his fourth Chapter Pag 788. Chap 14. The answer to his fifth Chapter about Schisme Pag 846. Chap 15. The answer to his sixth Chapter about Heresy Pag 884. Chap 16. The answer to his seaventh Chapter that Protestants are not bound by the Charity which they owe to themselves to reunite themselves to the Roman Church Pag 932. Touching the necessity of diuine Grace for all vvorkes of Christian Piety I. THe necessity I find of premisinge this Introduction giues me iust cause to begin with those sad passages of the Prophet Ieremy c. 9.1 VVho will giue water to my head and to myne eyes a fountayne of teares and v. 18. Let our eyes shed teares and our eye liddes runne downe with waters And c. 13. v. 17. My soule shall weepe because of the pride a S. Aug. l. 2. de peccatorum meritis remiss cap. 18. saieth Ipsa ratio quemlibet nostrum quaetentem vehementer angustat ne â—ic defendamus gratiam vt liberum arbitrium auferre videamur rurlus ne liberum sic asseramus arbittium vt SVPERBA IMPIETATE ingrati Dei gratiae indicemur O England what greater pride then to make humane reason the measure of Christian faith and to beleeue Faith to be only a probable assent because Reason cannot with euidency comprehend how it should be infallibly true O soules deny not the satisfaction of Christ our Lord for our sinnes and his Merit of supernaturall Grace to enable our nature towards workes of Piety Be not eleuated Jerem 13.16.17 but Giue you glory to our Lord your God before it wax darke and before your feet stumble at the darke mountaynes Otherwise you shall looke for light and he will turne it into the shaddow of death and into darknes But if you will not heare this in secret my soule shall weepe because of the pride b S. Anselmus ad illud 1. Cor. 4. Quid habes quod non accepisti sayth Fecit Deus vt esses tu fecisti vt bonus esses absit Si enim Deus dedit vt esses alius tibi dare potuit ut bonus esses melior est ille qui dedit ut bònus esses quam ille qui dedit ut esses Sed nullus Deo melior igÃtur à Deo accepisti esse bonum esse Thus sayth our Lord let not the wise man glory in his wisdome but he that gloryeth let him glory in this because I am the Lord that doe mercy For it is not Rom. 9.16 of the willer nor of the runner but of God that sheweth Mercy by freely offeringe Pardon Grace and Glory Let vs not ô let vs not make vaine the Life Sufferings Death Satisfaction and Merit of God incarnate by setting vp an idol of reason but let vs say with the Apostole Galat. 2.21 I cast not away the Grace of God For if iustice by the Lawe of Mòyses if Faith by reason then Christ dyed in vaine II. But heere some will not faile to aske the reason why I should treate this seeming farre fetchd matter in this occasion The Answer to this demand cannot be so fitly and fully deliuered by me in this place as it will of it selfe appeare in severall occasions through this whole worke For the present I say that the necessity of supernaturall grace being once established the most substantiall parts of M. Chillingworths booke will remaine confuted For jf Divine faith be the Gift of God infused into our soules and that we cannot exercise any one Act therof without the particular grace and motion of the Holy Ghost it followes immediatly and clearly against his fundamentall and capitall heresie that Christian Faith must be infallible and exempt from all possibility of errour or falshood It being an evident and certaine truth that the supreme and Prime Ueritie cannot by his speciall supernaturall motion inspire a falshood S. Iohns aduise 1. Ioan 4.1 is Beleeue not euery spirit but proue the spirits if they be of God But if we find our spirit to be of God and yet maintayne that it may be stayned with errour what further triall can we make must we raise vp the spirit of man and rely on the strength of reason to trye and so perhaps to check and reject the spirit of God though knowne and acknowledged to be his spirit We reade in holy Scripture Deuter c. 18.21.22 If in secret cogitation thou answer How shall I vnderstand the word that our Lord spake not This signe thou shalt haue That which the same Prophet foretelleth in the name of the Lord and cometh not to passe that our Lord hath not spoken but by the arrogancy of his mynd the Prophet hath forged it Which yet were no good or infallible signe if the spirit of God who spoke by the Prophets could inspire a falshood III. This truth is granted even by sectaryes themselues who will not deny to be true what Caluin Jnstit l. 1. c. 7. saith Testimonium spiritus omni ratione praestantius esse respondeo I answer that the testimony of the spirit is to be preferred before all reason And even Chillingworth Pag. 145 n. 33. saieth that Potter ascribes to the Apostles the Spirits guidance and consequently infallibility in a more high and absolute manner then any since them Where we see he proportionates infallibility to the guidance of the Spirit IV. Besides if the Theologicall vertues of Hope and Charity be the Gifts of God and their Acts require supernaturall assistance Faith also by which they are directed must be supernaturall and require Gods particular Grace which excludes all falshood Jf Faith Hope and Charity be Gifts infused by God not acquired by Acts proceeding from our naturall forces and for that reason we can not be assured of their presence by sensible experience as we may be of acquired naturall Habits Jf they be Powers to enable not meere Habits to facilitate vs in order to Actions of Piety we must inferre that they are not to be increas'd or diminishd lost conserved or acquired or measured according to the rate of naturall Habits Which truth being once granted his doctrine that Repentance consists in the rooting out of all vicious habits That Charity may consist with deadly sinne and Faith with heresy and the like Tenets instantly fall to the ground their whole foundation being an imaginary paritie or rather identity of infused and naturall Habits or Gifts as will appeare when such particular points shall offer themselues to be examined V. Heere I cannot forbeare to reflect in what manner they who haue once withdrawne their beleife and obedience from Gods Church and an jnfallible living judge in matters belonging to Faith do runne into extremes Some of them to maintayne the necessity of Grace denie freewill others in direct opposition to these giue all to free-will and denie the necessity of Grace Some reject inherent Justice though infused by God yea they teach that the guilt of sinne still remaining doth stayne all our actions
glory of God in the face of Christ Iesus Galat. 5.22.23 The fruit of the spirit is Faith Ephes 1.16.17.18 I cease not to giue thankes for you making a memory of you in my prayers That God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glory giue you the spirit of wisdom and of reuelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your hart illuminated that you may know what the hope is of his vocation and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes 2.8 For by Grace you are saued with Faith and that not of yourselves for it is the gist of God Ephes 6.23 Peace to the Brethren and charity with faith from God the father and our Lord Iesus Christ Philipp 1.29 To you it is giuen for Christ not only that you belieue in him but also that you suffer for him Colos 1.2 Giuing thanks to God the Father who hath made vs worthy vnto the part of the lot of the Saints in the light 2. Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God spake inspired with the Holy Ghost XX More Texts of Scripture might be alledged but it is needles since euē all Sectaryes except Pelagius and such as follow him belieue Grace to be necessary for faith and in particular D. Potter to whom Chilling is in this mayne poynt directly opposit as is euident by these his expresse words Pag. 135. Faith is sayd to be diuine and supernaturall in regard of the author or efficient cause of the act and habit of diuine faith which is the speciall grace of God preparing enabling and assisting the soule to belieue For faith is the gist of God alone 1. Cor. 12.34 2. In regard of the object or things belieued which are aboue Philipp 1.29 the reach and comprehēsion of meere nature and reason Philip. 1.29 Thus D. Potter and adds that of these two respects there is no controuersie he meanes betweene Catholiques and Protestāts For by the euēt it is cleare that there is a controuersy betweene him and the Socinians and in particular with Chilling worth his champion But necessity hath no law Charity Maintayned could not with any shew be answered in the grounds of Protestants who therfor chose rather to destroy their owne grounds and the doctrine of all good Christians then to confesse the truth of our Catholik faith though conuicted by euident reasons Besides Pag. 140. D. Potter sayth Humane authority consent and proofe may produce an humane or acquired faith but the assent of diuine faith is absolutly diuine in which words he distinguisheth acquired faith from diuine and consequently holds that this is not acquired but infused Pag. 141. That Scripture is of diuine authority the belieuer sees by many internall arguments found in the letter it selfe though found by the helpe and direction of the Church without and of grace within Mark how besides the externall proposition of the object by the Church he requires internall grace Pag. 142. There is in the Scripture it selfe light sufficient which the eye of reason cleared by grace and assisted by the many motiues which the Church vseth for enforcing of her instructions may discouer to be diuine descended from the father and fountain of light Pag. 143. he teaches that by the ministery of the church in preaching and expounding the Holy Ghost begets a diuine faith in vs. And in the same place he tearmeth the act of faith supernaturall as also we haue heard him tearme it so pag. 135. and it is a plaine contradiction that it should be supernaturall or aboue nature and yet be produced by the forces of nature which were to make it aboue and not aboue nature XXI By the way it is to be noted that D. Potter deliuers a very vntrue doctrine in saying in this pag. 135. that the efficient cause of the act and habit of diuine faith is the speciall grace of God For the speciall actuall grace of God is not the efficient cause of the habit of our faith which is infused by God alone as our naturall acts of vnderstanding or willing do not produce the Powers of our vnderstanding or will and supernaturall Habits of Faith Hope c. are giuen vs not to facilitate but to enable vs to exercise Acts of Faith Hope c For which cause they are compared to supernaturall Acts as the naturall faculties or Powers of our soule are compared to their naturall Acts which they produce and are not produced by them I omit his vnproper speach that the speciall grace of God is the author of an act of faith SECTION III. The necessity of Grace to Hope as vve ought for saluation XXII IF Grace be necessary for euery worke of Christian Pietie and in particular for faith as we haue proued it will be needles to stand long vpon prouing that it is necessary for hoping which is a work of Pietie proceeding from a Theologicall Vertue to which Faith is referrd and of which mortall men considering the sublimity of eternall Happynes and guiltynes of their owne meanes frailty and sinnes stand in need for raising vp their soules towards so supernaturall an Object and preseruing them from dejection pusilanimity and despaire yet we will not omit to alledge some particular Texts of Scripture in proofe of this Truth Rom 5.2 By whom Christ we haue access through Faith into this Grace wherin we stand and glorie in the hope of the glorie of the sonnes of God Where it is cleare that the Apostle placeth hope amongst the gifts of the children of God which we receaue by Christ Chap. 15. V. 4.5 That by the patience and consolation of the Scriptures we may haue hope and the God of patience giue you to be of one mynd Which words declare that God is the author of those gifts 1. Cor. 13.13 And now there remayne Faith Hope Charity Where it appeares that these three Vertues are specially numbred togeather as belonging to the same rank and order Psalm 18.49 Be myndefull of thy word to thy seruant wherin thou hast giuen me hope Thessa◠5.8 But we that are of the day are sober hauing on the brest plate of faith and charity and a helmet the hope of saluation Where wee see the apostle ioynes Hope with Faith and Charity and V. 9.10 declares that it is given for Christ and is ordaynd and conduces to a supernaturall end saying for God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but vnto the purchasing of saluation by our Lord Iesus Christ who died for vs. 1. Pet. 3.4.5 Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his great mercie hath regenerated vs vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead vnto an inheritance incorruptible and incontaminate and that cannot fade conserued in the heauens in you who in the vertue of God are kept by faith vnto saluation SECTION IV. Grace necessary for Charity XXIII IF Grace be necessary for faith and hope much more is it necessary for
enemyes How can we performe that exhortation of the Apostle As we haue borne the image of the earthly let vs beare also the jmage of the heaueÌ„ly if we neither are nor can be free from the jmage of the earthly which is sinne How doth the Father giue vs another Paraclete to abide with vs for euer the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue seing if all men be in state of deadly sinne they are all comprehended vnder the name of the world and so cannot receiue the Paraclete the spirit of truth How can men be named and be the sons of God heyres of God and coheyres of Christ and in the meane tyme be sons of Satan heyres to him and coheyres to damned ghosts How are any borne not of bloud nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man if all remaine ouerwhelmed in the will of the flesh and will of man in sinne and corruption How are we both holy and immaculate in his sight and in his sight wicked aÌ„d polluted How can wee be renewed in the spirit of our mynd and put on the new man which according to God is created in justice and holyness of the truth being in state of deadly sinne which is contrary to renouation of spirit to the new man created in justice and holy ness How are we signed in the holy spirit of God while we are signed with the wicked spirit of Gods enemyes How are the stipends of sinne death but the Grace of God life euerlasting if there be no Grace of God without sinne and so no Grace that can be life euerlasting How are men the holy Temple of God how doth he dwell and walke in them how are they his habitation how do we liue by him if they be still the Temple and habitation of satan and liue in him XLVII Certainly if any do hartily belieue Scripture and consider vnpartially these and the like Texts and what is sayd of our Sauiours Satisfaction and Merit for mankind and nothing of humane Reason or forces of nature except to declare the weakness of them contrary to the speaches of Chillingworth it is inpossible for him to belieue that men are justifyed either by any naturall Act or Habit which were to euacuate our Sauiours Death or that we haue no inherent true supernaturall justice at all but remaine still vgly and defiled in the sight of God which is to turne both Earth and Heauen notwithstanding that of Heauen it is sayd Apoc. 21.27 There shall not enter into it any polluted thing to Hell in which the worst thing is not the endless payne but those sinnes for which the damned merited that just punishment For if the torments in Hell were only paynes and not punishments that is the effect and wages of sinne they were nor so much to be abhorred and auoided as any least sinne or offence of God Yea innumerable Saints in Heauen by this doctrine are greater sinners than diuerse who liue on earth or burne in Hell because many are saued who were once guilty of sins more for number and greater in quality than some other who are damned ô doctrine deseruing all detestation XLVIII Besides it is a true Axiome Bonum est ex integrâ causa malum ex quocumque defectu One defect is sufficient to make a thing be absolutely ill but good must be good in all respects both for substance and circumstance How then can holy Scripture so often call men holy immaculate just c. if indeed they be not perfectly so but full of the impiety and staines of sinne Holy Scripture describing the happy fruites and diuine effects of our B. Sauiours Merits amongst the rest sayth Isaia 35.7 In the dennes wherin dragons dwelt before shall spring vp the greenâ—esse of reede and bulrush that is in the soules of Gentiles which once were the dennes or receptacles of Diuells and vices there shall arise the greenesse of Grace and Vertue But that in the dennes wherin dragons not only dwelt for the tyme past but dwell for the present ther should spring the greenesse of reed and bulrush no scripture doth set downe as a benefit For to couple Grace with sinne were not to destroy sinne but deforme Grace which to doe cannot be any effect of the Messias his comming and our Redemption XLIX We must therfore conclude that just men are indued with a supernaturall Gift which is the nature and soule of a spirituall man as such and with which the infused supernaturall Habits of Faith c are conjoyned by jnfusion of the Holy Ghost and are not produced by our euen supernaturall Acts. Thus glorious S. Austine teaches that these words Psalm 118. I haue done judgment and justice are to be vnderstood of the Act and not of the Vertue of justice because saith he none produces in man this Vertue of Iustice but he who justifyes a sinner and makes him from vnjust become just L. From this ground that the infusd Vertues and Habits of Faith Hope c are not produced by any Act of ours but immediatly by the Holy Ghost and that they giue vs not a facility but an ability to produce Acts of Belieuing Hoping c it further followes that we cannot by any as it were sensible feeling or experience know that we haue such Habits because as S. Thomas profoundly saith 1.2 Q. 65. A. 3. ad 3. of the infused Habits euen of Morall Vertues Habitus moralium virtutum infusarum patiuntur interdum difficultatem c The Habits of the Morall infused Vertues somtymes find difficulty in their operations by reason of contrary dispositions remaining of the former Acts of vices which difficulty is not found in morall acquired vertues in regard that by the exercise of Acts by which they are acquired the contrary dispositions for example Passions indisposition of corporall organs and the like are taken away LI Now these things being so in vaine would Chilling prooue that the vertue of Charity may stand with deadly sinne or Faith with Heresy as I touched aboue by reason men fynd facility in some seeming Acts of Charity or Faith though they be guilty of deadly sinns or Heresy Because as I sayd the infusd vertues cannot be prooud by experience but the sayd facility may proceed from some other reason as for example from acquired Habits of Faith Charity c. or from the remouall of impediments Passions disposition of the materiall organs of our body and the like and much lesse can we gather that we haue or want or haue in a more intense or remisse degree the infused supernaturall Habits by our hauing or wanting or possessing in a greater or lesse measure or number Habits acquired by exercise of naturall acts seing naturall and supernaturall habits are in nature and kind wholie different LII This I hope may suffice for what I intended for prouing the necessity of grace and weaknesse of nature in matters belonging to heauen As also for shewing the vtility aÌ„d necessity
