a corrupt Tree cannot bring forth good fruit see Eccles â— 20 this is an old Pelagian Heresie against which Austin and Hierom did dispute as if the children of men were able to fulfil the Law of God perfectly by ordinary measures of Grace given to them in time revived by Papists and Quakers contrary to express Scripture 1 Joh. 1.8.10 blowing up wretched sinners with vain fancy of a sinless state as for that 1 Joh. 5.3 his commâ—nds are not grievous It must be understood in reference to the regenerate by the confession of their great Doway professor Esthius on the place for saith he to the unregenerate the commands of God are not only grievous but also quodammodo impossibilia in some kind impossible But the regenerate are strengthened by Grace to yield sincere evangelical obedience to the Commands of God yea and to delight in them Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man yet alas Jam. 3.2 in many things we offend all but these offences the Lord graciously pardons to penitent believers through the blood of Christ and so still to them his commandements are not grievous Dum quicquid non sit ignâ—sciture 5. Ibid. He sayes we protest against Gods Veracity saying that the Church can err contrary to Matth. 18. and 1 Timoth. 3. Nay in this they contradict the varacity of God and not we saith not the Apostle Rom. 3.4 let God be true and every man a lyar and is not their Church made up of men who can produce no more exemption from error then other Churches As for these Scriptures alledged for the Churches infalibillity they have been considered before But the truth is it s not the infalibility of the Catholick Church Romanists plead for but of the Synagogue of Rome and the head thereof the Pope as if to question the infallibility of the Pope of Rome and of a Cabal of his Trustees were to question the varacity of the God of Heaven and if they be found lyars the most high God should be concluded a lyar Be astonished O heavens at so atrocious a blasphemy 6. Ibid. He saith we protest against the Providence of God saying that God has not given an infallible Judge Whereas Peter sayes no Scripture is of private interpretation Nay Sir we do but protest against the pride and providence of your Pope God having given the Scripture as an infallible rule there is no necessity of an infallible Judge because Scriptures are not of Private interpretation therefore the glosses imposed either by Quaker or Papal Enthusiasins ought to be exploed as flowing from a private spirit We are so far from allowing of private interpretations of Scripture that we desire all to be examined by the publick standard of truth 7. Ibid. sayes he we protest against the efficacy of Christs death saying that he hath freed us from the pain but not from the guilt of sin contrary to 1 Joh. 1.7 O the impudency of a Jesuits forehead â— let the World judge whether they or we oppose the efficacy of Christs death for 1. They say he died for many who are or shall be damned But himself will acknowledge that we say for whomsoever Christ died they are or shall be saved 2. They say Christ hath not satisfied for all the sins of them that are saved not for these they call venial nor for the temporal punishment due to mortal sins but we say Christ satisfied fully for all sins of the Elect. 3. They say remissa culpa non remiâ—titur paena that the sin may be remitted and not the punishment that a proper punishment to be undergone here or in Purgatory may be kept over the head of a Creature after pardon But we affirm that when sin is forgiven the punishment is discharged what else is remission but the dissolution of the obligation to undergo Punishment May not all see the inconsistency of these Jesuit tenets with that Scripture 1 Joh. 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin how then charges he us as saying that Christs blood trees us from the pain but not from the guilt of sin Nay on the contrary we affirm that the blood of Christ frees us both from the pain and the guilt of sin We judge it impossible that the one can be without the other what is guilt but the obligation to punishment Can a man be freed by a holy and Just God from punishment and yet lie under the obligation to punishment But I believe the thing which this ignorant Pamphleter drives at is that original corruption may be pardoned through the blood of Christ and yet sinful concupiscence remain in believers and in this what do we say more then St. Austin lib. 1. de nupt concupis Cap. 25. Non ut non sit sed ut non imputetur Doth not the Apostle who was in a justified estate bewail his indwelling concupiscence Rom. 7.24 Yet from it also the blood of Christ shall make us free though here while we are In agone it be left for exercise Upon the hope of Victory is that doxology Rom. 7.25 thanks be to God through Jesus Christ 8. Pag. 108. He sayes we protest against Gods order tying sanctification to Paith only I believe he would have said Justification contrary to Jam. 2.24 It s not we but Romanists who oppose the order of God in the Justification of a sinner Doth not the Apostle conclude Rom. 3.28 That a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law Indeed that Faith though it be sola in the instrumentality of our justification as some use the phrase yet it is not solitaria being joyned with other graces of the spirit and fruitful in good works For a justified state and the soundness of Justifying Faith is demonstrated by good works which is that which James affirms I must use the Freedom to tell this Pamphleter that Jesuits do not understand the nature of Justification and therefore they still confound it with Sanctification 9. Ibid. He sayes we protest against the appointment of God saying that good works done by grace do not merit contrary to Math. 10. where its said that Christ shall render to every one according to his works It seems this man cites the Scripture by guess as well as the Fathers for in all the tenth of Mathew that testimony is not to be found There is indeed mention of the reward of a righteous man but that reward and merit are reciprocal correlats is more then all the Jesuits in Europe will prove Doth not the Apostle Rom. 4.4 distinguish betwixt a reward of Grace and of debt Is not the reward of the righteous the free gift of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 6.21 and therefore doth not presuppose merit how piteously do our missionaries cheat their proselites in this matter When we charge on them the proud and supercilions doctrine of merit they ordinarly alledge it to be but a calumny of Protestants yet here the
est Authoritas Infallibilis quae Pontifici Romano quae Ecclesiae sive Conciliis tribuitur nam illa ipsa Authoritas quae in uno Pontifice residet Authoritas dicitur Ecclesiae Conciliorum that is it is the same Infallible Authority which is ascribed to the Pope and to the Church or Councils for the same Authority which resides in the Pope alone is said to be the Authority of the Church and of Councils So that hither the state of the Controversie betwixt us and Romanists is reduced whether the Popish Religion is to be believed to be the only true Religion because their Infallible Judge that is the Pope says so Is not this a goodly case to which Jesuits would reduce Christianity to make all Religion hang at the sleeve of an Usurping Pope Is not the Popish Cause desperate when they have no way to prove themselves to be in the right or us in the wrong but because their Pope a Party and Head of their Faction says so The Hinge then of all Controversies betwixt Romanists and us at least as managed by the Jesuited Party returns hither whether by the Verdict of the Pope as infallible visible Judge or by the holy Scriptures and conformity with the Faith of the Ancient Church we are to judge of the truth of Religion Protestants hold the latter our Romish Missionaries the former let Christians through the world consider whether what they or we say be more rational I am challenged pag. 24. as not having candour for saying that Quakerism is but Popery disguized But there is less candour in the Accuser for I only said if it were otherwise Learned and Judicious men were mistaken His frivolous Apologies are like to confirm these men in their Opinion for many of the Quakers Notions are undoubtedly Popish Doctrines such as that the Scriptures are not the principal and compleat Rule of Faith that a sinless perfection is attainable