of Godfry Goodman Bishop of Gloucester was accused of it in Court and Convocation and declared and professed it by his last Will and Testament as Dr. Heylin shews in his Cypr. Angl. l. 4. p. 416. 'T is said of Dr. Theodore Price Bishop of that though he lived like an Atheist yet he died like a Papist Prin ' s Epistle to K. Châ—r I before his Quench-coal p. 42. England be so absolutely directly and cordially Papists that it is all that 1500 l. per Ann can do to keep them from confessing it This and much more may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Cypr. Angl. l. 4. p 392 408. Doth not A. B. Laud p. 36. of his commended Relation of his Conference with Fisher say thus The Church of Rome and Protestants set not up a different Religion And doth not Dean Potter iâ— Charity mistaken p 62 say thus That the most necessary and fundamental Truths which constitute a Church are on both sides unquestioned by fundamental points of faith we understand these prime and capital Doctrines of Religion which * But what are those a Bishop and a people or a Pope and the multitude of Professors of Christianity as Bishop Sparrow intimates in his Rationale upon the Common-prayer Book p. 89. Bishops Curates and people committed to their charge make up a Church make up the holy Catholick Church But did not the Church of England before A. B. Laud altered the Prayer for the Fifth of November say That Papists Religion is Rebellion and A. B. Laud held that Bishops are essential to the being of a Church as Heylin shews in his Cypr. Anglic. l. 1. p. 54. l. 4. p. 400 401. their faith is faction Which cannot be said of Protestants Religion or Faith truly without great slander though Dr. Heylin as they say most wickedly standers all the first restorers of the Reformed Religion with it Doth not the Church of Rome hold such points of faith as do destroy the foundation and those not only questioned but denied by real Protestants Doth not the Church of Rome hold this Doctrine as a point of faith for denying or not believing of which they have put many thousands of Protestants to death viz. That the body and blood together with the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ is truly really and substantially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and that there is made a turning of the whole substance of the bread into his body and of the whole substance of the wine into his blood which turning the Catholick Church as they falsly call themselves doth call Transubstantiation If this be denied see the 18th Article of their Religion set down in the 14th Article of this Book And doth not our Vide Bull Pii 4 bound up with the Council of Trent super forma juramenti professionis sidei Church of England hold the truth in this point against the Church of Rome that this their Doctrine is false and doth destroy the humane Nature of Christ and consequently destroy all the Articles of our Creed which concern Jesus Christs humane nature and consequently our Salvation And is not this a fundamental point of faith that true believers persons are justified before God by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and applied by faith alone Is it not the main drift of the Apostle to prove and settle the Romans and Galatians in this truth That believers persons are not justified before God by their own good works even of that Law of which câ—meth the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledg of sin Yea doth not the Apostle say that if he shall teach justification of our persons before God by our own good works he should frustrate the grace of God that is overthrow the Gosâ—el of Jesus Christ for if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. 21. And could these great Grandees who imposed and took subscription to the Book of Homilies upon and from others be ignorant of what the Church of England holds therein especially this Whosoever denieth this Doctrine THAT FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIETH is not to be accounted a Christian man nor a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory that 't were the greatest arrogance and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and purge his own sin and justifie himself Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 16 17. Now because some of our English conforming Divines have by their Preachings and Writings said that most of these ensuing false Doctrines I Heylin in his Introduction to his Cypr. Angl. p. 36. S. 36. have renounced all which the Church of Rome holdeth and maintaineth are the Doctrines of the Church of England and thereby induced many persons to believe and allow them I have to prevent the growing mischief of this grand deceit and to vindicate the Church of England from these calumnies and to inform the ignorant and inconsiderate that have subscribed assented and consented to the Articles of Religion and Homilies of the Church of England but never throughly read and considered them spent as much of my time with my pen as could be spared from my fork and rake this Harvest whiles many great Conformists to the Ceremonies and Government enjoy their Plurality of Benefices besides their great dignities but labour not in the Word and Doctrine much less preach or write against these gross Popish Doctrines but rather preach or print them to the great dishonour of God especially of Jesus Christ the increase of Popery and Atheism and the great grief of those godly Christians that are Protestants indeed and in truth as well as in profession Antichrist professeth the Creed as well as these men yet by his superinduced Doctrines and practices he overtbrows it So these men of long Name may profess subscribe and assent to the Doctrine of the Church of England and yet by superinduced Doctrines contradict and destroy it for they give not an internal assent to it as was observed before out of Mr. Fowler ' s Free Discourse p. 305. And whether those men do not play the Hypocrites lâ—t the world judg The Pope of Rome in divâ—ding Rome unto 25 Priests the fatal squarâ—-root of the number of the Beast 666 laid the foundation of his Iâ—olatrous and tyrannous Kingdom long before his Supremacy was perfected yea claimed He arose out of the earth as grass by little and little insensibly so possibly may a Pontifex Maximus with such a number of such Priests in time â—o elsewhere especially if rulers and ruled are willing to be ridden by them Of all Beasts tâ—e two horned Beast is the most dangerous to be ridden by next that which is most like him as
