seek for another righteousness or justification to be received at Gods own hands that is to say the forgiveness of his sins and this justification or righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits embraced by faith is taken accepted and allowed by God for our perfect and full justification We are justified freely by faith without the works of the Law Homily of Salvation of Mankind pag. 13. there 't is further said That on our part we are justified by faith in the merits of Christ which is not ours but by Gods working it in us There 't is said also That the justice of man is shut out of Justification and yet that faith shutteth not out repentance hope love fear of God to be joined with faith in every man that is justified but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying so it shutteth not out good works which are necessary to be done afterwards of duty to God but it excludeth them so that we may not do them to this intent to be made just by doing of them Whosoever denieth this Doctrine that faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary 〈◊〉 Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Mans righteousness cannot make himself righteous by his owâ— works neither in part nor in wholâ— That we are justified only by faith 〈◊〉 * We are not justified by our own good works either in part or in whole Christ So speak all the Fathers botâ— Greek and Latin Hilary Basil Aâ—brose Hilary saith these words plaiâ—ly Faith only justifieth Canon 9th upon Matthew Ambrâ— saith thus This is the ordinance of God that they which belieâ—â— in Christ should be saved without works by faith only freely receiving remission of their sins Consider diligently these wordâ— without works by faith only freely we receive remission of oâ— sins Ibi. p 14 15 16 17. The true meaning of this Doctrinâ— we be freely justified by faith without works or that we be justâ—fied by faith in Christ only is not that this is our own act to bâ—lieve in Christ or this faith in Christ doth justifie us and deserâ— our justification unto us for that were to count our selves to 〈◊〉 justified by some act or vertue that is within our selves but tâ—â— true understanding and meaning thereof is that although we heâ— Gods word and believe it although we have Faith Hope Chariâ—â— Repentance and fear of God within us and do add never so maâ— works thereunto yet we must renounce the merit of all our saâ—â— vertues of Faith Hope Charity and all other vertues and gooâ— deeds which we either have done shall do or can do as thing that be far too weak insufficient and imperfect to deserve remissioâ— of our sins and our justification and therefore we must trust oâ—ly in Gods mercy and that Sacrifice which our high * Which shews that faith justifieth as it receives Christ as an high Priest or Saviour not as a King as Mr. Fowler would have in the first place in his free Discourse p. 161. I receive Christ as my Prophet but he doth not justifie mâ— as he is my Prophet or my King Priest anâ— Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of Goâ— once offered thereby Gods grace Iâ—â— p. 17. Faith as great a vertue as it is yet it putteth us from it self and remitteth or appointeth us unto Chrisâ— for to have only by him remission oâ— our sins or justification so thâ— our faith doth as it were say to uâ— it is not I that take away your sins BUT IT IS CHRIST ONLY to him only I send you for thaâ— purpose forsaking therein all your good vertues words thoughts and works and only putting your trust in Christ Ibid. pag. 18. 2. 'T is not only contrary to her Homilies but also to her Articles of Religion Article 11th We are counted righteous before God only for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith and not for our own good works That we are justified by faith alone is a must wholesome Doctrine as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification To which for further proof I refer you And Article the twelfth 't is said thus Albeit that good works which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification cannot put away our sins Now Mr Fowler or any of his party cannot put off the Doctrine of the Church of England to which he hath subscribed as he doth our learned mens arguments against the Papists by saying as they do that the Apostle meant when he said That we are not justified by works works of the Ceremonial * Mr. Fowler 's Free Discourse p. 186. Law but not the works of the Moral Law or if them Those only which are done by the strength of nature but not those which proceed from faith For the Church of England excludes all our works even those that proceed from Faith And they intended in their Homilies and Articles of Religion Dr. Field of the Church 2d part p 861. We teach that he excludeth all these that is that St. Paul excluded from Justification all the works of Moses Law Ceremonial and Moral to overthrow the false Doctrine of the Church of Rome and to establish the Doctrine of Justification according to the Doctrine of the Gospel in opposition to Popery For it saith expresly That whosoever denieth this Doctrine that Faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a CHRISTIAN MAN nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an ADVERSARY to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily for Salvation of Mankind p. 16 17. And again That were the greatest arrogancy and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and purge his own sins and so justifie himself Ibid. pag. 17. By which you may see that to deny this Doctrine That we are justified by faith alone and to affirm that we are justified by our own good works is not a Christian but a proud presumptuoâ—â— antichristian Doctrine And to affirm or insinuate that our persons are justified before God partly by our faith and partly by our own good works is also cleaâ—ly against the express Doctrine of the Church of England for 〈◊〉 saith that faith shuteth out good works yea it self as 't is an act habiâ— or work from our justification and remitteth and directeth us to Chrisâ— merits for our justification as may be seen above 3. 'T is contrary also to Canonical Scripture Gal. 2. 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the faith 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be jâ—stified by the faith of Jesus Christ and not by the works of the Law 〈◊〉 by the works of the Law shall no flesh be
it theâ— he did more sensibly and firmly rest upon God for the performance of his promise to him 2. If mens persons are justified before God by their own personal good works then they are so justified either by those good works they do before their faith or by those that follow after their faith but they are not justified before God by their own personal good works which they do before their Faith nor by those which they do after their Faith or after they believe in Christ therefore they are not justified before God by their own personal works 1. Their persons are not justified before God by their works which they do before they believe in Christ because they are not formally good they are not pleasing unto God for as much as they spring not from faith in Jesus Christ neither do they make men meet to receive grace and so do not dispositivè justifie as Papists hold or as the School-Authors say deserve grace of congruity yea rather for that they are not done as God hath commanded them to be done we doubt not but that they have the nature of sin So saith the Church of England in her 13th Article of Religion Works done before faith in Christ though they may be materially good yet they are not formally good but are perfectly evil yea are * Virtutes Eâ—hnicorum sunt splendida peccata Rom. 1. 17. sins for whatsoever is not of faith is sin saith St. Paul and the Church of England Rom. 14. 23. Homily of good Works T. 1. p. 30. 2. Their persons are not justified before God by those good works which they do after they believe in Christ and which proceed from Faith in Christ which I prove thus 1. By the twelfth Article of Religion of the Church of England Albeit that good works which are the fruits of faith and follow after justification cannot put away our sins and endure the severity of Gods judgment 2. Because they are imperfectly good and so stand in need of the perfect righteousness of Christ to cover their infirmities as may be proved by our Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 177. Our acts and deeds be full of imperfectness and infirmity and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour much less to challenge that glory that is due to Christ acts and merits 3. Because they follow the justified and are done after their justification and this argument the Church of England teacheth out of Saint Augustine in her Homily of good works T. 2. p. 82. Good * Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequntur justificatum S. August de fide operibus c. 4. 14. And this Doctrine John Lambert Martyr sealed with his blood Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1091. works go not before in him which shall afterward be justified but good works do follow after when a man is justified 4. Because it was confessed on all hands that no mens persons were ever justified before God by doing of evil works and therefore the Apostle had no need to prove that men were not justified by them but the works of unbelievers are †If an Heathen may cloath the naked feed the hungry and do such other like works yet because he doth them not in faith for the honour and love of God they be but dead vain and fruitless works to him Hom. of Faith p. 31. See there also p 30. all the life of them that lack true faith is sin Ibi. p. 31. evil works for an evil tree cannot bring forth good fruit Mat 7. 17. And whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14. 