farre that when a man is at the perfectest yet can he not be sure he standeth in grace or shall perseuere therein Digression 38. Against the distinction of sin into mortall and veniall 26 The seuenth point of our doctrine condemned as an occasion of libertie is that we hold all sin to be mortall of it selfe and none veniall And we readily confesse indeed that this distinction in that sense is false and being deuised to maintaine the fancie of a mans perfect righteousnesse and power to fulfill the law we refuse it as idle and impious And because they say oâ—r so doing teacheth men to be carelesse in auoiding sin let the Reader iudge whether it restraine more to say as we do All your sinnes though neuer so small are mortall in their owne nature deseruing condemnation or as they do Not all are such but some are b Henriq sunâ— moral l. 4. c. 20. n. 5. veniall neither offering iniury to God nor deseruing hell nor binding vs to be so sory for theÌ„ but they c Tho. part 3. q. 83. 87. ar 3. Ouand 4. d. 16. pr. 77. Linwood l. 3. de celebrat miss c. Linte amina § vlt. may be forgiuen by knocking the brest going into a Church receiuing holy water or the Bishops blessing or crossing ones selfe or by any worke of charitie though we neuer thinke actually of them Let this conceit be well beaten into mens heads and withall define many * As for example Quamius formalis maledictio ex suo geneâ—e sit peccatum mortale vt doâ—et D. Tho. Poteâ—t â—amen et idem tra â—it esse tantum veiâ—le raâ—ioâ—e â—â—liâ—et paâ—â—itaâ—â— maâ—ctâ— it 〈…〉 bâ—â—â—ous qui 〈…〉 in 〈…〉 gâ—â— peccatâ—â— Atqâ—e hinc possunt saepe excusâ—i a mortal pâ—â—eâ—teâ— maledicentes filijs alio qui grauâ—bê° verbis vt commendando illos daemoni Greg. de Valen. tom 3 pag. 1090. B. grosse and vnseemly things very incident to the life of man to be such venials and then see who they be that vntie sinne most 27 And though we thus reiect this distinction yet is not our meaning hereby that all sinnes are equall and of like deformitie or haue the same effects or stand in one degree of contrarietie to grace or that none are veniall through the mercie of God for our trust is that through the bloud of Christ and true repentance d Matth 12.31 1. Iohn 2 1. O â—ee Christe SpeÌ„ capâ—o sore quicquid ago veniab le apud te Quamlibet indignum venia faciamque loquarque Prud. Hâ—mart in sine the mortallest sins that are shall be forgiuen vs. But we thinke it a false and presumptuous opiâ—ion to hold any sinne veniall of it owne kind that is including nothing that offendâ—th God or deserueth his iudgment Wherein we haue many great Papists on our side that our accusers may behold their conscience in smattering against that in vs which is printed for good diuinitie in their owne bookes Almaine e Moral tract 3 c. 20. saith It is a question among the schoole-doctors whether there be any such sin or no and himselfe concludeth out of Gerson that no sin is veniall of it selfe but onely through the mercie of God it being a contradiction that God should forbid an act vnder a penaltie and when he hath done the said act should not be mortall of it owne nature because being thus forbidden it is against his law and that which is against his law is of infinite euill and so mortall Of the same iudgement is f Contra artic Lutheri art 32. Fisher the Bishop of Rochester and g De vit spir lect 1. Gerson the Chancellor of Paris h Vocab Theol verbo PeccatuÌ„ veniale who comparing the rules that are ordinarily giuen to distinguish betweene mortall and veniall concludeth he can find no difference Besides i Opinio est Altisiodorensis celebrata in scholis quòd peccata venialia minuunt charitateÌ„ Haec opinio non tam improbabilis est sicut solet videri Altisiod sum l. 3. tract 6. ca. 5. q. 1. Fr. Victor re l. 8. par 2. n. 21 some schoolemen confesse that which they call venial sinne diminisheth charitie and k Duran 2. d. 42. q. 6. Nauar. manual praelud 7. n. 16. Vega def Trid. l. 11 c. 20. Greg. de ValeÌ„t tom 2. pag. 634. Et Caietan 1. 2. q. 72. ar 5. Azor. instit mor. par 1 l. 4. c. 19. others denie not but it is properly against the law of God whence it followeth that it deserueth the curse and so is mortall because l Deut. 27.26 the law saith Cursed be he that performeth not all the words of this law to do them Yea the very name of sinne attributed to it sheweth it is mortall and partaketh the very nature of sinne the diuision of sin into mortall and veniall being as Durand and Nauar hold * Est diuisio vniuoci quia ratio peccati simpliciter vniuoce saluatur in vtioque Dur. the diuision of that which signifieth the same thing and vpholdeth the selfe same forme of sin in the parts deuided that we may see how they are crossed at home in their owne schooles m Bell. de amis gr l. 1. c. 11. § QuintuÌ„ arguin who say venials are sin