thankfulnesse and progresse in the way of salvation Although therefore by reason of the infirmity of the flesh they daily faile in this practice of good workes yet cleaving close unto the Mediatour by Faith they doe not fall from the promise of salvation From whence it is plaine That the fulfilling of the Law is not that condition whereunto the salvation of the faithful doth leane neither that a meritorious efficiencie of workes is necessarily required for the obtaining of life eternall as Bellarmine affirmes Answ 5 Fifthly it followeth not God promiseth life with a condition therefore by the condition performed wee doe merit seeing that the reward dependeth vpon the promise which is apprehended by faith and so is not of merit And thus it appeares that the Major propositiō is not universall because a condition may be added to a promise although there be no proportion betweene the condition required and the reward promised as for example if the King should promise a mighty masse of money to him that would come unto him he that came and received the reward promised could not say he had deserved it because there was no proportion betwixt the worke and the wages So if life eternall were promised yea and given to those who doe what lyeth in their power as the Papists say yet they could nor say that they had deserved it ex condigno because there is no proportion betweene our imperfect and momentary workes and our eternall and glorious reward Againe a promise may be added to the condition of a worke which of right ought to be performed that is a King or Master may promise a Subject or Servant some reward if they will but doe what they ought to doe As for example A Master may promise to his bond-slave that if he will be but a good faithfull and profitable Servant unto him for a yeare or two hee will then set him at liberty Now though the Servant should doe what is desired yet he could not claim his freedome ex condigno because all servants ought to be good and faithfull unto their Masters And thus our Saviour saith of us Luke 17.10 Sixthly the Minor proposition is false Answ 6 namely that the faithful fulfill the works wherunto the promise of life eternall is made for there are none of the faithfull but sinne and therefore none fulfill the workes to which life eternall is promised Now when wages or a reward is promised to a workeman that is to him who shall exactly fulfill the condition which is added to the promise and yet it is given to him who doth ot fulfill the condition then he who receives it cannot say that he merited it but onely that it was given him of grace not of desert And such are all the faithfull wherefore our Saviour teacheth one and all to pray and that daily Forgive vs our trespasses and therefore they cannot ex condigno by their workes merit heaven Seventhly to the place objected wee answer two things namely I. That none of the places produced or Answ 7 alleadged prove the Minor proposition and therefore that being false the conclusion is nothing II. The places cited onely proove that there is a promise made to those who worke but not that the workes are condigne that is either not due by some other right or perfect that is such as are supposed in the condition And therefore they neither establish the Major proposition § 3. Keepe the Commandements Our Saviour sending this young man to the Sect. 3 Morall Law may occasion divers questions concerning the Law Quest 1 How doe the Law and Gospell truly differ Answ 1 First they differ herein namely I. The Doctrine of the Gospell is revealed from above and otherwayes is unknowne to the wise and prudent men of the world Matth. 11. I thanke thee oh Father that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes And Iohn 1. The Sonne of God shall teach you And Math. 13. To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of Heaven Thus the Gospell is not naturally knowne unto men II. The Law in some manner is knowne to reason for although it was proclaimed in Sinai and published by GOD yet before that it was knowne and written in the hearts of men in their first condition and remained though much obscured afterwards as St. Paul shewes Rom. 1. And that those who have no more then the light of nature have the Law in some sort writ in their hearts Answ 2 Secondly they differ thus Lex data the Law was given by Moses Veritas facta but grace and truth were made by Christ Iohn 1. Where an Emphasis is to be observed in these words Dare et Facere To give and to make For I. Moses gave the Law that is Moses in the Law did shew and demonstrate unto men as with his finger or in a glasse what righteousnesse the Lord requires of men as his due namely the perfect fulfilling of the Law prescribed or intire obedience which is absolute in all the parts and Articles of it But Moses cannot shew a doer of the Law nor can find one that payes the debt of absolute and perfect obedience amongst all