aversion from that which is good materially 't is an inclination to that whiâ—h is morally evil There is in the will of man 1. an impotency to that which is spiritually good as the understanding of a meer natural man cannot rightly think of any thing that is spiritually good so the will of a meer natural man cannot rightly of it self will any thing that is spiritually good 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we â—â— sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our â—â—ciency is of God Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in us both to 〈◊〉 and to do of his own good pleasure 2. A proneness only to that whicâ— is evil Gen. 6. 5. God saw that the wickedness of man was great in 〈◊〉 eâ—rth and that every imagination of the thoughts or purposes or desireâ—â— his heart was only evil continually 3. Aversness from that whiâ—â— is good Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for 't is 〈◊〉 subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Read Rom. 3. 10 11 12. Ephes 2. 1 2 3 5. We are all dead in trespasses and sins and 〈◊〉 by nature the children of wrath by nature not pure but corrupt aâ—â— that corrupted by Original sin That which is born of the flesh 〈◊〉 flesh John 3. 6. and who can bring a clean thing out of an uncâ—â— Job 14. 4. Now Papists grant that original sin imputed is pâ—â—perly a sin but inherent they say is not properly a sin Pelagâ—â— that old Heretick was the Father and the Popish Arminian aâ—â— Semi-pelagian Divines are the 〈◊〉 and followers of it Beâ—â—mine T. 4. l. 2. de peccato c. 3. saâ—â— from Jam. 1. Quod 〈◊〉 Jacobo in illo 〈◊〉 Bellar. l. 5. de amissione gratiae c. 3. 9. c. 10. Peccatum inhabitans Rom. 7. non nisi improprie dicitur peccatum non vocatur peccatum illud non est peccatum quod parit peccatum non est peccatum And Dr. Jeremy Taylor one 〈◊〉 Archbishop Lauds Chaplains late â—â—shop in Ireland in his further Exâ—â—nation of original sin saith expresly thus That original sin is not our sin properly not inherent in us but is only imputed so as to bring evil effects upon us for that which is inherent in 〈◊〉 is a consequent only of Adams sin but of it self no sin for theâ—â— being but two things the constituent parts of original sin the want of original righteousness and concupiscence neither of these caâ— So Pelagius and Arminius picad be a sin in us but a punishment 〈◊〉 Adams sin they may be P. 459. And p. 475. of the same book he saith That original sin is 〈◊〉 an inherent evil not a sin properly but metâ—nimically that is it is the effect of one sin and the cause of many a stain not a sin it doth not damn any infant to eternal pains of hell And p. 474. he saith thus And since no Church did ever in join tâ— any Catechumen any penance or repentance for original sin iâ— sâ—â—ms horrible and unreasonable that any man can be damneâ— for that for which no man is bound to repent But Sir is that only properly sin for which the Church injoins penance Did the Jews injoin any penance for Poligamy and doth the Christian Church injoin penance for inward sins is not the 19th Commandment made void by this Doctrine did not King David 〈◊〉 51. 5. and St. Paul Rom. 7. confess their original sin or was King Davids and St. Pauls Confession one of your Brother Dr. Haâ—â—onds free-will offerings commended even to meriting And I pray read there his Explanation of the 9th Article of the Church of England and then judg whether that of Knot the Jesuit be not true Preface to Charity maintained Sec. 2. Heylins Cypr. Anglicus l. 4. p. 252 253. viz. That the Doctrine of the Church of England began to be altered in many things for which our Progenitors forsook the Roman Church for example it is said that the Pope is not Antichrist prayer for the dead is allowed Limbus patrum it is maintained that the Church hath authority in determining controversies of faith and to interpret Scriptures about free-will predestination universal grace that all our works before effectual vocation are not sins merit of good works inherent righteousness faith alone doth not justifie Traditions Commandments possible to be kept your Thirty nine Articles are patient nay ambitious of some sense in which they may seem Catholick for Dr. Heylin in his Cyprianus Anglicus lib. 4. p. 252. alledgeth much of this charge of Knot as a commendation of our Church and upon the 20th and 34th Articles he saith That more power than this the Church of Rome did never challenge and less than this was not reserved unto it self by the Church of England in his Introduction to his Cyprianus Anglicus p. 20 21. where he saith That in the year 1571. the Articles agreed upon in the year 1562. were re-printed and this clause the Church hath power to decree Rites and Ceremonies and also in controversies of Faith as he saiâ—h was left out by the power of the Genevian * That was the Parliament that that year confirmed the Articlâ—s to which alone subscription was injoined yet Heylin saith it left out the Prayer against the Pope out of the Letany faction if it were not for the Genevian-faction your faction would soon bring us all to Rome but the times bettering and the Governors of the Church taking notice thereof there was care taken 't is believed 〈◊〉 A. B. Land as Mr. Prin and Burton discovered that the said â—â— should be restored unto its place in all following impressions of that â—â— but if it may be said to be restored to its place 't is wondred 〈◊〉 Dr. â—â—ocket Warden of All-Sâ—â— Colledge and Chaplain to A. B. â—â—bot Heylins Cyp. Angl. l 1. p. 76. And 't is left out of the Articles of Ireland 1615 which were allowed by King James should forget to put it into thâ—â— 20th Article when he made his book in Latin intituled De politia Ecoleâ—â— Anglicanae in which he set down all our Liturgy the 39 Articles of Religion the book of Ordination of Priests and Deacons and Consecraâ—ion of Bishops c. I say if it had been in the Article 〈◊〉 very strange that a man of his learning and integrity and pâ—â— and expectation too should leave it out but you see 't is put in 〈◊〉 you may well guess by whom and to what purpose by what 〈◊〉 Heylin saith of it it reserved or rather restored to it self as much power as the Church of Rome ever challenged which Knot the Jesuit observed That their Churches as the Jesuit goes on â—â—ginning to look with a new face their walls to speak a new language that men in talk and wriâ—ing use willingly the once fearful names of Priests and Altar and are now put in mind that for exposition of Scripture they are
