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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A39279	A defence of the Thirty nine articles of the Church of England written in Latin by J. Ellis ... now done into English ; to which are added the Lambeth Articles ; together with the judgment of Bishop Andrews, Dr. Overall, and other eminent and learned men upon them.; Articulorum XXXIX Ecclesiae Anglicanae defensio. English	Ellis, John, 1599?-1665.; Andrewes, Lancelot, 1555-1626.; Overall, John, 1560-1619.; Church of England. Thirty-nine Articles.	1700 (1700)	Wing E587; ESTC R1641	74,086	146

Rebellion of the Powers of our Souls that disposes us to all manner of Sins ART X. Of Free-Will THE Condition of Man after the Fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural Strength and Good Works to Faith and calling upon God Wherefore we have no Power to do Good Works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a Good Will and working with us when we have that Good Will Against this Doctrine it is Objected Obj. 1. That God commands Men to turn to him and to believe in him Zach. 1. 3. Mark 1. 15. and in many other places to perform all Works of Piety Therefore this they can do otherwise it would be commanded to no purpose Answ. From a Precept to an Ability to perform it we can draw no Argument We can indeed do Offices of Piety and that only when we are acted and excited to them God gives what he Commands and helps what he has given without Him we cannot be good and without our selves he will not make us so Obj. 2. It is tyrannical to punish any one for not doing what he could not so much as Will or Desire Answ. He would be indeed a Tyrant that should command such things to be done as are not in Mens Power But God made Man with Abilities to fulfil his Commands And then God requires of Man Obedience to his I aw not by setting himself upon the exact fulfilling of it by his own feeble Strength but upon considering the impossibility of the thing with respect to the Powers of Nature to betake himself to Christ through whom the Faithful are able to do all things Obj. 3. If Man had not a Free-Will he would Sin necessarily and then ought not to be punished and so all Use of Exhortations Reproofs and all endeavour after Good Works would be taken away Answ. A Man without the help of Grace sins necessarily whosoever is under this necessity it is his Fault for he has drawn this necessity of sinning upon himself and therefore is justly punished by God And then as for the Use of Exhortations that is not taken away with those that have the sufficient Assistance of God The Precepts which cannot be performed by the strength of Nature are useful in this respect that they put us in mind of our Weakness invite us to an earnest endeavour to pray and so lead us to Christ who is wont to assist the weak And these are the efficacious means that God together with his Grace makes use of in Man's Conversion that what is impossible to Nature may in this way become very easie Obj. 4. Men are called Labourers Mat. 20. 8. and Labourers together with God in the business of Salvation 1 Cor. 3. 9. Answ. Men do indeed co-operate with God by Grace not by their own Strength and therefore they are said to co-operate in respect of assisting and not of preventing Grace ART XI Of the Justification of Man by Faith WE are accounted Righteous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own Works or Deservings wherefore that we are justified by Faith only is a most wholsome Doctrine and very full of Comfort as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification Obj. 1. In this Article there seems to be a Contradiction when it is said we are accounted Righteous only for the Merit of Christ but afterward it is said this is done by Faith Answ. Here is no Contradiction at all We are only accounted Righteous by the Merit of Christ as by an impellent Cause yet this is done likewise by Faith as by an instrumental Cause whereby we obtain that Merit Obj. 2. By Justification we are restored to that State from which by the Sin of Adam we were fallen Rom. 5. 19. Since therefore we lost inherent Righteousness by Adam's Fall we recover it again by Justification Answ. We are restored by the Righteousness of Christ and partly by inherent Righteousness too The one as the most perfect is imputed for perfect Righteousness Rom. 4. But the other is too weak for us to be able to stand before God Esa. 64. 6. In the afore-cited place Rom. 5. the Word as does not determine the manner or the quality but the original Author of Righteousness Obj. 3. It is said Rom. 8. 24. By Hope we are saved Answ. By Hope is there meant Trust and so it falls in with Faith Even by Hope we are said to be saved because we are not actually possessed of Salvation but by Hope not that we are justified by any peculiar Vertue of Hope Obj. 4. Many Sins were forgiven Mary Magdalen because she loved much says the Text Luke 7. 