestants the generall consent of all most ancient and illustrious vvriters vvhich liued vvithin the first fiue hundred yeares after Christ for in the second hundred they accuse by name S. Clemens Alexandrinus and Theophilus for approuing in this point the truth of our doctrine cyting their vvords and quoting the places vvherin they approue it They attach of the same fault Origen Methodius Tertullian S. Cyprian in the third Lactantius Nilus Chromatius Ephrem S. Hierome S. Gregory Nissen S. Hilary S. Gregory Nazianzen and S. Ambrose in the fourth In the fifth S. Chrysostome S. Augustine S. Cyrill S. Leo Prosper Sedulius Theodulus Saluianus Salonius Eucherius 20. Wherefore to conclude for the obiections which belong to this and the next I shall ioyntly make answere in the Controuersy of good workes if all these renowned
3. instit c. 2. §. 2. Luc. 18. v. 41. persons had not at the first any thought or imagination vnles it were in a couert implicite as the Schoolemen call it and vnexpressed Fayth which Protestantes deride with Caluin their forerunner but they all specify the Fayth of miracles grounded on the power of God which our Reformers deny to be sufficient for saluation For what was the fayth of the womaÌ„ healed of her bloudy fluxe but the fayth of miracles by which she beleeued such power and vertue in Christ as she sayd in her hart If I shall touch only his garment I shal be safe What was the fayth of the blind man but the fayth of miracles that Christ could restore him his sight What wilt thou that I do â—o thee He sayd Lord that I may see What the fayth of the Prince of the Synagogue but the fayth of miracles that Christ could recall to life his deceased daughter The same I auerre of the rest yet this later was not the proper fayth of the reuiued daughter but the fayth of the Father So the Fayth which Christ chiefly regarded in pardoning the man sicke of the palsy was the â—ayth of those that carryed him brought him vp vpon the roofe through the tyles let him downe Iesus seeing their fayth whereby Matth. 9. v. 2. Luc. 5. v. 19. though we Catholikes proue that the Fayth of one may preuaile to obtaine health and safety for another yet no Sectarye graunteth that the fayth of one can iustify another Therefore not one of these places serueth to rayse but all pluck downe the rampire of their iustifying fayth in so much as they labour to vnderprop it by some other testimonyes crowded into the selfe same rancke as the iust liueth by Fayth Abraham beleeued and it was reputed him to iustice Being iustifyed by Fayth let vs haue peace towards God Likewise Abac. 2. v. 4. Rom. 4. v. 3. Rom. 5. v. 1. Act. 13. v 39. 1. Ioan. 5. v. 1. Gabr. Vasq in 1. 2. disp 210. c. 7. Clemens Alexand. l. 2. Strom. Orig. in 4 ad Rom August serm 22. de verb. Dom. de hono perseu c. â— serm â—6 de verb. Apo. In him euery one that beleeueth is iustifyed whosoeuer beleeueth that Iesus is Christ iâ— borne of God 15. All which haue so many true and litterall expositions as it can betoken no lesse then grosse dulnes in Protestant Ministers who either for want of reading did not find or finding conceaued not some one of them The first is that by Fayth we liue are iustifyed and are made the children of God inchoatiuely as the Deuines speake because fayth is the first supernaturall seed roote or beginning from which our iustification springeth and the first foundation or ground-worke vpon which our whole spirituall building relyeth as Gabriel Vasquez solidly proueth by the authority of Clemens Alexandrinus Origen and S. Augustine Secondly Fayth iustifyeth by way of impetration excyting our will by the consideration of Gods goodnes and other beleeued mysteryes to aske and obtayne the remission of our faults iustice of our soules Thus S. Augustine often interpreteth those and the like wordes of S. Paul saying Therefore by fayth the Apostle affirmeth man to be iustifyed not of workes because sayth is first giuen by which the rest are impetrated by the law the knowledge of sinne by fayth impetration of grace against sinne by grace health and saluation of the soule The same in diuers other places Not workes but fayth doth inchoate merit Aug. l. de praedestin Sanctor c. 7. de spir lit c. 30. Idem epist. 105 106 Idem l. de gra lib arbit c. 14. defide oper c. 21. August l. de grat lib. arbitr cap. 7. Thirdly all the former places may be vnderstood of liuely fayth formed with Charity and accompanyed with the retinue of other vertues which wholy and intierely iustify vs in the sight of that infinite Maiesty So also S. Augustine Men not vnderstanding that which the Apostle sayth we count a man to be iustifyed by Fayth c. did thinke that he sayd Fayth would suffice a man though he liued ill and had no good workes which God forbid the Vessell of Election should thinke who in a certaine place after he had sayd In Christ Iesus neither circumcision nor prepuce auayleth any whit he straight added but fayth which worketh by loue Fourthly fayth as all other vertuous and laudable acts flowing from Grace doth likewise iustify meritoriously by procuring increase of former iustice Therefore S. Paul to the Hebrewes sayth of holy men and Prophets That by fayth they ouercame kingdomes Hebr. 11. v. 33. Cypr. l. 4 ep 6. wrought iustice obtayned promises And S. Cyprian teacheth That God in the day of iudgment payeth the reward of Fayth and deuotion These foure wayes the forenamed Texts may be truly vnderstood howbeit our Reformers stupidity was such as they could not light on them euery Apo. 22 v. 17. Isa 55. v. 1. Rom. 3. v. 24. Ephes 2. v. 8. where obuious to the diligent searcher 16. The second bande of Obiections are those which affirme our iustification to be freely made by the benefite of grace therefore without the supply of works viz. He that thirsteth let him come and he that will let him take the water of life gratis All yee that thirst come to the waters c. come buy without siluer without any exchange wine and milke Aug. l. de spir lit c. 10. 16. Cent. 5. c 4. Colum. 505. Againe Iustifyed gratis by his grace By grace you are saued thorough Fayth I answere our first Iustification is free gratis because fayth which first beginneth and stirreth vs vp vnto it is freely giuen vs Charity which after accomplisheth it is likewise freely imparted not due to nature or hauing any connexion or dependance with our naturall actions be they neuer so good or commendable in themselues which is not my exposition but the interpretation of S. Augustine confirmed by the diuine sentence of the thrice holy Councell of Trent By grace man is iustifyed Similia habet Aug. in psal 18. exp 2. ep 106. de praedest Sanctor c. 15 praef in psal 31. Concil Trid sess 6. c. 8. Ioan. 6. v. 2â— that is no merits of his workes going before and which the Centurists reprehend the Apostle will haue nothing els vnderstood in that which he sayth gratis but that workes do not precede Iustification The Councell of Trent hath defyned the same Therefore we are sayd to be freely iustifyed because none of those thinges which go before iustification whether it be fayth or workes do promerit the grace it selfe of iustification But if our Aduersaryes by reason that iustification is free and of the grace of Christ will renounce all workes they must euen renounce true fayth itselfe of which S. Iohn sayth This is the worke of God that yee beleeue