corrupt mankind But II. The Gospell shewes and holds out unto us a Doer of the Law namely Christ who by doing the Law hath merited grace for us at the hands of his heavenly Father For for mankind or in the roome of mankind he performed the Law perfectly and absolutely as he saith himselfe I came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill it Math. 5. Answ 3 Thirdly the Law and the Gospell thus differ to wit I. The promises of the Law are conditionall and particular promising life onely to those who perfectly satisfie it according to the will of God according to this speech of Christs unto the young man If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements and Luke 10. Doe this and live And thus the promises of the Law are made onely to those who perfectly fulfill it But II. The Gospell hath free and universall promises namely that God for CHRISTS sake will freely forgive the sinnes of all those who beleeve Iohn 3.16 and 1. Behold the Lambe of God which takes away the sinnes of the World and of his fulnesse wee have all received grace for grace Iohn 1.16 Thus the Law hath promise of life vpon the condition of doing and fulfilling the Law but the Gospell hath a free promise of salvation vpon the condition of beleeving or laying hold vpon the promises by the hand of Faith Fourthly the Law and the Gospell are distinguished Answ 4 in the effect For I. The Law doth not bring nor shew grace unto men but it makes knowne unto them their sinnes and the wrath of God which they have incensed by their sinnes and that condemnation which they are guilty of for their sinnes and thus it workes in men terrours But II. The Gospell doth shew and
Saviour requires in these Cities and the want whereof he reproves in them can be no satisfactory nor sacramentall penance because it was before Baptisme which is truely called the initiall or first Sacrament of the Church Answ 2 Secondly as Gregory Martins position is false so is also his collection for although to their repentance were adjoyned humiliation the signes wherof are sackcloth and ashes yet these are not repentance but the adjuncts of repentance neither do they satisfie the justice of God for our sinnes saccus juvat ad panitentiam quia signum est humiliationis a Basil s Psal 29. Sackcloth and ashes helpe unto repentance because they are the signes of humiliation Object 2 Secondly he objects againe drawing his argument from the propriety of the Greeke word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Answ 1 I answer it signifies Resipiscentiam a change of the minde afterwards Resipiscere est mentem quasi ad insania recipere b Lactant. de vero cultu li. 6 24. to repent is to grow wise againe that is both in the reforming and amending of by-past sinnes and in the avoiding of future temptations and this is the true signification of the word but more of this in both the following arguments Object 3 His third argument is because the vulgar interpreter renders it thus agite panitentiam that is saith our Objecter doe penance Answ 1 I answer first it matters not much how hee renders it seeing Lindanus condemnes him as one not much skilled in the latine tongue c Fulk 13. Sect. 7. cont Greg Mart. yea as one that erres egregiously in many things as for example there was a woman who had lost a groat and in stead of everrit hee reads evertit that is in stead of sweeping her house she overturned her house If the studious Reader desire to see more examples of barbarous interpretations in the vulgar latine Bible I referre him to our worthy Whitakers d Whitak de sacra Script qu. 2 ca. 9 arg 8. fol. 107. Willets synops f. 30.31 Secondly the vulgar translation is none of Answ 2 Saint Hieromes worke but of some unknowne Authour as is largely proved by our renouned Whitaker de sacra script qu. 2. ca. 6. Willet synops f. 23. Answ 3 Thirdly whosoever was the author of this vulgar latine bible yet neither he by the action of repentance doth understand an eternall satisfactory sacrament as Gregory Martin doth as may appeare by these reasons first because he takes else where in another sense both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and poenitentia as Acts 5.31 God hath exalted our Saviour Ad dandam penitentiam Israeli to give repentance not penance to Israel Act. 11.18 When they heard these things they glorified God saying then hath God given Gentibus paenitentiam ad vitam unto the Gentiles repentance unto salvation So also 2. Timoth. 