peace said she to her husband And that frivolous story of his Dog following after them with which some have made vain sport and others may again in Tob. 11. 4. appointed to be read at Morning-prayer October the third I come to Tob. 12 12. appointed to be read at Evening-prayer October the third where this is appointed to be read of the Angel Raphael Now therefore when thou didst pray and Sarah thy daughter-in-law I did bring the remembrance of your prayers before the holy one and when thou didst bury the dead I was with thee likewise And vers 15. 't is appointed to be read thus I am Raphael one of the seven holy Angels which present the prayers of the Saints and which go in and out before the glory of the holy one Which words imply two gross errors 1. That there are but seven holy Angels that wait upon God and go in and out before him which is contrary to the Canonical Scriptures which say that thousands ministred unto him and ten thousand times 〈◊〉 Cornel à Lapidâ— Junius Diodate Willet in locum thousand stood before him Dan. 7. 10. which is generally by Papists as well as Protestants understood of holy Angels See also Heb. 12. 22. Apoc. 5 1â— See also A. B. Vsher his Sum of Christian Religion p. 118. where 〈◊〉 saith that all the Angels do wait upon the Lord their God in heaven to exâ—cute his will 2. That those seven Angels are Gods remembrancers 〈◊〉 mind him of the prayers of his Saints and presenters of their prayers beâ—â— him A kind of Heavenly Courtiers or Officers that do present to as remember God of the good works prayers and alms c. of 〈◊〉 holy ones as if God did not regard or remember their prayers 〈◊〉 services without these seven Angels mediations intercession Which office saith learned Jâ—â— Jun. in Tob. 12. 12. the Scripture doth no where give to created Aâ—gâ—â— but maintain to belong only to Christ and which â—lâ—â— if there were nothing else is enough to prove the 〈◊〉 Upon the 15 ver bulousness and impurity of the Book and to rejeâ—â— as evil and unfit to be read in publick yea to be bound up with the Sacred Word of God And learned A. B. Vsher where before reckons up all the offices of the Sum of Christian Religion pag. 118. good Angels to the souls and bodies of good men but mentioneth not their presenting of the Saints prayers before God nor remembering God of them And 't is a Doctrine and place of Scripture as you call it that makes much for the Which is a good argument there is no such thing Bishop Prideaux Fascic cont c. 4. S. 2. q. 1. p. 169. Article 7th Papists Idolatrous invocating of Angels And 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England and of other Reformed Churches and of the Canonical Scriptures which say That Jesus Christ the second Person in the Sacred Trinity the Angel of the Covenant as he is called Mal. 3. 1. is the only person that doth present the prayers of the Saints to God and that he is our only Mediator of Redemption and Intercession as may be fully proved by Rom. 8. 34. 1. Tim. 2. 5. Heb. 7. 25. 1 Joh. 2. 12. Revel 8. 3 4. And the last Collect in the Lâ—tany and the Collect for St. Stephens day which prayers say That Christ is our only Mediator and Advocate And by the Homily of Prayer Tom. 2. Part 2. p. 115. and Part 3. p. 118. where 't is said thus In the word of God the Holy Ghost doth plainly teach us that Christ is our only Mediator and Intercessor with God and that we must not run or seek to another See also A. B. Vsher's Sum of Christian Religion p. 166 and p. 176. where he sheweth That one part of Christs Intercession for us doth consist in his presenting our prayers unto God and making them acceptable in his sight And 't is contrary to Psal 8. 4. Psal 111. 5. Psal 112. 6. Levit. 26. 42. Luk. 12. 6 7. and many other places of Sacred Scripture where 't is said That God is mindful of his people and of his Covenant made with them Yea that he doth hear what his people say and take special notice of what they do yea and record what they say and do Read Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name If God take notice of and record what his people say one to another then without doubt he takes notice of and remembreth the prayers which they make unto himself and therefore he needs no such remembrancing Angels as this feigned Raphael speaks of to put him in mind of his Saints prayers And he hath appointed Jesus Christ to present the prayers of and make Intercession for his people Joh. 6. 27. Him hath the Father sealed and appointed Heb. 3. 12. to the office of a Redeemer and of making satisfaction for the sins of his people and Intercession for them as Bishop Reynolds very learnedly sheweth upon Psal 110. pag. 383 384. 387 388 c. And Christ hath undertaken the work of our Redemption and making Intercession for his people He was not only made a surety to us of a bâ—tter Covenant Heb. 7. 22. but he also is said to come to do the office of a surety Lo I come to do thy will O God Heb. 10. 5 7 9. God fitted him and prepared him for the work of our Redemption v. 5. and Christ voluntarily undertook it Then said I Lo I come in the volume of thy Book it is written of me to do thy will O God v. 7 9. Hence doth he call himself the good shepherd that doth lay down his life for his sheep Joh. 10. 