and godly feâ— 2 Pet. 3. 18 But grow in grace 2. That the * Aquinas 12ae q. 114. a. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Medina in 12ae q. 114. a. 3. Schoolmen speak of 〈◊〉 twofold merit whereof the 1 Is Meritum de congruo merit oâ— congruity which is not truly and properly merit but such as it is 't is defined to be this That it is congruous convenient Dr. Davenant de justitia c 6. p 603. â—emble of Justification c. 1. S. 2. p. 163. or agreeable to goodness that Gâ—l do reward a man working according to his vertue or power â—â—at he hath Which many learned men do deny to be truly and properly merit For that is truly and properly meritorious that doth properly and absolutely for it self deserve a reward or which doth in its formal reason include equality or condignity to that reward of which it is said to be meritorious But merits of congruity do not truly and properly deserve a reward or carry an equality or proportion with the thing said to be merited the grace of God and therefore are not truly and properly merits their merit of congruity is nothing else but fitness for which they have no ground in Scripture or right reason yet Bellarmine the Council of Trent and other Papists retain the name and give it chiefly to those dispositions and preparations which they say go before Justification according to which they say grace is ex congruo due and so comply with Pelagius his false Doctrine long since condemned Gratiam secundum merita dari i. e. Grace is Aug. Epist 106 107. contra duas Epistolas Pelagianorum lib. 2. c. 8. to be given according to merits That is it 's congruous or fit that grace or favour be bestowed upon men by God according to their deservings For if those dispositions be merits and if according to them grace be given as the Council of Trent * Secundum propriam cujusque dispositionem Sess 6. cap. 7. defineth do they not plainly hold that grace is given to men of God according to their merits 2. Meritum de condigno Merit of condignity is that which includes in its formal reason equality condignity or worthiness proportionable to the thing of which 't is said to be meritorious And thus they say the good works of regenerate men do merit heaven of which hereafter Not to trouble you with a full confutation of this Scriptureless and reasonless distinction of merits but to apply it to our present purpose in hand I say 1. That good * I call them good works so quoad substantiam but formally are evil because they call them so works done by an unregenerate man before the grace of Christ be received or the inspiration of his Spirit do not ex congruo merit the favour of God For 1. there is no proportion between them 2. Then our Election should not be of Grace as 't is said to be by the unerring Spirit of God Rom. 11. 5. but of sinful mans sinful works which they call deserts confuted before in Article the sixth 2. That good works of unregenerate men before the saving grace of Jesus Christ be infused into them 〈◊〉 Quia ego volo Deus me adjuvat est Pelagianorum Alvarez de auxiliis Divinae gratiae l. 1. disp 1. p. 11. wrought in them by his holy Spirit 〈◊〉 received by them do not merit ex câ—â—gruo or deserve grace that is saving grace of congruity Papists indeed 〈◊〉 hold that good works done by man before he receive the spâ—â— grace of Christ do provoke God to bestow his saving grace 〈◊〉 him and that the man himself a 〈◊〉 tle * The Synod of Dort reject as an error the Doctrine of them that teach that in spiritual death no spiritual gifts were separated from the will of man for that the will of it self was never corrupted but only INCUMBRED by the darkness of the understanding and unruliness of the affections which IMPEDIMENTS BEING REMOVED the will may put in ure her own inbred faculty of freedom that is of her self will or nill chuse or refuse any kind of good set before her Which they say is contrary to Jer. 17. 9. Ephes 2. 3. Chap. 3 4. Errour 3d. hindrance being taken away 〈◊〉 rendred disposed to receive the graâ—â— of God Hence is that of some Schoâ—â— men of some I say for they do not agree but some are sounder than Jesuits and Arminians that God doth not deny grace to him that doth endeavour to do what is in him to obtain it And he doth what is in him that doth forsake the act of sin the will of 〈◊〉 ning and doth endeavour to do good and to convert himself to God He that doth this deserves grace say they by this merit of congruity because it is congruous say they that to a man acting according to his vertue God should give a reward according to the excellency of his vertue And also because it were incongruous or unfit 〈◊〉 give grace to them that neglect to 〈◊〉 these things and voluntarily oppoâ—â— grace offered And this merit of congruity was brought into the Church by some erroneous Schoolmen and 〈◊〉 others made use of that some reason might be given or shewed of mans part why to sâ—â— grace is given and to others not given and so they make the first 〈◊〉 ving cause of grace taken either for the favour of God or gifts of grace of God Spirit to be in man and in mans own natural power or free will Which I suppose is sufficiently confuted before Articles the sixth and seventh 3. That good works done before the saving grace of Christ received and wrought in a man â—o make him meet to receive the saving grace of God These works I call good according to them which may be good quoâ—â— substantiam materialiter but are evil quoad modum formaliter because not done to Gods glory in faith and in love and obedience to God and his will Now these Errors I renounce because they are contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England 1. In her 13th Article which is this Works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his 〈◊〉 are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesâ—â— Crist neither do they make men meet to receive grace or as the School-Aâ—rthor say deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not 〈◊〉 â—s God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of sin In which Article are these three Conclusions 1. That works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant unto God 2. That works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of 〈◊〉 Spirit do not make men meet to receive grace or do not deserve grace of congruity 3. That works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of 〈◊〉 Spirit have the nature of sin
A Renunciation OF SEVERAL Popish Doctrines BECAUSE Contrary to the Doctrine of Faith of the Church of ENGLAND By R. R. B. D. Babylon's Brats must not be dandled but dasht against the wall Phinehas his Zeal Jehu's March Josiah's Resolution Luther's Heroical Spirit have ever best prevailed against the mystery of iniquity Bishop Prideaux his Sermon upon Revel 2. 4. Pag. 25. Whosoever denieth this Doctrine That Faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily of Salvation of mankind Pag. 16 17. Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum S. August l. de fide operibus c. 4 14. The Pope is Antichrist and Popery is the loosing of Satan for blasphemeth he not in denying us to be saved by the imputation of Christs righteousness King James his Godly Meditations upon certain Verses of Revel 20. Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Jude vers 3. LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockeril at the Three Legs in the Poultry over against the Stocks-Market 1680. CHRISTIAN READERS THough I confess I have long had it in my thoughts to prove That the Doctrine of the Laudensian faction is not the Doctrine of faith of the Church of England and that the greatest Conformists to the Ceremonies are the greatest Nonconformists in deed and in truth to the Doctrine of faith or the articles of Religion of the Church of England concerning the Confession of the true Christian faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments yet I sate still earnestly expecting that some one Orthodox Conformist or other whom it most concerned to maintain it would appear to prove the former or some learned Nonconformist to the Ceremonies would do the latter but neither seeing nor hearing of any one of them to attempt either the one or the other being incouraged by the Parliaments late Act for renouncing Transubstantiation I have though the unfittest of a thousand adventured to renounce not only that blasphemous Doctrine but many more of the Papists erroneous and Antichristian Doctrines and in doing of this may possibly be thought obliquely if not directly to do them both And I begin with renouncing their abominable Transubstantiation partly because the Parliament did so and also because it 's not only destructive of the humane nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but also inductive of adoration of the Lords-supper and the Tables or Altars whereon 't is celebrated Several of our high Conformists having so beld and 't is feared that some do so now the presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament of the Altar as they have been pleased to call it that they might well be thought to hold it after the Papists or Lutherans Doctrine for 't is clear that they have not only been against Orthodox mens discovery of the way that Christs body is not in Bp. Forb's de Eucharist l. 1. c. 1. par 7. A. B. Laud in his Star-Chamb Speech Dr. Heyl. Hist of Presbytery p. 2. the Sacrament of the Lords-supper but they have plainly held that he is more and some other way in that Sacrament than in that other of Baptism and that he is there truly really substantially as 't is in the 18th Article of the Popes Creed to be seen in this Renunciation Article 14th yea essentially as Dr. Lawrence speaks in his Court-sermon p. 18. And in the second place I have renounced Adoration or bowing to Altars or Communion-Tables purposely and upon the Religious account of more religâ—ouâ— excelâ—â—nâ—â— c. because that Doctrinâ— and practise being â—dmitted worshipping of the Sacrament of Images of the Cross of Relicks c. may easily be introduced and maintained And thirdly I have renounced their Heretical Doctrine of Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works because it overthroweth the Gospel and in effect denieth Christ to be come in the flesh and is most dangerously Antichristian and very commonly brâ—â—ched amongâ—â— us and the sound Doctrine of the Church of England against it called Antinomianism and the imputation of Christs Righteousness vilified and denied and Faith as an act habit or work or as it includes sincere obedience set up in its room and the Papists Justification of our persons before God by our own actual or habitual righteousness re-introduced I have also renounced the sufficiency of the natural active power of mans Free-will while in the state of nature to turn of it self to God to believe c. and there by the ground and foundation of the Old and New Pelagian long since condemned though of late too much revived and affected Doctrine and those that usually flow from or are companions of it as also the lawfulness of setting up and suffering of Images in places of publick worship because they have been are and will be occasions of Idolatry Superstition and much mischief in Church and State where they have been and are tolerated as may be seen in that excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry I have also proved by the Doctrine of the Church of England and our own learned mens approved works That the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist and that therefore he is not supreme Head of the Church and that therefore his humane inventions should not be imposed upon nor followed by the Churches of Jesus Christ but that Christ himself the supreme Head of his Church should be only so acknowledged his word duty and constantly consulted and followed in all matters which concern his Church â—is pure Doctrine Discipline and Worship and Truths countenanced and maintained and not suppressed or disgraced and also that Antichrists erroneous and Antichristian doctrines usurpations superstitious and scandalous ceremonies and other Worships should be detested * Vide the Confessioâ— of Faith made the 28 of Jan. 1581 in the 14 year of K. James his Reign there and subscribed and sworn to by K. James his Houshold and whole Kingdom of Scotland set down in the latter end of the Harmony of Confessions and renounced and suppressed 'T was once a sad and great complaint made to a Sub-Committee in which were many eminent Bishops and three Doctors of Divinity That all the tenents of the Council of Trent except only such points of State-policy against the Kings Supremacy as were made Treason by the Statute as good works co-causes with Faith in Justification private Confession by particular enumeration of sins needful necessitate medii to Salvation that the oblaâ—ion or as others the consumption of the Elements in the Lords-Supper holdeth the nature of a true Sacrifice Prayers for the Dead lawfulness of Monastical Vows the gross substance of Arminianism and some dangerous points of Socinianism had been preached or printed by some amongst us saith Dr. Fuller in his Ecclesiastical History Dr. Heylin ' s Cypr. Anglicus l. 5. p. 472