2.25 Secondly because the author of that vulgar translation takes the phrase agendi paenitentiam in another sense then doing of penance as 1 Kin. 8.33 If thy people Israel shall flie before their enemies et agentes paenitentiam confitentes and shall confesse their sinnes and repent not doe Penance then forgive c. So vers 35. If heaven shall bee shut that it raine not Et orantes isto loco paenitentiam egerint nomini tuo and they shall pray unto thee and repent then bee mercifull c. But most plainely vers 47. Et egerint paenitentiam in corde suo If they shall repent in their heart when they are in captivity c. This cannot bee meant of an externall satisfactory sacrament because the words expresse clearely an internall and cordiall repentance Thirdly because he makes these words paenitemini and agite paenitentiam synonyma as both signifying one and the same thing for sometimes this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is rendered by him agite paenitentiam as Matth. 3.2 and 11.21 and Act. 26.20 Sometimes paenitemini Mark 1.15 and Luk. 10.13 and Act 3.19 Fourthly hee attributes this phrase agendi paenitentiam to those whom Gregory Martin himselfe will confesse did no externall satisfactory penance as 1. this phrase is given to the Israelites for Benjamin Judg. 21.15 and all Israel was very sorry Et egit paenitentiam and repented them for the destruction of that Tribe they were sorry for what had hapned but they did not doe penance for it 2. This phrase is given to the damned spirits Wisdo 5.3 Tum egerint paenitentiam then they shall change their mindes not doe penance 3. This phrase is given to God himselfe First negatively 1 Sam. 15 29. Hee is not like man ut agat paenitentiam that he should repent Secondly affirmatively as Ierem. 18.8.10 if that nation which I have threatned doe repent agam ego penitentiam then will I also repent c. Now unto the Lord neither the Rhemists nor Gregory Martin I hope dare attribute externall penance His fourth Argument is because all the latine Object 4 Fathers read it thus agite paenitentiam doe penance I answer first Basil interprets it otherwise as Answ 1 aforesaid and hee was a Father although a Greeke Father so Lactantius expounds it otherwise as aforesaid also so Tertullian contra Marc in graco sâ—no vox panitentiae non a confessione sed a mentis mutatione this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 repentance according to his true and germane signification is so called from an internall mutation of the minde not from an externall confession of the tongue Secondly this word Poenitentia is expounded Answ 2 two maÌ„ner of waies 1. Grammaticè 2. Translatitie First this word Poenitentia repentance may be expounded Grammatically that two manner of waies first simply pro mentis in melius mutatione for the change of the minde from evill to good and thus it is most usually taken in Scripture as Acts 5.31 and 11.18 and 2 Tim. 2.25 and in this verse also and Matth. 4.17 and in all those places where repentance is preached absolutely Secondly complicatè for repentance testifyed by outward signes whether 1. by sorrow and mourning as the Corinthians did a 2 Cor. 7.10 or 2. by sackcloth ashes as the Ninivites did b Iona 3.5 they of Tyre and Sidon would have done had they had those meanes which Corazin Bethsaida had c Matth. 11.21 and this is the same repentance formerly spoken of to wit a true change of the minde expressed by some outward signes of humiliation but not as satisfactory penance Secondly this word poenitentia may bee expounded Translatitiè and that two manner of waies First orthodoxè truly for repentance testifyed by the signes of sorrow and shame publikely and solemnly being imposed by the Church and thus Augustine and many both Greeke and Latine Fathers take the word this is true but this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not found in this sense in all the Scriptures Secondly haereticè falsely for satisfaction imposed secretly in
thee to returne backe a part thereof unto God againe Answ 2 Secondly Si de malè partis If thy goods bee evill come by then satisfaction is to bee made to him that hath beene wronged not unto God or the Church or the poore for that were to offer unto them a part of a spoyle unjustly acquired But wee shall have more direct occasion else where to cleare this more fully and therefore I thus here superficially leave it Sect. 2 § 2. Goe thy way Object It may here bee objected This departure could not be warrantable being contrary to the expresse law Ezech. 46.10 where the Prince himselfe might not depart till all were ended The Prince shall goe in when they goe in and when they goe forth he shall goe forth Answ This rule might be understood of departure out of the outer court of the Temple whether the people brought their sacrifices soone after they had presented thē before they were begun to be offered for untill the Priests had begunne this service it was lawfull for the people to depart especially upon this occasion which our Saviour here instanceth in Sect. 3 § 3. And bee reconciled unto thy brother and then offer The meaning of this is compose your jarres linke your selves together in the chaine and bond of Christian charity and then offer your sacrifices unto the Lord. Quest 1 Why must we not offer sacrifices unto God untill we be reconciled unto men Answ 1 First because