11 15. which Doctrine is saith the Reverend Bishop the rock and foundation of all the Churches comfort and therefore the Doctrine held forth in the foresaid feigned story of Tobit is the more pernicious and abominable being so destructive of our Lord and Saviours right and of all good Christians sure and solid comfort and those men that refuse to give their unfeigned assent and consent thereunto and to its use and publick reading are the more excusable not to say commendable for denying themselves so far as they have done rather than do that or consent to the doing of that which is as you see so much conducing to Popish Doctrine and practise and contrary to Gods sacred and precious truth the honour and interest of Jesus Christ and the comfort and welfare of all good Christians In the Months of September and October all the Book of Judith is appointed to be read in publick in Churches and Chappels Where to pass by many of the falsities that Orthodox learned Divines both ancient and modern do find in
Ibi. p. 160 161 〈◊〉 163. Cap. 1. 〈◊〉 2. That we are justified by faith sensu proprio that is the act of â—â—lieving in that Tò credere is imputed for righteousness being accepteâ— God and accounted unto us for that whole righteousness of the Law whâ—â—â— we were bound to perform so that our very faith is that righteousness 〈◊〉 which we are justified in the sight of God Non quidem merito suo 〈◊〉 propter gratuitam acceptilationem Dei This is the error of the Arâ—â—nians with whom the Papists agree which they received from Faustâ—â— Socinus that unhappy Heretick in his blasphemous Book de Christo Sâ—â—vatore and Michael Servetus in his second Book de Lege Evangeliâ—â— Which Errors are confuted by Calvin in his Opuscula and ibid. by 〈◊〉 Pemble Sec. 2. c. 2. p. 164 c. 3. A sinner is not justified by faith alone but also by other vertues 〈◊〉 graces as Hope love repentance fear of God c. and this is the opâ—nion of the Papists which whether it be not the Doctrine the scopâ—â— and main drift of our Latitudinarian Divines in their Books let tâ—â— impartial and judicious Reader truly judg which he confutes 〈◊〉 Sec. 2. c. 3. p. 167 c. and which is most opposed and confuted by 〈◊〉 sound Doctrine of the Church of England as may be easily seen 〈◊〉 what I have before alledged out of it Now that true Believers in Christ are justified that is declared 〈◊〉 accounted righteous before God acquitted from their debt the Cuâ—â— of the Law which by their sins they have deserved at Gods hands by and for the merits of Christs * Christs righteousness is not only his inherent holiness as Mr. Fowler falsely suggests in his Free Discourse pag. 128. passive and active obedience to the will of God his Father which is called Christs righteousness imputed to them I prove thus by arguments taken clearly from the Doctrine of the Church of England and Gods word 1. They that believe in Christ that is that their persons are justified before God are justified either by their own habitual or actual inherent righteousness or by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them but they are not justified before God by their own habitual or actual inherent righteousness therefore they are justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them The sequel of the Major is undeniable because there is no other thing by or for which they are justified that is absolved from the curse of the Law and declared not guilty but accounted innocent and righteous The Minor I have proved already by the Doctrine of the Church of England the sentence and confession of the Reformed Churches abroad and our own learned Divines at home and by the authority of Canonical Scripture The sum of which is this 1. Because we are freely justified by Faith not as an act habit or work but as an instrument apprehending and applying the righteousness of Christ and not by the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 20 24 28. Gal. 2. 16. 2. Because all our inherent righteousness is imperfect and accompanied with many sins and therefore cannot stand before the judgment-seat of God much less merit or procure our Justification at Gods hands To which I add this further Though God hath ordained us to walk in good works yet the meaning is not by these words to induce us to have any affiance or to put any confidence in our works as by the merit and deserving of them to purchase to our selves or others remission of sins and so consequently everlasting life for that were blasphemy against Gods mercy and great derogation to the blood-sheâ—ding of our Saviour Jesus Christ For it is the free grace and mercy of God by the mediation of the blood of his Son Jesus Christ without merit or descriving on our part that our sins are foâ—given us that we are reconciled and brought again into his favour and are made heirs of his heavenly kingdom T. 2. Hom. of good works part 1. pag. 81. And 't is observable that the Church of England makes Justification to be forgiveness of sins Homily for Salvation p. 13. And Bellarmine himself Lib. 1. de Paenit saith Remissio peccatorum quid est nisi justificatio 2. True Believers in Christ are justified the same way and by the same means that Abraham was but Abraham's person was justified before God not by his own good works but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him Ergo true Believers in Christ are justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them The Major is the Doctrine of the Church of England as I shewed before and is clear by St. Paul's Doctrine Rom. 4 11 12. As Abraham the Father of the Faithful was justified so shall his faithful sons believers in Christ be justified too that righteousness might be imputed to them also And Rom. 4. 