473. mentioneth many good things that that Committee were preparing but being obstructed by A. B. Laud though then in the Tower and some other Bishops the Commons laid the ax to the root of all evil as * Tindal of the Obedienâ—â— of Christian Magist p. 114. Tindal of old called the Bishops looking upon them as the â—inderers of all good as Martin * Martin Bucer de regnâ— Christ l. 2. c. 1. Bucer told King Edward the Sixth and so instead of mending things they grew worse Heylin confesseth nay braggeth that Books against Arminianism which he saith is * Cypr. Anglic. Introduct p. 36. agreeable to the Council of Trent cap. de fructu Justificationis Can. 3 4 were suppressed Sure I am that Dr. Prideaux his Sermons which he had preached at Court were not permitted to be reprinted at Oxford because he would not yield to the obliterating of some passages in them against Arminianism yet several passages which he as Doctor of the Chair rased out of Mr. Chillingworth ' s Book were inserted and printed after the good old Doctor had put his hand to the license for its printing which Book is now highly commended though the Doctor openly disowned it in the Chair saying That he had been abused in that Book Mr. Cheynell being opponent upon this Socinian question An ratio sit fundamentum fidei But what are these things to the purpose now I answer 1. The Author of the Friendly Debate often printed and its continuation hath raked up things against some Nonconformists which were of longer standing 2. If some Clergy-men of these times preach or print or act as they did in those days it is directly to the purpose Let any judicious indifferent man read the Book intituled The causes of the decay of Piety and he will find much of the Soveraign drug planted here as the Jesuit said in A. B. Laud ' s time to purge the Protestants of their Heresie as they call our true Religion Let him read Mr. Fowler ' s two Books viz. his Free Discourse and his Design of Christianity and he will see whatsoever he pretends to the contrary that his endeavour if not prime design is to promote that most Antichristian Doctrine of the Papists viz. Justification of our persons before God by our own good works or inherent holiness and overthrow the true Doctrine of Faith of the Church of England to which 't is believed he hath subscribed denying the * Free Discourse p. 126 128 129 130 145. Imputation of Christs Righteousness in the sound sense of the Church of England sometimes calling it a false yea a grosly false notion thereof and sometimes a * Ibi. p. 141. sottish and mischievous Doctrine abusing those that hold it by branding them with the ignominious name of * Ibi. pag. 141 143. and Design of Christianity c. 19. p. 223. Antinomians affirming That our persons are justified before God by our own inherent holiness and good works and that faith * Free Discourse 159. Design of Christianity c. 19. p. 221. as it includes sincere obedience justifieth our persons before God and to this end using and improving Bellarmine ' s arguments to the utmost And lest any should charge him with the Doctrine of the Church of England which he cannot but know is contrary to his Doctrine he endeavours to prevent it saying That those Divines of his opinion do heartily subscribe to the 39 Articles of our Church taking * Free Discourse Edit 2. p. 2. p. 191. that liberty in the interpretation of them that is allowed * But where doth the Church allow this liberty what do you mean by the Church it's contrary to the end of the Law of 13. of Elizabeth and of the fifth Canon by the Church her self though it is most reasonable to presume that she requireth subscription to them as to an instrument of peace only And again p. 2. p. 305. he saith further thus What was said of General Councils we also most heartily acknowledg concerning our own particular Church viz. that we are bound by no means to oppose the determinations of the Governours and Representatives in disputable matters nor do they as hath been shewed require our internal assent to their Articles but enjoin our submission to them as to an instrument of peace only Lo here you may see what these Latitudinarians are â—a name which some I know not who have given them but whether they deserve it let others judg but such is the latitude of these men that they would have liberty for themselves to preach and print what Doctrine they please but would have none allowed to dissenters in points of Church-government and Ceremonies as may be evidently seen in his Free Discourse by which we may see what Broth and Beef his palate relisheth best But what is there no internal assent required to the Doctrine of faith of the Church of England and yet an unfeigned assent and consent to the use of the Liturgy and the Ceremonies and Rites thereof Are these more essential to the being of the Church of England than those Are the Ceremonies Rites and Liturgy more surely and certainly and indisputably grounded upon the Canonical Scriptures than the doctrine of Faith which concerns the Trinity justification of a sinner Christs satisfaction c. Have not all our 39 Articles been disputed nay do not some amongst us question whether there be a God and whether the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament be the Word of God and of divine authority and have not the Ceremonies of the Church of Rome which our Rulers have retained been from the first beginning of the Reformation here disputed and opposed by godly and learned Bishop Hooper and Mr. John Rogers and denied and detested even to the death by many godly Martyrs Do not all the Calvinistical Churches abroad join with the Church of England in maintaining the Articles of Religion which concern the confession of the true Christian Faith and the Sacraments and yet reject the Liturgy Ceremonies and Church-government of the Church of England â—nd if only indisputable matters may not be opposed and all disputable ones may be opposed I pray what Article of our Creed and Religion may not be opposed by these men of the long name It is â—â—ear that though these men heartily subscribe to the 20 the 34 and the 36 Articles Whatsoever is not read in the holy Scripture nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of Faith Art 6 Church of England which are not Articles of Religion of the true Christian Faith because not contained in or proveable by the Word of God in their sense yet they give not an unfeigned assent and consent to the Articles of Religion concerning the Doctrine of Faith and the Sacraments for they take liberty they say 't is allowed them by the Church to interpret them as
benefits thereof then I say the Font and Reading-pew may be called Altars as well the Communion-table and the Pulpit may more properly be called an Altâ—r than the Table for there Thanks or the sacrifice of Praise is more frequently given or offered to God for Christs death and the benefits we receive thereby than on the Communion-table and that therefore they should be so called if not bowed to by your reasons But A. B. Laud is pleased to alledg Reverend Bishop Jewel as approving his bowing to Communion-tables set Altarwise at the East-end of the Quire or Jewel's Reply to Harding Art 3. p. 29 151. Chancel Bishop Jewel speaking against Ministers praying before their people in an unknown Tongue to whom Harding saith That the people cannot indeed say Amen to the blessing or thanksgiving of the Priest so well as if they understood the Latin Tongue perfectly yet they give assent unto it c. and this they declare by sundry outward tokens and gestures as by standing up at the Gospel and at the Preface to the Mass and by bowing themselves down and adoring at the Sacrament by kneeling at other times as when pardon and mercy is humbly asked and by other like signs of Devotion in other parts of the Service To which Bishop Jewel gives a short Answer and shews That 1 Harding's words contradict St. Paul's 1 Cor. 14. 16 17 18. 2. He commends devotion and affection in people at the service of God 3. He acknowledgeth in the general not in those particulars that Hâ—rding speaks of that kneeling bowing standing up and other like are commendable gestures and tokens of Devotion so long as the people understand what they mean and apply them unto * That is rightly and according to his wordâ— the next words to whom they be due the Archbishop left out as being against bowing to his altars God to whom they be due otherwise they may well make them hypocrites but holy and godly they cannot make them There may be adoring at the Sacrament when people confess their sins pray for pardon of them and give thanks to God for mercies received but here 's not a word in Hardings answer or in Bishop Jewel's reply of bowing to or towards the holy Table or Altar especially upon your religious account of Christs corporal or sacramental presence hoc est corpus meum And that Bishop Jewel was not for bowing to or towards the holy Table or Altar as you call it especially upon your accounts his works do evidently declare For he was as I have shewed against bowing to or adoring of the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper which is the Ordinance of God and therefore is more worthy than the Table whereon it stands which is but an instrument or help to the orderly and decent celebration of that Ordinance as was shewed above And there ye may find him saying That religious Bishop Jewel's Ssr. upon 1 Cor. 11. 23. p. 50. adoration belongs not to any creature but only to God And concerning Altars he proves out of Origen and Arnobius that there were none in the Apostles times nor in many years after as was shewed before And in the 30th Division of that third Article of his Reply to Harding he declares himself for the Apostles times as the best and truest standard for Doctrine and practice in which times they had Communion-tables and not altars And in his works you may find him stiff and zealous against * Bishop Jewel ' s Reply to Harding art 14. D. 1. pag. 367 368 369 c. D. 12. p. 380 381 382. worshipping of Images yea of worshipping God in by or through them yea I find him in his works not forward to follow much less to commend the degenerate Church of Rome's works which first set up Altars which Church he saith out of St. Ambrose is Caput superstitionis the head of superstition and the great Whore and mother of harlots and abominations of the earth Of whom Nicholas Iyra in 2 Thes 2. quoted by him too saith Ab Ecclesia Romona jam diuâ— est quod recessit gratia It is long since the Grace of God departed from the Church of Rome from which Grace whosoever is departed he is departed from Christ Bishop Jewel ' s D. of Apol. p. 2. c. 5. p. 139. The other arguments used for bowing to Altars or worshipping of God towards them by Doctor Pocklington and A. B. Laud drawn from the practise of Queen Elizabeth King James and the Knights of the Order of the Garter are so weak that they will deny them if I should return them upon themselves as thus Qâ—een Elizabeth abetted and helped the Scotch Subjects in taking up arms against their Queen and the Hollanders in taking up arms against their King Ergo 't is lawful and not rebellious so to do For I presume if it had been unlawful and rebellious Queen Elizabeth would not have abetted and helped them therein which is A. B. Laud's argument in his Star-Chamber This argument of the A B. is pitiful weak and so is mine that is made in imitation of it only to shew the invalidity of his for bowing to altars Speech p. 48. for bowing to Altars yet he denies my parallel in one of his illegal and condemned Canons made Anno 1640 after the Parliament was dissolved Queen Elizabeth sequestred the Revenues of the Bishoprick of Oxford Dr. Heylin ' s Cypr. Anglicus p. 49. for eleven years together and gave them to the Earl of Essex from which I infer as the Archbishop doth that 't was lawful so to do For I presume as he doth that if it had been sacriledg and unlawful she would not have done it Thus ad hominem I might alledg many more authorities and produce many more arguments against bowing to Altars upon the account of divine excellency or worshipping God in through by or towards them but I forbear Only this I pray remember that all Wâ—ll-worship is forbidden in the second Commendment but to worship God by in through or towards the holy Altar or Communion-table purposely upon your accounts of divine excellency is Will-worship Ergo 't is unlawful and 't is Will-worship because 't is no where commanded in the New Testament or in the Moral Law for the Ceremonial Law iâ— abrogated ART III. That mens persons are justified or Bell. T. 4. l 6. c. 1. de formali causa justificationis Et c. 9. de operum justificatione So Bishop Montague Gag p. 141 142 143. accounted righteous before God for their own good works that follow faith either in part or in whole and not for the merits of Jesus Christ alone THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England which saith thus in her Book of Homilies 1. No man by his own acts works or deeds seem they never so good can be justified and made righteous before God but every man is of necessity constrained to
seek for another righteousness or justification to be received at Gods own hands that is to say the forgiveness of his sins and this justification or righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits embraced by faith is taken accepted and allowed by God for our perfect and full justification We are justified freely by faith without the works of the Law Homily of Salvation of Mankind pag. 13. there 't is further said That on our part we are justified by faith in the merits of Christ which is not ours but by Gods working it in us There 't is said also That the justice of man is shut out of Justification and yet that faith shutteth not out repentance hope love fear of God to be joined with faith in every man that is justified but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying so it shutteth not out good works which are necessary to be done afterwards of duty to God but it excludeth them so that we may not do them to this intent to be made just by doing of them Whosoever denieth this Doctrine that faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary 〈◊〉 Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Mans righteousness cannot make himself righteous by his owâ— works neither in part nor in wholâ— That we are justified only by faith 〈◊〉 * We are not justified by our own good works either in part or in whole Christ So speak all the Fathers botâ— Greek and Latin Hilary Basil Aâ—brose Hilary saith these words plaiâ—ly Faith only justifieth Canon 9th upon Matthew Ambrâ— saith thus This is the ordinance of God that they which belieâ—â— in Christ should be saved without works by faith only freely receiving remission of their sins Consider diligently these wordâ— without works by faith only freely we receive remission of oâ— sins Ibi. p 14 15 16 17. The true meaning of this Doctrinâ— we be freely justified by faith without works or that we be justâ—fied by faith in Christ only is not that this is our own act to bâ—lieve in Christ or this faith in Christ doth justifie us and deserâ— our justification unto us for that were to count our selves to 〈◊〉 justified by some act or vertue that is within our selves but tâ—â— true understanding and meaning thereof is that although we heâ— Gods word and believe it although we have Faith Hope Chariâ—â— Repentance and fear of God within us and do add never so maâ— works thereunto yet we must renounce the merit of all our saâ—â— vertues of Faith Hope Charity and all other vertues and gooâ— deeds which we either have done shall do or can do as thing that be far too weak insufficient and imperfect to deserve remissioâ— of our sins and our justification and therefore we must trust oâ—ly in Gods mercy and that Sacrifice which our high * Which shews that faith justifieth as it receives Christ as an high Priest or Saviour not as a King as Mr. Fowler would have in the first place in his free Discourse p. 161. I receive Christ as my Prophet but he doth not justifie mâ— as he is my Prophet or my King Priest anâ— Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of Goâ— once offered thereby Gods grace Iâ—â— p. 17. Faith as great a vertue as it is yet it putteth us from it self and remitteth or appointeth us unto Chrisâ— for to have only by him remission oâ— our sins or justification so thâ— our faith doth as it were say to uâ— it is not I that take away your sins BUT IT IS CHRIST ONLY to him only I send you for thaâ— purpose forsaking therein all your good vertues words thoughts and works and only putting your trust in Christ Ibid. pag. 18. 