though they were of themselues And in another place We take not away the liberty of the will but we preach the grace of God And whom doe these Graces profit but him that willeth and him that humbly willeth Nothim that presumeth and boasteth of the forces of his will as though that alone auailed to the perfection of Iustice THE SIXTH BOOKE THE XXVI CONTROVERSY WHEREIN Is taught that the Faithfull by the help of Gods grace do some works so perfect intierly good as they truly please the diuine Maieysty against Doctour Whitaker Doctour Fulke and Doctour Abbot CHAP. I. Abbot â— 4. sect 4 4 f. 580. VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Camp VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraum Fulke in c. 7. ad Rom. THERE be three false principles or tottering grouÌ„ds amoÌ„g the articles of Protestants credulity wheron they build the impossibility of keeping Gods coÌ„mandments which I must first raze to the ground before I begin to establish the possibility if not facility we haue by Gods Grace to obserue them The first is that we can do nothing entierly and perfectly good which may eyther please God or fulfill his law The second is that all the actions and thoughts of the iust are stayned with sinne and euery sinne little or great wittingly or vnwittingly done is a breach of the law The third that not only our consent to euill motions which inuade our mindes Abbot in his defence c. 4. sect 10. fol. 559. but the very inuasions and prouocations themselues which vnvoluntarily assault vs are true preuarications and formall transgressions Hence our Ghospellers deduce that seeing euery action we performe is defiled with the blemish of sinne we are so far from obseruing that we violate the law in whatsoeuer we do 2. From such detestable and hellish premisses I do not wonder so damnable a conclusion is inferred for to commence with the first point Is it not iniurious to the vnspeakable goodnes of God for him to intreate to command Malac. 3. v. 4. Philip. 4. v. 18. 1. Petr. 2. v. 5. 1. Pet. 2. v. 4. August â—le decal conuen 10. Plagarum cum illo c. 7. 4 Reg. 20. v. 3. 4. Reg. 12. v. 2. Ibidem c. 15. v. â— 4. Reg. 22 v. 2. 4. Reg. 23. v. 32. 4. Reg. 14. v. 24. to affoard vs his helpe to performe good workes in this frayle and weake estate and yet not to be pleased with our working of theÌ„ Is it not repugnant to sacred Writ which commendeth some holy men as perfect grateful to God mentioneth some workes acceptable to him and yet to deny this approued verity The Prophet Malachy sayth The sacrifice of Iuda and Hierusalem shall please our Lord. S. Paul calleth almesdeedes bestowed on him in prison An odour of sweetnes an acceptable sacrifice pleasing God S. Peter exhorteth vs to offer spirituall hostes acceptable to God commendeth the incorruptibility of a quiet and modest spirit which is rich in the sight of God Rich not before men sayth S. Augustine but before God and where God seeth there rich Ezechias warned by our Lord to prepare himselfe to death began thus to implore his merey I beseech thee o Lord remember I pray thee how I haue walked before thee in truth and in a perfect hart and haue done that which is liked before thee And least you should iudge he might be mistaken heare what God himselfe auoucheth of some singular men Of King Ioas Ioas did right before our Lord all the dayes that Ioyada the Priest taught him Of Azarias And he did that which was liked before our Lord The same of Iosias He did that which was liked before our Lord and walked in all the wayes of Dauid his father he declined not to the right hand nor to the left The quite contrary the holy Ghost affirmeth of Ioachaz Of Ieroboam And he did that which was euill before our Lord. Of Achaz King of Iuda He did not that which was pleasing in the sight of the Lord 4. Reg. 16. v. 2. his God as Dauid his Father Which comparisons refell M. Abbots and his fellowes distinction of meere imputatiue righteousnes For as Achaz and Ieroboam did not only euill by imputation of wickednes but that which was in Fulke locâ— citat inc 13. ad Rom. sect 1. in c. 3. ep 1. IoaÌ„ sect 6. Abbot c. 4. sect 44. f. 579. sect 49. f. 602. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum pa. 702. Gen. 6. v. 9 Chrys hom 23. in Gen. Ambr. l. de Noê Arc. c. 4. Hier. trad haebr in Gen. Greg. l. 5. moral 36 in 3. Iob. Gen 7. v. 1. Gen. 17. v. 1. 1. Cor. 2â— v. 6. Matt. 19. v. 21. Item Matt. 5. v. 48. it selfe euil displeasing to God so Ioas Azarias and King Dauid performed not only that which was right and good by imputatioÌ„ but what was truly in itselfe through the benefit of grace right and acceptable in his sight 3. Yea sayth Fulke and the rest againe they did that which was good and right yet imperfectly rawly weakely For so long as we liue heere charity is neuer perfect in vs as it ought to be neyther can any perfect good worke be effected by vs. But it hath pleased the holy Ghost to meet with this euasion too in tearming some actions some men also perfect in this life Noë was a iust and perfect man in his generation where the hebrew word Tamim deriued from the verbe Tamam signifyeth the height and fullnes of perfection in so much as S. Chrysostome writeth of him That he was perfect in euery vertue which was requisite for him to haue S. Ambrose sayth He was praysed not by the nobility of his birth but by the merit of his iustice and perfection The same in effect hath S. Hierome and S. Gregory Likewise that this might not be glozed by the enemy of his perfection and iustice in the estimation of men God witnesseth of him in the next Chapter I haue seene thee iust in my sight in this generation Behold in his sight not in the sight of men alone Agayne to Abraham our Lord sayd Walke before me be perfect S. Paul We speake wisedome among the perfect Our sauiour If thou wilt be perfect sell the things that thou hast c. which things he might sell attaine to perfection if he would Likewise be you perfect as also your heauenly father is perfect Here he exhorteth vs not to weake raw but to such admirable perfection as in some measure or degree is likened resembled to the vnmachable perfection of God himselfe Moreouer of Patience in particular we read Let Patience haue a perfect worke that you may be perfect entire fayling in nothing Of faith He Abraham was not weakned in faith in the promise also of God he staggered not by distrust but was strengthned in faith most fully knowing Of Iac. â— v. 4. Rom. 4. v. 19. 20. 21. 1.
pride or any other then loue so it is impossible the staynes of those sinnefull actions should be intermixed in the act it selfe of loue Doth it proceed from some other fleshly motion or rebellious inclination But the The corrupt motions of the flesh infect not the work e of the spirit motions of the flesh do not a whit defile the operations of the spirit they are distinct and seuerall actions and these without consent do not partake of their infection What is the spot then of vncleanes what is the muddy water this christall riuer of loue hath drawen from our foule attainted nature Is it nothing els then the defect and want of greater perfection which might be in that act But thus the loue of many Saints and Angells in heauen should be stayned with impurity because none of the inferiour or lower orders arriue to the burning flames or loue of the highest Thus the sinnefull spots should not grow from any casuall and accidentall necessity but from the substance it selfe of the act and make the act of loue as it is substantially lesse perfect so substātially euill substantially naught both which M. Abbot notwithstanding stoutly gainesayeth 6. Besides these spots which destayne our good workes what be they sinnes you graunt but what sins veniall or mortall Veniall you vtterly reiect in so much VVhitak cont ◠q. 6. c. 3. fol. 582. 583. as M. Whitaker sayth that they who allow them do not only euert a true but endeauour to set vp a false fundamentall point Mortall then they are deadly crymes howsoeuer you seeke to extenuate them with diminitiue words they be transgressions of the precepts preuarications of the law of God or Nature for euery deadly sinne is a breach of the Law Then I pose you whether these transgressions be actions distinct from the good workes which they defile or not distinct Say they be distinct and you cannot say they be spots intermixed with our good actions you cannot say our pious workes are besprinkled with them seeing their morall bonity is good and commendable deuided both in nature obiect quality and action from the deformity of these transgressions Say they be not distinct but that the same worke which is good is spotted with deadly trespasses then all good workes be the neuer so excellent are deadly sinnes al formal breaches transgressions of the law From whence that manifestly followeth with which many heertofore haue rightly attached and endited your Synagogue That euery one is bouud to auoyd all good workes vnder payne of damnation Secondly Protestāts are bound to eschew all good works because they are damnable crimes by the force of their doctrine it followeth that M. Abbot hath wronged his Reader and abused Doctour Bishop in disgracing his Syllogisme concerning this matter as consisting of foure termes wheras it consisteth only of three For a worke to be a mortal sinne and stayned with mortal sinne is one the same terme How beit least he should cauill with me as he hath done with him I will frame my argument in the same mood and figure he himselfe requireth thus No mortal sinne is to be done vnder payne ofdānation But all good workes are mortall sinnes Therefore no good worke is to be done vnder paine of damnation M. Abbot denyeth the Minor proposition and answereth Though good workes haue some aspersion or touch of our Abbot c. 4. sect 46. corruption yet do not thereby become sinnes But I proue the contrary for either that aspersion is a deadly offence morally separable from the good action as with our infirmity in this life it is acheiued or altogeather inseparable if morally separable we may sometyme exercise good workes pure and vnspotted without that sinnefull aspersion if altogeather inseparable the action which is done stayned as you to soften the fault daintily speake with the touch of corruption defiled as I demonstrate with the contagion of deadly guilt must needes be a mortall and deadly crime For if the actions of stealing killing many others which may be done sometyme without default as by fooles or madmen are notwithstanding alwayes grieuous and horrible offences when to their positiue Entity or Physicall substance which is good and to which God himselfe concurreth any mortall deformity or deadly infection is adioyned by what forrain circumstance or casuall accident soeuer it be how much more those actions which can neuer be wrought without mortall foule and deadly default as all our good workes according to Protestants how much more are they mortall foule and deadly trespasses 7. In fine D. Whitaker D. Abbot and all my adsaryes Abbot in his defence c. 4. c. 2. Feild in his 3. booke of the Church c. 26. VVhitak l. 8. aduer Duraum acknowledge that our good works sprinkled with the spot of impurity haue not all things necessary vnder sinne to satisfy the law but by reason of our weaknes and infirmity swarue and decline from the fullnes thereof Secondly they acknowledge that all swaruings all declinings from the full prescript of the law are of their owne nature damnable and mortall crimes Therefore by their owne acknowledgment all our good workes are heynous and damnable sinnes But all men are obliged vnder forfeite of saluation to fly and detest all grieuous sinnes therefore all men are obliged by this hellish doctrine to fly and detest al good workes Yea euery one is bound to auoyd the very duties thēselues he is bound to do For we al bound to performe our duties in obseruing the lawes cōmandments of the Decalogue but euery duety we accomplish is weake raw defectiue euery defectiue and imperfect duty a deuiation Abbot c. 4 sect 46. fol. 588. falling away from the perfectiō of the law euery falling away euery deuiation a mortall sinne euery mortal sinne we are bound to auoyde therfore we are bound to auoyde euery duty which we are bound to performe M. Abbot agayne denyeth my consequence because the VVbitak Abbot vbi supra sinne is not implyed in the duety but ariseth by casuall and accidentall necessity from the condition of the man I perceaue the dint of this weapon pricketh you to the quicke it draweth bloud and forceth you to giue ground at euery blow First all our actions were sinnes if seuerely scanned then our good workes are not sinnefull but sinne is intermixed in them And Abbot in his defence c. 4. sect 43. 44. Fulke in c. 1. Luc. sect 7. in 14. Ioan. sect 1. VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum are they now neyther sinnes nor sinnefull nor is any sin implyed in our duty Well I am glad to see you recant so it be sincerely done and from your hart For if sinne be not infolded in this duety then the duety no doubt is conformable to the law it satisfyeth the tye and obligation thereof whereinsoeuer it bindeth vnder the penalty of any blamable default yea quoth he Fulke and Whitaker