in time that men are justified by a righteousness wrought within them that good works are meritorious that Apocryphal Books are of equal dignity with other Scriptures that the efficacy of Grace depends on mans free will that real Saints may totally Apostatize that in dwelling concupiscence is not our sin until we consent to the lusts thereof c. If Quakerism were Puritanism in puris naturalibus as this Scribler doth rant how comes it that Quakers have so much indignation at these who go under the name of Puritans and so much correspondence with Romanists with whom before they could not converse Do not Non-Conformists abhor these fore-mentioned Quaker Tenets The differences at which he hints betwixt professed Papists and Quakers do at most prove that Quakerism is disguized Popery if there were no seeming difference there would be no disguize in the business Cannot Romanists chiefly Jesuits transform themselves into all shapes for their own ends Have not persons gone under the character of Quakers in Britain who have been known to be professed Priests Monks or Jesuits in France and Italy My self did hear a chief Quaker confess before famous Witnesses that one giving himself out for a Quaker in Kinnebers Family near Montross was discovered to be a Popish Priest and some Romanists in this place have confessed the same to me Yet the differences assigned by the Pamphleter betwixt Papists and Quakers signifie not very much when they are narrowly examined And first as to Women Preachers do not Papists hold Hildegardys Katherine of Sens and Brigit c. for Prophetesses Not to mention their Papess Joan or how they allow Women to Baptize as is defined in Concil Florent Instruct Armen As for their private Spirit I pray what other grounds hath the Romish infallible Judge to walk upon but Enthusiasms and pretended inspirations For Fathers and Scriptures according to them have not Authority antecedently to his Sentence As for Reformation by private persons the whole work of Quakers is to break the Reformed Churches which is a real deformation and a promoting of the Popish Interest and if there be secret Warrants from the Pope for that end for which there want not presumptions they have as great Authority as trafficking Popish Missionaries Quakers do not say as he alledges that they build on the naked Word if by the Word he mean the Scripture nay in this as in many other things they Romanize by denying the Scripture to be the compleat and principal Rule of Faith I am jealous both Papists and Quakers could wish there were not Scripture in the World Though Quakers seem to make light of Fathers and Councils yet they maintain these Tenets which Papists say are Authorized by Fathers and Councils At least a knack of Jesuitical equivocation will salve all By this time it may appear all he hath said doth not prove that Quakers are not carrying on a Popish design But of these things enough I now proceed to the more important Controversies CHAP. II. There is no necessity of an Infallible visible Judge of Controversies in the Church and consequently the Basis of the Pamphleters whole Discourse is overthrown IT is hard to say whether in handling this Question the Pamphleter in his Sect. 3. bewray more disingenuiâ—y or ignorance For pag. 33 34 35 36 37. more like a Histrionical declaimer than a Disputant He breaths out a most calumorous iâ—vectâ—ve against the Reformed Churches as if they robbed the Cathalick Church of all Judiciary Authority and set up a Law without a Judge Because forsooth they cannot subscribe to this erroneous Assertion of the necessity of an Infallible visible Judge whereby the Jesuited Party endeavour to justifie the Tyrannical Usurpation of the Pope of Rome Neither is this Assertion for which he pleads as the Doctrine of the whole Romish Church approved by all Romanists Nor do they who seem to approve of it agree among themselves who is that pretended Infallible Judge Moreover instead of bringing Arguments to confirm his Assertion from pag. 37. to 43. he rifles out of late Pamphlets a Farrago of Testimonies to prove that the Church cannot erre which as may anone also appear is a different conclusion from that now under debate And though none of these Testimonies when rightly understood do militate against the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches as Protestants have often demonstrated yet he does not examine what Protestants have replied concerning them Lastly Whereas he should have answered the Arguments propounded in the debate with M. Demster against the necessiâ—y of this Infallible visible Judge he frames to himself pag. 43 44 45 46 47. some other Objections which he endeavours to canvase So that I may say he combats throughout that Sect. 3. with a man of Straw of his own making and this is that imaginary Triumph in which our Romish Missionaries and their implicit Proselites have so vainly gloried For satisfaction therefore of the ingenuous lovers of Truth I shall first premise some things for unfolding the true state of the Question 2. Disprove
Far be it from us to impose with Romanists a gloss upon S. James which upon the matter would make him contradict S. Paul The word of the Lord is not yea and nay many have taken excellent pains to clear the harmony of these two Apostles and to vindicate this place of S. James from the Cavils of Romanists I will not here digress to examine the new notions of some late Learned Writers touching this matter whose way should I imbrace I might perhaps easily expede my self from Romish Cavils and leave also some considerable differences betwixt the Romish Party and Protestants in this matter But I confess I am afraid of new Methods especially in a matter of so great importance as the point of Justification And therefore holding to the more received grounds I shall remit the Reader to Reverend Bishop Downam his learned Treatise of Justification lib. 7. cap. 8. where he both discusses Bellarmine's Quibbles as also illustrates that place in S. James by an Elegant Analytick Exposition from ver 14. to the end of the Chapter Let it suffice at present to advertise the Reader that S. James uses neither the word Faith nor the word Justifie in the same sense with S. Paul nor does he debate the question which S. Paul handled or which is at this day tossed betwixt Romanists and us For clearing these things briefly I say first when S. James says we are not justified by Faith only he takes not Faith for a saving Grace of the Spirit receiving whole Christ John 1.12 purifying the heart Act. 15.9 and working by love Gal. 5.6 which is the only true Faith by which we are justified according to the Doctrine of S. Paul and the Reformed Churches But S. James takes Faith for a dogmatical assent to Divine Truths joyned with an outward profession but such as may be separated from good works as is evident from the series of his whole discourse particularly from ver 14. where the state of the question which S. James handles is propounded What doth it profit my Brethren though a man say he hath Faith and have not works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Can that Faith save him by which it appears S. James whole discourse is concerning that Faith which a man saith he hath but may be void of good works Now that is not the Faith by which we according to the Apostle S. Paul's Doctrine affirm a man to be justified without the works of the Law for true justifying Faith is a living and working Faith But Jam. 2.17 Faith if it have no works is dead being alone I add secondly that when S. James says that a man is justified by works he does not speak as S. Paul of the true proper Act of Justification which is a Judicial Act of God really acquitting the sinner of guiltiness and from the wrath of God to which he was lyable but of a declarative Justification or of that which evidences a man to be in a justified estate or to be acquitted from guilt and wrath Nor needs this seem strange to any it being a Rule among Interpreters of Scripture quandoque tunc dicitur aliquid esse aut fieri quum esse intelligitur aut declaratur A thing is said to be done when it becomes manifest that it is done So Levit. 