2. 'T is not only contrary to her Homilies but also to her Articles of Religion Article 11th We are counted righteous before God only for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith and not for our own good works That we are justified by faith alone is a must wholesome Doctrine as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification To which for further proof I refer you And Article the twelfth 't is said thus Albeit that good works which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification cannot put away our sins Now Mr Fowler or any of his party cannot put off the Doctrine of the Church of England to which he hath subscribed as he doth our learned mens arguments against the Papists by saying as they do that the Apostle meant when he said That we are not justified by works works of the Ceremonial * Mr. Fowler 's Free Discourse p. 186. Law but not the works of the Moral Law or if them Those only which are done by the strength of nature but not those which proceed from faith For the Church of England excludes all our works even those that proceed from Faith And they intended in their Homilies and Articles of Religion Dr. Field of the Church 2d part p 861. We teach that he excludeth all these that is that St. Paul excluded from Justification all the works of Moses Law Ceremonial and Moral to overthrow the false Doctrine of the Church of Rome and to establish the Doctrine of Justification according to the Doctrine of the Gospel in opposition to Popery For it saith expresly That whosoever denieth this Doctrine that Faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a CHRISTIAN MAN nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an ADVERSARY to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily for Salvation of Mankind p. 16 17. And again That were the greatest arrogancy 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 sins and so justifie himself Ibid. pag. 17. By which you may see that to deny this Doctrine That we are justified by faith alone and to affirm that we are justified by our own good works is not a Christian but a proud presumptuoâ—â— antichristian Doctrine And to affirm or insinuate that our persons are justified before God partly by our faith and partly by our own good works is also cleaâ—ly against the express Doctrine of the Church of England for 〈◊〉 saith that faith shuteth out good works yea it self as 't is an act habiâ— or work from our justification and remitteth and directeth us to Chrisâ— merits for our justification as may be seen above 3. 'T is contrary also to Canonical Scripture Gal. 2. 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be jâ—stified by the faith of Jesus Christ and not by the works of the Law 〈◊〉 by the works of the Law shall no flesh be
it theâ— he did more sensibly and firmly rest upon God for the performance of his promise to him 2. If mens persons are justified before God by their own personal good works then they are so justified either by those good works they do before their faith or by those that follow after their faith but they are not justified before God by their own personal good works which they do before their Faith nor by those which they do after their Faith or after they believe in Christ therefore they are not justified before God by their own personal works 1. Their persons are not justified before God by their works which they do before they believe in Christ because they are not formally good they are not pleasing unto God for as much as they spring not from faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make men meet to receive grace and so do not dispositivè justifie as Papists hold or as the School-Authors say deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath commanded them to be done we doubt not but that they have the nature of sin So saith the Church of England in her 13th Article of Religion Works done before faith in Christ though they may be materially good yet they are not formally good but are perfectly evil yea are * Virtutes Eâ—hnicorum sunt splendida peccata Rom. 1. 17. sins for whatsoever is not of faith is sin saith St. Paul and the Church of England Rom. 14. 23. Homily of good Works T. 1. p. 30. 2. Their persons are not justified before God by those good works which they do after they believe in Christ and which proceed from Faith in Christ which I prove thus 1. By the twelfth Article of Religion of the Church of England Albeit that good works which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification cannot put away our sins and endure the severity of Gods judgment 2. Because they are imperfectly good and so stand in need of the perfect righteousness of Christ to cover their infirmities as may be proved by our Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 177. Our acts and deeds be full of imperfectness and infirmity and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour much less to challenge that glory that is due to Christ acts and merits 3. Because they follow the justified and are done after their justification and this argument the Church of England teacheth out of Saint Augustine in her Homily of good works T. 2. p. 82. Good * Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequntur justificatum S. August de fide operibus c. 4. 14. And this Doctrine John Lambert Martyr sealed with his blood Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1091. works go not before in him which shall afterward be justified but good works do follow after when a man is justified 4. Because it was confessed on all hands that no mens persons were ever justified before God by doing of evil works and therefore the Apostle had no need to prove that men were not justified by them but the works of unbelievers are †If an Heathen may cloath the naked feed the hungry and do such other like works yet because he doth them not in faith for the honour and love of God they be but dead vain and fruitless works to him Hom. of Faith p. 31. See there also p 30. all the life of them that lack true faith is sin Ibi. p. 31. evil works for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat 7. 17. And whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. And without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Therefore it follows that the Apostle Paul did intend to prove that the good works of men which proceed from faith do not justifie menspersons in Gods sight 5. And lastly Papists themselves distinguishing of a twofold Justification first and second confess that all works are excluded from the first Justification which only is properly Justification their second is Sanctification properly Bellarmine himself Lib. 4 c. 15. de Justificatione confesseth that the Apostle Paul doth in the Epistle to the Romans dispute of the first Justification therefore he excludes all our works from the Justification of our persons before God 4. It is contrary to the Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches of Christ as may clearly be seen in the Harmony of Confessions Sect. 9. To give you a sight of some things they declare at large the latter Confession of Helvetia c. 15. saith thus To justifie in the Apostles disputation touching Justification doth signifie to remit sins to absolve from the fault and the punishment thereof to receive into favour to pronounce a man just for the Apostle saith to the Romans God is he that justifieth who is he that can condemn where to justifie and condemn are opposed and in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 13. the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him every one that believeth is justified For in the law also and in the Prophets we real Deut. 25. 1. That if a controversie were risen amongst any and they came to judgment the judg shaâ—l judg them that is justifie the righteous and condemn the wicked And in the fifth Chapter of Isaiah Wo to them that justifie the wicked for rewards Now it is most certain that we are all by nature sinners and before the judgment-seat of God convicted of ungodliness and guilty of death but we are justified that is acquitted from sin and death by God the Judg through the grace of Christ alone and not by any respect or merit of ours For what is more plain than that which Paul saith All have sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus for Christ took upon himself and bare the sins of the world and did satisfie the justice of God God therefore is merciful unto our sins for Christ alone that suffered and rose again and doth not impute them to us but he imputeth the justice of Christ unto us for our own so that now we are not only cleansed from sin and purged and holy but also endued with the righteousness of Christ yea and acquitted from sin death and condemnation finally we are righteous and heirs of eternal life To speak properly then it is God alone that justifieth us and that only for Christ by not imputing to us our sins but imputing Christs righteousness unto us But because we do receive this Justification not by any works but by faith in the mercy of God and in Christ therefore we teach and believe with the Apostle that sinful man is justified only by faith in Christ not by the Law or by any works For the Apostle saith Rom. 3. We
attributed to faith because 〈◊〉 other graces are virtually therein contained and that is the principle froâ— whence they are derived Whereas thâ— truth is it is only ascribed to faith and that because it is the only grace thâ—â— doth apprehend and apply the righteousness of Christ to the sinner as the Church of England teacheth iâ— her Homily of Salvation of Mankind the third Part pag. 19. Faiâ—â— only is said to justifie because it doth directly send us to Christ for remissioâ— of sins and that by faith given us of God we embrace the promise of Goâ— mercy and of the remission of our sins which thing NONE OTHER 〈◊〉 our vertues or works properly doth therefore the Scripture useth to say that faith without works doth justifie Who saitâ— also That as * Free Discourse pag. 188. works signifie sincere obedience 〈◊〉 Christs Gospel neither I nor those Preacherr can account it any scandal to have it said of us that 〈◊〉 hold JUSTIFICATION BY WORKS he must mean it of Justification of mens persons before God else he beats the air or cunningly equivocates And indeed so he explains himself Nor need we so mince it as to say that faith justifieth our persons and good works our faith for understanding works I say for a * Pag. 189. working faith our persons if ever they be Socinians define justifying Faith to be obedience fides justificans est obedientia Catech Racov. c. 9. The old Photinian Hereticks called it a new creature Wendelin Ch. Theol. l. 1. c. 25. p. 476. compare Dr. H's Dr. P's and Mr. F's Doctrines of Faith and Justification with Socinians and Photinians c. must be justified by them Which is directly and expresly contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in heâ— Articles and Homilies before alledged Sure I am that these mens Doctrine gives great advantage to Popery and is directly contrary to the prime design of Christianity which is to advance the glory of Gods free grace in giving us his only begotten Son Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again for our justification and sets up Justification by our own righteousness which is the same false and Antichristian Doctrine the Papists teach How Dr. †Just as the Semi-Pelagians do as Alvarez shews de auxil div grat disp 2. pag. 19 20. Heyliâ— divideth Justification between faith and good works may be seen in his Introduction to his Cyprianus Anglicus p. 28. Sect. 29. What false Doctrine concerning Justification others of A. B. Laua's party have taught in his time may be seen in those two Books collected to your hands viz. Laudensium Autocatacrisis and Laudensium Apostasia One word to these men What Divine that understood himself and did not intend to cheat men into a Popish Photinian Socinian or Arminian belief of Justification by a mans own inherent righteousness and consequently denying of Christs by which alone our persons are justified before God ever went about to put good works or new obedience into the definition of Faith as it justifieth our persons before God What is it a cheat in Bishop Sanderson and all sound Logicians and Philosophers to define a man to be animal rationale becaus they make no mention of risibility which necessarily flows from his principles and is really inseparable from him Did you never read nor hear of a praecisâ—â—e separation of a property from its proper subject that is a consideration of the subject without considering the property if not I shall not doubt but that you have studied Rhetorick more than Logick and Natural Philosophy though you brag much of your rational Discourses and Religion too Now if the subject may be defined without its proper passion pray may not the cause be considered and defined too without its effects Bishop Sanderson * Log. l. 3. c. 17. par 5. p. 64. teacheth us to define habits by their end and object And Philosophers tell us that Habitus distinguuntur per actus actus per objecta Habits must be distinguished by their acts and acts by their objects Now the proper act of faith as it justifies mens persons before God is not to work by love and resolve upon new obedience as you insinuate but to receive the proper object of Justification which is not Gods commands formally considered as you insinuate but the righteousness of Jesus Christ called the Lord our righteousness and do not Philosophers give us two definitions of the soul the one as 't is a form of the body thus Anima est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corporis physici organici vitam habentis in potentia and the other as 't is the efficient cause of its operations thus Anima est principium quo vivimus sentimus movemur intelligimus primo what do they put a cheat upon the world and illusions because in the first they mention not its effects so here faith is in the Doctrine of Justification considered by our and your orthodox Divines as the form of Justification taken passively whereby believers lay hold on Christ with all his merits by the hand of faith and apply them to themselves Here I say they do not consider faith as an efficient principle or cause of either Bishop Davenant de justitia habituali c. 22. p 312. inward graces or outward good works for all these are excluded or to use our * Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 16 17. Faith shutteth not out repentance hope love fear of God to be joined with faith in every man that is justified but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying c. Homilies word shut out from the business of Justification of sinners persons before God as I shewed before out of St. Paul's and the Church of England's Doctrine And they may reason thus that which Faith excludeth from justification of sinners persons before God cannot be put into the definition of Faith formally considered as so justifying but Faith formally considered as justifying sinners persons before God excludeth works from Justification of sinners persons before God For Faith and works are in this point opposed every where by S. Paul as was manifested before out of the Doctrine of the Church of England as well as St. Paul's Therefore good works cannot be put into the definition of faith as 't is justifying of sinners persons before God And 't is observable by the way too that Faith shutteth out repentance and fear of God as well as love from the office of justifying of sinners persons before God as our Homily quoted in the Margent plainly declareth And therefore it excludeth Mr. Fowler 's sincere resolution of obedience to all the precepts of the Gospel not only from the definition of Faith as justifying but also from the office of justifying mens persons before God In the point of justifying of mens persons before God these * Mr. Fowler 's Free Discourse p. 127. quarrelsome sottish men as you are pleased out of