Religion he caused by his Commandments every where that no man should be persecuted for serving of God He a Gentile and heathen man would not have such as were of a contrary Religion punished for serving of God but the Pope and his Church hath cast you into prison being taken even doing the work of God and one of the excellentest works that is required of Christian men that is The Pope and his Church worse than heathens against Christs Church while ye were in prayer and not in such wicked and superstitious prayers as the Papists use but in the same prayer that Christ taught you and in his name only ye give God thanks for that ye have received and for his sake ye asked for such things as ye wâ—nt O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended while ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righteousness sake c. And a little-after he saith thus You may perceive by your imprisonment that your adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh blood and tyranny For if they were able they would maintain their WICKED RELIGION by Gods word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1412. John Rogers Martyr Divinity-Reader at Pauls called the Church of Rome the Antichristian Church Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1416. And in the same page in answer to Bishop Gardners question Whether he believed in the Sacrament to be the very body and blood of our Saviour Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary and hanged on the Cross really and substantially He said thus Even as the most part of your Doctrine in other points is false and the defence thereof only by force and cruelty so in this matter I think it to be as false as the rest For I cannot understand really * Yet our men hold that Christs body is really and substantially in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper Else they basely equivocate Vid. Dr. Laurence Court-Sermon p. 18 Bishop Mountague in his Appeal p. 289. Heylin in his History of Presbytery p. 2. Yea not only Dr. Kellet Pocklington but A. B. Laud himself say that for the presence of Christs body in that Sacrament the Altar it self as well as the Elements must be adored as I have shewed before in Article the second and substantially to signifie otherwise than corporally but corporally Christ is only in heaven and so cannot be corporally also in your Sacrament And in the next Colume of the same Page he positively affirmeth Bishop Gardners Catholick Church as he called the Church of Rome is the Antichristian false Church And in page 1417 he saith That the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist And in pag. 1419 of the same Book he saith thus If God look not mercifully upon England the seeds of utter destruction are sown in it already by these hypocritical Tyrants and Antichristian Prelates Popish Papists and double Traytors to their natural Country Mr. Laurence Sanders in his Answer to Dr. Weston's Question viz. Who was of your Church thirty years past said thus Such quoth I. as that Romish Antichrist and his rabble have reputed and condemned as Hereticks Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1422. And after his Examination standing among the Officers and seeing a great multitude He warned them of that which by their falling from Christ to Antichrist they did deserve and therefore exhorted them by repentance to rise again and to embrace Christ with strong faith to confess him to the end in the defyance of Antichrist sin death and the Devil so should they retain the Lords favour and blessing p. 1424. And in his Letter to his Wife and others of the Faithful he saith thus And although I am not May not many Nonconformists say almost the same now God now preacheth to their people and to the whole Kingdom by their silence and suffering so among you as I have been to preach to you out of the Pulpit yet doth God now preach unto you by me by this my imprisonment and captivity which now I suffer among them for Christs Gospel sake bidding them to beware of the Romish Antichristian Religion and Kingdom requiring and charging them to abide in the truth of Christ which is shortly to be sealed with the blood of their Pastors c. p. 1427. Bishop Hooper told Bishop Gardner That forasmuch as the Pope taught Doctrine altogether contrary to the Doctrine of Christ he was not worthy to be accounted as a member of Christs Church much less to be Head thereof Ibi. p. 1433. And in his Speech to the Sheriff of Gloucester he said thus I come not hither as one enforced to die for it is well known I might have had my life with worldly gain but as one willing to offer and give my life for the truth rather than to consent to the wicked and Papistical Religion of the Bishop of Rome received and set forth by the Magistrates of England to Gods high dishonour and displeasure Ibid. p. 1436. And in his Letter to Mrs. Anne Wartop he calls the Church of Rome the Synagogue of Antichrist that beareth the name of Jerusalem Ibid. p. 144â— Dr. Rowland Taylor Martyr in his Answer to his Friends that exhorted him to flie to save his life said thus What Christian man would not gladly die against the Pope and his Adherents I know that the Papacy is the Kingdom of Antichrist altogether full of lyes and falshood Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1446. And in his Answer to Bishop Gardner who exhorted him now to rise with them and receive mercy offered c. he said thus That so to rise should be the greatest fall that ever I could receive for I should so fall from my dear Saviour to Antichrist Ibid. p. 1447. And in a Letter to a Friend touching the causes of his death he saith thus That he did affirm the Pope to be Antichrist and Popery to be Antichristianity Ibid. p. 1449. Col. 2. And in his Answer to Bishop Bonner when he came to the Prison to degrade him wishing him and his fellows to turn to his Mother he said to him I would you and your fellows would turn to Christ as for me I will not turn to Antichrist Ibid. p. 1451. 1 Col. And in his Letter to his Wife he saith The Popish Mass as it is now is but one of Antichrists youngest Daughters in the which the Thomas Wats said to the 11th Article that he believed that the Bishop of Rome is a mortal enemy to Christ and his Church Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1512. Devil is rather present and received than our Saviour the second Person in Trinity God and man Ibid. p. 1455. Col. 1. Mr. Hawkes in Answer to this Question of Bishop Bonner Did you ever drink any deadly poyson saith thus The