22 23 24. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed 〈◊〉 him that is Abraham but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if 〈◊〉 believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification The Minor also is clear because he was justified by his Faith whereby he believed God in the promised seed that is in Christ Roâ— 4. 3. Abraham believed God that God that spake to him and it 〈◊〉 counted to him for righteousness And I shewed before that his Faith was taken not absolutely but relatively with connotation of the object Christ promised that was counted to him for righteousness So Rom. 4 9. Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness And ver 21. and therefore it that is his Faith in Christ the promised seed was imputed to him for righteousness And our Homily saith Ibi. supra Oâ—â— faith shall be imputed to us as well as it was to Abraham Isaac and Jacob And it necessarily must be so for he was not justified by Faith as 〈◊〉 act or habit or work as I proved before by the Doctrine of the Church of England 3. If God doth accept and allow of Christs active and passive obedience and the merits thereof as full and perfect satisfaction to his Justice for true Believers in Christ then they are justâ—fied before God by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them but God doth accept and allow of the active and passive obedience of Christ and the merits thereof as full and perfect satisfaction to his Justice for true believers in Christ therefore true believers in Christ are justified before God by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them The sequel of the Major is evident because Christs obedience and merits is his righteousness For we say not that Christs essential righteousness which is in him as God the second Person in the Sacred Trinity or that righteousness which he by his Spirit and Word works in believers is
the spots of our iniquities for that were to deface Christ and defraud him of glory but they mean this and this is the meaning of those and such sayings that God of his mercy and of his favour towards them whom he hath appointed to everlasting salvation hath so offered his grace especially and they have so received it fruitfully that although by reason of their sinful living outwardly they seemed before to have been the children of wrath and perdition yet now the Spirit of God mightily worketh in them unto obedience unto Gods will and commandments they declare by their outward deeds and life in the shewing of mercy and charity which cannot come but of the Spirit of God and his special grace that they are the undoubted children of God appointed to everlasting life 2. That the words are to be understood of the judgment of men as the following words do declare for that speaks of the judgment of charity and of men The meaning of Tobit ' s words are these that we doing these things according to Gods will and our duty have our sins indeed washed away and our offences blotted out not for the worthiness of them but by the grace of God which worketh all in all and that for the promise that God hath made to them that are obedient to his Commandments Almesdeeds do wash away sins because God doth vouchsafe to repute us as clean and pure when we do them for his fake and not because they do merit or deserve our purging or for that they have any such strength or virtue in themselves Homily of Almsdeed Tom. 2. Part 2. p. 160 161. I have alledged these words to vindicate the Doctrine of the Church of England and to shew that the Church of England is in the main sound in the Doctrine of Justification Yet if I may be so bold I humbly conceive 1. That this Quotation of Tobit in the Margent might well have been spared to prove That the Holy Ghost in sundry places of Scripture saith that mercifulness and almesgiving purgeth from all sins c. Because I fear that our watchful adversaries will catch at it and make their advantage to prove that Book Canonical Scripture For Analogum per se positum stat proâ—suo famosiori significato seu analogato Scripture put by it self is presumed to Sanders Log l. 1. c. 6. par 4. stand for its most famous significate and there by Scripture they will presume is meant Sacred and Canonical Scripture 2. I know and acknowledg that the sense given by our Church is good and agreeable to that which our sound Divines do give of that of the wise man in Prov. 16. 