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A11516 The historie of the Councel of Trent Conteining eight bookes. In which (besides the ordinarie actes of the Councell) are declared many notable occurrences, which happened in Christendome, during the space of fourtie yeeres and more. And, particularly, the practises of the Court of Rome, to hinder the reformation of their errors, and to maintaine their greatnesse. Written in Italian by Pietro Soaue Polano, and faithfully translated into English by Nathanael Brent.; Historia del Concilio tridentino. English Sarpi, Paolo, 1552-1623.; Brent, Nathaniel, Sir, 1573?-1652. 1629 (1629) STC 21762; ESTC S116697 1,096,909 905

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concupiscence the materiall part and the priuation of righteousnesse the formall Whereupon he said that this sinne in vs is concupiscence destitute of originall righteousnesse The Master of the Sentences and the old Schoolemen followed S. Austins opinion which was maintained in the Councell by two Hermite Friars But because Iohn Scotus defended the opinion of his countrey-man Anselmus the Fransciscans maintained it in the Councel and the greater part of the Dominicans that of S. Thomas So it was declared what was the sinne of Adam and what originall sinne in other men But they were more troubled to discourse how it was transmitted from him to posterity and successiuely from father to sonne For Saint Austin who opened the way vnto others pressed with the obiection of Iulianus the Pelagian who asked him of the manner of transmitting originall sinne when man is conceiued seeing that Matrimony and the vse thereof is holy neither How original sinne is transmitted to posteritie God the first authour sinning nor the parents nor he that is borne by what chinke sinne entred answered onely that chinkes were not to bee sought where a gate stood wide open the Apostle saying that by Adam sinne entred into the world And in many places where he was to speake hereof he shewed himselfe doubtfull and was irresolute whether as the body of the childe is deriued from the body of the father so the soule from the soule For the fountaine being infected the riuer must needs bee defiled The modestie of this Saint was not imitated by the Schoolemen who being resolued that euery soule is created immediately by God said that the infection was principally in the flesh contracted by our fore-fathers in the earthly Paradise either from the poysoned qualitie of the fruit or the venimous breath of the Serpent Which contamination is deriued into the flesh of the children which is a part of their parents flesh and is contracted by the soule in the infusion as a liquor contracteth the ill qualitie of an infected vessell and the infection is caused in the flesh by the lust of the parents in the generation But the variety of opinions made no difference in the censure of the Articles For euery one cleauing to his owne shewed that it was decided by it that the first article was hereticall which vndoubtedly was condemned for such in the Councell of Palestina and in many of Africa against Pelagius And it was reexamined in Trent not as it was found in the writings of Luther or his followers but as it was auerred by Zuinglius who notwithstanding seemed to some of the Diuines who discussed his words well to thinke rather that in the posteritie of Adam it was no sinne of action but a corruption and transformation of nature which hee called a sinne in the kinde of substance The second Article was esteemed hereticall by all and was by the same Pelagius long since inuented who because hee was not condemned in the Councell of Palestina for saying that Adam had not hurt his posteritie hee recanted and confessed the contrary and after together with his followers declared himselfe that Adam had damnified his posterity not by transmission of sinne but by giuing them a bad example which hurteth those that doe imitate it And Erasmus was noted to haue renewed the same assertion interpreting the place of Saint Paul That by Adam sinne entred into the world and passed into all in regard all haue imitated and doe imitate his transgression The third Article for the first part was censured in Trent as also in many Colloquies in Germany by saying that those actions could not bee originall sinne seeing they are not in children nor alwayes in those of ripe age so that to say there was no sinne but that was wholly to deny it and not to satisfie the excuse of those in Germany who vnder the name of actions vnderstand a naturall inclination to ill and an inability to good For if they vnderstood it so it was sit to say it and not to speak euill but so as that others may vnderstand them well And though Saint Austin spake thus when hee said that originall righteousnesse was to obey God and not to haue concupiscence hee would alter his speech if he had beene in these times because it is very lawfull to name the cause for the effect and the effect for the cause when