by analogie and imperfectly and not vniuocally Thus the Papists themselues haue misliked this distinction as well as we whose discretion should be more commended if they would spare our doctrine and ouersee it at least vntill they haue made sure it finde no secret friends in their owne Church For as long as they that wrangle against it are driuen by the truth thereof to yeeld vnto it the Protestants will take courage thereby and embrace the faith yet more ioyfully which hath aduocates to pleade for it at the Popes owne gates This is not said to condemne the vse of this distinction of sinne by the * Melancthon Remisit P. Martyâ— Vrsinus c. Protestants in another sence not of the different nature of sinne but of the diuers state and condition of the persons that sinne as they sinne either against their knowledge and conscience or of ignorance surreption and such infirmitie in which respect they call the former mortall or raigning sinnes excluding the rule of grace and drawing vpon the sinner the guilt of death the other veniall as consisting with grace and a liuing faith by meanes whereof they are pardoned and not imputed Digression 39. Touching the satisfaction that men are bound vnto for their sinnes 28 Next he accuseth vs for teaching against penance and satisfaction taught by Iohn Baptist and our blessed Sauiour wherin he speaketh vntruly of vs. For touching penance I will answer n §. 58. below in a fitter place And concerning satisfaction we beleeue that although Christ hath satisfied for the fault and punishment both eternall and temporall of our sinnes yet our selues are bound to satisfie the commandements of the Gospel
9.16 2. Cor. 8 14. that he may of his abundant charitie do more then the commandements require and so both merite for himselfe and supererogate for others that want merits of their owne And though they seeme to except veniall sinnes yet that is no matter for r Henriq sum moral l 4. c. 20. nu 5. Bellar. de amiss gr l. 1. c. 3. Biel. lect 7. in Can. they thinke such are no sinnes but a light matter as it were a little dust that riseth vpon ones garment without hurting or changing it repugnant neither to grace nor charitie not turning a man from God nor deseruing eternall punishment nor breaking friendship with God and therefore require neither penance nor confession nor repentance but he that dieth therein may be saued The which being so they had as good haue not excepted them at all for what kind of sinne is that which neither offendeth God nor is against charitie nor offereth him iniury nor deserueth his anger nor requireth any sorow for it Nay Å¿ Bonauent Compend theol l. 3. c. 12. Valent tom 2. pag. 838. some of them say expresly a man by the speciall grace of God may liue without it too all the dayes of his life This is the thing that we mislike and hearken to it they which brag of themselues that they sinne not yet cal others Puritans the which name was therefore giuen the Nouatians t Augus de haeres c. 38. Isid Orig. l. 8. c. de haeres Lindan Panopl l. 4 c. 64. because they thought they were pure from all sin as the Papists do it is reareason they partake the name that communicate in the opinions and none else 20 This being the difference betweene vs I am contented the Scriptures iudge and Fathers say who are in the wrong and let the Reader giue eare how one of them greeteth this Iesuit u Pelusiot l. 1. ep 100. Why doest thou foolishly glorie as if thou wert pure why doest thou counterfet thy selfe to be voide of sin what doest thou renouncing the fellowship of nature x Iob. 9.30 Iob said If I wash my selfe in snow water and purge my hands most cleane yet shalt thou plunge me in the pit and mine owne clothes will make me filthy Saint Iames y Iac. 3.2 saith In many things we sin all The Prophet z Esa 64.6 confesseth We are all vncleane and all our righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth And a Pro. 20 9. Salomon Who can say I haue made my heart cleane I am pure from my sin And of such as our aduersaries are he b Pro. 30.12 saith There is a generation pure in their owne conceit and yet are not washed from their filthinesse Saint Ambrose c Comment in Gal. 3. saith The commandements are such that it is vnpossible to keepe them And Saint Austin d Confess l. 9. c. 13. Wo be to the commendablest life that we leade if thou Lord setting thy mercie aside shouldest examine it Beside the Papists cannot reconcile that they say with the rest of their opinion to make theÌ„ agree For the Rhemists grant e In Mat. 6.12 Euery man be he neuer so iust yet because he liueth not without veniall sins may truly and ought to say this prayer Forgiue vs our trespasses Wherein granting that the iustest man is bound to say Forgiue vs they admit also that he keepeth not the law else it were superfluous to aske