13.3.13 The Priest is said to pollute or cleanse the Leper because he declared him clean or unclean So Act. 10.15 What God hath cleansed defile thou not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declare thou not common or unclean And this word Justification is frequently taken in a like sense as Luk. 7.24.35 Rom. 3.4 1 Tim. 3.16 c. That so it is taken here Learned Protestants have evicted from the Context I only desire the Reader to cast his eyes upon verse 18. A man may say thou hast Faith and I have Works shew me thy Faith without Works and I will shew thee my Faith by my Works Where it 's apparent that the Apostle is enquiring after the Evidences of a Justified Estate which he concludes to be good works The chief difficulty which here seems to arise is that if the Apostle James did here speak only of a declarative Justification then he would have ascribed this Justification only to good works and not at all to Faith whereas the Apostle gives good works and Faith a conjunct interest in the Justification whereof he treats you see then how by Works a man is justified and not by Faith Answ This inference would perhaps have some strength had the Apostle been speaking only of the internal act of Faith but not at all when as hath been shewed the Faith spoken of is a professed Faith for the profession of Faith may concur with good works to declare and evidence a person to be in a Justified Estate Thirdly therefore and lastly for the full illustration of this whole matter we would carefully notice the different questions handled by the two Apostles S. Paul and S. James The Apostle S. Paul in his Epistles to the Romans and Galatians having to do with persons who Pharisaically boasted of their good works and presumed as our Romanists do to this day to be justified thereby or at least joyned their good works with Faith in Christ as the ground of their Justification before God Therefore he disputes at length the same question which now is agitated betwixt Romanists and us what is the true ground upon which a sinner is accepted of God and pronounced by him Just as if he had perfectly kept the whole Law in his own person and to hammer down these proud Justitiaries he concludes that the only ground of this Justification of a sinner before God is the obedience of Christ laid hold upon by Faith and totally secludes good works from having any causal influence upon Justification which he proves besides many other Arguments by the most apposite examples of Abraham and David For if any could have been justified by works then surely Abraham and David persons of so Eminent Holiness had been justified thereby but not they as he shews Rom. 4. Ergo none at all But S. James on the other hand had to do with a kind of Epicures who abusing S. Paul's Doctrine of Justification by Faith without the works of the Law maintained there was no necessity of good works but only to profess Faith in Christ This is S. Austin's observe and not mine in Psal 31. Jacobus vult corrigere eos qui Paulum male intelligendo nolebant bene operari de sola fide praesumentes So that the question which S. James agitates is whether there be a necessity of good works which he resolves affirmatively and withal attests that though they be not the causes of our Justification before God yet they are the inseparable effects of a Justifying Faith and the Evidences of a Justified Estate For this end he brings in not only the example of Abraham but also of Rahab who of an Infidel had been proselyted to the Faith yet
operato as the Council of Trent hath defined Sess 7. Can. 8. Bell. lib. 2. de effect Sac. cap. 1. acknowledges opus operatum to be ill Latine but it is worse Divinity unknown to Scripture and ancient Fathers Our Learned Whittaker praelect de Sacr. in genere q. 4. cap. 1. supposes Scotus the quodlibetick Schoolman to have been the first Inventor of that barbarous Phrase The inconsistency of Popish Doctors with themselves and with Scriptures and Fathers in this matter is largly proved by the same Author and by Chamier lib. 2. de Sac. in genere from cap. 1. to cap. 11. and Gerard loc com de Sacr. cap. 9. Sect. 1.2 3. Only I would be resolved what Sacramental grace this is which Bell. and other Romanists say is produced by the Sacrament for they manifestly distinguish it from Faith Repentance and Love And how Bell. says that Sacraments sometimes produce the first grace and yet this opus operatum ever presupposes Faith Repentance and holy affections and dispositions of the subject shall it presuppose these graces and yet produce the first grace It shall be time to me to confute you when you come to understand your selves Though this Pamphleter lays aside my definition of a Sacrament not daring to tell why yet I will use him with more Candour for pag. 120. this definition he insinuates That Sacraments are visible or sensible signs of the invisible grace they produce in the Soul as Instituted by Christ our Lord for sanctification and in this sense saith he there be seven set down in the Gospel Behold the Fox should he not have said and no more as the Council of Trent hath defined What a disjunctive is this he gives for the genus visible or sensible signs are these reciprocal terms Is every sensible signe visible Or if a Sacrament must be a visible signe what needed the word sensible Doth not this description agree to things which neither Papists nor Protestants hold for Sacraments as to the Preaching of the Gospel it s a sensible sign c. Nay more this description though many ways peccant doth decart most if not all their five spurious Sacraments either they are not visible or sensible signs or are not instituted by Christ or at least not to produce our sanctification Was Balsamated oyle in Confirmation Instituted by Jesus c. doth not Jesuit Suarex in 3. p. tom 3. q. 72. disp 3. sect 1. c. acknowledge the contrary He may ask at Hugo de S. Victore Lombard Bonaventure Alensis and Altifidorensis whether their extream Unction was instituted by Jesus what I pray is the visible sensible Sign instituted by Christ in Marriage and Pennance Were Marriage and Orders instituted to produce grace It would be supererogation to add any more against these five Sacraments until he have answered what I wrote in my tenth paper against Mr. Dempster But doth not this Pamphleter bring some Scriptures for the controverted Sacraments Pag. 121. I confess he doth but such as conclude nothing for him all these having been often vindicated by Protestants from the detorsion of Romanists yea some of them wer touched in my tenth reply to Mr. Demster yet he sets down the Scriptures barely as if they contained in terminis his position such is the daring boldness of Jesuites as if their Dictates and glosses upon Scripture were to be received without any reason For Confirmation he cites two places Act. 17. he should have said Act. 8.17 and 2 Cor. 1.22 But neither of these prove the present Romish confirmation to be a proper Sacrament Not the first in which it s only said Then laid they their hands upon them i. e. these that believed And they received the Holy Ghost is there here any mention of Oyle or of Balsome which Pope Eugenius the Fourth and the Council of Florence in Decreto ad Instrust Armen and the Roman Catechism Part. 2. cap. 3. q 6. affirm to be the matter of this Sacrament or is there mention of these words which the Pope and Catechism q. 10. call the Form of this Sacrament viz. signo te signo crucis c. Doth not Esthius in 4. Sent. Dist 7. Sect. 7. confess this to be the more common opinion of Romanists that the Apostles used no Unction in Confirmation how then can an Argument be drawn from this Scripture that their Romish Confirmation is a Sacrament In that Scripture there is only mention of imposition of hands but in their Confirmation there is no imposition of hands as Dallaeus learnedly proves de Confirmatione lib. 1. cap. 6. but only an anointing and crossing the Forehead with the Balsamated Oyle by the finger of a Bishop which can no more properly be termed Imposition of hands then the sprinkling of water in Baptism upon an Infant can be so called Did ever any ancient Father expound these words of Anointing and Crossing with Balsamated Oyle Are not Romanists then manifest Innovators who have substitute a Sacrament of Balsamated Oyle which hath no vestige in that or any other Scripture Besides Sacraments are exhibitive of sanctifying grace But how can it be proved that by the Holy Ghost which here is said to be received are meant the sanctifying Graces and not the edifying Gifts of the Spirit such as the gifts of Tongues Miracles c. which in the Popish Schools pass under the Name of gratia gratis data Sure these