23. And without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. Therefore it follows that the Apostle Paul did intend to prove that the good works of men which proceed from faith do not justifie menspersons in Gods sight 5. And lastly Papists themselves distinguishing of a twofold Justification first and second confess that all works are excluded from the first Justification which only is properly Justification their second is Sanctification properly Bellarmine himself Lib. 4 c. 15. de Justificatione confesseth that the Apostle Paul doth in the Epistle to the Romans dispute of the first Justification therefore he excludes all our works from the Justification of our persons before God 4. It is contrary to the Confession of Faith of the Reformed Churches of Christ as may clearly be seen in the Harmony of Confessions Sect. 9. To give you a sight of some things they declare at large the latter Confession of Helvetia c. 15. saith thus To justifie in the Apostles disputation touching Justification doth signifie to remit sins to absolve from the fault and the punishment thereof to receive into favour to pronounce a man just for the Apostle saith to the Romans God is he that justifieth who is he that can condemn where to justifie and condemn are opposed and in the Acts of the Apostles Act. 13. the Apostle saith Through Christ is preached unto you forgiveness of sins and from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses by him every one that believeth is justified For in the law also and in the Prophets we real Deut. 25. 1. That if a controversie were risen amongst any and they came to judgment the judg shaâ—l judg them that is justifie the righteous and condemn the wicked And in the fifth Chapter of Isaiah Wo to them that justifie the wicked for rewards Now it is most certain that we are all by nature sinners and before the judgment-seat of God convicted of ungodliness and guilty of death but we are justified that is acquitted from sin and death by God the Judg through the grace of Christ alone and not by any respect or merit of ours For what is more plain than that which Paul saith All have sinned and are destitute of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus for Christ took upon himself and bare the sins of the world and did satisfie the justice of God God therefore is merciful unto our sins for Christ alone that suffered and rose again and doth not impute them to us but he imputeth the justice of Christ unto us for our own so that now we are not only cleansed from sin and purged and holy but also endued with the righteousness of Christ yea and acquitted from sin death and condemnation finally we are righteous and heirs of eternal life To speak properly then it is God alone that justifieth us and that only for Christ by not imputing to us our sins but imputing Christs righteousness unto us But because we do receive this Justification not by any works but by faith in the mercy of God and in Christ therefore we teach and believe with the Apostle that sinful man is justified only by faith in Christ not by the Law or by any works For the Apostle saith Rom. 3. We
have quoted your own approved Authors Take therefore the Confession of Protestant Churches in this matter 1. The Confession of Belgia who Article 22 say thus Yet to speak properly we do not mean that faith by it self or of it self doth justifie us which is but only an instrument whereby we apprehend Christ which is our justice Christ therefore himself is our righteousness which imputeth all his merits unto us faith is but the instrument whereby we are coupled unto him by a participation and communion of all his benefits 2. See also the Confession of Ausburg who say thus When therefore we do say that we are justified by faith we do not mean that we are just for the worthiness of that vertue but this is our meaning that we do obtain remission of sins and imputation of righteousness by mercy shewed us for Christs sake But now this mercy cannot be received but by faith and faith doth not signifie here only a knowledg of the History but it signifieth a belief of the promise of mercy which is granted us through our Mediator Jesus Christ And seeing that faith is in this sort understood of a * Not of a strong fancying as Mr. Fowler saith they do Free Discourse p. 127 p. 130 confidence and trust of mercy St. Paul and St. James do not disagree for whereas James saith the Devils believe and tremble he speaketh of an Historical faith now this faith doth not justifie for the wicked and the Devils are cunning in the History But Paul when he saith faith is reckoned for righteousness heâ— speaketh of a trust and confidence of mercy promised for Christs sake whom we must receive by faith And so it goes on Harmony of Confessions Sect. the ninth 3. And the Synod of Dort in the second Chapter and fourth Error rejected the Synod having delivered the Orthodox Doctrine rejecteth the Errors of them Who teach that the New Covenant of Grace which God the Father by the Mediation of Christs death made with men doth not consist herein viz. That we are justified before God and saved by faith in so much as it apprehends the merits of Christ but herein viz. That God the exaction of perfect legal obedience being abrogated reputes faith it self and the imperfect obedience of faith for perfect obedience of the Law and graciously thinks it worthy of the reward of eternal life For these contradict the Scripture Rom. 3. 24 25. All are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God hath set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood And with wicked Socinus they bring in an uncouth and strange justification of man before God Arminians Socinians and Papists agree in this Antichristian Doctrine contrary to the consent of the whole Church 4. The Confession of Faith of the Church of Ireland made as Dr. Heylin saith by A B. Vsher and assented and consented to by the whole Clergy there and allowed and confirmed by the Parliament there and by King James here Anno 1615 When we say that we are justified by faith only we do not mean that the said justifying faith is alone in man without true repentance hope charity and the fear of God for such a faith is dead and cannot justifie Neither do we mean that this our act to believe in Christ or this our faith in Christ which is within us doth of it self justifie us or deserve our Justification unto us for that were to account our selves to be justified by the vertue or dignity of something that is within our selves but the true understanding and meaning thereof is that although we hear Gods word and believe it although we have Faith Hope Charity Repentance and the fear of God within us and add never so many good works thereunto yet we must renounce the merit of all our said vertues of Faith Hope Charity and all other vertues and good deeds which we either have done shall do or can do as things that be far too weak and unperfect and unsufficient to deserve remission of our sins and our justification and therefore we must trust only in Gods mercy and the merits of his most dearly beloved Son our only Redeemer Saviour and Justifier Jesus Christ Nevertheless because Faith directly sends us to Christ for our Justification and that by faith given us of God we embrace the promise of Gods mercy and the remission of our sins which thing none other of our vertues or works properly doth therefore the Scripture useth to say that faith without works and the ancient Fathers of the Church to the same purpose that only faith doth justifie us By justifying faith we understand not only the common belief of the Articles of Christian Religion and a perswasion of the truth of Gods word in general but also a particular application of the gracious promises of the Gospel to the comfort of our own souls whereby we lay hold on Christ with all his benefits having an earnest trust and confidence in God that he will be merciful to us for his only Sons sake Articles 36. 37. This is almost the same that I have before alledged out of our Books of Homilies 6. I shewed before the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland to be seen in the Confession of Faith made by the late learned and Orthodox Assembly of Divines That God doth freely justifie those whom he hath effectually called not by infusing righteousness into them but by pardoning their sins and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous not for any thing wrought in them or done by them but for Christs sake alone not by imputing faith it self the act of believing or any â—ther Evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness C. 11. And in their larger Catechism p. 95. which would be very useâ—ul and profitable not only for all young Students but also for our â—roud conceited Photinian Divines to study they shew how Faith doth â—ustifie Faith justifies a sinner in the sight of God not because of those other graces which do always accompany it or of good works that are the fruits of it nor as if the grace of faith or any act thereof were imputed to him for his Justification but only as it is an instrument by which he receiveth and applieth Christ and his righteousness Gal. 3. 11. Rom. 3. 28. Rom. 4. 5. with Rom. 10. 10. Joh. 1. 12. Phil. 3. 9. Gal. 2. 16. I conclude this particular with what Cicero said Oratio 19. to Cataline Nihil horum ora vultusque movêre ART V. That the persons of true Believers in Christ are not justified before God by the righteousness of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ imputed to them on Gods part and apprehended and applied by faith alone on their part THIS I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England 1. In her 11th Article of Religion We are accounted righteous before God only