they are proper and adequate But it is not so in this case for originall sinne is not the cause of those bad actions except a bad will as principall be added But for the second part of the Article they said that if the Protestants vnderstood a priuatiue corruption the opinion may be tolerated but they vnderstand a corrupted substance as if the proper nature of man were changed into another forme then that in which it was created and reprehend the Catholiques when they call the sinne a priuation of Iustice as a fountaine without water but they call it a fountaine from whence corrupted waters doe issue which are the acts of incredulity distrust hatred contumacie an inordinate loue of ones selfe and worldly things and therefore that it was fit absolutely to condemne the Article And the fourth also was censured by the same reason saying that inclination to bee the punishment of sinne and not sinne formally and without alleadging ought else it was absolutely denied to bee a sinne It must not bee omitted that in this poynt the Franciscans could not conteine The Franciscans exempt the Virgine Mary from sinne and are opposed by the Dominicans themselues from exempting the Virgine the mother of GOD from this law by a speciall priuiledge endeauoring to enlarge themselues in the question and to prooue it and the Dominicans laboured to comprehend her by name vnder the common law though the Cardinall of Monte omitted no occasion to make them leaue that controuersie saying they were assembled to condemne the heresies not the opinions of the Catholiques No man resisted the condemnation of the articles But Fryar Ambrosius The opinion of Catarinus Catarinus noted the reasons for vnsufficient in that they declared not the true nature of this sinne and shewed it in a long discourse The substance whereof was that it is necessary to distinguish the sinne from the punishment that concupiscence and priuation of righteousnesse is the punishment of sinne therefore that it is necessary the sinne should bee another thing He added that which was not a sin in Adam it is impossible it should be a sinne in vs but neither of these two were sinne in Adam because neither priuation of righteousnesse nor concupiscence were his actions therefore neither are they in vs and if they were effects of sinne in him of necessitie they must be so in others also By which reason it cannot be said that sinne is the enmitie of GOD against the sinner nor the sinners enmitie against GOD seeing they are things that follow sinne and come after it Hee oppugned also the transmission
of sinne by meanes of the seed and generation saying That as if Adam had not sinned righteousnesse would haue beene transfused not by vertue of the generation but onely by the will of God so it is fit to finde another meanes to transfuse sinne And hee explaned his opinion in this forme that as God made a Couenant with Abraham and all his posteritie when he made him father of the faithfull so when he gaue originall righteousnesse to Adam and all mankinde hee made him seale an obligation in the name of all to keepe it for himselfe and them obseruing the commandements which because he transgressed he lost it as well for others as himselfe incurred the punishments also for them the which as they are deriued into euery one so the very transgression of Adam belonged to euery one to him as the cause to others by vertue of the Couenant so that the action of Adam is actuall sinne in him and imputed to others is originall because when hee sinned all mankind did sinne with him Catarinus grounded himselfe principally for that a true and proper sinne must needs bee a voluntary act and no other thing can bee voluntary but the transgression of Adam imputed vnto all And Paul saying that all haue sinned in Adam it must bee vnderstood that they haue all committed the same sinne with him He alleadged for example that St. Paul to the Hebrewes affirmeth that Leui paid tithe to Melchizedek when hee paid it in his great Grandfather Abraham by which reason it must bee said that the posteritie violated the commandement of GOD when Adam did it and that they were sinners in him as in him they receiued righteousnes And so there is no need to run to lust which infecteth the flesh whence the soule receiueth infection For it cannot bee vnderstood how a spirit can receiue a corporall passion and if sinne were a spirituall blemish in the soule it could not first be in the flesh and if it be corporall in the flesh it can work none effect in the spirit That the soule by ioyning it selfe with an infected body doth receiue spirituall infection is an vnconceiueable transcendencie He prooued the couenant of God with Adam by a place of the Prophet Osea by another of Ecclesiasticus and by many places of Saint Austin That the sinne of euery one is the act onely of the transgression of Adam hee proued by Saint Paul when hee saith That by the disobedience of one man many are made sinners and because the Church hath euer vnderstood that