Samaritam were Baptized Believed and received the word of God Act. 8. v. 12.13.14 before Peter and John came down to them and so had the sanctifying graces of the Spirit but the Holy Ghost as here spoken of had fallen upon none of them vers 16. Undoubtedly therefore by the Holy Ghost here are meant the edifying gifts of the Spirit and not sanctifying graces Was not the falling of the Spirit upon these believing Samaritans like the falling of the spirit on these of Caesarea Act. 10.44 45. and these Act. 19.6 on whom Paul laid his hands but there surely the edifying gifts of the Spirit are meant for presently it is added they Prophesied and spoke with Tongues Had it been otherwise how could Simon Magus so easily have discerned that they had received the Holy Ghost The sanctifying graces of the Spirit are not easily discernible but edifying gifts as speaking with Tongues do clearly manifest themselves But though it were given that some sanctifying graces had been conferred by the laying on of the hands of the Apostles doth it therefore follow that it was a proper Sacrament Is every sensible sign by which grace is conferred a Sacrament Is not the Spirit given by Prayer and by Preaching of the Word which yet are no Sacraments How great things do Romanists ascribe to their Crucifixes and Holy Water which yet they make not Sacraments What should I speak of that Trash of outward Ceremonies which are added to Baptism Exsufflations Spittle Oyle Salt c are all these Sacraments Doth not Bel. lib. de Bapt. cap. 25. Sect 10. relate
that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 as for that place in Mal. 1. ye will say more then all the Jesuits that have gone before you if you prove that it speaks of your sacrifice of the Mass What is more usual for prophets of the Old Testament then to predict New Testament duties under an allusion to Old Testament rites Have not our Divines brought very considerable arguments to prove that Malachy does not speak of any proper propitiatory sacrifice but of the spiritual sacrifices of Prayer Thanksgiving and other holy actions which Rom. â—2 1 are called a living holy and acceptable sacrifice to God Does not Malachy in that same verse predict that incense shall be offered up although your corrupt vulgar version hath omitted it yet Bell. lib. 1. de miss cap. 10. acknowledges that it is so both in the Hebrew and in the translation of the severny But the incense is without doubt to be understood Metaphorically of the incense of Prayer as Psal 141.1 Why then ought not the sacrifice also be taken in a spiritual sense Doth not the same prophet Malachy speak of Levites also cap. 3. vers 3. and he shall purifie the Sons of Levi. that they may offer unto the Lord an offering of Righteousness and this also in reference to Gospel times as Bellarmine acknowledges cap. cit yet I hope they will not say a proper Levitical Priesthood is to be set up under the Gospel why then a proper sacrifice Hence Mares against Tirin controv 22. N. 5. says that not only the Chaldee Paraphrasts and other Jews but also among Romanists Isidor Clarius and Vatablus did expound the place of spiritual oblitions so also did Tertul. lib. contro Iudaeos as is acknowledged by A lapide Nor are we against the accommodation which Fathers have made of it to the Eucharist as to a commemorative eucharistick or significative facrifice As for the Cavil of Bellarmine Gordon of Huntly Alapide and other popish controversists to pervert this testimony of Malachy to a propitiatory sacrifice of the Mass they are learnedly conâ—ured by D. Morton in his treatise of the Sacrament lib. 6 Cap. 4. and Mares in the place cited not to mention others at the time 16. And lastly Ibid He sayes We protest against all Gods commands and word by taking away free-will in obeying him Does their whole strength consist in lying representations Let the world therefore know we deny not free-will to man we freely assent to Austin Epist. 46. ad Valentinum if there be not grace how shall God save the world if there be not free-will how shall he judge it and with Bernard de gra lib. arb take away free will there shall be nothing to be saved Take away grace there shall not be a mean whereby any can be saved I freely grant that all the exhortations promises and threatnings of the word prove that God deals with men as rational and free Agents Only we protest against two sacrilegious crimes of Jesuited Papists in reference to this matter 1. That under a pretence of exalting mans free-will they overturn the absolute Necessity of the free grace of God as if an unregenerate man could do things truely acceptable to God contrary to luculent Scripture Rom. 8.7.8 Joh. 15.3 Matth. 7.12 Heb. 11.6 Hence Vincent Lirinensis in commonit cap. 34 quis ante profanum Pelagium who ever before that profane Pelagius did so presume upon the strength of free-will as to Imagine that grace was not necessary to every good work And Concil Aurans 2. cap. 7. If any say that by the strength of Nature bonum aliquod quod ad salutem vitae eternae pertinet yea cogitare ut expedit aut eligere too think or choose any thing as we ought Haeretico fallitur spiritu 2. We protest against them for overthrowing the efficacy of the grace of God to exalt the Diana of free Will as if both Elect and Reprobate had a sufficient grace And the reason why one is converted not another were not the predetermining power and influence of grace but because the one by his free-will improves his fufficient grace better then the other Yea the Jesuit Molina spares not to fay that the measure of Grace may be in him who is not converted entitatively more then in him who is converted and yet through the mal-improvment of free-will may miscarry should not this man make himself to differ from another and have wherein to glory contrary to the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.7 how then should God be said to work both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2.13 How should these high epithers and elogies be made of the efficacy of Gods working on believers Ephes 1.19 the exceeding greatness of his power toward them that believe What meant Austin when he said that God wrought in us indeclinabiliter I Know it would require something of a Scholastick debate to clear the consistency of free-will with the efficacy of free-grace to which I will not at present digress Only to cut off all the Cavils of litigious Jesuits I lay no more necessity upon the will of man then do Thomists and Dominicans if Jesuits dare not pronounce them Hereticks neither can they us upon this account By this time I hope it may appear that in all these particulars the doctrine of Protestants is conform to the Scriptures and the doctrine of Romanists repugnant thereunto And so it hath befaln this Sophister as did the army of Eugenius the Tyrant the darts which they threw against Theodosius and his imperial Army were driven back by the wind into the faces of them that threw thâ—m I had almost forgot that the Pamphleter pag. 104. remits me to the touch-stone of the reformed Gospel and to the Manuel of Controversies I believe indeed he is better versed in these trifling Pamphlers then either in the Scriptures or writings of Fathers He will not offend I hope that I commend to his perusal the replyes made to these particularly to Mr Tombs Romanism discussed against H. Turbeâ—vile his Manuul of Controversies CHAP. V. Concerning Transubstantiation and the Number of Sacraments IN the seventh Paper against Mr. Dempster pag. 126 c. finding him to be of a tergiversing humour so that albeit he was oft cavilling about the ambiguity of Scripture yet would he neither argue against the perspicuity of Scripture nor answer arguments brought for it I could judge no means so probable to convince him of his Errour as to pitch upon some Scriptures which Romanists say do most favour them and to demonstrate that these are clear for us I did begin with that Hoc est Corpus meum This is my Body and offered to do the like p. 129. with other controverted Scriptures such as Luke 22.32 Mat. 16.18 1 Tim. 3.15 Joh. 21.16 But though we exchanged divers papers thereafter Mr. Dempster had never the confidence once to examin that argument against Transubstantiation far less to fall upon other places The