Popes Traditions and Ceremonies pestilent deadly poyson Yea forsooth I have for I have drunken of the pestilent Traditions and ceremonies of the Bishop of Rome Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1504. Col. 1. Mr. John Bradford Martyr proveth the Church of Rome not to be a true Church but a false Church and the Pope the Head thereof to be the wicked one that is Antichrist And he tells the Bishop of York and the Bishop of Chichester That they did wickedly in coupling themselves to the Church of Rome again Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1533. col 2. And in pag. 1543 he tells the Londoners thus That in testimony of this my Faith I render and give my life being condemned as well for not acknowledging the Antichrist of Rome to be Christs Vicar General and supreme Head of his Catholick or Universal Church here or elsewhere upon Earth as for denying the horrible and Idolatrous Doctrine of Transubstantiation and Christs real corporal and carnal presence in his Supper under the forms and accidents of Bread and Wine And he saith the same in his Letier to the University and Town of Cambridg pag. 1544. And a little after in the same Letter he saith to Cambridg Dost thou not know Rome to be Babylon And in his Letter to Lancashire he saith That Transubstantiation is the dearly beloved of the Devil and the daughter and heir of Antichrists Religion c. Ibid. p. 1546. And in his Letter to a Woman that desired to know Whether she might be present at the Popish Mattins or no refraining from the Mass he saith thus This Latin Service is a plain mark of Antichrists Catholick Synagogue so that the Communicants and approvers of it thereby declare themselves to be members of the same Synagogue and so cut off from Christ and his Church whose exterior mark is the true administration of his Word and Sacraments Furthermore the example of your going thither to allow the Religion of Antichrist as doubtless you do indeed howsoever in heart you think occasioneth the obstinate to be utterly intractable the weak Papists to be more obstinate the strong Gospellers to be sore weakned and the weak Gospellers to be overthrown which things how great offences they be no pen * Yet do not many men make nothing of scandalizing their brethren now by injoining and practising the needless ceremonies of the church of Rome is able to utter by Letters Ibid. p. 1565. And in a Letter to the Lady Vane he saith That the Bishop of Rome is undoubtedly that great Antichrist of whom the Apostles do so much admonish us Ibid. p. 1565. col 1. And a little after he saith That the Bishop of Rome is a Butcher or a Bite-sheep rather than a Bishop How can we call him Christs Vicar that resisteth Christ oppugneth his verity and persecuteth his people and like a Prelate preferreth himself above God and man Ibid. p. 1566. col 1. And in his Letter to certain godly men he saith thus Therefore take heed for the Lords sake take heed and defile not your bodies or souls with this Romish and Antichristian Religion set up amongst us again but come away from as the Angel cryeth from amongst them in their Idolatrous service lest ye be partakers of their iniquity Ibid. p. 1568. col 2. And in his Letter to a godly Gentlewoman that was cast off by her Friends because she would not go to the Popish Mass he saith thus You cannot be partaker of Gods Religion and Antichrists service whereof the Mass is most principal you cannot be a member of Christs Church and of the Popes Church Ibid. p. 1570. And in his Letter to N. and his Wife he saith Now hath Antichrist all 〈◊〉 power again Ibid. p. 1571. And in his Letter with a Supplication to Queen Mary and her Council he saith thus That the Lords eyes were set to destroy England and your Highness and all your Honours if in time ye look not better to your office and duties herein and not suffer your selves to be slaves and hangmen to Antichrist and his Prelates which have brought your Highness and your Honours already to let Barnabas loose and to hang up Christ Ibid. p. 1574. John Launder Martyr in his Confession before Bishop Bonner saith That whosoever doth teach or use any more Sacraments than Baptism and the Lords-Supper or get any Ceremonies he doth not believe that they be of the Catholick Church but doth abhor them from the bottom of his heart And doth further say and believe That all the service sacrifices and ceremonies now used in this Realm of England yea in all other parts of the world which have been used after this manner be erroneous and naught and contrary to Christs institution and the determination of Christs Catholick Church whereof he believeth that he himself is a member and in this Faith he died Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1593. M. Luther * History of the Counc of Trent lib. 1. p. 76. said to the Popes Nuncio that nothing can be received from Rome compatible with the Ministry of the Gospel Derrick Carver Martyr in his answer to Bishop Bonner saith That your Ceremonies used in the Church are beggarly and poyson Ibid. p. 1594. Thomas Iveson Martyr confessed and to his death stood to this Article objected against him by Bonner That he believeth that all the ceremonies now used in this Church of England are vain superfluous superstitious and naught Ibid. p. 1595. col 1. Of the same Faith was John Denley Gentleman as may be seen in his Answer to the seventh Article Ibid. p. 1598 And the said John Denley in Answer to the third Article objected against him by Bishop Bonner said thus That I believe that this Church of England using the faith and Religion which is now used is no part or member of the aforesaid holy Catholick Church but is the Church of Antichrist the Bishop of Rome being the head thereof Ibid. p. 1597. Patrick Packingham Martyr told Bishop Bonner plainly to his face That the Church which Bonner believed was no Catholick Church but was the Church of Satan and that therefore he would never turn to it Ibid. p. 1598. col 2. Henry Laurence Martyr being required to put his hand to his Answers writ thus Ye are all of Antichrist and him ye follow Ibid. p. 1599. col 1. George Tankerfield Martyr plainly told Bishop Bonner That the Church whereof the Pope is the supreme head is no part of Christs Catholick Church Ibid. p. 1602. col 1. Mr. Robert Glover Master of Arts and Martyr plainly told the Bishop of Leichfield That the Church of God knoweth and acknowledgeth no other head but Jesus Christ the Son of God whom ye have refused and chosen the man of sin the son of terdition enemy to Christ the Devils deputy and lieutenant the Pope Ibid. p. 1616. col 1. In which place he gives six notes of Christs true Church which the Church of Rome wanteth yea