sinne is nothing else but a voluntary action against the law of which kind there was none but that of Adam and because Saint Paul saith That death entred by originall sinne which entred onely by actuall transgression And hee brought for the principall proofe that though Eue did eate the apple before Adam yet she knew not she was naked nor that shee had incurred the punishment but onely after Adam had sinned Therefore Adams sinne as it was not his alone but of Eue too so was it also of all his posteritie But Fryar Dominicus Soto to defend the opinion of Saint Thomas and of the other Diuines from the obiections of Catarinus brought a new exposition Dominicus Soro crosseth the opinion of Catarinus and said that Adam sinned actually in eating of the forbidden fruit but after he remained a sinner by an habituall qualitie caused by the action as by euery bad action such a disposition is bred in the minde of the actor by which though the act be past he remaineth and is called a sinner that Adams action was transitory nor had existence but while hee wrought that the habituall qualitie remaining in him passed into the posteritie and is transfused as proper vnto euery one that Adams action is not originall sin but that consequent habit which the Theologues call priuation of righteousnesse which may be wel expounded cōsidering that man is called a sinner not only when hee transgresseth actually but after also vntill the sinne bee cancelled not in regard of the punishments or other consequences of sinne but in regard of the preceding transgression it selfe as that which maketh a man crooked vntill hee bee straightned againe who is said to be so not by an actuall action but by that effect which remaineth after the action is past Hee compared originall sinne to crookednesse as it is indeede a spirituall obliquitie for the whole nature of man being in Adam when hee made himselfe crooked by transgressing the Precept the whole nature of man and by consequent euery particular person remained crooked not by the curuitie of Adam but by his owne by which hee is truely crooked and a sinner vntill hee bee straightened by the grace of God These two opinions were sharpely disputed and euery one pretended that his owne should be receiued by the Synode But in the consideration how originall sinne was remitted they agreed How original sin is renutted all that it is cancelled by baptisme and the soule restored pure into the state of innocencie though the punishments which follow sinne bee not remooued that they may bee an exercise for the iust And this all of them expounded by saying that the perfection of Adam consisted in an infused qualitie which adorned the soule made it perfect and acceptable to God and exempted the bodie from mortalitie And God for the merit of CHRIST giueth vnto those that are regenerated by baptisme another quality called iustifying grace which wiping out euery blemish in the soule maketh it pure as was that of Adam yea in some it worketh greater effects then originall righteousnesse but onely that it worketh no effect in the bodie whereby mortalitie and other naturall defects are not remooued Many places of Saint Paul and the other Apostles were alleadged where they say that baptisme washeth cleanseth illuminateth and purifieth the soule so that no condemnation spot or wrinkle remaineth It was exactly discoursed how if the baptised haue no sinne sinne can passe into their children Whereunto Augustinus answered with examples onely as of a circumcised father the sonne is borne vncircumcised and of a blinde man one that can see and of a pure graine one clad in straw Catarinus answered that the Couenant was made with Adam onely and that euery one hath sinne by imputation of that of Adam so that the intermediate Parents haue nothing to doe therein and if the forbidden fruit had beene eaten not by Adam but by one of his sonnes his posterity had not sinned and if Adam had sinned after hee had begotsonnes his sinne had beene imputed to them though borne before Soto disputed against it that if Adam had sinned after his sonnes were borne those would not haue beene obnoxious vnto it but their posterity should The common voyce was that the sixt Article was hereticall for saying there remaineth in the baptized something worthy of death and the seuenth for leauing remainders of sinne in the baptized and the eight