with him it doth so inded yet imperfectly rawly in part only Answere directly for shame Is that raw imperfect duety such as it fulfilleth the law so far forth as it obligeth vnder sinne or no What say you Are you mute dare you not speake TheÌ„ iudgemeÌ„t passeth against you that eyther it fulfilleth not the obligation sinne is inuolued in the duety and that so deeply as the dutifull action is of it owne nature according to you a true deuiation breach of the Commandment or it satisfieth the whole baÌ„d of the law and so it is coÌ„taminated with no touch of sinne in respect of that obligatioÌ„ It is a pure good vndefiled action it is the full accomplishment of whatsoeuer the law in that kind exacted the only sentence we expect from your mouth Againe though sinne be not implyed in the duty yet the duety in their phantasticall iudgment is stayned with the sinne but euery action which is stayned with sinne is necessarily sinneful Basil serm 2 de Bapâ—â— 7. 8. Chrys or the author vpon the imperfect work of 8. Matthew S Thom. 1. 2. q. 18. art 4 ad â— q 19. art 7. ad 3. whence soeuer the sinne proceedeth as S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Thomas with all the Schoole-men conformably teach For as that which is endewed with whitenes must needs be white from what cause soeuer the whitenes coÌ„meth whether from the naturall propriety and conditioÌ„ of the thing as in a Swan or from the outward act and industry of man as in a white-limed wall So if the duety we performe be polluted with sinne our dutye is sinfull from whence soeuer the sinne ariseth whether from the inward hart or outward obiect casuall necessity or accidentall condition of man 8. I may weary my selfe in skirmishing so long with such feeble aduersaries and wounding them thus in so many places Therefore I retire inflicting for a farewell this last and deadly stroake in true Syllogisticall Dionys de diuin nom c. 4. par 4. Greg. Niss hom 2. in Cant. orat cated c. 5. Basil bom 9. â—oan Damas l. 2. de fiâ—e c. 4. Aug. l. 2. de lib arbr c. vlt. l. 12 de ciuit â— 1 3. 7. Fuig de fide ad Peter c. 21. Auselm o. per. de praese praed c. â— manner Euery action euery duety which is deficient and bereaued eyther of due conuersion to God conformity to reason or of such moral rectitude as by precept binding vnder mortall sinne ought to be in it is a mortall crime and true preuarication of the Law But euery action euery duty we acheiue is according to Protestants deficient and bereaued of that conuersion rectitude or conformity as by precept binding vnder mortall sinne ought to be in it Therefore euery action euery duty we accomplish is according to them a deadly cryme a true bâ—each and preuarication of the law The Maior proposition is the ruled definition of sinne agreed vpon by the best Deuines who either affi me it to be a priuation of good with S. Dionysius Areopagita S. Gregory Nissen S. Basil and S. Iohn Damascene oâ—an alienation an auersion from the law of God with S. Augustine Fulgen us or a want absence and defect of rectitude with S. Anselme or a desertion a straying from vertue with S. Basil againe Nicetus or lastly a deflection a deuiation from the square of Basil in coÌ„stit Mon. Nicet in orat 40. Nazian q. insanct Baptism â— Thom â— 2. q. 71. art 1. â— â— con Gent. c. 7. reason or supreme rule of all actions with S. Thomas and the whole troupe of his followers 9. The Minor that our duety is deficient bereaued of the good fayling of that rectitude or perfection of vertue which ought to be in it is auowed by our Aduersaryes when they contend that it is not answerable and correspondent to the whole taske or amercement the Law exacteth vnder the fine of sinne or forfeiture of disobedience therefore the forementioned conclusion rightly inferred from these two premises is vndeniable And wheras some thinke to get away with their loose reply that although the dutyes they performe be in themselues breaches of the law yet those breaches are pardoned Another obiection vnansweâ—ed not imputed to the elect these men by seeking to get out lap themselues faster in their owne inextricabe neâ—s for no sinne is to be attempted no breach of the law can be lawfully incurred that God may after pardon forgiue the fault that he may not impute the transgression of his law Murder is pardoned Adultery is not imputed in their conceit to the beleeuing Protestant may they therefore be committed because they shal be forgiuen O malicious presumption O presumptuous malice For beare then yee Sectaryes forbeare your duetyes to God your alleagiance to your Prince forbeare your raw and imperfect obseruations of al diuine and human laws or els reuoke your calumnyes abiure your heresies that all vertuous deeds are bespotted with the staynes of vice THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The same is warranted by the Fathers the obiections answered the vnuoluntary motions of Concupiscence discharged of sinne FOVRE notable thinges are deliuered by the Doctors of the Church to shew the falsity of the former calumniation First they auouch our good Hier. l. â— aduers Pelag Augu. de spir lit c. vlti Greg. l. 2. moral c. 8. works to be free from the spots of defilement S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Gregory and S. Bernard in the places heere quoted in the margent SecoÌ„dly they affirme them to iustfy vs before God by true increase and augmentation of inherent iustice to which purpose I haue alleadged many in the controuersy of iustification by workes Thirdly they inculcate that some heroicall Bern. l. de praecep dispens acts are so pure and acceptable to God as they purge clense vs from al dregs from all remaynes of former defaults yea they are so worthy and meritorious as they do not only purchase an increase of grace in this life but a great crowne of glory in the next as Clemens Alexandrinus Tertullian Origen and S. Cyprian affirme of the dignity of Martyrdom whose sentences are set downe in the question of merit Fourthly they teach that not only the workes of some holy men but that they also themselues Hier. l â—3 cont Pela August de pec mer. remis l. 2 c. 6. Ambr. de na gra c. 3. In eodem l. c. 67. Orig. l. 1. in Iob. Cent. 3. c. 4. col 78. Lact. l. 6. cap. 25. Cent. 4. c. 4. col 192. In eodem l. c 25. Theod. q 19. in Gen Cent. 5 c. 10. col 1008. Hier. l. 4. comm in Ezech. Cent. 4. â— 10. col 1249. may befor a tyme innocent and cleane from all impurity We teach that a man may if he will not sinne c. S. Hierome A man may if he will be without
in their power by Gods helpe to Basil Orat in illud Attende tibi Chrys ho. 8 de poenio Aug. tom 7. denat grat c. 6â— Hier. ep ad Damas de expos Symboli keep them Therefore to quit the soueraigne goodnes from this merciles cruelty the Fathers vniformely define That it is a wicked thing to teach the Precepts of the spirit cannot be obserued S. Basil Accuse not God he hath not commanded things impossible S. Chrysostome We stedfastly beleeue God to be iust good not able to command things impossible hence we are admonished what we ought to do in things easy what to aske in things hard and difficile S. Augustine S. Hierome accurseth their blasphemy who teach any impossible things to be imposed by God vnto man Which argument hath beene handled heertofore in the CoÌ„trouersy of Free will where the Aduersaryes cauils theretunto are reiected The like impiety it were in God to cooperate with vs in such speciall manner to affoard his heauenly grace his supernaturall ayde to the keeping of his Commandments if we transgresse and sinne in keeping of them For as our August de pec mer. remis l. 2. c. 5. great Doctour S. Augustine teacheth To commit sin we are not ayded of God but to do good things or wholly fullfill the precept of iustice we cannot vnles we be ayded by God Marke heere that by the ayde of God we may not in part but wholy fullfill the precept and that in fullfilling it we do not sinne because thereunto we could not be holpen by God To which my aduersaries cannot shape their worne-out and thrid-bare reply That our obseruation our loue of God Abb cap. 4. sect 44. for example is no sinne but a good deed by acceptation For as I haue often answered God cannot accept that for good which is in it selfe naught and sinnefull but it is good in the Abbot ibid. sol 579. originall of grace from whence it proceedeth Explane your selfe a little better whether you meane it is perfectly or imperfectly good Graunt perfectly and you go on our side yield only imperfectly and you stand at the stay you were before perhaps you imagine that it springeth perfect from the fountaine of grace and after receaueth a blemish from the weaknes of flesh You imagine amisse for the same indiuiduall morall act which once is enriched with the dowry of perfection caÌ„not be after impouerished with any basenes of vice Or is it partly good as it is wrought by grace and partly euill as it runneth through the conduct of depraued nature No such matter the thing contradicteth it selfe as hath beene often signifyed neither is nature the conduct or pipe but true cause of the act in which there is not any part good assignable to grace distinct from that which is ascribed to man but the entiere action perfect or lesse perfect is wholy assigned to mans freewill wholy thereunto ayded by grace as the characters which the scholler frameth by the Maisters guiding of his hand are not seuerally drawne fayrely by one and rudely by the other but the same fayre or deformed rude or well fashioned are wholy from both Which forceth M. Abbot from that incongruous shift We Abbot cap. 4. sect 44. fol. 579. by our corruption do disgrace that which proceedeth holy and pure from God In like manner he is ferretted out of his other berry-hole That the action is good in the will and endeauour of Abbot ibid. the person by whom it is done For the will is weake the endeauour mean the person cloathed with human corruption who if he may will and endeauour that which is good then some good may proceed from a fleshly man perfect and entiere free from all spot and blemish or els the will and intendment is no better then the worke and VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Camp VVhitah l. 8. aduers Duraum Abbot cap. 4. sect 44. fol. 578 this assignement of goodnes which you make to the will is a meere shew or treachery to cloake the badnes of your cause 2. Lastly you say although you place it not in order last that the duty we obserue is in substance good Well I am contented with this but see you recant not for heere I haue that the substance at least of louing God the substance of euery obseruation of the law which we achieue is perfect and entiere able to satisfy the