47. therefore by Love she was Justified Answ. The Particle because does not denote any forcible cause of Justification but only a significative one for Love is a sign of Justification and is the fruit and companion of Faith but yet it has not an equal share with it in the Act of Justification Here is no Consequence her Sins were forgiven because she loved therefore Love is the cause of Forgiveness So neither does this follow A Man lives because he walks therefore walking is the cause of Life ART XII Of Good Works ALbeit that Good Works which are the fruits of Faith and follow after Justification cannot put away our Sins and endure the severity of God's Judgments yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a Tree discerned by the Fruit. Obj. 1. Many Men believe the Articles of Faith to be true that do yet lead wicked Lives therefore Good Works are not always the Fruit of Faith Answ. Such Men as always live wickedly have not justifying Faith but only the empty Profession of it Obj. 2. The Integrity of Job is described Chap. 1. 2. David asks to be judged according to his Righteousness n●y and boasts of it too Psal. 7. 8. And then we read of Zachartah and Elizabeth that they were both Righteous before God Luke 1. 6. It seems then that their Works would bear the Judgment of God Answ. A partial Perfection which is Sincerity is attributed to the Godly but not an absolute one such as is called a gradual Perfection as if they could be able to stand the severe Trial of Divine Judgment Job says he could not do so Chap. 9. 2 3. It is one thing to speak of the Righteousness of a Cause and another of a Personal Rightcousness in respect of which latter David himself confesses that he could not bear the Judgment of God Psal. 130. 3. 143. 2. Obj. 3. St. James concludes Chap. 2. 24. That a Man is justified by Works and not by Faith only Answ. St. James speaks of Justification or the proof of Justification

Will chi●fly and first of all nay in no sort is it placed in the Will that any Man when●oever he pleases m●y attain Salvation But th●t there is someti●s a sort of Power in the Will subordin●te and agreeable to Grace no body will d●ny 〈◊〉 has any regard to St. Austin Whilst we hav● 〈◊〉 says he whilst it is in our Power to do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A●d in another place sp●king of the 〈◊〉 sh● of Hell There is a gr●ter 〈◊〉 says 〈◊〉 wh●h yo● o●ght ●o f●ar and which y●u have in your own pow●r to prev●nt coming upon you The Judgment of the most R●verend and Learned Father in God Lancelot Bishop of Winchester who himself had a great part in the Affair concerning the Articles that were offered to the Assembly at Lambeth by Dr. Whitaker THE Four first Articles are about Predestination and Reprobation The one is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Depth of the Riches of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! Rom. 11. 33. the other by the Prophet A great Deep Psal. 36. 6. I in truth ingenuously confess that I have followed St. Austin's Advice Such Mysteries as I cannot unfold to admire them as they are concealed And therefore for these Sixteen Years ever since I was made Priest I have neither publickly nor privately dispu●ed about them or medled with them in my Sermons And even now I had much rather hear than speak of them my self And indeed since the Place it self is doubtful and has on both sides dangerous Precipices Since some of the Texts of St. Paul from whence commonly these Opinions are drawn are to be reckoned as St. P●ter ●serves amongst the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be understood And since there 〈◊〉 many amongst the Clergy who are ab● 〈◊〉 such Matters with that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they ought and few a●g 〈◊〉 ●ople 〈◊〉 ●re 〈◊〉 proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●hings I should advis● if it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing might be said on either side 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might not every wh● be so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●lly managed as it is w●t to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better Purpo●e to teach 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●nly the way to Salvation in things manifestly relating to a Holy and a well-govern'd Life than to trouble their Heads with the Secrets of Providence and the hidden things of God whereas an over-curious Inquiry into these things does but turn Peoples Heads and make them break out into Enthusiastick Frensies and scarce ever tend to the Edification of strait and narrow Dispositions However being asked to give my Opinion concerning these Articles and that by your Lordship too whom it is my Duty to obey I answer thus in short To the First wherein Pred●stination is ass●ted That God in his Eternal whether you will call it ●ore-knowledge or Knowledge whereby he sees things which are not as though they were has predestinated some and reprobated others is I think without all manner of doubt The Words of Scripture are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Foundation of the World i e. God has chosen us from all l●ternity and when he had chosen did predestinate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 4 5. Now it was out of the World that ●e hath chosen us John 15. 