supreme and generall of which we now speake should be able to compose all questionable matters The Scripture cannot determine this important point on our beliefe Whether the Ghospell of S. Iohn the Epistles of S. Paul or any other volume of holy Writ be the Canon of Scripture or no. If in these weightiest causes it is needfull to recurre to another Tribunall in matters of lesse moment wholy as needfull 9. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought to be so cleare and facile as all both learned and vnlearned might haue accesse vnto it easily vnderstand it the Scriptures are hard darke hidden Hidden not only to the illiterate Aug l 12. Confess c 14. Ambroseepist 44. and vulgar sort but to the great and deepest Clarkes Hidden to S. August who crieth out O the wonderfull depth of thy speaches c. O the wonderfull depth HiddeÌ„ to S. Ambrose calling it A sea contayning most profound senses the depth of Propheticall riddles Hidden to Clemens Alexandrinus to which Clemens Alex l. 6. strom Psal 13. Orig. hom 11. in Exo. Iraen l. 2. cap 47. Russiaus l. 11. List c. 9. Apoc. 5. v. â—â— Ezeeh. 2. v. 9. 2. Petâ—â—â—â—t v. 16. he elegantly applieth those words of the psaâ—me Darke is the water in the clouds of the ayre Hidden to Origen to Irenaus to S. Basill to S. Gregory Nazianzen who being both rarely accomplished in al humane literature after 13. yeares study heerin would not aduenture as Russinus testiâ—yeth to interpret the same but according to the rule and vniforme consent of their forefathers They knew it was that hidden and concealed booke which S. Iohn describeth to be clasped with seauen seales which Ezechiel tearmeth the enrolled volume written within and without They knew S. Peter auouched certayne thinges hard to vnderstand in the Epistles of S. Paul which the vnlearned deprane as other Scriptures to their owne perdition If certayne things in his Epistles how many in other bookes How many in the whole Scripture Notwithstanding our illuminated Adâ—ersaries VVhitak cont l. q. 3. cap. 3. Aug. l. 2. de doctrin Christ c. 6. epist â—â—9 de side oper c. 15. 16. Ambrâ—s epist 44. Hier. ep Vincent Liriâ—â— c. 2. to whome the holy Ghost hath disclosed all his heauenly secrets find no such difficulty no prouerbe in it Yet to smooth the Fathers speaches they answere That the mysteries therein treated are darke and obscure the discourse easy the text cleare the sentence plaine But S. Augustine as deeply enlightned as any of them affirmeth The stile manner of enduing to be hard the discourse places hard The sentences saith S. Ambrose hard The text sayth S. Hierome hath a shell to be broken before we can tast the sweetnes of the kernell The Hebrew phrase hard the Tropes and figures hard Hard and difficult by reason of sundry and manisold senses it begetteth For which cause alone Vincentius Lirinensis necessarily requireth some other Iudge demaunding in his Golden Treatise against the prophane nouelties of Heresies why to the Canon of Scripture which is perfect and of it selfe sufficient inough for all thinges it behoueth to adde the authority and explication of the Church Because sayth he all take not holy Scripture by reason of her depth in one and the self same sense but her speaches some interprete one way some another In so much as there may seeme to be puked out as many senses as men For Nonatus doth expound one way and Sabellius another way otherwise Donatus otherwise Arâ—â—s Eunomius Macedonius otherwise Photinus Apollinaris c. Therefore very necessary it is for Tertul. in praescript the manifold turnings and by-wayes of errours that the line of Propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation be leuelled according to the square of Ecclesiastic all and Catholike sense or vnderstanding Because Tertullian sayth The sense adulterated is a like perilous as the stile corrupted Yea much more perilous in that it may be more easily wrested more variously turned more hardly espyed But to proceed 10. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought so to determine and deliuer his mind in all ambiguous cases as the partyes in strife may euidently know when they heare his censure whether they be cast or quit condemned or assoyled in respect of his verdict But neither Scripture or the holy Ghost as he speaketh by Scripture is euer able to pronounce such sentence Or if it can as Gretser a famous Grets act colloq Ratisbon sess 2. fol. 110. writer of the Society of Iesus pithily vrged in the coÌ„ference at Ratisbone let it now speake and pronounce vs guilty Heere sayth he we Catholikes and Protestants both appeale to the high Tribunall of Scripture heere we stand in the sight of the sacred Bible in the presence of the holy Ghost If he be Iudge as he precisely speaketh by Scripture alone let it giue sentence let it say Thou Iames Gretser are cast in thy cause Thou * This was the name of the Heretike Respondent Hailbronner hast gotten the victory And I will presently yield vnto you But if it cannot execute this iudiciall act if by reading hearing or perusing his sentence we cannot perceaue whome he condemneth how can it challenge the high prerogaâ—iue and doome of Iudgment Which argument he confirmed with another a like inuincible as the former For wheras Grets in Act colloq Ratisbon sâ—ss to sol 120. Protestants mantaine that the voice of God as vttered in Scripture giueth plaine sentence of condemnation against heresyes and errours thus he disputeth on the contrary side No guilty persons repaire to that Iudge by whome they are euidently sufficiently condemned But all Heretikes are guilty persons yet boldly appeale to the sentence of holy Scripture Therefore the Scripture 〈◊〉 that Iudge by whom they are euidently sufficiently 〈◊〉 What reply could Hunnine the Aug. l. 2. cont Max. Aug. orat in ps 10. Mat. 15. v. 11. Responâ—â—â—â— make to this Not any Vnlesse which S. Augustine obiected against Maximinus the Arian By talking much and nothing to the purpose he might be counted able to answere who was not able to hold his 〈◊〉 11. In sine the Scripture though in it selfe most holy yetby reason of her sublimity depth and variety of senses hath bin partly through the weaknes partly through the malice pride and presumption of men the roote of strifes the spring of debates the occasion of many detestable and blasphemous errours rather then the stay attonement or subuersion of them Wherupon S. Augustine compareth Scripture to a cloud which often tymes out of the same words raineth showres of snares to the wicked showres of fortillty fruitfulites in the Lust. As he exemplifieth in that sentence of S. Mattheu which our ProtestaÌ„ts abuse to the liberty of their diet and breach of Ecclesiasticall fast Not that which entreth the mouth defileth a man but that which proceedeth out of the mouth The Sinneâ— sayth he heareth this and he
excellencyes so we distinguish three kinds of adorations Godly Ciuill Religious 3. There is first in God a supreme infinite and illimited Excellency to which a Godly worship or adoration is due commonly called Latria There is secondly in Men in Kings Magystrats Maysters Fathers c. a humayn and naturall excellency to which our will by the apprehension of their worthinesse inclineth to exhibite an honour tearmed by Aristotle conformable to the nature of their dignity Ciuill or Humane Thirdly there is a meane or midle preheminence betweene these two an higher then the last yet inferiour to the first seated not in the naturall but in the supernaturall giftes and graces of God to which supernatural preheminence a supernaturall worship more then Ciuill lesse then Diuine Aug. ser 58. de verb. Dom. sup Ps 98. ought to be attributed commonly called Religious or Dulia For Hyperdulia is only a more eminent and remarkable degree yet contayned vnder the same kind of reuerence properly belonging to our Blessed Lady as she is mother of God and to the humanity of Christ as considered apart from the diuinity albeit as it is inseparably conioyned and Hypostatically vnited with the Word it ought to be worshiped with the adoration of Latria as the fifth generall Councell of Constantinople defined Rey. l. 1. de ldo Ro. Ec. c. 3. 8. Fulke in c. 4 Matth. sect 3 in Act. 14. sect 2. Aug. de ve reâ—g c 55. Hiero. ep ad Ripa con Vigil Augustquaest 61 supr Gen. Huro aduer Vigil cap. 20. agaynst Theodore the Heretike And S. Augustine answering the Gentils who obiected agaynst the Christians as now the Protestants doe against vs the crime of adoring Christs flesh in the Eucharist I adore sayth he the flesh of Iesus Christ because it is vnited to the Deity euen as one adoreth the King and his Royall robe with the same adoration 4. Notwithstanding these three sorts of honour be ech of them most different in nature the one from the other yet the names are most of them promiscuously vsed and according to the ten our of the discourse sometyme restrayned to one kind of adoration sometyme to another Which if M. Reynolds and M. Fulke had diligently weyghed they would neuer haue cited S. Augustine agaynst vs Affirming the worship of Religion neyther to be due to Angels or men departed but only to God Nor S. Hierome That neyther Angels nor Martyrs Reliques nor any created thing can be worshipped and adored Nor Ep phanius saying God will not haue Angels adored how much lesse Mary Nor S. Cyril nor S. Gregory nor any of the rest who in those places take Quis o insanum caput aliquando Martyres ador auis quis hominem putauit Deum Aug. l. 3. de trin c. 10. the name Religion Adoration and Worship for the supreme and soueraygne worship which is only proper vnto God as S. Augustine explayneth himselfe in his questions vpon Genesis S. Hierome in the same place and agaynst