your abundant modesty to call A. B. Vsher Bishop Downham Bishop Davenant Mr. Perkins Pemble Dr. Ames and many others of our own learned orthodox Divines besides many more of foreign Countries consider not Faith as 't is the principle of good works but according to its proper office as justifying which is to rest trust upon to receive and apply and so in that office it actually needs no good works or vertues to be coupled with it because it is but the souls instrument to apprehend and apply the righteousness of Christ that is freely offered in the Gospel to it self and which no other grace or work of man doth or can do as was shewed before * Dr. Patrick calls this I am nought I have nought his Pilgrims charm Par. Pilgr p. 283. Which sure is not so good a comparison as Mr. T. W. his painted post is of an hypocrite condemned by him in his Debate He that will be Christs disciple must deny himself and his own righteousness as Paul did Phil. 3. 7. 8 9. Christ will be a whole Saviour or none at all He that comes to Christ for justification with his own good works in his hand doth in effect say that he hath in truth some but not much need of him and his righteousness and thereby he incapacitates himself to lay hold upon and receive Christ and his merits for inâ—us existens prohibet extraneum he must let go his own works before he can apprehend and relye only upon Christs merits as he must do as was evidenced before out of the Doctrine of our Church of England which saith * Hom of Salv. of Mank p. 17. We must trust only in Gods mercy and that sacrifice which our high Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of God once offered for us upon the Cross to obtain thereby Gods grace For further and fuller confutation of this gross and most Antichristian error not to say heresie as Dr. Slater calls it I refer you back to what I have alledged out of the Church of Englands Books of Homilies and Articles of Religion upon the serious reading of which and their Books and comparing them together all judicious and sound Christians will find that there is great cause for all men to take heed of their Books as of cheats and dangerous illusions to use Dr. Patrick's words by which they have defamed the sincere and sound professors and assertors of the true and pure Protestant Religion which to do their learned Dr. H. More in his Mystery * Lib. 2. c. 13. p. 〈◊〉 This saith he must needs be very antichristian and uncharitable to misrepresent mens actions and opinions in publick speeches or writings or invent notorious lyes or fictions in the disparagement of mens persons and Doctrines and suborn men to write them and divulge them to the world for truths which is to do as was the custome of those who were under the Dragon that old Serpent and false accuser of the ancient Primitive Christians c. of Iniquity saith is one part of Antichristianism and cunningly under the pretence of confuting the errors and reproving the follies and infirmities of Nonconforming Protestants to those errors and impositions and modes of worship and government which they profess they like very well have printed what they have preached I cannot tell not to say Arminian Socinian but Popish Errors contrary to the express word of God and the sound and clear Doctrine of the Church of England to which 't is believed they have subscribed if not declared their assent and consent yea even that antifundamental error or rather heresie of Justification of sinners persons before God by their own inherent righteousness or good works and thereby slighted our free Justification by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ apprehended and applied alone by true Faith in Jesus Christ which is in effect denying the Gospel of Jesus Christ as their Dr. More shews in his Mystery of Iniquity and is obvious to every man that fully understands what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and that is not resolved virtually to deny Christ to be come in the flesh and to profess himself to be fallen from grace as the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3. Gal. 5. 4. From all which I shall not peremptorily conclude any thing but only ask this question as Dr. Patrick Friendly Debate pag. 2 3. doth Can he be a good subject a good * Hom. of Salvat of Mankind p. 16 17. before quoted and alledged Christian and a Minister of Christ that doth so To conclude 't is true that good works do either actually or habitually accompany a true justifying Faith or do follow a justified person but they have no hand or efficiency at all in the justification of a sinners person before God as the Doctrine of the Church of England plainly shews We are justified by Faith with works associativè but not by Faith and works copulativè that is we are justified by that Fâ—â—â—h that is accompanied with works but not by the works that do accompany it as concauses with it thereof but by faith alone because that only and no other vertue grace or work doth or can do it apprehends and applies that which doth justifie our persons before God viz. Christs righteousness ART IV. That Faith that doth justifie sinners persons before God is a bare and naked assent to the truth of Gods word and that so and as an act habit or work in us it justifies THIS I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homily of the Salvation of Mankind p. 17. which saith thus The true meaning of this Doctrine We be freely justified by faith without works is not that this our own act to believe in Christ or that this faith in Christ which is within us doth justifie us For that were to count our selves to be justified by some act or vertue that is within our selves but the true meaning thereof is that although we hear Gods word and believe it although we have faith we must renounce the merit of our said vertues c. And in the Homily of Christs Death and Passion T. 2. part 2. p. 1â—7 thus The only mean or instrument of Salvation required of our part is faith that is a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God c. ut supra where 't is clear that the faith that doth justifie us is not a bare notitia or knowledg of and assensus assent unto the truth of Gods word but also as our sound Divines do hold and maintain Bishop Davenant Determ 37. fiducia a sure trust and confidence in Gods mercy c. So also in Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 20. A true and right Christian is not only to believe the holy Scriptures and all the Articles of our Christian Faith that is to assent to them but also to have a sure trust and confidence
Ibi. p. 160 161 〈◊〉 163. Cap. 1. 〈◊〉 2. That we are justified by faith sensu proprio that is the act of â—â—lieving in that Tò credere is imputed for righteousness being accepteâ— God and accounted unto us for that whole righteousness of the Law whâ—â—â— we were bound to perform so that our very faith is that righteousness 〈◊〉 which we are justified in the sight of God Non quidem merito suo 〈◊〉 propter gratuitam acceptilationem Dei This is the error of the Arâ—â—nians with whom the Papists agree which they received from Faustâ—â— Socinus that unhappy Heretick in his blasphemous Book de Christo Sâ—â—vatore and Michael Servetus in his second Book de Lege Evangeliâ—â— Which Errors are confuted by Calvin in his Opuscula and ibid. by 〈◊〉 Pemble Sec. 2. c. 2. p. 164 c. 3. A sinner is not justified by faith alone but also by other vertues 〈◊〉 graces as Hope love repentance fear of God c. and this is the opâ—nion of the Papists which whether it be not the Doctrine the scopâ—â— and main drift of our Latitudinarian Divines in their Books let tâ—â— impartial and judicious Reader truly judg which he confutes 〈◊〉 Sec. 2. c. 3. p. 167 c. and which is most opposed and confuted by 〈◊〉 sound Doctrine of the Church of England as may be easily seen 〈◊〉 what I have before alledged out of it Now that true Believers in Christ are justified that is declared 〈◊〉 accounted righteous before God acquitted from their debt the Cuâ—â— of the Law which by their sins they have deserved at Gods hands by and for the merits of Christs * Christs righteousness is not only his inherent holiness as Mr. Fowler falsely suggests in his Free Discourse pag. 128. passive and active obedience to the will of God his Father which is called Christs righteousness imputed to them I prove thus by arguments taken clearly from the Doctrine of the Church of England and Gods word 1. They that believe in Christ that is that their persons are justified before God are justified either by their own habitual or actual inherent righteousness or by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them but they are not justified before God by their own habitual or actual inherent righteousness therefore they are justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them The sequel of the Major is undeniable because there is no other thing by or for which they are justified that is absolved from the curse of the Law and declared not guilty but accounted innocent and righteous The Minor I have proved already by the Doctrine of the Church of England the sentence and confession of the Reformed Churches abroad and our own learned Divines at home and by the authority of Canonical Scripture The sum of which is this 1. Because we are freely justified by Faith not as an act habit or work but as an instrument apprehending and applying the righteousness of Christ and not by the deeds of the Law Rom. 3. 20 24 28. Gal. 2. 16. 2. Because all our inherent righteousness is imperfect and accompanied with many sins and therefore cannot stand before the judgment-seat of God much less merit or procure our Justification at Gods hands To which I add this further Though God hath ordained us to walk in good works yet the meaning is not by these words to induce us to have any affiance or to put any confidence in our works as by the merit and deserving of them to purchase to our selves or others remission of sins and so consequently everlasting life for that were blasphemy against Gods mercy and great derogation to the blood-sheâ—ding of our Saviour Jesus Christ For it is the free grace and mercy of God by the mediation of the blood of his Son Jesus Christ without merit or descriving on our part that our sins are foâ—given us that we are reconciled and brought again into his favour and are made heirs of his heavenly kingdom T. 2. Hom. of good works part 1. pag. 81. And 't is observable that the Church of England makes Justification to be forgiveness of sins Homily for Salvation p. 13. And Bellarmine himself Lib. 1. de Paenit saith Remissio peccatorum quid est nisi justificatio 2. True Believers in Christ are justified the same way and by the same means that Abraham was but Abraham's person was justified before God not by his own good works but by the righteousness of Christ imputed to him Ergo true Believers in Christ are justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them The Major is the Doctrine of the Church of England as I shewed before and is clear by St. Paul's Doctrine Rom. 4 11 12. As Abraham the Father of the Faithful was justified so shall his faithful sons believers in Christ be justified too that righteousness might be imputed to them also And Rom. 4. 22 23 24. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed 〈◊〉 him that is Abraham but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if 〈◊〉 believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead who was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification The Minor also is clear because he was justified by his Faith whereby he believed God in the promised seed that is in Christ Roâ— 4. 3. Abraham believed God that God that spake to him and it 〈◊〉 counted to him for righteousness And I shewed before that his Faith was taken not absolutely but relatively with connotation of the object Christ promised that was counted to him for righteousness So Rom. 4 9. Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness And ver 21. and therefore it that is his Faith in Christ the promised seed was imputed to him for righteousness And our Homily saith Ibi. supra Oâ—â— faith shall be imputed to us as well as it was to Abraham Isaac and Jacob And it necessarily must be so for he was not justified by Faith as 〈◊〉 act or habit or work as I proved before by the Doctrine of the Church of England 3. If God doth accept and allow of Christs active and passive obedience and the merits thereof as full and perfect satisfaction to his Justice for true Believers in Christ then they are justâ—fied before God by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them but God doth accept and allow of the active and passive obedience of Christ and the merits thereof as full and perfect satisfaction to his Justice for true believers in Christ therefore true believers in Christ are justified before God by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them The sequel of the Major is evident because Christs obedience and merits is his righteousness For we say not that Christs essential righteousness which is in him as God the second Person in the Sacred Trinity or that righteousness which he by his Spirit and Word works in believers is