19. And therefore he has not chosen All Men in the World but only Some otherwise it could not ●e called Election But then those whom he hath not chosen supposing him to approve of his Choice as the Nature of Election bears he hath reprobated And for this the Scripture use the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to c●t away Rom. 11. 2. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reject or reprobate Heb. 12. 15. There ●ms to be almost the same Reason for Reprobation as for Election for one as for the other And if this do not appear plain enough I would add That some are predestinated one way namely by Christ and others ●e reprobated another namely for their Sins To the Second Article wherein the Cause of Predestination is explained The Word of God by the Prophet is most true That in me only is thy Help i. e. Help is to be had from none but me and from me you can have nothing else but Help As also that of the Apostle Who is it that maketh thee to differ from another i. e. from God alone we have whatsoever makes us to differ from others But yet concerning that Expression the sole good will and Pleasure of God it may be asked 1. Whether it includes or excludes Christ i. e. whether the Act of Predestinating be an absolute or a relative Act. As to my self I think it to be relative and that there is no good Pleasure of God towards Men but by his Son in whom he is well pleased nor that any one is predestinated either before or without the Direction and Approbation of Christ. But as the Scripture has it Christ was first fore-known 1 Pet. 1. 2. and then we in him Rom. 8. 29 Christ was first predestinated Rom. 1. 4. and then we by him Eph. 1. 5. Now we are not as some imagine in the first place elected and Christ afterwards and for our Sakes For it were impossible for us to be predestinated into the Adoption of Sons but by a natural Son neither could we be 〈◊〉 to be ●formable to the Image of his Son as the Scripture speaks unless the Son were first appointed to whose Image we are to be conformed Wherefore to this Article likewise I would choose to add The good Pleasure of God in Christ And then in the second Place it may be asked likewise whether this sole Will and good Pleasure includes or excludes the Fore-knowledge of God I can by no means think that these Two things viz. to sore-know and to pred●stinate are to be separated but we should rather as the Aposties do joyn them together But in this neither dare I give my Opinion rashly or condemn the Fathers who almost All do assert that we are both elected and predestinated according to a Faith foreseen which also Beza himself confesses saying That the Fathers are by no Upon 〈◊〉 of Rom. ver 2 Edit 2. m●ns in this Matter to ●e regarded who refer it all to a 〈◊〉 In which notwithstanding I should think that they spoke rather concerning the Series and Order that God made use of in the Act of Predestination than of the real Cause of it Which Order some dispose one way and some another according to their different Apprehensions But the Fathers seem to me to have thought thus That there was no Election but what was disposed in this following manner 1. That God loveth Christ and then loves us in Christ as also the Apostle says Eph. 1. 6 That God hath accepted us in the Beloved 2. Those that are thus accepted he does endue with Grace and Faith 3. Those that are so endued and thereby distinguished from the rest he does elect And 4. The Elect he does predestinate Most certainly the

Nature of Election supposes that there is some Difference betwixt him that is elected and him that is rejected So Occum●nias has it from the Opinion of the Greek Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 E●tion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●om one Pag. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for no body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 ●pt th● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 di●rence b●n 〈◊〉 So likewise St. A●ia 〈◊〉 Simpl. 1. 2 E●on does no● pr●de Justification namely foreseen but 〈◊〉 ●des Election For no body is elected unless he be already at some distance from him that is 〈◊〉 whence is that Saying That God hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Foundation of the World But I do not see how that can be said but by a Fore-knowledge And thus also the School-men Predestination saith Tho. A●u pre-s●pposes Election and El●ction Love Namely Thom. 〈◊〉 Q. 23. Art 4. first God made them sit to be chosen and then he chose them he loved them that he might give and he loved what he gave And this likewise seems to be the Opinion of the most Reverend Archbishop of York whose Words are these What was it that God loved in Jacob from all Eternity when he had as yet done no Good without doubt it was something of his own that he wa● about to give him It is plain the Apostle does not sear to joyn together in this Business his own Purpose and 2 Tim 1. 