Vigalantius not for that inferiour kind of adoration which is often ascribed vnto creatures and which Abraham exhibited vnto the people of Heth wherupon S. Augustine gathereth That it is not sayd Thou shalt only adore thy Lord thy God as it is sayd Him only thou shalt serue Which in Greeke i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in his â— booke of the blessed Trinity writing of the brasen Serpent and other holy signes he sayth They may haue honour as Religious thinges not admiration Fulke in 4. Matt. sect 3. Aug. l. 10. de Ciui c. 1. as strange thinges So that the Fathers only deny the Religious worship of Latria to Angels and other creatures the Religious worship of Dulia they assigne vnto them Which M. Fulke forced to confesse sayth S. Augustine a meane Grecian imagined a distinction betweene Latria and Dulia c. and that by them which haue interpreted Scripture Latria is taken for that seruice which pertayneth to the Religion of God But Lodouicus Viues in his notes vpon that Chapter telleth you otherwise But Lodouicus Viues O base comparison Was it not inough to disgrace S. Augustine with his meane knowledge in Greeke but must a late Gramarian be compared opposed preferred before him whome D. Couell esteemeth the chiefest Doctour that euer was or shal be excepting the Apostles Let his skill in Greeke be what it was shall his D. Couell in his book against M. Burges doctrine his distinction the diuersity of Religious worships which he and other Interpreters from these Greeke wordes deriue be vtterly exploded and reiected by you Shall Viues be accepted and S. Augustine outcouÌ„tenanced 5. Consider M. Fulke how farre heerein you iniure your cause wrong your conscience dishonour that graue ancient and incomparable Deuine Agayne vve ought to obserue that as the names so likewise the outward actions of kneeling prostrating lifting vp hands the like are generally vsed in euery particular kind of worship yet by the inward acts of the mynd they are wholy different the one from the other For he that kneeleth to God reuerently acknowledgeth by the light of his vnderstanding a certayne supreme incomprehensible and increated excellency authour and cause of all rare and excellent thinges he loueth with his will a bounty vnmatchable and with profound submission humbly adoreth an infinite and vnsearchable Maiesty He who kneeleth to his King or Prince dutifully agnizeth and aflectionatly reuerenceth his naturall or Ciuill dignity He who kneeleth to a Saint to their Tombes Reliques or Pictures deuoutly apprehendeth and piously worshipeth some supernaturall preheminence Three things necessary to the nature of honor quality or relation Wherby it followeth that three thinges concurre to the nature of honour 1. The apprehension of the vnderstanding which acknowledgeth an excellency worthy of adoration 2. The propension and inclination of the will which vnfainedly prosecuteth the same with honour 3. The externall obeysance of capping kneeling or bowing the body which is an outward obsequie of inward reuerence And although the vnderstanding be the root origen or rather motiue which exciteth the will yet the act of the will is the life soule and proper essence of adoration without which the sole notice and apprehension of dignity is no worship at all and the outward and externall action may be as well a sinne of mockery as any marke of honour As it was in the souldiers who adored Christ Matt. 27. Ioa. 19. and sayd All hayle O King of the Iewes 6. By which you may easily discerne the blindnesse of Protestants who distinguish not the outward worship by the inward mynd but seeme to make all externall Bils 4. par pag. 576. 577. honour belong to God whether it proceed from the acknowledgment of naturall supernaturall or intreated excellency Submission sayth M. Bilson of knees hands and eyes parts of Gods honour Agayne The outward honour of eyes hands and knees God requireth of vs as his due Then
S. Peter and S. Paul at Winchester Neither would he euer after weare any Crowne during his life A rare heroicall act and worthy such a King 17. As rare was that of Commenus the Emperour who hauing slaine and put to flight an huge army of the Scythians with a small company of his owne men by the intercession and prayer of our Blessed Lady after the CoÌ„quest a day of triumph being ordained when he should Nicetat in vita Io. Comnem haue ascended his triumphant Chariot gorgeously furnished for so great a solemnity he placed therin a beautiful Image of the Queene of heauen and carrying himselfe a Crosse in his hand marched before royally accompanyed with all hâ—s Nobles Thus causing the picture to be drawne with foure choice and milke-white horses he gaue her in her Image the whole honour of the triumph Our Blessed Ladies picture caryed in Triumph by whose happy fauour he gained the victory Which that gracious Empresse so benignely accepted as she made him after owner of sundry victoryes and worthy of many triumphes For these vtilityes therefore picturs are made for these they are kept for these they are hanged on Altars depainted in Churches or publikely carryed in some Processions 18. But the honour we do vnto Images may scandalize perchance the harts of the simple prone therunto by their owne weakenes and pricked forward by the instigation of our Aduersaries not weighing the nature of Ioseph l. 1â— c. 8. antiq Dan. 2. 4. Reg. 4. the worship or euidence we produce for the maintenance therof To begin therfore with an argument vnanswerable All holy thinges deserue to be honoured Pictures are holy thinges Therfore Pictures deserue to be honoured The Psal 98. Exo. 3. v. 5. Maiorproposition that all holy thinges ought to be honoured is apparent because holines is a certaine excellency â—o vvhich honour is due We see in all Common-vvealthes both Heathen and Christian holy Persons for their Exo. 12 v. 16. sanctity alwayes reuerenced For which Alexander the Great adored Iaddus the high Priest Nabuchodonozor Daniel the Sunamite Elizaeus Yea not only men endued with reason but inanimate and senseles Creatures for this prerogatiue of holinesse are deseruedly worshipped as King Dauid exhorteth saying Adore yee his footstoole because it is holy Our Lord sayd to Moyses Put off thy shooes from thy feet because the place where thou standest is holy earth Againe he sayd vnto him The first day shal be holy and solemn and the seauenth with the like festiuity venerable For this the Tabernacle the Altar the Propitiatory the Breads of Proposition and all Holyes are honoured by the law of God The difficulty then remayneth to shew some holines in Pictures for which they may challenge the dignity of honour 12. Albeit this word Holy is commonly taken in Scripture for that which is pure sacred and immaculate of it selfe in which sense Almighty God alone is essentially holy He is the supreme holynes or Holy of all Holyes as Daniel stileth him The Angels and Saints are pure and Dan 9. 14. vnspotted but by grace only and participation of his holines it is often notwithstanding more largely extended for that which is consecrated vnto God or hath any speciall reference or relation vnto him In respect wherof the Temple is tearmed in Scripture Holy the vestment Psal 78. Exod. 28. Isa 62. Exod. 3. of Aaron the people the earth Holy c. And in this acception of the word the Pictures of Christ and of his Saints be truely counted esteemed holy both in that they are dedicated to the worship of a most holy God as all thinges are entitled Royall which neerely appertain to the Royall Maiesty of a King and also for that they carry a remarkable respect or relation to him or some of his chiefest friends much honoured by him And wheras this diuine reference or dedication ennobleth them aboue the degree of prophane and common things it giueth them that excellency and preheminence to which an holy and regardfull reuerence belongeth as the examples already specifyed conuince For to the earth where God appeared what other cause of adoration can Bils 4. par Trident. sess 25. Nicenum â— art 2. 