for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ * That is applied by faith as the Thirtyfourth Article of the Church of Ireland explains it by faith and not for our own good works That we are justified by faith only is a most wholsome Doctrine As more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification 2. In her Homilies as Homily for Salvation of Mankind p. 13 14 15 16. No man by his own acts works or deeds seem they never so good can be justified and made righteous before God but every man is of necessity constrained to seek for another righteousness or justification to be â—â—ceived at Gods own hands that is to say forgiveness of his 〈◊〉 And this justification or righteousness whiâ—â— we so receive of Gods mercy * Vide 34. Article of the Church of Ireland and Christs â—â—rits imbraced by Faith is taken accepted 〈◊〉 allowed by God for our perfect and full justiâ—â—cation On our part we are justified by Faith 〈◊〉 the merits of Christ which is not ours 〈◊〉 by Gods working in us We are justified freely by Faith withoâ—â— the works of the Law Ambrose saith That is the Ordinance of Goâ—â— that they which believe in Christ should be saved without worâ—â— by faith only freely receiving remission of their sins And p. 18 〈◊〉 Faith putteth us from it self and remitteth or appointeth us 〈◊〉 Christ for to have only by him remission of our sins or justificatioâ—â— So that our Faith doth as it were say to us It is not I that take â—â—way your sins but it is Christ only and to him only I send you 〈◊〉 that purpose forsaking therein all your good vertues wordâ—â— thoughts and works and only putting your trust in Christ bâ—cause Faith doth directly send us to Christ for remission of our siâ—â— and that by Faith given us of God we embrace the promise of Goâ— mercy and of the remission of our sins which thing none otheâ— of our vertues or works properly doth therefore the Scriptuâ—â— useth to say That Faith without works doth justifie Faith onlâ— justifieth us is all one with St. Paul Faith without works justifietâ— us And in her Homily of Christs Death and Passion T. 2. p. 186 187 The only mean or instrument of Salvation required of our part iâ— Faith that is a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God whereby we perswade * This Mr. Fowler calls a strong fancying and thereby labours to scoff us out of our Religion and Faith p. 127 130. of his Free Discourse our selves that Goâ— both hath and will forgive our sins that he hath accepted us again into his favour and that he hath released us from the bonds of damnation and received us into the number of his Elect-people not for our deserts but only and solely for the merits of Christs Death and Passion who became man for our sakes and humbled himself to sustain the reproach of the Cross that we thereby might be saved and made inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven and Faith shall be imputed to us for righteousness as well as it was to Abraham Isaac and Jacob. And Ibid. p. 188. 't is said thus Faith is the only instrument of Salvation now left unto us By which 't is clear that it justifieth not as an act habit or work â—ut only as an instrument apprehending and applying the righteousness of Christ Observe that the word Faith in this Proposition We are â—ustified by faith is to be understood relatively with relation to or coâ—otation of its object and is sense equivalent to this We are justified by Christs merits or righteousness apprehended and applied by faith Here is a Metonimie where the effect of the principal cause Christ is attriâ—uted to the instrumental cause Faith as the Plow is said to enrich the husbandman and eating is said to nourish that is instrumentally it 's the corn that enricheth and the meat that is eaten nourisheth the Plow and eating are but the instruments So 't is said We are saved by hope that is by Christ in whom we do hope so here 't is said that faith justifieth that is Christs righteousness received and applied by Faith to the Believer justifieth him in Gods sight 2. Because 't is contrary to the judgment and declared Doctrine of all those learned and Orthodox Divines and * Vide Latter Confession of Helvetia p. 〈◊〉 King James in his pious Meditations upon certain Verses of Revel 20. saith the Pope is Antichrist and Popery the loosing of Satan which he proves by several marks among the rest this is one Blasphemeth he not in denying us to be saved by the imputation of Christ his righteousness p. 78. And K. James also saith That Christs sealed ones have washed their garments made themselves white in the blood of the Lamb for they by vertue of his deaâ—h are made righteous by imputation whose blood is the only full purgation of us from our sins In his Par. on Rev. c. 7. p. 22. Confessions I named before as may be seen before Yea and 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches as Mr. Pemble very fully and learnedly manifesteth against Papists and Arminians and Socinians in his Treatise of Justification Sec. 2. c. 1. p. 159. where he sheweth that the sentence of the Reformed Churches concerning the manner how Faith justifieth consisteth in two Branches 1. That a sinner is justified by faith not properly as it is a quality or action which by its own dignity and merit deserves at Gods hands remission of sins or is by Gods favourable acceptance taken for the whole and perfect righteousness of the law which is otherwise required of a sinner but only in relation unto the object of it the righteousness of Christ which it embraceth and resteth upon 2. That a sinner is justified by faith in opposition unto the righteousness works in the fulfilling of the Law whereby no man now can be justified Where interpreting this Proposition a man is justified by faith faith We must understand all things relatively thus a sinner is justified the sight of God from all sin and punishment by faith that is by the obeâ—â—ence of Jesus Christ believed on and imbraced by a true faith And this â—â—terpretation of that Proposition the Reformed Churches do admit and 〈◊〉 other rejecting as erroneous and contrary to the Scriptures such gloâ—â— as ascribe any thing to the * As Dr. Heylin Dr. Hammond Dr. Patrick and Mr. Fowler do as I have declared before dignity faith or make any combination betwâ—â—â— faith and works in the point of our Jusâ—â—fication Amongst which there are thâ—â—â— erroneous assertions touching mans Juâ—â—â—fication by faith which they reject 1. That faith justifieth us per modum causae efficientis meritoâ—â— as a proper efficient and meritorious cause which by its own worth and â—â—nity deserves to obtain Justification remission of sins and the grace well doing this is properly Popish which he refutes
Error rejected by them Dr. Heylins Introduction to his Cyp. Angl. p. 36. S. 37. p. 31. Montagues Gag p. 163 164 186. Appeal p. 213 214. be certain of their eternâ—â— salvation but may totally anâ— finally fall away from the actâ— and habits of saving-grace before they dye and be eternally damned THis I renounce In which there are two notable points 〈◊〉 Popery 1. That truly regenerated persons cannot be certain of their eterâ—â— salvation which Bellarmine for Papists affirms Dr. Ames for Protestants denies Vid. Dr. Ames his Bellarmin Enervat T. 4. l. 6. de justificatione c. 2 3 4. p. 152 153 154. 1. The Church of England saith thus That the faith that doâ—â— justifie us is a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God 〈◊〉 be saved from everlasting damnation by Christ and an aâ—â—ureâ—â— faith and trust in Christ ubi supra p. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which necessariâ—â— implies that truly regenerated persons who have this sure trust aâ—â— Homil. of Salvation of mankind p. 20. Homil of Christs Death p. 187. assured faith and confidence of their justification may be certain of their everlasting salvation 2. 'T is contrary also to the 6th Article of the Articles of Lâ—â—beth which is this A man truly believing or endued with justifying faith is certain by or with fâ—ll assurance of faith of the remissâ—â— of his sins and of everlasting salvation by Christ 3. 'T is contrary to the 37th Article of Religion of Irelanâ— A true believer may be certain by the assurance of faith of thâ— forgiveness of his sins and of his everlasting salvation 4. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine of the Synod of Dort c. 5. of perseverance Articles 9 10. Of this perseverance of the elect unto salvation and the perseverance of true believers in the faith the faithful themselves may be and are ascertained according to the measure of their faith by which they assuredly believe that they are and shall for ever continue true and lively members of the Church and that they have remission of their sins and everlasting life and therefore this certainty is not from any special Revelation made beside or without the word but from faith in Gods promises which he hath most plentifully revealed in his word for our comfort from the testimony of the holy Spirit bearing witness with our Spirit that we are the Sons of God and heirs Rom. 8. 16. Lastly From a serious and holy care of keeping a good conscience and endeavour of good works And if Gods chosen in this world should want this solid comfoâ—â—u of obtaining the victory and this infallible pledg and earnest of eternal glory they were surely of all men most miserable See also Article the 11th 5. 'T is contrary to the experience of many of Gods dear Children of Robert Glover who had assurance of Gods love in Christ in the pardon of his sins and of eternal life when he came in the sight of the place where he was to be burned for Christs sake He is come he is come said he to his friend that comforted him John Carles another holy Martyr answered Dr. Martin plainly thus That God hath predestinated me to eternal life in Jesus Christ I am most certain and even so am I sure that his holy Spirit wherewith I am sealed will so preserve me from all heresies and evil opinions that I shall dye in none at all Fox Acts and Monuments in one Volume p 1813. 1st 2d Col. 6. 'T is contrary to canonical Scriptures as Job 14. 17. But ye know him that is the Spirit for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you And v. 20. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Rom. 8. 15 16. But ye have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God and if children then heirs heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ And v. 35 38 39. of the same Chapter Who shall separate us from the love of Christ For I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor hight nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God whicâ— is in Christ Jesus our Lord 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received not 〈◊〉 spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know thâ— things that are freely given to us of God 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selvâ— whether ye be in the faith prove your own selves know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates Ephes 3. 12. In whom 〈◊〉 have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him 2 Tim. 4 7 〈◊〉 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnes 1 John 3. 2â—â— But we know that when we shall appear we shall he like him and we 〈◊〉 that he was manifested to take away our sins and v. 14. of the saâ—â— Chapter We know that we have passed from death to life because 〈◊〉 love the brethren and v. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God beâ—â— he laid down his life for us which he explicates in 1 John 4. 16. 〈◊〉 we have known and believed the love 〈◊〉 God hath tâ— us 1 John 5. 〈◊〉 He that believeth in the Son of God 〈◊〉 tâ—e witness in himself and 〈◊〉 v. 13. of that Chapter These things have I written unto you that beliâ—â— on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal 〈◊〉 and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God 2 Pet. 1. 10. 〈◊〉 thren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if 〈◊〉 these things ye shall never fall To pass by many other places of Sâ—â—cred Scripture which might be produced to prove this comfortâ—â— truth That truly regenerated persons may in this life be certain of 〈◊〉 eternal salvation These I have produced may if well observed and applied be sâ—â— ficient to make it good and evident A certainty of hope Papists grâ—â— but they deny a certainty of faith To which I answer 1. That if they understand by hope that which doth arise from 〈◊〉 ceitâ—ul conjectures and discourses of human reason they grant no mâ—â— to true believers in Christ than they grant to hypocrites for sâ—â— a hope may be in them 2. But if by hope they mean a true Theological infused grace whiâ—â— is the daughter of faith then they grant that which they seem to dâ—â— for the Apostle doth teach That tâ—â— that have this hope have the sâ—â— certainty with faith as Bishop * Deter 3. p. 18. Nos hac spâ— jam servatos esse Dâ—â— â—ant argueth from Rom. 8. 24. â—or we are saved by hope and this
authority yet for edification they are made rather superior than equal to the Canonical Scriptures that are laid aside to make room for those Apocryphals as more edificative than they 4. Apocryphals are not more easie institutes exciting to the imbracing of the Canonicals but rather to the rejecting of them in the matters of faith and good manners 5. Suppose they were such institutes yet it will not follow that such erroneous Books should be publickly read because of the greater parts easiness and conformity to the word of Truth for they may * Let us cast from us corrupt Doctrine that will infect our Souls Homily of the Resurrection p. 196. corrupt their souls with erroneous opinions and affections and lives with wicked practises 6. No corrupting-Homilies or Sermons are to be appointed to be read or preached in publick in the Church for all things are to be done to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26. 7. Apocryphals are appointed to be read in Cathedrals as well as in Country Parochial Churches Now you will not say that in Cathedrals where the Bishop Dean and Prebends sit and hear are the popular and duller or slower sort of hearers This therefore is no true and satisfactory answer but a meer pretence and put-off ART XVII That the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the supreme Head of the Vniversal Church of Christ above all Emperours Kings and Princes Pastors People and Churches THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England which in Article of Religion 37 saith thus The Queens Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended we give not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which things the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie But that only prerogative which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all Estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or temporal and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil doers The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England And I add as Dr. Reynolds offered at the Conference at Hampton-Court pag. 37. that be ought not to have any here Of which God willing and permitting I shall say more hereafter though much be said already in the 11th Article of Popery renounced as before The Articles of Lambeth the Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland THe Articles of Lambeth made by Dr. John Whitgift A B. of Canterbury Dr. Fletcher Bishop Elect of London Dr. Vaughan Bishop Elect of Bangor Dr. Tindale Dean of Eli Dr. Whitaker Dr. Chaderton and Mr. Perkins c. as I find them in Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus l. 3. p. 204. and as I find them among the Articles of Ireland 1. God from all eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated 2. The moving or efficient cause of Predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. There is predetermined a certain number of the Predestinate which neither can be augmented nor diminished 4. Those who are not predestinate to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God sanctifying is not extinguished doth not fall off or vanish in the Elect either totally or finally 6. A man truly believing or endued with justifying faith is certain or with full assurance of faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ 7. Saving Grace is not given nor communicated nor granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. No man can come to Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men drawn of the Father that they come to the Son 9. It is not in the free choice and power of every man to be saved These Nine Articles or Conclusions And when the Articles of England were received in the Church of Ireland the Title of the Canon is thus Of the agreement of the Church of England and Ireland the profession of the same Christian Faith Which shews that the Churches of England and Ireland did agree in those Articles c. in the Convocation held at Dublin Anno 1615 were resolved upon and agreed to by A. B. Vsher and the Bishops and Clergy as the publick Confession of the Church of Ireland as may be seen in the Articles of Ireland and in Dr. Heylin's Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 271. And moreover these Nine Articles of Lambeth were declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England by the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament about June 14th Anno Domini 1628 as Dr. Heylin informs me in his Cyprianus Angiicus l. 3. p. 197. And 't is observable that though Dr. Heylin affirms that the five Arminian points condemned in the Synod of Dort are the Doctrine of the Church of England and though Dean White licensed Moungues Armin an Popish Books and affirmed that there was nothing in it but what was agreeable to the profession of Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 135. and the three Arminian Bishops Buckeridg Corbet and Laud that wrote and pleaded for him affirmed the same in which Books the five Arminian points were maintained by Mountague and Limbus patrum and many Popish points more though they clamoured very much against the Parliaments declaring That he had in his Books viz. his Gagg and his Apollo Caesarem disturbed the peace of the Church by publishing Doctrines contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Book of Homilies and that the whole frame and scope of his Books was to the discouragement of the well-affected in Religion from the true Religion established in this Church and to incline them and as much as in him lay to reconcile them to Popery Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 155 And laboured by the authority and interest of the then King to have those points referred to the decision of the Convocation to whom they said they did belong though all the knot * Cyp. Angl. l. 1. p. 59. of Arminians except Mr. Barlow that met at Bishop Neils and many more were promoted and dignified persons and Mountague †Cypr. Angl. l. 3. p. 185. himself made Bishop in
imputed to believers for Justification but that Mediatory righteousness of Christ whereby he suffered for our breach of Gods most righteous Law which deserves Gods curse Gal. 3. 13. and actively fulfilled the whole Moral Law of God for us which we were bound to do Levit. 18. 5. Gal. 3. 13. Gal. 4. 4 5. Mat. 3. 15. If a Creditor cast his debtor into prison for non-payment of such a sum of money as he owed him till he be payed the money or otherwise satisfied for his debt upon his sureties or friends coming to him and paying him all the money and he taking accepting and allowing of it as full and perfect satisfaction to him for the debt doth impute it or reckon it or put it upon his account and consequently to him as though it were paid and made by his debtor in person himself and doth therefore in manifestation thereof deliver up his bond or cross his Book and release him out of prison So 't is here Gods accepting taking and allowing of our Saviour Jesus Christs our sureties active and passive obedience for us as though actually and personally performed by us as full and perfect satisfaction to his Justice and thereupon we applying it by Faith pardoning our sins delivering of us from the curse of the Law formally punishments and eternal death doth thereby impute his obedience or righteousness to us that by Faith in Christ do make application of it to our selves Now the Minor is the express Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland Homily for Salvation p. 13 14 15 16 17. And this Justification or righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits imbraced by faith is taken * Mr. Fowler himself makes Justification and acceptance with God all one Free Disc p. 134. accepted and allowed by God for our full and perfect justification And again Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 175. Neither was it possible for us to be loosed of this debt of our own ability it pleased him that is Christ our Surety to be the payer thereof and to discharge us quit his paying our debt meritoriously discharging us quit necessarily implys that God did accept of the merits of his death and doings for us And Ibi. p. 177. Christ was obedient to his Father even to the death and this he did for us all that believe in him And such favour did he purchase for us of his heavenly Father by his death that for the merit thereof if we be true Christians indeed and not in word only we be now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sins those expressions that Christ did purchase for us Gods favour and clearly discharged us from our sins manifest it to all the world that God did accept and take and allow as full