vs now come to some other kind of Argument 27. Hitherto Christians haue belieued that true Christian Faith is a Theologicall vertue that is it hath for its Formall object and Motiue God as he is infinitly Wise and True as Hope respects Him as infinitly Powerfull and Charity as infinitly Good But the Faith of these men cannot be a Theologicall vertue Therfore their faith is no true Christian Faith The Minor cannot be denyed in the grounds of this man For although they will pretend to belieue the Articles of Christiā Religion because God hath reuealed them yet the Argumēts of Credibility or humane testimonyes are the only formall object or Motiue of this Assent God hath reuealed the Mysteryes of Christian Religion They are I say Premises from which the sayed Conclusion or act and assent of Faith is deduced and according to which it is to be measured and not only Preparations or Dispositions to it as Catholike Diuines teach so that the infallible Diuine Reuelation comes to be only a materiall object belieued for another fallible Motiue or Formall Object infinitly beneath the Testimony of God which alone is able to constitute a Theologicall vertue Thus he plainly saith Pag 36. N. 8. God desires only that we belieue the Conclusion as much as the Premises deserue that the strength of our faith be equall or proportionable to the credibility of the Motiues to it and most expresly he saith in the same place Our faith is an assent to this Conclusion that the Doctrine of Christianity is true which being deduced from a Thesis which is metaphysically certaine and from an Hypothesis wherof we can haue but a morall certainty we cannot possibly by naturall meanes be more certaine of it then of the weaker of the Premises You see he holds the Assent of Faith to be a Conclusion not proportioned to Diuine Reuelation which is most infallible and strong but measured by the weaker of the Premises grounded vpon humane inducements which cannot giue Species or nature and essence to a Theologicall vertue and so his probable Faith is no more than an humane Opinion For euen as he who concludeth out of Mathematicall Principles knowne only probably hath not knowledg but opinion so he that belieues out of Principles not certaine a Reuelation of its nature certaine hath not certaine knowledg but only opinion And therfor his saying Pag 35. N. 7. that he conveyues Faith to be an assent to Diuine Reuelations vpon the authoty of the Renealer will in no wise free him from the just imputation of turning Diuine Faith into Opinion since his assent to Diuine Reuelation is grounded and measured and receyues its essence from testimonyes and Principles only probable and humane and not from the Diuine Reuelation without which euen Dr. Potter Pag. 143. expressly sayes Faith is but Opinion or perswasion or at the most an acquired humane belief And it is to be obserued that the Doctour speakes expresly of the Authority of the Church which he sayth can beget only an Opinion and yet Chillingworth resolues our belief of the Scripture into the Tradition and teaching of the Church and therfor his belief of the Scripture cannot passe the degree of Opinion or humane belief 28. Children are taught in their Catechismes that Faith Hope and Charity are vertues and all Diuines agree that Faith is a vertue infused and seing it resides in the vnderstanding it must be a Vertue of the vnderstanding which of its nature cannot produce any but true acts because vertue out of S. Austine Lib 2. de Libero arbitrio is a quality which by no man is vsed ill And vertue as Diuines teach togeather with Aristotle disposes the Power to that which is best Wherfor the vertue of the will disposeth it vnto Good which is the wils good and an intellectuall vertue must dispose the vnderstanding to that which is True which is the intellectiue Powers greatest Good Since therfor Faith is of its owne essence an intellectuall vertue it must haue an intrinsecall reference and tye vnto true Acts and an incapacity and repugnance vnto false ones and errours 29. Besides Faith is the first Power of supernaturall Being and ought not to be inferiour to Habitus Principiorum in our naturall Being which Habits cannot incline to any false assent And whence comes it that the Habit of Faith for producing an Act requires Gods speciall helpe which cannot moue vnto falshood but that such a Habit is determinated to Truth Or how is it giuen vs as a fitt sufficient and secure meanes wherby to captiuate our vnderstanding with great considence to the obedience of Faith and of God if it be not determined to truth without all danger of errour Will he deny that it exceeds Gods Power to produce such a Habit or to concurre with our vnderstanding to such an Act as shal be incapable of errrour Or what imaginable reason can there be to deny that Faith is such in which concurre Diuine Reuelation a Pious Affection and command of the will and the speciall Grace of the Holy Ghost What A supernaturall End of eternall Happyness a supernaturall Habit a supernaturall Grace a supernaturall Act an infinite Authority or formall Object and all to end in meere weake Probabilityes Doth water rise as high as the source from which it flowes and shall not all these diuine and supernaturall fountaynes raise vs higher than Opinion Good Christians can correct naturall Reason in poynts which to Philosophers seemed euident truths and Principles as in the Creation against that Axiom Ex nihilo nihil fit of nothing nothing is made In the Resurrection against From priuation there is not admitted a retourning back to the former Being In the incarnation against A substance is that which exists by it selfe and yet our Sauiours sacred Humanity exists in the Eternall Word in the Mystery of the B. Trinity against Those things which are the same with a third are the same amongst themselues and not to alledge more particulars all miracles wrought by our Sauiour aboue the strength of all naturall causes seemed in humane reason to imply a contradiction or impossibility and whatsoeuer is belieued aboue Reason would seeme false and against it if we did not correct Reason by Faith which could not be done vnless we did judge the light of Faith to be more certaine than the light of Reason or the Principles therof And this Chilling must either grant and so yield faith to be infallible or els must be content to acknowledg a plaine contradiction to himselfe This appeares by these words Pag. 376. N. 56. Propose me any thing out of this booke the Bible and require whether I belieue it or no and seeme it neuer so incomprehensible to humane reason I will subscribe it with hand and hart as knowing no demonstration can be stronger then this God hath sayd so therfor it is true And in the Conclusion of his Booke § And wheras he professeth that he will not belieue
particular motion of Grace which irresistably drawes it Therfor from certainty of Faith we cannot inferr a necessary cooperation of the will or perfection of Charity You preâ—â—â—d to belieue or know wit◠〈…〉 to be obayed in all things and coâ—â—â—equently that the woâ—â—d 〈…〉 ouercome you may know with certainty that the morall 〈…〉 â—ments forbidding Actions repugnant to the light and law of naturaâ—â—eason are to be kept You cannot but know certainly in generall that all sinne is to be auoyded You teach that men euen by euidence of reason are to belieue with infallible certainty that they are firmely to belieue the truth of Christian Religion and consequently that all the commands of that Religion are to be obserued These things I say you belieue or know with certainty and yet I hope you will not grant that you cannot but obey God in all things and so ouercome the world that you cannot but keepe all the morall commandements that you cannot but auoyde all sinne that you cannot but obserue what is commanded in Christian Religion Therfore you must yield that certainty in the vnderstanding doth not inferr a necessity in the will and so still be forced to answer your owne argument 65. In the meane tyme I cannot but note how many damnable Heresyes you here ioyne togeather though contrary one to an other and euen to your selfe For example of Pelagianisme that the will may performe whatsoeuer the vnderstanding certainly iudgeth ought to be done which takes away the necessity of Grace or motion of the Holy Ghost I sayd that the will may performe but wheras you teach further that it must of necessity do so you fall from Pelagianisme to a contrary extreme by taking away Freewill which the very Socinians defend so farr that to make men free they make themselues sacrilegious in denying that God can see the future free Acts of our will 〈◊〉 you take it away in a worse manner than Caluinists doe who conceaue it to be taken away by supernaturall efficacious Grace or by infused justifying Faith but your doctrine must take it away by euery certaine knowledg though it be but naturall or by Historicall fallible Faith and historicall Faith according to Caluinists is common to all Christians And yet in another respect you fall into the very quintessence of Caluinisme and puritanisme that Faith once had can neuer be lost which is against moderate Protestants and yourselfe with Socinians For if Faith necessarily giue vs perfect Charity and the victory ouer the world and sinne Faith it selfe which cannot be lost without sinne is absolutely secured 66. Neither can you answer that your Objection goes not against all Faith but only impugneth an infallible Faith For you grant certainty of faith to diuerse as we haue obserued aboue concerning them who are aduanced to certainty and spirit of obsignation or Confirmation which are as many according to you who liue as they belieue as also 〈…〉 â—postles and those who heard our Sauiour preaching or 〈…〉 miracles yea whosoeuer only belieues or knowes with certainty that there is a God and that he is to be obeyed must of necessity worke according to his knowledg which if he doe he cannot loose the belief of God nor euer become an Atheist which I feare is too much against experieÌ„ce You must also agree with Calvinists in their Doctrine that only Faith justifyes seing as they so you teach that it necessarily brings with it charity and good works And to this same purpose I still vrge your owne assertio concerning those to whom you granta Certainty in Faith and I suppose you will not grant that such men are justifyed by faith only and other Christians by some other meanes V. g. justifyng inherent Grace or with Faith Hope and Charity and therfor you must deny that perfect Charity must necessarily flow from an fallible Faith 67. Sixtly you speake very imperfectly in saying Charing is the effect of Faith if therfor the cause Were terfect the effect would be perfect For the Habit of Charity being infused immediatly by the Holy Ghost is not the effect of Faith or of any Acts of our will no nor of the Acts of Charity it selfe But if you speake of the Acts of Charity they proceede from the Habit of Charity from the particular helpe and assistance of the Holy Ghost and from our will eleuated by such assistance which is freely offered by God and freely accepted by the will but in no wise proceeds necessarily from Faith whose office is only to direct and shew the object without any necessitating influence S. Paule sayth 1. Cor 13.13 The greater of these is Charity and who euer heard that the effect can be more perfect than the cause Or if you say that Faith is not the totall but only a partiall cause of Charity which therfor may be more noble than Faith it selfe then by what logike can you infer that Charity must be perfect because it is the effect of a partiall cause lesse perfect than it selfe Rather according to your discourse joyned with the words of S. Paule that Faith is less perfect than Chatity we must say thus Charity is the effect of Faith and therfor feing the cause is imperfect the effect must be imperfect which is directly opposite to your inference and intent Besides from what Philosophy can you learne that when some cause or condition concurrs to the production of an effect not by it selfe but necessarily requires the company and cooperation of other causes that such a cause or condition can by it selfe alone produce such an effect But let vs suppose Faith to be the cause of Charity and by it selfe alone sufficient for mouing our will to Acts of Charity doth it follow that it must do so irresistibly and in such manner as that it remaine not in the power of our will either to exercise no act at all or to produce a more or lesse perfect one Remember your owne distinction and words to Char Maintayned in your Pag 172. N. 71. That a man mâ—y fall into some errour euen contrary to the truth which is taught him if it be taught him only sufficiently and not irr-sistibly so that he may learne it if be will not so that he must and shall vhâ—ther he will or no. Nâ—w who can a sertaine me that the spirits teaching is not of this nature Or how can you poâ—â—â—y 〈…〉 it with your dâ—â—trâ—ne of free wâ—ll in betiâ—uing if it be â—ot of 〈◊〉 nature And you hauing endeauoured to proue this out of diuerse places of Scripture conclude God may teach and the Church not learne God may lead and the Church be resrachry and not follow 68. Now I retort this Argument and aske why a man may not fall into some errour contrary to the truth which he was taught and which once he belieued and committ some sinne which Faith dictates not to be committed if Faith teach him only sufficiently and not irresistibly and who can
to supernaturall infused justifying Grace which is both absurd and the wicked heresy of Pelagius Lastly It is a certaine truth that whosoever departs this life in any one deadly sin vnrepented cannot be saved And it is also true that some habituall sin may consist with some naturall precedent habits of vertue which are not expelled by every deadly sin seing such a deadly sin may be cōmitted in some matter which hath no connexion at all with the objects of those naturall habits of vertue and therfore such a sin shall not expell such habits of morall vertues as de facto it doth not expell even the supernaturall habits of the Theologicall vertues Faith and hope And if habituall sin may stand with naturall yea and with some supernaturall Vertues what reason can be imagined but that habituall grace and Sanctity may consist with the simple entity or nature of vicious habits being cleared by Repentance from all former relation of being effects of sinfull Acts by which they were produced And consequently true Repentance which is a disposition to the infusion of grace may consist without the extirpation of the habits seing grace itselfe may stand with them 13. The third kind of Habits I call infused Habits of the three Theologicall vertues Faith Hope and Charity which haue for their immediate object God himselfe who is our last End and infused Habits of morall vertues which respect or haue for their Objects the Meanes which bring vs to that End Now for the production or in fusion of supernaturall Habits we may dispose ourselves by voluntary supernaturall Acts produced by the particular Assistance of the Holy Ghost but the Habits themselves are produced and infused into our soules immediatly and only by God and not Physically and really produced by any even supernaturall Acts of ours as naturall Habits are acquired and produced by our naturall Acts. And as our soule which is a spirit and the life of our body is created by God alone so no wonder if justifying Grace which is the spirituall life and soule of our soule be infused by God not produced by vs. This difference ariseth from the diversity of nature between naturall and supernaturall or Infused Habits Naturall Habits do presuppose a Power or Ability to produce certaine Acts and Habits are superadjoyned to the same Power for producing those Acts with greater promptitude and facility But supernaturall Habits not finding in our soule a power to produce of it selfe supernaturall Acts for how could they be supernaturall if they could be produced by naturall forces giue vs such power and Ability and therfore in rigour of speech should rather be called Potentiae than Habitus Powers than Habits For which cause I sayd Three sorts of Habits or as it were Habits ought to be distinguished in this Question For. Habituall sin is as I may say less than an habit being no reall or Physicall Quality the infufed habits are more than meere habits they are Powers as I haue declared Naturall or acquired habits being reall Qualityes on the one side and on the other presupposing in vs a Power to worke without them are really properly and purely habits It is therfore easy to vnderstand the reason why our Acts cannot produce supernaturall habits which giue vs Power to produce such Acts it being a cleare case that no effect can produce that which of its nature is the very Power to produce or the Efficient Cause in respect of such Effects which Cause must be presupposed existent and in being before it can produce such an Effect Otherwise there would be a mutuall causality and dependance between the first production of the Cause Efficient and the effect therof the Cause would be the effect of its owne effect and the Effect would be the cause of its Cause as if the Father should be son to his son and the son father to his owne Father 14. From this Ground That supernaturall habits are Powers without which our soule is not only weake or infirme but absolutly vnable to produce any supernaturall Act and therfore cannot be acquired or produced by any Acts of ours there followes another difference That naturall acquired Habits yield as it were a sensible facility demonstration experience and feeling of themselves by remooving impediments disposing the Organs of our Body and other such wayes But those other Habits giving vs the first Ability and Power and being in their nature essentially supernaturall are not discernable by sensible experience but may well consist with vicious Habits and with the facility or inclination which they affoard towards their severall Objects as it happens not seldome that a man who in the sight of God is more holy by supernaturall Grace is carryed with a more vehement inclination or impulsion to sinfull Objects either by his naturall complexion or vicious Habits acquired before his conversion than another made of a different constitution of body or clogged with fewer vicious Habits which greater propension to sin is so far from being any sin of itselfe that it gives continuall matter of greater merit by frequent combats and victoryes 15. And here I would aske whether if you hold the habits of vice to be habituall sins even after an Act of Contrition or Sorrow with a firme purpose to amend you must not likewise belieue naturall acquired Habits of vertues to be justice and Sanctity in the sight of God And yet this were direct Pelagianisme evacuating the fruite of our Saviours Satisfaction and merit and is in itself manifestly vntrue For the End to which God hath elevated and ordained Man being supernaturall the Beatificall Uision or enjoying God in his Glory the Meanes which bring vs to that End must also be supernaturall and not to be compassed by our naturall forces and therfore naturall Habits of vertue acquired by our owne Acts cannot be true Sanctity and Justice which make vs capable of the Beatificall Uision nor can that Repentance which disposes vs for Heaven consist in the extirpation of vicious Habits in which Habituall sin doth not consist as Sanctity doth not consist in naturall Habits of vertue Neither may it seeme strang that you should belieue Sanctity to consist in the acquired habits of Uertue who hold Christian Faith to be no more than a probable Assent or Conclusion deduced by naturall reason from Premises evidently apt to inferr such a Conclusion As also who speaking of Charity say Pag 368. N. 49. It is against reason and experience that by the commission of any deadly sin the Habit of Charity is quite extirpated By which you giue to vnderstand that you belieue the habit of Charity to be produced by our Acts and to be destroyed by little and little as it happeneth in naturall acquired habits and that the presence of it may be discovered by experience which agrees only to naturall habits working in vs by a kind of experimentall way Wheras if you did belieue the habit of Charity to be supernaturall in essence not