of Gods righteousness which shall be applied to them by Faith So Diodate in Isa 45. 25. 2. Rom 4 6. Blessed is the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works Now that righteousness is not cannot be inherent properly in our persons for that is not without works it must necessarily therefore be Christs righteousness which is imputed to him that is blessed 3. Rom. 5. 17 18 19 For if by one mans offence i. e. Adams death reigned by one i e. by Adam much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ therefore as by the offence of one that is Adam judgment came upon all men unto condemnation even so by the righteousness of one that is Christ the second Adam the free gift camt upon all men that is that are elected in Christ unto justification of life This next verse makes it most clear For as by one mans disobedience that is Adams many that is all that were naturally in Adam by ordinary generation were made sinners so by the obedience of one that is of Christ many that is all Gods Elect shall be made righteous Not efficiently and meritoriously only but formally as by Adams disobedience we weâ—â— made sinners not efficiently and meritoriously only but formally for his first sin was imputed to us and made our sin so are believers Christ formally made righteous by the Imputation of Christs righteousness them 4. 1 Cor 1. 30. Christ is made to us of God wisdom and righteousneâ—â— and sanctification and redemption Where the blessed Apostle doth â—â—presly distinguish righteousness from sanctification the righteousness 〈◊〉 Christ imputed to us from inherent righteousness wrought in us 5. To this might be added this That no righteousness but the rigâ—teousness of Christ who is God and man in one Person is now 〈◊〉 to satisfie the justice of God and purchase for us remission of our 〈◊〉 and perfectly fulfill the Law of God for us and therefore St. 〈◊〉 who understood himself very well Phil. 3. 8 9 Counted all thing but dung that he might win Christ and be found in him not having his oâ—â— righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith That is clothed witâ— the righteousness of Christ imputed to him as not only Dr. Featly bâ—â— all our sound Divines that have written upon the place expouâ—â— it 6. Before I leave this point I pâ—â— observe * Tilen Syntag. de Justif p. 724. Wendâ—lin Theol. lib. 1. c. 25. Thes 8. p 491. with Divines That remissâ—â— of sins or absolution from the curse of tâ—â— Law and the imputation of the righteousness of Christ are not two divers or distiâ—â— integranting parts of Justification or two acts in number and really distinct but one and the same act respecting two terms à quo ad queâ— from which and to which As darkness is by one and the same act expelled the air and light introduced into the air so by one and tâ—â— same act of Justification is the sinner absolved from guilt and pronounced just by one and the same act is the sinners sin pardoned and the righteousness of Christ imputed to him Remission of sins and imputation of righteousness are not two divers or distinct parts secuâ—dum essâ— but only secundum dici in nature but name and sound foâ— either of them taken asunder doth express the whole nature of Justification as appears Rom. 4. 6 7. where the Apostle purposely handling this argument doth use to remit sins and to impute righteousnesâ— as things or phrases of equal force or signification David describeâ—â— the blessedness of man unto whom God imputeth righteousness withoâ—â— works saying blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven Psal 32. 1 〈◊〉 To these arguments I might add what Cardinal Contarenus in tractaâ—â—u de Justificatione doth teach to be seen in Dr. Ames his Bellarminus Enervatus T. 4. l 6. c. 1. p. 128. and what Cardinal Cajetan also saith to the same purpose there to be seen but I forbear because I am now to deal with Protestants in profession though Papists indeed in those points about Justification And that you may see I do not wrong them I shall here insert what Mr. Fowler * And I hope I may without offence call them so seeing they hold the very same that Papists do in their tract of Justification seeing he calls us Antinomians for holding the Doctrine of St. Paul saith that he and his party do hold Free Discourse p. 1. p. 125. he saith That those men are angry with those Preachers that is his Latitudinarian party that preach a truly †As if those he writes against did not preach such a moral and real righteousness as well as they and as though Christs righteousness which is imputed to believers were not such moral and real righteousness because they hear no talks from their Pulpits of an imputative righteousness And p. 126 he saith They do not use the phrase so often but they believe the thing in their sense that is so to handle the doctrine of imputed as to shew the necessity of inherent righteousness that is as he explains himself elsewhere to the justification of a sinners person before God which whether it be not downright Jesuitical or if you rather will Socinian-Popery let the judicious and indifferent Reader judg This then is their notion of Christs imputed righteousness that those which are sincerely righteous and from an inward living principle allow themselves in no known sin nor in the neglect of any known duty which is to be Evangelically righteous shall be dealt with and rewarded in and through Christ as if they were perfectly and in a strict legal sense so 'T is certain I acknowledg that those that are justified are sincere but that their sincerity doth antecede or copulatively or concausally concur to the Justification of their persons before God with the righteousness of Christ imputed to them is a grosly false notion of Christs imputed righteousness and amounts to no more than what the Papists teach That Christ hath merited that our works might merit and is directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England as I have shewed before And besides he speaks not out plainly but saith they shall be dealt with and rewarded in and through Christ but how whether as the efficient or meritorious or formal cause he doth not shew The latter he cannot mean because he denies the Justification of a sinners person before God upon the account of the imputed righteousness 〈◊〉 Christ And p. 127. he saith thus I am confident that this which 〈◊〉 immediately before gave is the only true notion of the imputed righteousness of Christ And p. 128. The true notion he saith of those mâ—â— he writes against of the imputed righteousness of Christ is this that Christs righteousness * Christs righteousness
* This is an old Pelagian Error as St. Aug. shewed l. 2. de Predest Sanct. c. 18. Alvarez de Auxil Div. Gracâ—â— Disp 1. p. 12. n. 16. Faith repentance good works and perseverance were the true causes moving God to elect them to eternal Salvation THis I renounce Because 1. 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England Homily of Christs Death and Passion T. 2. p. 2. p. 186. Christs death was caused by mans sin and Gods mercy proccedeed from Gods free love to mankind without any merit or desert on our part And a little before in the same Homily p. 1â—â— Our acts and deeds are full of imperfectness and infirmities and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour And therefore I conclude that it proceeded not from mans foreseen good-will or Gods foresight that he would use his will well as believe in Christ and persevere in well-doing c. but from Gods own good will to him 2. 'T is contrary to Sacred Scripture for the holy Scriptures do every where where they treat of this Election ascribe it to Gods 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Purpose good-will or free-grace as Ephes 1. 4. 5. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world That we should be holy and without blame before him in love having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to 〈◊〉 good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace where he hath made us accepted in the beloved Where 't is clear that we are â—â—cted to holiness and not for our holiness of which Faith is a chief paâ—â— So verse the ninth of the same Chapter Having made known unto the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath pâ—â—posed in himself So v. 11. Being predestinated according to the purpose him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will So 2 Tim. 1â—â— Not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began So Rom. 9. 1â—â— 16. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compâ—â— on on whom I will have compassion So then it is not of him that willeth 〈◊〉 of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy So Rom. 9. 11 12 1â— For the children being not yet born neither having done any good or 〈◊〉 that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works 〈◊〉 of him that calleth It was said to her The elder shall serve the youngâ—â— as it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated So Rom 8 〈◊〉 30. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conforme◠〈◊〉 the image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many brethâ—â— mark it they were predestinated that they might be conformed to the image of Christ not because he foresaw they would be so themselves Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called and whom called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorifiâ—â— From whence I reason thus 1. If mens foreseen Faith good works and perseverance thereiâ— did move God to elect them to Salvation then their Election was nâ—â— of mercy and free grace but of justice seeing he did but chuse thâ—â— to glory because he saw they were worthy and so their Electiâ—â— was not of Gods free grace but of mans desert 2. If God elected men to eternal life because he did foresee thâ—â— would believe and do good works c. then Election was of him thâ—â— willeth and of him that runneth and not of him that sheweth mercy which is directly contrary to the express word of God 3. If Elect on was for foreseen Faith and good works then it follows that the object of Election was not fallen man and so miserable and an object of mercy as all our most sound Divines do commonly hold and which opinion the Popish Arminian party approâ—â— of more than they do of the Superalapsarian way but man restored 〈◊〉 grace and justified which all sound Divines deny 4. The effect of Election was not cannot be the moving cause of Election But Faith and good works are the effects of Election and therefore they were not they cannot be the moving cause of Gods electing men to Salvation The Major is undensable because the cause is before the effect and the effect is after the cause The Minor is clear by express Scripture Act. 13. 48. And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Where 't is evident that their believing is an effect or fruit of Gods ordaining them to eternal life So Ephes 1. 4. According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him And Rom. 8. 29 30. Whom he did foreknow that is eternally elect he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son Where conformity to the image of Christ is an effect of Predestination not a cause moving God to elect us and by conformity cannot be meant only of conformity to Christ in suffering afflictions or bearing the Cross as Arminians would falsely expound the place for so many of Gods elect Infants and others would be excluded out of the number of Gods Elect. For many of them pass out of this world without suffering of the Cross as Christ did and live here in this world in wealth and peace and honour And the next following words gainsay that gloss That he might be the first-born among many brethren Now Christ was not only the first-born among many brethren in regard of suffering affliction but also and chiefly in respect of holiness and happiness We his Elect-brethren are predestihated to be conformed to him in righteousness and holiness here and glory and happiness hereafter and consequently that we might believe and do good works and persevere therein For these are part of our inherent righteousness or conformity to Christ our elder Brother He was called properly the first-born for his superexcellent grace and in that our conformity to him here was predestinated from all eternity and also our Glorification with him in Heaven hereafter as the next words explain the former Whom he did predestinate them he also called justified and glorified Vocation Justification and Glorification are the things we are to be conformed to the Image of Christ And here may be observed that Vocation and Justification and Glorification whiâ—h include or presuppose Faith in Christ and good works and perseverance are fruits of Election and not causes 5. If our Election was of foreseen Faith and good works thâ—â— Gods electing of us was in order of nature after and the fruit 〈◊〉 our electing of God and so we should be said to chuse him 〈◊〉 love him first which is directly contrary to Canonical Scripturâ— Joh. 15. 16. Ye
