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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

Vertue nor the Common-wealth The thing at last ended thus That the Archbishop should beg Pardon for what had been done so unadvisedly and ●ould promise to write to Cambridge to hinder these 〈◊〉 Ar● fro● being any further published or sprea●●road which also he did But a long while after as it seems there was a Copy found a●ongst W●itaker's Papers whereby at length this Work was made publick against the consent of the Authors After these Articles were made Baron continued both in his Professorship and in his Opinion but Whitaker died a few days after the Assembly at Lambeth At length Baron his Three Years being out for by the way according to the ancient Insti●ution the Professors were to continue in that Lecture but Three Years quitted his Office and retired to his private Studies After these two between whom the Contention arose Dr. Jo● Ove● a most I earned Man was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He sollow●d that way of ●aking which determ●nes That sufficient Grac● is offered to every Man and that Christ died 〈◊〉 All. In every good th●g Grace does opera●e first and then in the next ●lace Free-Will informed and a●tuated by Grace Grace that Grace does operate in an 〈◊〉 manner and that not by binding up Men after a natural way to particular Actions 〈◊〉 Tha● justisying Grace is not consistent with deadly Sins before actual Repent● As to that ob●ure Controversie about Predestination he behaved himself so as to condemn neither the former nor the latter Opinion of St. Austin as thinking there was no great matter of difference between them especially since St. Austin himself has said after the Dispute arose betwixt him and Pel●ins that he had the same Thoughts then as he formerly had when he opposed the Manici●s and that now he had not so much changed his O●ion as his way of Speaking What happen'd afterwards under the Reign of King J●mes the First First 〈◊〉 1603. may be seen in Dr. 〈◊〉 Book 〈◊〉 about that Matter For there Dr. Reynolds with the rest that opposed the Bishops amongst other things which they thought did mightily tend to the puri●y of the Church of England they requested this also that the Lambeth Articles might be put into the Confession But King James would not grant their Request thinking that such sort of Desinitions did not tend to the Peace of the Church The Articles of Predestination and the Heads adjoyning proposed at Lambeth by Dr. Whitaker I. GOD has from all Eternity predestinated s●e to Life and reprobated some to De●h II. The effi●ient Cause of Predestination is not a Fore●ght of Faith or Perseverance or good Works or of an other thing that is in ●he Person predestinated but it is the sole absolute and simple Will of God III. Of those that are Predestinated there is a determinate and certain Number which can neither be increased nor 〈◊〉 IV. Those who are not predestinated to Salvation shall of necessity be condemned for their Sins V. A true lively and justifying Faith and the sanctifying Spirit of God is neither extinguished nor lost nor does it depart from those that have been once partakers of it either totally or finally VI. A truly faithful Man that is one that is indued with justifying Faith is certain with a certainty of Faith of the forgiveness of his Sins and of his eternal Salvation by Christ. VII Grace sufficient to Salvation is not afforded communicated or granted to ail Men whereby they may be saved if they will VIII No Man can come to Christ unless it be given him and unless the Father draw him and all Men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come to the Son IX It is not put in the Will or Power of every Man to be saved All these Propositions are either plainly inserted in the Book of Articles and were always approved of in our Church or else they may by a necessary Consequence be drawn and collected from the Articles The Articles proposed at Lambeth as they were drawn up by the Reverend Dr. Whitaker in his own Hand writing and presented to the Bishops and other Divines at Lambeth The Articles proposed at Lambeth as they were drawn up by the Bishops and other Divines and of the sense wherein they were admitted and approved of I. GOD has from all Eternity predestinated some to Life and reprobated some to Death I. THis Article was admitted in the same words for if by the first some be meant Believers and by the second some Unbelievers Here is no occasion of Contention but it is a very true Article II. The efficient Cause of Predestination is not a foresight of 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 or good Works or of any other thing that is in the Persons predestinated But it is the sole absolute and simple Will of God II. The moving or ef● Cause of Pred●tion to Life is not a foresight of F●h or 〈◊〉 or Good Works or of any other thing that is in the Persons Predestinated but it is the sole Will of God that is well pleased In this second Article there was added by the Lambeth Divines 1. moving 2. to Life 3. The sole absolute and simple Will of God is changed into The sole Will of God that is well-pleased and that not without good reason For the moving Cause of Predestination to Life is not Faith but the Merit of Christ since God designed Salvation for those that are to be saved not for their Faith but for the sake of Christ. The word moving agrees properly to Merit and Merit is in the Obedience of Christ and not in our Faith These words to Life are added because altho a foresight of Infidelity and Impenitency be the Cause of Predestination to Death and so likewise of any thing else which is in the Persons predestinated to Death yet there is no Cause of Predestination to Life but the sole Good-Will and Pleasure of God according to that of St. Austin The Cause of Predestination is sought for and not found but the Cause of Reprobation is sought for and sound too The absolute and simple Will of God signifies something more than the sole Will of God that is well-pleased For the Will of God well-pleased is Conditional God would have us to do well if we would not be wanting to his Grace and it has pleased God to sa● all Men if they would believe III. Of those that are Predestinated there is a determinate and certain number which can neither be increased nor 〈◊〉 III. In this Article there is nothing changed for it is most 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be understood 〈◊〉 Fore-knowledge 〈◊〉 which is never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for neither 〈◊〉 nor sewer can be sav● than those whom G● did foreknow IV. Those who are not predestinated to Salvation shall of necessity be condemned for their Sins In this Article there is nothing changed for it is most true God having determined not to forgive Sins but to such as believe But if you would so interpret this and the former Article

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