woman is said to have crected at Caesarea Philippi It s true Euseb speaks thereof â—â—b 7. cap. 14. But it is true that its long since the faith of that Relation was questioned by the authour of the work which goes under the name of Charles the great lib. 4. cap. 15. and not withprobable reasons Is it not strange that none of the Evangelists nor Irenaeus nor Justin Martyr nor Tertul. nor Origen should make mention of that statue or that miraculous herb How could that woman who spent all her living on Physicians be able to erect these brazen statues is it probable that Heathens would suffer such monuments of Christ to stand 300. years undemollished That there were statues at Caesarea cannot rationally be doubted seeing Euseb does testify he saw them but there is cause to question whether they were built by that woman or that one of them was Christs and the rather seeing Euseb brings no certain author for it but a rumour Finally granting she had erected that statue to Christ yet Euseb says not that it was worshiped nay he affirms it was erected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by an heathenish custome Protestants doe not deny but there were portraitures of Christ and Apostles in those dayes as Euseb there doth witnes but Euseb is so clear from asserting that they wer used in Churches as objects of Religion adoration that in the Second Nicen Councell Act. 6. he is brought in testifying to Constantia the Empress against the making of the Image of Christ had it not then been the Pamphleters wisdom to have held his peace of Eusebius He is as unadvised in mentioning Austin l. 1. de consensu evangel cap. 10. for there he condemns them who study Christ non in Sanctis codicibus sed in pictis parietibus His story of the Image made by Nicodemus is an evident fiction and the book out of which it is taken de passione imaginis Christi attributed to Athanasius is supposititious as is proved by Cocus Pag. 93.95 and seems to be forged by Image worshippers about the time of that Idolatrous Second Nicen Council yea Bell. de scripâ— Ecel in Athan. confesses it not to be written by Athanasius but in the eight Century when the controversy about Image worship was in agitation That Image of the Virgin Mary said to be drawn by Luke appears likewise to be fabulous there being no authour making mention thereof until Euagrius about the end of the sixt Century the Apostle Paul calls Luke a Phisician but not a Painter Nor is it probable if he were a Jew they not using such artists if we may believe Origen lib. 4. cont Celsum As little faith is to be given to what is alleadged out of Damasus Pontificall of the Images of Christ and of the Baptist erected by Constantin for that Pontificall is not only proven to be Supposititious by Cocus Pag. 139. but also acknowledged by Baronius Binius Possevin yea Bell. lib. de script Eccles ascribes it to Anastasius the bibliothecary who lived in the 9th Century a grosse Image worshipper at least it seems interpolated by him Neither is it likely that this would have been omitted by Eusebius who is so accurate in describing what was done by Constantin By this it appears that most of the stories which Romanists alleadge concerning their Images are meer Fables But grant they were real Histories they speak not at all of adoration which is the only thing in controversy Yet I shall help my adversary to some presidents of great Antiquity for the adoration of Images but it s from Hereticks such as the Gnosticks in Iren. lib. 1. cap. 24. and Carpocratians in Epiphan in Haeres Carpocratianorum and Austin Haeres 7. such presidents we do not envy them But as to the Catholick Church they may hear their own Clemanges in lib. de novis celebritatibus non instituendis who saith sratuit olim universalis Ecclesiae ut nullae in templis imagines ponerentur Hence might be deduced another demonstration of the Novelty of the present Romish Religion seeing it approves the Religious adoration of crosses and Images whereof no vestige can be found in the Catholick Church of the first three ages SECT VIII An eight instance of Novelty concerning Free-will examined and Repelled THe Pamphleter in his eight Instance saith that Protestants deny Free-will since the fall of Adam Behold another Jesuitism that is an arrant Cheat. Do not our Authors as Learned Vsher in his answer to the Jesuits challenge Pag. 464. Chamier Panstrat tom 3. lib. 3. cap. 1. Sect. 10. Paraeus contra praefat Bell. ad lib. de grat de lib. arb positively protest that they do not deny free-will We do abominate the madd Sects of Manichees Valentinians c. Who either by fatal or simply natural necessity do quite overthrow the liberty of human wills which of us ever doubted whether Popes Cardinals and Jesuits do practise their impieties freely We cordially subscribe to that of Austin lib. 1. ad Bonifac. cap. 2. quis nostrum dicat quod primi hominie peccato perierit liberum arbitrium de humano genere Libertas quidem perijt sed illa quae in paradyso fuit Well did the same Austin say lib. de nat gra cap. 66 quod sit quaedam peccandi necessitas that unregenerate persons have brought upon themselves a kind of necessity of sinning yet that necessity is well consistent with liberty Hence Austin lib. 1. ad Bonifac. cap. 2. liberum arbitrium usque adeo in Peccatore non periit ut perillud peccent maxime qui cum dilectatione peceant free-will is so far from being lost in sinners that by it they who sin with greatest delight sin most egregiously Devils cannot but sin and yet sin most freely Protestants grant no less indifferency to the will of the sinner then Austin of old in his debates against the Pelagians yea as much as Dominicans and Thomists do require to the nature of Liberty Will he say that all these do dogmatize concerning free-will contrary to the Faith of the Church in the first three ages Indeed we cannot adorn mans free-will with such elogies as did the Pelagians or Semipelagians of old or as their Jesuited and Arminian of-spring which do exceedingly derogate from the necessity and efficacy of free grace I will not take up time in mentioning all the heads of controversy betwixt the Catholick Church and the Pelagians or Semipelagians Only two things I pitch upon 1. We assert the necessity of supernatural grace to every good work This Learned Vossius lib. 3. Hist Pelag. Part. 2. copiously demonstrates not only to have been the Doctrin of August Prosper Fulgentius to the Councils of Diospolis Arausica Carthage and of the whole Catholick Church after that the Pelagian heresy was broached but also Part. 1. confirms it to be the perpetual Doctrin of the Fathers and Church before the appearing of Pelagius Of the Latin Fathers he brings Tertul. Cyp. Arnobius Lactantius Ambrose Of the Greeks
theft Of the theftuous practises of Jesuits according to these their principles a large account is given in a Tractate entituled The Moral practise of Jesuits Nay they teach how to make Simoniacal transactions without sin by ordering of the intentions as is shewed in Pyrotechnica Loyolana pag. 44. I only add tenthly that Jesuits teach gross violations of the ninth Command not only by their equivocations and mental reservations at which I hinted before but also by saying that it is allowable to defame an Adversary by charging him with crimes whereof he is not guilty as is shewed by Montalt Epist 15. These Principles of Lying being instilled by Jesuits into the Emperesses Ladies the whole Court was put into a combustion by false reports until Quivoga the Capucin convinced the Empress of these pernicious lying Principles of Jesuits Time would fail me in reckoning forth the impious Doctrines of Jesuits these few hints I hope may suffice to demonstrate that the Doctrines of Popery and more especially as maintained by Jesuits have a Native tendency to impiety Well did the Apostle 2 Thes 2. term it a Mystery of Iniquity The Pharisaical Cob-webs of pretended Piety wherewith this Pamphleter from pag. 199. would commend their Religion are easily swept away As 1. He talks of the glorious Temples and Hospitals c. which they have built Have not Heathens and Mahumetans done the like How glorious was the Temple of Diana at Ephesus How stately are the Mosche's of Mahumetans at Constantinople Did not Herod build the Temple of Jerusalem with such magnificence that some think it did exceed the glory of Solomon's Temple Did not Pharisees build the Monuments of the Prophets Is it not said of Apostate Israel Hos 8.14 he hath forgotten his Maker and buildeth Temples Doth he not remember that the same Objection was made of old both by Heathens against Christians and by Arrians against the Orthodox In a word therefore we do allow comely Edifices for the Worship of God and endowments for pious uses It 's the observation of that Learned and Ingenuous Person Doctor Don Serm. on Matth. 