God accepteth nothing but that which issues from a pure heart but wrongs and injuries doe corrupt and defile the Soule and therefore nothing is gratefull unto God which comes from such men Answ 2 Secondly anger hinders our prayers that is makes us unfit to pray and the petitions which we powre forth are unpleasing unto God And therefore it is necessary that we should be reconciled unto our brethren before wee offer up the sacrifice of prayer unto God Thirdly God loves concord and unity amongst his he himselfe not being the authour of confusion but of peace yea commands us Answ 3 to love one another to forgive those who injure us to blesse those that curse us to pray for those who persecute us c. And therefore both the person offending and offended should seeke for peace and reconciliation Fourthly wee are all brethren yea all members Answ 4 of one and the same mysticall body Now no man ever hated his owne flesh Ephes 5.29 but nourisheth and cherisheth it yea though the hand should harme the eye or foote the body will not therefore hate the hand but pardon it and prize it as highly as ever it did before Saint Peter useth this argument to perswade us to this duty Finally be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as brethren bee pitifull bee courteous And therefore before wee can offer any acceptable sacrifice unto God wee must bee reconciled one unto another that is both the injurious person and the party injured He who hath beene unjustly injured and palpably Obiect 1 wronged by one who will not acknowledge his offence neither sue for pardon or reconcilement will here object that it is a very hard thing to forgive such an one but to seeke to him is so difficult that flesh and blood cannot endure it First flesh and blood shall never inherit the kingdome Answ 1 of heaven 1 Cor. 15.50 and therefore desperately miserable is that mans condition who can doe or suffer no more then flesh and blood can Secondly all good and holy duties are difficult Answ 2 and therefore if the difficulty of the worke discourage us wee must give over working the worke of God or walking in the waies of religion for no spirituall duty can be done aright with facility and case Thirdly the question is not what thy brother Answ 3 doth or what he is but what thou oughst to doe namely to be obedient to thy Lord and Soveraigne in whatsoever he requires of thee Now as hee commands thy brother to seeke peace and atonement at thy hands so he commands thee to forgive thy brother as often as he offends thee though it were 70. times 7. times that is 490. times in a day b Matth. 18.22 Fourthly suppose Christ should as hee doth Answ 4 indeed tell thee that it is a very hard thing to obtaine or to bee made partakers of him wouldest thou give him over for the difficulty of the worke if thou wouldest not as thou shouldest not then no more forbeare this Christian duty of pardoning and seeking for reconciliation at thy brothers hands Fifthly the worke indeed is not difficult because Answ 5 God will enable thee thereunto if thou from thy heart desire it and with thy heart endeavour it Sixtly it is an excellent signe of a mind truely Answ 6 humbled for the offended to seeke reconciliation and agreement from him that hath done the offence Mich. 6.8 Seventhly and lastly if thou wilt not pardon thy brother no more will the Lord pardon thee Answ 7 if thou wilt not seeke unto thy brother no more will thy Father seeke unto thee but leave thee unto thy selfe and thy proud perverse will Obiect 2 The party who is injured may against this yet object he hath done me wrong yea harme and therefore why should I either seeke to him or forgive him if he seeke not to me Answ 1 First hath he not formerly done thee more good then now hurt if he have then ballance the one against the other Answ 2 Secondly hast not thou wronged some other as much as he hath thee yea hast thou not formerly beene as injurious unto him as he is now unto thee if the former then think him to be an instrument of Gods anger unto thee for thy correction If the latter then there is no reason but thou shouldest forgive him as thou wouldest be forgiven by him Answ 3 Thirdly what evill hast thou done unto Christ how often hast thou transgressed his Lawes and thereby incensed his anger against thee how many talents dost thou owe unto him which thou art not able to pay And therfore if thou desirest to be forgiven and to be received into favour then doe so to thy brother Mat. 6.14 and 18.21 Obiect 3 But the unjustly injured person will yet object I did not deserve this wrong at his hands for I never did him hurt but good And therefore he neither deserves to bee pardoned nor sought unto Answ 1 First if thou hadst deserved those wrongs which are offered unto thee then thou deservest neither praise nor reward though thou shouldst pardon them For if a man doe evill and being punished for his evill take it patiently what reward shall he have Matthew 5.46 and 1 Peter 3.16 Answ 2 Secondly what hath Christ deserved at thy hands that so injuriously thou dost daily and hourely exasperate him he never deserved such dealing at thy hands thou never didst so much good unto thy brother as hee hath done for
