difference between the Law of all righteousnes and the Law of all unrighteousnes signifieth For upon other terms can no man professe himself a Christian And as great and as reall a change it is that succeeds upon that change between the relation which he that is so changed did hold towards God afore and now holds afterwards as the difference between the heir of Gods wrath and of his kingdome importeth But supposing that change which justifying faith importeth already in being that change which the effect of it in justifying importeth is of necessity meerly morall and consisteth onely in the difference between that remission of sinnes and Gods kingdome which the promise of his grace and the debt of punishment which the sentence of his justice declareth Whether therefore justifying faith be Gods work or not which here I dispute not because here I cannot resolve for the cause of it the effect of it in justifying which here I debate will signify no more then an attribute due by right to him that hath it upon Gods promise importing no change in him but that which it supposeth how much soever it import his salvarion that his relation to God be so changed For I may safely here suppose that which the title of this dispute and the very name of the Covenant of Grace attributed to the Gospel of Christ involveth That Faith justifyeth not by virtue of the work naturally but morally by that will and appointment of God by virtue whereof the Covenant of Grace standeth And this necessarily holds in the sense of the Church when it ascribeth justification to faith alone in opposition to the workes of the Law A necessary consequence whereof is this That the forgivenesse of our sinnes will presuppose and require of us that we forgive others their offenses against us Because we hold the forgivenesse of our sinnes by the title of our Christianity Whereof seeing it is one point that we forgive other men their offenses against us of necessity failing of the condition required on our part we faile of the promise tendered of Gods Therefore the Fathers also as the Scriptures afore attribute remission of sinnes to Charity to almes deeds and to forgiveing of offenses against us Clemens in his Epistle to the Corinthians p. 65. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Happy were we if we did do the commandments of God in the concord of Love that our sinnes might be forgiven us through Love The Apostolicall constitutions VII 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou hast give by thine own hands that thou mayest act to the redemption of thy sinnes For by almes and truth sinnes are purged away Lactantius VI. 12. Magna est misericordiae merces cui Deus pollicetur peccata se omnia remissurum Si audieris inquit preces supplicis tui ego audiam tuas Si misertus laborantium fueris ego in tuo labore miserebor Si autem non respexeris nec adjuveris ego animum contra te geram tuisque te legibus judicabo Great are the wages of mercy which God hath promised that he will remit all sinnes If thou hearest saith he the prayers of thy suppliant I also will hear thine If thou takest pitty on them that are in paine I also will take pitty upon thy paine But if thou respect not nor help them I also will carry a mind against thee and judge thee by thine owne Law S. Chrysost Tomo VI. Orat. LXVII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But there is another way of cleansing sinne not inferiour to this not to remember the malice of enemies to containe wrath to remit the sinnes of fellow-servants For so those which we have done against our Lord shall be forgiven us Behold also a second way to purge sinnes For if ye forgive saith he And by and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if you will learn a fourth I will name almes For it hath great force and not to be expressed For to Nabucodonosor being arived at all kinde of wickednesse and going over all goodnesse Daniel saith Redeem thy sinnes with almsdeeds and thy transgressions with pittying the poor To the same purpose the same S. Chrysost makes forgiving of injuries giving thanks in affiction mercy in helping our neighbours the cure for sinne as well as humility confession and prayer In 2 ad Corinth Hom. II. Because thereby a Christian retires to his promise in Baptisme expecting remission only from Gods promise in the same So also In Epist ad Rom. Hom. XXV S. Ambrose De poenitentia II. 5. David beatum praedicavit illum cui peccata per Baptismum remittuntur illum cujus peccata operibus teguntur David proclaimes for blessed both him whose sinnes are remitted by Baptisme and him whose sinnes are covered with workes So charity covers many sinnes done after Baptisme Caesarius of Arles Homil. I. Quoties infirmos visitamus in carcerem positos requirimus discordes ad concordiam revocamus indicto in Ecclesia jejunio jejunamus hospitibus pedes abluimus ad vigiliâ—s frequentius convenimus eleemosynam ante ostium praetereuntibus pauperibus damus iniâ—icis nostris quoties petierint indulgemus istis operibus his similibus minuta peccata quotidie redimuntur As oft as we visit the sick seek those that are put in prison reduce those that fall out to agreement fast when a fast is published in the Church wash the feet of strangers assemble more frequently to wakes give almes to the poor that go by the doore pardon our enemies as oft as they demand by these works and like to these small sinnes are every day redeemed S. Austine Libro L. Homil. Hom. L. Cap. VIII Non enim ea dimitti precamur quae jam in Baptismo dimissa sunt nisi dimissa credimus de ipsa fide dubitamus sed utique de quotidianis peccatis hoc dicimus pro quibus etiam sacrificia eleemosynarum jejuniorum ipsarum orationum supplicationum quisque pro suis viribus offerre non cessat For we pray not for the pardon of those which are already pardoned in Baptisme which if we believe not that they are pardoned we call the faith it self in doubt But this forsooth we speak of daily sinnes for which also no man ceaseth to offer according to his power the sacrifices of almes and fasting and even of prayers and supplications S. Gregory In Psalm II. Poenitent Habent enim sancti viri aliquid quod in hac vita operire debeant Quia omnino est impossibile ut in loquutione aut etiam in cogitatione nunquam delinquant Student igitur viri Dei oculorum linguae culpas tegere meritis vita student pondere bonorum operum premere immoderata verborum For holy men have something in this life which they ought to hide Because it is altogether impossible that in speech or at least in thought they should never faile Therefore the men of God study to cover the faults of the eyes and tongue