have not chosen me but I have chosen you and 〈◊〉 dained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your frâ—â— should remain Where 't is clear that the Apostles who reprsented not only Ministers of the Gospel but also all Gods Churcâ— which consists only of his Elect did not chuse God first but 〈◊〉 chose them first And that he did not ordain them to eterâ—â—â— life because he did foresee that they would go and bring for t fruit and persevere in well-doing but that they and by conâ—â—quence we might do so So 1 Joh. 4. 10. Herein is love not that 〈◊〉 loved God but that he loved us That is first as the 19 verse 〈◊〉 pounds this tenth We love him because he loved us first 6. Gods Election of man to Salvation cannot be from his foâ— seeing that man would believe and do good works for 〈◊〉 hath not since his Fall sufficient power of himself to will to bâ—lieve or do good works for it is God that worketh in us both 〈◊〉 will and to do Ephes 2. 13. Yea the Apostle speaks plainly Epâ—â— 2. 8. That we are saved by grace through faith and that that faith is not 〈◊〉 our selves but that 't is the gift of God And so holds the Churâ—â— of England frequently in her Book 〈◊〉 Homilies For it is the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 Homil. of the Nativity of Christ T. 2. p. â—67 no other thing that doth quicken 〈◊〉 minds of men stirring up good and gâ—â— motions in their hearts which are agreeable to the will and commanâ—ment of God such as otherwise of their own crooked and perverse â—â—ture they should never have That which is born of the flesh is fleâ—â—ly as who should say man of his own nature is fleshly and câ—â—nal and corrupt and naught sinful and disobedient to Gâ—â— without any spark of goodness in him without any vertuous or goâ—â— motions only given to evil thoughts and wicked deeds as for the fruit of the Spirit the fruit of faith charitable and godly motions if he haâ—â— any at all in him they proceed only of the Holy Ghost who is the 〈◊〉 worker of our Sanctification and maketh us new men in Christ Jesâ—◠〈◊〉 Homily concerning the coming down of the Holy Ghosâ— p. 209. We must needs agree that whatsoever good thing is in us either of grace or nature or fortune is of God only as the only authâ—â— and worker Verily that holy Prophet Isaiah beareth record and saitâ— O Lord it is thou of thy goodness that bast wrought all our works in us not we our selves And to uphold the truth in this matter against all justitiaries and hypocrites which rob Almighty God of his honour and ascribe it to themselves St. Paul bringeth in his belief We be not saith he sufficient of our selves as of our selves once to think any goodthing but all our ableness is of Gods goodness for he it is in whom we have all our being our living and moving It is meet to think that all spiritual goodness cometh from God above only Homily for Rogation-Week p. 217. 3. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine of the reformed Churches The French Church saith thus We believe that out of this universal corruption and damnation wherein by nature all men are drowned God did deliver and preserve some whom by his eternal and immutable counsel of his own goodness and MERCY WITHOVT ANY RESPECT OF THEIR WORKS he did choose in Christ Jesus and others he left in that corruption and damnation in whom he might as well make manifest his justice by condemning them justly in their time as also declare the riches of his mercy in the others The Confession of the Church of Belgia is this We believe that God after the whole off-spring of Adam was cast head-long into perdition and destruction through the fault of the first man hath declared and shewed himself to be such a one as he is indeed namely both merciful and just merciful in delivering and saving those from condemnation and from death whom in his eternal counsel of HIS OWN FREE GOODNESS he hath Aliud est in Christo legi aliud in Christo esse in Christo elegi est ex mundo numero periuntium 〈◊〉 Christo ut redemptus ab ipso fide donatus in ipso Mac. red Th. Pol. 〈◊〉 7. q. 4. p. 67. chosen in Jesus Christ WITHOUT ANY REGARD AT ALL OF THEIR WORKS Harmony of Confessions Sect. 5. p. 86 87. The Church of Ireland in the 14th Article of her Confession of Faith saith thus The cause moving God to predestina te unto life is not the foreseeing of faith or perseverance or good works or of any thing which is in the person predestinated but only the good pleasure of God himself for all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appear both in the works of his mercy and of his justice it seemed good to his heavenly Wisdom â—o chuse out a certain number towards whom he would extend his undeserved mercy leaving the rest to be spectacles of his justice And 〈◊〉 former part of this Article is the Doctrine of the Church of Eâ—â—land also in express terms set down in the second Article of â—â—beth to be seen in the end of this book how and by whom Arâ—â— bishop Whitgift and several Bishops Fletcher Elect of London Vâ—â—han Elect of Bangor Tindale Dean of Eli Dr. Whitaker Mr. Perkiâ—â— Mr. Chaderton c. and upon what account Dr. Heylin in part shâ—â— in his Cyprianus Anglicus lib. 3. p. 2â— 204. viz. Peter Baroes venting Arâ—â—nian It cannot be denied but that the same Doctrine is maintained by Arminius and that it is the very same with that of the Church of Rome as appears by the Council of Trent Coâ—â— 3 4. Heylins Introduction to his Cyp. Anglicus p. 36. which as Dr. Heylin himself câ—â—â—fesseth is agreeable to Franciscan â—â—pish Doctrine and which the Parliment of 1628. remonstrated to the 〈◊〉 and Kingdom to be a cunning 〈◊〉 bring in Popery the professors of 〈◊〉 opinions being common disturbers of 〈◊〉 Protestant Churches and incendiarie◠〈◊〉 those States wherein they have gotteâ—â— head being Protestanis in shew but Jesuits in opinion and practise 〈◊〉 Angl. l. 3. p. 181. Now that the Articles of Lambeth are the seâ—â— of the Doctrine of the Church of England may be gathered not â—â—ly from A. B. Vshers taking these Articles into the Articles of Religâ—â— of Ireland and King James his approving of them but also by 〈◊〉 declarations of the Commons Assembled in Parliament in or abâ—â— the year 1628 June 14. We 〈◊〉 Commons of England now Assembâ—â— Declaration of the Commons in Parliament do claim profess 〈◊〉 aver for truth the sense of the Aâ—â—cles of Religion which were established in Parliament the 〈◊〉 year of Queen Elizabeth which by the publick Acts of the Churcâ—â— of England and the general and current exposition of the
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
the womb is evident by sacred Scripture how this came unto us we should not be curious to inquire but rather industrious in Gods way to amend it yet the learned do say that God not as a Creator but as a Judg made the Souls of men in the seed without that Original righteousness which Adam had as a punishment of the first sin of ours in Adam in whom we were who by his fin rendred us his posterity who sinned in him worthy to be deprived of Original righteousness and then from this privation follows corruption or an inclination to actual unrighteousness and this is voluntary by mans own private will ART X. That meer men in this life since Rhem. Test an 2 Cor. 8. 14. Pet. a Soto assert Cathol de lege Doctor Hammond's Tract of Will-worship Sec. 16. 19. saith That when a man shall out of a pious affection do any thing else beside what God hath commanded by any particular precept this action of his is to be accounted so much the more commendable and acceptable to God which Mr. D. Cawdry hath answered p. 71 72. of Will-worship Adam ' s fall can perfectly fulfill Gods whole Moral Law and also voluntarily do works besides and above Gods Commandments which they call works of Supererogation which are greater and holier than the works of the Moral Law and do merit remission of sins and eternal life not only for themselves but also for others THis I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in all its parts As Article 14th which saith thus Voluntary works besides over and above Gods Commandments which they call works of Supererogation cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required whereâ—â— Christ saith plainly When ye have done all those things which are commanded you say ye are unprofitable servants In which Article we have these four things held forth unto us 1. That works of Supererogation are voluntary works besides over and above Gods Commandments and so vice versa voluntary works besides over and above Gods Commandments are works of Supererogation Of which kind are Popish vows of voluntary poverty regular obedience perpetual continency Feasts Fasts Ceremonies Pilgrimages and such like Will-worships made by them but not commanded by God in his Word 2. That works of Supererogation or voluntary works besides over and above Gods commands cannot be taught without arrogancy Which works besides and above that which God hath commanded and imposed are called sometimes Ordinances of the world Col. 2. 20. Voluntary Religion Col. 2. 23. Doctrines of Devils 1 Tim. 4. 1. forbidden in the Word of God where we are commanded 1. To walk not after the laws of men but according to the statutes of God Josh 1. 7 8. Be strong and very courageous that thou mayest observe to do according to all the Law which Moses my servant commandeâ— thee turn not from it to the right hand or to the left that thou mayest prosper whither soever thou goest This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have good success Till this be done Rulers must not look to prosper in their Government at home and undertakings against their enemies abroad 2. To hear Christ Mark 8. 7. who teacheth Christians their duty setting before them as their rule and direction the law and word of God Mat. 5. 17 18. 19 20. and more than that he doth not urge and against mans needless injunctions Mark 7. 7. They worship 〈◊〉 in vain saith Christ teaching for Doctrines the commandments of meâ— And teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you Mat. 28. 20. And Christs sheep hear his voice but not the voice of strangers Joh. 10. 3 5. The works of Supererogation are more rightly called the Festus Hommiâ—â— Disp 19. c. 6. Opera supererogationis rectius opera superarrogantiae appellantur works of superarrogance saith a learned man 3. That Voluntary works or works of Supererogation besides or above the Commandments of God are the subversion of godliness and true religion and cannot be taught without impiety The reason is rendred in the body of the Articles And 't is so saith Mr. Thomas Rogers in his Explications and Confirmations of the 39 Articles upon the 14th Article 1. Because Gods Law is thereby broken that mens may be kept Mark 7. 7 8. 2. The holy Scriptures must be contemned as not sufficient enough to bring men to the knowledg of Salvation which St. Paul saith 〈◊〉 able to instruct in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto every good work 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. 3. God who is only wise 1 Tim. 1. 17. is made unwise in not prescribing so necessary works To which I add 4. That true Godliness is the right worshipping of God as he hath apâ—â—â—ted in the Canonical Scriptures as all know that know the meaning of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth piety or godliness 〈◊〉 Voluntary works or works of Supererogation advance a worship 〈◊〉 mens devising directly against the scope and end of the second Commandment wherein God hath commanded men to worship him 〈◊〉 â—e hath prescribed and forbidden Will-worship as all our Learned and â—â—thodox Divines expound that Commandment 5. They that do worship God by such ways and means as he hath â—â—t prescribed in his Word do not love but hate God as both A. B. â—â—her and bishop Babington declare in their Expositions upon that Commandment and they worship a God of their own devising as not only Mr. Perkins but also Peter Marâ—r * Loc. com clas 2 ae c. 4. p. 196. Nullus verus Deus est qui rebus iis coli vellit unde super est dum impii tales ritus suis sacris adhibent ut non verum Deum adorent sed illum quem iis rebus delectari finxerunt Et cum is in rerum natura nullus â—extet animorum suorum idolum colunt idâ— câ—rco jure possint dici idololatrae Perkins Cases of Conscienc l. 2. c. 11. Sec. 2. q. 1. p. 206. do plainly demonstrate Nullus â—erus Deus c. That is not a true God that would be worshipped by these things that is such things as the true God had not commanded or warranted in his Word of which he spake before â—â—ence it remaineth that wicked men while they add such rites as he was speaking of before to Gods sacred things 〈◊〉 ordinances that they do not adore the true God but him whom they seign to be â—elighted with such things and seeing there is no such
is * This is Pelagius his Doctrine as may be seen in Alvarez de Auxil gratiae l. 1. disp 1. p. 4. n. 2. possible for men in the state of corruption to keep the whole Moral Law of God Both which are very gross Errors but the former of these I should suppose he doth not hold Because 1. He complains against Nonconformists though causelesly and very falsely for Antinomianism 2. He presseth obedience to the Law and good works so much as that he saith that those that have confidence in Gods mercy through Christ must come down again from the top of the tree and begin at the bottom in obedience to all Gods Commandments And this must go before we can actually receive his pardon and absolution according to that of the Apostle Tit. 3. 5 6 7. where it is visible saith he that his mercy cannot save us unless we become new creatures and that this must go before the justification we expect by the grace of God In his licensed Parable of the Pilgrim 〈◊〉 502 511 〈◊〉 But yet if he hold it I shall say no more than what Gods Word expresly and in terminis saith Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every 〈◊〉 that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Either Gods word is false or his Doctrine But the second which is this ' That 't is possible for men in the state of corruption exactly and perfectly to fulfill the whole Moral Law of God Papists that they may establish their Justification of mens persons before God by their own inherent righteousness or good works do affirm that believers * Bellar. de observatione Legis T. 4. l. 6. c. 7. can by the help of Gods grace and the spirit of love infused into them at their Justification perfectly fulfill the whole Moral Law of God And this seems to be the Doctors insinuation To which our Divines do answer that 't is true the Law of God is Evangelically kept or fulfilled by true believers in Christ Jesus whose perfect righteousness and obedience is imputed to them and thereby their sincere obedience though very imperfect as referred to the Law is accepted of God as perfect But the Law is not legally kept by exact and perfect doing for matter and manner all the works thereof by any justified or regenerated person in this life since Christ ascended up into Heaven And this I have proved by the Doctrine of the Church of England and may be further proved even by those portions of Sacred Writings which she appoints to be said before the Common-prayers begin or the Exhortation thereto Enter not into judgment with thy servants O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight Psal 143. 