no such thing as a Kingdome of God and therefore it is but a fopperie to grieve for the losse of a thing which is not And thus the God of this world blindeth their eyes making them beleeve that as it is with the beast so also with man there is no more of them after death no reward for righteousnesse and therefore let them take their pleasure while they may I now come to answer the question Answ although I will not prosecute it amply but prove it briefely First if there be a God then there is a Kingdome of God But the former is true Therefore also the latter I. From the confession of all nations it appeares that there is a God because all worship something II. This is cleare also from the terrour of conscience which wicked men have as wee might shew by the examples of Herod and Nero but that something hath beene said before Chap. 2. ver 3. both of Herod and this horrour of conscience III. That there is a God is evident from the nature of Sathan wee grant that there is a divell which is spirituall invisible and eternall a parte post and shall wee denie that there is a God IV. From the creation of the world for either I. the world was made and then by whom but by God Or II. It was not made but is eternall now what a shame is this to give eternity unto the earth and to denie it unto God Secondly If there bee a resurrection of all either unto death or life happinesse or misery then there is a Kingdome of God and place of happinesse But the Resurrection is proved from these scriptures Esay 25.8 Apoc. 21.4 and 2 Pet. 3.13 and 1 Cor. 15. where it is proved by many arguments Therefore there is a Kingdome of God Quest 4 Where is this Kingdome of God Answ In heaven as appeares thus First from Scripture Phil. 3.20 and 2 Cor. 5.1 and Col. 1.5 Secondly it is called Jerusalem which is above Gal. 4.26 and Col. 3.1.2 quae supra Thirdly Christ ascended up into heaven Luke 24.51 Acts 1.9 and Ephes 4.8 so also Elias Fourthly the elect which are upon the earth at the last day shall be caught up in the clouds and shall meete the Lord in the ayre f 1 Thes 4.17 Fifthly there is a promise made us of a new heaven Esay 65.17 and 66.22 and 2 Pet. 3.13 and Apoc. 21.1 And therefore it is evident that this Kingdome of God is in heaven Sect. 3 § 3. Thy will bee done in Earth as it is in Heaven Quest 1 What is observable in this Petition Answ Two things namely First the thing desired viz. That the will of God may bee perfected Secondly the measure to wit as sincerely in earth as in heaven Object Bellarmine produceth this place to prove the possibilitie of fulfilling the law of God arguing thus We pray according to Christs prescription Thy will be done as in heaven so also in earth wherin we desire grace and abilitie to fulfill the law of God and we either attaine unto this perfection in this life or wee pray this prayer daily in vaine Answ 1 First in this prayer wee are taught daily so long as wee live to pray for pardon of our daily sinnes as we every day say give us this day our daily bread so also every day forgive us our trespasses and all the ancient Fathers confesse that this petition is necessary for al the Saints so long as they live But to those who obey God on earth as he is obeyed in heaven there is no neede of remission or pardon Therefore there is none obey God so on earth for although this be here desired by the Saints yet it is never obtained in this life Answ 2 Secondly this petition is three severall waies interpreted by the Fathers all which oppose Bellarmines argument I. Thy will be done in heaven so also on earth that is as thy will is accomplished in the Angels so let it bee also in men In this sense it is manifest that the regenerate doe not obtaine what they daily beg for untill they obtaine to be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like unto the Angels II. Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven that is let thy will bee obeyed as in the righteous so also in the wicked here first Bellarmine would blush to say that all wicked men should fulfill the law of God although we thus pray or shall equall the righteous in obedience Secondly in this sense the fulfilling of the law is not included because all those doe not for the present fulfill the law who are called righteous but humbly confesse and acknowledge their sinnes striving hard to the marke III. Thy will be done in earth as in heaven that is let the flesh assent unto thy will as doth the spirit neither let the flesh lust against the Spirit but as a good Spirit doth not resist thy will so let not the body resist the spirit This sense doth wholy overthrow the Cardinals argument for this