will of God able to make vs acceptable vnto him Yes say they If he fauourably looke vpon it and impute not the fault but if he Abbot c. 4. sect 47. fol. 596. should strictly narrowly deale with vs he should haue iust cause of reiecting vs in the doing thereof Forbeare these ifs ands and come to the point Is the substance of the action done entierely good in it selfe or no abstracting from the fauour or dislike of God whose indulgence or seuerity VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. CampiaÌ„ being extrinsecall doth not make the substance of the worke better or worse It is not so good as it may endure the try all of the precise and perfect rule of righteousnes truth This is not the question but whether it may stand with satisfaction of his law It cannot stand with it in such full complete and absolute manner as that nothing at all may be added thereunto Neither is that the thing demanded who euer dealt with such slippery companions Must I still put you to the torture to draw out the truth My question is whether the substance of the act satisfyeth the obligation of the law Let vs heere what you say to this They answere as heertofore It is short of that which the law requireth it cannot be such VVhitak in his answere to the 8. reason of M. Câ—mplan and lib. 8. aduer DuraeuÌ„ Abbot cap. 4. fol. 60â— as it ought to be as long as the flesh lusteth against the spirit there can be no such entiere good in vs. Alwayes a man doth lesse then he ought to do I thought you would flinch from your word but I pursue you also flying The act then of louing God is substantially short of that the law requireth substantially lesse then it ought to be and not only lesse of that which ought to be by perswasion or counsaile but by precept binding to more vnder payne of morall sinne therefore the substance of this lesser act is not morally good but mortally defectuous substantially faulty a deadly sinne and true transgression of the law to which God cooperating must needs cooperate in particuler manner to the accomplishment of sinne Protestants are bound to surcease from louing praying or endeauouring to performe those mortall crimes and bound to performe them because God commandeth them as I further demonstrate by this dilemma Either God commandeth the complete perfect fullfilling of his law which Protestants teach no man in this
Creatour there is in it disobedience from the dominion of the mind as Feild presseth out of S. Augustine It is a transgression from the rule of reason a defection sayth Abobt from rightetousnes a swaruing from the law of God but whatsoeuer swarueth or declineth from the prescript of his law is sinne Therefore concupiscence is not only a languor wound or fayntnes but the true sin of Nature Our answere is ready It is a sinne either materially or formally formally if it be a free and voluntary transgression materially if it want deliberation or consent of will as in fooles children and mad men it doth But as in them the actuall lusts or desires of concupiscence are materiall disorders or swaruings from the will of the highest but not properly sinnes so neither in the regenerate if as S. Augustine often auoweth they yield not vnto them For which cause we deny that whatsoeuer declyneth from the law of God is sinne euery vniust law euery hereticall interpretation euery booke which Protestants set forth in defence of their errours is a declyning and swaruing from his law and albeit they damnably sinne in disgorging such poyson yet the books themselues are not properly sinnes but so far forth sin is committed as they are any way diuulged imbraced or allowed no more are the sinnefull motions of concupiscence vnles by voluntary consent they be yielded vnto especially such as are seated in the flesh which is not capable of sinne 8. Secondly they presse the authority of the Apostle and testimony of the Fathers as that S. Paul tearmeth Rom. 6. v. â— ad Rom. 7. v. 24. concupiscence sin the body of sinne the body of death S. Augustine iniquity vice a great euill Methodius death and destruction it selfe S. Ambrose the defilement of nature the seed root or seminary of sinne S. Cyprian a domesticall euill Origen sinne which is the cause of death I answere it is named sinne death destruction c. for many reasons which S. Augustine himselfe assigneth First for that it is the effect Aug la. de â—uptijs concup c. 23. of sin as our speach is called our tongue or hand writing our hand because our tongue or hand frameth it The second for which it is so intitled he noteth to be because it inclineth prouoketh and if it ouercome is the cause of sin death defilement c. So cold is sayd to be sluggish and heauy for that it maketh men heauy wyne merry by reason it stirreth vp to mirth And so concupiscence for as much as it continually suggesteth allureth often induceth to all kind of wickednes S. Cyprian besides the S. Cypr. de ratio circumcis S. Bernard de sex triâ—ul precedent names calleth it a raging beast of stincking breath S. Bernard A contagion a pestilent poyson a manifold pestilence the cherishment of all naughtinesse a furnace strongly burning with the affections of ambition auarice enuy willfullnes lewdnes and all vices 9. Thirdly it is tearmed a great euill because it is indeed an vntoward and euill propension a hindrance from good a want of due subiection in the inferiour powers therefore truly called a sicknes or euill quality though not a sinne for harken what the same S. Augustine writeth to Iulian the Pelagian Thou think est that if concupiscence Aug. l. 6. cont Iul. c. 5. prope finem Rom. 7. v. 15. 19. were euill the baptized should want it thou art much deceaued for he wanteth all euil In this sort S. Paul calleth it the euill which he hateth and the euill which I will not that I doe Fourthly it doth beare the name of sinne because it was the materiall part of sinne or that which the formall guilt of our capitall infection materially included after which maÌ„ner it may be improperly sayd to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iniquity the name for which Iohn Caluin and his Ghospellers so eagerly striue yet if you take the word iniquity in August tract 41. in Ioan. his proper signification it is wholy cancelled in S. Augustines iudgment saying because all iniquity is blotted out hath no infirmity remayned 10. Lastly it doth sometyme truly vndergo that name because in the irregenerate the auersion from God Aug. l. 5. contra Iul. c. 3. which is the forme and essence of Originall sinne is annexed vnto it This is the meaning of S. Augustine when in his fift booke against Iulian he first calleth it sinne then the cause also and punishment of sinne for so it is properly sinne not in it selfe alone but as it is combined with the aforesayd auersion to make one complete and vitious habite So there is in it disobedience against the dominioÌ„ of the mind because it is in them vnbridled and vntamed VVhitak l. 8. aduers Duraeum fol. 576. lust so it is that sinnefull concupiscence against which the good spirit according to S. Augustine doth striue and couet Howbeit by these words Whitaker taketh occasion to cauill that he speaketh of concupiscence in the regenerate because in them only is the good spirit which warreth against it But he is much deceaued for S. Augustine meaneth not by the good spirit the spirit of righteousnes but the naturall propension to good the right Synderesis or light of Gods countenance which he hath stamped in the hartes of the wicked this often fighteth and biddeth war to that concupiscence which is true sinne by reason of the formall guilt conioyned vnto it notwithstanding if that formall guilt be once forgiuen the materiall part that is concupiscence of it selfe inhabiting in vs against which we wrastle is no more sinne then a dead carcasse bereft of life is a true and proper man 11. One scruple yet may trouble my Reader why Vlpid tit de edilitio edict lege prima Tul. ep Papirio Paeto ep â— in fine S. Augustine should call this concupiscence vicious or a vice for heereon we may vndoubtedly argue that it is likewise sinnefull or a sinne I answere that the word Vitium vice if we sift the natiue signification and property thereof may be taken for any thing that is diseased or defectiue either in nature or art as Vlpianus in the ciuill law vseth the word and Pliny stileth the falling sicknes by the name of Vice Tully likewise giueth the name of vice to whatsoeuer is broken or out of reparation in the roote or walles of a house Thus S. Augustine taketh the word vice for that which is maymed and diseased and not for that which is sinnefull when he speaketh of the woundes of sinne abyding in the regenerate wherein I appeale to no other sentence then his owne which I heere insert as a seale and obligation of his beliefe concerning this matter Iam Aug. l. 2. contra Iul. prope init ne discernis iam ne perspicis c. Dost thou now discerne dost thou now perceane dost thou now behould the remission of all sins to be made in Baptisme and as
and restored Note that by Grace he and all Protestants vnderstand Iustifying Grace without which euery action euery thought that proceedeth from the vnfaythfull is as they misdeeme a damnable and deadly crime and so imputed 3. Touching the third estate of vprising or entrance into Grace all in like sort agree that man albeit he be excited and called vpon by God yet doth not worke or as much as consent to his conuersion vntill he be truly iustifyed by Faith in Christ which I shall disproue in the Chapter following 4. In the fourth and last estate they allow also to man with vniforme consent the Liberty as they call it of Grace which Caluin and others interpret to be A Liberty from Constraint only and not from Necessity and so depriue man in this case as well as in the former of his free Arbitrement Against whom I am now to proue two points of chiefe importance 5. First the Liberty of Mans Freewill since his fall not only to Ciuill actions but also by the speciall ayd and assistance of Gods Grace to the conquest of any new sinne and performance at least of some Morall good Secondly that this Liberty is from Necessity and not from Coaction onely Yet remember I take not Grace before mentioned for Iustifying Grace as ProtestaÌ„ts doe not for habituall Grace or Inherent Iustice dwelling in our soules but for Actuall Grace that is for any heauenly Motion illustration or other extraordinary succoursent from aboue for our Sauiour Christs sake by help whereof he that is prostitute to some kind of â—ices may well subdue and ouermaster other He that transgresseth the Saboath may dutifully honour and reuerence his Parents he that walloweth in fleshly lust may of compassion relieue the necessity of his Neighbour and He that sitteth in the Chaire of Pestilence may rise and walke the way of Gods Commandements if he diligently Psalm 1. giue eare and correspondently worke according to his Diuine Inspirations All which our Sectaries obstinatly impiously blasphemously deny Not knowing the Scripturs Matth. 22. 2. Petr. 3. v. 16. or willfully deprauing them to their owne perdition 6. For to comprise the proofes of the former two points both togeather is there any thing in Scripture more seriously recorded or promulgated more solemnely then Deut. 30 â— vers 19. that which Moyses denounced to the Iewes saying I call this day Heauen and Earth to witnesse that I haue set before you Life and Death Benediction and Malediction therfore choose Life c. He speaketh of the Morall obseruation or breach of the Law biddeth them choose Life by obseruing not Death by transgressing Wheron it followeth most euidently that they were not Thrall to transgression or in the Bondage of Sinne but might if they would haue imbraced life and were not by necessity determined either to life or death For which cause the wise and ancient Philo notably Philo in libro quod deus fit immutabilis Iosu 24. concludeth Man hath Free-will c. To which purpose is extant the Oracle of God in Deuteronomie I haue placed before thee life and death good and euill choose life In like manner Iosue proposing the worshiping of God or Idols to the people said Choose this day that which pleaseth you whom you Dan. 23. 