an Eye togeather with the vnderstanding to see the Scripture Wherby it still appeares that not our vnderstanding alone but it with some other Helpe not produced by the Scripture must be compared to our corporall Eye The same may be sayd of Barons Criteria which cannot be seene without some particular light of the Holy Ghost and therfore our vnderstanding with that light is the Eye not produced by the Scripture but presupposed to the beliefe of Scripture And lastly you who teach that we belieue for the Authority of the Church must say that the eye wherby we see Scripture is our vnderstanding togeather with the Tradition of the Church Which Tradition therfore must be knowne and believed before we belieue Scripture and not be produced by Scripture 12. Wheras you say Transsubstantiation is fruitfull of such monsters contradictions but they that haue not sworne themselves to the defence of errour will easily perceiue that jam factum facere and factum infectum facere are equally impossible you speake wickedly and ignorantly We haue heard Dr. Taylor in his Liberty c § 10. N. 16. confessing that Christians belieue the Mystery of the Trinity with as much violence to the Principles of naturall and supernatur all Philosophy as can be imagined to be in the Point of Transubstantiation And it is certaine that this sacred Mystery of the Trinity to any learned Philosopher containess farr greater dissiculty than any that can be objected against Transubstantiation And yourselfe vpon a certaine occasion could say to some Protestants Either deny the Trinity or admitt Transubstantiation and it was answered we will rather admitt this than deny that And with good reason For if we respect humane discourse there are as I sayd more difficult objections against that Mystery than against this And if we regard Revelation Scripture is more cleare for the reall Presence and Transubstantiation than for the Mystery of the B. Trinity And if regard were to be had of Heretikes more haue hertofore impugned the Doctrine of the Trinity than of the Reall Presence and Transubstantiation But no wonder if they who reduce all certainty of Christian Faith to the weight of naturall Reason taking hold of the present tyme are glad vnder the name of Transubstantiation to vndermine the Doctrine of the B. Trinity and all the prime verityes proper to Christian Faith The other part of your Affirmation That jam factum facere and factum infectum facere are equally impossible is extreme bold seing so many great learned men hold the first and no man the latter being betweene them as great difference as betweene Est Est and Fuit non fuit But I feare you do not vnderstand what learned men meane by a Reproduction of the same existent thing or jam factum facere which signifyes only that the same thing is and is wheras every body knowes that factum infectum facere is to say That which was was not A manifest Contradiction Yet withall I must add that no Doctrine of the Catholique Church doth necessarily depend on that Question Whether it be impossible jam factum facere But enough of this least others haue occasion to say of me as you say truly of yourselfe in the close of this N. 48. I digress 13. I know not well what to make of your long and distracted discourse N. 49. we do not deny but that Protestants and other Heretikes may assent to some Mystery of Faith by a humane opinion and perswasion but that assent of theirs is not true Divine supernaturall Faith God not giving his particular Grace for believing one Article of Faith to him who denyes another equally proposed as revealed by God wherby even the infused Habit of Faith is destroyed Vnlearned Catholikes may exercise a true Act of Faith because indeed their assent comes to rely vpon a firme ground that is Divine Revelation propounded by an infallible meanes Gods Church wheras Heretikes haue no such ground for the resolution of their Faith as hath beene shewed in severall occasions 14. For gaining tyme and saving vnnecessary paines I had omitted to take notice of your N. 51.52 vnless your proceeding had forced me to say at least thus much that whosoever will reade aÌ„d compare the words of Ch Ma. with your Answer shall find that he speakes clearly and that you do so involue and obscure and alter what he spoke plainly that I know not what to make of your words He tells you that the Scripture is not such a first principle in Christianity that it may not be proved by another belonging to Christians namely by the Authority of the Uisible Church of Christ as yourself grant and to say as you doe that the Church or Tradition of the Church is a Principle not in Christianity but in Reason nor proper to Christians but common to all men for ought I can judge is repugnant to Reason and Christianity For what hath naturall Reason alone to doe with the Church of Christ which cannot be knowne except by some supernaturall Arguments as Miracles Sanctity Scripture Revelation c. 15. I do not vnderstand these your words N. 52. addressed to C. Mâ— That one part of Scripture may proue another part Canenâ—all and need no proofe of its owne being so you haue produced diverse Protestants that deny it but who they are that affirme it nondum constat I pray you where did Ch Ma say that there is any part of Scripture which needs no proofe of its being Canonicall Doth he not proue the necessity of a Living guide even by this Argument that otherwise we cannot be assured what Booke and parts of Scripture are Canonicall And for discerning what Bookes be Canonicall or suppositious are not Protestants wont to proue that such or such a Booke which they are pleased to stile Apocryphall is not conforme to other parts of Scripture and therfore cannot be Canonicall Do not yourselfe say N. 27. The Question whether such or such a Booke be Canonicall Scripture may be decided negatively out of Scripture by she wing apparent and irreconciliable contradictions between it and some other Booke confessedly Canonicall And may we not proue affirmatively for example that those Texts of the old Testament which are cited in the New are Canonicall because they are cited for such in Bookes which we belieue to be Canonicall I beseech you to what purpose or vpon what occasion given do you N. 51. vtter these words As if the Scripture might not be the first and most knowne Principle in Christianity and yet not the most knowne in all sciences Or as if to be a first Principle in Christanity and in all sciences Were all one Charity Maintayned said if Potter meane that Scripture is one of those Principles which being the first and most know ne in all sciences cannot be demonstrated by other Principles he supposes that which is in Question whether there be not some Principle for example the Church wherby we may come to the
poynt so prime a principle in Christian Diuinity so intrinsecall and essentiall to Christianity so fully effectually and frequently declared and vrged in Holy Scripture that the greatest enemyes of Gods grace Pelagius and his fellowes vvere forced to acknowledg it in vvords though dissemblingly XV. The same necessity of Grace is taught by the Protestant Church of England once so stiled in the 10. Article of the 39. in these vvords The condition of man after the fall of Adâ—m is such that he cannoâ— turne and prepare himselfe by his owne naturall strength and good works to Faith and calling vpon God wherfore we haue no power to dâ—e good works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of Ged by Christ preuenting vs that we may haue a good will and working with vs when we haue that good will If anie say these Articles are now of small account and little less then disarticled I answer they haue this specious title Articles agreed vpon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Prouinces and the whole Cleargie in the Conuocation holden at London in the yeare 1562. For auoiding diuersities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true Religion If now they carry so small authority their Title should haue bin directly contrary to what it is Articles agreed vpon for the establishing diuersityes of opinions and for the auoiding of consent touching true Religion As these Atticles are now despised so what soeuer shall euer be proposed or sett downe by any other will neuer be to any purpose for the establishing of consent in matters of Faith and Religion till England returne to the roote from which it hath diuided it selfe and seriously reflect into what precipices it is fallen by forsaking Rome and rejecting an jnfallible liuing judge of controversyes for who can giue any man of iudgment a satisfactory reason vvhy so many pretended Bishops vvere not of as good credit as others or wy others are not as much to be belieued as those Bishops I beseech euery one to whom the saluation of his soule is deare to ponder in good earnest this consideration and then to obey S. â—hons saying Apoc. 2.5 Be myndfull from whence thou art fallen and doe pennance SECTION II. The Necessity of Grace to Belieue XVI FAith being as the Apostle sayth Hebr. c. 11.1 the substance of things to be hoped for and foundation of our spirituall life if it proceede from our naturall forces or reason the vvhole edifice of our saluation must be ascribed to our selues vvhich vvere a most proude and luciferian conceypt and yet I reade in M. Chillingworth Pag. 375. n. 55. these words Neither do we follow any priuate meÌ„ but only the Scripture the word of God as our rule and REASON which is also the gist of God giuen to direct vs in all our actions in the vse of this rule And through his vvhole booke speaking of that Faith vvhich God requires of all men as their duty he teaches that it is only such as is proportionable to humane probable Inducements or a Conclusion by rationall discourse euidently deduced from such probable Premises Pa. 36. n. 9. He speakes of jnfusion as of a particular fauour aboue the ordinary measure of Faith And n. 8. God desires only that we belieue the conclusion as much as the Premises deserue And Pag. 212. n. 154. Neither God doth nor man may require of vs as our duty to giue a greater assent to the Conclusion then the Premises deserue to build an infallible Faith vpon Motiues that are only highly credible and not infallible And Pa. 381. n. 74. He speaking of our Catholique Faith vvhich he denyes not to be for substantiall fundamentall poynts true faith for he holds that true faith of some poynts may stand with damnable errours in other sayth I desire to know what sense there is in pretending that your persuasion is not in regard of the object only and cause of it but in nature or essence of it supernaturall vvhich demand vvere very impertinent if he did belieue that diuine supernaturall Grace vvere necessary for euery act of true Christian faith For if it be not supernaturall in essence how can the speciall motion and grace of God be necessarily required to it in all occasions though no particular temptatation or difficulty offer it selfe And he speakes very inconsequently in asking how vve know that our faith is not in regard of the object only and cause of it but in nature and essence of it supernaturall since it is cleare that if the cause be necessarily and vniuersally supernaturall the effect also must be such and therfore he is convinced to belieue indeed that neither the cause nor essence of faith is supernaturall I grant that Pa. 409. lin 3. ante finem he vvould perswade vs that he hath no cause to differ from Dr. Potter concerning the supernaturality of Faith which sayth he I know and belieue as well as you to be the gift of God and that flesh and bloud reueald it not vnto vs but our Father which is in Heauen But euen in this we can gather only that he admits the necessity of some grace consisting in externall Reuelation or Proposition of the objects or mysteryes of Christian faith vvhich Pelagius did admit but not the necessity of internall Grace or motion of the Holy Ghost for enabling our vnderstanding to belieue supernaturall Objects vvith an infallible diuine Faith yea it is euident that he requires no such internall grace seing he expresly requires no stronger assent by faith then evidently followes from probable Arguments of credibility that is only a probable beliefe or perswasion vvheras if beside the proposition of the object he did require a supernaturall motion of grace eleuating our vnderstaÌ„ding aboue its naturall forces and measure of humane discourse it vvere very inconsequent to limit the assent of faith to the probability of jnducements or ArgumeÌ„ts of Credibility And yet he restraines our assent to such probability expresly because in rationall and naturall discourse the conclusion cannot exceede the premisses and therfor must be only probable vvhen the Premisses are such XVII For which cause when he speakes of particular Grace given to some aboue the ordinary course he confesses that it gives them a certainty of adherence beyond their certainty of evidence as he expresly delivers pag. 37. n. 9. Which certainty in good consequence he could not denie to every Act of divine faith if he did believe that every such Act doth of it selfe necessarily require particular internall Grace of God aboue the forces of nature and beside the externall proposition of the objects or Mysteries of Christian belief Neither can it be denyed but that an Object of it selfe supernaturall may be belieued by the naturall forces of our Understanding with some probable naturall assent for Arguments euidently proposed as Miracles comparing of Historyes and the lïke reasons for which men belieue other matters of tradition since therfor he teacheth that
Albeit vve see not this vvith our eyes nor vvith our hart as long as vve are clensed by Faith yet doe vve belieue it by faith most rightly and most strongly Surely this signifyes more than to belieue only with probability Richardus de S. Victore 1. de Trinit Cap. 2. As many of vs as are truly faithfull hold nothing vvith more certainty than that vvhich vve belieue by faith 11. What vve haue proued by Authority vve now will conuince by Theologicall Reasons and Arguments First vve haue demonstrated out of holy Scripture that Faith is an especiall Gift of God and that the Act or Assent therof proceeds from a particular Grace Motion Preuention and Supernaturall assistance of the Holy Ghost Therfore it cannot be but true othervvise vve might distrust the Truth of Scriptures and the predictions of the Prophets though we did belieue those to haue bene written and these to haue bene spokē by the direction and instinct of God himselfe And vvhat more satisfying assurance can there be giuen to any Christian yea to any reasonable creature than this God leades me this vvay therfore it cannot be but right neither can I erre in follovving it and euery vvay contrary to this must be wrong and erroneous Chilling Pag. 258. N. 16. confesseth that a thing vntrue cannot be foreseene by the Prophets Which he could not affirme if God could moue men to belieue a falshood And Pag. 36. N. 8. he says We cannot possibly by naturall meanes be more certaine of the conclusion than of the weaker of the Premises which supposes that by supernaturall meanes we may be more certaine And N. 9. he doubts not but that the spirit of God may and will aduance his seruants and giue them a certainty of adherence beyond their certainty of euidence Since therfore euery Act of Faith proceeds from the particular motion and spirit of God we must say that his supposition concerning some is actuated in all who belieue by a true Act of Christian Faith that is we must say that euen according to Chillingworth all true Christians belieue with absolute certainty and vvith an assent higher than that which we yield to probable premises 12. And out of this most certaine and Christian truth that Faith is the gift of God and requires his particular assistance aboue the force of nature it follows also by euidence of Reason that it must be an Assent aboue all Probabilityes or Arguments of Credibility For abstracting from some accidentall impediment or temptation our Vnderstanding is able of it selfe to draw a probable Conclusion from euident probable premises And therfore seing wee can neuer by naturall forces exercise an Act of true Christian Faith it followes clearly that it must be an Assent more than probable and raysed aboue all arguments of credibility Chilling saith Pag. 116. N. 159. We haue I belieue as great reason to belieue there was such a man as Henry the eight King of England as that Iesus Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate But as I noted aboue no man in his witts wil say that we cannot by naturall forces of humane reason belieue that there was such a man as Henry the eight Therfore no man ought to say that with the same forces of humane Reason we cannot belieue that Iesus Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate if Faith be only such a probable Assent 13. Beside if Faith do not excèede the force of nature seing Faith is the first beginning of Obediēce Merit and Saluation the beginning of all these should be attributed to nature and not to Grace yea if one can belieue by the force of nature so also he may Hope and Loue and attaine Beatitude by the same And how shall Beatitude it selfe be Supernaturall if the meanes to attaine it be naturall Thus the maine ground of Chilling That Faith is a Conclusion or Assent drawen from probable Premises and proportioned to them being ouerthrovvue all his Reasons relying on this ground vanish into nothing But yet let vs more and more proue this truth and turne the vveapons of our Aduersaryes agaynst themselues by demonstrating that Christian Faith must raise vs aboue the Arguments of Credibility vvhich I doe in this manner 14. If Faith exceede not the assent vvhich we giue to the probable motiues of Credibility there could be no captiuating of our vnderstanding nor Obedience or Freedom of will in belieuing the Articles of Faith But we are to captiuate our vnderstanding and exercise free obedience of our will in belieuing the Articles of Faith Therfor Faith must raise vs aboue the Arguments of Credibility The maior is cleare For where there is euidence and necessity to assent there is no place for captiuating or submitting our vnderstanding or free and voluntary obedience of our will which Chilling confesses Pag. 329. N. 7. wher speaking of obedience in Faith he saith which can hardly haue place where there is no possibility of disobedience as there is not where the vtderstanding does all and the will nothing Neither can it auaile him to say as he sayth in the same place that the Faith of Protestants implies an act of obedience because it is not pretended to haue the absolute euidēce of sence or demōstration For this is nothing to the purpose as long as he belieues the Articles of Faith with no higher thā a probable assēt proportionable to probable Arguments and rises not to a certainty of sense demonstration or any other aboue these probable Motiues because his fallible and only probable faith hath the certanty and euidence of demonstration for such a degree of probability it being no more certaine and euident that a Conclusion drawen from necessary Premises is necessary than that a Conclusion rightly deduced from probable Premises is probable which is all he requires for an assent of faith as he expressly affirmes Pag. 36. N. 8. saying God desires only that we belieue the Conclusion as much as the Premises deserue and N. 9. God requires of all that their faith should be proportionable to the motiues enforcing to it mark enforcing and Pag. 112. N 154. Neither God doth nor man may require of vs as our duty obserue what obedience and duty he requires to giue a greater assent to the Conclusion than the Premises deserue And finally this is his maine ground to proue that Christian Faith is not infallible but only probable that is such only as he holds the Premises and Arguments of Credibility to be wherby it is euident that in his way there is left no place for captiuating our vnderstanding by a voluntary free submission and obedience to Christ and his doctrine 15. Which yet to be necessary as I assumed in my Minor proposition cannot be denyed by any who belieues Holy Scripture as appeares 2. Cor. 10.5 B ringing into captiuity all vnderstanding vnto the obedience of Christ Rom. 1.5 By whom Iesus Christ we receyued grace and Apostleship for obedience to the Faith in all nations for the name of