perfect subjection of the flesh unto the Spirit although we pray for it in this life yet wee doe not obtaine it untill the end of our life Thirdly that which the Jesuite saith that Answ 3 we pray in vaine that the will of God may be obeyed in earth as in heaven except we attaine unto this perfection in this terrene and corruptible body is most false and vaine For he prayes not in vaine who in the time appointed obtaines what hee prayes for Now by this prayer unto God wee daily procure a greater measure of grace from him and approach nearer unto the perfect fulfilling of the will of God and at the length obtaine perfect righteousnesse Bishop Davenant de justitia actuali Cap. 52. pag. 562 563. Why doe we pray Thy will be done will not Quest 2 the Lord accomplish all his owne will Hic non oramus ut faciat Deus quod vult nam faciet omnia quacunque voluerit sed ut nos possimus facere quod ipse vult Answ Cyprian s we doe not here pray that God would doe what he himselfe desires for he will doe all his pleasure but that we may be able to doe whatsoever hee requires of us § 4. Thy will be done The ordinarie question is here what will of Sect. 4 God is here meant Signi an Beneplaciti Que 2.1 Whence this question may be demanded Hath God two wills Is there composition opposition or mixture in God As God is one so his will is one Answer but by reason of the consideration or the divers parts of this will wee terme it diversely Thus the Schoole men say Voluntas Dei respectu Modi Secreta Revelata Respectu object Decreti Mandati Respectu natura Signi Beneplaciti That which belongs unto our institution is this The Will of God is taken some times for that which Hee hath decreed to doe He would have done by us And is called Voluntas
the taste that it makes the sicke man refuse all good meat and medicine yea this sinne doth not onely disinable a man from doing good but makes him decline from the right rule and disorder and deprave himselfe more and more for they sinne not only simply out of malice but out of malice and that de industria What are the remedies against this sin or rather Quest 7 the meanes to preserve us from it First let us watch against all sinne yea against Answ 1 all beginning of evill Ephes 4.27 Hebr. 3.11 As those who feare the plague fly farre from the house infected therewith Secondly let us highly prize the presence and Answ 2 grace and operation of the Spirit for if wee so doe then we shall not reject him neither be rejected by him but if wee contemne and despise him then he will give us over unto strange delusions 2 Thess 2.10 11. Thirdly let us learne to esteeme and value Answ 3 Christ above all things and then wee shall not sleight the Gospel but thinke it a joyfull and blessed message Fourthly if with Peter wee have fallen Answ 4 then let us with him labour speedily to recover our selves As the most deadly poyson becomes not mortall if it be suddenly evacuated or purged out or vomited up So the greatest sin becomes not damnable if by and by with teares and sighes wee repent us of it Fifthly while our spirits are something soft Answ 5 and mollified with the sight and sense of our sins and while the Spirit of God workes in our hearts by his good motions let us pray fervently unto our God to pardon our by-past sinnes to plucke us out of the dominion and power of sinne and Sathan and to preserve us from all sins for the time to come § 2. Neither in this world nor in the world to Sect. 2 come Who are confuted by these words Quest 1 The Sadduces Answ who denied the immortality of the foule and affirmed that there were neither Spirits nor Angels Orig. contra Cels Non agnoscunt se Seculum nisi praesens that is they acknowledged not a time to come when there shall be a Resurrection Although our Saviour saith here Neither in this life nor in the life to come whereby is intimated both the immortality of the soule and the Resurrection of the body Hence by the Iewes these Sadduces were called Menaim or Probrosi contentious or calumnious Gabia the sonne of Pesisa reasoneth against the Sadduces thus x Talm. phesikra Si quod non fuit id fuit Ergo quod fuit erit That is if that which was not was Therfore that which was shall be He meant if God created and made the world of nothing may he not make our bodies of something againe Object Bellarmine strongly presseth this place for the proofe of Purgatorie arguing thus Blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come Therefore some sins shall be forgiven in the next world by the prayers and suffrages of the Church But this remission is neither obtained in heaven nor in hell Ergo it is in Purgatory and therefore there is a Purgatory Bell. de purgat lib. 1. Cap. 1. loc 1. ex novo Testam Because this objection is abundantly answered by our men I may be the shorter in the answer of it I referre the Reader to Amesius Bell. enervat tom 2. pag. 197. 