8. Syn. act 3. Leoâ—t de ador cru l. 5. Apol. coâ—t Iud. refertur in 7. Syn. â—ct 4. you ascribe Any natiue quality Any inherent holynes of which it was incapable No No other which M. Bilson is forced to confesse then the awfull respect of God or his Angels presence If then the earth if the Temple if solemne dayes if the name Iehoua amongst the Iewes the name Iesus amongst Christians if the sacred Bible without danger of I do latry may be religiously reuerenced for this holy representation or signification only why may not Images for the same respect accordingly deserue the same honour and reuerence conformable to the decree not only of the Tridentine and second Nicen but of the eight generall Councel of Constantinople where it is so defined and of Leontius the Bishop of Cyprus vrging the Iewes aboue a thousand yeares agoe as I may now the Protestants saying Thou adorest the volume of the Law worshiping not the nature of inke or parchmeÌ„t but the wordes of God contained therein so I adoring the Image of Ath. ser 4. cont Arri. q. 16. ad Antio Dama l. 4 ort fid 17. Euthy p. 2. c. 20. Basi in Iul. cited in Nic. Con. 2 Chry. in Liturgia Iero. in vit Paulae Amb. orat de obi Theodos l. de incar Domini Sacram. c. 7. Aug. l. 3. de Tricap 10. Lact. in Car. pass Domi. Sedul lib. 5. carm Pass Bils 4. par pag. 547. Magdeburg Cent. 4. cap. 10. col 1080. line 50. item Cent. 8. c. 10. col 850. Bale in his Pageant of Popes fol. 33. Item Bale pag. 24. 27. Simondes on the Reâ—â—ela p. 17. fine Bils 4. par p. 561 577. 578. Christ neither the wood or colours do I honour God forbid but the inanimate character which when I imbrace I seeme to take hold and adore euen Christ himselfe S. Athanasius S. Iohn Damascen and Euthymius establish the same with almost the same wordes S. Basil sayth The historyes of the Images of Martyrs I honour and publikely adore S. Chrysostome The Priest boweth his head to the Image of Christ. S. Hierome speaking of S. Paula She adored prostrate before the Crosse as though she beheld our Lord hanging before her eyes S. Ambrose S. Augustine Lactant us Sedulius I let passe I will not vse in a matter not doubtfull testimonyes not necessary 20. The greater is M. Bilsons fault the fault of M. Reynoldes the greater who desame the worshipping of Images as a nouelty first decreed in the 2. Councel of Nice 780. yeares after Christ Too yong sayth M. Bilson to be Catholike Whereas all these ancient Fathers S. Iohn Damascen and Euthymius only excepted liued long before that generall Councel sundry
Iraeneus the like of others But the authority it selfe of these Ancients the purity of that prime and perfect age is inough to quite them of that false accusatiō inough to cleare the truth of our cause that som thing goeth before the assent of our vnderstanding or act of fayth that we do not like beastes vnuoluntarily belieue but that we willingly prepare our selues and freely worke to the obtayning of Iustice Wherein how farre M. Field forsaketh his owne confederates and runneth in the same line with vs shall be discouered in the next Controuersy 7. As for M. Abbots argument to the contrary That Feild in his 3. booke of the Church c. 44. Abbot in his defence sect 20. fol. 467. as a dead carcasse cannot concurre to his resurrection no more can a man dead in sinne any way cooperate to the restoring of his life I answer that the parity haulteth in this maine ioynt or principall limme that the dead man hath no working power or ability at all to produce the actions of life But the sinner although he be wholy dead in respect of supernatural grace yet he liueth a naturall life hath a naturall and liuely faculty of free will which albeit by it selfe it be altogeather vnable to worke any good appertayning to saluation yet by the assistance and ayde of God it is quickened eleuated and inabled to cooperate with him vnto the workes of piety And it is a thing vsuall in the course of Nature to requite your natural cōparison with the like examples of nature for a dead senseles thing to cooperate if not actiuely as some do at least by way of disposition to the receauing of life for so the dead and corrupted graines of corne by the fertility moysture and warme bosome of the earth do according to some part of them not only dispose but also produce their vegetiue life yea the mortifyed dead matter which example euery way sitteth my purpose ministred by parents to the begetting of children doth truly concurre by way of disposition to their receauing of life to the creation of their breathing and reasonable soules If dead thinges haue this efficacy by the supply of dead senseles causes to concurre to naturall life why should not the liuely facultyes of our mind by the supernaturall succour of the supreme cause haue force and vigour also to dispose our soules to the supernaturall grace 8. But to graunt this sayth M. Abbot is to slyde into Abbot in his defence c. 4. f. 80. 459. the heresy of the Pelagians with whome he impiously consorteth both vs the sacred Councell of Trent in such malicious manner as when we assigne a substantiall difference betweene vs and them by houlding the precedent acts of Feare Hope Loue c. to proceed not Abbot ibidem c. 1. f. 104. 106. 107. Aug. con Pelag. Celest c. 2. 4. c. 31. 32. 33. 35. 37. from the force of nature not from our owne merits as they imagined but from the benefit of Gods grace he replyeth againe that we do but dally with the name of grace as Pelagius did who acknowledged also the necessity thereof as he goeth about to proue out of many places of S. Augustine out of his first booke against Pelagius and Celestius in sundry Chapters and out of his Epistles also But he willingly or cunningly passeth ouer the collusion or legier-du-maine of the Pelagians who to beguile the Bishops of the Easterne Church vsurped the name Grace as the same S. Augustine both in the aforesayd and in other places testifyeth in diuers senses most different from Sec Aug. ep 90. 95. 105. 106. 107. Vasq in 1. part dips 9◠c. 9. Molin item in 1. part disp 19. mem 5. Aug. tom 7. l. 1. 2. de grat Christ de peccat Origin vs. For first they sometyme tearmed the benefit of creatiō conseruation and free will it selfe by the name of grace because they be singular gifts by Gods gracious fauour bestowed vpon vs. We heere take Grace alwayes for that which aboue the course of nature through the merits of Christ is supernaturally imparted 2. They although they did after confesse a supernaturall grace yet they say it was only profitable to facilitate not necessary to accomplish fullfill the commandments which S. Augustine often reprehended in them or as Celestius Pelagius his scholler did temper qualify the roughnes of his Maisters speach it was necessary to perfect and consummate not to inchoate or begin the perfection of a good and pious worke witnes S. Augustine against the two Epistles of Pelagius We say it is absolutly necessary not only to consummate but also to beginne not only to facilitate but Augu. l. 2. cont 2. ep Pelag. ◠8◠Aug. l. 1. de grat Christ con Pelag. c. 4. 5. 25. 26. Phil. 2. v. 13. August l. de grat lib. arbit ◠16. Aug. l. 10. cont 2. ep Pelag. cap. 19. Aug. l. 1. de grat Christ c. 1. euen to performe or satisfy any part of the law as it ought to be pleasing and gratefull vnto God 3. They held that grace affoarded possibility only to the will not force efficacy to shun euill and imbrace good they thought that grace sayth S. Augustine doth not helpe vs to do but only that we might be willing able to do We teach with the Apostle that it is God who worketh in vs both to will and accomplish His grace say we with S. Augustine doth not only giue sufficient but vires efficacissimas voluntati most efficacious forces to the will to performe and effectuate whatsoeuer good it willeth 4. They affirme the grace of God to be giuen vs for our deserts and that it-followeth the determination of our will which S. Augustine auerreth reporting of Pelagius that man according to him is ayded in doing good Pro meritis viz. voluntatis bonae c. for the merits to wit of his good wil that grace deserued might be estored not vndeserued giuen And againe Whatsoeuer grace he alloweth he affirmeth it imparted to Christians according to their desert So the Semipelagians would haue the beginning of fayth to spring from our felues from the faculty of free-will as appeareth out of their ring-leader Faustus Regiensis But Faust Regien lib. de arbit c. 8. 15. Concil Araus 2. Can. 5. we say with the Arausican Councell that the beginning of fayth or pious affection by which we belieue is the guift of God We say that grace goeth before exciting our wil and is mercifully bestowed on vs for our Sauiour Christ his sake wholy vndeserued on our part 5. When the Pelagians admitted the necessity of grace to awake and stir vs vp they vnderstood it sayth S. Augustine of the law of the doctrine and of the examples of Christ outwardly preached Aug. l. 1. de grat Chri. c. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. ep 106 ad Paulin ◠107.