5.16 that there have been more endowments for pious uses in this last Century since the Reformation in England than was in any one Century when Popery prevailed only this I must add it 's not curious Fabricks but pure Doctrine and spiritual worship which do demonstrate a true Church but Popish Temples are full of Idols Superstition and Idolatry He objects secondly they have thousands of Monks who have renounced the world and live chastly and contemn riches and pleasures and so have Mahumetans their Votaries and Recluses I believe it will trouble Romanists to give a Scripture Warrant or President from the first times of the Gospel Church for those who could be useful to the Church to shut themselves up in Cells from all converse with men Who knows not how unlike the Monastick life at this present in the Romish Church is from that which at length crept into the Church in ancient times yet we should not so much blame them who betake themselves to Monastick retirements if they gave themselves to the serious study of Mortification and to the true exercise of Religious Duties prescribed in the holy Scriptures But the devotion of Romish Monks is for most part meer Superstition consisting in the observation of some Rules invented by superstitious persons as Francis Dominick c. What impiety is acted under a pretence of Monastick austerity I hinted before Now let any consider what great Mortification it is under a pretence of Poverty to go into stately Palaces endued with rich Revenues under a pretence of Fasting to feed on such chear as a Sensual Epicure would prefer before sumptuous Feasts under a pretence of Chastity to Vow against Marriage which is Gods Ordinance but not against other fleshly impurities Hence Bell. gives this reason why it 's less sin for a Priest to Fornicate than Marry because by Marrying he violates the Vow of Continency implying they vow not against Concubines Lastly many who retire to Monasteries do it either on a tedium of worldly business or discontent or superstitiously to expiate some atrocious crime desperatio facit Monachum But thirdly says he they have Saints as Gregori 's and Leo 's and Caelestin ' s. c. But who gave their Pope power of Canonizing Saints Is not this an Innovation unknown to Antiquity How can the Pope infallibly know the Sanctity of others when he can not be sure of his own Nay have not many of them lived like incarnate Devils Have they not Canonized some for Money others to promote superstitious ends yea some who never were Do not their own Authors such as Cardinal Cajetan question the Popes Infallibility in Canonizing c. I suppose he will not say all their Pope Leo's and Gregori's were Saints I believe not Greg. the Second who pronounced Hezekiah an Heretick for breaking of the Brazen Serpent nor Greg. 9. who tyrannized over Frederick the Second Who may not pass for a Saint among them seeing Greg. 7. that Brand of Hell has a 〈◊〉 in their Calendar why have they not added Leo the Tenth who looked on the Gospel as a Fable to bear him company As for Caelestin's was that Sanctity or Simplicity in Caelestine the Fifth to be cheated by Bâ—niface the Eighth out of the Popedom to an Hermitage But Boniface fearing he might revoke that Sanctity shut him up in Prison where he died for displeasure that he had been fooled out of the Papacy But fourthly He pitches on some real Saints as Chrysostom Ambrose Austin and 36 ancient Bishops of Rome that were Martyrs I grant these were Saints but none of them Papists more than the Prophets were Pharisees though the Pharisees built their Tombs Yea nor was Bernard though he lived in late and corrupt times a Romanist of the late Edition he did not approve the whole Systeme of the now Tridentine Faith though he escaped not altogether the Contagion of the times he lived in he was indeed a Monk and in many things superstitious yet not a through-paced Papist as is shewed by D. Francis White in defence of his Brother D. John White against T. W. P. Pap. 313 314. and in particular that he held the sufficiency of the Scriptures without Traditions Justification by Faith alone that our works do not merit of condignity that no man is able to keep the Law perfectly that a just man may through mercy be assured of Grace that there is no such Free-will in fallen man as Jesuits assert and that he stood against the pride of the Pope and the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary To these which D. John White had confirmed from Bernards writings D. Francis adds divers other points as that he held the Eucharist is to be a Commemorative Sacrifice that he taught not Adoration of Images that he believed Habitual Concupiscence to be a sin and that he maintained the Authority and
Primitive Christian Church did ever own In a word they set up a Religion built upon no Divine Authority but upon Humane Traditions and definitions of their Church repugnant to Scripture to Antiouity to Reason and to the senses of all the world teaching impious Idolatry against God and perfidiousness to men receiving addition or alteration as the Grandees of the Romish Faction find most to conduce for the Grandeur of the Pope and Interest of the Court of Rome But lest I should seem to say nothing to his Knacks I answer first we have both Faith and Vnity Faith grounded on holy Scripture and not only Unity in Fundamentals which is necessary to the being of the Church Militant but also in most of the Integrals of Religion as may appear by the harmony of Confessions whereas they have neither true Faith nor Unity for hardly do they disagree from us in any thing wherein they are not subdivided among themselves Secondly we have both a Law and a Judge a Law better nor the Canon Law the Divine Law of holy Scriptures a Judge both Celestial the Lord Jesus Christ and Terrestrial the Synods of the Church But Romanists to shoulder up their pretended infallible Judge whom yet they cannot agree upon throw intollerable indignities upon the Law of God as hath been demonstrated cap. 3. Thirdly we have an Altar and Sacrifices an Altar not like their Altars of Damascus but an Altar which sanctifies our Oblations the Lord Jesus Christ And thus Aquinas himself expounds that of the Apostle Heb. 13.10 we have an Altar We have also a Sacrifice â—ot only Eucharistick of prayers and praises but also certainly Propitiatory viz. of Christ on the Cross Fourthly our Sacraments are not bare signs as Romanists slander us but exhibitive of Grace which cannot be truly said of all theirs Fifthly Though the Worship of God with us be not clogged as in the Romish Church with a heap of Ceremonies partly Heathenish partly Judaical yet we have Religious Ceremonies viz. Sacramental Rites and these also of Divine Institution Sixthly the Mission of our Preachers hath been sustained against the cavils of Romanists but a Divine Warrant cannot be shewed for their Popes Universal Vicarship or the Princely Dignity of their Cardinals Seventhly Our Doctrine is infallible and the ground of our Faith sure unless Romanists like Infidels will question the Infallibility of the Scripture Eighthly Though we pretend not to a Pharisaical perfection with Romanists yet we acknowledge the Commandments of God so far as is absolutely necessary to Salvation through Grace may be kept Ninthly Eternal Life being a reward of Grace not of Debt does not presuppose any proper Merit of ours but Romanists by their Doctrine of Merit make Heaven Venial and derogate from the sufficiency of the sole Merits of Christ Tenthly Reprobation being an eternal and immanent Act of God and consequently God himself cannot properly be demerited but there is no damnation without the previous demerit of sin yea also the Eternal Decree of Reprobation in the judgment of the Council of Dort presupposes the Prescience of Mans Fall Eleventhly though lapsed man without Regenerating Grace cannot do that which is spiritually good yet be may freely sin none of us do question but the Jesuits Garnet Oldcorn c. acted freely in their accession to the Powder-Plot Twelfthly we pretend not to any new Apostles nor is there necessity of new Miracles our Doctrine having been fully confirmed by