satisfaction of what Christ did for us Again Ibi. p. 187 188. Christ by his own oblation and once offering himself upon the Cross hath taken away our sins and restored us again into Gods favour so fully and perfectly that no other sacrifice for sin shall hereafter be requisite or needful in all the world And in the 34th Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland they say thus We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jâ—sus Christ applied by Faith and not for our own works or merits And this righteousness which we so receive of Gods mercy and Christs merits imbraced by Faith is taken accepted and allowed of God for our perfect and full Justification And in 35th Article they say thus And whereas all the world was not able of themselves to pay any part towards their ransome it pleased our heavenly Father of his infinite mercy without any desert of ours to provide for us the most precious merits of his own Son whereby our ransome might be fully paid the Law fulfilled and his Justice fully satisfied So that Christ is now the righteousness of all them that truly believe in him He for them paid their ransome by his death he for them fulfilled the Law in his life that now in him and by him every true Christian may be called a fulfiller of the Law for as much as that which our infirmity was not able to effect Christs justice hath performed And this Doctrine viz. that Christ hath for us made a full and perfect satisfaction to Gods Justice is the express Doctrine of the Church of England in her Order of the Communion which saith there That Jesus Christ did suffer death upon the Cross for our Redemption and that he made there by his own oblation of himself once offered 〈◊〉 full perfect and sufficient sacrifice oblation and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world And Homâ—ly of Christs Nativity T. 2. p. 169. Christ made perfect satisfaction by his death for the sins of all people And that God doth take accept and allow it as full and perfect satisfaction for the sins of all his elect people is most evident by the holy Apostles Creed which the Church of England also believeth as well as by the holy Doctrine of the Canonical Scriptures which hold that Jesus Christ did not only die and was buried and was for a time held under the power of death and the grave which was as his imprisonment but that he was raised again for our Justification which declared that God was fully satisfied with what he had done and suffered else he would not have let him out of Prison Rom. 4. 25. And that he ascended up into heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of God and that from thence he shall come to iudg both quick and dead Rom. 8. 34. Heb. 1. 3. And God hath declared that in him he is well pleased Mat. 3. 17. Mat. 17. 5. And that we are compleat in him Col. 2. 18. And that we are justified in and by him Rom. 3. 24. And that we have peace with God through him Rom. 5. 1 2. And that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 1. And that he saves his people from their sins to the uttermost Mat. 1. 21. Heb. 5. 25. Of which you may see much more hereafter in the 13th particular concerning Purgatory To pass by many more arguments 4 Sacred Scripture doth evidently hold it forth unto all that will not wilfully shut their eyes or that are not judicially blinded 1. Jer. 23. 6. This is the name whereby Christ shall be called that is by all Gods people the Lord our righteousness * See Bishop Andrews his Sermon in locum All Gods people shall profess that they have their righteousness from Christ which is in effect the same with Isa 45. 25. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory All the spiritual seed of Israel that is all Gods Elect shall be justified that is shall obtain remission of their sins and right to everlasting life by virtue of the Son
Christs Church which is his mystical body are inseparably knit together to Christ and to one another Hypocrites may be externally by outward profession and separably united to the Church and Christ but true believers in Christ abide in Christ Joh. 15. 2. they are inseparably united to Christ else as was said before Christ may lose his peculiar people yea be a head without a body for if one of his members may be eternally separated from See Dr. Field of the Church his Appendix part 1. p. 833. That the elect called according to Gods purpose have that grace that excludeth sin from reigning and that this grace once had by them is never totally nor finally lost him then others may also and if others then all of them may be so separated from him for there is the same reason of one that there is of another yea of all Our Saviour saith Not one of them his Father gave him is lost John 17. 12. yea the Apostle speaks fully that nothing shall be able to separate us that are in Christ Jesus from the love of Gâ—â— which is in Christ Jesus Rom. 8. 35 36 37 38 39. Those whom Chriâ—â— loved he loved to the end John 13. 1. Isa 54. 8. But with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeeâ—â— Jerem. 31. 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefâ—â— with loving kindness have I drawn thee Jerem. 32. 40. And I 〈◊〉 make an everlasting covenant with thâ—â— that I will not turn away from them 〈◊〉 do them good but I will put my feâ—â— Vide King James his Declaration against Vorstius wherein he called the Doctrine of the Apostasie of the Saints taught by Bertius a Scholar of Arminius that enemy to God an heretical blasphemous and wicked Doctrine in their hearts that they shall not depart from me and Rom. 11. 29. 〈◊〉 gifts and calling of God are witâ—â— repentance Gods decree of Eleâ—â— is unchangeable and therefore thâ—â—â— gifts that flow from it are imâ—â— table too God taketh not thâ—â—â— away from them neither can thâ—â— that have them lose them Chrâ—â—â— prayed for them John 17. 9 15 19 20 24. and Bishop Mountagâ—â— himself confesseth that Christ was ever heard in what he prayâ—â— for ART IX That the corruption of our nature commonly called Original sin which remaineth in truly regenerated persons after Baptism is not properly a sin THis I renounce 1. because 't is contrary to the sound Doctrine of the Church of England in Homily of Christs Nativity T. 2. p. 167. where we may read how excellently man was made after Gods own Image and that Adam falling into sin had in himself no one part of his former purity and cleanness but being altogether spoâ—ted insomuch that he seemed to be altogether a lump of sin and therefore by the just judgment of God was justly condemned to everlasting death and this plague fell not only upon himself but also upon all his posterity and children for ever as St. Paul Rom. 5. By one mans offence sin entred upon all many were made sinners by which words we are taught that as in Adam all men universally sinned so in Adam all men universally received the reward of sin that is became mortal and subject unto death having nothing in themselves but everlasting damnation both of body and soul they became as David saith corrupt and abominable they went all out of the way there was none that did good no not one And in the Homily of the Death of Christ T. 2. p. 184. Is not sin think you a grievous thing in Gods sight seeing for the transgression of Gods Precept in eating of one apple he condemned all the world to perpetual death and would not be pacified but only with the blood of his own Son And in Homily of Christs Resurrection T. 2. p. 195. Hard it is to subdue and resist our nature so corrupt and leavened with the sowre bitterness of the poyson which we received by the inheritance of our old Fatheâ— Adam But more fully the Church of England in her 9th Article of Religion of Original sin thus Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is ingendered of the off-spriâ—â— of Adam whereby man is very far gone from Original Righteousâ—â— and is of his own nature inclined to evil so that the flesh lusteth 〈◊〉 ways contrary to the spirit and therefore in every person 〈◊〉 into this world it deserveth Gods wrath and damnation and 〈◊〉 infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regeneratâ—â— whereby the lust of the flesh called in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whiâ—â— some do expound the wisdom some sensuality some the affectioâ—â— some the desire of the flesh is not subject to the law of God 〈◊〉 although there is no condemnation for them that believe and 〈◊〉 baptized yet the Apostle doth confess that concupiscence and 〈◊〉 hath in it self the nature of sin In which Article is declared 1. That Original sin doth not consist in following or imitating of 〈◊〉 in sinning against God as Pelagians vainly teach 2. That Original sin is the FAULT AND CORRUPTION of 〈◊〉 nature of every man that by ordinary generation descends from 〈◊〉 Psal 51. 5. Rom. 7. 15. Gal. 4. 17. Jam. 1. 17. 1 Pet. 2. 11. 3. That Original sin deserves Gods wrath and damnation in every â—â—â—son so born into this world Rom. 7. 23 24. Gal. 5. 17. Ephes 2. 3. 4. That Original sin is and remains in every person so born eveâ—â— them that are regenerated Rom. 7. from vers 7. to vers 25. 5. That concupiscence oâ— lust hath in it the nature of sin Rom. 〈◊〉 11 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 23 24. Gal. 5. 17. Now sum up what the Church of England saith of Original sin 〈◊〉 then judg whether she doth not affirm that Original sin is propâ—â— a sin 2. Because 't is contrary to the sound Doctrine of other reformâ—â— Churches to be seen in the Harmony of Confessions Sec. 4. p. 〈◊〉 1. 'T is contrary to the latter Confession of Helvetia Man was frâ—â— the beginning created of God after the Image of God in righteâ—â— ness and true holiness good and upright but by the instinct of 〈◊〉 â—â—rpent and his own fault falling from goodness and uprightâ—â—â— became subject to sin death and sundry calamities and such 〈◊〉 one as he became by his fall such are all his off-spring even 〈◊〉 ject to sin death and sundry calamities and we take sin to be 〈◊〉 natural corruption of man derived or spread from those our 〈◊〉 parents unto us all through which we being drowned in evil 〈◊〉 â—upiscences and clean turned away from God but prone to 〈◊〉 evil full of all wickedness distrust contempt and hatred of Goâ—â— can do no good of our selves no not so much as think of any 2.