ad Vitalem and proposed vnto vs. We besides that outward grace and fauour of preaching belieue also an internall grace which inwardly moueth and worketh with vs. For if a way faring man should fall a sleep in a dangerous wood where he were ready to be deuoured and should be so benuÌ„med of his senses or infeebled with trauaile that he could not moue without help it were not inough for another to awake and warne him of the danger to shew him the way by which he may escape vnles he affoard him also his helping hand vnles he succour stay and ayde him to depart so it is not sufficient to heare the word of God thundred in our eares to heare the truth deliuered the examples of Christ of his Saints and followers set before our eyes vnles God himselfe vouchsafe to enlighten our vnderstanding inflame our will touch and open the Act. 1â— vers 14. stringes of our harts as he opened the hart of Lydia to attend â—o those thinges which were sayd by Paul vnles he inwardly inspire moue and cooperate with vs to imbrace the sayth which is outwardly propounded 9. In this therefore and all the former positions of Grace we dissent from the Pelagians as M. Abbot might haue seene in the selfe same places he quoted out of S. Augustine if that passion which ministred to his pen those Aug. l. â— 2. de grat Chri. peccat orig odious comparisons betweene them and vs had not dimmed his sight from discouering these manifold differences of truth from heresy He might moreouer haue read in the foresayd S. Augustine that al beit Pelagius by those ambiguous acceptions of the word Grace deluded many Bishops in the Councell of Palestine yet he neuer could how beit he endeauoured much deceaue or beguile the Roman Church that impregnable rocke against which no heresy can euer preuaile But M. Abbot vbi supra c. 1. fol. 105. 106. 107. Abbot contendeth and struggleth to proue that the RomaÌ„ Church the an cient Fathers and S. Augustine himselfe coÌ„demned Pelagius because he confessed not the habituall quality and guift of renewing grace to be necessary to euery pious and Godly deed although he acknowledged Idem folio 110. the worke of preparation to proceed from the preuenting grace and help which we and the holy Councell of Trent admit yea sayth he this grace of ours the very Heathens Aristotle and Tully allowed saying Neuer any man Arist. de mundo Cicero de natura De orum 1. q. Tuscula proued great and excellent without some diuine instinct I answer he struggleth I confesse and struggleth eagerly to heap vp falshoods and hatefull criminations not to all eadge any grounded proofes or substantiall testimonyes either against vs or that Oecumenicall and venerable Councel For albeit the Heathens acknowledged the diuine concourse or speciall influence of the supreme cause to all heroicall acts yet they still bounded and restrained it within the confines and limites of nature they neuer dreamed of any supernaturall grace of any motion or illumination bestowed vpon vs through the merits of Christ or any speciall succour or inspiration of God ordayned to the remission of sinnes iustification of our soules in this life or to our future glory and felicity in the next For although those heauenly impulses which God gaue to the Pagans were often addressed to that end as S. Augustine affirmeth of the strang mutation made in Polemo by the Aug. ep 230. Araus 2. Can. 5. 7. 15. Aug. ep 105. perswasion of Zenocrates Yet they were not acquainted heerewith they ingulfed in the lake of superstitious infidelity neuer acknowledged the extraordinary benefite of those supernaturall fauours of which we only speake Secondly how falsly we are accused to agree with the Pelagians and how mayne an opposition there is in sundry points betweene vs and them I haue already declared Thirdly that the Roman Church and Ancient Fathers censured Pelagius among the rancke of Heretikes not for his denyall of habituall but chiefly of actual grace Augu. ep 105. 107 l. degra lib. arbi c. 17. l. 1. de praedest Sanctor c. 19. l. 2. de pece merit remis c. 18. in Enchirid c. 32 de nat grat c. 32. l. 1. ad Simpl. q. â— which preuenteth and cooperateth with the consent of our will independent of the merits thereof is so euidently expressed and so often repeated not only in the second Arausican Councell but also by the Pelagians chiefe Antagonist our greatest champion S. Augustine himselfe as M. Abbots paper might haue blushed for him when he wrote the contrary For it is not inough to confesse an habitual or inhabitant grace which S. Augustine calleth the grace of remission of sinnes but we must also sayth he acknowledge a grace precedent which must dispose and prepare vs to obtaine remission styled by him Preuenting and ayding or concomitant grace the one wrought in vs without vs that is without our free consent the other in vs with vs to wit with our free consent 10. But the dust which stopped M. Abbots eyes from behoulding a truth testifyed in so many places was the cause of his mistaking of some of S. Augustines wordes calling Abbot ibid. f. 105. the grace for which he contended with Pelagius the grace whereby we are Christians and the children of God whereby we are iustifyed c. And yet he only graceth with those tearmes the former motioÌ„s or illuminations of the holy Ghost because they moue induce and disspose vs to be iust good and the children of the highest Gab. Vasq 1. 2. disp 18â— c. 1. or because they make increase in the perfection of Iustice already attayned as Gabriel Vasquez solidly interpreteth him And S. Augustine himselfe plainely insinuateth in his epistle to Sixtus a little after the middest saying No man is Aug. ep 105. deliuered and iustifyed from the euills of his transgression or preâ—aâ—ication but by the grace of Iesus Christ our Lord not only by remission of sinnes but first by inspiration of fayth it selfe and feare of God Now in what sort can we by inspired feare by inspired fayth be iustifyed in what sort can we be deliuered from our offences before our offences be forgiuen before remission of sinnes but only by them as by dispositions preparations or certaine merites of congruity to obtaine remission therefore S. Augustine taketh grace by which we are iustifyed for that which moueth or disposeth to iustification in which sense he affirmeth about the beginning of the same Epistle That fayth by some kind of merits August ibid. obtayneth remission and yet that remission is not of merit because fayth is a free guift of God and not proceeding from our selues as the Pelagians boasted of their beliefe S. Augustine also in many other his Treatises cyted aboue speaketh so expresly of preparing preuenting and ayding grace before the infusion of habituall as his wordes can beare no other
auerreth That the only Catholike fayth quickneth sanctifyeth giueth life excluding not any workes but the false beliefe of Heretikes Origen vpon the third Chapter to the Romans and S. Chrysostome in his booke of Fayth and the law of Nature attribute Iustification to fayth alone without the outward accomplishment of any externall worke or without the precedent obseruation of the law whether it be externall or internall according to Vasquez both exemplifying in the theese vpon the Crosse so that among all the Fathers whom they obiect no one giueth sentence on their side 20. Finally besides these authorityes and the former common obiections one the Aduersarie yet reserueth as his sole Achilles and properly belonging to this place that our pious and godly workes are outward tokens only and manifestations as whitaker calleth them of inward righteousnes but not the causes which augment or make vs more iust for as the tree is not made good by the VVhitak in his answer to the 8. reason of M. Campian fol. 254. fruites it beareth but only declared and knowne to be such no more can a iust man become more iust by the fruits of good workes which he produceth but only be discouered and knowne to be iust because as the fruits presuppose the goodnes of the tree from whence they spring and do not make it good so good workes prerequire iustice in the worker and cannot concurre to constitute Matth. 71 v. 17. Maldon in c. 7. Matt. him iust Whereupon Christ compareth the iust man with a good tree which bringeth forth good fruits and cannot produce euill the wicked to an euill tree which shooteth forth euill and cannot bring good I answere with Maldonate first by retorting the argument vpon my Aduersaryes If by good works we cannot be made but only knowne to be good it followeth by necessary consequence that by euill works we cannot become euill but only declared and signifyed to be such So Adam being once a good tree planted by God either could not degenerate and bring forth the euill fruits of sinne as he did or by sinning was not made euill or worse then before by iniustly transgressing the Commandment of God became A differeÌ„ce betweene naturall and morall causes necessary to be noted not indeed vniust but was only marked figured with the notes of iniustice which cannot be affirmed without plaine impiety Secondly I answere that there is a great difference between naturall and morall causes as euery Nouice in our Schooles can instruct you Naturall causes by their good or euill effects are neither made good or euill better or worse as the fire waxeth not more hoat by the heate it casteth nor the stocke of the vine in it selfe more fruitful by the outward braÌ„ches it spreadeth abroad but these only demonstrate the fruitfullnes of the vine or heate of the fire Morall causes do not only worke well or badly because they are good or euill but by vvorking vvell or euilly they grovv good or euill become better or vvorse As vvee do not only liue temperatly because vve are teÌ„perate but by many acts of temperance become Arist l. 2. de mori c. 1. Ibid. c. 2. VVhitak l. 1. 