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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

Obj. 1. No body can give what he has not But wicked Ministers have not Grace and Forgiveness of Sins and therefore they can●t effectually administer the Sacraments whereby they are obtained Answ. A minister does not give Heav●y Gifts effectually as the principal efficient Cause but as the instrumental one Now the Effect ought not to be like the Instrument but the first Cause Besides he does not properly give the same Gifts but only the external Signs of them Hence God is said t● circumcise t●e Heart Deut. 3. 6. And Christ b●ptized with the Holy G●st but Jo●n with Water Mat. 3. 11. Obj. 2. God said to ●e Wicked or Ungodly M●n What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy Mouth seeing th●n hatest Instruction and cas●est my Words behind thee Psal. 50 16 17 And since God would not have wicked M●n administer Holy Things methinks 〈◊〉 Ministry s●uld be unprofitable Answ. This 50th Psalm does not speak peculiarly of Ministers but of the People of the Jews whom God chastised because they had his Law always in their Mouths and were very frequent in their Sacrifices and yet lead wicked Lives and this sort of Worship it is that is there spoken against But if the Place be applied to Ministers it may be said that the Ministry of one that leads a wicked Life is not acceptable to God in respect to the Person that administers but yet it may be efficacious and profitable in respect to the Hearers Obj. 3. A Man that is overtaken in a Fault is to be res●ored by the Spirit of Meekness Gal. 6. 1. Much more then ought a Minister in respect to his Person therefore he ought not to be chastised and deposed Answ. Wicked Ministers are to be often warned but if they will not at all obey these Admonitions they may and ought then to be deposed ART XXVII Of Baptism BAptism is not only a Sign of Profession and Mark of Difference whereby Christian Men are discerned from others that be not Christened but it is also a Sign of Regeneration or New Birth whereby as by an Instrument they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church The Promises o● the Forgiveness of Sin and of our Adoption to be the Sons of God by the Holy Ghost are visibly signed and sealed● Faith is confirmed and Grace encreased by Vertue of Prayer unto God The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be retained in the Church as most agreeable with the Institution of Christ. Obj. 1. God confers Grace whereby Men are grafted into the Church and there were some that were Members of the Church before their Baptism namely The Treasurer to Queen Candace Acts 8. Cornelins the Centurien Acts 10. 〈◊〉 even by their good Works shewed that t●ey were regenerate and for this Reason Baptism is not the only Sign of Regeneration nor is it o●ing solely to that that Men are grafted into the Church Answ. Although God be the principal Cause of Salvation yet this does not hinder but that Baptism may be the Means that God may make use of in bestowing Salvation And then Baptism in Infants is their first Entrance into the Church though it be not so in Persons grown up as in the Examples that are alledged But ye● Baptism is not without its Benefit even in Persons grown up inasmuch as it confirms their Faith It is true Good Works did testifie that there were many Believers but they did not so 〈◊〉 do it as publick Baptism in the Church Obj. 2. The Promises of God are most sure in themselves and do not need any Confirmation by the Sacraments Answ. The Promises of God are indeed most sure in themselves but in respect to us they do want Confirmation Obj. 3. It is the Holy Ghost that fixes in our Minds the Certainty of the Divine Promises Answ. The Holy Ghost gives us Assurance but it is by the Mediation of the Word and Sacraments Obj 4. The Faith of the Gospel which is preached to us does exclude all manner of doubtting and therefore does not need any Confirmation by the Sacraments Answ. The Faith which we preach does exclude all doubt in respect of the Object but not in respect of the Subject We know that Christ is Omnipotent and Faithful although we our selves be weak We know that a weak Faith may be true but yet that which is less liable to doubting is more perfect And then we cannot doubt that Men by Baptism and other Means may still obtain a greater measure of Faith Obj. 5. Infants are not to be baptized because Christ commands us first to teach and then baptize Mat. 28. 19. But Infants cannot be taught Ans. That place is to be understood of such Persons as are grown up that are capable of Learning and no● of Infants Besides the Word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does not properly signifie to teach but to make Disciples and this may be spoken of Infants The Children of the Jews were without any appointment circumcised and the same Reason holds for baptizing Christian Infants Obj 6. T●se who believe not are to be with-held from Baptism but Infants do not believe because they have no Knowledge of Good or Evil Deut. 1. 39. Answ. All these places relate to Persons grown up And then besides the Faith of Parents is though● sufficient for their Children why may not the Faith of another as well be sufficient to them as the Sin of another be imputed to them ART XXVIII Of the Lord's Supper THE Supper of the Lord is not only a Sign of the Love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another But rather it is a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christ's Death Insomuch that to such as rightly worthily and wi●h Faith receive the same the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ And likewise the Cup of Blessing is a partak● of the Blood of Christ. Transubstantiation ●r ●he Change of the Substance of Bread and W●e in the Supper of the Lord cannot b● proved by Holy Writ but it is r●pugnant to the plain Words of Scripture ●verthroweth the Nature of a Sacrament and has given occasion to many Superstitions The Body of Christ is given taken and eaten in the Supper only after a Heavenly and Spiritual manner And the Mean whereby the Body of Christ i● received and eaten in the Supper is Faith The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's Ordinance reserved carryed about li●ted up or worshipped Obj. 1. Transubstantiation is f●unded on the very Wo●ds of the Institution Mat. 26. 26. and these must signifie a true c●ange of the Bread and Wine Answ. In the Holy Supper there is not a Substantial but a Sacramental Change Obj. 2. The same thing which was exhibited by Christ to his Disciples to be eaten and drank was given and s●ed for us for the Remissi●n of our Sins But i● was