was actually deprived of the habituall knowledge of those truths which were setled in his minde concerning God or of those images in the minde or conceptions of the mind wherein that knowledge did consist as all knowledge doth It is enough and more then enough that the poison wherewith his inclinations and appetites stood now so perverted suffered not that truth which enlightened his mind to have effect in his actions according to that which Christians being by the grace of God restored to the like light do find in themselves by sad experience And when in processe of time his posterity notwithstanding the instruction which they received of him for above nine hundred years together and notwithstanding the preaching of the godly Fathers which S. Jude in his Epistle exemplifieth of Encch and S. Peter of Noe 2 Pet. II. 5. fell away not onely to oppression and wickednesse but to the worship of false Gods Then it appeared how naturall this blindnesse is to the posterity of Adam having departed from God concupiscence prevailing to make such strange and horrible ignorance take place in the mindes of them who had such certain and evident information from their predecessors of God that made them and all the world for their benefit of his severe judgement upon the fall of Adam and mercy promised and judgement preached against them that should refuse it To the difficulty then which causeth this whole dispute I will answer otherwise then they which have not been able to take it away have done That all sinne being a transgression of Gods Law if there be severall Lawes by which God deales with mankind there must be also severall rules and severall measures by which that which is sinne according to the Originall Law may not be sinne according to the latter Law which necessarily derogateth from that which went afore The originall rule of righteousnesse which the light which man was created in obliged him to must needs detect and convince all habituall inclination of concupiscence and much more the very first motions of the same to be sinne against God And seeing the very same motions are seen in that conflict between the flesh and the Spirit which the most regenerate find in themselves though by the grace of Gods Spirit in them they prevaile not so that there is no difference for nature and kind but onely for efficacy and strength between the concupiscence which remaines in the regenerate and that which rules in the unregenerate there can no controversie remaine among Christians that there is an original Law of God which this defect of original righteousnesse violateth And seeing Christianity obligeth to mortifie concupiscence and to prevent rather then to suppresse the first motions of it of necessity the rule of our conversation is grounded upon that uprightnesse in which or to which Adam was created But not therefore the rule of Gods proceeding with us whose salvation his mercy designeth supposing concupiscence And if there be a latter Law of God derogatory to that originall Law according to which he dealeth with those that are under it by imbracing the Covenant of Grace it cannot be said that the transgression of Gods Originall Law is any sinne against it being tendered to those whom God knows that so long as they live in the world they cannot be void of concupiscence So that by virtue of that Law according to which God by his Gospel declares that he will deâ—l with those that imbrace Christianity well may it be said that originall sinne is utterly defaced by Baptisme Though in relation to that originall rule of righteousnesse which mans uprightness obligeth him to it is most truly said that concupiscence is originall sinne And though supposing this answer it seems to me evidently unnecessary if not evidently contradictory to it self and to the justice goodnesse and holinesse of God to have recourse to a state of meer nature as if man might have been created in it supposing him designed by God to a state of supernaturall happinesse Yet it is as evident to me that it is no error of the foundation of faith but onely in the knowledge of the Scriptures and the skill of divines For supposing the belief of originall sinne on the one side on the other side remission of sinne by the profession of Christianity which Baptisme executeth and solemnizeth he that failes in giving account how these things may stand together and be both true at once cannot be thought to faile of that faith which he maintaines not with good successe There may be as great a failâ—ur on the other side in not believing the efficacy of Christianity in the remission of sinne Neither can the decree of the Council of Trent couched in the proper and formall terms of S. Augustine that concupiscence in the regenerate is not truly and properly sinne but so called because proceeding from sinne and tending to sinne be condemned as absolutely false so long as there is a new Law of God which is the Covenant of Grace against which it is no sinne being tendred and made after it and supposing it Nor could the mouth of Pelagius have been stopped when the efficacy of Baptisme in the remission of sinne was received among all Christians according to the Primitive and originall truth of