8. aduers Duraeum August l. de fide oper c. 14. in psal 31. S. Thom. in Gal. 3. lect 4. Ambr. in cap. 8. ad Rom. Beda in c. â— ep lac temperate by the like dayly go forward increase in temperance For sayth Aristotle As by building builders by singing to the harpe men arriue to be cunning harpers or musitians so by doing good things men become iust by temperate things temperate by valiant exployts valiant Likewise by accustoming our selues to contemne and endure things fearefull and to be dreaded fortes efficimur we grow stout couragious Therfore although the tree which is a naturall cause of budding fruits receaueth not from them any sparke of life or increase of goodnes yet the iust man who is a morall cause in acheiuing good workes is more quickned in spirituall life and perfected in iustice by achieuing of them 21. Then they vrge out of S. Augustine That good workes go not before the iustifyed but follow him that is iust Out of S. Thomas Workes are not the cause that any one is iust before God but rather the executions and manifestations of Iustice. The like out of S. Ambrose Venerable Bede others I answere they are manifestations and remonstrances of the first iustice of the first infusion of grace as S. Thomas expoundeth himselfe and so they follow and are not the cause S. Thom. in c. 2. ad Gal. that any one is iust in that kind yet this withstandeth not but that they perfect and increase the infused iustice as true meritorious and morall causes thereof which is all that we require all that the Oecumenicall holy Councell of Trent hath enacted touching the Iustice of our works quickned with the seed or watered with the due of Gods celestiall grace The end of the fourth Booke THE FIFTH BOOKE THE XXII CONTROVERSY DISPROVETH The Protestants certainty of Saluation against D. Whitaker and D. Abbot CHAP. I. SO deep and vnsearchable are the iudgements of God so close and inscrutable the inuolutions of mans hart his foldes so secret so many his retraytes his search so weake in matters of spirit so hidden and vnknown the operations of grace the feares the doubts the anxiety so innumerable which the best belieuing Protestants and Ministers themselues feele in their consciences as I am wonderfully astonished at this arrogant speach that they should be all infallibly assured and vndoubtedly certaine of their saluation and my astonishment is the greater when I read the sentence of God and Eâ—â—â—â—â— 9. v. 1. 2. verdict of the holy Ghost passe against them in these tearmes vncontrollable There are iust men and wise and their workes are in the hand of God and yet man knoweth not whether he be worthy of loue or hatred but all things are reserued vncertain Prou. c. 20 v. 9. for the tyme to come And who can say my hart is cleane I am pure from sinne Where Salomon doth not affirme as Venerable Bede noteth vpon that place That a man cannot be but that he cannot certainly say or know himselfe to be pure from Beds in eum locum Eccles 5. v. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum Abbot in his defence c. 4. f. 330. 331. c. Calu. l. 3. instit c. 2. §. 38. sinne Likewise Of sinne forgiuen be not without feare or as whitaker readeth out of the Greeke Of expiation or pardon be not secure To the first of these three testimonyes M. Abbot replyeth with Caluin his Maister That by outward things by thinges that are before our face a man knoweth not whether he be beloued or hated of God howbeit he may otherwise infallibly know it But this answere cannot be shaped to the latter clause of that sentence All thinges are
the power of our will to moue or Suarez iâ— opus Theoâ—og l. 1. c. 10. 13. in breu resol § 26. not to moue to will or not to will nor to vse any choice election or liberty at all For as Suarez profoundly teacheth that which neither in it selfe is free nor in the cause by which it worketh is no way free The will of man according to Caluin and his Sectaries is not free in it selfe because of it selfe it can doe nothing without the motion and predetermination of God nor in the cause for it is not in the power of man either to appoint remoue chaÌ„ge or resist this determination of God immouably made from all eternity Therefore no liberty remayneth in vs bereft of all indifferency Necessarily determined to euery particular act by the ouer-ruling motion of the prime and supreme cause What wrong then hath Bellarmine done to Luther and Caluin of which M. Field hath the fore-head to challenge him What iniurious imputation hath he layed vpon them or their followers in taxing their Doctrine with the Manichean heresie which they as you see boldly professe and labour to support with sundry arguments sorted and disposed into three seuerall classes or seats 1. Cor. 12. v. 6. Isay 26 v. 12. Hierem. 1â— v. 23. 20. In the first they place those which attribute all our workes to the generall concourse and premotion of God who first moueth inclineth and principally floweth into our actions as All in all things he doth worke All our workes O Lord thou hast wrought in vs. I know O Lord that mans way is not in his owne handes nor in his power to direct his steps c. 21. I answere it is true that God worketh all things in vs and we with him he as the vniuersall we as the particuler causes yet so as the influence of his action neither altereth nor hindreth but rather sustaineth helpeth Fulke in c. 8. Io. sect 2. in cap. 9. ad Rom. sect 7. in c. 2. 2. ad Tim. sect 1. Augu. de verbo Domini ser 2. IdeÌ„in Ench. ad Lauren. cap. 30. Aug. l. de Natu. Grat. cap. 53. and perfiteth ours He concurreth to euery creature according to their owne nature and condition with thinges contingent contingently with necessary thinges necessarily with free thinges freely 22. In the second classe Doctor Fulke rangeth those authorityes of S. Augustine wherein he affirmeth Freewil to be lost by the fall of Adam to wit Man when he was created receaued great strength of Free-will but by sinning he lost it And Man abusing his Free-will lost both himselfe and it The like he vrgeth out of his booke of Nature and Grace and other places M. Whitaker also obiecteth the former sentence of S. Austine out of his Enchyridion addeth therunto the authorityes of S. Ambrose and S. Bernard to whome I shall reply in the next Chapter heere I answere to S. Augustine 23. Man lost by sinne that strength of freedome and perfection of Nature which he had at his first creation and so he lost as S. Augustin excellently discourseth both himselfe his Free-will himselfe in respect of God and the Aug. l. 1. ad Bonif. c. 1. Aug. epi. 107. ad Viclaem Aug. tom 7. de Praed Sanct. c. 2. Aug. l. de perfect Iustitiae de spiri lit de Naâ— gra c. finall end whereunto he was created his Free-will which he had in Paradise First Habendi plenam cum immortalitate iustitiam Of hauing full and perfect Iustice with immortality Secondly He lost his Free-will of louing God by the grieuousnes of his first sinne Thirdly He lost his Free-will of beginning or performing any good and pious deed Fourthly He lost his Free-will of fulfilling the Commandments of God of vanquishing all tentations of perseuering still in the state of Innocency in which he was created For Adam ourforefather endowed with the habit of originall iustice could by the liberty of Free-will ayded with the speciall cooperation of God alwayes fullfill and performe those thinges without any new excyting grace to quicken and stir him vp which we though iustifyed in this state of corruption by reason of many carnall allurements assaults of Sathan and dulnes of nature cannot atchieue without his diuine grace of excitation direction and protection Therefore S. Augustine speaking of the accomplishment of the aforesayd dutyes sayth This is not Aug. lib de bono perseue cap. 7. in the forces of Freewil as now they are it was in man bedore his fal Those freedomes then Adam lost himselfe according to that height of dignity he lost yet as he did not absolutly loose but impaire himselfe as he lost not the nature and Ioa. c. 8. v. 14. Rom. 6. v. 16. 2. Pet. c. 2 v. 19. Aug. l. de corr gra c. 13. Aug. cont 2. ep â—ela l. 3. ca. 8. Concil Arausi can 7. 22 Mileuit can 4. Ambr. in c. 6. ad Roman Ruper l. 4. com in Gen. c. 3. Aug. tract 41. in Ioan. cap. 8. noli in quit libertate abuti ad liberè peccandum sed vtâ—râ— ad non peccandum Aug. l. 1. ad Bâ—â—if c. 2. liberum arbitrum vsque adeo in peccatore non perijt vp per illud peccent maximâ— omnes qui cum delectatione peccant condition of man so neither the faculty of his will which still continuing remaineth free 1. To thinges in different with Gods general concourse 2. To things morally good with his peculiar assistance 3. To accept or refuse his motions offered 4. To worke and purchase his saluation by meanes of infused grace 24. In the third and last classe are digested such sentences as insinuate the will of man to be in the bondage and slauery of sinne as He that doth sinne is the seruant of sin And You are seruants of that to which you obey Seruants of corruption And S. Augustine I say Free-will but not made free Free from iustice but slaue of sinne To which purpose M. Fulke often repeateth this other saying of S. Augustine Free-will being made captiue auayleth nothing but to sinne 25. I answere S. Augustine in this later place writing against the Pelagians speaketh after the manner of two Venerable Councels who define and teach as he doth that the will of man of it selfe without the grace of God auayleth to nothing but sinne that is to nothing of piety oriustice to nothing appertayning to Saluation or damnation but only to Sinne. 26. To all the former instances I ioyntly reply with S. Ambrose Rupertus and the same S. Augustine that he who sinneth supposing he doth sinne is slaue to the sinne he doth commit yet hence it followeth not that he necessarily sinneth or is depriued of his naturall freedome By which as S. Augustine auerreth men sinne chiefly all who sinne with delight Secondly I say he who maketh himselfe the bond-slaue of sin is so far from being necessarily tyed to trangresse the