the cause of its truth but is so by the truth of an affirmatiue nor euer any proposition was false but because another is true neither can the falsity of the one be knowne but by him who knoweth the truth of the other Therefore the opinion of the Lutherans cannot bee condemned of heresie vntill the opinion of the Church be set downe He that shall obserue the maner of proceeding in all Councels which haue handled matter of faith will see that they haue laid first an Orthodoxe foundation and by that condemned the heresies and so it is necessary to doe now For when it shall be read that the Councel of Trent hath condemned the Lutheranes for saying originall sinne is ignorance contempt distrust an hate of heauenly things and a corruption of the whole man in the will soule and body who is there that will not demand what is it then and will not say in himselfe if this opinion bee hereticall which is Catholike And when he shal see the opinion of Zuinglius condemned that children the sonnes of the faithfull are baptized into remission of sinnes though nothing bee transmitted from Adam but the punishments and the corruption of nature will not suddenly aske what else is then transmitted In summe he concluded that the Councel was assembled principally to tell the Catholique trueth not onely to condemne heresies The Bishop said That these Articles hauing been so often disputed in the Diets The Bishop of Sinigaglia Friar Ierom Generall of the Augustins speake to the same purpose of Germanie euery one would expect from the Councell a perspicuous doctrine cleared from all difficulties The Generall also who was somewhat suspected to bee suborned by the Ambassador Toledo added that the true Catholique doctrine of originall sinne is contained in the writings of S. Austin that Egidius Romanus had wrote a booke thereof that whensoeuer the Fathers would take but a little paines they might bee able to vnderstand the truth and iudge of it that they should not suffer a fame to bee spread that in Trent that was resolued in foure dayes which in Germanie hath beene so long discussed without conclusion These aduertisements were not hearkened vnto because the Prelates had no hope to bee able by studie to bee well informed in the crabbed schoole-poynts neither durst they goe about to make triall of it and because the Legats had receiued absolute command from Rome to define this matter in the next session they were constrained to auoid the difficulties especially because the Cardinall of Monte was resolued to make this great iumpe by all meanes And therefore calling vnto him the Generals of the Orders and the Diuines Catarinus and Vega who spake more then the rest he charged them to passe by the difficulties and helpe forward the dispatch The Prelates deputed to frame the decree with the assistance of the Diuines deuided the matter into fiue Anathematismes The first of the personall sin of Adam the second of the transfusion into posterity the third of the remedy by baptisme the fourth of the baptisme of children the fifth of concupiscence remaining After this the opinions of the Zuinglians were cōdemned in the foure first and of Luther in the fifth They conferred on these Articles almost all adding and taking away what they thought fit with much concord but onely that the Franciscan Bishops and Fryars approoued not The Franciscans desire that the Virgine Mary should be excepted that it should be generally sayd that the sinne of Adam passed into all mankinde because the blessed Virgine the mother of our LORD was comprehended if shee were not particularly excepted and they desired the exception The Dominicans said on the contrary that the proposition so generall and without exception was Saint Pauls and all the holy Doctors and therefore that it was not fit to alter it with an exception and that contradiction waxing warme they fell into the question which the Legates had often diuerted They said that though the Church had tolerated the opinion of the conception yet hee that would examine the matter well might find that shee was not exempted from the common infection And the others opposed that it would bee as much as to condemne the Church who celebrateth the conception as immaculate and a kinde of ingratitude derogating from the honour due vnto her by whom all the graces of CHRIST passe vnto vs. The disputations turned into contention so farre that the Emperours Ambassadour had hope to obtaine his designe that the matter might not be proposed in the next Session Many things were proposed vpon that occasion which caused them to A discourse of the Author to shew how the blessed Virgin came to be worshipped proceede to the Decree which shall bee rehearsed which because it afforded matter of discourse for the entire vnderstanding of all it is necessary to relate from the beginning the originall of this controuersie After that the impietie of Nestorius had diuided CHRIST making two sonnes and denying him to be God who was borne of the blessed Virgin the Church to inculcate the Catholike trueth in the mindes of the faithfull made often mention of her in the Churches as well of the East as of the West with this short forme of wordes in Greeke Maria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Latin Maria mater Dei This beeing instituted onely for the honour of CHRIST was by little and little communicated also to the mother and finally applyed to her alone and therefore when images began to multiplie CHRIST was painted as a babe in his mothers armes to put vs in minde of the worship due vnto him euen in that age But in progresse of time it was turned into the worship