pardon where there is no sinne or where the sinne is so small that it deserueth no punishment And suppose the fancie were true that God must be intreated because of veniall sinnes yet that proueth them to be directly against his law as f Almain moral tract 3 c. 20. Vega des Trid. l. 11. c 20. some learned Papists acknowledge they are because Gods iustice bindeth no man to humble himselfe that hath not offended his law veniall sinnes therefore being against the morall law as Almaine and Vega confesse and binding vs to aske pardon for them and no man liuing without them it followeth that no man can keepe the law 21 And whereas it is obiected that God would not bid man do that which is impossible forasmuch as no man chuseth that which cannot be done * Nam fatentur doctores quòd aliquis bene potest obligari ad impossibile propter eius culpam hoc quando obligatio praecedit illâ—d impossible Almain moral c. 1. Non omnis impoteÌ„tia bene agendi excusat homineÌ„ à peccato si non bene agat quia non illa quae est poena peccati Greg. Arimin 2 d. 26. pag 103. I answer first that men are iustly bidden do that which they cannot because through the fall of Adam they haue depriued themselues of that strength wherby they might haue bene able Secondly they are reuoked to the law not to be iustified by keeping it but that it might be their schoole-master to Christ to shew them their miserie to driue them to faith to direct their liues And it is an impotent foolishnesse to thinke that the proposition of the law could be for no other end but to binde men to keepe it or if it were propounded for that end yet that the children of God are not deliuered from it Thus Saint Austin g De grat lib arbit ad Valen. c. 16. answered the Pelagians obiecting as the Papist doth The Pelagians thinke they haue spoken doughtily when they say God wold neuer command what he knew vnpossible for man to do as who should say any bodie knew not so much But therefore he commandeth things vnpossible that we might know what to craue of him For it is our faith which by prayer obtaineth that which the law requireth And Bernard more fully h In Cant. serm 50. saith Therein thou must yeeld vnto me that the commandement neither hath bene fulfilled in this life by any man nor can be For who dareth arrogate to himselfe that which Saint Paul confesseth he could not comprehend Neither was our Master ignorant how the weight of the law exceeded mans strength yet he thought it profitable thereby to giue them warning of their owne insufficiencie that they might know to what righteousnes they should bend as far as they might By coÌ„manding therfore things impossible he made not men sinners but huÌ„bled them that euery mouth might be stopt and the whole world made subiect to God when no flesh shal be iustified in his sight by the works of the law for when we receiue the coÌ„mandement and feele our weaknes we crie to heauen So that Saint Austine and Bernard we see say as we do the commandements are vnpossible to be kept and yet for all that they teach how men may labour therein with profit and bring them selues to humilitie and the faith of Iesus Christ which is the true vse of the law that men seeing their infirmitie might seeke for the pardon of their sinnes at
freewill 56 But in spirituall things concerning the saluation of our soules the case is otherwise for the manifesting whereof we must consider that there are two states or degrees of our life The first is called the state of sin containing that part of our life which is before regeneration and iustification in which state they are which are not iustified till God call them and then they enter into the second degree called the state of grace because then the grace of God freeth them from the bondage of their former corruption Now the question is what power mans will hath in spirituall things so long as he abideth in the state of sinne and whether by the strength of his owne will onely without faith and the speciall helpe of God he be able to yeeld obedience to Gods law or to do any thing auaileable to the pleasing of God and the sauing of his soule We answer negatiuely that he is not because b 1. Cor. 2.14 Eph. 4.17 his vnderstanding and iudgement in such things is starke blind and c Gen. 6.5 Rom. 8.7 the will by nature is turned from God that it can follow nothing but that which is euill and repugnant to Gods will d Rom. 7.14 8.8 whose law being spirituall cannot be obeyed by such as are carnal liuing in the flesh but e Rom. 14.23 Eph. 2.5 Col. 2 13. Gal. 3.10 Deut. 6.5 all that they do is sin til the grace of iustificatiō come and renew them And although God call none thereunto but by meanes and secondary causes yet these causes are the inward light of the spirit and the outward preaching of the Gospel the wil of man being meerly