2. And if we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Joh. 1. â—8 The Church of England as I have shewed teacheth that the works of unjustified men are sins Art 13. And that the most holy and righteous * Davenant Deter 10. pag. 50. works of regenerate persons have some sin in them Art 15. and their graces are but imperfect They know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. and they believe but in part Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief And our frailty is such that we can never fulfil the Law according to the perfection that the Law requireth Plenissima charitas est in nemine August Epist 29. Homily for Good Friday T. 2. p. 182. and p. 177. and there is original sin in the regenerate Article the ninth And that concupiscence * Bishop Prideaux Fascic Controvers l. 3. de peccato q. 5. p. 123. in the regenerate is properly sin Article the ninth That God made man in the state of innocency upright and able to fulfil the whole Law of God That 't is now since his fall in his corrupt estate though in part renewed impossible ordinarily for him to fulfil the Law is not the fault of the Law which is holy and just and good but of man who hath by his own default disabled himself that it much magnifies and commends the free grace of God in that he doth for Christs sake accept of true believers imperfect performances as if they were exactly conformed to the perfect Law of God which yet they are not Adam Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob David Solomon Hezekiah Josiah Jonah Job Peter and Paul sinned David sinned after his person was justified Psal 51. and so did Peter by denying of Christ Luk. 22. 57 58 60. and by his unseasonable and scandalous using the Ceremonies of the Law or Judaizing Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14. And St. Paul himself feels and complains Rom. 7. 20 21 24. of siâ— that did dwell in him of a law in his members that did draw him to do that which he would not and hinder him from doing that which he would do and of a body of death And Gal. 3. 17. That the flesh lusteth against the Spirit These few failings of Dr. Patrick and Mr. Fowler and Doctor Jeremy Taylor c. may not only serve to put in the other scale against the many little pretended ones the Debater objects against Mr. W. B. and Mr. T. W. and others but also prove That some great Conformists to the Discipline of the Church of England are the greatest Nonconformists to the Doctrine thereof and those tollerated if not protected and promoted while Nonformists to the Discipline but stout defenders of the Doctrine of Faith and Sacraments thereof are rejected and silenced ART XI That unregenerated persons own good works do make thâ—â— meet to receive grace from God or as the School-Author say deserve grace of congruity THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England but before I prove it for the better understanding of this error and the truth know 1. That grace in Sacred Scripture signifies two things 1. The favour of God or of man in himself and so 't is taken and used in the Old and New Testament As Gen. 6. 8. And Noah foâ—â—â— grace in the eyes of God Gen. 18. 3. Gen. 39. 21. Ezra 9. 8. Esth 2. 1â— So the Virgin Mary found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace with God Rom. 3. 24. Beng justified freely by his grace that is by the free favour or love mercy or goodness that is in God manifested to us in Christ Rom. 11 5 Election of Grace Ephes 2 8. By grace ye are saved Sometimes it signifies 2. The gift of grace that is that gracious habit of grace that is inâ—erent in us as Rom. 11. 29. 2 Cor. 8. 7. See that ye abound in thâ—â— grace also Ephes 3. 7. The gift of grace Ephes 4. 7. Vnto every oâ—â— of vs is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Col. 3 16. Singing with grace in your hearts Heb. 12. 28 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence
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
of God But there is not in them an active power or ability to regenerate themselves Ob. But God calls upon unregenerated men to cast away their sins and to make them a new heart and a new spirit and turn your selves Ezek. 18. 31 32. Now say they if they cannot do these things and if he alone can do them how can he in reason call upon them to do them Ans To this I answer thus 1. That praecepta ostendunt non quâ—â— possumus sed quid debemus Precepts do shew not what we can do but what we ought to do Or they shew what by grace we can do but not by our selves saith the learned Fasciculus controversiarum c. 3. q. 4. p. 122. Bishop Prideaux 2. That God doth do some things and yet exhort and command men to do them God worketh in men to will and to do and yet he exhorts them to will and to do to love him and to keep his Commandments Our Saviour commands us to believe in him Joh. 14. 〈◊〉 And yet he saith That no man can come to him except the Father which sent him do draw him Joh. 6. 44. And you know that Faith is the giâ—â— of God Ephes 2. 8. So here turn ye shews what we ought to do 〈◊〉 what we can do We had once in Adam a power to do what he commands he doth call upon us for doing of it though now we cannot do it without his special help and grace 3. Consider what thâ—â— Church of England saith in her Homily of Repentance T. 2. p. 263. 〈◊〉 must be verified of all men Without me ye can do nothing And again of our selves we are unable so much as to think a good thought and again it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do And for this cause pray mark this although Jeremy had before said Jer. 4. 1. If thou return O Israel return unto me saith the Lord yet afterward he saith Jer. 31. 18. Turn thou me O Lord and I shall be turned Which plainly shews that they could not turn themselves to the Lord but the Lord himself must turn them or else they would never return or be turned And the next words of the Homily are St. Ambrose doth plainly affirm that the turning of the heart unto God is of God But to return to my proof of the point That a man in the state of corruption cannot without the special grace of God turn and prepare himself to grace 2. Because a man by nature is not capable of those things which are spiritual but they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them 1 Cor. 2. 14. 3. Because the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Rom. 8. 7. 4. Because an unconverted man is unfit to think any thing that is spiritually good 2 Cor. 3. 5. Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our idoniety or fitness is of God The very thoughts the imaginations of unconverted men are only evil and that continually Gen. 6. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God and therefore not fit to prepare and dispose men to grace 5. Because before his conversion he is an evil tree now au evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat. 7. 18. He is an Ethiopian accustomed to do evil Jer. 13. 23. which cannot change his skin 2. They ground this their false Doctrine of merit of congruity upon auother error which they suppose and teach viz. That God â—oth dispense his grace according to the preparations and dispositions of men that are to receive it as was shewed before But God saith otherwise Rom. 11. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Mark it he doth not say I will have mercy on them who by doing first that which is in them are by themselves disposed to the receiving of saving grace by the merit of congruity but he saith on the contrary in the next words It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy That is on whom he pleaseth Which place Peter Martyr understands thus That neither Election is in respect of any thing in man and that â—e hath no power to will of himself but that 't is of God himself who sheweth mercy on whom he will and 〈◊〉 he will he hardneth St. * De Predestinatione c. 14. Defendimus contra novum Pelagianorum errorem gratiam Dei non secundum merita nostra dari sed gratis dari cui datur quia neque volentis neque currentis sed miserentis est Dei justo autem judicio non dari cui non datur quia non est iniquitas apud Deum Augustine sâ—â— We defend against the new error of 〈◊〉 Pelagians that the grace of God iâ— giâ—â— not according to our merits but that 〈◊〉 given freely to whom 't is given Beâ—â— 't is not of him that willeth nor of 〈◊〉 that runneth that is as I humbly coâ—ceive of him that inwardly willeth 〈◊〉 outwardly endeavoureth that it's nâ—â— for any thing in man that he hath done but of God that sheweth mercy Aâ—â— that by a just judgment it is not giveâ— to him to whom 't is not given For there is none iniquity with God And that of the Apostle Ephes 1. 11. God worketh all things according to tâ—e counsel of his own will is very considerable and to our purpose And besides all these things it will follow from this erroneous Pelagiâ—â— Doctrine that some men before saving-grace received from Gods Spirit may by their own endeavours difference themselves from others which have not performed such endeavours as they have which is contrary to the Apostles Doctrine in 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee 〈◊〉 differ and what hast thou that thou didst not receive the sense of which is as our Church declareth in the Contents of that Chapter That we have nothing but what we have râ—ceived For every one of these men may answer and say that the preparations and disposition gotten by 〈◊〉 own endeavours have differenced me for I have had an endeavour â—o good which I have not received from the fulness of Christ the Mediator but from the fountain of nature or from my own free-will yet remaining in me but this is abominably false and contraâ—y to the Doctrine taught by St. Paul and St. Ambrose St. Augustine aâ—â— all the Reformed Churches I named before Lastly I deny this error That a man unregenerated can dispose â—â—elf to true real regeneration or that 〈◊〉 A. B. Vsher in his Sum of Christ Religion pag. 338. saith That unregenerate men do no good works which he there proves man unregenerate can do such works 〈◊〉 so please God as to move
him to coâ—feâ—â—â— on â—hâ—m some saving grace Which 〈◊〉 prove to be false not only by the Dâ—â—ctrine of the Church of England anâ— the reformed Churches before alledged and the reasons before giveâ— but also briefly thus 1. Because it is impossible for any man to please Gâ—â— withâ—â—t faith Heb. 11. 6. and Rom. 8. 8. They that are in the flesh as all â—â—regenerated men are cannot please God 2. God cannot be said to be moved by the works of unbelievers to bestow supernatural grace upon them for if God be not moved by the works of true believers to bestow this or that good thing which he doth bestow upon them then much less can he be said truly to be moved with the works of â—â—believers to confer his supernatural grace upon them But now that God is not provoked by the works of true believers as a cause or reason why he doth bestow that which he doth bestow upon them These things do manifest 1. Because all the works of true believers are due debts to God Luk. 17. 10. When ye have done all those things that â—re commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that â—â—ich was our duty to do And therefore as they cannot come into muster of merit so they cannot move God to do good to them Ex deâ—ito 〈◊〉 All the gifts of God which he bestows upon true believers are free gifts and proceed from his free grace and mercy They are said to be justified freely by his grace Rom. 3. 24. Rom. 5. 18. To be regeneraâ—ed of grace Ephes 2. 4 5. To be saved of grace Ephes 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. â—â— I offer this The young man in the Gospel Mat. 19. 16. who came to Christ and asked him What good he must do to have eternal life our Saviour said He must keep the Commandments But which said the young man Jesus said Thou shalt do no murther thou shalt not commit adulâ—â—ry thou shalt not steal thou shalt not bear false witness honour thy father and thy mother and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self The young man sâ—itâ— all these have I kept from my youth up What lack I yet And in Mark 10. 17. he is said to come running and that he kneeled down to Christ and asked the question And in vers 21. 't is said That Jesus â—eâ—olding him loved him Lo here a man that had outwardly in appearance kept the second Table came earnestly and humbly to Christ for his gracious direction to Heaven was not this man as much prepared as the Papists well disposed unregenerated man and yet Christ let him go and did not bestow his saving grace upon him Nay more 〈◊〉 sought the blessing with tears and yet went without it Gen. 27. 34. And yet on the other hand behold another Saul a zealous man against Christ and persecuting the Disciples of Jesus Christ who breathed out threatnings against believers in Christ and made havock of the members of Christ entering into every house to find and apprehend believers in Christ haling men and women committed them to prison Act. 8. 3. an informer against them that called upon the name of Jesus and a cruel active persecutor of them and yet notwithstanding all this though he had done Christ and his Church much evil at Jerusalem and was going to Damascus to apprehend 〈◊〉 that he found of that way and bring them bound to Jerusalem Christ met him by the way spake to him and asked him Why he persecuted him and even then bestowed his special grace upon him he converted him Act. 9. 1 2 3 4 5 11. For behold he prayeth This I take to be 〈◊〉 clear demonstration of the Apostles truth That 't is not of him that â—â—eth or of him that runneth but of God that shewed mercy and a confutation of the Papists Error That God is not causally or meritoriously â—â—ved to bestow his grace upon men for or according to their own preparatioâ— or dispositions but he doth all according to the counsel of his own will 〈◊〉 that he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will be â—aâ—â—neth and shews that saving grace is not deserved of God by carnal mans works but freely given us of God Ephes 2. 4 5. The wheel turneth round not to the end that it may be made round but because it is â—â—de round therefore it turneth round So no man doth good works to receive grace by his good works but because he hath first received grace therefore consequently he doth good works as 't is in our Homily of Goâ—â— works T. 2. part 1. pag. 81. 4. To this might be added That the works Virtutes Ethnicorum sunt splendida peccata Aug. and virtues of unregenerated me◠〈◊〉 sin Prov. 21 4. The plowing of the wicked is sin Prov. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abominatioâ— to the Lord. Prov. 28. 9. Their prayers are an abomination And Roâ—â— ult Whatsoever is not of faith is sin And our 13th Article of Religion And that therefore they do not please God for he hates sin above all things as being most contrary to his nature and will and consequently do not move God to bestow his Grace upon unregenerated men ART XII That the good works of regenerated men do ex condigno at Gods hands merit eternal life for them THis false Doctrine I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her book of Homilies Homily of good works T. 2. part 1. p. 81. Though God hath ordained us to walk in good works yet the meaning is not by these words to induce us to have any affiance or to put any confidence in our works as by the merit and deserving of them to purchase to our selves or others remission of sins and so consequently everlasting life for that were â—lasphemy against Gods â—â—rcy and great derogation to the blood-shedding of our Saviour Jesus Christ for it is the free grace and mercy of God by the mediation of the blood of â—is Son Jesus Christ without merit or deserving on our part that our sins are forgiveâ— Yet Bishop Montague in his Appeal p. 233 saith The wicked go to enduring of torments everlasting the good to enjoying of happiness without end thus is their state diversified to their deserving See him also Antig. 〈◊〉 153. Shelforâ— Ser. p. 153. Shelford Ser. p. 198. Laudensium Autocatacrisis p. 70 71 72. us that we are reconciled and brought again into his favour and are â—ade heirs of his heavenly kingdom And in her 11th Article of Religion We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith and NOT FOR OVR OWN WORKS OR DESERVINGS Now if we are not justified by our own merits then certainly we are not saved by our own merits if our good works do not merit our justification then they do not merit our eternal salvation 2. 'T is contrary