the Miracles of Christ and his Apostles Thirteenthly It 's more than Romanists can prove that particular Churches have not Authority to reform themselves when General Councils cannot be had to undertake the work Fourteenthly we leave private Spirits and new Lights against old revealed Verities to Quakers and Papists Fifteenthly Single mens Opinious against the common consent of Fathers have more affinity with Jesuits Probables than Protestants To justifie their boldness in broaching new Opinions Poza the Jesuit as cited in the Jesuits Morals Part. 1. Cap. 1. Art 1. pag. 167. brings a Testimony from a Council of Constantinople Beatus qui profert verbum inanditum as if the Council had said blessed is he that produces a word unheard of or some new thing whereas like a Jesuit he mutilates and perverts the words of the Council which are Beatus qui profert verbum in auditum obedientium blessed is he who utters a word to obedient â—ars Sixteenthly We are not ashamed to maintain that the Apocryphal Books are no part of the Old Testament because the Jewish Church did never receive them being told Rom. 3.2 that to them were committed the Oracles of God Seventeenthly there have been stedfast Pastors and Martyrs in the Protestant Churches who have sealed the Truth we profess with their blood Our Doctrine and the Substantials of Government being founded on Scriptural Authority must consequently be unalterable whereas Rome's changes as to dogmaticals Worship and Government from Ancient Rome are so many that we may take up that regrate of her Hei mihi qualis eras quantum mutaris ab illâ Româ The Author designed a peculiar Cap. in the close of this Treatise for his own vindication from the Criminations of the Pamphleter together with a plain Reparty to the Jesuit Tribe But finding that these Papers had swelled beyond his expectation he hath at this time superseded much of that labour and the rather seeing these things touch not the Cause and Jesuits are known to be persons of such malignity that their Invectives find little credit with those that are ingenuous yea there be who reckon it an honour to be maligned by them Argumentum recti est displicere pessimis Let therefore these few hints of the chief of his Accusations at this time suffice And first Who would not smile that I should be accused by this Pamphleter as a man of uncertain Religion especially seeing himself acknowledges pag. 24. that the Thesis maintained by me is that the Religion of Protestants is the true Christian Religion If therefore the Religion of Protestants be known mine cannot be uncertain In that Faith was I Educated from my Infancy and hitherto thorough mercy have continued and therein I trust to die But who can be sure of a Jesuits Religion whose Principle it is to equivocate and by the help of his Mental Reservations to affirm and swear one thing and to think another What Sceptick and Infidel Glosses which would make Christian ears to tingle Jesuits have put upon the Apostolick Creed Alphonsus de Vargas relates de Stratagem Jesuit cap. 18 19. yea so customary is it with them to change themselves into all shapes and as was roundly told them by a Gentleman of the Long Robe in the Parliament of Paris to have one Coâ—science in one place and another in another that the world passes this Character on them Jesuita omnis homo Must not secondly Jesuits be men of â—are confidence who can accuse me of Disloyalty for Preaching a Sermon
Vertues surely if he in this were Heretical Gerson was Heretical also who both asserts and proves it by many arguments much less can either Wedlock or Virginity merit Heaven as Soto is brought in by Gerard de Eccles cap. 11. Sect. 6. Sect. 2 18. impiously saying Quod Virginitas fit satisfactio peccatorum maxima meritum Regni Coeâ—â—um Have not Popish Authors particularly Espencaeus noted that Hierom was pâ—rum aequas less favourable than in reason he ought to Chaste Matrimony How grosly did Pope Syricius deprave that Scripture Rom. 8 7. to disgrace lawful Marriage If therefore Jovinian ran upon the other extreme to affirm as Bell. de notis Eccles cap. 9. Sect. 13. says of Vigilantius Ecclesiasticos debere esseâ—uxoratos in that he was never allowed by the Reformed Churches they are for a licere not an oportere for the lawfulness of Marriage not for the necessity of it Excellently said S. Hierom lib. 1. cont Jovinianum where he is most in the praises of Virginity Circumcisio nihil est praeputium nihil est sed observatio mandatorum Dei nihil proded absque operibus caelibatus nuptiae As Circumcision is nothing and Uncircumcision is nothing without the keeping of the Commandments so neither Virginity nor Wedlock do profit to salvation without works of holiness But as persons in a married estate are saved if they continue in the Faith so also it is by the same Faith that they which live in a state of Virginity are to be saved To this I only add that of Nazianzen Orat. 11. Cum in haec duo vita divisa sit in matrimonium caelibatum atque hic quidem sublimior divinior sit verum laboriosior periculosior illud humilius tutius neutrum horum Deo nos omnino astringit aut ab eo dirimit Where comparing these two Estates he concludes Caelibat to be more sublime but Matrimony more humble and more safe and that neither of them does either joyn us to God or seclude from him The sixth objected Heresie is that with Pelagians we say the Children of Faithful Parents need not Baptism Had a Jesuit a Forehead capable of blushing he would never have upbraided us with Pelagianism for the World knows that they have indeed licked up the very Excrements of Pelagius as Jansenius hath demonstrated in his Augustinus But as to the Objection we are so from denying the need of Baptism to Infants that we say it 's necessary necessitate praecepti Indeed we dare not be so cruel as to condemn all Infants that die in the Womb and were never in a capacity to be baptized if we be stigmatized for Hereticks upon this account then the Ancient Fathers who by their long delay of Baptism shew themselves to be of the same Opinion must also be Heretical Doth not D. Morton Appeal lib. 5. cap. 8. Sect. 2. cite a multitude of Romanists as Cajetan Gerson Catharine Cighius Tilmannus c. as being of the same judgment with us as to these things Are all these Hereticks and Pelagians also If it be said that Pelagians deny the necessity of Baptism also true but on other accounts then Protestants I elagians as supposing Infants guilty of no sin Protestants because Pardoning Mercy is not chained up and limited to means As Blastus the Heretick observed Easter at the time of the Jews Passover so did Polyerates and the holy Martyrs of the Greek Church but the different accounts on which they did it made the one to be held an Heretick and not the other So that the same sentiment held upon different accounts may be heretical in the one and not in the other The seventh and last Heresie is that with the Arrians condemned by Austin lib. 1. cont Maxim cap. 2. we do not receive Tradition O stupendious impudency Did ever S. Austin condemn Arrians for not receiving Articles of Faith upon the sole Warrant of unwritten Traditions Doth he not expresly lib. 3. cont Maxim cap. 14. appeal to the Scriptures for decision of Controversies betwixt him and Arrians Nec-ego Nicenum nec tu debes Arimineuse tanquam praejudicaturus praeferre Concilium nec ego hujus authoritate nec tu illius deteneris Scripturarum authoritatibus non quorumcunque propriis sed utrisque communibus res cum re causa cum causa ratio câ—m ratiâ—ne concertet Could not the Deity of Jesus Christ which was the Article for which Arrians were condemned be proved by holy Scripture that Fathers behoved to flee to unwritten Traditions Are Romanists so miscarried with their hatred against us that they will shake the Foundations of Christianity to reach us a blow Doth not Bell. confess lib. 4. de verb. Dei cap. 11. that the Divinity of Christ which is opposite to the Arrian Heresie habet expressa in Scripturis testimonia Shortly then to rectifie the mistake of this Pamphleter the thing which Austin blamed in Maximinus the Arrian was that Arrians would not admit the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it was not found in Scripture and therefore lib. 1. cont Maxim he brings in Maximinus saying Haeâ—voces quae extra Scripturam sunt nullo casu à rnobis suscipiuntur This Austin solidly consutes lib. 3. cap. 14. shewing