22. ought especially to serue 7. Susanna in danger of incurring either the offence of God or disgrace of the world after she had reasoned Amos 5. v. â—4 with herselfe on both sides what she might doe made choise not to sinne in the sight of God The Prophet Amos exhorteth the Iewes Seeke the good and not the euill that yee may liue Almighty God propounding three seuerall 2. Reg. 24. v. 12 13. 3. Reg. 3. v. 5. chastisments to Dauid biddeth him take his choice which he would haue To King Salomon likewise he saied Aske what thou wilt who demanded the Morall vertue of Wisedome and not riches or the death of his enemies as they Arist l. 3. Eth. c. 4. 5. Orig. l. 3. de Prin. c. 1. Nissen l. 7. de phi c. 1. Nazian in Apolog. Ambros l. 2. c. 3. very Text declareth he might haue done 8. Therefore both he and the rest had perfect freedome some to Ciuill some to Morall actions some from the Captiuity of sinne and all enioyed the freedome of Choice the freedome of Election in which the true liberty not only from Constraint but also from Necessity consisteth as both Aristotle the Philosopher and Origen Saint Gregory Nissen Saint Gregory Nazianzen Saint Ambrose those great Deuines affirme which no man of sense or iudgment can deny For when it is in our free power to take this or that one thing or another as in all the Eccles 15. v. 17. former examples it was we are not restrained or necessarily inclined by ineuitable influence to yield to either 9. Moreouer in Ecclesiasticus the wiseman saith God Vhitaker in his answer to the first reasoÌ„ of M. Campian hath set before thee water and fire to which thou wilt stretch forth thy hand Before man is life and death good and euill that which pleaseth him shall be giuen vnto him Which words because M. Whitaker could not otherwise auoid he discardeth the worke and reiecteth the Author in this lewd arrogate manner That place of Ecclesiasticus I nothing esteeme neither 1. Cor. 7. v. 37. will I beleeue the liberty of Freewill although he affirme it a thousand times But if others affirme it against whom he can take no exception will he giue credit to them If S. Paul Act. 5. 4. if S. Peter if Christ if God himselfe affirme it will he giue credit to them S. Paul He that hath determined in his heart Aug. ser 10. de Diuers being setled not hauing necessity but hauing power of his owne will and hath iudged this in his heart to keepe his Virgin doth well S. Peter speaking to Ananias about the price of his Mat. 12. v. 33. Land Remayning did it not remain to thee And being sold was it not in thy power Whereupon S. Augustine teacheth that before we vow it is in our power to vow or not to vow but after we haue vowed we ought to performe the same Aug l. 2 de Act. cum Feliâ—e Manich c. 4. Gen. c. 4. ver 7. vnder paine not of corporall death but of euerlasting fire Christ saith Either make the Tree good and his fruit good or make the Tree euill and his fruit euill Which place the forenamed S. Augustine vrgeth against Felix the Manichee and proueth it to be In the Free will of man either to choose good things and become a good Tree or euill become a bad Tree And God himselfe in his owne person fore warning Cain If thou Amb. l. 2 l de Cain c. 7. Bernâ—ser 5. de quadrages Ruper l 4. Comment in Gen. c. 3. See their English Bible printed Anno 1594. the Annotat. in cap.
life can euer atcheiue so his vnspeakable mercy degenerateth into tyranny exacting a tribute which we cannot pay condemning vs for a fault which we cannot possibly eschew or he commandeth vs to discharge our dutyes according to our weake and limping manner and then our vttermost endeauours satisfy his law although they be lame and imperfect If not If our best endeauours transgresse his will if they be wanting of the duty we ought to performe and he command that defectuous duty thus he himselfe commandeth a transgression commandeth a sinne and man by doing Gods will is bound to sinne From which M. Abbot cannot Abboâ— cap. 4. sect 46. fol. â—88 excuse him by saying It is the duty only he is bound to and not to the sinne For if the duety be vnauoydably linked with the sinful transgression whosoeuer commandeth the duty commandeth the transgression and whosoeuer is obliged to accomplish the one is necessarily obliged to incurre the other Neither is this fallacia accidentis or any sophisticall cauillation as he would bleare the eyes of the simple producing to that effect these two examples against Doctour Abbot ibi Bishop A lame man is bound by law to come to the Church he cannot come to the Church but he must halt therefore he is bound by law to halt M. Bishop is bound to pay a man twenty poundes but he cannot tell the money without soyling his fingers therefore he is bound to soyle his fingers So he writing at randome for iâ— there were no other pace amongst men nor other meanes to repaire to Church but only by halting all those who were bound by law to go to the Church should be bouÌ„d by law to halt to the Church and whosoeuer was willed to go should in this case be willed to halt if I say there were no other gate at all then halting now in the opinion of Protestants there is no meanes of fulfilling the law of God heer vpon earth but defectuous lame and sinneful therfore whosoeuer is tyed to that sinnefull fufilling 〈◊〉 also tyed and obliged to sin and whosoeuer commandeth it commandeth sinne 3. His second example is more extrauagant for no Caluin in Antido Conc. Trisess â— c. 12 precept of the Decalogue can be obserued The least saith Caluin is a burden more heauy then Aetna No action of keeping can be done without breach yet some money may be counted without soyling of fingers I verily thinke many poore Artizans many studeÌ„ts also may receaue their rents without much soyling howbeit the ample reuenues of great Lordships may stayne theÌ„ somewhat more yet these staynes defilements arise not immediatly from the action of counting or locall motion of the fingers but from the money defilant coyne which is soyled cleanse that and your fingers will be cleane But dare you say in like manner that the impurity of our dueties the spots of our actions are drawn from the things prescribed and commanded by God from his spotted laws defiled constitutions I cannnot iudge you guilty of so wicked a saying 4. Secondly eyther English Protestants hold with Caluin that all and euery commandment is impossible to be kept or some particuler only Not euer one for I Caluin loc citato consulte the consciences of your own Sectaries whether some of your Iudges haue not beene free from murder bearing false witnes against their neighbours whether some of your graue Matrons haue not beene faythfull to their husbands not defiled neyther in thought nor deed with the cryme of adultery whether some Protestants children haue not beene obedient to their parents some Protestants subiects loyall to their Prince I for my part what soeuer the Caluinists libell to the contrary vnfeignedly iudge that diuers among them haue fully obserued at least for a tyme some of these precepts then euery commandment is not impossible for some space to be kept The precept of not coueting may be kept But some perchance be Which are they The two hardest in your opinion are thou shalt not couet and thou shalt loue God withall thy hart c. Of the former it hath beene already proued that it forbiddeth not the vnuoluntary motions but the free consent which we may refrayne as some Protestants no doubt at some tyme or other checke and subdue their desires of adultery of reuenge of coueting their neighbours goods their liues c. For it is an infamy too reproachfull that all their women should be adultresses all their men aged children reuengers of their wrongs spillers of bloud purloyners of the goods of others eyther ProtestaÌ„ts themselues obserue some of the commandmeÌ„ts in hart or deed as often as any such euill motion ariseth or tentation is suggested vnto them Agayne to affirme the first motions which inuade vs against our will to be breaches of the precept daunteth the courage of Christs valiant souldiers it frustrateth the intent of Gods commaundement For why doth he command vs not to couet but that we may fulfill his will in not coueting Why do we fight against the motions of Concupiscence but that we may not transgresse his law yeilding to them Which suppose it be will we nill we by their assaultes transgressed we striue in vaine to keep of the receaued foyles or preuent the woundes already inflicted This precept then we may keep as often as we bridle our in ordinate suggestions and suppresse the inticements which prouoke vs to euill The CoÌ„maundment of louing God may be also obserued 5. The other also whereby we are commanded to loue God withal our hartes with al our forces c. may be fulfilled if we vnderstand it aright of the appretiatiue loue of true frendship therein exacted not of intensiue or affectionate loue as the Deuines speake that is we ought to esteeme and prize God for his owne infinite goodnes before all thinges in the world abandon al earthly riches profits and emolumentes when occasion is offered rather then him we ought to make him the only scope and finall end of all our desires yet we are not charged to loue him with all the degrees of intention which may be for that can neuer be shewed nor to loue him with such perfection as to imbrace voluntary pouerty or perpetuall chastity for his sake these are only counsayled not commaunded by the force of that precept neyther are we tied so to settle our hartes vpon him as not to affect any other thing conducible to our estate or profitable for the maintenance of our liues but only not to affect any thinge contrary and repugnant to his seruice which wee may easily do by the help of his grace and wholy thereby discharge our bond in fullfilling that sweet and comfortable Psal 118. v. to v 58. v. 145. v. 68 law as king Dauid discharged it when he testified of himselfe With my whole hart haue I sought after thee I besought thy face with all my hart I haue cried in