198. and Chemnitius exam part 3. pag. 135 136. Arg. 7. and Hill of the knowledge of the true God pag. 387. 388. Pareus s And because this place is urged by the Rhemists upon Matth. 12. § 6. I therefore referre the Reader to venerable Fulke and Cartwright upon the place onely entreating him to observe that this is no Categoricall Argument but only an Enthymeme in which the Antecedent is Christs and therefore most true but the Consequent will appeare to be most false Answ 1 First that which is fully paid and satisfied is not remitted But the Papists say that by Purgatory paines the debt is paid and Gods justice satisfied and therefore sinnes are not remitted in Purgatory It is one thing to pardon an offence and another to punish it and therefore if sinnes be punished in Purgatory as they say then how are they pardoned It is one thing fully to satisfie a debt another freely to remit it for how can he be said to remit a debt which makes the debter pay the utmost farthing as they say the soules in Purgatory doe Now this place speaking not of a paying but of pardoning not of recompensing but of remitting It shall shall neither be forgiven in this life nor in the life to come belongs not at all to their Purgatory where men satisfie Gods justice as they wickedly say to the full and wherein for the time men are extremely tormented the paines thereof being as some of them say equivalent to the paines of hell for the time And therefore by this their Argument instead of raising the fabricke of Purgatory they have razed the foundation as appeares thus The scope of their Objection is to prove that the sinnes of beleevers are remitted in the world to come now to remit and to punish are opposites as Chrysostome Hom. de poen confes saith Nemo remittit qui punire vult and therefore if the sinnes of the faithfull be remitted and pardoned in the world to come as they would prove from this place then undoubtedly they are not punished in the world to come And thus instead of confirming they have confuted instead of planting they have plucked up Purgatory by the roots for to deny that soules are punished in Purgatory is to deny Purgatory it selfe Secondly by this world is meant a mans life Answ 2 time in this world from the birth to the dying day and it is certain that in this time sins may be remitted the world to come is after this life is ended but a mans sins may be remitted at the hour of death And therefore by a Synechdoche it may be true that sins are also remitted in the other because the hour of death is the beginning of that other world The sense and meaning of this place therfore is That the sin against the holy Ghost is neither remitted in life nor death Now according to this exposition the place maketh nothing for Purgatory at all Thirdly or by the world to come may be Answ 3 meant as is generally understood the world succeeding this and so answereth to the world present as Mark 10.30 They shall at this present receive an hundred-fold and in the world to come life everlasting Wherefore Purgatory being imagined to be now present it cannot be taken to belong to the world to come And so also Ephes 1.21 and Heb. 6.5 the world to come is taken for the world which shal be after this is ended Willet Synops fol. 405. yea the Papists I think are not able to produce one place of Scripture
unto God and how great thy debt is yea remember if thy brother sin daily against thee so dost thou against God and if thou daily forgive him a few offences thy Father daily forgives thee many But my easinesse and readinesse to pardon him Object 2 will make him more obstinate and injurious against me and therfore why should I forgive him Do thou what is thy duty to do Answ and what the Lord requires of thee and commit the successe and event unto God yea remember that although many wickedly abuse the Lords long suffering and patience unto their own destruction yet the Lord ceaseth not to bestow many mercies upon them making his Sun to rise and his rain to fall even upon such But this pronenesse to pardon those who offend Object 3 me will make others despise and slight me and therfore for this cause it is not good to bee so easie and ready to remit Saint Paul hereunto answers that glory honour Object 4 and peace are prepared by God though not by men for all those who continue in well doing notwithstanding all the lets and hinderances of the world Rom. 2. Yea those who honour God shall be honoured in heaven by God though despised on earth by men But David cursed his enemies for their mischiefe done against him and prayed for their destruction and therefore why may not I Answ 1 First sometimes it is true that David prayed against the Counsels of his enemies and that God would infatuate them and frustrate them as that of Achitophel and thus may wee desire wish and pray for the peace and prosperity of the Church and children of God and that the Lord would infatuate all the plots of the wicked intended againâ—t them