any thing contrary to any Verity reuealed in the Word of God though neuer so improhable or incomprehensible to Naturall Reason For if his Faith be to his vnderstanding only probable how can he in prudence prefer it before the contrary therof which to his vnderstanding seemes euident and certaine Or how can an assent which I judge to be only probable enable me to belieue that which I judg to be euidently improbable And it is in vayne for him to tell vs of the certainty of Gods Reuelation since we do not compare Naturall Reason with Gods Reuelation but with those Motiues for which we belieue the diuine Reuelation which being to him only probable and esteemed such and no more must yeald to appearance of certainty of the contrary and therfor he must either confess that he contradicts him selfe or yield that Faith is infallible ād more certaine thā naturall reasō 30. To speake truth if we consider well this Socinian Faith can haue no other vse or effect except only to damne men by contenting themselues with a faith of probability when they may and ought to attaine a certainty He himselfe Pag. 36. N. 9. doubts not but that the spirit of God being implored by deuout and humble prayer and sincere obedience may and will by degrees aduance his seruants higher and giue them a certainty of adherence beyond theyr certainty of euidence And those that belieue and liue according to their faith he giues by degree the spirit of obsignation and confirmation which makes them know though how they know not what they did but belieue And to be as fully and resolutely assured of the Gospell of Christ as those which heard it from Christ himselfe with their eares which looked vpon it and whose hands handled the word of life Now if some men may arriue to so absolute an assurance why may not others why must not all Are not all bound to liue according to their Faith and to obserue the lawes of charity and obedience which doing you say they shall arriue to a full and resolute assurance euen aboue that which you call faith You say Pag. 227. N. 61. Gods assistance is alwayes ready to promote the Church farther on condition she does implore it And Pag. 175. N. 75. You grant the spirit of truth shall be giuen and will abide with those that loue God and keepe his Commandements Yea since true Faith is alwayes the Gift of God raysing vs vp by Grace aboue the strength of nature And that euery one is obliged ro haue true Christian Faith it is consequent that de facto all are bound to beleiue with a Faith produced by Grace aboue the forces of nature and consequently infallibly certaine For heere that excellent saying of S. Leo Serm. 16. de Pass Domini hath place Iustè Deus instat praecepto quia praecurrit auxilio He may well exact of vs an infallible Act of Faith seing he giues vs sufficient Grace to performe what he exacts And Pag. 34. N 6. you say The essentiall character of Charity is to judg and hope the best by which you are obliged to judg and hope vnless the contrary be manifest that euery one liues according to his belief by obseruing the Commandements and so in fact is arriued to a certaine and infallible Faith Since therfore you grant that the faith of those who liue according to their Belief is not to be regulated by the Lawes of Logicke and formes of Syllogismes with what shaddow of reason would you make men belieue that the Faith of all Christians necessary to saluation which is a speciall infused Gift of God must be subject to such Rules as if it were a meere Conclusion following only the weaker of the Premises and not measured by the speciall Grace and Motion of the Holy Ghost aboue all Logick Thus all your Objections against the infallible Faith of Christians must be answered by your self as false and sophisticall and consequently all Christians may and ought in despight of such paralogismes to assert and belieue the necessity of an infallible Faith And as I sayd the contrary doctrine can serue only to delude and damne those vnhappy soules who will be harkninge to such noueltyes I say to damne soules euen though it were falsely supposed that his doctrine were true For all Christians beside this man and such as hee sirmely belieuing Christian Faith necessary to saluation to be infallibly true and he acknowledging all poynts of Christian Faith to be but probable and surely he will not be so shamlesse as to say he belieues this particular fancy wherin he disagrees both from Catholiques and Protestants to be more certaine than all other Articles of Faith it cannot be denyed but that men are bound to belieue with an infallible Assent because as I sayd◠in matters absolutely necessary to saluation we are bound by the Law of God and Charity to our selues to embrace the safer way by meanes of an infallible Faith which he confesses may be obtained by prayer and obedience to Gods commandements And so vpon one account or other all are obliged vnder payne of damnation to belieue with an infallible Faith 31. As it is very true that there is no greater nor more foolish sinne than the sinne of Desperation irreuocably bringing damnation which might haue been auoided by Hope for which Gods Grace is neuer wanting if we cooperate so we may say that this fallible Faith infallibly dispatches men to Hell which mischief all may auoide by endeauouring to rayse their faith to certainty as he confesses they may doe by obeying and praying which endeauours the Grace of God puts in their power and will and if they reject it to none more justly then to this infortunate man and his fellowes may be applyd these words of the Prophet Ezechiel C. 18. V. 31.32 Why will yee dy returne and liue Which that they may doe either with more ease or become inexcusable if they doe it not we will more and more confute that Ground on which he doth in a manner wholy relie That the Conclusion following the weaker of the Premises one of which is in our case but probable the Conclusion can be no more than probable 32. For First I would for disputation sake aske of him whether he meane that the Conclusion doth so follow the weaker of the Premises that it receyues no strength or perfection from the fellowship of a better Premise than it selfe is If he answer that it receyues no strength then one will infer that one Premise contayning the Testimony or Reuelation of God an other the testimony of men could produce no stronger conclusion than if both Premises did containe only the testimony of men and so he must confess that de facto he belieues the Articles of Christian Faith no more than if by probable arguments they were proued to be testifyed by men alone If he answer that rhe stronger Premise may eleuate the weaker to produce a Conclusion stronger than
it selfe he should not haue spoken so rawly as if one strong and another weaker premise had no greater influēce into the Conclusion than if both the premises were weake 33. But to omitt this he should haue declared whether a conclusion deduced from one certaine and another probable premise although precisely and formally and Reduplicatiue as it is a conclusion can beget only a probable assent yet I say whether such a conclusion taken materially and Specificatinè may not be sufficient to bring our vnderstanding to an infallible Act of Faith not by it selfe but by applying the Diuine Reuelation which growing by that meanes and application to be the immediate and formall Object of our vnderstanding may moue it to an Assent proportionable to such an Object and Authority that is absolutely certaine and infallible as he who applyes fire to a combustible subject is occasion that heat is produced by the fire immediately applyed and not by him who applyed it or as a Preacher or Pastour whose testimonyes are humane and fallible when they declare to their hearers or subjects that some Truth is witnessed by Gods word are occasion that those people may produce a true infallible Act of Faith depending immediately vpon Divine Reuelation applyed by the sayd meanes This if he had declared as he should haue done not to deceaue his Reader his mayne argument that the conclusion followes the weaker premise had bene answered and confuted by himselfe 34. And this same ground and consideration wholy euacuates the examples which he alledgeth pag. 36. N 8. That a man cannot goe or stand strongly if either of his leggs be weake That a building cannot be stable if any one of the necessary pillars therof be infirme and instable That if a message be brought me from a man of absolute credit with me but by a messenger that is not so my considence of the truth of the Reuelation cannot but be rebated and lessened by my diffidence in the Relatour For in our Case humane testimonyes are not the leggs on which Faith stands nor the pillars which vphold it nor the message or messenger for which we belieue but it is only the Diuine Reuelation on which the Act of Faith relyes and from which it receyueth perfection nature and essence and which alone is strong enough for that end 35. If you object that perhaps that humane authority is false and proposes to my vnderstanding Diuine Reuelation when God doth not reueale Therfor I cannot vpon humane testimony representing or applying Diuine Reuelation exercise an infallible Act of Faith I answer it is one thing whether by a reflex Act I am absolutly certaine that I exercise an infallible act of Faith and an other whether indeed and in actu exercito I produce such an Act. Of the former I haue sayd nothing neither makes it to our present purpose Of the latter I affirme that when indeed humane testimony is true and so applyes a diuine reuelation which really exists in such case I may belieue by a true infallible Assent of Christian Faith The reason of this seemes cleare because although a truth which I know only by a probable assent is not certaine to me yet in it selfe it is most immoueable and certaine in regard that while a thing is it cannot but be for that tyme in which it is and so it implyes contradiction that Diuine reuelation should not exist when by a true judgment I affirme it to exist which certaine existance once supposed it is able to tansfuse certainty and infallibility to that Act of which it alone and not any precedent thing is the Formall Object and Motiue Neither will God be wanting to concurre on the belieuers part with his speciall Grace necessary for producing a supernaturall Act of Christian Faith And so his argument ibidem that a riuer will not rise higher than the fountaine from whence it flowes turnes against himselfe and proues that our Assent flowing from Diuine and infallible causes Will rise as high as those fountaines to a supernaturall infallible Assent This is sufficient to shew how the probability of a Conclusion taken specificatiue doth not hinder but that by meanes therof I may come afterward to an infalliblity in my Assent deriued not immediately from that Conclusion but from the Diuine Reuelation Wherby his chiefest Ground is ouerthrowne That it is vniuersally impossible to exercise an infallible Act of Faith vnless the existence of Diuine Reuelation be certainly foreknowne in one of the Premises 36. But yet further if we consider all the other Causes of Christian Faith they do euince that it is certaine and infallible as I haue touched before For beside the object of infinite Authority on the belieuers part God doth infuse the Habit of Faith He giues a particular Actuall Motion of Grace for exercising the Act therof He effectually moues the will by a Pious assection and Command to determine the vnderstanding to a firme assent of Faith aboue the precedent Arguments of Credibility If a better vnderstāding conceiue the same Object with more perfection than another of lesse capacity what stint can we put to that vnderstāding which is directed and strengthned by rayes from the light quae illuminat omnem hominem Which enlightneth euery man 37. Alas how perniciously foolish will men needs be towards their owne perdition All things euē by the instinct ād strēgth of nature pass from an imperfect to a perfect state from the outward senses to the inward which cā correct the errours of our outward from which it tooke its first notions from them to the vnderstanding and finally by probable Arguments is prepard to finde out Demonstrations And yet men will not vnderstand how we may rise from arguments of Credibility to a certainty in Faith though assisted with Diuine Grace 38. To what hath beene sayd for the infalliblity of Faith I add this consideration If Faith require not absolute certainty it were sufficient to belieue that the authority of Scripture is only probable or that it is on ly probable that God cā neither deceyue nor be deceued For this were sufficient to ground a probable assent that Christian Faith is true Because according to his Principles that Faith is a Conclusion and that the Conclusion followes the fallible and weaker Premise what difference is there to belieue that Scripture is fallible or to affirme that we do but probably and fallibly belieue that it is infallible or the word of God in his Principles or what imports it for attaining certainty that Gods Reuelation is in it selfe infallible if I doe but fauibly know that he hath reuealed any thing And yet S. Paule Heb 6 groundes Christian Faith vpon this that it is impossible For God to lie Therfore he did suppose that Christian Faith is infallible 39. But what if 〈◊〉 himselfe pretend to belieue that Christian Faith is infallible I do not say he belieues it to be such yet he hath words which I propose to the Reader
who may either see by this the disposition of the man and his contradiction to himselfe or gather how the infallibility of Faith is as it were the naturall sense of Christians since he who so much impugnes it cannot chuse but make ashew of defending it Pag. 410. he sayth For Arguments tending to proue an impossibility of all Diuine supernaturall jnfallible Faith and Religion I assure my selfe that if you were ten tymes more a spider than you are you could suck no such poyson from them My hart I am sure is innocent of any such intention and the searcher of all harts knowes that I had no other end in writing this Booke but to confirme to the vttermost of my ability the truth of the Diuine and jnfallible Religion of our deare lord and Saujour Christ Iesus If this be true surely the Booke which goes vnder his name is supposititious or a changeling telling vs that the Conclusion followes the weaker of the Premises of which one is but probable wheras now you heare him auouching that Christian Faith and Religion is supernaturall Diuine and infallible To this I will add what he hath Pag 357. N. 38. Certainly I know and with all your Sophistry you cannot make me doubt of what I know that I doe belieue the Gospel of Christ as it is deliuered in the vn loubted Books of Canonicall Scripture as verily as that it is now day that I see the light that I am now writing and I belieue it vpon this Motiue because I conceyue it sufficiently aboundantly superabundantly prooued to be Diuine Reuelation And yet in this I do not depend vpon any succession of men that haue always belieued it without any mixture of Errour nay I am fully perswaded there hath bene no such succession and yet do not find my selfe any way weakned in my faith by the want of it but so fully assured of the truth of it that though an Angell from Heauen should gainsay it or any part of it I perswade my selfe that I should not be mooued This I say and this I am sure is true The Reader may make of those words as verily as that it is now day That I see the sight c What he pleases I will only say that if Christian Faith be only probable it is either foolery or hypocrify in him to tell the world that he would not be mooued though an Angell from Heauen should gainsay it or any part of it For who would not sooner belieue an Angell from Heauen than the confessed fallible testimonyes of men on earth And therefore if he speake as he thinkes he must either acknowledg Christian 〈…〉 be infallible and so no authority gainsaying it can be by liued or else he cannot avoyde a non sense in preferring 〈…〉 probability before an Angell from Heauen 40. Whatsoeuer his words and Doâ—â—â—â— be against the infallibility of Faith I am sure that in deeds none doth bring better proofe for it than hee by pleading against it with Reasons and Arguments which may be so clearly answered as that euery one cannot but giue sentence for the Possession of Diuine infallible Faith seing no new Argument of worth or weight is produced to impugne it 41 That I may not seeme only to say and not proue this I must craue pardon if in answering his Objections I may perhaps seeme long and might justly be censured for tedious vnless my desire and intention were not only to answer but by Gods holy assistence to confute and retort his Arguments and so proue the Truth as also incidently to treate some materiall poynts which will offer themselues by occasion of his Objections and for themselues should not haue bene omitted And so I hope this length will bring with it a fourfold commodity This being done Christian Faith will keepe its Right to infallibility without any other positiue Reason to proue it though I haue brought diuerse and many more might be alledged and some who are sayd to cry vp Chillingworths Arguments will I hope see how flat and low they will be found to lye by being impartially considered and duly examined 42. His first and chiefest Objection which only hath any shew of dissiculty namely that The Motiues of Credibility being only probable Faith it selfe cannot be certaine he tooke from Catholike Diuines but dissembled their Answers and wanted humility to captiuate his vnderstanding vnto the obedience of Faith as they did and all good Christians ought to doe though neuer so many difficultyes should offer themselues to the contrary But this Objection I haue answered at large and turned it vpon himselfe in seuerall wayes and occasions needless to be repeated and therfor I come to his other Objection 43. Object 2. pag. 326. N. 4. Euery text of Scripture which makes mention of any that were weake or of any that were strong in Faith of any that were of little or any that were of great faith of any that abounded or any that were rich in Faith of increasing growing rooting grounding establishing confirming in Faith Euery such text is a demonstratiue refutation of this vaine fancy prouing that Faith euen true and sauing Faith is not a thing consisting in such an indiuisible point of perfection as you make it but capable of augmentation and diminution Euery prayer to God to increase your Faith or if you conceyue such a prayer derogatory from the perfection of your Faith the Apostles praying to Christ to increase their Faith is a conuincing argument of the same conclusion 44. Answer Not to take notice of his improper speach of augmentation and diminution in Faith which are appropriated to Quantity as intension and remission are propertyes of Quality the grouud and supposition on which this whole objection goes is manifestly vntrue namely that we make Faith to be a thing consisting in an indiuisible point of perfection wheras all Catholike Diuines teach that it hath degrees of perfection and intension no less then Hope and Charity and that de facto it receyues increase by euery meritorious act togeather with justifying Grace The Holy Councell of Trent Sess 6. C. 10. gives this Title to that Chapter Of the merease of justification already receiued c. And concludes it with these words Hoc justitiae incrementum petit Sancta Ecclesia Dominica 13. post Pentecosten cum orat Da nobis Domine Fidei Spei Caritatis augmentum This increase of justice the Holy Church doth ask when she prayes Giue vs ô Lord increase of Faith Hope and Charity You see we thinke it not derogatory from the perfection of our Faith as you are pleased to speake to pray for increase therof Who is ignorant that in Qualityes We are to distinguish between their essence which consists as it were in an indiuisible poynt and degrees of intension which may be increased within the compass of the same Essence otherwise it were not intension but the production of another Species or Essence as we experience in heate light and