6. Junius and Dod and Cartwright in loc By mercy and truth iniquity is purged But I know also that they expound this place of Gods mercy and truth and not of mans And so it doth not make good Tobit's of Almsdeeds But there is no need of alledging an Apocryphal Text so much abused by professed Papists to prove and provoke their Disciples to do meritorious works and then be forced to put our selves to much trouble to explain our honest meaning and caveat our people against Popish false exterpretations which whether all do or will understand is very doubtful especially if that neglected place of Solomon's Proverbs Prov. 16. 6. be so to be expounded as the Church of England expounds that of Tob. 4. 10. and 12. 9. which she must do else Papists will clearly get advantage by that expression in the Homily above recited The same Lesson doth the Holy Ghost â—lso teach in sundry places of the Scripture But to proceed Solus sanguis Christi nos purgâ—t ab omni peccato only the blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin saith Johannes Maccovius Red. c. 23. de Elemosinâ— cont prima falsa Pontif. p. 51. And Tob. 6. 14 15 16 17. appointed to be read the 30th day of September at Evening-prayer The Angel Raphael who told Tobit a lye in Chap. 5. 6. for which Bishop Prideaux among other things rejects Fascic Controv. de Scripturâ— c. 1. q 2. p. 14. the Book viz. That he had lodged with our brother Gabael And v. 12. That his same was Azarias the son of Ananias the great and of thy brethren taught him a * For which A. B. Vsher's Sum of Ch Rel. p. 15 and Bishop Prideaux Fascic controv c. 1. q 2. p. 14. rejectâ— the Book as false and frivolous Magical spel or trick to †Concilium non divinum aut coeleste sed planè magicum as Junius proves in locum conjure away the wanton Devil Asmodius who was forsooth in love with Sarah the daughter of Raguel and had killed her seven husbands on their Wedding-night as 't is said v. 14. with which she was reproached by her fathers maids Chap. 3. 7. 8. appointed to be read also on Septemb. 28. at Evening-prayer in these words v. 16. And when thou shalt come into the marriage-chamber thou shalt take the â—sâ—es of perfume and shalt lay upon them some of the heart and liver of the fish spoken of before Chap. 6. 4 7. where he first taught him the spell and he said unto him touching the heart and the liver if a Devil or an evil spirit trouble any we must make a * Is this for edification in good manners smoke thereof before the man or the woman and the party shall be no more vexed and the Devil shall smell it and flee away and never come again any more Which device he accordingly put in practise as you may read in Tob. 8. 1 2 3. appointed to be read October the first at Evening-prayer And when they had supped they brought Tobias in unâ—â— her and as he went he remembred the words of Raphael and took the â—stes of the perfumes and put the heart and the liver of the fish thereupon and made a smoke therewith the which smell when the evil spirit had smelled he fled into the utmost parts of Egypt and the Angel bound him Which counsel and practise some men may teach some people to use and trust in Magical and Diabolical spells and charms and seek to Conjurers and Witches and Devils for which Bishop * Bishop Prideaux Fascic controv c. 1. q. 2. p. 14. Prideaux condemns and rejects the Book forbidden say our learned and sound Divines * Perkins in his order of Causes p. 63 to 66. A. B. Vsher's Sum of Christian Religion p. 229. in the second Commandment and is judged to be contrary to our Saviours Doctrine in Mat. 17. 21. Mark 9. 29. and in many other places of Scripture Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting And to pass over Tob. 10. 6 7. appointed to be read October the second at Evening-prayer which may teach women to contradict their husbands and if it be not yet looks like scolding Hold thy peace said Tobit to his wife for he is safe Hold thy
Tollet it is to be generally observed that there is a tacit Invocation of the Devil when a man attempts to do any thing by that which neither of it self nor by Divine power produceth such effects And Filliucius * Tract 24. c. 7. n. 170. p. 82. declaring the several ways whereby a Magical operation may be discerned most of which are applicable to their Sacramentals gives this as the reason of them all Because when the effect cannot be expected from the power of such causes since they have it not of themselves neither from God who hath not instituted them it follows that it must be expected from the Devil who is therein tacitly invocated They take it for evident that the efficacy of such things is not from God if he did not institute them not from God saith Filliucius seeing he is not the institutor So Silvester will have the Magical signs referred to Diabolical compact because having no such power of themselves they are not of Divine institution plainly signifying that if their Sacramentals were not instituted of God they could be no better than what he refers to the Devil Now what evidence is there that their Sacramentals are of Divine institution and appointed by God for such purposes Now if any indifferent man should apply that which declares that those learned Papists have written of above to two of those Ceremonies which they use and