Christianity were there not some true and just ground upon which it may be said that the opposition of concupiscence after Baptisme to the Law of God remaineth no more And yet that is no lesse true which the same Augustine in divers other places affirmeth either expresly or by good consequence that concupiscence which remaines after Baptisme is originall sinne To wit according to the originall Law of God tendred to the originall institution of mans nature If therefore that be true which Doctor Field saith that all the errors of the Church of Rome concerning the Covenant of Grace have their originall from this error concerning the state of pure nature as perhaps they may better be said to proceed from not distinguishing the severall consequences of Gods severall Lawes it will neverthelesse be very fit to be considered whether those errors which are grounded upon a mistake in divinity do amount to any deniall of the Foundation of Faith For supposing for the present though not granting the supposition of meer nature that is that God might have made man though instituted to supernaturall happinesse with concupiscence to be possible it may be neverthelesse and is without doubt utterly uselesse for a reason why the righteousnesse of a Christian is accepted by God as the fulfilling of his Law towards the reward of everlasting happinesse notwithstanding concupiscence For which it would be very impertinent to alledge that God might have made man with concupiscence and therefore accepts the obedience of those that are under it Because it is manifest that the perfection to which Christianity calleth is that to which Adam was instituted in Paradise It is therefore by consequence no lesse impertinent
primo calore Fidei Catholicae In the first zeal of the Catholike faith That is of his professing it being reconciled to the Church for these things are properly attributed to the profession of Christianity But to barely believing that it is true afarre off and at a great distance Cornelius in his letter to Fabius Bishop of Antiochia concerning Novatianus in Eusebius Eccles Hist VI. 43. Thus describeth Celerinus having been persecuted for the Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man who having most stontly through the mercy of God passed through all tortures and confirmed the weaknesse of his flesh by the strength of his faith which strength is not in the mind that judgeth Christianity to be true but by the resolution of the will to stick to it Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. II. alledges Plato that in civil commotions the greatest virtue a man can meet with is Faith To wit in him whom a man trusts though the greatest happinesse be Peace which makes it needlesse Inferring thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereby it appears that the greatest of wishes is to have peace the greatest of virtues faith Which he would not have alleged for the commendation of the Christian Faith had he not understood it to consist in that trust which a man sincerely engageth as well as in that credit which a man giveth Whereby we may understand why in another place he will have the title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the faithfall for Christians to hold the same reason with that of Theognis when he commends a faithfull friend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That he is worth gold and silver in a civil dissension Because he places the faith of a Christian in the obligation of Christianity which he undertakes when he expresseth that the honour which it imports lies in the performing of it As Lydia when she intreateth S. Paul in these terms Acts XVI 15. If ye judge me faithful to the Lord come into my house and abide there presseth him if he think her a true Christian as she had professed her self That is faithfull to God and his Church which she must be oblieged to upon the trust that she had taken upon her in becoming a Christian Therefore disputing not long afore against Basilides and Valeutinus the Hereticks who made mens faith to depend necessarily upon the frame of their natures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore is faith no longer the achievement of choice if it be the advantage of nature nor shall he that believes not be justly recompensed being blamelesse he that believeth being no cause Nor shall the property or otherwise of faith or unbeliefe be subject to praise or dispraise And by and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But where becomes the repentance of unbelievers through which comes remission of sins So that neither shall Baptisme be any more reasonable nor the blessed seal the gift of the holy Ghost by Baptisme nor the Son nor the Father from whom it is expected Onely the distribution of natures according to them will be found utterly without God not having for the foundation of salvation voluntary Faith So the voluntary engagement which Baptisme expresly inacteth is that Faith whereby a Christian claimes the promises of the Gospel I know the words of S. Augustine may here be objected Enchirid. Cap. XXXI De hac enim fide loquimur quam adhibemus cum aliquid credimus non quam damus cum aliquid pollicemur Nam ipsa dicitur fides Sed aliter dicitur non mihi habuit fidem Aliter non mihi servavit fidem Nam illud est non credit quod dixi Hoc non fecit quod dixit For saith he we speake here of the credit which we give when we believe something not of that which we engage when we professe something For that also is called Faith But a man meants one way when he sayes he did not give me Faith Another way when he sayes he kept not faith with me For that is he believed not that which I said This he did not what he said As if the consideration of trust to be kept or not to be kept were utterly impertinent to the nature of justifying faith For why were those that were not yet baptized never called Fideles or Believers in the primitive Church