grace aâ—â— act or habit or quality inherent in us And if we be justified by the righteousness of Christ only which being out of us in him imputed to those who receive it by Faith which also * Lib. 4 5. before I invincibly proved then also it followeth by necessary consequence that we are justified by Faith only as it is the instrument or hand of the soul 〈◊〉 apprehend or receive Christ who is our righteousness wherefore where Faith is said to justifie it must of necessity be understood relatively and in respect of the object to which purpose both Justification and all other benefits which we receive by Christ are attributed to Faith as I have shewed ¶ L. 6. c. 4. Sec. 6. before Not that Faith worketh these things but because by it we receive Christ and with him aâ—â— his merits and benefits And for the same cause the Faith of all the faithful though unequal in degrees in some greater in some less is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alike precious in the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 1. which is an evidence That faith doth not justifie in respeâ—â— of its dignity or worthiness but in respect of the object which it doth receive which being the most perfect righteousness of Christ untâ— which nothing can be added is one and the same to all that receivâ—â— it Of tâ—is see more Lib. 1. c. 2. Sec 10. 4. Bishop Reynolds upon Psal 110. 4. p. 443. saith thus So theâ—â— between Christ and us there must be an unity or else there can be no imputation and therefore it is that we are said to be justified by faith and that faith is imputed for righteousness Rom. 4. 5. not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere the act of believing as if that were in se accounted righteousness as it is a work proceeding from us by grace but because it is vinculum instrumentum unionis the bond of union between us and Christ and by that means makes way to the imputation of Christs righteousness unto us And the same reverend learned and orthodox Bishop in his most excellent Treatise of the Life of Christ p. 476. saith That preciousness of faith is seen chiefly in two respects 1. In regard of the Objects and 2. In regard of the Offices of it And p. 478. he saith That the Offices which are peculiar to faith are principally these three 1. To unite to Christ and give possession of him 2. The second office wherein consisteth * P. 480. the excellency of faith is the consequent of the former namely to justifie a man for there is no man righteous in the sight of God any further than he is taken into the * I have inserted this not only because it makes way for what I have chiefly to alledg but also that those Antichristian Popish Arminian Socinian men who call themselves Protestants and the dutiful Sons of the Church of England that do not only deny but deride and scoff at union and communion with Christ which is indeed the ground of all our happiness here and hereafter may take notice of what a learned Bishop of their party in two several Treatises saith and proveth unity of Christ and into the fellowship of his merits God is alone well pleased in Christ and â—â—ll a man be a member of his body a part of his fulness he cannot a pear in Gods presence This was the reason why Christ would bave none of his bones broken or taken off from the Communion of his natural body Joh. 19 36. to note the indissoluble union which was to he between him and his mystical members So that now as in a natural body the member is certainly fast to the whole so long as the bones are firm and sound so in the mystical where the body is there must every member be too because the bones must not be broken asunder If then Christ go to heaven if he stand unblameable before Gods justice we all shall in him appear so too because his bones cannot be broken That which thus puts us into the unity of Christ must needs justifie our persons and set us right in the presence of God and this is our faith The Apostle gives two excellent reasons why our Justification should be of faith rather than of any other grace the first oâ— Gods part that it might be of grace The second on the part of the promise that the promise might be sure to all the seed Rom. 4. 16. First Justification that is by faith is of meer grace and favour no way of work or merit sor the act whereby faith justifies is an act of humility and self-dereliction a holy despair of any thing in our selves and a going to Christ a receiving a looking towards him and his all-sufficiency so that as Mary said of her self so we may say of faith the Lord hath respect unto the lowliness of his grace which is so far from looking inward for matter of Justification that it self as it is a work of the heart Tâ— credere doth not justifie but only as it is an apprehension or * This Mr. Fowler saith is false in his Free Discourse p. 129. taking hold of Christ For as the hand in the very receiving of a thing must needs first make it self empty if it be full before it must let all go erâ— it take hold of any other thing so faith being a receiving of Christ Joh. 1. 12. must needs suppose an emptiness iâ— the soul before Faith hath two properties as a hand to work and to receive when faith purifies the heart supports the drooping spirits worketh by love carries a man through afflictions and the like these are the works of faith wheâ— faith accepts of righteousness in Christ and receives him as the gift of his Fathers love when it embraceth the promises afar off Heb. 11. 13. and lays hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6. 12. this is the receiving act of faith Now faith justifies not by working * This is directly against Mr. Fowler 's Doctrine before mentioned and against Dr. Heylin's too lest the effect should not be wholly of grace but partly of grace and partly of works Ephes 2. 8 9. but by bare receiving and accepting or yielding consent to that righteousness which in regard of working was the righteousness of Christ Rom. 5. 18. and in regard of disposing imputing appropriating unto us was the righteousness of God Rom. 3. 21. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. Pag. 480 481 482. 3. The third Office of faith is to give us with Christ all things 5. I might alledg the Testimony of Luther Calvin Beza Peter Martyr Zanchy Musculus Pareus Polanus Tilenus Vrsinus Wendelinus Wollebius Festus Hominius Amesius Junius Macrobius Sharpius Piscator Threâ—â— and many more of our own Writers but those you usually answer by slighting saying they were particular men and Presbyterians or Nonconformists therefore I forbear but I