vnderstand that it would not be very much prejudicall to your Faith to be imprudeÌ„t as it is nothing against the difinition of a man that he is not an Astronomer And who would be of that Religion and Faith which confessedly may be imprudent and foolish wheras true Christian Faith must needs be prudent And you were too forward to say no worse in saying so freely that Charit Maintayned was mistaken therin For if Prudence be required to every true act of morall vertue shall we say that true Faith may be imprudent But you speake according to your skill in SociniaÌ„ and Pelagian Heresy which denyes that every act of true Faith is essentially supernaturall and requires the supernaturall motion of the Holy Ghost for the production therof For how can an act supernaturall in essence be imprudent since this is alwayes a defect only of man and can never be a speciall effect of God as all things supernaturall in essence are Or how can the Holy Ghost particularly move and inspire vs to an inprudence and lightnesâ— of hâ—rt the Holy Scripture saying Eccles. 19.4 He who soone believes is light of hurt We may I grant think that to proceed from the Holy Ghost and to be a true act of Faith which is not such but that a belief all things considered imprudent should be indeed a true act of Faith produced by the Habit of Faith and particular impulsion of the Holy Ghost you have not prooved notwithstanding your confident avouching that questionless your Adversary was mistaken wheras yourself was much mistaken in your example of having skill in Astronomy which is a quality wholy impertinent and vnnecessary to a man as prudence is not to the acts of our Faith Though yet indeed you will find that Char Maintayned Part. 1. Chap 6. N. 8. Where he gives the Definition of Faith doth not so much as mention Prudence 89. But what do you answer to the argument of Char Maintained Chap .6 N. 32. That the Faith of Protestants being imprudent and rash cannot proceed from Divine motion and grace Nothing but that by this reason all they that believe our Religion and cannot give a wise and sufficient reason for it must be condemned to have no supernaturall Faith Thus you Pag 381. N. 74. which is nothing to our purpose For we speak not of ability to explicate or declare to others the reason of our belief which belongs to gratias gratis datas but of gratia gratum faciente or prudence in order to the accepting Faith for ourselves which hath a great latitude and that which to one may be prudent would not be so to another indued with more knowledg naturall or supernaturall God judging of every one according to his particular disposition and readiness to embrace the object of Faith in the measure of vnderstanding communicated to him But if indeed all thing considered we suppose him to proceed imprudently his assent shall not be a true Act of Faith for the reasons I aâ—â—edgd though such an assent wherby the ice is as it were broken in order to such an object may Facilitate towards a true act of Faith when circumstances being altered a prudent judgment may take vp the place of the former imprudent perswasion and so God concurr with his Grace to a true assent of Faith Neither doth it import that he who proceeds imprudently cannot discover in himself any difference between a prudent and imprudent assent because in these hidden intellectuall acts we must proceed by Reason not by experience as when a Pastor or Prelate proposes to his subject two objects as matters of Faith wherof one is indeed revealed the other not the subject with equall prudence assents to both without experiencing any difference in those assents and yet that which respects the object not truly revealed cannot be an act of Faith but the other may be such And by this is answerd what you have Pag 331. N. 10. of this same poynt 90. But now that the Faith even of your most select believers is imprudent appeares by your owne Principle that certainty in assent cannot be without proportionable evidence in the Object and yet you say they have certainty beyond evidence Therfor they have a Faith in an impossible manner and so are imprudent in an eminent degree 91. Your common probable Faith to be imprudent I have proved hertofore because it being only probable yet you preteÌ„d to preferr it be fore any reason to the contrary though seeming never so certain and convincinge which certaine is against all reason Therfor your Faith is imprudent and seing you hold it to be prudent the conclusion must be that it is prudent imprudent 92. Before I leave this poynt I must aske you two little questions or Doubts First what you meane in these words Though all that are truly wise that is wise for eternity will believe aright yet many may believe aright which are not wise If they be truly wise who are wise for eternity and whosoever believe aright are wise for eternity for as much as concernes their belief we must conclude that all who believe aright are truly wise How say you then that many who believe aright are not wise Secondly I reflect a little on your words Pag 381. N. 74. I have proved the Faith of Protestants as certaine and as prudent as the Faith of Papists and therfore if these be certain groundes of supernaturality our Faith may have it as well as yours But I beseech you where did Cha Maintayned say that certainty and prudence are grounds of supernaturality He sayd only that if Faith be imprudent and rash it cannot proceed from Divine Motion and grace Is it all one to say if an Action be prudent it must be supernaturall which if it be taken in generall is false since an action may be prudent and not supernaturall and it cannot be supernaturall if it be not prudent What Logick teaches an vniversall Affirmative Proposition to be simply converted and from this All supernaturall Acts are prudent to inferr Therfor all prudent Acts are supernaturall just as we have heard you saying Pag 331. N. 10. All Astronomers are men but all men are not Astronomers But it is more than tyme that I goe forward 93. Fiftly you calumniate our Faith as a naturall and supernaturall vnnaturall Assent I answer Our Faith is supernaturall not naturall or vnnaturall though I wish you had explicated what you meane by vnnaturall because we acknowledg it to be Donum Dei the Gift of God But your faith is indeed naturall being but a probable Conclusion evidently deduced from evident probable Premises as I have declared hertofore and yet in words you pretend that it is supernaturall Pag. 409. § And though where you seeke to vindicate yourself from being guilty of taking away supernaturall Faith and Pag 325. N. 2. where you will seeme to admitt the necessity of a supernaturall belief though in truth you do not but with Socinians deny that
practicè and effectually we judg the Articles of Christian Faith to deserue and require of vs vnder payne of damnation a most certaine infallible belief beyond all precedent Motives of credibility which judgment being the beginning of supernaturall Faith and of it self an Act of great difficulty to humane Reason requires a particular assistance of Divine Grace 72. 4. If we receyue Scripture vpon this your fallible Tradition we shall haue greater certainty of the Bookes of prophane Authours that they were written by such men than that the Books of Scripture were written by those whom we belieue to haue written them because the Tradition is more full for those than for these as I sayd aboue as also there are many works of those men which never any Christian or other called in question wheras scarcely any Book of Scripture hath not bene questioned even by Christians as they are despised and denyed by all the enemyes of Christian Religion It will also follow for the like reason that we are more certaine that there was such a man as Henry the eight King of England Coesar Pompey c. Then that there was such a man as Jesus Christ as I haue shewed already and yet what Christian can heare such blasphemyes without just indignation and horrour 73. 5. Protestants are wont to object that we giue greater credit to men than to the word of God because we belieue the scripture for the authority of Gods church This is of no force against vs who belieue the church to be infallibly assisted and inspired by the Holy Ghost and that God speakes by the church and consequently that the voyce of the church is the voice of God and so we belieue the word of God for the authority and Testimony of God as all must acknowledg the Primitiue of Christians to haue receyved and believed the Scriptures vpon the authority of the Apostles who yet were men but men inspired and infallibly directed by the Holy Ghost But the Objection turned against you is vnanswerable because you ground the belief of scripture and all the contents therof vpon men expressly as they are fallible and subject to Errour whose words you must belieue more than the word of God according to your owne Rule Pag. 377. N. 59. we must be surerof the Proofe than of the thing proved otherwise it is no Proofe 74. This Argument I confirme by your words Pag. 143. N. 30. There is not the same reason for the Churches absolute infallibility as for the Apostles and Scriptures For if the church fall into Errour it may be reformed by comparing it with the rule of the Apostles Doctrine and scripture But if the Apostles haue erred in delivering the Doctrine of Christianity to whom shall we haue recourse for the discovering and correcting their errour Againe there is not so much strength required in the Edifice as in the Foundation and if but wise men haue the ordering of the building they will make it much a surer thing that the Foundation shall not fail the building then that the building shall not fall from the Foundation Now the Apostles and Prophets and Canonicall writers are the foundation of the Church therfor their stability in Reason ought to be greater then the Churches which is built vpon them Again a dependent infallibility cannot be so certaine as that on which it depends But the infallibility of the Church depends vpon the infallibility of the Apostles as the streightness of the thing regulated vpon the streigness of the Rule Therfor the Churches infallibility is not so certaine as that of the Apostles This is your discourse which I pray you apply to our present purpose in this manner There is not the same reason for the Scriptures infallibility as for Tradition For if some Apocryphall Scripture be obtruded for Canonicall it may be reformed by comparing it with vniversall Tradition But if vniversall Tradition hath erred in delivering the Canon of Scripture to whom or to what shall we haue recourse for the discovering and correcting that errour of proposing Apocryphall Scripture Againe if but wise men haue the ordering of a building they will make it a much surer thing that the Foundation shall not faile the building then that the building shall not fall from the foundation Now vniversall Tradition of men subject to errour is to you the Foundation of Scripture therfor their authority in your reason ought to be greater then the Scripture which is built vpon them Againe a dependent infallibility cannot be so certaine as that on which it depends But the infallibility of Scripture depends vpon the infallibility of vniversall Tradition of men Therfor the Scriptures infallibility is not so certaine as that of the Tradition of men that is neither the one nor the other is certaine What say you to this application and to your Doctrine which forces vs to make it But this application rests not here For as you haue told vs that the infallibility of the Apostles must be greater then that of the Church so for the same reasons the infallibility of the Church must be to vs greater then that of the Apostles yea of Christ himself seing you belieue the Apostles and our Saviour Christ to haue bene infallible and to haue proved their infallibility with Miracles only by your vniversall Tradition of the Church which therfor is the foundation on which your belief concerning the Apostles and our Saviour depends and consequently their infallibility is not so certaine to you as the fallible Tradition of men For we must examine and measure our knwledg of the words and workes of the Apostles and our Saviour by Tradition and not Tradition by them because Tradition to you is a Principle in nature and precedent to our belief of Christ the Apostles and Scripture which depend on it as the streightness of the thing regulated vpon the streightness of the Rule 75. 6. Before we belieue Scripture in your way there is no Principle but Reason placed between Motives which you confess make it only probable that Scripture is the Word of God and Arguments which seeme very strong and convincing that the Mysteries contained in Scripture are contrary to the sayd only Principle Reason besides the difficultyes which to the same Reason seeme great and insuperable in answering seeming contradictions of Scripture to it self which are so many and so intricate as certainly they will appeare to any judicious Man vnanswerable without submission to some infallible Authority as a support for humane Reason against the strength of them as appeares by the great paynes taken by learned men and the difference of wayes in satisfying such difficultyes and finally by a true confession that when they haue done their vttermost the last and best refuge is to captivate their vnderstanding to the Obedience of Faith and one thing is most certaine and evident that Protestants reject divers Bookes of Scripture receyved by Catholikes for Canonicall vpon incomparably less seeming difficultyes or
Action and deprives it of the nature and denomination of being vertuous All which declares how hard it is to exercise a true Act of vertue and easy to commit sin wherby some vicious Habit will be produced or increased evē while we are addressing overselves towards an act ād productiō of an Habit of vertue according to the axiome of Philosophers ād Divines bonū ex integrâ causa malum ex quocunque defectu To all which if we add that which I declared in the Introduction That one whose sins are not forgiven and consequently is not in state of Grace cannot hope to avoide deadly sin for any long tyme and so will be acquiring or increasing vicious Habits it will appeare too clearly how hard it is and how much tyme industry constancy and application and aboue all particylar Grace of God is necessary to extirpate all the Habits of all vices and that sinners though never so full of harty sorrow for their sins must remaine in a perplexed afflicted and desperate condition for feare of dying before they haue arrived to your new kind of Repentance oftentymes impossible and alwayes vncertaine as will more appeare by what I say 10. Sixtly I would demand what Rule you or any man can possibly giue to discerne and prudently judge when a sinner hath arrived to that degree of extirpating all vicious and acquiring al vertuous Habits which is sufficient and necessary for true Repentance since in Philosophy naturall contrary Habits may remaine togeather in some Degree and much more if they be not contrary but only different or disparati they cannot destroy one another and it is impossible to know what Degrees they hold or which or how little or how much or how many of them are destroyed especially if we reflect that they may remaine in their nature and being and yet not discover themselves or appeare sensibly and experimentally for want of occasion or by reason of attention to other objects or disposition of body as sickness c or affections of the mynd by Feare Hope Joy Sorrow and the like and even one vice may be occasion that another appeares not or if one of them destroy another as prodigality avarice it is by producing or encreasing a contrary vicious Habit wherby the party may seeme to moue and yet not goe forward change but not to the better and perhaps to the worse and so your Repentance must be composed of vncertaintyes and like that of Judas more fitt to bring miserable perplexed sinners to the halter than to Heaven You object and even vpbraide to Catholiques their making men vncertaine of Salvation by requiring intention in the minister of Sacraments which I haue shewed to be an irrationall vncharitable and a meere panick feare But indeed this Doctrine of yours which requires for true Repentance conditions oftentymes impossible and alwayes vndiscernable whether they be performed or no doth really put men vpon true and grounded feare and perplexityes and occasion of desperation It is true the best Divines teach that a sinner is not bound to repent himselfe instantly of his sin so as he commits not a new sin if he do it not because we sind no positiue law of God imposing any such obligation and he is assured by Scripture that God will not deny pardon at whatsoever tyme or instant he is cordially sorrowfull for his sins with an effectuall purpose of amendment But if he did forsee that vnless he repented presently it would grow impossible for him ever to repent for example by reason of death or madness in that case he were obliged to repent instantly both by obligation of the precept of Repentance which if ever obliges in that case as also by the precept charitatis propriae of charity as it respects a mans selfe which binds him to provide for the Salvation of his owne soule Now seing whosoever commits a deadly sin doth by that Act vnavoidably produce some degree of a vicious Habit which may consist with one yea with many degrees of the contrary naturall Habit of vertue and morally speaking will still be receiving increase or addition by many new Acts which a sinner devested of justifying grace as I sayd is prone to committ it followes that no man can possibly haue any rationall and solid way to judge but must remaine practice vncertaine whether he shall sooner come to an end of Repentance or of his life in your way And therfore not to put his soule into so great vncertainty and hazard what would remaine but that he be obliged to repent as soone as the sin is committed though even this he can hardly do according to your Doctrine because he may exercise an Act contrary to that particular sin and yet some degree of the Habit therof remaine vnless he exercise so intense an Act of vertue that it produce an Habit so intense as no degree of the contrary vicious Habit can stand with it which is both a very rare thing and when it happens it still leaves you vncertaine whether it hath happened or no and therfore the more your Doctrine is discussed and examined the more dangerous pernicious and absurd it appeares to be in many respects 11. Seavently In this Question three sorts of Habits or as it were Habits are carefully to be distinguished Which while you confound you do but deceaue the Reader First After the actuall committing of any deadly sin there remaines in the soule habituall sin wherby one is sayd to be a sinner to remaine in sin to be in state of sin deprived of justifying Grace an enemy to God and deserving eternall damnation This Habituall sin is not any permanent reall physicall positiue Habit or Quality but a kind of morall denomination or ground therof which remaines after the Act of sin is committed till it be retracted and reversed by true Repentance that is by harty sorrow for sins past with a firme purpose never to offend God mortally for tyme to come Thus even amongst men when one hath offended another by some injurious Act there remaines in the deliquent a morall denomination of a person injurious and an obligation of satisfaction for obtaining pardon from the person wrongfully offended Which permanent morall denomination cannot formally consist in any reall or physicall habit or Quality seing it is cleare that the pardoning such an offence doth neither produce nor destroy any reall Quality or entity in the offender who may be pardoned in absence and so receave no new nor loose any former reall entity If the former injurious action produced any vicious Habit yet the remaining or not remaining of such a Quality or Habit is wholy impertinent to the forgiveness or pardon granted by the wronged party who forgives the injury without knowing or caring whether any naturall physicall Quality do or may remaine which is the worke of Philosophers to discuss his motiue to pardon being the morall retractation of the injurious action by a contrary demeanour submission satisfaction and