Or Answ 2 Secondly David prayed for some temporall calamity to be inflicted upon the bodies of his wicked enemies that therby their soules might be saved and thus wee may desire the Lord to shew his power and justice upon obstinate sinners that therby they may learn to fear and tremble before him and turn unto him and so by a corporall punishment be freed from an eternall Or Answ 3 Thirdly David prayed for the finall destruction of his enemies and that two manner of wayes namely either I. For the destruction of all his enemies in generall whosoever or wheresoever they were Or II. For the destruction of some more particularly whom by divine inspiration he knew to be the enemies of God and his Church Now these are not to be imitated by us wee having in the Gospel both a Precept and President to the contrary First wee are commanded to blesse those who curse us and to pray for those who persecute us Mat. 5. Secondly Christ did not revile when hee was reviled 1 Pet. 2. nor curse those who crucified him but contrarily prayed for them Object 5 Wee are but men and therefore it must not be expected that wee should doe as Christ did Answ The dutie here required hath been performed by men and not only by Christ yea if we bee regenerate men wee also in some measure may perform it Ioseph although he was a man yet hee forgave his brethren who had sold him to be a slave unto heathens David was a man and yet hee forgave Saul his enemy who pursued his life Stephen was but a man and yet he forgave and prayed God to forgive those who stoned him Object 6 But I am never able to forgive my neighbour as God forgives me and therfore it is but lost labour to endeavour it Answ Indeed it is true that wee cannot forgive as the Lord forgives in regard of the quantity but wee may according to the quality if we forgive them candidly cordially faithfully and ex animo for a spark is true fire and a drop is true water Quest 5 Whether can the remission of sinnes be made void or not that is whether doth the Lord remember impute and punish those sins which once hee had pardoned for it seems by this Parable that hee doth hee first pardoning the debt and freeing the servant from his bond verse 27. and afterwards for the debt casts him into perpetuall prison there to endure eternall torments First we must here observe That this is a Parable Answ 1 and that similitudes and parables are not so to be accommodated and applied unto those things for the declaration and manifestation wherof they were propounded that they ought to agree and square with the things themselvs in all things for then they should not be parables but the things themselvs And therfore we must alwayes look to the mind of him that propounds the parable and observe for what end he propounded it and what he would have or principally aims at in the propounding of it for otherwise many absurdities will often follow from Parables Wherfore seeing this is a Parable wee ought not too subtilly to apply or rather to wrest all the words of the Parable unto the thing wherof Christ speaks but onely to consider the mind and purpose of Christ in the propounding of the Parable Secondly Christ had taught his Apostles and Answ 2 in them all of us to pardon those injuries offences and debts which our brethren have committed against us and do owe unto us verse 21.22 And then presently addes this Parable for the confirming and declaring of his purpose Now our Saviours scope herein is to shew that it is necessary that they should forgive their brethren who desire to be forgiven by their Father In this Parable I. Our Saviour propounds the example of a King who forgave a great debt unto one oâ— his servants and hereby would teach us that wee have a Master and Lord in heaven who is gentle easie to be entreated and ready to forgive sin but so that when wee are not able to pay our debts or to satisfie for our sins we beg mercy at his hands and pray unto him for pitty and pardon The King here releaseth not his servant nor remitteth his debt untill he humbleth himself before him and confesseth his present inability to pay and prayeth for mercy Thus although the Lord be naturally slow to conceive a wrath and ready to forgive yet wee cannot hope to be forgiven except we confesse our sins and humble our selvs before our God and crave mercy at his hands because upon these conditions the Lord offers mercy unto us II. Christ in this Parable propounds unto us the example of a servant who would not pardon his fellow servant and lays down the words of the King his Master unto him shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pitty on thee verse 33. And hereby our Saviour would teach us that God requires of us that we should pardon our brethren who have injured us when they aske forgivenesse of us and remit the debts of those who are not able to pay III. In this Parable our Saviour declares the words and deeds of the King unto this