The Confession of Bohemia or Waldenses A second kind of sin is Original sin naturally ingendred in us and hereditary wherein we are all conceived and born into this world Behold saith David I was born in iniquity and in sin did my Mother conceive me and Paul We are by nature the children of wrath Let the force of this hereditary destruction be acknowledged and judged of by the guilt and fault by our proneness and declination by our evil nature and by the punishment which is laid upon it 3. The French Church saith thus We believe that all the off-spring of Adam is infected with this contagion which we call Original sin that is a stain spreading it self by propagation and not by imitation only as the Pelagians thought all whose Errors * One of his Errors was that Original sin is not truly and properly a sin but a punishment we detest and we believe that this stain is indeed sin because it maketh all and every man not so much those little ones excepted which as yet lye hid in their Mothers wombs guilty of eternal death before God we affirm also that this stain even after baptism is in nature sin 4. The Confession of Belgia which is this We believe that through the disobedience of Adam the sin which is called Original hath been spread and poured into all mankind Now Original sin is a corruption of the whole nature and an hereditary evil wherewith even the very infants in their Mothers wombs are polluted the which also as a most noysome root doth branch out most abundantly all kind of sin in man and is so filthy and abominable in the sight of God that it alone is sufficient to the condemnation of all mankind neither are we to believe that this sin is by baptism utterly extinguished or plucked up by the roots seeing that out of it as out of a corrupt fountain continual floods and rivers of iniquity do daily spring and flow 5. The Confession of Auspurg saith thus And this Original blot is sin indeed condemning and bringing eternal death even now upon all that are not born by baptism and the Holy Ghost 6. The Confession of Saxony Art 2. treats largely of Original sin Where she approves the Doctrine delivered to us by the first Fathers Prophets and Apostles and the Apostles Scholars even unto Augustin and after his time and condemns the Doctrine of Pelagius and all those who have scattered in the Church like doting follies to those of the Pelagians and they 〈◊〉 like not the usual definition given of original sin viz. Originalâ—â— is a want of Original justice which ought to be in us and afâ—â—â—ward they say That these wants and this whole corruptioâ—â— sin and not only a punishment of sin Harmony of Confessions 〈◊〉 4. p. 76 77. 7. To this may be added the Confession of the Châ—â— of Ireland which Article 24th is the same with the Churchâ—â— Englands 8. The Confession of the Church of Scotland may 〈◊〉 seen in the Confession of Faith made by the late learned and 〈◊〉 thodox Assembly of Divines c. 6. Articles 5 6. This corrupâ—â— of nature during this life doth remain in those that are regâ—â— rated and although it be through Christ pardoned and moâ—â— yet both it self and all the motions thereof are truly and prâ—â— sin every sin both original and actual being a transgression oâ—â— righteous Law of God and contrary thereunto doth in its 〈◊〉 nature bring guilt upon the sinner whereby he is bound oveâ—â— the wrath of God and curse of the Law and so made subjecâ—â— death with all miseries spiritual temporal and eternal Now if these Churches Confessions suffice not to prove orâ—â— sin to be properly a sin give me leave I pray humbly to offer 〈◊〉 further Confirmation and Explication these things that followâ—â— 1. That Original sin is either Imputed or Inherent 1. Original sin imputed is the inobedience of Adam in whose 〈◊〉 all meer men were and sinned is imputed to all his posterity 〈◊〉 they in their own persons had acttually violated the Law of Goâ—â— eating the forbidden fruit Rom. 5. 12. Wherefore as by one 〈◊〉 entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men 〈◊〉 that all have sinned that is in that one man in Adam legally◠〈◊〉 they stood under his Covenant naturally as they bear his Imaâ—â— as they were in his loins as two Nations are said to be in the 〈◊〉 of Rebeccah Gen. 25. 23. and Levi to have paid tithes in the 〈◊〉 of Abraham to Melchisedeck Heb. 7. 9 10. the slavish estate of thâ—â— parents is imputed to their children The natural man thoughâ—â— may think himself frâ—e yet is sold under sin Rom. 7. 14. as reâ—â— lion of great persons against their King not only hurts their own persons but stains their blood and is imputed to their posterity so is Adams first sin imputed to us who were in his loins and are natural ordinary partakers of his nature and Rom. 5. 13. 't is said that sin was imputed for until the law that is of Moses sin was in the world but sin is not imputed where there is no law that is where there is no law broken 2. Original sin inherent is hereditary corruption naturally propagated Vide Homily of the Nativity of Christ T. 2. p 167â— supra unto us from the fall of our first parents making us guilty of temporal and eternal punishments whereby we are utterly indisposed disabled and made opposite to every thing that is good and wholly inclined to all that which is evil from which do proceed all our actual sins whereby every meer man is so corrupted in his understanding that he doth not cannot know any thing sufficiently concerning meerly divine things belonging to his eternal salvation without the special grace of God Matth. 16. 17 18. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven 1 Cor. 2. 14. For the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned and this is called sometimes blindnesâ— Ephes 4. 18. Vanity and carnal-mindedness in the mind and understanding Ephes 4. 17. Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be hardness in the conscience who being past feeling Ephes In Adamo nos omnes rei facti fuimus quia nos omnes fuimus quod ille imus erâ—t unde naturae corruptae ad nos quâ—â—nor emanarunt vulneraâ— ignorantia in intellectu malicia in voluntate infirmatas in iraâ—â—ibill rebellio in concutiscihâ—â— appetitu Aquin 12 ae q. 84. Ex Beda saith learned Bishop Pridiaux fascic controversiaâ—â— c 3 de peccato q. 5. p. â—2â— 4. 19. Pravity or perversaess in the will which is commonly called concupiscence in the appetite and this is formally a turning or
is * This is Pelagius his Doctrine as may be seen in Alvarez de Auxil gratiae l. 1. disp 1. p. 4. n. 2. possible for men in the state of corruption to keep the whole Moral Law of God Both which are very gross Errors but the former of these I should suppose he doth not hold Because 1. He complains against Nonconformists though causelesly and very falsely for Antinomianism 2. He presseth obedience to the Law and good works so much as that he saith that those that have confidence in Gods mercy through Christ must come down again from the top of the tree and begin at the bottom in obedience to all Gods Commandments And this must go before we can actually receive his pardon and absolution according to that of the Apostle Tit. 3. 5 6 7. where it is visible saith he that his mercy cannot save us unless we become new creatures and that this must go before the justification we expect by the grace of God In his licensed Parable of the Pilgrim 〈◊〉 502 511 〈◊〉 But yet if he hold it I shall say no more than what Gods Word expresly and in terminis saith Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every 〈◊〉 that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the Law to do them Either Gods word is false or his Doctrine But the second which is this ' That 't is possible for men in the state of corruption exactly and perfectly to fulfill the whole Moral Law of God Papists that they may establish their Justification of mens persons before God by their own inherent righteousness or good works do affirm that believers * Bellar. de observatione Legis T. 4. l. 6. c. 7. can by the help of Gods grace and the spirit of love infused into them at their Justification perfectly fulfill the whole Moral Law of God And this seems to be the Doctors insinuation To which our Divines do answer that 't is true the Law of God is Evangelically kept or fulfilled by true believers in Christ Jesus whose perfect righteousness and obedience is imputed to them and thereby their sincere obedience though very imperfect as referred to the Law is accepted of God as perfect But the Law is not legally kept by exact and perfect doing for matter and manner all the works thereof by any justified or regenerated person in this life since Christ ascended up into Heaven And this I have proved by the Doctrine of the Church of England and may be further proved even by those portions of Sacred Writings which she appoints to be said before the Common-prayers begin or the Exhortation thereto Enter not into judgment with thy servants O Lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight Psal 143. 