sorrow which being once duly perfomed and accepted if any reall entity or habit chance to remaine it is devested of all formall relation to any Act as it was injurious and offensiue seing that Act is retracted and revoked and therfore remaines no more voluntary in the offending person as if we suppose one to haue shot an arrow or cast a dart with purpose to kill another and to be instantly by particular motion of the Holy Ghost strooken with effectuall sorrow and Repentance before the shaft arriue to the party against which it was levelled the wounding or killing in that case will indeed be sayd to proceed from the hand which discharged the dart in nature of a reall naturall effect but not in the nature of a voluntary morall sinfull action since all that which was voluntary and sinfull is supposed to haue beene retracted by true repentance before the effect was produced This which we haue declared by the example of one man compared to another that the Habituall offense or injury consists not in any reall Habit or Quality but in a morall consideration holds much more if we transferr it to the Habituall offense of man against God who though de facto he be pleased to forgiue sin vpon our Repentance yet considering the thing in itselfe he could not be obliged to forgiue our sin though our sorrow were never so perfect and though we were assisted to extirpate all vicious Habits by the contrary naturall Habits of vertue but besides all this and all that can be imagined to be done by vs there is required a mercifull and free condonation from his infinite Goodness whether by infusing Grace or otherwise I do not dispute for the present without which our sinns are not forgiven wherby it clearly appeares that the denomination of being an Habituall sinner or to be in state of sin consists not in any reall Quality or Habit since these may be destroyed and yet habituall sin remaine and these may remayne though habituall sin be taken away as likewise if we suppose Almighty God to hinder miraculously the production of any reall habits or Qualityes by not affoardingh his vniversall free concurrence or cooparation without which no second cause can produce any action or reall habits yet whosoever commits a sinfull action vnavoidably is and is denominated a sinner till he repent Therfore it is manifest that habituall sin or sin remayning Habitually consists not in any reall phisicall habit or quality and consequently habituall sin may remayne though the vicious habit either be destroyed or never exist Which shewes that your Repentance by rooting out all vicious habits is impertinent to true Repentance and forgiveness of sins 12. The second kind of habits which belong to our present purpose are reall physicall and naturall Qualityes or habits of vertue orvice produced by vertuous or vicious Acts which acts being immediatly voluntary and produced by our free-will are in themselves good or bad vicious or vertuous deserving prayse or disprayse reward or punishment But good or bad habits are not voluntary in themselves but only in their causes for as much as they were produced by voluntary free Acts which produce habits no less necessarily than fire produces heat in a matter capable and approximated nor is it in the power of man to exercise Acts good or bad and forbid or hinder them from producing vertuous or vicious habits When therfore a sinfull Act is once effectually retracted by true Repentance the habit which proceeded from it and was voluntary only in its cause or sinfull Action remaines now no more voluntary to that repentant sinner but retaines meerly its as I may say innocent reall nature and entity being in itselfe a dead Quality and no more a sin to such a one than sickness or death was to Adam after his fall and repentance that is effects of sin not sin They may perhaps facilitate and incline to Acts which may proue sinfull yet that facilitation and provocation being not voluntary but purely naturall is of itselfe no sin at all As the naturall inclination which men haue to certaine Objects may be occasion of sinfull Acts if the will giue free consent yet is not of itselfe any sin nor voluntary vnto vs but naturall and may be occasion of great merit if bad motions proceeding from it be resisted by our will assisted by Gods Grace And you might as well say that Repentance requires the destruction of our nature I meane that naturall inclination which Divines call Fomes Peccati from which sinfull Acts may proceed and which in Adam proceeded from his actuall sin which deprived him of Originall Justice as you require the abolition of all Habits inclining to sin and produced by sinfull Acts which being retracted by Repentance the Habits or effects of them can retaine no relish or relation to them as they were voluntary free and sinfull For which cause such Habits haue now nothing to doe with any sin either actuall or habituall and therfore it is impossible that they can haue any least repugnance with justifying grace Sanctity Charity and Loue of God and consequently true Repentance cannot require their destruction seing their existence is compatible with grace and Sanctity Besides if the Acts by which one vitious Habit is destroyed doe not of themselves destroy any degree of some other vicious Habits with which those Acts haue no connexion much less can justifying grace be incompatible with any naturall acquired Habits of vice these being of an inferiour nature and order to that and therfore habituall sin with which grace and Sanctity cannot stand consists not in such naturall acquired ill habits neither can the extirpation of them be necessary to true Repentance which may take away the sin though those habits remaine Morover the acts wherby some vicious habit is acquired may destroy some contrary vicious habit as for example Acts of Prodigality tend to the destruction of the habit of Avarice and the same may be sayd of all other vices which are Extremes in order to the meane of vertue But it is absurd and impious to say or imagine that habituall sin can be forgiven by any sinfull Act since no habituall sin can be taken away without Repentance which being a speciall supernaturall Gift of God cannot be a sin Therfore we must affirme that reall Qualityes which we call habits are not habituall sin otherwise sin might be pardoned by sin Which is further confirmed by considering that vicious habits may be expelled immediatly and formally by naturall habits and mediate by Acts wherby the habits of such vertues are produced For example The habit of Injustice by the Contrary habit of Justice and so other vices by their contrary vertues habits and Acts. And therfore if habituall sin consist in reall Qualityes or habits of vice sin shall be forgiven formally by a forme or Quality or habit acquired by Acts produced by force of nature which being but naturall yet shall be vltima dispositio
make endless divisions amongst themselves n. 15. p. 468. seq And they take more liberty to disagree in matters of Faith then Catholiques in Philosophicall questions c. 13. n. 41. p. 819. 820. Because having left the true Church their only Guide is their fancy Ib their Church being not so much as a foundation is for a house n. 43 p. 820. seq This causes them to destroy all Churches and say that none can be free from damnable errours against Divine Revelation and must needs make every man an Independent and be dayly changing his Tenets c. 7. n. 154. p. 574. seq For Protestants Faith hath no infallible generall grounds as that of Catholiques hath into which it is resolved c. 4. n 20. p. 364. Hence their many contradictions and disagreeings amongst themselves of which divers I note in particular occasions By their owne fault they haue brought vpon themselves an obligation to search all Scripture aÌ„d caÌ„ free themselves from it only by submitting to the Roman Church c. 2. n 62. p. 165. to which they prudently can only adhere c. 4. n. 21. p. 364. 365. By their Doctrine of all sinnes past present and to come pardoned in Baptisme and of their certaine predestinating Faith they take away all feare of sinning c. 2. n. 84. p 186. seq Shewed by divers considerations that they can giue no releefe to an afâ—icted Soule but only chalk out a way to desperation c. 13. n. 43. p. 823. seq If they vse the meanes they haue to finde true Faith and yet disagree the meanes must ueeds be insufficient if they doe not vse them they cannot be sure that they are in the truth c. 15. n. 40. p. 920 921. Prudence necessary for true Faith c. 1. n. 88. p. 100. and 101. VVhat and why c. 15. n. 7. p. 889. It requires not ability to giue reasons Jb and c. 1. n. 89. p 102 VVhat we seeme prudeÌ„tly to beleeue if indeed it be not so although we cannot discover our imprudence is not beleeved with an act of Divine Faith yet may facilitate for it Jb not all pruent acts are supernaturall but all supernaturall are prudent n. 92. p. 102 the 2. for it is put twice Q Quartadecimans heresie c. 9. n. 5. p. 626. R Reason not established by infallible Faith is continually subject to changes c. 1. n. 105. 106. p. 112. c. Vnable to wade through maine difficultyes in Scripture or to convince it selfe of the misteryes of our Faith which are so much aboue it c. 3. n. 75 76. p. 337 338. It requires an infallible living Guide Ib Its dutie concerning Faith c. 11. n 32. p. 671. seq It is quite destroyed by Chill c. 1 3. n. 21. p. 803. 804. Religion is convinced by the instinct of nature to be a worship of God certainly true c. 1. n. 100. p. 107. Of Repentance toto c 8. None true without grace I. n. 27.28 p. 21. 22. True repentance absolutly necessary for salvation c. 8. n. 3. p. 598. It instantly obtaines pardon n. 16. p. 612. seq And perfect repentance destroyes in the habits acquired by finfull acts the morall denomiration of sinfull but not the Physicall or reall being of it n. 11 p. 605.606 VVith which reall being both true repentance and grace may and doe commonly stand n. 12 p 607. seq Divers opinions of heretiques concerning repentance n. 2 p. 597. Chill generall repentance contradicts his owne grounds n. 5 p. 601. Drives to disperation Ib and n. 6 p. 602. It cannot stand with the Tenets of Protestants that only Faith justifyes and that the commandements cannot be kept Ib n. 7. It implyes that no sinner can be converted nor baptized in his blood by martirdome n. 8 It is shewed to be impossible by the nature of the habits which he requires to be rooted out and is alwayes full of perplexity n. 9. 10. p. 603 604 605. Reprodu ion or factum facere implyes not evident contradiction but factum infectum facere doth c. 11 n. 12 p. 657. Resolution of Catholique Faith without a circle toto c. 5. But Protestants and their pretended Bretheren runn in a circle Ib and particularly n. 13 14 15 p. 437 438. Rites or ceremonyes of themselves indifferent may be without sinne observed but if they be held as necessary the observance may be deadly c. 14 n. 2 p. 847. That it be certainly knowne that they are vsefull aÌ„d not hurtfull the infallible declaration of the church is required c. 11 n. 46 p. 678. 679. The Roman Church assisted aboue all other by the holy Ghost not to err c. 7 n. 58 p. 492. 493. By her is vnderstood not only that of the Diocesse of Rome but all that agree with her in which sense she is called the Catholique or vniversall Church n. 84 p. 515. seq In this sense she was the only visible on earth when Luther apostared who therefore was properly a Schismatique Ib She is acknowledged by Protestants to haue been pure for the first 500 yeares n. 18. p 492. 493. Impossible she should immediatly after that ty me fall into the corruptioÌ„s preteÌ„ded by theÌ„ aÌ„d none take notice of it Ib aÌ„d p 494 they also coÌ„fesse that she waÌ„ts nothing for salvation n. 147. 148. p. 564. seq ac alibi Proved to any judicious man that we are secure for salvation n. 158 p. 578. seq S Sacraments destroyed by Heretiques both for matter and forme c. 2 n. 40. p. 147. 148. Salvation depends not of chance c. 4 n. 45. 46. p. 378. 379. It requires obedience to the true Church c. 16 n. 12 p 939. And preparation of mind to beleeue all revealed points sufficiently proposed c. 12. n. 16 p. 717. seq The salvation of our owne soule is to be preferred before the good of the whole world c. 16. n. 11 p. 937. 938. Of Schisme all the 7. c. Schisme as distinct from heresie supposes agreement in Faith n. 75 p. 506. 507. It is a sinne against Charity which vnites the members of the Church n. 98 p. 526. 527. It is destructiue of the whole Church n. 133. falsly put 123. p. 554. It differs much from excommunication n. 64. p. 499. and n. â—04 p. 529. 530. and is not caused by it but is before it n 62 p. 407 seq No cause of Schisme can be given by the Church n. 5 p. 460. 461. and n. 23 p. 472. 473. falsly put 472 passim Pretence of reformation cannot excuse it n. 11 p. 465. To say that they from whom it separates are not cutt off from hope of salvation doth not excuse but rather makes the Schisme more greavous n. 10 p. 463. 464. Potters coÌ„tradictionÌ„ affirming that the RomaÌ„cehurch hath all that 's necessary for salvation and yet that her externall communion may be left without Schisme n. 8 p. 463. By his owne Tenets they are proved Schismatiques who separate from the communion of the Church of Rome
which therfore are in themselves deadlie sinnes Some grant inherent Justice or sanctity not infused by God but acquired by the naturall forces of mans Freewill But Catholiques hold the meane and acknowledg true inherent Justice and sanctitie infused by the Holy Ghost not acquired by any acts of ours They maintayne Actions of piety proceeding from our will assisted by grace or from grace with the cooperation of our will and so they are morall and free as proceeding from our will and yet supernaturall pious and meritorious because they are dignifyed and produced by grace Thus S. Bernard lib. de Gratia saith elegantly Liberum arâ—itrium nos faâ—it volentes gratia beneuolos ex ipso nobis est velle ex ipsà honum velle From our Freedome proceeds that we vvill from Grace that vve vvill vvhat is good VI. To alledge for the necessity of grace Fathers and Councells were as easie as it is both needlesse none being ignorant of what the Fathers haue written and Councells defined against Pelagius and hîs associates and fruitlesse in regard that such men despise all Authority except that of Scripture which alone they pretend to follow Only I thought fit to set downe what the sacred generall Councell of Trent hath defined in this matter of Grace not to proue the truth of our Assertions since our Aduersaries reject it but to lay open the falshood of the frequent calumnies which Protestants are wont to lay vpon vs as if we hoped to be saued by our owne and not by the merits of Christ our Lord who purchas'd for vs diuine grace without which we are not able to thinke speake or performe any least action of christian Piety and so all our merits being by vs beleeved and acknowledged to be God's gifts we come to say with the Angels Glory in the highest to God and in earth peace to men of good vvill which good vvill being the gift of God all glory is due to him alone VII Be pleased then indifferent Reader to heare what the Councell defines and then iudge whether our doctrine be not most orthodox and holy and the calumnyes of our Aduersaryes most vntrue and vnjust VIII The Councell Sess 6. Can 1. saith If any shall say that man can be justifyed before God by his owne workes which can be wrought eyther by the force of humane nature or by the doctrine of the law without Gods grace by Jesus Christ let him be accursed And Can. 3. If any man shall say that without the prevenient jnspiration and Help of the Holy Ghost a man may beleeue hope loue or repent as he ought that the grace of justification be giuen him be he accursed And in the same place Cap. 5. The sacred councell declares that the beginninge of justification in men who are come the the vse of reason is to be taken from the prevenient grace of God by Christ Iesus that is from his calling by which they are called without any merits of their owne that they who by sinne were averted from God by his exciting and helping grace may be disposed to convert themselues to their justification by freely assenting and cooperating with the same grace so that God touching the hart of man by the illumination of the Holy Ghost neyther man himselfe doth nothing at all receiuinge that inspiration since it is in his power to reject it neyther yet can he with his owne freewill moue him selfe to justice in the sight of God without his Grace And therfore when the Holy Scripture saith Convert to me and I will convert to you we are put in minde of our freewill When we answer Conuert vs ô Lord tothee and we shall be conuerted we acknowledge our selues to be preuented by Gods ' grace And Chap. 6. They are disposed to justice it selfe while by beinge excited and help'd by Diuine grace conceavinge faith by hearinge they are freely moued to God beleeuinge those things to be true which are reuealed and promised by God and particularly this that God iustifyes a sinner by his grace by the redemption which is in Christ Iesus Chap 7. Although none can be iust except he to whom the merits of our Lord Iesus Christ are communicated yet in this justification of a sinner that is done while by the merit of the same most sacred Passion the charity of God by the Holy Ghost is diffused and is inherent in the harts of those who are iustifyed Chap. 16. Neyther is our justice maintayned as of our selues neither is the justice of God either vnknowne or reiected for that which is sayd to be our justice because we are justifyed by it inherent in vs the selfe same is the justice of God because by him it is infused into vs by the merits of Christ Neither is it to be omitted that although in Holy Scripture so great reckoninge be made of good workes that Christ hath promised that he shall not be deprived of his reward who shall giue to one of his little ones a cuppe of cold water And the Apostle witnesseth that our tribulation which presently is momentary and light worketh aboue measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in vs yet far be it from a christian man to confide or glory in himselfe and not in our Lord whose goodnesse towards men is so great that he will haue those to be their merits which are his owne gifts Chap. 8. We are justifyed gratis because nothing which goes before justification whether it be faith or workes doth merit the grace of justification for if it be grace then not of workes otherwise as the Apostle saith Grace is not Grace Chap. 11. Almighty God commands noâ— things impossible but by commanding admonisheth both to do what thou canst and to aske what thou canst not and helps thee that thou mayst be able to doe it Whose commandements are not heauy whose yoke is sweet and burden light For they who are the sonnes of God loue Christ and they who loue him as he witnesseth doe keepe his words which surely they may doe with the help of God Chap. 13. Men ought to feare knowing that they are regenerated to the hope of glory and not yet to glory it selfe from the combat which remaynes with the flesh world and diuell wherin they cannot be victorious vnlesse with the grace of God they obey the Apostle saying we are debters not to the flesh to liue accordinge to the flesh Chap. 16. Christ Jesus dayly giues vertue to the justifyed as the head to the members and the vine to the vine-branches which vertue doth always goe before accompany and follow their good works and without which they could not in any wise be gratefull to God and meritorious Lastly the councell defines If any shall say that a man justifyed either can without the especiall helpe of God perseuer in the justice he hath receiued or that with it he cannot be he accursed IX More might be alledged out of the Councell but this may suffice to