senteÌ„ce is or ought to be guided therfore not the Iudge himselfe that pronounceth sentence For in all Courts Common-wealths or publique Tribunals besides the written Law or outward euidence by which verdict is giuen some speaking-Iudge or other Magistrate is requisite who as the liuely rule or square of Iustice to vse Aristotles words ought to expound and deliuer the true meaning of the law so much more in the Church of God which is a Kingdom a Citty a Campe well ordred Arist l. 5. Etb. l. 4. Polit. Plat. l. de repub de lege Read Philo Iud. l. de legat ad CaiuÌ„ prope finem the like must needs be graunted especially seeing Plato writeth That good Gouernours are more to be regarded accounted of then good lawes because a good law without a good Iudge which may execute it is a dead law but a good Iudge without a written law is both to himselfe and others a liuely law The reason heereof is manifest because it belongeth to the Iudge who may decide and end debates 1. To heare vnderstand and compare togeather the arguments of the parties in strife 2. By explayning the true sense and meaning of the law to deliuer a definitiue sentence agreable therunto 3. To compell and inforce the contentious to accept and obey his censure But this neyther Scripture nor any written law can performe Therefore some other intelligent authenticall publike Arbiter is likewise necessary 5. M. Whitaker our Protestant-writer and Hunnius a Lutheran Doctor both agree That the holy Ghost as speaking VVhitak cont 1. q. 5. cap. 8. Hunnius in act Col. Ratis sâ—sâ— 9. in Scripture or the voice of God as vttered therin is this publike and soueraygne Iudge Very vainely very idly The voyce of God as speaking in Scripture is no way distinguished from the Scripture no more then the commaundement of the King promulgated in his law is any way different from the law Therfore as besides the King speaking in his law eyther himselfe speaking in a more liuely manner or some other Iudge is requisite to satisfy the doubts which arise of the law so besids the holy Ghost speaking precisely by Scripture eyther himselfe speaking in a more distinct and publicke fashion or some other infallible Iudge is necessary to end the controuersies which arise Hunnius ibidem Reyn. c. 2. diuis 2. p. 63. 64. out of Scripture Hunnius addeth That the Scripture it selfe or the voyce of God deliuered by learned Ministers and expounders of the word By them sayth Reynoldes who haue in vnder Christ committed vnto them is at least a sufficient and competent Iudge As vainely as idly as before 6. For who are they to whom Christ hath giuen this commissioÌ„ of Iudgmet They are as M Reynolds subnecteth Reyn. loâ—o citato of two sorts The one priuate the other publike Priuate all the faythfull and Spirituall Publike the assemblies of Pastours and Elders Of these I reason thus Eyther he alloweth both or one of these sortes supreme soueraigne infallible authority to decide debates and expound the word without further appeale and so admitteth another Iudge besids Scripture or he assigneth them not the Soueraignty of Iudgment as himselfe and all other Protestants define but the ministery of interpreting the written will and sentence of the Iudge And so maketh the Church a maymed wauoring imperfect Common-wealth without any iudiciall visible and publike Tribunall without any profitable meanes of setling peace in tyme of discord For seeing these Ministers neyther in priuate nor publike are as they confesse so assisted alwayes by the holy Ghost but that they may being men subiect to errour sometymes propound their owne dreames insteed of Gods vndoubted truthes who shall determine whether the voyce of Christ or sentence of our Iudge be truly deliuered by them or no a Rein. c. 2. diuis â— pag. 64. The written will or letter of Scripture It cannot speake or declare her Iudgment b VVhitaker cont 5. q. 5. c. 9. 13. The diligent Reader and conferrer of places He may both read conferre amisse c Hunn in act Col. Ratis ses 9 The pious Magistrate and executioner of Iustice May not he both execute and commaund an errour d Sutclif in his answere to the sixth c. of his Suruey A Generall Councell proceding according to Gods word And who shall iudge when it proceedeth according to his word The parties who contend and stand in debate Then they must be plaintiffs and Iudges both And whilest ech of them swayeth on his owne side what end of strife What decision of truth Such as Lawyers such as Attournyes make in behalf of their clients who would neuer end their Plea vnlesse some vmpire were appointed to arbitrate the cause Now to go forward 7. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought to be infallible because it must breed a certaine and infallible assurance as M. Whitaker agreeth with vs in doubts of VVhitak cont 1 q. 5. cap. 8. â— 3. c. 11. fayth but albeit the Scriptures be so in themselues yet in respect of vs they are fallible they may be erroneously printed corruptly translated falsly suborned not well expounded not rightly vnderstood And although the voice and doctrine of the Church may be somety me fallible in respect of vs as one obiected against this argument An obiectioÌ„ made against the Church solued because a particular pastour may deliuer vnto the people his own phantasies for the Churches decrees he may perswade them and they may giue credit vnto him that his priuat assertions are the generall and Catholike doctrines that they were taught by the auncient church and that many miracles haue bin wrought in confirmatioÌ„ of them yet here is a notable disparity between this and that fallibility for this proceedeth not from the repaire to our iudge either true or so taken but from a falsifier and wrong relatour of the iudges sentence that immediatly commeth from appealing to their true reputed iudge This happeneth to the ignorant only or Catecumens who begin to belieue to others the Catholike tenent in necessary poynts is so generally known as they cannot be deluded That to the learned also and most expect in matters of religion for such they are who often misconster wrongfully expound the holy scriptures This may easily be discouered and auoided by conference with other pastours by perusing the Churches decrees or hearing the oracle of her voice which can manifestly explaine herself and disproue those forged relations That can hardly be espied more hardly be auoyded because priuat interpreters by conferring reasoning and disputing the case without submission to the Church are often tymes more confirmed strengthned in their erroneous expositions neither can the Scripture open her own meaning and condemne their false constructions Our danger therfore of being deceaned is litle or nothing to be feared their 's very pernicious and irremediable 8. The Iudge of Controuersies
washed but not purifyed exorcised and breathed on but not infranchised from the power of the Diuell Say also that bloud is shed for them in remission of sinnes but they are cleansed with the remission of no sinne these be strang thinges which you teach new thinges which you teach false thinges which you teach we wonder at the strang beware of the new reproue the false If he thus canuased them for denying the VVhitaker l. 8. aduersus Duraeum and in his answere to 8. reason of M. Campain f. 22â— in English In his marginall â—ots added out of his defence purgation of infants soules who acknowledged in them nothing to be purged how would he haue ratled you who acknowledg them defiled yet not purifyed from their ordure You say I confesse their persons are accepted through the mercy of God their faults are not imputed they are outwardly couered with the veile of grace but within within lurketh the venome which infecteth the whole man within in themselues in the secret bowells of their soule they are as deeply tainted poysoned and corrupted as when they were first borne the children of wrath the sonnes of darknes and of vtter perdition 18. O Diuellish facriledge O hatefull barbarisme which Whitaker himselfe would seeme to abhorre for being charged therewith first by M. Campian after by Duraeus he answereth That channell of sinne doth remaine not within them that haue attayned true righteousnes as you slaunder vs to teach but by the power of the Holy Ghost it is dayly purged out You see he would fayne wash his handes and plead not guilty of this hideous blasphemy but examine him vpon the former interrogatoryes and you shall find him as innocent as Pilate was from the bloud of Christ Aske him or any of his followers what is purged by renouation from the soules of the righteous Is the whole staine of Originall infection cleansed forth and do the scarres the infirmityes only abide We desire no more you recant your heresy and ioyne handes with vs. Or is any part of the contagion although it be essentially a priuation and consist not of parts scoured out by infusion of grace Not so for this liquor is so pretious as it cannot endure the spot of mortall crime the bed of our soules is too narrow to lodge any part of the one with the presence of the other And the Holy Ghost too full of purity might and goodnes to create a worke so imperfect a monster so deformed as I haue partly already and shall more fully demonstrate in the next Controuersy which followeth This is more largly proued in the next coÌ„trouersy of inherent iustice Notwithstanding let vs graunt that some part is purged out heerof it must needs ensue that that which by parts is taken away may at length be wholy destroyed for euery finite thing by subtraction of finite parts must of necessity be exhausted in the end Therefore if we be often renewed by the power of the Holy Ghost we may in this life at least in long processe of tyme and dayly increase of vertue be perfectly cleansed from all spotes of sinne Which Whitaker neuerthelesse and all his complices VVhitak vbi supra Feild Abbots loc citais account impossible obstinatly persisting that as long as we dwell in this world sinne must needs dwell in vs and such of it owne nature is mortall and damnable for veniall they deny What glosse then what exposition can they make of the wordes before cyted But that the chaÌ„nell of sinne is sayd to be purged out because it is resisted kept in and restrained from breaking forth into workes of iniquity wrought with full consent for iniquity still worketh as themselues confesse not much vnlike the wickednes of him who by sleep is hindred from voluntary mischiefe or rather like a hidden impostume or poysoned canker which cannot be cured but is stopped by Physicke from further infection And this is the abhomination of which we condemne them an abhomination not fit to be proposed to Christian eares or further refuted if necessity did not presse vs with pens of Christians THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH Concupiscence is more particularly proued to be no sinne Other obiections to the contrary answered against Doctour Whitaker Doctour Feild and Maister Abbots MERVAILE not Courteous Reader that after so large a discourse and full confutatioÌ„ premised I shold notwithstanding Originall sinne in habiting as ProtestaÌ„ts hold in the regenerat is the only ground of many other their impious paradoxâ— more exactly refell this dangerous paradox of our home-bâ—ed fin irremediably lurking in the bowells of nature The reason is because I find it the generall head-spring or poysoned source from whence sundry puddles of other venemous errours are drawn For from hence our Protestants sucke that deadly baâ—â— that all the actions of man euen his deuoutest prayers best workes and desires are stayned with the aspersion of mortall crime because they passe through the stincâ—ing channell of human corruption Hence they deny the merit of our good deedes wrought by grace because there is no goodâ—es in vs pleasing to God from which they should proceed hence their impossibility of fullfilling Gods Commandments for that euery action of the iust is of it owne nature a transgression of his law hence no inherent but a vaine imputatiue righteousnes for ech one in all his facultyes pestered with this capitall vice no inward iustice no inherent grace but a meere outward imputation belongeth vnto him hence their iustification by fayth alone and apprehension of Christs promises applyed vnto them and not through the dignity of their workes enhaunced by Christ hence no difference betweene the workes of the misbeleiuing Infidel Bell in his down-fall p. 49. Abbot in his defence c. cap. â— p. 176. faithfull Christian but that they both damnably offend in whatsoeuer they do only the misdeedes of the faythfull are not imputed vnto them the faults of the Infidels are hence no freedome of will to performe any morall good no liberty in man to cooperate with God when he first moueth awaketh and calleth him out of the state of sin hence I say from this Cancker of concupiscence as from the sincke of mischiefe in our Sectaryes conceit creepeth the infection of all the fornamed heresyes which pernicious conceit that they may more plausibly maintayne they distinguish following the doctrine of our Deuines concupiscence into two sorts actuall habituall habituall is the habit the inward corrupt quality or powers of the inferiour portion to exorbitant motioÌ„s actuall in the immediat act the vntoward motion or affection it selfe both which they account not only to vndergo the name but to partake the essence and nature of sinne in so much as they hold the vnuoluntary motions of concupiscence although they preuent the vse of reasoÌ„ although they be resisted and suppressed yet to be truely sinnefull in themselues and transgressions of the law Thus they 2.