2. And if we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Joh. 1. â—8 The Church of England as I have shewed teacheth that the works of unjustified men are sins Art 13. And that the most holy and righteous * Davenant Deter 10. pag. 50. works of regenerate persons have some sin in them Art 15. and their graces are but imperfect They know but in part 1 Cor. 13. 9. and they believe but in part Mark 9. 24. Lord I believe help thou mine unbelief And our frailty is such that we can never fulfil the Law according to the perfection that the Law requireth Plenissima charitas est in nemine August Epist 29. Homily for Good Friday T. 2. p. 182. and p. 177. and there is original sin in the regenerate Article the ninth And that concupiscence * Bishop Prideaux Fascic Controvers l. 3. de peccato q. 5. p. 123. in the regenerate is properly sin Article the ninth That God made man in the state of innocency upright and able to fulfil the whole Law of God That 't is now since his fall in his corrupt estate though in part renewed impossible ordinarily for him to fulfil the Law is not the fault of the Law which is holy and just and good but of man who hath by his own default disabled himself that it much magnifies and commends the free grace of God in that he doth for Christs sake accept of true believers imperfect performances as if they were exactly conformed to the perfect Law of God which yet they are not Adam Noah Abraham Isaac Jacob David Solomon Hezekiah Josiah Jonah Job Peter and Paul sinned David sinned after his person was justified Psal 51. and so did Peter by denying of Christ Luk. 22. 57 58 60. and by his unseasonable and scandalous using the Ceremonies of the Law or Judaizing Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14. And St. Paul himself feels and complains Rom. 7. 20 21 24. of siâ— that did dwell in him of a law in his members that did draw him to do that which he would not and hinder him from doing that which he would do and of a body of death And Gal. 3. 17. That the flesh lusteth against the Spirit These few failings of Dr. Patrick and Mr. Fowler and Doctor Jeremy Taylor c. may not only serve to put in the other scale against the many little pretended ones the Debater objects against Mr. W. B. and Mr. T. W. and others but also prove That some great Conformists to the Discipline of the Church of England are the greatest Nonconformists to the Doctrine thereof and those tollerated if not protected and promoted while Nonformists to the Discipline but stout defenders of the Doctrine of Faith and Sacraments thereof are rejected and silenced ART XI That unregenerated persons own good works do make thâ—â— meet to receive grace from God or as the School-Author say deserve grace of congruity THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England but before I prove it for the better understanding of this error and the truth know 1. That grace in Sacred Scripture signifies two things 1. The favour of God or of man in himself and so 't is taken and used in the Old and New Testament As Gen. 6. 8. And Noah foâ—â—â— grace in the eyes of God Gen. 18. 3. Gen. 39. 21. Ezra 9. 8. Esth 2. 1â— So the Virgin Mary found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grace with God Rom. 3. 24. Beng justified freely by his grace that is by the free favour or love mercy or goodness that is in God manifested to us in Christ Rom. 11 5 Election of Grace Ephes 2 8. By grace ye are saved Sometimes it signifies 2. The gift of grace that is that gracious habit of grace that is inâ—erent in us as Rom. 11. 29. 2 Cor. 8. 7. See that ye abound in thâ—â— grace also Ephes 3. 7. The gift of grace Ephes 4. 7. Vnto every oâ—â— of vs is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ Col. 3 16. Singing with grace in your hearts Heb. 12. 28 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence
resurrection are purged from sins by penal Concil Trident. Sess 6. can 30. satisfaction which were not purged in this life so fully as they ought that they may enter into heaven THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the sound Doctrine of the Church of England Article the 22d of Purgatory The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons worshipping and adoration as well of Images as of Reliques and also invocation of Saints is a fond thing vainly invented and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to the word of God In Homily of Prayer T. 2. part 3. p. 122. 't is said That there are but two places after this life Heaven and Hell the one proper to the elect and blessed of God the other to the reprobates and damned souls as may well be gathered by the Parable of Lazarus Against the ground or rather indeed pretence for Purgâ—tory viz. That some sins of believers were not fully purged away in this life and must therefore there be purged away by making satisfaction by suffering for them The Church of England saith 〈◊〉 her Homily for Good-Friday T. 2. p. 177. That Christ Jesus did purchase such favour for us by his death of his heavenly Father that for the merits thereof if we be true Christians indeed 〈◊〉 not in word only we be now fully in Gods grace again and clearly discharged from our sins And in the Homily of the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ T. 2. part 1. p. 200. she saith Thou must believe that Christ hath made upon his cross a full and sufficient sacrifice for thee a perfect cleansing of sins so that thou acknowledg no other Saviour Redeemer Mediatour Advocate Intercessor but Christ only 2. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland in the 101 and 102 Articles Homil. of the misery of man part 2. p. 11 He i. e. Christ is the high and everlasting Priest which hath offered himself once for all upon the Altar of the Cross and with that one oblation hath made perfect for evermore them that are sanctified He is the alone Mediator between God and man which paid our ransome to God with his own blood and with that hath he cleansed us from all sin he is the Physician which heal eth us all our diseases and of all our venial sins too of their Religion which is this After this life is ended the souls of Gods Children be presently received into Heaven there to enjoy unspeakable comforts the souls of the wicked are cast into Hell there to endure endless torments The Doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning Limbus patrum Limbus puerorum Purgatory Prayer for the dead Pardons Adoration of Images and Reliques and also invocation of Saints is vainly invented without all warrant of holy Scripture yea and is contrary to the same 3. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Scotland contained in the Confession of Faith made by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster Chap 22. Article 1. The bodies of men after death return to dust and see corruption but their souls which neither die nor sleep having an immortal subsistence immediately return to God who gave them the souls of the righteous being then made perfect in holiness are received into the highest Heavens where they behold the face of God in light and glory waiting for the full redemption of their bodies and the souls of the wicked are cast into Hell where they remain in torments and utter darkness reserved to judgment of the great day beside these two places for souls separated from their bodies the Scripture acknowledgeth none T is contrary also to the latter Confession of Helvetia Article 26. to be seen in the Harmony of Confessions Sect. 16. p. 483. and to the Confession of the French Church Article 24. to be seen ibi Har. of Confessions Sect. 16. For the further confutation of this Popish Poetical and Antichristian Purgatory I shall lay down these plain ensuing Positions Position 1. That the souls of true believers in Christ do aâ— soon as they die go immediately into heaven and therefore not into the Popes Purgatory The antecedent Proposition I prove thus 1. From Isa 57. 