passiue in the first act of conuersion 57 But the Papists hold otherwise whose seuerall assertions against this doctrine I wil briefly collect and set downe in order that you may see what they ascribe to mans wil in spirituall things in the state of vnregeneration and view the differences betweene vs. But first I must put you in mind that the warier sort of them in words seeme to ioyne Gods grace with our will to helpe it in all such actions as they hold it can do in this state require the ayd thereof as if without it they would grant it could do nothing So f De grat lib. arb l. 6. c. 4. in titulo Bellarmine saith Mans will in things appertaining to pietie and saluation can will nothing without the assistance of Gods grace yea g Ib. § Nos tres the speciall assistance And somtime they reuile vs for charging them with the contrary but this is but a fetch to deceiue the ignorāt and a dram of their wit to make their Pelagianisme go downe the easilier For h Gabr. 2. d. 28. lit l. n. Ockā 1. d. 17. q. 3. ad 2. Altisiod l. 2. pag 70. many require no such assisting grace as shall appeare and some say we need it not as if freewill were absolutely vnable without it but of Gods liberalitie it is infused into the wil being disposed before to make it will the more easily which was the very heresie of Pelagius They define this grace to be no more but the generall helpe which we need in naturall things and such as the very Pagans haue They maintaine the merit of congruitie wherein of all hands it is confessed there is the influence of no special grace it only consisting in doing that which is in our owne power and i Actus ille tanquam dispositio praecedit gratiae infusionē Gabr vbi supra going before the infusion of all grace at least in nature Yea the Iesuite himselfe that seemeth so religiously to ascribe the power of our will to Gods grace k Bella. de grat lib. arb l. 5. c. 4 § Intra hos censureth certaine Schoole-men because they had writ that the generall influence of Gods grace being admitted yet no man by his naturall freewill could do any good without his speciall helpe and contrary to that he said before writeth expresly l Lib. 6. cap. vlt. Man before all grace hath free-will not onely to things morall and naturall but euen to the workes of pietie and to things supernaturall The which kind of proceeding how it can be reconciled with that they pretend touching the vniting of Gods speciall grace with our will it passeth my vnderstanding to conceiue for they are contrary And this was necessary to be obserued in the dealing of our aduersaries because this shew of words that Gods grace must go with our wil is the veile whereby they hide their deceit and the vizard that couereth their Pelagian faces that the ignorant should not know them and carieth so good semblance of reason that as Saint Austin said of the like words vsed by the Pelagians we would receiue them without scruple but that they speake them whose meaning is wel enough knowne vnto vs. Now I wil set downe what they ascribe to freewil in the state of sinne 58 First that thereby a man may auoide sinne when he is tempted to it which the word of God m 1. Ioh. 5 4. 1 Pet. 5.9 Eph. 6.11 ascribeth to grace onely Biel n 2. d. 28. lit k. saith Freewill by it owne nature without the gift of grace can eschue euery new mortall sinne and the habits of grace infused or attained cooperate with the will to helpe it to will delightfully readily and easily and no otherwise And that this is a common opinion among the Schoole men it appeareth by Ariminensis o 2. d. 26. pag. 95 who confuteth it And p Bell. de grat lib. arb l. 5. c. 7 the Iesuites say that for the ouercoming of tentations so that no sinne be committed they do not alway require Gods speciall helpe properly so called that is to say internall illumination and his supernaturall motion but any help whatsoeuer 59 Secondly they hold that a man by his owne naturall strength can know and do that which is morally good according to the morall law and precept of true reason and wherein there is no sinne q Greg. de Val. to 2. pag 815. b. idem Bellar. l. 5. c. 4. 9. One saith Some morall works of the easier sort may thus be done when no great temptation riseth against vs. But this is nothing r Bella. l. 5. c. 14. Another saith Man in the state of corrupted nature hath freewill touching things morall and ſ Lib. 6. c. 15. before any grace come to him he hath a remote and vnperfect power to do the works of godlinesse otherwise it cannot be conceiued how mans will should actiuely concurre to the workes of godlinesse And yet further they say t Scot. 2 d 28. Dur. ib. q. 4 Abulent Mat. 19. q. 178. All the commaundements that are naturall may be obserued throughout the whole life of man without the helpe of Gods grace onely by the strength of nature and all