though they professed never so much to believe the Christian faith but onely Catechumeni Hearers or Scholars or at the most Competentes or Pretenders when they put themselves forth actually to demand their Baptisme Why but to signifie that the Church had not yet conceived confidence of their Christianity because they had not yet engaged themselves in the profession of it Which having solemnized by Baptisme they were thenceforth called Faithfull the Name signifying as well trusty as Believers having proceeded so farre as to engage themselves to live as Christians because they believed believed Christianity to come from God as it pretendeth There would be no end if I should go about to produce the Fathers for this name of Christians one place or two shall serve for example Tertullian De Exhort castitatis Cap. IV. Spiritum quidem Dei etiam fideles habent sed non omnes fideles Apostoli Ergo qui se fidelem dixerat adjicit postea Spiritum Dei se habere quod nemo dubitares etiam de fideli And truly even Christians have the Spirit of God yet are not all Christians Apostles Therefore S. Paul having called himselfe faithful or a Christian he adds afterwards that he hath the Spirit of God which no man would question in a Christian Whereupon in his Book De Jejuniis Cap. XI you find an Antithesis or opposition between Spiritualis and Fidilis or a meere Christian and one that had extraordinary indowments of Gods Spirit As on the other side de praescript Cap. XII Quis Catechumenus quis Fidelis incertum est Speaking of the hereticks among them It is uncertain who is a Professor who a Scholar And truly he who considers all virtue to consist in the affection of the will not in the perfection of the understanding Considering withall that faith is according to Clemens Alexandrinus where afore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary assent of the soul Or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voluntary presumption and assent unto piety Shall find great reason to consider what affection of the will it is wherein he places the virtue of faith in a good Christian Especially experience on the one side shewing that hereticks schismaticks and badde Christians who cannot be thought to be endowed with that faith which recommends good ones do really and truly believe all that truth which their Sect or their lust is consistent with And reason on the other side shewing how the believing of it becomes reconcileable with the interest of their sect or of their lust I suppose here that the reason which makes the motives of saith though sufficient to become defeisible is the Crosse of Christ attending the profession of Christianity in
forgive our brethren their offences against us Mat. VI. 14. 15. Our Lord rendring a reason why he had taught his disciples to pray Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us For if it forgive men their sinnes your heavenly Father will forgive you also But if you forgive not men their Transgressions neither will your Father forgive your Transgressions And the Apostle James II. 13. to the same purpose Judgement shall be without mercy to him that sheweth not mercy And the foote of our Saviours Parable Mat. XVIII 35. So also shall your bravenly Father do to you if from your hearts yee forgive not every one his Brother their transgressions So Mar. XI 25. 26. And Luc. VI. 37. 38. Judge not and yee shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned pardon and ye shall be pardoned give and there shall be given to you good measure crouded and shaken and runing over shall be given into your bosome for the measure that ye mete with shall be measured to you againe And againe Luk. XI 41. But give Almes according to your power and all things shall be cleane to you So Solomen Prov. XVI 6. By mercy and truth shall inquity be expiated And Daniell to Nebuchodonosor Dan. III. 5. Redeeme thy sins by righteousnesse or Almes deeds and thy iniquity by shewing compassion upon the afflicted For the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can signifie nothing but Redeem in the Caldee though there is a figure of speech in the Prophets Language intending redeem thy self from thy sinnes as I shall have occasion to say in another place and therefore t is in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And from hence come those sayings Tobit IV. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And againe Tob. XII 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Almes delivereth from death and suffereth not to enter into darknesse And Almes delivereth from death and purgeth away all sinne And Ecclus. III. 33. Water quencheth flaming fire and with almes shall he make prepitiation for sinnes And XXIX 15. Shut up almes in thy store houses and they will deliver thee from all afflictions And the words of the Apostle are plainest in this sense I Pet. IV. 8. Charity shall cover a many sinnes The Prophet also to the same purpose Isa I. 17. For they that make that filth which alone justifieth not to include or presuppose that condition to which Baptisme tieth Christians must needs crucifie themselves and set the Scriptures upon the rack to finde another meaning for them then the words bear By which that which God hath made due without and before any condition may turely be said to be given in consideration of it Which reason and the common sense of all men abhors But supposing that faith which onely justifieth to include the profession of undertaking Christianity as the condition upon which the promises of the Gospel are to be expected So certaine as it is that this will not be due if the condition be not fulfilled so necessary and so proper it will be to say That whatsoever that condition includeth is the consideration upon which the promise cometh though not by virtue of the thing done but by virtue of Gods tender and the Covenant of Grace and the promise which it containeth and the free goodnesse of God