demonstrate the Doctrine of Catholiques concerning the necessity of God's Grace to belieue Hope Loue God Keepe his commandements Merit Repent Ouercome temptations and perseuer to the end All which is not inconsistent with free-will which is assisted and elevated not hindered or impeached by grace as it is wont to be sayd Grace doth not destroy but perfit nature Our adversaryes grant that Adam in the state of innocency was indued with freewill and yet grace was then necessary for the exercise of every supernaturall Act with which humane nature can haue no sufficient proportion otherwise supernaturall were not supernaturall but naturall or due to nature and therfore it is cleare that the necessity and concurrence of God's grace agrees very well with mans freewill Thus all difficultyes are clear'd and Holy Scripture declared not to imply any contradiction while it teaches both the freedome of our will and the necessity of Grace X. By this occasion I cannot chuse but begg of all who are desirous to know what Catholiques teach not to heare and trust the clamors and calumnyes of their Preachers Ministers or other either misinformed or disaffected or passionate or partially interessed persons but that they would for the good of their owne soules and loue to truth reade the Councell of Trent to which all Catholiques in matters of Faith subscribe and I dare confidently promise they will obserue such grauity in the stile such piety in the matter such grounds from Scripture such consonancy with Antiquity such clearnesse and reasonablenesse in the Definitions that they shall never repent themselues of a few howers spent in that search but will find to be true what I haue alwayes thought and often spoken that to set downe our Doctrines as they are beleeved by vs and not as our Aduersaryes falsify or disguise them or rightly to state the Question would be a sufficient defense of our Assertions and confutation of all the contraty Objections XI But I returne to the matter it selfe intendinge to proue out of expresse words of holy Scripture the necessity of grace First for all works of pietie in generall 2. For Faith 3. For Hope 4. For Charitie 5. For keepinge the commandements and ouercoming temptations 6. For repentance 7. For perseuerance These heades for better method we will distinguish into seuerall Sections SECTION I. The necessity of Grace for all actions of Christian Piety in generall XII THe Necessity of Grace appeares sufficiently by the diuers wayes and metaphors vnder which holy Scripture labours jf so I may say to declare it vnto vs as some Diuines haue well observed as by a metaphor taken from him who knocks at the dore Apoc. 3. Behold I stand at the dore and knocke Of one who awakes vs from sleepe Ephes 5. Arise thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ will illuminate thee of a calling Matth. 20. Many are called and few are chosen of Light Iob 29. when his lampe shined ouer my head and I walked by his light in darknesse of Preuentinge and having mercy on vs Psalm 58. His mercy shall preuent me Other expressions of the same Grace will appeare in the places which shall be alleadged out of Holy Scripture In the Concell of Trent as we haue seene aboue Grace is declared vnder diuers names as of Vocation Illumination Inspiration Excitation Touchinge and Motion XIII Let vs now alledge particular Texts of Holy Scripture Ps 58. His mercy shall prevent me Ezech. c. 36.2.26 I will giue you a new hart and put a new spirit in the middest of you and I will take away the stony hart out of your Flesh and will giue you a fleshy hart and I will put my spirit in the middest of you and I will make that you walke in my precepts and keepe my judgements and doe them Chap. 18.31 Make to your selues a new hart and a new spirit Behold in these Texts the possibility of keeping the Commandements the Necessity of Grace and the consistency of Grace with freewill which are three principall doctrines beleeved by Catholicques Isaiae 54.13 All thy children taught of out Lord. Matt. 20. v. 16 Many be called but few elect Ioan. 15. v. 5. Without me you can doe nothinge Rom. 8. v. 26. The spirit helpeth our infirmity For what we should pray as we ought wee know not but the spirit him selfe requesteth for vs with groanings vnspeakable Rom. 3. v. 24. Justifyed gratis by his Grace by the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus Rom 9. v. 16. It is not of the willer nor of the runner but God that sheweth mercy Rom 11. v. 6. If by Grace not of works otherwise Grace now is not Grace And v. 35. Who hath first giuen to him and retribution shall be made him 1. Cor. 4. v. 7. Who discerneth thee or what hast thou that thou hast not receaved 1. Cor. 15. v. 10. By the Grace of God Iam that I am and his Grace in me hath not bin voyd but I have laboured more aboundantly then all they yet not I but the Grace of God with me v. 57. Thankes be to God that hath given to vs the victory by our Lord Iesus Christ 2. Cor. 3. v. 5. Not that we be sufficient to thinke any thing of our selves as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God Epehs 1. v. 6.7 Vnto the prayse of the glory of his Grace wherin he hath gratifyed vs in his beloved son in whom we haue redemption by his bloud the remission of sinnes according to the riches of his Grace Philip. v. 6. He which hath begun in you a good worke will perfit it vnto the day of Christ Iesus Philip 2. v. 13. For it is God that worketh in you both to will and to accomplish accordinge to his good vvill Apoc. 3. v. 20. Behold I stand at the dore and knock if any man shall heare my voyce and open to me the gate I will enter in to him and vvill sup with him and he with me Behold agayne the force of Grace in knockinge at the dore and the cooperation of freevvill in hearing the voyce of God and opening to him the gate XIV I need add no more Texts of Holy Scripture for this poynt of the Necessity of Grace to all vvorks of Piety in generall since the same vvill also be proued by demonstrating the Necessity therof for the particulars of Beleeuing Hoping c. As also vvhat vve haue proued in generall infers the Necessity for the same particulars of Fayth Hope c Yea vvhile vve proue the Necessity of Grace for any particular for example Fayth the same remaynes proved for all other poynts belonging to Piety by reason of the same ground and parity for all And indeed since eternall Blisse in Heaven to vvhich men are ordained is supernaturalâ— it is cleare of it selfe rhat it cannot be attained by the forces of nature but by the particular Grace and assistance of Gods Holy Spirit This Necessity of Grace is so fundamentall a
acknowledges to be a most profound master of spirit This holy Father Homil. 11. in EZechiel hath these remarkable words If sinne be not speedily wiped away by repeÌ„tance Almighty God in his iust iudgment permitts the soule of the sinner to fall into another sinne that he who by weeping aÌ„d correcting himselfe would not wash away what he had committed may beginne to heape sinne vpon sinne The sinne therfore which is not washed away with the sorrow of repentance is both a sinne and cause of sinne because from it procedes that wherby the soule of the sinner is more deeply intangled But the sinne which followes out of another sinne is both a sinne and a punishment of sinne because blindnes encreasing in punishment of the former fault it falleth out that increase in vice is as it were a kind of punishment in such a sinner For the most part one and the selfe same sinne is both a sinne and the punishment and cause of sinne These last words he hath also in Iob lib. 25. C. 13. Agreable to this is the saying of the Author Operis imperfecti in Matthaeum C. 21. As when the sterne is broken the ship is carryed whersoeuer the storme driues it so a sinner hauing by his sinne lost the assistance of diuine Grace doth not what he will but what the diuell wills XXXVII The same truth is also deliuered by the Apostle Rom. 8.5 They that are according to the flesh are affected to things that are of the flesh but they that are according to the spirit are affected to the things that are of the spirit and V. 8. concludes they that are in flesh cannot please God But all they who want the spirit and grace of God are in flesh according to the same Apostle V. 9. You are not in the flesh but in the spirit yet if the spirit of God dwell in you Therfor they that want the spirit or grace of God cannot please him which is done only by keeping the commandements Thus we find verefyed by daily experience That he who is once fallen into deadly sinne doth not easily abstaine from coÌ„mitting more vnless he speedily rise againe And in this Gods holy will is most iust not giuing those helps to his enemyes which he bestowes on his friends whose soules as his temples he often visits enlightens inflames and effectually strengthens to keepe his commandements XXXVIII It is the true doctrine of Diuines that an infidell cannot abstaine from deadly sinne so long as one endued with Faith He therfor who hath not Charitie cannot auoide mortall sinne so long as hee who is in state of grace and charity and receyues those particular helps which are connaturall to that blessed condition S. Thomas 1.2 q. 109. A. 8. corp giues as he is wont a solid reason hereof As saith he the inferiour appetite ought to be subiect to reason so reason ought to be subordinate to God As therfor there cannot but arise disordinate motions in the seÌ„sitiue apetite if it be not perfectly subject to reason so if reason be not perfectly subiect to God there cannot but happen many disorders in the reasonable portion of our soule For when man hath nor his hart setled in God as in the last end of all his actions many things offer themselues for the obtaining or auoiding of which he forsakes God by breaking his commandements vnless his disordered will be speedily reduced to due order by grace And indeed he who wittingly and willingly perseuers in sinne is not drawen from it either by considering that it is an offence against God since he out of deliberate choyse and election remains in such an offence or for the infinite and innumerable euills which arise from sinne all which he hath considered and knowes that they or the danger of falling into them are incurred already and yet is supposed not to forsake that damnable state And custome in euill is apt to breede either a secret or open dispaire of amendment or els a pernicious insensibility security and presumption laying the soule open to accept all impressions of spirituall enemyes as in the barren season of winter hedges are broken inclosures become commons and are turned to high wayes for all passengers But now it is tyme to performe what we promised in the beginning of this Section that besides Actuall grace there is also a permanent quality or gift inherent in our soule wherby we are called and are indeed just and Sonnes and Heyres to God and Coheires to Christ our Lord. SECTION IX Of Habituall or justifying Grace in it selfe XXXIX HItherto we haue spoken of Actuall grace necessary to workes of Christian Piety Faith Hope c. Or of Habituall in order to the keeping of the commandements Now we cannot omitt to say somthing of habituall and permanent justifying supernaturall Grace in it self Concerning which heretiques as their manner is fall vpon contrary Extremes Pelagius teaching that we may be saued by the forces of nature consequently must deny that any infused inherent supernaturall Gift was necessary to saluation but that some naturall â—nherent quality was sufficient Contrary to which is the doctrine of Caluin Lib. 3. jnstit C. 11. Num 23. That man is not iust by any justice inherent in himselfe but only because the justice of Christ is imputed to him Catholiques auoiding both these extreames belieue that we are truly just in not by our selues or our naturall forces but by supernaturall Grace infused into our soules for the merits of our Sauiour Christ as the sacred Councell of Trent Sess 6. C. 7. and Can. 11. hath defined XL. This is that diuine gift which makes men holy in this life and happy in the next a Amicus To 3. disp 29. n. 119. Other infused Habits are particular participations of Diuine operations namely Charity and Hope respectiuely of that loue wherby God loues himselfe and other things Faith of that infallible knowledg which God hath of himselfe and all creatures The light of glory lumen gloriae of that sight which God hath of his proper essence the morall infused Vertues of those actions which God exercises towards his creature But Grace is a Gift immediatly participating of the whole Diuine nature as it can be intellectually participated by an intellectuall creature As in our naturall life our soule is the roote of its powers which it requires as propertyes and is more eminent than they so in our spirituall life this Grace is the roote of all supernaturall Habits and farr exceedes them in perfection XLI Of this in a most singular manner are verifyed the Elogiums which holy Fathers giue of grace b Amicus To 3. Proem ante Disp 26. which according to S. Gregory Homil. 27. is the roote of good works which according to S Chrisostome Homil 7.2 ad Thimoth and 1. au Corinth Hom. 40 takes away the rust of sinne makes the soule resplendent and fiery which according to S. Augustine Libro de Spiritu littera Capite
still goes vpon that ground that there are no Degrees of perfection in Faith which I haue demonstrated to be euidently false and that all Faith is of the same kind but not of the same Degree besides that it hath the imperfection of obseurity and for that cause doth not so conuince the vnderstanding but that it may be resisted and the contrary belieued And therfor you cannot inferr vpon equality of faith in all true Belieuers that our victory of the world must be equally perfect in all 60. Thirdly if you had cited the testimony of S. Iohn as you ought the weakness and impertinency of your Argument would haue clearly appeared His words are 1. Ioan 5. V. 3.4.5 This is the Charity of God that yee keepe his commandements and his commandements are not heauy Because all that is borne of God ouercomes the world and this is the victory that ouercomes the world our faith Who is it that ouercomes the world but he that belieues that Iesus is the son of God Where it is cleare that S. Iohn speakes of faith with Charity which is called by Diuines Fides formata faith informed with Charity by which we keepe the commamdements as he sayth V. 3. This is the Charity of God that yee keepe his commandements And V. 4. All that is borne of God ouercomes the world Now we are borne or regenerated to a new life or Being by justifying Grace and the Gifts which are giuen with it of Faith Hope and Charity and therfor he adds This is the victory which ouercomes the world our faith that is such a faith as the Regenerate or they who receyue a new life haue or a liuing faith working by Charity 61. Fourthly according to this true sense your Objection is wholy impertinent as speaking of a naked faith taken alone as it goes before Charity as like wise it doth not proue that such a naked faith doth necessarily bring with it Charity and so is the victory ouer the world For what consequence is it to say Faith as informed with Charity cannot be without Charity or is the victory ouer the world Therfor Faith taken by it selfe and considered only according to its owne nature and essence and abstracting from Charity is inseparable from Charity and the victory ouer the world An Argument no better than this The Body with the soule liues and makes a man Therfor the Body of it selfe liues and makes a man which is directly against S. Iames C. 2. V. 26. saying Euen as the body without the spirit is dead so also faith without workes is dead This appeares also by what S. Iohn sayth V. 5. Who is he that ouercometh the world but he that belieueth that Iesus is the son of God Which must be vnderstood of him who so belieues in our Sauiour as that he loues him and keepes his commādements For meerly to belieue Christ is the son of God is but that Faith which Protestants call Historicall and unanimously teach that it doth not justify nor is inseparable from Charity nor is the victory ouer the world And therfor interpreters vnderstand this Text of a liuing Faith or joyned with Charity And so this place makes against you and proues that Faith of it selfe though neuer so infallible is not the victory ouer the world But the weakness of this mans Socinian probable Faith forces him to reele from faith to faith From Historicall to Faith of working Miracles From justifying faith to Historicall From both to a No-faith that is to a faith so weake that by it a man may belieue Christian Faith not to be true as we noted against you by occasion of the text of S. Paule about receyuing him who is Weake in faith 62. Fistly the whole force of your Argument must rely vpon the truth of this Proposition Whatsoeuer the vnderstanding proposes to the will with absolute certainty as a thing to be done the will cannot but follow the prescript of the vnderstanding and therfor if Christian Faith be infallible certaine our will must embrace what it proposes and so ouercome the world and sinne and be perfect in Charity which Principle to be palpably false is euident by Reason Experience Faith and by the Doctrine of all Protestants at least for as much as concernes that kind of Faith wherof we speake that is Historicall Faith Reason dictates that notwithstanding the certainty of Faith the vnderstanding may propose profitable and delightfull objects For these thinges haue no repugnance but do consist togeather It is certaine that this object is honest and that the same object is vnpleasant repugnant to sence honour profit c and therfore the will placed betweene these different motiues the vnderstanding which proposeth them all hath no power to necessitate the will to any of them it being represented with as great certainty that such an object is difficult vnpleasant or vnprofitable as it appeares honest and Vertuous Neither doth certainty in the vnderstanding necessitate vs more to embrace it as honest than the like certainty doth necessitate vs to fly from it as vnpleasant especially considering that Faith is obscure and alluring objects are cleare euen to sense Faith respects things to come or els aboue the reach of our vnderstanding humane objections and objects are of things present or not farr of Befides if certainty did impose a necessity it must follow that at the same tyme we must effectually embrace the same object as honest and fly from it as vnpleasant which is impossible We must therfor say that it remaynes in the will to determine it selfe to which part it pleaseth hauing sufficient direction from the vnderstanding for either side Sinnes were wont to be diuided into sinnes of Ignorance and of Knowledg that is committed by Ignorance or with knowledge but now if certaine knowledg of good necessitate our will to embrace it no sinne can consist with certaine Knowledg of good and so all sinnes are sinnes of ignorāce and that old distinction of Philosophers and Diuines must be corrected by this your new Philosophy and Diuinity 63. As for Experience who knowes not or rather who teeles not that vulgar saying Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor I see that which is better and like it well but follow that which is worse 64. Lastly Faith teaches that we are indued with Free-will which may embrace or reject what is proposed by the vnderstanding Wherin all Protestants for our present purpose agree with Catholikes both in regard that they yeald Freedom of will to Angels and Adam before their fall who yet belieued by an infallible assent that there was a God and other mysteryes reuealed to them as also because they profess that Historicall Faith and of that Faith we speake doth not justify nor infallibly bring with it Charity Therfor it doth not necessitate our will Yea euen those Protestants who deny Free-will hold not that the will is necessitated by the Act of Faith which directs but by the effectuall