no man is punished by any either spirituall or temporall Lawes for his euill habit or bad inclination to rob kill blaspheme c. for his actuall robbing or killing he is 4. Many morally good as Socrates the Philosopher and truly vertuous also may be prone to wickednes and deserue the more prayse by ouercomming of it but no actuall wickednes can purchase any prayse or continuing with vs minister occasion of greater victory Therefore Naughty habits or inclinations are not punished by any law but only euill acts if the act of concupiscence may be acquitted from fault à fortiori the habit which doth only facilitate and inclyne to the act Moreouer habituall concupiscence groweth from the roote of Nature it is as M. Abbot testifyeth the remainder of Originall corruption But I haue already demonstrated that the whole culpable infection of Nature is cleane extinguished by regeneration therefore the pronesse to euill which remayneth is not properly sinne For man by Baptisme is iustifyed from sinne buryed with Christ Abbot in his defence cap. 2. into death of sinne He is borne againe in him of water and the Holy Ghost He doth cast off the old man and put on the new He hath the stampe of Adam the body of sinne destroyed and the character of Christ the spirit of God imprinted in his hart He Ad Rom. 6. v. 4. Ioan. 3. v. 5. Ad colos 3. v. 9. Ad Ephes 4. v. 22. 24. ad 1. Cor. 1â— v. 49. hath his earthly image defaced and a heauenly restored conformable to that of S. Paul As we haue borne the image of the earthly let vs beare also the image of the heauenly But what is the old man What is the stampe image or likenes of Adam but the vgly shape and deformity of sinne that then is wholy defaced and blotted out quite by our incorporation with Christ 5. On the contrary side many thinges are obiected by Whitaker and M. Abbot against this doctrine they vrge that some leauings of sinne sticke to the regenerate because VVhitak l. 8. aduer Duraeum Abbot c. 2. p. 172 233. 234. 235 c. Augu. dâ— pec merit remis lib. 2. 2. Cor. 7. v. 1. Psal 50. after Baptisme they are still counsayled to purify their soules more and more to wrastle with the remnants of the flesh to mortify their members which are vpon the earth to renew the inward man from day to day wherupon S. Augustine argueth He that is renewed from day to day is not yet all renewed and in how much he is not renewed in so much he dwelleth in oldnes still And in another place Who is there in this life so cleane as that he is not more and more to be cleansed and made cleane For this cause S. Paul exhorteth the faythfull Let vs cleanse our selues from all filthines of the flesh King Dauid after his sin was pardoned prayed notwithstanding Create in me a cleane hart renew in me a right spirit wash me and I shal be whiter then the snow Which prayerthe regenerate make all the dayes of their life therfore they are neuer throughly purged heere vpon earth So they 6. I answere the iust are exhorted to cleanse and sweep their soules in manner aforesayd First from the dust of veniall sinnes which dayly soyleth and cleaueth vnto them euen after they be by Baptisme engrafted into Christ Secondly they are counsailed to rid themselues also as much as they can from the vntoward motions crooked inclinations of concupiscence checking and restraining them so with the curbe of mortification as they seldome or neuer hinder or disturbe the race of vertue This is not to take out the staynes of sinne but to cure the woundes repaire the fayntnes heale the infirmityes which sinne hath left behind is it to refresh the weaknes Leo ser 1. 2. de ieiunio decimi mensis of nature whilest that which decayed sayth S. Leo in our first Adam is restored in our second Which is not done I grant by the sauer of regeneration but by the continuall victory and conquest of our selues by rooting out the weedes of all immoderate desires as S. Augustine most notably Augu. l. 14. de Trinit c. 17. discourseth expounding both himselfe and all the former Texts of our Aduersaryes This renouation is not made in one and the same moment of conuersion as that renouation is made in one moment by remission of all sinnes in Baptisme For not one sinne how little or how great soeuer abideth which is not remitted But as it is one thing to want feuers another to recouer of the infirmity which is caused by feuers and as it is one thing to draw the festered weapon out of the body another with second curing to heale the wound inflicted thereby So the first remedy is to remoue the cause of Linguor which is made by the full pardon of all sinnes â— Basil in cap. 1. Isa the second is to cure the feeblenes it selfe which is done by little and little going forward in the renouation of this image of God c. Of which thing the Apostle most plainely spake saying Although our maÌ„â—hich is without be corrupt yet that which is within is renewed from day to day To which purpose S. Basil writeth The washing of Baptisme sufficeth not to bring a man to the whitenesse of snow but there needeth also great labour and diligence c. and as to make a perfect and abiding colour often dipping and much paine is required euen so in the soule corrupted with the â—ilth of sinne Which Methodius related by Epiphanius and Abbot loc citat pag. 137. 138. Epiphanius S. Hilary with the rest of the Fathers and Schoolemen obiected against vs by M. Abbot Feild and Whitaker only meane when they affirme the carryon of sinne to remayne not to be quite taken away but holden in and quieted by Baptisme when they vsurpe this saying regnum amittit in terris perit in caelo Sinne looseth his kingdome on earth it perisheth and is destroyed in heaueÌ„ Thus I say they somtymes speake in regard of the remaynder of sundry defects woundes and infirmityes as S. Augustine calleth them in regard of the euill habits customs and rebellious passions which comming from sinne carry 1. Cor. 15. v. 53. the name thereof and are not wholy extirpated by grace neither can they all be vntill this corruptible body doe on incorruption and this mortall be clad with immortality 7. Our Aduersaryes againe oppose that the maladyes of Nature the obliquity of the will and prauity Abbot ibidem pag. 9. 3. of concupiscence we mention is not only languishing defectiue but truly and properly sinnefull not in name alone but also in deed which they labour to proue two Feild in his â— booke c. 26. Aug. l. 5. contra Iul. seuerall wayes by reason and by authority First by reason because concupiscence is a declining from perfect subiection to our
wit Christ is truly iust before God by Iustice worthy of heauen therefore he that doth iustice is also iust before God by the like iustice or els the similitude S. Iohn maketh is wholy defeated 1. Againe S. Iohn in both places compareth him that worketh iustice and increaseth therein to the peruerse wicked sinner who still continueth heaping sinne vpon sinne but he that walloweth in the filthines of sinne waxeth more filthy not only before men but also before God by hoording vp wrath and extremity of torments against the day of wrath and indignation Therefore he that goeth forward in the course of Iustice augmenteth the same not outwardly in the eyes of men but inwardly in the sight of the highest by increasing heere his treasure of mercy and reward of glory heereafter which S. Paul punctually confirmeth As you haue exhibited your members Rom. 6 â— 19. to serue vncleanes and iniquity vnto iniquity so now exhibite your members to serue iustice vnto sanctification Lo heer sanctification is all one with iustice or it is as Hugo sayth the Hugo in illum locuÌ„ stay or confirmation of Iustice. Besides they that proceed externall workes of iustice increase the summe thereof and become more gratious vnto God euen as when they were subiect to sinne by continual often sinning they Theophil in â—um loc Tertul. de resur carn c. 47. Orig. l. 6. in e. 6. ad Rom. Chrys ho. 12. in c. 6. ad Rom. Ambr. in hunc loc Cùm hic salus illic damnatio operetur augmented their wickednes waxed more odious and detestable in his presence For those words to serue iniquity vnto iniquity are vttered after the Hebrew Phrase which signify as Theophilact noteth as it were an addition of sinne to sinne the like addition is after required of Iustice to Iustice as Tertullian Origen S. Chrysostome and S. Ambrose expresly interprete the Apostle of such addition and increase of Iustice by which we obtaine saluation saying He hath commanded vs with the same measure or degree of diligence to serue God with which we serued the Diuell whereas we ought more obsequiously obey God then the Diuell because heere saluation there damnation worketh Heerupon the law of God his very Commandements are tearmed our Iustifications Would God my wayes might be directed to keep thy iustifications My soule hath coueted to desire thy iustifications I was exercised in thy iustifications It is good for me that thou hast humbled me that I Psal 118. v. 5. Vers 120. Vers 48. vers 71. may learne thy iustifications And why is this But because the obseruation and keeping of his law doth make vs truly and perfectly iust because it doth quicken reuiue and giue life to our soules which cannot be without perfect Iustice gratious allowable before the throne of grace whereof the Psalmist in the same place is also witnesse Ibidem v. 93. I will not forget thy iustifications for euer because in them thou hast quickened me And Ezechiel When the impious shall turne away himself from his impiety and do iudgment and iustice he shall Ezech. c. 18. v. 27. viuificate or make his soule to liue 2. Likewise S. Paul auoucheth He that ministreth seed to the sower will giue bread also to eate and will multiply your seed will augment the increase of the fruits of your iustice 2. Cor. 9. v. 10. Theophil in buncloc Anselm in bunc loc Where the Apostle resembleth almesdeeds to seed which sowed in the hands of poore and needy persons yieldeth increase of grace sayth Theophilact