which first moved him to tender that promise And therefore you shall find those that suppose it not alwayes tormenting themselves to force upon the Scriptures such a meaning as the words of them doe not beare And in the last place concerning the consent of the Church though the Fathers are free in acknowledging with S. Paul justification by faith alone yet notwithstanding they are on the other side so copious in attributing the promises of the Gospel to the good workes of Christians that it may truly be said there is never a one of them from whom sufficient authority is not to be had for evidence thereof Which will amount to a tradition of the whole Church in this point In particular S. Augustine to whom appeal is wont to be made in all parts of that dispute which relateth to the Heresie of Pelagius hath so clearly and so copiously delivered the answer which I maintaine to those texts of S. Paul where he denieth that Christians are justified by the workes of the Law that those that challenge him in other points of this dispute concerning the Covenant of Grace doe not pretend to be of his mind in this Though the ground of this answer consisting in the twofold sense of the Law deserved as I conceive to be further cleared even after S. Augustine and the rest of ancient Church-writers I would therefore have the reader here to understand that I account all the rest of this second book to be nothing else but the resolution of those difficulties the answer to those objections and demandes which arise upon the determination here advanced The chief of them is that which followes in the next place How the promises of the Gospel can be said to be the effects of Gods free grace requiring our Christianity as the condition upon which they become due and not otherwise But there are also others concerning the possibility of fulfulling Gods Law by the new obedience of Christians concerning the goodnesse and perfection of it concerning the force and effect of good workes either in making satisfaction for sinne or in meriting life everlasting Which I shall allow that consideration in due time which the model of this abridgement will bear As for the sense of the Fathers evidencing the Tradition of the Church I am yet to learn that there ever was any exception alledged to infringe the consent of the Church in the necessity of good workes to the obtaining of salvation for Christians But onely the case of those who being taken away by death upon professing Christianity have not time to bring forth the fruits of it And how good workes can be the necessary meanes to procure the salvation of Christians but by virtue of that Law or condition for obtaining salvation which the Gospel now expresly enacteth and alwaies did covertly effectuate no sense of man comprehendeth For that the ancient Church agreeth in allowing the force of satisfaction for sinne to workes of Penance of Merit for the world to come to workes done in the state of Grace none of the Reformation which either disowneth or excuseth it for so doing according to the respect they have for it can make questionable And therefore though this be not the place to justifie the ancient Church in these particulars yet this is evident that those who maintaine more then my position requires do agree in that which it containes I shall therefore content my selfe for the present with producing some speciall passages of the Fathers expressing in my opinion the markes of my position and the reasons whereupon it proceeds As limiting the position between faith and workes in the matter of justifying
otherwise interpose As the Prophet â—say showing how great a mercy of God it was that any of the Israelites shouâ—d escape â—hat vengeance whâ—ch he foretelleth and alleaged by S Paul to shew how great a mercy of God it was that any of them should be saved by the Goâ—pell from the vengeance to come declare that God foresaw this ruine would come to passe it he did not interpose But to say that God foresaw this because he foresaw that himselfe had resolved by his immediate act to determine the wilâ—s of those men by which they were to come to passe to bring them to passe is to say that all those meanes by which it is signified that he saw they would come to passe are alleâ—ged by the Scripturs impertinently and to no purpose It followeth therefore of necessity that God foresaw that those things should come to passe by the cases which he saw stated and the wills of those men whom he saw concerned in stating the same And by the same reason that holdeth which is said Ex. III. 19. I know that the King of Egypt will not give you leave to depart but by a mighty arme Upon which the saying of the wise man alleaged afore is verified That God knew that the Egyptians would repent themselves and attempt to bring them back into bondge whom they had just afore intreated to be gon In fine all the scriptures which say This or that was don that such things as had been foretold might be fulfilled prove the same without answer Iohn XIX 24 36. They said then to one another let us not rend it but cast lots for it whose it shall be That the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith They shared my garments among them and for my coat they cast lots And againe These things came to passe that the scriptures might be fulfilled A bone shall not be broken of it Did God provide that Christs coat should be seamelesse that there being losse in sharing it the reason of casting lots for it may be unanswerable Did he provide that our Lord should have visibly breathed out his last that there might be no reason to breake his legs as the legs of the rest that having provided all this he might at length determine them to doe what they did which had he intended to doe it was impertinent whether he provided all this or not Mat. XI 17. 