forsaking the Faith and communion of the vniversall Church or of all Churches extant when Luther appeared and therfore that Protestancy vnrepented destroyes salvation 169. Having then proved that Christian Faith is absolutely Infallible that therfore some Infallible judge or Rule of Faith is necessary that this cannot be Scripture alone that all though Scripture did containe all points of Faith necessary to salvation yet it could neither be a sufficient Rule nor any Rule at all of Faith if the errours which Mr. Chilling worth holds concerning it were true that the Infallible Judge of controversyes in Faith must be the alwayes visible Church of God that to oppose her doctrine and forsake Her communion is Heresy and Schisme that Protestants cannot be saved without Repentance These things I say being proved and every one of them having such connexion that from the first to the laast one is deduced from another by evident consequences We must now see whether Mr. Chilling worth though he hath not been able to defend Protestants from the sins of schisme ād Heresy at least that he hath taught thē some remedy to obtaine pardon for those and all other deadly sins by proposing some true way to Repentance and our next Chapter shall shew that the Repentance which he would teach them is neither sufficient nor possible but plainly destructiue of itselfe A hard condition of Protestants to be forced for their defense to chuse an Advocate who neither can excuse them from sin nor prescribes any possible meanes for pardon therof CHAP VIII Mr. CHILLINGVV ORTHS ERROVRS CONCERNING REPENTANCE ARE EXAMINED AND CONFVTED 1. NO benefit is wont to be more welcome than that which we receiue from an enemy against his will in regard we enjoy the favour and yet are absolved from all obligation of rendring thankes or even acknowledging it You are forced to confesse Pag 34. N. 5. That the Doctrine and practise too of Repentance is yet remaining in our Church and by that confession you grant that safety to vs which we cannot yield to Protestants since without true Faith Repentance will proue but a meere illusion And in this Protestants are greatly obliged to our sincere declaration of so necessary a Truth that being in due tyme clearly warned of the danger they may seeke to put their soules in safety by embracing that Religion wherin both we and our Adversaryes grant a possibility of Salvation But now as I sayd hertofore that although it were granted that true Scripture alone is a perfect and totall Rule of Faith as we haue proved it not to be yet it could not be so much as any Rule at all if your pernicious errours concerning it were true so here I will proue That although the Doctrine and practice of Repentance were supposed to remaine amongst Protestants which we can never grant yet that Repentance which you hold sufficient and necessary is such as either in the way of Defect or too little or of Excesse and too much no man can hope for Salvation by meanes therof This we will proue by a particular examination of your severall errours of which the 2. First is delivered by you Pag 32. N. 4. in these words God hath no where declared himselfe but that whersoever he will accept of that Repentance which you are pleased to call contrition he will accept of that which you call Attrition For though he like best the bright flaming holocaust of Loue yet he rejects not he quenches not the smoaking flaxe of that repentance if it be true and effectuall which proceeds from hope and feare In confutation of which pernicious errour I need not spend paines or tyme since it seemes proper to yourselfe or perhaps some Associats of yours But what can be hoped from those who haue forsaken the direction of Gods Church but that they should crosse one another in their wayes and end in Extremes as I haue observed in severall occasions and appeares in this particular matter of which we treate Luther as may be seene in Bellarmin de Poenit Lib. 1. Cap. 6. taught that Attrition makes a man an hypocrite and a greater sinner So far was he from dreaming that it alone is a sufficient disposition to obtaine remission of sins Others in a contrary extreme hold that perfect sorrow or Contrition is not sufficient without Absolution as Kemnitius affirmes 2. part Exam p. 960. and even your opinion is That perfect Contrition will not serue without extirpation of all vicious habits which you say being a worke of difficulty requires tyme and so you are singular in a matter vpon which eternall salvation depends agreeing neither with Catholikes who teach that Attrition is not sufficient without Absolution and that Contrition alone in all tymes and moments is enough nor that contrition is sufficient without absolution as Kemnitius holds but you teach that no Repentance is sufficient without the extirpation of all vicious habits as we shall see herafter 3. For the thing itselfe I wonder what could bring you to such a Doctrine as this That an Act which you confess Pag. 32. N. 4. proceeds from Hope and Feare could alone be a sufficient disposition for justifying Grace and the Theologicall vertue of Charity and Loue of God As well might you say That an Act of Historicall Faith is a sufficient disposition for the vertue of Hope and Hope for Charity and so Faith would come to justify I say an Historicall Faith which no Protestant holds can justify But this is the worke of our common enemy to suggest Doctrines which can produce no other effect except damnation of soules For to what other purpose can this your invention serue God is always ready to giue sufficient Grace for an Act of Contrition when it is necessary as alwayes it is necessary for the Remission of deadly sinnes when Sacerdotall Absolution cannot be had and yet this your Doctrine if once it be accepted for true can haue no better effect than to make men rely vpon it and not apply themselves to an Act of contrition wherby they might be secure wheras if your Doctrine be false as most certainly it is whosoever contents himselfe with Attrition for remission of any deadly sin shall infallibly be damned even though we should suppose that the beliefe of this errour were inculpable because true Repentance is absolutely necessary to salvation necessitate medij wherin invincible ignorance doth not excuse in which case every one is obliged to embrace not only a probable but the most safe and secure part And therfore this your errour being against both Catholikes and Protestants every one is bound by the most strict obligation Charitatis propriae which obliges vs to take the safest meanes for the salvation of our owne soules in things absolutly necessary not to rely on your conceypt but to procure that which is safe either contrition or Attrition with Absolution and so your Doctrine can never be practiced without a deadly sin though it were supposed to
producible by our Acts but infused by God for enabling vs to loue his Divine Majesty aboue all things you would easily see that it could not be destroyed by parts but all togeather and that only in case of committing a deadly sin wherby the sinner in fact voluntarily prefers some creature before God his Creatour and therby ceaseth to loue him aboue all things which yet is essentiall to Charity and without which it cannot exist in any least degree Holy Scripture tells vs he that loves not remaines in death which declares that Charity is the life of the soule and de dly sin being the death therof if Charity may stand with deadly sin the life and death of the soule should abide togeather But as I sayd it appeares by this that you discourse of the Theologicall vertrue of Charity as of naturall acquired habits produced by our Acts may be encreased diminished produced and destroyed without any like alteration in the habits of the infused vertues which are of a different nature and higher kind And by this appeares how necessary it was to premise the Introduction concerning the infused habits and necessity of Grace 16. In the meane tyme every one may see that either you make small account of Scripture which yet you pretend to be a totall Rule of Faith or els that it is not cleare even when it seemes to speake most cleare For what principle is more received in Christianity or more evidently set downe in Scripture than that by true and harty Contrition a sinner doth instantly obtaine pardon of his sins And yet you deny this first principle and as it seemes can see no such evidence in Scripture concerning it The Protestant Church of England once so termed at the beginning of their morning Prayer hath this sentence out of the Psalme 51. according to their account a sorrowfull spirit is a sacrifice to God and that out of S. Luke 15.18.19 of the Prodigall child I will goe to my father and say to him Father I haue sinned against Heaven and against thee I am no more worthy to be called thy son who vpon such Repentance was instantly received into favour as S. Basill Homil de penit saith of him Caeperat dicere mox illum Pater complectitur He had searce begun to aske pardon when it was granted him And S. Chrysost priore epist ad Theodor laps In eo momento totius vitae peccata abstergit In that very instant the sins of his whole life were wiped away Thus we reade Ezech 33.12 The justice of the just shall not deliver him in what day soever he shall sinne and the imprety of the impious shall not hurt him in what day soever he shall convert frō his impiety Therfore as a just man doth instantly loosegrace by his sin so a sinner repēting doth presentlyobtaine pardon of his sin and lives by justifying grace God being more ready to pardon than punish And no wonder seing a sinner performes all that is in his power for that instant And god requires of vs no more than is in our power nor can he seriously command impossible things as you expressly confesse Pag 390. N. 7. in these words The Rule of the Law is also the dictate of common reason and equity that no man can be obliged to what is impossible We can be obleged to nothing but by vertue of some command Now it is impossible that God should command in carnest any thing which he knowes to be impossible For to command in earnest is to command with an intent to be obliged which is not possible he should doe when he knowes the thing commanded to be impossible These I say be your words ād they are very true but directly against the common doctrine of Protestants that it is impossible to keepe the commandements of God who surely commanded them in Scripture in good earnest and not in jeast neither is there any moment wherin a man indued with the vse of Reason may not avoide eternall damnation if he cooperate with Gods grace which is never wanting nor can there be any moment wherin a man may not hope to be saved It is a true Axiome of Divines facienti quod in se est c God doth not denye his Grace to him who doth all that lyes in his power assisted by grace I sayd A sinner doth all that lyes in his power at that instant For if he surviue he is obliged to keepe all the Commandements which oblige vnder mortall sin but this observance is not a part of Contrition or Repentance but only the Object therof for as much as Contrition implyes an effectuall purpose of keeping the Commandements And for that cause the same Prophet Uers 14.15.16 saith If I shall say to the impious Dying thou shallt dye and he do pennance from his sin and do judgment and justice and the same impious restore pledge and render robbery walke in the Commandements of life and do not any vnjust thing living he shall liue and shall notdy All his sins which he hath sinned shall not be imputed to him he hath done judgment and justice living he shall liue This appeares in the conversion and justification of David 2. Reg 12. who repenting had scarce vttered two words I haue sinned to our Lord when he heard of the Prophet Our Lord also hath taken away thy sin Where some obserue that the Prophet sayd not our Lord will take away thy sin de futuro but hath taken away thy sin de praeterito to signify that Contrition and remission of his sins mett in the same instant Which David himselfe witnesseth Psalm 31. V. 5. I sayd I will confess against me my injustice to our Lord and thou hast forgiven me the impiety of my sin Vpon which place S. Austine speaking in person of David saith my confession had not come so far as to my mouth and God heard the voyce of my hart My voyce was not yet in my mouth and the eare of God was already in my hart Actor 2.38 Peter sayd to them do pennance and be every one of you baptized in the name of Jesus Christ And Uers 42. They therfore that received his word were baptized But it is cleare that these men could not haue tyme to roote out all vicious habits therfore that cānot be required to true Repentance Prov 8. I loue those who loue me But how cā God be sayd to loue those who loue him if he forgiues not the sin but remaines offēded ād an enemy to one who loves him by true Contrition which implyes the loue of his divine Majesty aboue all things S. Austine in Enchirid C. 65. saith Not so much the measure or quality of tyme as of sorrow is to be considered For God doth not despise a contrite and humbled hart Which last words taken out of the 40. Psalme do of themselves proue our Assertion So that Scripture Fathers and Theologicall reasons do all concurre in this that effectuall sorrow for
Christian Faith is only a probable assent he must affirme that it doth not necessarily require the peculiar supernaturall assistance of the Holy Ghost But why do J vse any proofe since we haue his owne express words in the same Pag. 37. n 9. Some experience makes me feare that considering and discoursing men being possessed vvith this false principle that it is in vaine to belieue the Gospell of Christ vvith such a kind or degree of assent as they yeeld to other matters of tradition And finding that their faith of it is to them vndiscernable from the beliefe they giue to the truth of other storyes are in danger not to belieue at all or else to cast themselues into wretched agonyes and perplexityes as fearing they haue not that without which it is impossible to please God and obtaine eternall happiness Do not these words declare that faith sufficient to please God and obtain eternall happiness is of the same kind and degree of assent as men yeeld to other matters of Tradïtion and truth of other storyes for the beliefe of which no man did euer say that a speciall motion or grace of the Holy Ghost was always necessary And it is to be obserued that he speakes of considering and discoursing mē as still reducing Faith to Reason wheras contralily experience teacheth that oftentymes simple persons belieue with humility and deuotion when the wisest mè of the world turne fooles in matters belonging to God or if they embrace the Faith of Christ they doe it not always with such strength of beliefe as many vnlearned people doe which shewes that Faith relies on some more high and diuine foundation then the only forces of naturall Reason XVIII To this we may add what he teacheth Pag. 62. n. 24. That our assurance that the Scripture hath bene preserued from any materiall alteration and that any other booke is incorrupted is of the same kind and condition both morall assurances And Pag. 141. No 27. For the incorruption of Scripture I know no other rationall assurance we can have of it then such as we haue of the incorruption of otherr ancient bookes such I meane for the kind though it be far greater for the degree of it And if the spirit of God giue any mā any othe assurāce here of this is not rationall and discoursiue but supernaturall and infused Marke how still he requires as necessary only a rationall discourse for the incorruption and preseruation of Scripture from any materiall alteration and yet Protestants acknowledging Scripture to be the only rule of Faith and beliefe of all Christian Mysteryes can be no more certaine of such mysteryes then they are assured of Scripture it selfe and still speakes of supernaturall infusea assurance as of an extraordinary thing And yet further Pag. 116 N o 159. he sayth We haue I belieue as great reason to belieue there was such a man as Henry the eight King of England as that Iesus Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate I suppose he will not say that a speciall grace of the Holy Ghost is necessary to belieue that there was such a man as Henry the eight Therfor he will and must say the same of the Article of our Faith that Iesus Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate since he saith there is as much reason for the one as the other Which yet is made more apparent by what he sayth Pag. 327. N o 5. in these words Men may talke their pleasure of an absolute and most infallible certainty but did they generally belieue that obedience to Christ were the only way to present and eternall felicity but as much as Caesars Commentaryes or the History of Salust I belieue the liues of most men both Papists and Protestants would be better then they are By which words it is cleare that either most Papists and Protestants want true Faith necessary to saluation or that Faith sufficiēt to saluation need be no greater concerning the Mysteryes of Christiā Faith then the belief we yeld to profane Hystoryes and certainly this requires no speciall Grace or motion of the Holy Ghost To conclude since he professes that Christiā Faith is of the same kind with rationall discourse and belief of other matters of Tradition and humane Historyes it clearly followes that it is in its essence naturall and in kinde different from supernaturall and therfor cannot vniuersally require the particular motion and assistance of diuine Grace XIX But les vs confute this proud Heresie by Holy Scripture S. Ihon. C. 6. V. 29. saith This is the worke of God that you beleeue in him whom he hath sent V. 44. No man cā come vnto me except the Father that sent me draw him and afterward he expourds what it is to come vnto him namely to belieue V. 64.65 There be certaine of you that beleeue not Therfor did I say that no man can come vnto me vnles it be giuen him of my Father V. 45. Euery one that hath heard of the Father and hath learned commeth to me Mat. 11.25.26 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reuealed them to little ones Yea Father for so hath it well pleased thee And C. 16. V. 17. Blessed art thou Simon Barjona because flesh and bloud hath not revealed it to thee but my Father which is in Heauē Which Text must be vnderstood of internall Grace and not only of the externall Reuelation or Proposition of the Object which was made to the wise and prudēt as well as to little ones and to many other beside S. Peter who yet were not therfor blessed as S. Peter was declared to be Isai 54.12 All thy children taught of our Lord. Act. 13.48 There belieued as many as were preordinated to life euerlasting And Act. 16.14.15 A certain woman called Lidia a seller of purple of the citty of the Thyatirians one that worshipped God did heare whose hart our Lord opened to atted to those thinghs which were sayd of Paul And when she was babtized c. Rom. 5.2 By whom Christ also we haue access through faith into the grace wherin we stand and glorie in the hope of the glorie of the sonnes of God If by faith we haue access to the hope of glory which is supernaturall Faith it selfe must also be supernaturall and require the speciall motion of the Holy Ghost Rom. 8.26 The spirit helpeth our infirmity For what we should pray as we ought we know not but the spirit himselfe requesteth for vs with groanings vnspeakeable Rom. 12.3 To euery one as God hath diuided the measure of faith 1. Cor. 12.3 No man can say our Lord Iesus but in the Holy Ghost V. 9. To anoter faith in the same spirit 2. Cor. 3. Not that we be sufficiēt to thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God 2. Cor. 4.6 Because God that hath cōmanded light to shine of darknes he hath shined in our harts to the illumination of the knowledge of the