imputed to believers for Justification but that Mediatory righteousness of Christ whereby he suffered for our breach of Gods most righteous Law which deserves Gods curse Gal. 3. 13. and actively fulfilled the whole Moral Law of God for us which we were bound to do Levit. 18. 5. Gal. 3. 13. Gal. 4. 4 5. Mat. 3. 15. If a Creditor cast his debtor into prison for non-payment of such a sum of money as he owed him till he be payed the money or otherwise satisfied for his debt upon his sureties or friends coming to him and paying him all the money and he taking accepting and allowing of it as full and perfect satisfaction to him for the debt doth impute it or reckon it or put it upon his account and consequently to him as though it were paid and made by his debtor in person himself and doth therefore in manifestation thereof deliver up his bond or cross his Book and release him out of prison So 't is here Gods accepting taking and allowing of our Saviour Jesus Christs our sureties active and passive obedience for us as though actually and personally performed by us as full and perfect satisfaction to his Justice and thereupon we applying it by Faith pardoning our sins delivering of us from the curse of the Law formally punishments and eternal death doth thereby impute his obedience or righteousness to us that by Faith in Christ do make application of it to our selves Now the Minor is the express Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland Homily for Salvation p. 13 14 15 16 17. And this Justification or righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits imbraced by faith is taken * Mr. Fowler himself makes Justification and acceptance with God all one Free Disc p. 134. accepted and allowed by God for our full and perfect justification And again Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 175. Neither was it possible for us to be loosed of this debt of our own ability it pleased him that is Christ our Surety to be the payer thereof and to discharge us quit his paying our debt meritoriously discharging us quit necessarily implys that God did accept of the merits of his death and doings for us And Ibi. p. 177. Christ was obedient to his Father even to the death and this he did for us all that believe in him And such favour did he purchase for us of his heavenly Father by his death that for the merit thereof if we be true Christians indeed and not in word only we be now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sins those expressions that Christ did purchase for us Gods favour and clearly discharged us from our sins manifest it to all the world that God did accept and take and allow as full satisfaction of what Christ did for us Again Ibi. p. 187 188. Christ by his own oblation and once offering himself upon the Cross hath taken away our sins and restored us again into Gods favour so fully and perfectly that no other sacrifice for sin shall hereafter be requisite or needful in all the world And in the 34th Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland they say thus We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jâ—sus Christ applied by Faith and not for our own works or merits And this righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits imbraced by Faith is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfect and full Justification And in 35th Article they say thus And whereas all the world was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their ransome it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite mercy without any desert of ours to provide for us the most precious merits of his own Son whereby our ransome might be fully paid the Law fulfilled and his Justice fully satisfied So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly believe in him He for them paid their ransome by his death he for them fulfilled the Law in his life that now in him and by him every true Christian may be called a fulfiller of the Law for as much as that which our infirmity was not able to effect Christs justice hath performed And this Doctrine viz. that Christ hath for us made a full and perfect satisfaction to Gods Justice is the express Doctrine of the Church of England in her Order of the Communion which saith there That Jesus Christ did suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and that he made there by his own oblation of himself once offered 〈◊〉 full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world And Homâ—ly of Christs Nativity T. 2. p. 169. Christ made perfect satisfaction by his death for the sins of all people And that God doth take accept and allow it as full and perfect satisfaction for the sins of all his elect people is most evident by the holy Apostles Creed which the Church of England also believeth as well as by the holy Doctrine of the Canonical Scriptures which hold that Jesus Christ did not only die and was buried and was for a time held under the power of death and the grave which was as his imprisonment but that he was raised again for our Justification which declared that God was fully satisfied with what he had done and suffered else he would not have let him out of Prison Rom. 4. 25. And that he ascended up into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of God and that from thence he shall come to iudg both quick and dead Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 1. 3. And God hath declared that in him he is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. Mat. 17. 5. And that we are compleat in him Col. 2. 18. And that we are justified in and by him Rom. 3. 24. And that we have peace with God through him Rom. 5. 1 2. And that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And that he saves his people from their sins to the uttermost Mat. 1. 21. Heb. 5. 25. Of which you may see much more hereafter in the 13th particular concerning Purgatory To pass by many more arguments 4 Sacred Scripture doth evidently hold it forth unto all that will not wilfully shut their eyes or that are not judicially blinded 1. Jer. 23. 6. This is the name whereby Christ shall be called that is by all Gods people the Lord our righteousness * See Bishop Andrews his Sermon in locum All Gods people shall profess that they have their righteousness from Christ which is in effect the same with Isa 45. 25. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory All the spiritual seed of Israel that is all Gods Elect shall be justified that is shall obtain remission of their sins and right to everlasting life by virtue of the Son