18. Then was fulfilled that which was said by Jeremy the Prophet saying A cry was heard in Ramah lamentation and weeping and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Herod was become jealous of the King of the Jewes that was borne and would have taken him away alone But when he could not heare of him by the wise men resolved to take away all under two yeares old that he might not escape Did God know that his bloudy humour would resolve this wickednesse upon these occurrencs or did he first provide the occasion and then determine him to doe that which without providing the occasion being so determined he would have done neverthelesse All the scriptures in which this is said argue as much I must not omit that which is said of Abiathar 1. Kings II 26. And Solomon drove Abiathar from being high Priest to the Lord. To fulfill the word of the Lord whIch he had spoken against the house of Ely in Shilâ—h Had God provided all that had befalne Abiathar and in the end according to his unquestionable justice the occurrences that resolved him to be of the conspiracy of Adon that the prophesies against Ely and his house 1 Sam. II. 30-â—6 III. 11-14 might come to effect which no reason could be given why so rather then otherwise if after all this he must interpose his immediate act to determine Solomon to fulfill it by setting Abiathar aside If God thus by his justice his mercy in consideration of mans by-past actions ordaine the occurrences whereof he knoweth what the issue will be shall it seeem strang that out of his originall right in his creature having set Adam in Paradise with those abilities that all agree he might have stood if he would he checked not the malice of the rebell Angels nor taught him that cunning which his simplicity had not needed had he loved to continue as was elegantly said simplicior quam ut decipi posset simpler or more an innocent then to be cousened Or can we say that He might have stood had he would who by Gods immediate act as we see was not determined to stand who could not have stood had he not been determined by God to stand had he been determined could not but stand None of which followes if we say that God seeing the state in which he had placed him a sufficient baite to resolve the apostate Angells to tempt seeing the temptation so strong that Adam would not resist it for the reasons which he in his secret counsaill saw best resolved to maintain both in acting their owne inclinations and himselfe to make the best of that which should be done And this precedent being resolved can it seem strange that he should order all men to come to the yeares of discretion when first they begin to act to their owne account with those impressions received from their education which he sees how they well incline them to the better or to the worse seeing also that they doe not resolve them either for the better or for the worse but by the means of their own free choice can it seem strange I say that he should order them to meet with those occurrences which suting with the merit of their by passed actions he sees wil determine their choice for the better or for the worse in those things which he sees that it was in them though perhapS with much more dificulty so for more advantage to have determined otherwise But to leave the rest of this discourse till I can goe through with it for the present the reason of this position seems to me demonstrative if any thing in this subject can be demonstrative supposing that which hath been proved that God by his own immediate act doth not determine the will of man to doe this or that For seeing that Christian faith presupposeth that God knoweth from everlasting whatsoever future contingencies shall come to passe during every moment of time whilst the world shall indure that it is evident that whatsoever is known must be knowable before it is knowne and therefore certaine or determined not by being knowne but by being capable of being known what ground can we imagine in contingencies to make them capable of beingknown For of theire owne nature we transgresse the very notion of contingencies which we suppose and evidently contradict our selves if we say there is any thing in them of themselves to determine this to coâ—e to passe rather then that supposing the cause to be no more determined to doe
ac debeant si fideliter laboraro volueriut adimplere Here also we believe according to the Catholick faith that all that are baptized having received grace by baptisme may and ought to fulfill those things which belong to their salvation if they will faithfully labour it Which is no more then to say That they have sufficient grace to preserve them from falling away Or from falling into those sinnes which forfeit the state of Grace Though I easily yeild this possibility is rather naturall than morall And that considering the many opportunities and provocations even to those sinnes which the occasions of the world present the inclinations of Concupiscence with it is in the judgement of discretion impossible that a man should not forfeit the state of grace though absolutely there is nothing to inforce that it must necessarily come to passe And truly the Prophet Davids prayer To be cleansed from secret sinnes but to be preserved from presumptuous sinnes Psal XIX 12 13. showes difference enough between the kindes But the obtaining of this prayer not to fall into any presumptuous sinne depends upon that diligent watch which even the regenerate may neglect to keep over themselves Now for him that shall have committed this forfeit though the promise of the holy Ghost and the habituall assistance thereof is thereby voide yet the knowledge of Christianity that is the obligation and matter of it and that facility of living the life of a Christian which custome leaves behind it remaining the actuall assistance of the H. Ghost which alwaies accompanieth the preaching of the Gospel cannot be wanting where so great effects of it are extant to procure the recovery of him that is fallen away Whether they shall take