done great injury to Christ Because 1. by this mean Christ were not a perfect Redeemer 2. He were not our only Redeemer which is contrary to 1 Tim. 2. 5. 3. He were not a satisfactory Redeemer but man himself must suffer and thereby make satisfaction to God himself else he could not be saved 4. He should not purge us by himself from all our sins Heb. 1. 3. but we our selves must do it in part at least by suffering temporal punishments in Purgatory 5. Frustra fit per plura quod fieri potest per pauciora that is vainly done by many that may be done by a few Christ was and is able to save us alone and by himself He is mighty to save â—sal 63. 1. He needed not the help of man and therefore he trod the wine-press alone Isa 63. 3. and of the people there was none with me 6. Bellarmine as Dr. Ames shews notwithstanding his fair pretence ascribeth the satisfaction Bellarm. Enervat T. 2. l. 5. c. 2. p. 210. made to God to man Vna tantum est actualis satisfactio ea est nostra that is there is but only one satisfaction and that is ours 7. Though Christ doth work in us by his Spirit yet that doth not enable us by suffering temporal punishments to make satisfaction unto God 8. Bellarmine's bold assertion That by Christs satisfaction we have grace to satisfie Divine justice is like that before mentioned that Christ merited that we might merit without any ground at all in Canonical Scripture which saith that Christ by himself not by us purged our sins Heb. 1. 3. and that God laid on him not on us the chastisement of our peace and that with his stripes not with our own are we healed Isa 53. 5. What Bishop Mountague Bishop Maxwell and Bishop Andrews in his Strictura is made to say after he was dead concerning offering and prayer for the dead and Dow and Pocklington have written may be seen in Laudeâ— sium Autocatacrisis c. 5. p. 81 82. And lest any should be deceived by them I pray read Dr. Ames his Bellarminus Enervatus T. 4. l. 5. c. 1 2. where you will find Bellarmine's and these mens arguments for Purgatory answered ART XIV That the Pope of Rome successively Bellar. T. 1. l. 3. c. de Antichristo Bishop Mountague Gag c. 10. p. 74. Appeal p. 141. A. B. Laud checkt Bishop Hall for calling the Pope of Rome Antichrist and commanded him to expunge it out of his Book for Episcopacy Vide Dr. Heylin Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 406. Dr Heylin saith as the Papists do That the Pope cannot be Antichrist for Antichrist must be a single person a Jew and must kill Enoch and Elias Col. of Schism pag. 81. or the Papcy is not the Antichrist of which the Sacred Scripture writes THis I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England Homil. of good works T. 1. part 3. p. 38. It gives honour to God for giving to King Henry the Eighth the knowledg of his Word and an earnest affection to seek his glory and to put away all such superstitious and Pharisaical Sects by Antichrist invented and set up against the true Word of God and the glory of his name And Homily of Obedience Part 3 pag. 76. it saith thus But concerning the Usurped power of the Bishop of Rome which he most wrongfully challengeth as the Successor of Christ and Peter we may easily perceive how false feigned and forged it is not only by that it hath no sufficient ground in holy Scripture but also by the fruits and doctrine thereof And in the same Page it saith thus He ought rather to be called Antichrist and the Successor of the Scribes and Pharisees than Christs Vicar and Peter's Successor And in Homily of Willful Rebellion Part 6. pag. 316. The Pope or Bishop of Rome is called the Babylonical Beast of Rome And Part 5. p. 309. of the same 't is said That Christ expresly forbids his Apostles and by them the whole Clergy all Princely Dominion over people and Nations and he and his holy Apostles likewise namely Peter and Paul did forbid unto all Ecclesiastical Ministers dominion over the Church of Christ And indeed while the Ecclesiastical Ministers continued in that order that is in Christs word prescribed unto them and in Christian Kingdoms kept themselves obedient to their Princes as the holy Scripture doth teach them both was Christs Church clear from ambitions emulations and contentions and the state of Christian Kingdoms less subject unto tumults and rebellions But soon after the Bishop of Rome did by his intollerable ambition challenge to be Head of the Church he became at once the spoiler and destroyer of the Church which is the Kingdom of our Saviour Christ and of the Christian Empire and all Christian Kingdoms as an Universal Tyrant over all Wherefore let all good subjects knowing these special instruments and ministers of the Devil to the stirring up of all rebellions avoid and flee them the pestilent suggestions of all usurpers and their adherents and imbrace all obedience to God and their natural Princes that they may enjoy Gods blessing and their Princes favour Homily against Wilful Rebellion Pag. 310. And 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 that is an Antichrist and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily of Salvation of Mankind Pag. 16 17. and in the same Page thus That 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 Again in the Prayer appointed for the Fifth of November set forth by Authority of Parliament 3. Jacob. c. 1. 't is prayed thus Root out that Antichristian and Babylonical Sect. The Church of England in her Homily against the peril of Idolatry Part 3. p. 70. saith thus The Prophet Daniel c. 11 declareth such sumptuous decking of Images with gold silver and precious stones to be a token of Antichrists Kingdom who as the Prophet sheweth shall be adored as God with such things Dr. Heylin's Introd to his Cyp. Angl. p. 1â— which say of Jerusalem Down with it down with it even to the ground c. and to this end strengthen the hands of our gracious King the Nobles and Magistrates of the Land with judgment and justice to cut off these workers of iniquity whose Religion is rebellion whose Faith is faction whose practise is murdering of souls and bodies and to root them out of the confines of this Kingdom And Dr. Heylin himself who was no small friend to the Pope and Popery saith thus That in the Book of Homilies are some hard expressions against the Pope but none more hard than those in the publick Letany
them in their sanctified Banners to make them fortunate Vide Elements of Armory p. 166. 8. In this Church of St. Peter's is besides the said 25 little Altars one great Altar or Sepulcher viz. that of St. Peter which is as it were their Sanctum Sanctorum upon which no man may celebrate Mass but the Pope only This Altar or Sepulcher is made four square of a perfect Cubical figure the length breadth and height of it are equal the measure of every side or area of this Altar is precisely 25 foot of square measure as the words of Baronius Ann. 324. and Onuphrius de praecip Rom. Basil c. 4. do testifie 9. They have most remarkably imprinted the number 25 upon all their Altars because Christs 5 Wounds as they call them are in 5 several places engraven upon the top of every Altar Which their multiplying of our Saviours Wounds from 5 to 25 what it may signifie either in their intention or beyond their intention is not material to enquire but certain it is that there are usually and ordinarily 25 Prints marks or dints engraven upon all their Altars St. Peter's hath thus and so have others 10. The Pope keeps his Jubilee every 25 year 11. As they seem to affect saith he the 25th year so also the 25th day of the Month for their chief Holy-days are upon the 25th day more than upon any other day as the 25th of December for the Nativity of our Saviour The 25th of January for St. * That is Paul the Hermite not the Apostle Paul's Conversion The 25th of February for the Feast of St. Mathias The 25th of March for the Annunciation of the blessed Virgin The 25th of April for Saint Marks day The 25th of July for St. James his day and upon the 25th day of August is the Feast of St. Bartholomew celebrated at Rome as their Breviary witnesseth although in other places it be celebrated one day sooner 12. 'T is observed by a learned man that when Gregory reformed the Kalendar they rejected the Golden Number 19 by which means they made a twofold Epact of 25 of which one is written thus 25 the other thus XXV or in a different colour Who also addeth this That until he could see some reason why the Jesuits fastned this conceit upon 25 rather than upon any other number he should impute it to their affectation of this number above all other And 't is observed that Antiochus who in many almost in all things was a type of Antichrist insomuch that what some Authors expound of Antiochus in Daniel other Authors interpret of Antichrist faileth not in this but of all the days of the month he and his Officers did solemnize the 25th day by offering sacrifice upon the Idols Altars on that day and by their Monthly persecution of the Jews on that day as appears Mac. 1. 59. Obj. But it 's objected concerning the number of the Colledg of Cardinals that at their first institution it was not 25 but 26 because the Pope numbreth himself among the Cardinals as he is Peter's Successor in his Apostleship and because he is a Cardinal so accounted Answ To this 't is answered that the Popes were not of the decreed number 25 as Christ was not numbred among the 12 Apostles though he was an Apostle Heb. 3. 1. but was their Lord and Master and head So the Pope as he pretends himself to be Vicarius Christi is not and cannot be numbred among the Cardinals but is their Lord and head The reason why the number 666 was chosen saith Mr. Potter was because the only figure of this number is a perfect figure perfectly representing the city of Rome as the number 144 was chosen because the figure of this number is a perfect figure perfectly representing the city of Jerusalem For which he gives many reasons and proves what he saith by Demonstrations too many and large to be set down here which I believe all the Papists in the world will never be able fully to answer to him for brevities sake I must necessarily refer you Thus far Mr. Potter of the Number of the Beast 666. I pray seriously read the Book you 'l find more in it than I can express here Mr. Mede when he looked upon it at first he sleighted it and read it with much prejudice but by that time he had read all of it and read it again he admired it as the excellentest piece that ever was Printed of that subject By counting the Number 666 thus you may find the rise body and seat of Antichrist If the application of the Number 666 or its root 25 doth discover any other Church or City besides Rome it 's no more than Dr. H. More and Mr. Mede collect that there may be little Babylons petty Harlots elsewhere out of Rome in Italy and though it may hold the faith as Rome anciently did yet it may degenerate and become Romish first and so Antichristian in the end as the City and Church of Rome did and doth * Which I humbly conceive should make all Churches examine themselves what they hold and practise that is held and practised by that apostatized Church and come wholly off from her in what she hath not express Canonical Scripture for or allowed example of or precept for it or promise to it therein And the apostacy of other Churches may be measured by their near accession to and agreement with this Queen of Harlots As learned Dr. Henry More hath observed in his Synopsis Apocalyptica l. 1. cap. 15. Sect. 10. pag. 314. where he shews that the square root of the number of the Beast is 25 and doth detect to whom the Vision of the Beast doth belong And besides the name long since foretold and found to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whose Numeral Letters make the Number 666 is considerable as appears thus Λ Α Τ Ε Ι ΠΟ Σ 50 1 30 5 10 300 70 200 Put these Numbers together and you may find that they make exactly the number 666. And 't is very well known that upon the division of the Empire into Eastern and Western the Greeks called the Western Churches the Latin Churches and the Western Bishops in General Councils were called the Latin Bishops and the distinction of the subscriptions were under the titles of Patrum Latinorum patrum Graecorum and the very name of the Beast doth determine him to Rome and Italy where * Dr. Prideaux in his Introduction to History put out in his Son Matthews name P. 91. saith that Vitalianus one of the Bishops of Rome in the year 666 sent Theodorus a Greek and Hadrian an African into England to bring in the Latin service being the year 666 just the number of the Beast of which the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 give a shrewd account the Latin Tongue was and is used in every thing Mass Prayers Hymns Litany Canons Decretals Bulls Councils Bible which
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