The first and third of these three Conclusions shew the reasons of the second and hold forth this truth That the works of unregenerated men done before they receive the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not good works and so pleasing unto God and that because they spring not from a lively faith in Christ but are evil because they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done And therefore they make not men meet to receive grace or deserve not grace of congruity at Gods hands 2. And this erroneous Doctrine of merit of congruity and preparing and disposing and making men meet and worthy to receive grace is also contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Engâ—â— in her Homily for Rogation-week T. 2. p. 3. p. 223. which saith thus Faith is the first entry into a Christian life without which no man can please God Faith is the giâ—t of God Ephes 2. 8. Charity wherewith we love our brethren is the work of God If after our fall we repent it is by him that we repent who reacheth forth his merciful hand to raise us up if we have any WILL TO RISE it is HE that PREVENTETH OUR WILL AND DISPOSETH us thereunto If after contrition we feel our consciences at peace with God through remission of sins and so be reconciled to his favour and hope to be his children and inheritors of everlasting life who worketh these great miracles in us our worthiness our deservings and endeavours our wits and vertue Nay verily St. Paul will not suffer flesh and clay in such arrogancy and therefore saith all is oâ— God which hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ Lo here you see that your vertue wits endeavours deservings worthiness are excluded from being the efficient disposing much more from being the meritorious cause of the favour of God or grace of faith or love or repentance c. in us and that these are the gifts of God which he by his Spirit worketh in us And 3 't is contrary to the Church of England's Liturgy as Collect for the 17th Sunday after Trinity Lord we pray thee that thy grace may alway prevent and follow us and make us continually to be given to good works And in one of the Collects after the Communion Prevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee c. Wherein we acknowledg that Gods grace and favour must prevent us and go before our doing or beginning to do any good works and that his grace must follow and further us with its continual help else we shall not be able to begin nor continue to do good works acceptable to him And 4. 't is contrary to the tenth Article of the Church of England 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 2. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland Articles 25 and 26. which accords with the Doctrine of the Church of England verbatim in her tenth and thirteenth Articles 3. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Scotland which also agreeth with the Doctrine of the Church of England to be seen in the Confession of Faith made by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster Edenburgh August 27 1647. Sess 23. c. 9. Art 3 4. c. 10. Art 1 2. c. 16. Art 2 3. 7. Now these Errors of the Papists are grounded upon two Errors more which they have received from the Pelagians 1. The first Error which is the ground of these is this That men in the state of corruption before they are endued with a lively faith in Jesus Christ can by the power of their own free-will do good works which Papists call dispositions or preparations of grace which they say do out of congruâ—â—y move God to bestow his grace upon them and prepare or make them meet and worthy to receive Gods grace Now though this error be sufficiently yea abundantly confuted before especially in the seventh Article of this Renunciation yet because 't is the ground of many others and 't is so much stood upon and 't is so pleasing to corrupt reason Give me leave to say something more against it here also And 1. I say that this Doctrine is condemned by the Synod of Dort Chap. 3 4. Error 3. before recited And also Error 5 We reject the Doctrine of them that teach that corrupt and natural man can so rightly use common grace by which they mean the light of nature or those gifts which are left in him after the fall that by the good use thereof he may attain to a greater namely Evangelical or saving grace and by degrees at length Salvation it self And God for his part sheweth himself ready in this manâ—er to reveal Christ to all men seeing he doth sufficiently and efficaciously afford to every man necessary means for the making Christ known and for faith and repentance They give not their reason there for their rejecting of the former part of this Error because that they had it done before in the third and fourth Error rejected But against the latter they say thus For this is convinced to be false as by the experience of all ages in the world so also by the Scriptures Psal 147. 20. He sheweth his word unto Jacob his statutes and his judgments unto Israel he hath not â—ealt so with any Nation and as for his judgments they have not known them Act. 14. 16 God in times past suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways Act. 16. 7 8. Paul and his company were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia and after they were come to Mysia they assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffered them not And Error the ninth they reject the Doctrine of them that teach That grace and free-will are co-partening causes jointly concurring to the beginning of conversion and that grace doth not in order of causality go before the action of the will that is that God doth not effectually help mans will unto conversion before the will of man moveth and determineth or setleth it self thereunto For this Doctrine was long since condemned by the ancient Church among the Pelagian Errors out of the Apostles authority Rom. 9. 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy And 1 Cor. 4. 7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou didst not receive Item Phil. 2. 13 It is God which worketh in you