in this life and glory in the next or they are compared to seed which he that once soweth twice reapeth according to S. Anselme The fruit thereof abundance of temporall goods in this world of heauenly in the world to come Which supposeth it to be the increase of true iustice and of such whereunto the glory of heauen is due as the very Text it selfe declareth both in this and in the former two places Heere the wordes immediatly before are He distributed he gaue to the poore his iustice remayneth Ibid. v. 9. Rom. 6. v. 21. Apoc. 22. v. 12. for euer In the sixth Chapter to the Romans after the forementioned exhortation it is added You haue your fruit to sanctification but the end life euerlasting In the two twentith of the Apocalips the wordes ensuing are Behould I come quickely and my reward is with me to render to euery man according to his workes Therefore by conference of places and connexion of the Text it euidently appeareth that the Apostle spake of the going forward in true Iustice before God for no other remaineth for euer to no other euerlasting life and reward of glory belongeth For this cause S. Paul prayeth for the Collossians that they may walk Coloss 1. v. 10. worthy of God in all thinges pleasing fructifying in all good workes Euery word strengthneth our cause that we fructify in good workes and in workes pleasing God worthy of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God as the Greeke Text more plainly openeth Salomon Feare not to be iustifyed euen to death because the reward of God abydeth for euer Where although M. Abbot out of Caluin contendeth that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betokneth ne differas do thou not procrastinate or delay yet it also signifyeth ne cesses surcease not leaue not off And S. Augustine Eccles 28. v. 23. Abbot c. 4. sect 36. fol. 541. Ang. in speculo ex vtroq Testament ex Ecclesias 1. Pet. 2. v. 2. readeth ne verearis feare not according to our approued vulgar translation S. Peter As infants euen now borne reasonable milke without guile desire you that in it you may grow vnto saluation the * Lâ—â—haije â— Aug. ser 16. de verb. Apost Syriacke hath that in it you may grow to life Both translations import that by going forvvard in vertue vve dayly grovv and increase our saluation our life of grace vpon earth our right and title to the life of glory in heauen vvherupon S. Augustine sayth We are iustifyed but that iustice it selfe increaseth when we profit and go forward Thus he 3. But because the cauilling Protestant will hardly be satisfyed with this expound O Augustine expound yet more playnly what iustice it is in which we increase He telleth you That we proced and increase in that iustification in which we obteyned remission of sinnes by the Aug. ibid. lauer of regneration in that by which we receaued the Holy Ghost in that wherof we haue some part by Fayth some beginning by fayth in that we profit from day to day that is augmented partly by Hope but most of all by Charity as by the most supereminent way demonstrated vnto vs by the Apostle by which our fayth is circumcised and discerned from the fayth of the Diuells And in his second booke against Iulian Iustification in this life according to
l. de Euchar opinion of the Church concerning imputatiue Iustice. The like accusation of the most ancient Fathers made by Bullinger D. Whitguift Humfrey Whitaker and others you may see heereafter recyted in the Treatise of merit and in the first part of this worke in the Controuersy of Satisfaction which more then aboundantly conuinceth the consent Feild in append 1. p. fol. 19. of the Primitiue Church for of the later there is no doubt to be wholy with vs in this substantiall point of Fayth and that our Reformers bandy against it and the long continued current of truth in all tymes and Countryes euer since Howbeit M. Field to win credit with the simple audaciously craketh We no way oppose our selues against the vniuersall resolution and practise of the whole Church which to do Augustine pronounceth insolent madnes Let this then M. Field be your taske or let some of your * Thus S. Ambrose derideth ProtestaÌ„ts before they were hatched l. 10. ep â—p 82. new Maisters take the payns to discouer some other publick or hidden Congregration of theirs some other pastours besids the fornamed who taught your doctrine and reproued our errours in S. Cyprian S. Hierome S. Austine the rest as the true sheepheards watchmeÌ„ ouer the house of God haue alwayes done Were they reckoned such small defects as might be cloaked dissembled And not essentiall not fundameÌ„tall points of fayth which shake the whole ground of Religion Were they whispered in corners by some vnknowne or obscure companions not printed in books preached in pulpits diuulged to the whole world by sundry troups of learned men in such vast Regious kingdomes and not one of your â—olifidian professours to open their mouth against them Shall we expect after so long tyme your wresting of their words to some fauourable exposition of your deuising The Centurists your own Collegues partners in beliefe wanted neither will wit diligence or cunning to haue performed it had they not found their sayings vnanswerable their words vndefeatable the mayne drift scope of their discourses wholy vncapable of other construction Shall we thinke they also fauoured the opinion of Protestants and so breathed out of the same mouth truth falshood fire water heate Pomeran vbi supra cold as Pomerane blasphemeth or which is all one that they contradicted themselues as the Centurists sticke not in plaine tearmes to auerre of Clemens Alexandrinus that famous Cent. 2. c. 4. Colum. 6â— Cent. 5. c. â— Colum. 1008. Writer and Maister to Origen and of Theodoret Bishop of Cyrus It were too notorious a stumbling and headlong course not heard of before that so huge an army of deuout and learned pillers of the Church should all vniformely precipitate and contradict themselues in this sole point In a chiefe point of Fayth and that not once or twice but ech of them diuers and sundry tymes and none to haue the grace to see so great an ouersight or seeing it to amend it to recant it to seeke to reconcile it with other of their sayings no zealous man in the whole world for so many ages who durst note or twite them of it vntill drunken Lutherans enraged with the fury of an Apostata Frier began to espy that horrible Antichristian and often repeated contradiction It is incredible it cannot be imagined or of it could certes they were no Protestants who maintayned beleeued an article of Fayth quite opposite to the life of Protestancy or worse then Infidells who sought to perswade and inculcate to others that which they beleeued not or knew to be falfe Fye vpon such impious Chams as cannot vphold their follyes without disgracing their predecessours who cannot enter the kingdome of heauen without they condemne these Saints into the pit of hell nor become Christians themselues without making them impious Luth. tom 5. in Gal. c. 4. f. 382. hypocrits damnable Idolaters for no better doth Luther account such as dissent from him and his mates in the iustice of only Fayth Let vs heare his words 13. Whosoeuer falleth from the article of Iustification he becommeth ignorant of God and is an Idolater therefore it is all Luth. ibid. fol. 400. one whether he be a Monke a Turke a Iew or Anabaptist for this article once taken away there remayneth nothing but meere errour hipocrisy impiety idolatry although in shew there appeare excellent truth worship of God holynes c. And some VVhitak l. 8. aduers Dureum and in his answere to 〈◊〉 Câ—mpiaÌ„â— râ—ason Abbot in his defence caâ— 4. Fulke vpon sundry of these places against the new Testam few lines after If that face and forme of old papistry stood now if that discipline were obserued now with so much seruerity and rigour as the Hereâ—its as Hierome Augustine Gregory Bernard Francis Dominicke and many others obserued it little perhaps should I profit by my doctrine of Fayth against that state of papistry yet neuertheles after the example of Paul inueighing against the false Apostles in appearance most holy good men I ought to fight against such Iustice workers-of the Papistical kingdome Thus he confessing S. Hierome S. Augustine S. Gregory S. Bernard c. to haue beene iustice-workers of our kingdome and to haue beene bondmen of the law of sinne and the Diuell cast out of the house of God as he wretchedly auoweth in the same place of which some of his followers being since ashamed haue clipped and pared off much of this his discourse in the later editions But it is high time to view the forces wherein the Aduersary confideth 14. The huge host of obiections which the mutinous enemy disorderly leuieth against vs the Tenent of their Ancestours in â—his and the former two Controuersyes I for more perspicuity and orders sake sunder and part into diuers wings or squadrons In the first I rank those texts of Scripture which attribute vnto Fayth the corporall benefite of health or saluation by which the Matth. â— v. 22. Luc. 18. v. 42. Luc. 8. v. 50. Luc. 17. v. 19. Matth. â— v. 2. spirituall was betokned because our Sauiour seldome cured any in body whome he cured not also in soule As when to the woman troubled with an issue of bloud he sayd Haue a good hart daughter thy Fayth hath made thee safe To the blind man Do thou see thy fayth hath made thee whole To the Prince of the Synagogue Feare not beleeue only and she shal be safe To the cured leaper Aryse go thy wayes because thy fayth hath made thee safe Likewise Iesus seeing their fayth sayd to the sicke of the palsey Haue a good hart Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee These and the like which our aduersaryes produce rather witnes against them then speake in their behalfe for not one of them mentioneth their speciall assurance and particuler fayth relying on the mercy of God remitting their sinnes of which the fornamed Calu. l.