of the mother without the sonne hee remayning as an appendex in the picture The writers and Preachers especially those that were contemplatiue caried with the torrent of the vulgar which is able to doe much in these matters leauing to mention CHRIST inuented with one accord new prayses Epithites and religious seruices in so much that about the yeere 1050. a dayly Office was instituted to the blessed Virgin distinguished by seuen Canonical houres in a forme which anciently was euer vsed to the honour of the Diuine Maiestie and in the next hundred yeeres the worship so increased that it came to the height euen to attribute that vnto her which the Scriptures speake of the Diuine wisedome And amongst these inuented nouities this was one her totall exemption from originall sinne Yet this remayned onely in the breasts of some few priuate men hauing no place in Ecclesiasticall ceremonies or amongst the learned About the yeere 1136. the Canons of Lions dared to bring it into the Ecclesiasticall Offices Saint Bernard who liued in those times esteemed the most learned and pious of that age who was most frequent in the prayses of the blessed Virgin so farre as to call her the necke of the Church by which euery grace and influence passeth from the
is iust and honest to please the Pope but he knew wel that in a Nationall Councel he should neither be able to reconcile the parties nor find whom to make iudge The Ambassadour of Mentz and Triers diuided themselues from the other foure and being vnited with all the Catholikes approoued the Tridentine Councell and besought Caesar to protect it and to perswade the Protestants to goe thither and submit themselues vnto it They answered that the Councell in Trent was not free as was demanded and promised in the Imperiall Diets they desired againe that the Emperour would obserue the peace and ordaine that Religion might be established in a lawfull Councell of Germanie or an Imperiall Diet Job a Colloquie of learned men 〈◊〉 both 〈◊〉 In this Interim the Emperour had made secret prouision for warre which not being able longer to concedles 〈…〉 knowen to the Protestants in the Diet and because peace was concluded with the French King and The prouisions for warre against the 〈◊〉 Protest 〈…〉 〈◊〉 no longer be concealed truce with the T 〈…〉 euery one did easily perceiue the cause especially for that a fame was spread 〈…〉 the Pope also and Ferdinand did arme whereby all was in confusion And the Emperour seeing hee was discouered the ninth of Innosent the Cardinall of Trent Post to Rome to demand of the Pope the succours 〈◊〉 promised and sent Captaines with money into Italie and Flanders to leuie Souldiers and sollicited the Princes and Protestant German Captaines not combined with those of the league of Smalcalda to follow his colours affirming and promising bee would not make warre for Religion but suppresse the rebellion of some who vnder that pretence would not acknowledge the Lawes nor the Maiestie of the Prince By this promise he quieted many of the Cities who before had receiued the renouation in the Rites of the Church promising all beneuolence to the obedient and securitie for their Religion But in the Councell there being no more difference amongst the Fathers concerning the things discussed and the decrees of faith and reformation being framed the Emperours Ambassadour being not able any longer to resist the Legats resolution the seuenteenth of Iune being come the day appoynted for the Session Alexander Pichalhomini Bishop of Pianza sang Masse Marcus Laureus a Dominican Friar preached and when the vsual ceremonies were ended the decree of faith with fiue Anathematismes was read 1. Against him that confesseth not that Adam by transgressing hath The Decree of faith with 5. a 〈…〉 t 〈…〉 in the Session lost sanctitie and iustice incurred the wrath of God death and thraldome to the Deuill and is infected in soule and body 2. Against him that auerreth that Adam by sinning hath hurt himselfe onely or hath deriued into his posteritie the death onely of the body and not sinne the death of the soule 3. Against him that affirmeth that sinne which is one in the beginning and proper to euery one transmitted by generation not imitation can bee abolished by any other remedie then the death of CHRIST or denieth that the merit of CHRIST is applied as well to children as to those that bee of ripe yeeres by the Sacrament of Baptisme ministred in the forme and rite of the Church 4. Against him that de 〈…〉 eth that children which are newly borne ought to be baptized though the sonnes of Christians or saith they are baptized for remission of sinnes but not because they haue contracted any originall sinne from Adam 5. Against him that denyeth that by the grace of Baptisme the guilt of originall sinne is remitted or saith that all is not remooued which hath the true and proper nature of sinne but that it is razed and not imputed concupiscence still remaining in the baptized for an exercise which cannot hurt