effect or no it is in the justice and mercy of that Providence which onely maketh them effectual The wisdome of God which shall laugh at the calamities and mock when the feares of them come that refuse when it calls and regard not when it stretcheth out hands Prov. I. 22 representeth the condition of those that forfeit the Promise exceedingly terrible in that they are fallen under Gods meer mercy though it be granted that they want not sufficient helps to restore them till they be come to the end of their race But in very deed the hardest of this point is to give account how this holds under the old Law how any man could be saved by fullfilling that Law which the Gospel declars to be taken away because no man could be saved by fulfilling it To which my answer must be according to the supposition premised concerning a twofold sense of Moses Law that is to say a twofold Law of God under the Old Testament that it is no marvaile if the civile happinesse of Gods ancient people which the Law of Moses in the litteral sense tendred for the reward of it were to be obtained by worshipping the onely true God and that civile conversation according to it which that people of their naturall freedome were able to performe True it is indeed which S. Peter saies Acts XV. 10. that â—â—ither they nor their Fathers were able to bear the burthen of Moses Law And that for that reason which not onely Origen but divers others of the ancient Fathers have alledged against the Jewes that there went so many scruples to the precise observation of it as it was not possible for any people in the world to overcome For there being such variety of cases incident to the observation of such variety of precepts as no man could further be secured in that he proceeded according to the will of God then as the determination of those whom God by the law of Deut. XVII 8-12 XVI 18. had referred it to might secure him And that alwaies new cases must needs prevent new determinations of necessity the precise observation of Moses law even outwardly and in the literal sense was in ordinary discretion thing impossible Which is effectuall indeed to convince the Jewes that God never was so in love with their Law as to accept them for precisely keeping of it even in the world to come But provided it for an outward and civile discipline to countenance the inward godlinesse and righteousnesse of the heart till he should think fit openly to inact it for the condition of the world to come In the the meane time having tendered the Law for a condition by which they might hold the land of promise it is manifest that the obtaining of it depended not upon that precise observation of all scruples which the nature of the subject rendred in humane reason impossible But that in case they worshipped God alone and observed the precepts of the Law with that dilligence which a reasonable and honest man would use in that case the promise must become due Whereby the law in this sense is a fit figure to represent both the impossibibility of Gods originall Law and the gentlenesse of that dispensation thereof which the Gospel importeth As for the inward and mysticall sense of Moses Law it is manifest that the countenance which the Law gave true righteousnesse by inforcing the worship of the onely true God together with so many acts of righteousnesse among men and temperance chastity and sobriety with temporall penalties With the faith of the world to come and the doctrine of spirituall righteousnesse of it self acceptable to God received from the Fathers and maintained by the Prophets and their disciples in all ages maintained alwayes a stocke of such men as God accepted of even to the reward of the world to come In whose condition notwithstanding we must observe a kind of limitation or exception to the temporall promises of the Law not onely at such time as the people fell away from God to the worship of Idols but in regard of hypocriticall Governors who pretending zeal to Gods lawes of sacrifices and ceremonies and the promises of God due to them in that regard under that colour took advantage sufficiently to abuse and oppresse his poor people For when these cases fell out the Prophets whose office it was to reprove such things in Gods name and their disciples and followers must needs fall under great persecution at these mens hands So that their right in the land of Promise turning to a sorry account of happiness for them who of all men were the most severe observers of Gods Law of necessity the temporal promises thereof were supplied and made good to them by the hope of the world to come Which as Origen wisely and ingeniously observes if a man well consider he shall find that flaw in the promises of the Old Testament to be as a chink or breach in a wall through which we may discern the light of the Gospel beyond it For if the matter be rightly considered it will appear that these hypocriticall Governours of Gods ancient people which thought the promises of the Law for ever entailed upon themselves and their successors upon the observing of
Advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins And when David who had the spirit of God upon the same termes as Christians have it excepting that which hath been excepted prayeth Psalm XIX 13 14. Who understandeth his errours Clense me from hidden sins Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins that they beare not rule over me Then shall I be upright and cleane from great transgressions He showeth sufficiently the difference between veniall and mortall sins as to Christians which in case of invincible ignorance and meere supprize comes to no sin as to Christians But he showeth also that Christians neglecting themselves may come to fall into sins of persumption which he prayeth against For the rest the same S. Iohn incouraging Christians to pray for the sins of Christians with this limitation as I surppose if by their advice they appear to be reduced to take the cours which may procure pardon at Gods hands acknowledgeth further that there is a sin unto death I say not that yee pray for it saith he 1. John V. 16. 17. And the Apostle to the Hebrews VI. 4 5 6. speaketh of some sin which he acknowledgeth not that it can be admitted to penance for the obtaining of forgivenesse which he protesteth again Ebr. X. 26 -31 XII 16 17. It is commonly thought indeed that to deny the true faith against that light which God hath kindled in a mans conscience is hereby declared to be a sin that repentance cannot cure Or rather that God hereby declareth that he will never grant in repentance And truly that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which our Lord saith shall never he pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come Mat. XII 31 32. Mark III. 28 29. Luke XII 10. manifestly consisteth in attributing the works which the holy Ghost did to convert men to Christ to the devill being convinced that our Lord came from God by the workes he did for that purpose Just as Saint Steven reproaches the Jewes for resisting the holy Ghost as their Fathers had done Acts VII 51. And that there is no cure for this sin it is manifest because it consisteth in rejecting the cure And apostasy from Christianity which is manifestly the sinne which the Apostle to the Hebrews intendeth differeth from it but as the obligation to Christianity once received differeth from that Christianity which being proposed with conviction a man is bound to receive But otherwise not onely the Church but the Novatians themselves supposed that those who had denied the Faith might recover pardon of God by repentance Nor can it become visible to the Church what is that conviction which whoso transgresseth becomes unpardonable because God hath excluded him from repentance In the meane time how difficult the Primitive Church accounted it to attaine pardon of such sinnes appeares by the excluding of the Montanists and Novatians first then by the long Penance prescribed Apostates Murtherers and Adulterers least the admitting of them to Penance might seem to warrant their pardon upon too light repentance Saint Paul admits the incestuous person at Corinth whether to Penance or to Communion with the Church But upon what termes Least the offender should be swallowed up with extream sorrow and least Satan should advantage himself against them should he refuse it And because having written out of great anguish of heart with teares for them who presumed to bear him out in it he had found them moved with sorrow according to God to repentance with all satisfaction and desire of peace with the Apostle 2 Cor. II. 1-8 VII 7-11 For we understand by Saint Paul 1 Cor. V. 2. 2 Cor. XII 21. that even the Church themselves when they shut a sinner out of the Church did make demonstration of sorrow for his case And therefore himself much more was put to mourning and to professe by his outward habit that he thought his sinne incurable without sorrow answerable to it And when Saint Paul commands the Collossians III. 5. Mortify your members that are upon earth fornication uncleannesse passion evill desire and covetousnesse which is idolatry For which the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience It is manifest that he placeth the mortifying of these vices in the afflicting and humbling of our earthly members wherein the lusts of them reside Therefore he serves his own body no otherwise but striving for the prize of Christians like one of their Greekish Champions that would not beat the aire he beates his own body black and blew to bring it under servitude Least having preached to others himself should become reprobate 1 Cor. IX 26 27. And certainly if Christianity require this discipline over Saint Pauls body least he should fall into sinne it will require very great severity of them that are fallen into sinne to be exercised upon their bodies the lusts whereof they have satisfied by those sinnes to regain the favour and appease the wrath of God and to settle that hatred of sinne and that love of goodnesse in the heart which the preventing of sinne for the future necessarily requireth The practice of the Old Testament sufficiently signifieth the same Though David in the Psalme that I mentioned afore seem to make the pardon of his sin a thing easily obtained at Gods hands as it is indeed a thing easily obtained supposing the disposition which David desired it with but not that disposition a thing easily obtained yet you shall find the same David elsewhere wetting his bed and watring his couch with his teares so that his beauty is gone with mourning his flesh dried up for want of fatnesse and his bones cleave to his flesh for the voice of his mourning Indeed he alwayes expresseth his affliction to be the subject of his mourning But alwayes acknowledging his sins to be the cause of those afflictions which he therefore takes the course to remove by taking this course for his sinnes The Prophet Esay I. 15 16. thus calleth the Jewes to appease Gods wrath Wash ye make ye clean remove the evil of your workes from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do good seek righteousnesse Sure this was never intended to be done by the meer thought of doing it But the Prophet Joel having threatned a plague what doth he prescribe for the cure And now saith the Lord return to me with all your heart with fasting weeping and mourning and rent your hearts and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull long-suffering great in mercy and repenteth him of evill Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctify a fast invite the assembly gather the people sanctify a Congregation make the old and young and the sucking infants meet let the bridegroom come forth of his chamber and the bride of her closet let the Priests the ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and say Spare Lord thy people and