with him it doth so inded yet imperfectly rawly in part only Answere directly for shame Is that raw imperfect duety such as it fulfilleth the law so far forth as it obligeth vnder sinne or no What say you Are you mute dare you not speake TheÌ„ iudgemeÌ„t passeth against you that eyther it fulfilleth not the obligation sinne is inuolued in the duety and that so deeply as the dutifull action is of it owne nature according to you a true deuiation breach of the Commandment or it satisfieth the whole baÌ„d of the law and so it is coÌ„taminated with no touch of sinne in respect of that obligatioÌ„ It is a pure good vndefiled action it is the full accomplishment of whatsoeuer the law in that kind exacted the only sentence we expect from your mouth Againe though sinne be not implyed in the duty yet the duety in their phantasticall iudgment is stayned with the sinne but euery action which is stayned with sinne is necessarily sinneful Basil serm 2 de Bapâ—â— 7. 8. Chrys or the author vpon the imperfect work of 8. Matthew S Thom. 1. 2. q. 18. art 4 ad â— q 19. art 7. ad 3. whence soeuer the sinne proceedeth as S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Thomas with all the Schoole-men conformably teach For as that which is endewed with whitenes must needs be white from what cause soeuer the whitenes coÌ„meth whether from the naturall propriety and conditioÌ„ of the thing as in a Swan or from the outward act and industry of man as in a white-limed wall So if the duety we performe be polluted with sinne our dutye is sinfull from whence soeuer the sinne ariseth whether from the inward hart or outward obiect casuall necessity or accidentall condition of man 8. I may weary my selfe in skirmishing so long with such feeble aduersaries and wounding them thus in so many places Therefore I retire inflicting for a farewell this last and deadly stroake in true Syllogisticall Dionys de diuin nom c. 4. par 4. Greg. Niss hom 2. in Cant. orat cated c. 5. Basil bom 9. â—oan Damas l. 2. de fiâ—e c. 4. Aug. l. 2. de lib arbr c. vlt. l. 12 de ciuit â— 1 3. 7. Fuig de fide ad Peter c. 21. Auselm o. per. de praese praed c. â— manner Euery action euery duety which is deficient and bereaued eyther of due conuersion to God conformity to reason or of such moral rectitude as by precept binding vnder mortall sinne ought to be in it is a mortall crime and true preuarication of the Law But euery action euery duty we acheiue is according to Protestants deficient and bereaued of that conuersion rectitude or conformity as by precept binding vnder mortall sinne ought to be in it Therefore euery action euery duty we accomplish is according to them a deadly cryme a true bâ—each and preuarication of the law The Maior proposition is the ruled definition of sinne agreed vpon by the best Deuines who either affi me it to be a priuation of good with S. Dionysius Areopagita S. Gregory Nissen S. Basil and S. Iohn Damascene oâ—an alienation an auersion from the law of God with S. Augustine Fulgen us or a want absence and defect of rectitude with S. Anselme or a desertion a straying from vertue with S. Basil againe Nicetus or lastly a deflection a deuiation from the square of Basil in coÌ„stit Mon. Nicet in orat 40. Nazian q. insanct Baptism â— Thom â— 2. q. 71. art 1. â— â— con Gent. c. 7. reason or supreme rule of all actions with S. Thomas and the whole troupe of his followers 9. The Minor that our duety is deficient bereaued of the good fayling of that rectitude or perfection of vertue which ought to be in it is auowed by our Aduersaryes when they contend that it is not answerable and correspondent to the whole taske or amercement the Law exacteth vnder the fine of sinne or forfeiture of disobedience therefore the forementioned conclusion rightly inferred from these two premises is vndeniable And wheras some thinke to get away with their loose reply that although the dutyes they performe be in themselues breaches of the law yet those breaches are pardoned Another obiection vnansweâ—ed not imputed to the elect these men by seeking to get out lap themselues faster in their owne inextricabe neâ—s for no sinne is to be attempted no breach of the law can be lawfully incurred that God may after pardon forgiue the fault that he may not impute the transgression of his law Murder is pardoned Adultery is not imputed in their conceit to the beleeuing Protestant may they therefore be committed because they shal be forgiuen O malicious presumption O presumptuous malice For beare then yee Sectaryes forbeare your duetyes to God your alleagiance to your Prince forbeare your raw and imperfect obseruations of al diuine and human laws or els reuoke your calumnyes abiure your heresies that all vertuous deeds are bespotted with the staynes of vice THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The same is warranted by the Fathers the obiections answered the vnuoluntary motions of Concupiscence discharged of sinne FOVRE notable thinges are deliuered by the Doctors of the Church to shew the falsity of the former calumniation First they auouch our good Hier. l. â— aduers Pelag Augu. de spir lit c. vlti Greg. l. 2. moral c. 8. works to be free from the spots of defilement S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Gregory and S. Bernard in the places heere quoted in the margent SecoÌ„dly they affirme them to iustfy vs before God by true increase and augmentation of inherent iustice to which purpose I haue alleadged many in the controuersy of iustification by workes Thirdly they inculcate that some heroicall Bern. l. de praecep dispens acts are so pure and acceptable to God as they purge clense vs from al dregs from all remaynes of former defaults yea they are so worthy and meritorious as they do not only purchase an increase of grace in this life but a great crowne of glory in the next as Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Origen and S. Cyprian affirme of the dignity of Martyrdom whose sentences are set downe in the question of merit Fourthly they teach that not only the workes of some holy men but that they also themselues Hier. l â—3 cont Pela August de pec mer. remis l. 2 c. 6. Ambr. de na gra c. 3. In eodem l. c. 67. Orig. l. 1. in Iob. Cent. 3. c. 4. col 78. Lact. l. 6. cap. 25. Cent. 4. c. 4. col 192. In eodem l. c 25. Theod. q 19. in Gen Cent. 5 c. 10. col 1008. Hier. l. 4. comm in Ezech. Cent. 4. â— 10. col 1249. may befor a tyme innocent and cleane from all impurity We teach that a man may if he will not sinne c. S. Hierome A man may if he will be without
in their power by Gods helpe to Basil Orat in illud Attende tibi Chrys ho. 8 de poenio Aug. tom 7. denat grat c. 6â— Hier. ep ad Damas de expos Symboli keep them Therefore to quit the soueraigne goodnes from this merciles cruelty the Fathers vniformely define That it is a wicked thing to teach the Precepts of the spirit cannot be obserued S. Basil Accuse not God he hath not commanded things impossible S. Chrysostome We stedfastly beleeue God to be iust good not able to command things impossible hence we are admonished what we ought to do in things easy what to aske in things hard and difficile S. Augustine S. Hierome accurseth their blasphemy who teach any impossible things to be imposed by God vnto man Which argument hath beene handled heertofore in the CoÌ„trouersy of Free will where the Aduersaryes cauils theretunto are reiected The like impiety it were in God to cooperate with vs in such speciall manner to affoard his heauenly grace his supernaturall ayde to the keeping of his Commandments if we transgresse and sinne in keeping of them For as our August de pec mer. remis l. 2. c. 5. great Doctour S. Augustine teacheth To commit sin we are not ayded of God but to do good things or wholly fullfill the precept of iustice we cannot vnles we be ayded by God Marke heere that by the ayde of God we may not in part but wholy fullfill the precept and that in fullfilling it we do not sinne because thereunto we could not be holpen by God To which my aduersaries cannot shape their worne-out and thrid-bare reply That our obseruation our loue of God Abb cap. 4. sect 44. for example is no sinne but a good deed by acceptation For as I haue often answered God cannot accept that for good which is in it selfe naught and sinnefull but it is good in the Abbot ibid. sol 579. originall of grace from whence it proceedeth Explane your selfe a little better whether you meane it is perfectly or imperfectly good Graunt perfectly and you go on our side yield only imperfectly and you stand at the stay you were before perhaps you imagine that it springeth perfect from the fountaine of grace and after receaueth a blemish from the weaknes of flesh You imagine amisse for the same indiuiduall morall act which once is enriched with the dowry of perfection caÌ„not be after impouerished with any basenes of vice Or is it partly good as it is wrought by grace and partly euill as it runneth through the conduct of depraued nature No such matter the thing contradicteth it selfe as hath beene often signifyed neither is nature the conduct or pipe but true cause of the act in which there is not any part good assignable to grace distinct from that which is ascribed to man but the entiere action perfect or lesse perfect is wholy assigned to mans freewill wholy thereunto ayded by grace as the characters which the scholler frameth by the Maisters guiding of his hand are not seuerally drawne fayrely by one and rudely by the other but the same fayre or deformed rude or well fashioned are wholy from both Which forceth M. Abbot from that incongruous shift We Abbot cap. 4. sect 44. fol. 579. by our corruption do disgrace that which proceedeth holy and pure from God In like manner he is ferretted out of his other berry-hole That the action is good in the will and endeauour of Abbot ibid. the person by whom it is done For the will is weake