9. Grace given and that from all Eternity whereas that Grace given could not be but in Fore-knowledge that is with the Eternal Purpose of God who foresaw that very Grace which he would give before the beginning of the World Nor do I think there is any Inconvenience sollows from hence That God should so choose to bestow his Gifts in us as to crown us with what he gives Namely What by first loving us he gave with the same after it was so given he did elect us So that Love which is an Act of Grace whereby God makes a difference as well as Election which is an Act of Judgment whereby he chooses those that are so distinguished are both 〈◊〉 And thus Election will remain For that Order which the M●derns make use of perfectly takes away all Election whereby God is made to de●l with Men considered under no 〈◊〉 nor any way distinguished by his Gifts but by a first and absolute Act at one and the same time to predestinate some to Salvation and others to everlasting Destruction After such a Decree as this I do not understand what room there can be for Election or how that Decree it self can be called Election But this whole Question as I have said is rather concerning the Order in which God proceeds according to our Capacity who know only in part than of the Cause of it as to the Act it self which is one and that most simple in God Or if it be about the Cause it must not be understood of the Cause of a first and absolute Act but of the Cause in respect to its entire Effect as they speak in Predestination It is ask'd again Whether this be an integral Act according to our Conception consisting of various Actions or whether it be that one single Act only And if there be many and various ones What is the Order and Series of them Predestination which must be joyned with Foreknowledge supposes likewise good Works St. Austin of Predestination of the Saints chap 10. The Elect before the Foundation of the World are under that Pred●stination whereby God fore-knows his own Facts that ar● to come chap. 17. Again Dare any one say that God do● not fore-know 〈◊〉 to whom he will grant Faith to 〈◊〉 Of Perseverance 14. Again 〈◊〉 on 〈◊〉 Go● 〈◊〉 ●is Gif● without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●t he should bestow th●m and in hi●●e-knowledge 〈◊〉 accordingly chap. 17. and fol. 23. If there be no such 〈◊〉 as we d●fend M●n are not fore-known by God but they are foreknown c. These Gifts therefore which the Church does and always did ask of God thos● God fore-know that he should give to those that are c●lled as in Predestination it self he had already given them To the Third concerning a certain Number They are St. Austin's very Words Chapter 8. de Cor. Gra. The Number of those who are predestinated is so certain that none can be added to or taken away from them And so saith St Ambrose De Voc. lib. 2. cap. ult The Fore-knowledge of God which cannot be deceived has lost nothing of the fulness of the Members of the Body of Christ neither by any Loss can the great Things fore-known and preelected from all Eternity in Christ be diminished For there is nothing so certain as that the Knowledge of God is most sure and cannot be deceived for the Lord knoweth those that are his To the Fourth He that is not found written in the Book of Life i. e. Predestinated shall be cast into the Lake of Fire says St. John Rev. 20. Verse the last i. e. shall be damned And that he will be damned for his Sins no body will deny and that necessarily if you will give me leave to say so not by an absolute but a conditional Necessity That is as the Article it self explains it because of their Sins It is because they have sinned and not because they are not predestinated Though at the same time I think we ought to avoid making use of the Terms Necessity and Necessarily which the Fathers and Schoolmen have carefully done and to substitute in their room Certainly or without doubt for we must avoid as much as may be all new Terms and Phrases To the Fifth Concerning the losing of Faith and the Spirit I suppose no body ever said That Faith may finally fail in those that are elected for that to be sure it does not But that it does not fail is not I think from its own but from the Nature of its Subject from the Privilege of the Person and not of the Thing And this by reason of Apostates who ought not to be blamed for falling from that Faith which was never true and lively But now whether the Holy Ghost may not for a time be taken away I think it is not yet decided and I confess I am in some doubt my self Concerning Faith the Apostle says Thou standest by Faith 〈◊〉 not h●h-minded but fear otherwise thou also shalt be cut off Would not this be an ironical Precept if he could not fall off Therefore consider these following Texts 1. Beware ●rst ye also being led away with the Error of the 〈◊〉 f●ll from yo●r o●n 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 3. 17. 2. Take heed that ye sail not of the Grace of God ●or you that are under the Law are fallen from Grace Gal. 5. 4. 3. Ta●e not thy Holy Spirit from me Psal. ●1 13. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Would not all these be Ironical Precepts and Speeches if we could in no sort fall off from the stedfastness of Faith or from Grace if the