that the thing signified by the word was in Scripture Quid est homousion nisi miaus ejusdemque substantiae quid est homousiâ—n nisi ego Pater unum sumus and then appeals to the Scripture for the decision of the whole Controversie with the Arrians Nee ego Nicenum c. Thus have I shewed that the Pamphleters Objection is false in all its grounds as if either all the errours mentioned by Fathers were Heresies against Fundamental truths or that we owned all the errours enumerated in the Objection It 's further objected pag. 89. that Scripture would make a man think that one thing or at most two were necessary to salvation as sometimes the believing one point sometimes the doing of another Heaven is promised to Prayer in one place to Alms deeds in another and Mat. 19. If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments teaches a Fundamental which Protestants say is impossible Is not this a daring impiety in a lafcivious Jesuit so to sport with the Scriptures of the Living God as if sometimes they made one thing only necessary to salvation sometime another For answer therefore he would first remember that our present question is concerning the Credenda things to be believed but most of these instances are of the Agenda things to be done by us Whether this proceeded from his inadvertency or were done purposely to cast a blind before an unwary Reader is remitted to his second thoughts Secondly it is a falsehood that Scripture makes sometimes only Prayer at other times only Alms-deeds at one time only Faith in the Son of God at another time only the fear of the Lord a Fundamental as the Pamphleter insinuates For no where is the promise of Salvation restricted to any
one of these with exclusion of the rest When the promise is made sometime to one grace sometime to another it only imports the inseparable connexion of all sanctifying graces that who ever has one hath undoubtedly all Thirdly I grant that in that word Mat. 19. If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments is contained a Fundamental of the Covenant of Works but not of the Gospel Covenant This is evident from that description of the two Covenants Rom. 10. from vers 5. to 9. Moses describeth the righteousness of the Law that the man who doth these things shall live by them but the righteousness of Faith speaketh on this wise If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved Where the persect keeping of the Commandments is set forth to be the righteousness of the Law as the righteousness of the Law is contradistinguished from the righteousness of Faith Yet Christ does not mock the young man by that word as the scoffing Jesuit Maldonat on the place would infer from this Exposition given by Calvin for this righteousness of the Law would really bring a man to eternal life if a man truly had it Neither is any mean so apt to convince a Justiciary pretending to a legal righteousness such an one was that young man as appears by his words vers 20. All these things have I kept from my youth as to charge him with the righteousness of the Law Christ therefore used a very proper mean for preparing that person to submit to the righteousness of God by Faith Phil 3.9 had not his covetousness choaked the work In what sense the perfect keeping of the Law is possible or impossible is elsewhere declared now only I add that neither under the Gospel Covenant can Eternal Life be obtained without a sincere and serious endeavour to keep the Commands perfectly But surely if the perfect keeping of the Commandments were a Fundamental of the Gospel Covenant our ranting Missionaries and their dissolute Proselytes might despair of salvation Pag. 87. and 88. it 's enquired Whether every Fundamental can be so clearly proved by Scripture that the words cannot be obviously and literally taken in another sense Answ Every Fundamental may be so convincingly proved from Scripture that no rational person can upon solid ground contradict the evidence thereof else the Scripture should not be able to make us wise unto salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 I deny not but a wrangler may impose perverse glosses upon the clearest words in Scripture or out of Scripture as that petulant Romanist Râ—ynandus gave a specimen of his mischievous Acumen by imposing blasphemous glosses upon all the Articles of the Creed but this only proceeds from ill disposed minds and neither impeaches the clearness of Scripture as to Fundamentals nor the certainty of our belief of them But says he pag. 88. those words This is my body signifie and that most obviously and litterally that Christs Body is really in the Sacrament Like as when I say this is a piece of Gold this is a piece of Silver these words litterally signifie real Gold and Silver Answer Those words This is my body cannot signifie the Popish transubstantiated Presence of the Body of Christ without a manifest contradiction as shall appear cap. 5. These other Propositions this is a piece of Gold this is a piece of Silver not being productive of the Silver and the Gold as Romanists affirm these words this is my body to be productive of the Body of Christ in the Sacrament are not parallel to the Proposition under debate But I will not here anticipate that which is to be handled at more length cap. 5. Pag. 103. he asks If it be a Fundamental to believe the Scripture to be the Word of God which says he Austin believed upon Tradition Answ I grant it is a Fundamental as a Fundamental is taken for the Rule of Faith which makes us believe all the rest And so indeed it is a principle having an intrinsick evidence of its Divine Original as I endeavoured to shew in its proper place yet I confess that our minds are prepared by the motives of credibility whereof Tradition is one to give a supernatural assent to the Scriptures as the Word of God and this is all which Austin affirmed as to this thing as hath been already cleared Here it is to be noted that though I call the Scripture a Fundamental as being the Rule of Faith yet I mean not that the belief of this written Instrument is absolutely necessary in all cases to salvation for who doth not know that of Iren. lib. 3. cap. 4. Multae gentes Barbarorum credunt in Christum sine charactere vel atramento i. e. many Nations of the Barbarians believe on Christ without this writing of holy Scripture Scripture is indeed the principal and ordinary Rule of Faith yet it is not the only mean by which the Doctrines contained in Scripture receive Evidence yea the complex of the Fundamentals of Christianity carry with themselves an intrinsick Evidence of their own Divine Originals as hath been also held forth in cap. 3. So that if they who are invincibly ignorant of the Scriptures should upon the Veracity of God believe the Doctrines of Christianity contained in Scripture and walk accordingly they should be saved even as we But whaâ— saith the Pamphleter if one should receive the New Testament aâ— containing sufficiently all Fundamentals and reject the Old with Manichees admit of some Evangels but not others with Ebionits Answ He should deny a Principle of Divinity and therefore we should dispute against him partly ex concessis from these Scriptures which he admits and partly as with an Infidel from the common motives of credibility which may contribute to the conviction of an Infidel though they alone be not a sufficient ground of divine Faith Pag. 104. he asks What if one should deny the Word the Name and definition of a Sacrament the keeping of Sunday maintain Rebaptization affirm one Person in the God head with Sabellius or two in Christ with Nestorius which are not in express words in Scripture Answ 1. We must distinguish betwixt names and things we say not that names or words are Fundamentals of Religion else the diversity of Languages should make diversity of Religions It 's but a pievish humour to quarrel at words when the things signified thereby are found in Scripture it were enough to say to such as 1 Cor. 11.16 If any will be contentious we have no such custom nor the Churches of God Answ 2. Fundamentals may be contained clearly in Scripture though not in express words and so the Pamphleter either ignorantly or wilfully mistakes the very state of the question I hope these truly Fundamental Articles of the Merits and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ will not be denied to be contained clearly in Scripture though those words be not at all