the endeauour mean the person cloathed with human corruption who if he may will and endeauour that which is good then some good may proceed from a fleshly man perfect and entiere free from all spot and blemish or els the will and intendment is no better then the worke and VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Camp VVhitah l. 8. aduers Duraum Abbot cap. 4. sect 44. fol. 578 this assignement of goodnes which you make to the will is a meere shew or treachery to cloake the badnes of your cause 2. Lastly you say although you place it not in order last that the duty we obserue is in substance good Well I am contented with this but see you recant not for heere I haue that the substance at least of louing God the substance of euery obseruation of the law which we achieue is perfect and entiere able to satisfy the will of God able to make vs acceptable vnto him Yes say they If he fauourably looke vpon it and impute not the fault but if he Abbot c. 4. sect 47. fol. 596. should strictly narrowly deale with vs he should haue iust cause of reiecting vs in the doing thereof Forbeare these ifs ands and come to the point Is the substance of the action done entierely good in it selfe or no abstracting from the fauour or dislike of God whose indulgence or seuerity VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. CampiaÌ„ being extrinsecall doth not make the substance of the worke better or worse It is not so good as it may endure the try all of the precise and perfect rule of righteousnes truth This is not the question but whether it may stand with satisfaction of his law It cannot stand with it in such full complete and absolute manner as that nothing at all may be added thereunto Neither is that the thing demanded who euer dealt with such slippery companions Must I still put you to the torture to draw out the truth My question is whether the substance of the act satisfyeth the obligation of the law Let vs heere what you say to this They answere as heertofore It is short of that which the law requireth it cannot be such VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Câ—mplan and lib. 8. aduer DuraeuÌ„ Abbot cap. 4. fol. 60â— as it ought to be as long as the flesh lusteth against the spirit there can be no such entiere good in vs. Alwayes a man doth lesse then he ought to do I thought you would flinch from your word but I pursue you also flying The act then of louing God is substantially short of that the law requireth substantially lesse then it ought to be and not only lesse of that which ought to be by perswasion or counsaile but by precept binding to more vnder payne of morall sinne therefore the substance of this lesser act is not morally good but mortally defectuous substantially faulty a deadly sinne and true transgression of the law to which God cooperating must needs cooperate in particuler manner to the accomplishment of sinne Protestants are bound to surcease from louing praying or endeauouring to performe those mortall crimes and bound to performe them because God commandeth them as I further demonstrate by this dilemma Either God commandeth the complete perfect fullfilling of his law which Protestants teach no man in this
When soeuer such proportion is kept in recompensing the labours we achieue as to greater labours greater crownes to lesser lesser rewards are alloted Thē the crownes and rewards are giuen in respect of the workes done not as signes and conditions but truly according to the merit of our labours as causes of the rewardes But this proportion is obserued by our Soueraigne Iudge in remunerating the good deedes of the Iust which flow from his grace Therefore he rewardeth them not as signes but as causes of our heauenly blisse according to the worthines of their merit The maior is cleere for what other then the dignity of the worke doth God regard in ballancing the measure of them The worthines of Christs merits imputed by faith that is not our owne labour not the thinges we do in our body for which we must receaue eyther good or euill as the Apostle writeth that doth not dignify one aboue another but equally as hath beene sayd is referred to al. The promise which God maketh vnto vs If God had his eye leuelled at that alone it were as much broken in a little as in a greater as faythfully kept in recōpensing a small as in a weighty matter Therein he looketh not to the greatnes of our endeauours but to the fidelity of his owne word in fulfilling whereof the equality of recompensation the proportion of workes the repayment of seruice the reward of labours cannot be as the Scriptures so often insinuate the principall markes aymed at by God Further our vertues are rewarded as worthy of their hire but the promise of God begetteth not any worthines or dignity in our workes more then of themselues belong vnto them For as our Schoolemen teach He that shall Gab. Vasq in 1. 2. tom 2. disp 214 cap. 5. others ibid. in q. 114. D. Tho. promise a Lordship or Dukedome in behalfe of some meane seruice or peece of money of small value doth not thereby enhaunce the price of the coyne or estimate of his obsequious seruice but the estate which is giuen in lieu of that plighted faith although it require the performance of the seruice or payment of the money as conditions necessary to oblige him that promised yet it doth as much exceed the rate of the one and desert of the other as if no promise had beene no couenaunt made at all Moreouer the Deuines proue that if God should threaten to punish with eternall paine an officious lye or other light offence that sinne should not mount thereby to the heynousnes of a mortall crime nor be worthy of more punishment then of his owne nature it deserueth wherefore if the commination and threatning of greater torments then sinnes of themselues require doth not augment the guiltines of their default or change a small sinne into the enormity of a greater neither can the promise of aboundant remuneration increase the dignity of our workes to which it is promised nor the remuneration it selfe be called a reward weighed forth as S. Gregory Greg. Na. orat in san Bap. extrema Nazianzen affirmeth in the iust and euen ballance of God nor equally imparted according to our labours as the Holy Ghost often pronounceth but a free gift liberally giuen through the gratefulnes and fidelity of the giuer vnles besides the promise some worthines or value in our works be acknowledged to which an agreable reward be correspondently assigned 6. The Minor that God obserueth due proportion in 2. ad Cor. 9. v. 6. Clem. Alex. l. 4. strom Matth. 10. v. 4. recompensing our seruice more or lesse conformably to the diligence or slacknes thereof is also manifest by the sundry textes already quoted That euery one shall receaue accordinge to his owne labour And by this of Saint Paul He that soweth sparingly sparingly also shall reape and he that soweth in blessinges of blessinges also shall reape Which Clemens Alexandrinus also gathereth out of these wordes of S. Matthew He that receaueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receaue the reward of a Prophet and he that receaueth a iust man in the name of a iust man shall receaue the rewards of a iust man both receaue rewards yet not both the same but seuerall and vnequall according to the seuerall sanctity of their persons and inequality of their merits whome they receaue Hence the conclusion of my Syllogisme without checke or controle is ineuitably inferred That seeing Almighty God portioneth forth a greater or lesser share of glory answerable to the greatnes or slendernes of our workes as the hire wages or reward of them he truly remunerateth our pious endeauours not as sequells of faith not as meere gifts of grace but as precedent causes or condigne desertes of eternall life Which when our aduersaries gainsay they make our soueraigne God an accept our of persons and not a iust and vpright iudge quit contrary to these texts of holy writ 2. ad Timoth. 4. v. 8. ad Rom. 2. v. 11. 1. Pet. 1. v. 17. Act. 10. v. 34. For acception of persons is a vice directly opposite to distributiue iustice as when a Iudge bestoweth a reward where there is no precedent merit or when he giueth a more large reward then the dignity of the merit in any sort deserueth But God truly recompenseth the labours of his seruants and recompenseth them with due proportion of greater and lesser reward therefore he either presupposeth in thē the diuersity of merits or he violateth Aug. ep 46. ad Valent the lawes of distributiue iustice In so much as S. Augustin◠might well say If there be no merits how shall God iudge the world For take away them and take away Iustice take away iudgement take away that article of our Creed that Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead 7. Another Argument or Enthymeme I frame in this sort The sinnes and euill workes of the reprobate are not eternally punished eyther because they are signes of their infidelity or by reason of Gods commination and threates which he promulgateth of punishing them with euerlasting torments But for that they be of themselues the true cause of damnation merit Gods wrath be iniurious and offensiue to his infinite goodnes Therefore the vertuous actes and good deedes of the elect which flow from the streames of heauenly grace are not only recompensed as fruites of faith or in regard of Gods promise made to reward them but because they be true and proper causes thereof because they be pleasing and acceptable in his sight and do deseruedly purchase and merit his fauour The consequence is inferred out of the words of Christ who attributeth after the same manner and with the same causall propositions the crowne of heauen to the pious workes of the iust as he doth the punishment of hell to the hard and vnmercifull hartes of sinners saying Come yee blessed of my Father possesse yee the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world For I