but him that consenteth to it the which beeing called sinne by the Apostle the Synod declareth that it is no true and proper sinne but is so termed because it ariseth from sinne and inclineth to it That the Synod meaneth not to comprehend in the decree the blessed Virgin but that the constitutions of Sistus 4. ought to be obserued which it doth renew The Decree of the reformation containeth two parts one in matter of the Lectures the other of the Sermons For the Lectures it was ordered that in the Churches where there is a stipend allotted for reading Diuinitie the Bishop should prouide that the holy Scripture should bee read by the Stipendary it he be fit and not being fit the Bishop should depute a substitute The Decree of reformation to performe the charge but for hereafter that the benefice should not bee conferred but vpon a sufficient person That in the Cathedrall Churches of populous Cities and collegiate Churches of great Castles where no such stipend is assigned the first Prebend that falleth void should bee applyed to that vse or some simple benefice or a contribution of all beneficed men to institute the Lecture That in poore Churches there should bee at the least a Master to teach Grammer who shall enioy the fruits of some simple benefice or haue a stipend from the Capitular or Episcopall table or the Bishop shall finde some other way to effect it That in the Cloysters of Monkes there should be a Diuinitie Lecture if it may bee wherein if the Abbats shall bee negligent they shall bee constrained to doe it by the Bishop as the Popes Delegate That in the Conuents of the Regulars there should bee deputed Masters of sufficiencie to performe this charge That in publique studies where a Diuinitie Lecture is not instituted it shall bee instituted by the charitie and pietie of Princes and Republiques and where it hath beene instituted and neglected it shall bee restored That none shall bee made a Lecturer either publike or priuate before hee bee approoued by the Bishop as fit for his life manners and knowledge except those that reade in the Cloysters of Monkes That the priuiledges granted by law to Publique Readers in Diuinitie and schollers for the enioying of the fruits of their benefices in their absence shall be preserued Concerning Sermons the Decree containeth that the Bishops and Prelates bee bound if they bee not hindered to preach the Gospel in person and if they bee to substitute men of sufficiencie That the inferiour Curates ought to teach things necessary to saluation either by themselues or others at the least on Sundayes and solemne Feasts whereunto they shall bee constrained by the Bishops any exemption notwithstanding And the Curates of the Parishes subiect to Monasteries which are in no diocesse shall be constrained to the same by the Metropolitanes as Delegates of the Pope in case the Regular Prelate shall be negligent That the Regulars shall not preach except they be approoued for their life maners and knowledge by their superiours and in the Churches of their Order they shall demand the benediction of the Bishop before the Sermon begin but in other Churches they
not it should bee sayd that faith is formed with charity because that kind of speach is not vsed by Saint Paul but onely that faith worketh by charity Others vnderstood that iustifying faith was faith in generall not saying it was either liuely or dead because they doe both iustifie after diuers manners either compleatly as the liuely or as a beginning or foundation as the historicall faith and of this Saint Paul speaketh when he attributeth iustice vnto it no otherwise then as Philosophie is contained in the alphabet that is as in a basis which is as it were nothing the principall remaining that is to set the statue vpon it This second opinion was iointly maintained by the Dominicans and Franciscans the other by Marinarus and his adherents But the principall point of the difficulty was not touched that is whether a man is iust and then doth iustly or by doing iustly becommeth iust They all agreed in one opinion that to say onely faith doeth iustifie was a proposition of many fenses and all absurd For God and the Sacraments doe iustifie as causes in their seuerall kindes so that the proposition hath that and many other exceptions The preparation also of the soule to receiue grace is a cause in its kinde so that faith cannot exclude that sort of workes But the Articles concerning workes that goe before grace all which Luther condemneth for sinne the Diuines censured for hereticall rather by way of inuectiue then otherwise condemning likewise of heresie the opinion taken in generall that humane workes without faith are sinne thinking it a cleare case that many actions of men are indifferent neither good nor euill and that others there are which though they bee not acceptable to God yet are morally good as the honest actions of Infidels and Christians which are sinners which to call honest and sinnes implieth a contradiction and the rather