Lord without blame Scan I pray these foure things First that they walked not in any one only but in all the commandments Secondly that they were iustifications which made them iust Thirdly before God Fourhly without blame viz. without any vicious defect or culpable imperfection which might eyther stayne the splendour of their iustice or hinder their ful complete obseruation of the law which God required at their hands 4. Lastly the keeping of the commandments is the sole marke and true cognizance of a beleeuing Christian Ioan. 14. v. 15. v. 21. â— Ioan. 2. v. 3. 4. If you loue me keepe my commandments He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loueth me And In this we know that we haue knowne him if we obserue his commandments He that sayth he knoweth him and keepeth not his commandments is a lyar and the truth is not in him Wherefore if Protestants cannot obserue the Commandments they are not Abbot c. 4. sect 43. fol. 566. 568. VVbitak l. 8 aduers Duraeum Fulke in c. 1. Luc. sect 7. Ioan. 14. sect 1. Perkins in the 4. cha of bis reform Cath. louers nor knowers of God or if they challenge his loue and boast of his knowledge not fullfilling his law they are lyars blasphemers and the truth is not in them Their Ministers stinged with this sharpe censure begin to startle and perswade their fauourits that they keep the law correspondently to the proportion of their loue and knowledge that is haltingly weakly imperfectly as their loue is halting their knowledge imperfect Are these the new Apostles diuine lightned Reformers who sit in the sun-shine of their Ghospell and rise to illuminate the world with their radiant beames And do they confesse their beames of truth to be dimmed with clouds their flames of loue frozen with cold with such misty clouds with such nipping frost as violate the precept of knowing the commandment of louing God For as their raw and imperfect obseruations which hath been demonstrated before in the precedent Controuersy are of their owne nature true breaches of the law so their lame knowledge their imperfect loue is a transgression of the precept of loue a preuarication of the commandment of beliefe which is the supernaturall knowledge of God whereof S. Iohn speaketh But if they violate the precept of fayth as often as they beleeue with what conscience can they exercise an act of beliefe who are charged neuer to infringe the will of God With what hart can they iudge that precept imposed when neyther in this life nor in the next for then fayth ceaseth and vanisheth away it can be euer accomplished With what tongue can they bragge of true beliefe for this is commaÌ„ded wheras theirs transgresseth the commandment of God With that false stringed tongue with that hollow hart with that seared conscience with which they presume to auerre that the Father of heauen doth esteeme and account their breaches obseruations their violations accomplishments of what Isa 5. v. â—0 he commandeth forcing him to vnder go for the loue of their persons that heauy curse he threatneth to others Wo be vnto you that call euill good and good euill esteeming darknes light and light darknes accounting bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter 5. Yet on the other side if abhorring these blasphemyes they dare pronounce their knowledge or beliefe such as it fulfilleth the precept of fayth as far as it ought thence we argue that they may likewise obserue the precept Rom. 13. v. 10. of charity as far forth as they ought and by consequence wholy obserue and fulfill the law For Charity is the fulnes of the law the summe or knot of perfection on which the Concil Arausic c. vlti Hilar. in Psal 118 whole law and Prophets depend Hence it is defined in the secoÌ„d Arausican Councell That all the Christned hauing receaued grace by Baptisme Christ ayding and cooperating may and ought if they will diligently labour to fullfill all things which belong to saluation S. Hilary saity It is not hard if the will be prompt to obey the precept of our Lord. S. Hierome No man doubteth of this but that God hath commanded things possible S. Augustine Neyther Hier. l. 3. cont Pela Aug. ser 61. 191. de tempo Aug. lib. de natur gratia cap. 43. Cent. 2. 4. col 58. Author respon ad quaest 130. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 61. Ibidem col 61. Obedientiam legalem reâ—atis omnino possi bilem esse magno errore iudicauit Cent. 3. c. 4. col 78. Orig. hom â— super Exod. Videtur asseuerare quòd baptizati per omnia possint legem implere Cypr. ser de Baps. Christ. God who is iust can command things impossible nor condenme man who is pious for that which he could not auoyd And agayne Thinges impossible God commandeth not but by coÌ„manding warneth thee both to doe what thou art able and to aske what thou art not able and he helpeth thee that thou mayest be able Yet because Protestants will strayne their wits to bow these sayings to some crooked sense I will stand to the iudgement of such as their owne fellow Protestans furnish me withall and whome they iudge to hold with vs without exception 6. For the Century-writers affime that the authour of Replyes extant among the workes or Iustin with full mouth breaketh into these words What is all the iustice of the law to loue God more then himselfe and his neighbour as himselfe which truely is not impossible to men that are willing Of Clemens Alexandrinus mayster to Origen they auouch He with great errour iudged the legall obedience to be altogeather possible to the regenerate Then passing to the three hundred years of Christ thus they deliuer their generall verdict of the Fathers of that age They held concerning the law very exhorbitant opinions as Tertullian in his booke against the Iewes disputeth that the Saints in the old testament as Noë Abraham Melchisedech others were iust by the iustice of the natural law Hence with the like error I vse the Centurists phrase Origen heer and there inculcateth many things of the possibility of the law as in his eyght homily vpon Exodus where expounding the Decalogue he seemeth to asseuere that the baptized may according to all things fulfil the law The same sayth the Authour of homilyes vpon the Canticle The diuine word is not mis-shapen or without order neyther doth it command things impossible And Cyprian because sayth he we know that which is to be done and can do that which we know thou conimandest me o Lord that I loue thee this both I can and ought to do Hitherto the Centurists producing witnesses against themselues THE SECOND CHAPTER IN WHICH The possibility of keeping the Law is maintayned by other reasons and obiections answered FIRST it were no lesse then tyranny to punish men euerlastingly for not keeping the Commandments if it be not
my whole hart I in al my hart will search thy commmandments Howbeit he busied also Iudith â— 17. 2. Reg. 5. v. 1â— himselfe in the affayres of the common wealth and was often distracted with temporall cares And the priestes and people prayed God with al their hart although they were sometyme interrupted with other cogitations All Israell is sayd 4. Reg. 23. v. 25. to follow Absalom with al their hart albeyt they managed some other affayres no doubt and affected some other thing besides him Of Iosias God himselfe witnesseth There was no king before him like to him that returned to our Lord in all his hart and in all his soule and in all his power according to the law of Moyses neyther after him did there arise the like to him 6. In fine Protestantes obserue the precept of Faith by which they are likewise commaunded to beleeue withall their hart Yf thou beleeue with all thy hart thou maiest Act. 8. v. 3â— notwithstanding they giue humane credit to many other authentical histories or probable reportes without hinderance thereof so they may accomplish the commandment of louing God with all the powers of their soule when this loue ouerswayeth the loue of all other thinges when they make him the principall obiect of their hart and summe of their desires when they neyther imbrace nor execute any thing oppofite or disagreable with his frendiship which diuers haue and euery one may by the prerogatiue of Grace atteyne vnto Thirdly S. Paul professeth I can all thinges in him that strengthneth me therfore he could by the strenght of grace fulfil the commaundments or els you derogate both from the authority of the Apostle who affirmeth it and from the power of grace by vertue whereof he many accomplish whatsoeuer Moreouer Philip. 4. v. 13. God maketh this promise vnto vs I will put my spirit in the middest of you and I will make that you walke in my preceptes and keepe my iudgements and doe them Christ testifieth the performance I haue manifested thy name to the men whome thou Ezech. 36. v. 27. gauest me c. and they haue kept thy word Yet notwithstanding the possibility S. Paul speaketh of notwithstanding the promise of God the Father notwithstanding the accomplishment the Sonne mentioneth do they breath vpon Ioh. 17. v. 6 the earth and vaunt of Christianity who depose against them that neuer any fulfilled the law That it is not possible for man to accomplish it 7. Thus much for the mayntenance of our doctrine Now to the obiections of aduersaries First they vrge out S. Paul Cursed be euery one that abideth not in all things that be Gal. 3. v. 10. written in the booke of the law to do them But no man can obserue euery iote of the law without some litle or veniall default therefore he is obnoxious to that damnable curse Iac. 2. v. 10. For whosoeuer shall keep the whole law and offendeth but in one is made guiltie of all Truly they haue framed an excellent Argument to proue themselues accursed who freely confesse they cannot keep any one precept of the law much lesse the whole But we to whome the coÌ„mandments by Gods Hier. Ep. ad Pâ—efiph 1. Iob. 3. v. 6. 9. grace are possible according to S. Hierome we who by the seed of God dwelling in vs do not sinne but arriue to the full accomplishment of the law and of all thinges written and conteyned therein we I say are free from that malediction for veniall sinnes do not in that sense breake or violate the law neyther doth S. Paul pronounce that curse of them as appeareth by the playne text of Deuteronomy whence he reciteth those words but of mortal and deadly crimes of Idolatry incest murder c. which are indeed grieuous breaches traÌ„nsgressions of the Law Therfore Deuâ— 17â— v. 26. he that obserueth the rest and coÌ„mitteth any one of those is liable to the curse of the law he is made guilty as S. Iames witnesseth of the whole not that he who stealeth should be guilty of adultery or he who is an adulterer is therein a murderer or that he who traÌ„sgresseth one coÌ„maundement shal be as seuerely punished tormented in hell as if he had brokeÌ„ al but the sense is that he who offeÌ„deth in one eyther incurreth the wrath and indignation of God the vniuersal authour enacter of them al or caÌ„ haue no more Aug. ep 26 hope of obtayning saluatioÌ„ then if he were guilty of al or that he sinneth as S. Augustine interpreteth against the general great coÌ„mandment of loue Charity the summe the band the plenitude and perfection of them all for the breaking of the band is the dissoluing of the whole 8. I answere agayne that S. Pauls argument here alleadged inferreth the possibility of keeping the law for which we dispute he reasoneth to this effect Whosoeuer wil be iustified by the workes of the law must fullfill the whole taske of the law But without faith in Christ no man can by the force of nature vndergo or do the whole taske of the Law Therfore without faith through the strength of nature no man can be iustified by the workes of the law Hence he inferreth Christ hath deliuereth vs froÌ„ the eurse of the law he doth not meane as Protestants falsify him that he hath discharged vs from the obseruation of the law as from a thing vnpossible but that he inspireth fayth and affordeth grace from the Storehouse of of his merites whereby we may keepe the law and so eschewthe malediction or curse of transgression which the delinquentes incurre 9. Secondly it is opposed Now therefore why tempt you God to put a yoake vpon the neckes of the disciples which neyther our Fathers nor we haue beene able to beare I answere that S. Act. 15. v. 10. Peter there calleth not the obseruation of the decalogue but the ceremoniall law of the Iewes a yoake insupportable because it was very hard and difficult as S. Thomas S. Thom. in 2. dist 28. q. 1. at 4. ad 3. Lyran. in bunolocuÌ„ Rab. Moy. 3. duct dub cap. 56. 57. Abulen in c. 1. Ruth q. 24. Ios 11. v. 15. and Lyranus note to be fulfilled For all their precepts were as Rabby Moyses and Abulensis recount them 600. or there about amongst which were 218. that were affirmatiue and 365. negatiue commandements then the obligation of them was strictly and punctually to be obserued the transgression capitall and punished with all seuerity yet King Dauid Zachary Elizabeth Moyses Iosue c. fulfilled them for of Iosue the Scripture giueth testimony He accomplished all thinges he omitted not of all the commandementes not so much as one worde which our Lord had commanded Moyses Now Christ hath exempted vs from that combersome yoke from that Burthen as S. Augustine calleth it of innumerable Ceremonies yet not which Libertines pretend from the * Aug.