we have retained as much abused and such virtue ascribed to them not only by them but by †Bishop Mountague in Orig. p. 82. saith the sign of the Cross hath power to work Miracles to make the Devil to flie and that 't is a sword and buckler and the chief armor of the soul against all spiritual enemies many in our Church also viz. the Surplice and the sign of the Cross in Baptism I know not well how to free them that attribute such supernatural virtue to them and so use them from the same offence that is charged upon them in their use of their Sacramentals for they are retained and enjoined as a Vide of Ceremonies why some be retained before the Book of Common-prayers means apt to stir up the dull mind of man to the remembrance of his duty to God by some notable and special signification whereby he might be edified The Surplice is retained either to stir up the dull mind of the b Dr. John Burges of the lawfulness of Kneeling c. 17. p. 52. saith the Surplice signifieth the pureness that ought to be in the Minister of God So do the Episcopal Commissioners in answer to Presbyterians p. 108 109. Minister that wears it to innocency and holiness as if he alone needed such excitation or were alone of a dull mind in the congregation or to stir up the dull minds of the people to reverence the Surpliced Minister as more holy and innocent than others And the pleaders for it say 't was retained to signifie and teach Pastoral holiness And so 't is made a new Sacrament and a new word forbidden saith Archbishop c Sum of Christian Relig. p. 222. Bishop Morton saith that the Cross is a sign of constant profession of Christanity Pat. def c. 1. S. 6. Vsher in the second Commandment and the sign of the Cross in Baptism though most grosly abused by Superstitious and Idolatrous Papists is retained to signifie and teach constancy in the true Faith of Jesus Christ and is by Mr. Hooker called as a Sacrament à quasi Sacrament and by another a semi-Sacrament Yea Mr. Hooker d Eccles Pol. l. 5. p. 353. calls it a mean where nature doth earnestly import aid and that ready assistance than which there can be no help more e What more forcible than the Sacrament of Baptism and the Word of God preached and applied c. forcible serving only to relieve memory and to bring to our cogitation that which should most make ashamed of sin Yea doth he not say plainly that the sign of the Cross as we use it is in some sort a mean to the work of preservation from reproach surely the mind which as yet hath not hardned it self is sin is seldom provoked thereunto in any gross and grievous manner but natures secret suggestion objected against it ignominy as a bar Which conceit being entred into that palace of mans fancy the gates whereof 'T is observable that Hooker pleads for the sign of the Cross as Papists do for their Crucifixes to put men in mind of Christs Passion and their duty to him for it Of which Crucifixes are as effectual as the sign of the Cross and so he cunningly overthrows the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homily against the peril of Idolatry and secretly bring in Idolatry by our Ceremonies Eccles Pol. l. 5. Sec. 65. p. 343. have imprinted in them that holy sign which bringeth forthwith to mind whatsoever Christ hath wrought and we vowed against sin it cometh hereby to pass that Christian men never want a MOST EFFECTUAL THOUGH SILENT TEACHER TO AVOID WHATSOEVER MAY DESERVEDLY PROCURE SHAME So that in things which we should be ashamed of we are by the Cross admonished faithfully of our duty at the very moment when admonition doth most need Thus Hooker By which 't is clear that he ascribes a very great virtue to the sign of the Cross and that equal to if not greater than is in the Sacrament of Baptism or the Word of God preached c. For he saith 'T is a mean most ready and a most forcible help to work preservation from sin and reproach which bringeth forthwith to mind whatsoever Christ hath wrought and we have vowed against sin and a most effectual teacher which doth most faithfully admonish us of our duty c. Now this †Yea 't is said virtually that they have a power in them to reduce men to a perfect and godly living without error or superstition See ubi supra of Ceremonies in the end virtue to do these things they have not either naturally in themselves or by Divine institution They were never intended by nature or the God of nature for such purposes and God hath no where promised to give such virtue and efficacy to these humane Ceremonies and men have not power to give them such great virtue as is ascribed to them by the pleaders for them and therefore I dare not undertake to clear them from the charge and judgment that is above given against those other forementioned Sacramentals by those learned Papists Learned Festus †Disp Theol. adversus Pontificios 37. Thes 6. p. 266. Hommius saith thus of the sign of the Cross That 't is Magical and superstitious to attribute to the sign of the Cross made by the hand or finger in the air or any other thing a supernatural and divine efficacy of sanctifying us or our things of avoiding Devils and of curing Diseases and that it ought to be abrogated for this