because in this ranke are included the heroicall actions so much commended by antiquity But Catarinus maintained that man without the speciall helpe of God can doe no worke which may truely bee good though morally but sinneth Catarinus his opinion concerning the value of workes still Therefore the workes of the Infidels who are not excited by God to beleeue and of the faithfull who are sinners before God stirreth them vp to conuersion though they seeme honest to men euen heroicall yet are truely sinnes and hee that commendeth them doth consider them in generall and according to externall appearance but hee that shall examine the circumstances of euery one shall finde they are peruerse and that for this Luther was not to bee condemned notwithstanding hee sayd that the Articles ought to bee censured as they speake of workes that follow preuenting grace which are a preparation to iustification as an abomination of sinne feare of hell and other terrours of conscience For confirmation of his opinion hee brought the doctrine of Saint Thomas that to doe a good worke the concurrence of all circumstances is necessary but the want of one onely is sufficient for an ill So that howsoeuer among the workes considered in generall some are indifferent yet in the singular there is no medium betweene hauing all the circumstances and wanting some Therefore euery particular action is good or euill neither is there to bee found any one indifferent And because amongst the circumstances the end is one all workes referred to a bad end are infected so that the Infidels referring all to a bad end their actions are sins though they seeme heroicall to him that knoweth not their intention Neither doth it make any difference whether the relation to a bad end be actuall or habituall because the iust doth merit though hee referreth not the worke actually to God but habitually onely He said further alleaging Saint Austine that it is sinne not onely to refer the action to a bad end but also not to referre it to a good and because hee defended that without the speciall preuenting assistance of God a man cannot referre any thing to God he concluded that no good morall worke can bee before For this he alleadged many places of Saint Austine to shew that hee was of this opinion He alleadged also places of Saint Ambrose Saint Prosper S. Anselmus and of other Fathers He produced Gregory of Arimini the Cardinall of Rochester who in his booke against Luther was cleerely of the same opinion saying it was better to follow the Fathers then the Schoole-men who are diuided and rather to take the Scriptures for a ground from whence true Theologie is taken then the subtilties of Philosophy which the Schooles haue vsed that himselfe also was of that opinion but hauing studied the Scriptures and Fathers had found the trueth Hee alleadged the passage of the Gospel A bad tree cannot beare good fruit with the amplification which our Sauiour added saying Either make the tree good and the fruit good or the tree euill and the fruit euill He vsed also other arguments and especially the place of Saint Paul that nothing can be cleane to Infidels because their minde and conscience is spotted This opinion was very sharpely impugned by Soto proclaiming it hereticall Soto proclaymeth the opinion of Catarinus to bee hereticall for inferring that man had not libertie to doe well nor could obtaine his naturall end which was to denie Free-will with the Lutheranes Hee maintained a man might by that strength of nature obserue euery precept of the Law in regard of the substance of the worke though not in regard of the end which was enough to auoid sinne Hee said there were three sorts of humane actions one the transgression of the Law which is sinne another the obseruation thereof hauing charity for the end which is meritorious and acceptable to God the third mixt when the Law is obeyed for the substance of the precept which worke is morally good and perfect in its kinde because it accomplisheth the Law making euery worke good according to morality auoiding by that meanes all sin But he moderated this great perfection of our nature by adding that it was one thing to take heede of any one particular sinne and another to beware of all together and sayd that a man might auoid any one but not all by the example of him that had a vessell with three holes who could not stoppe them with two hands but could stop which two of them he would one remaining open of necessity This doctrine did not satisfie some of the Fathers For though it clearly shewed that all workes are not sinnes yet it did not wholly salue Free-will because it will necessarily follow that it is not free in auoiding all sinne But Soto giuing the title of good workes vnto these knew not how to determine whether they were preparatory to iustification It seemed to him they were in regard of the goodnesse of them and it seemed they were not considering the doctrine of Saint Austine approoued by Saint Thomas and other good Diuines