the Faith of Man and from thence Salvation is to follow conditionally That the Son was so given that whosoever believeth in him shall be saved But whether Men believe or not God gave his Son for them and through him offered Salvation on the Condition of Faith Now that Men should perform this Condition God does both command in his Word and by the Grace of his Holy Spirit does actually excite and co-operate So that if they do not believe the Fault may be in Men and not in God As on the contrary if they do believe that must be attributed to Divine Grace and not to any Humane Virtue Whence it is pla● that it was God's Will and Design that Christ should die for All though All through their own Unbelief and Impenitency do not from thence receive the Fruits of Salvation But then there are some Effects of this that do redound to All as the Common Vocation The Warnings and Encouragements not only of the External VVord but of Internal Grace too And lastly the General Resurrection of All. For because Christ by his Death and Resurrection did overcome Death and rose again therefore shall all Men likewise rise again from the Dead as the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 15. 22. As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive For the same Reason has Christ obtained to himself a Dominion over all Men because he dyed for All As St. Paul has abundantly shown VVhich Rom. 14. 9. 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Places as they sufficiently prove that Christ died singly for All so they signifie to us that both the general Promises of Salvation to all Believers with whatsoever is sufficient for common Grace and also the Purpose of particular Election and Grace effectually persevering nay and the Preparation and Foreknowledge of these are all founded in the same Christ and in his Death fore-seen from all Eternity So that out of the side of Christ's dying upon the Cross not only the Sacraments of the Church but likewise all saving Goods and Graces must be understood to flow And this Opinion is so manifest in the Scriptures that Calvin who was otherwise sufficiently rigid about Predestination in explaining those very places which others brought to take away the Universality of Christ's Death as in some 't is said that he dyed for Many has every where interpreted them of All. Thus upon Heb. 9. 20. he says that Many is taken for All. So again upon Rom. 5. 18 19. It is certain says he that all Men do not receive Advantage from the Death of Christ but then this is owing to their own Infidelity that hinders them VVhich VVords do plainly enough favour the common Opinion Therefore it must not be said that this which is so clear in it self that Christ dyed for All ought to be explained from an extravagant and rigid Conception of Secret Predestination but we are rather to interpret that Secret by a thing which is plain in it self that so it may be truly consistent with what was rightly enough delivered in a common Saying of the Schools That Christ dyed for All sufficiently For the● Elect and Believers effectually Had they not corrupted their meaning by the following Hypothesis The Death of Christ had been sufficient for All if God and Christ had so intended CHAP. III. and IV. Concerning Free-Will and the Co-operation of Grace THE Desinition of our Church concerning Free-Will and Grace is short being set down in the Tenth Article in these VVords The Condition of Man after the Fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself c. In which VVords both Merit and Strength towards any Spiritual Good are denied to Man in a fallen or sinful State i. e. He cannot turn and prepare himself for Faith and Calling upon God c. Where notwithstanding it is supposed in the first place that Man in Natural and Civil Matters has a Free-VVill and does exercise his own Natural Strength and even Good VVorks in that kind with which yet he cannot turn and prepare himself to Faith and a Spiritual Good 2. The necessity of Grace for the doing VVorks of Piety is shown because without the Grace of God we are not at all able to do such VVorks VVhere also we may learn by the way that the Grace of God being supposed we can and are able to do something towards VVorks of Piety 3. From thence we understand how this Grace is given and whence it is to be had i. e. By the Grace of God which is by Christ. 4. We may learn likewise how Grace operates viz. By preventing us that we may will and by co-operating with us when we do will Now Grace prevents us that we may will by enlightning the Mind inspiring the Will injecting pious Thoughts and good Desires and by seasoning the Heart with Zeal and the Affections of Faith Therefore of our selves we do not do a good VVork either because we do not know what is Good or the Good does not delight us So St. Austin explains this Matter Ignorance and Infirmity says he are Vices which hinder the VVill from moving towards any good VVork or abstaining from an ill one Now that we may come to know what we were ignorant of and that that may be made sweet which before did not delight the Grace of God is necessary to help and assist the VVills of Men and if they be not helped hereby the Fault is in themselves and not in God And then Grace co-operates with us not only by concurring but also by directing and protecting by strengthning and helping of us for our Endeavours to Good are nothing if they be not excited by preventing Grace and they are vain if they be not assisted by co-operating Grace as Bernard saith De Gratia lib. Arb. Nevertheless in both these Acts of Grace Free-will is not taken away but perfected For as the same Bernard says Ep. 46. ad Valentinum If there be no Free-Will there is nothing to be saved and if there be no Grace there is no Salvation And so St. Austin If there be no Free-Will how shall God judge the World and if there be no Grace how shall he save it Add to this that of St. Prosper If the Will be taken away where is Lib. 1. ca. 1. De Vocatione Gentium the very Original of true Vertues If Grace be taken away where is the very Cause of Good Works In all which there is not one Word of the Operation of irresistible Grace For although Grace may very often work certainly and infallibly where it operates according to the purpose of eternal Election and though it be certain that the Decree of attaining the End proposed stands good supposing the Divine Preparation and Fore-knowledge Yet herein it does not operate by any irresistible Force the Liberty of the Will being preserved even under the Aids of Grace So likewise in many other things preventing Grace being supposed it has an Event