upon unbelievers are yet they are not formally such for we must know that the formal reason of pâ—nishment properly and strictly so called is always to be fetched frâ—â— the final cause for the pain which is inflicted of God as a revenging or punishing Judg with that intention that it shall satisfie his Justice hath the true and proper or formal reason or nature of punishment and this kind of pain we deny to be inflicted upon Moses David or any other true believers after remission of their sins but what pain is inflâ—cted of the same God as a provident Father with this intention that he may further the salvation of his children obtains the nature of a * Aquin. 12 ae q. 87. a. 7. medicine not of punishment and this kind of pain we grant is by our most wise and loving Father imposed upon true penitents in this life after their sin is pardoned but Papists devised punishments are for satisfaction not for correction True believers in Christ do in this life undergo poenam correctivam corrective pain but not poenam satisfactoriam satisfactory pain here in this life or in Purgatory 1. Ad demonstrationem debitae miseriae 2. Ad emendationem labilis vitae 3. Ad excitationem necessariae patientiae dixit Augustinus in Joh. Tract 124. Potest quantum adjici quod Christus docet Joh. 93. Manifestatio operum Dei Tilen Syntag p 2. c. 65. de Purgatorio Thes 15. p. 956. or any where else they suffer not pain to satisfie Gods justice but for the demonstration of deserved misery the â—â—endment of a sinful life the exercise â—f necessary patience and the manifestation of Gods power as the word poena pain or punishment is taken in a large sense so paternal castigation of the godly for their sins such as Davids was affliction for the trial of their faith patience and constancy such as Jobs was and Martyrdom for the testimony of saving truth are by some of our Divines called punishments but not in that sense that punishment properly so called is taken which only is called penal satisfaâ—â—ion and that is punishment inflicted upon the sinner or his surety for sin to satisfie Divine Justice which is either temporal for duration but everlasting and infinite for virtue and value by reason of the transcendent dignity of the person suffering equivalent to the everlasting in time and such was the penal satisfaction which Christ suffered for the sins of his elect or everlasting in duration which is begun in this life and continued for ever after this life in the world to come and such is that which impenitent reprobates suffer Reprobates are bound by the Law of God to perform for themselves this penal satisfaction and therefore they do begin it in this life and after this life continue it in hell to all eternity because they can never fully satisfie Mat. 25. 41. But this penal satisfaction is not required to be made in part or in whole of true believers in Christ because Jesus Christ their surety hath satisfied for them to all eternity 3. Because this Popish Doctrine that the souls of believers in Purgatory suffer punishment to satisfie for their sins not sufficiently purged away in this life is a very dishonourable and destructive Doctrine to the full and perfect satisfaction of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ therefore I lay down this plain Position Position 3. That the satisfaction our Saviour Jesus Christ hath made for all the sins of true believers in him is a full sufficient and perfect satisfaction But Papists Doctrine of Purgatory-satisfactions saith virtually interpretatively and in effect 1. That it was not an universal satisfaction for all the sins of all true believers in Christ which is contrary to express canonical Scripture Tit. 2. 14. Jesus Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity 1 Joh. 1. 7. And the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness s if he cleanse us from all iniquity from all sin from all unrighteousness then certainly from venial sins 2. Christs active obedience and sufferings were not a sufficient satisfaction to the Justice of God for the breach of his Law by true believers in him which is directly contrary 1. to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her order of Communion which saith there That Jesus Christ did suffer death upon the cross for our redemption and that he made there by his own oblation * Homil. of Christs death T. 2. part 2. p. 187 188. So Homil. of the worthy receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper T. 2. part 1. p. 200. of himself once offered a fâ—â— perfect and sufficient sacrifice obâ—â— and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world and Homily of Christs Nativity T. 2. p. 169. Christ made perfect satisfaction by his death for the sins of all people and Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 175. concerning the death of Christ it saith That it was impossible for us to be loosed from this debt by our own ability it pleased 〈◊〉 therefore to be the payer thereof and to discharge us quit and p. 177. of the same Homily it saith thus Such favour did Christ purchase 〈◊〉 us by his death of his heavenly Father that for the merit thereof 〈◊〉 we be true Christians in deed and not in word only we be now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sin 2. 'T is contrary to Canonical Scripture which saith that Christ hath made a full and perfect satisfaction to God for all the sins of all believers in him 1. Because the Scripture saith that he paid the price that was due to God from us For 1. he not only perfectly fulfilled the Law for them he was made under the Law Gal. 4. 4. And he fulfilled all righteousness Mat. 3. 15. And he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Mat. 5. 17. And that he did not for himself but for believers is evident Gal. 4. 3 4 5. Phil. 2. 6 7 8. And the righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers for righteousness Phil. 3. 9. 2. But he suffered for true believers in him great sorrow in his soul Mat. 26. 37 38. Grievous torments in his body Mat. 27. 46. Luk. 22. 44. Joh. 20. For he was crucified and died Mat. 27. 35. Phil. 2. 8. Mark 15. 24 37. He was buried and remained under the power of death for some part of three days but without corruption he suffered poenas infernales hellish torments eternal in essence as Maccovius will have it equivalent to hell-torments by reason of the worthiness of his person into which our humane nature that suffered was taken that what he suffered in his humane nature is attributed to and taken to be the suffering of his person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