2. He shall enter into peace that is the righteous man that dies before evil days come enters in his soul into Heaven and his body rests in his grave called his bed and if so then undoubtedly he goes not into the Popes Purgatory for there is no peace to them that are there for they are tormented say Papists with the â—â—me torments that they in Hell are tormented with 2. From Luk. 16. 22 23. The beggar Lazarus died and was carried into Abrahams bosom by the Angels and the rich man died and was cast into hell Now that by Abrahams bosom is meant Heaven * Vide also Homil. for Whitsunday p. 21 321 421 5216. recited Article 14. hujus is clear by the forecited Doctrine of the Church of England c. if not by the consent of Papists too that the Angels that carried his soul into Abrahams bosom were not evil but good Angels for that neither good Angels go into Hell nor evil into Heaven must also be yielded as the 25th verse of that Chapter declares then it will follow necessarily that the soul of Lazarus was carried by the holy and blessed Angels into Heaven where Abrahams bosom was and not into any part of Hell for Lazarus was comforted he was not only not tormented with poena sensus vel damni the punishment of sense or loss but he was actually comforted which implies not only a ceasing of his former suffering evil things but enjoying of good things the comforts of the other life the full knowledg of God and feeling his fatherly love 3. 'T is said Luk. 23. 43. by our Saviour himself to the Thief upon the Cross immediately before his death To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise that is in Heaven and therefore not in the Popes Purgatory for that is not Paradise Paradise is a place of pleasure and happiness but the Popes Purgatory is a place of pain and misery of hellish torments as Papists say In 2 Cor. 12. 2 4. Paradise and that Heaven is coelum Emperaeum the seat of the blessed where God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost the blessed Angels and souls of just men made perfect are and enjoy pleasures for evermore So 't is taken in Revel 2. 7. To him that overcometh will I give saith the Spirit to the Churches to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God Where by the Paradise of God not only Pareas and others of our learned men upon the place but also Cornelius a Lapide himself understands as the most genuine sense the fruition of God and eternal blessedness of which the Paradise of Adam was a figure sign and type 4. In Revel 14. 13.
are willing to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord which necessarily implies that they did believe that as soon as ever their souls were gone out of their earthly homes they should be present with the Lord in heaven for of that they say we are confident And. 10. Of this opinion and belief was St. Pauls as you may see in Phil. 1. 21 23. For to me to live is Christ and to die is * Mori lucrum quaesi dicat mors est lucrum heatitudinis mortem ergo non timeo quia si occidar moriar vitam aeternam lucrabor inevolabo praesensque sistar ac fruar Christo So Chrisostom Anselm Theophilact Oecumenius Thomas Aquinas in locum gain How could his death begain to him if he must not go immediately to Heaven but to Purgatory there first to suffer hellish punishments for his sins Yet if I live in the flesh this is the fruit of my labour yet what I shall chuse I wot not for I am in a strait between two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Here you see the Apostle Paul desired to depart out of the Tabernacle of his body and why that he might be with Christ he believed that as soon as his soul was departed out of his body she would presently be and remain with Christ but where not in the Popes Purgatory for there Christ was not but in heaven there he believed he was whom the heavens must receive till the restitution of all things Act. 3. 19. He believed that his soul would presently be with Christ in Heaven and therefore he saith that death temporal would be better for him than temporal life Certainly had St. Paul believed that after his soul had ended her work in his body here she should be carried into the Popes Purgatory and there be punished for his sins for a time it may be till the day of judgment he would have easily resolved himself that it had been better for him as well as for the Philippians to abide in the flesh and not to die I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ is as if he had said thus I am now bound q. d. Jam alligatus sum corpori si hoc vinculo solvar ero cum Christo illique astringar Cor. a lapide in locum to my body but if I were loosed from this bond I should be with Christ and bound to him saith Cor. a lapide Hence note saith he that souls altogether pure do presently when they leave the body not sleep but are with Christ in heaven and eternal life and therefore the Apostle desired to be dissolved and dye that he might be with Christ but if he ought to expect after death the day of judgment that then at length he might enjoy Christ he had in vain desired to be dissolved rather than live because then after his dissolution and death he should be absent from Christ as much as if he had remained in this life much more he there speaks out of Chrysostome Theophilact Oecumenius and Cyprian to the same purpose 'T is observable that he saith that souls that are altogether pure pass presently out of their bodies into Heaven and this he saith is the opinion of Turrian and of Suarezius and that St. John Apoc. 14. 13. speaks of souls perfectly just Now this I say is their shift to put off all our Protestant Divines have alledged from sacred Scripture against their Purgatory for they hold that those that are cast into Purgatory are not perfectly purged but must be purged perfectly by suffering temporal punishment and thereby making penal satisfaction to the justice of God of the fondness of which hereafter but I 'le close with them and assume Position 2. That the souls of those persons that are justified by faith is Christ's blood are perfectly purged from their sins if not immediately before yet at the moment of their death and that therefore by their own concessions and affirmations they go not into the Popes Purgatory but to Heaven as I have proved before and for the clearing of this know that not only their Angelical Doctor as Papists call Thoâ—â— Aquinas but our own Divines hold that there are three effects of sin 1. Reatus the guilt 2. Macula the spot or stain 3. Paâ—â— the punishment of it Now 1. The guilt worthiness or desert of sin which obligeth the sinner to the sustaining of just punishment for his sin is washed away in our justification by the perfect satisfaction and merits of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as the Church of England abundantly testifieth in her books of Articles Homilies and Common-Prayer and the Canonical Scriptures plainly declare as in John 1. 29. Beâ—â— the lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world 1 John 1. 7. 〈◊〉 the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin 1 John 2. 12. If 〈◊〉 man sin we have an advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation that is the propitiator for our sins who doâ—â— make atonement expiate satisfie and purge away the guilt of oâ—â— sins and make peace and pacifie his wrath and make him propitiâ—â— merciful favourable and good unto us and 1 Tim. 2. 6. He gâ—â— himself a ransome for all Himself God-man a ransome for all Hâ—â— 9. 14 15. How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God and lest the adversary shoâ—â— say that he did not perfectly purge away all sin read Heb. 10. 〈◊〉 and by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 〈◊〉 Apoc. 1. 5. 't is said of Christ that he washed us in his own blood 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 3. 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God And upon this account doth the Apostle declare and infer Therefore there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus God in our justification imputeth * 2 Cor. 5. 19. not our sins unto us and consequently not our guilt but he imputeth the righteousness of our Saviour Jesus Christ unto us and doth repute us just as though we had no sin and consequently no guilt upon us but Papists do acknowledg by Christ Jesus a freedom from sin according to the guilt of sin but they deny it according to the punishment of which hereafter 2. Macula the spot stain or filth of sin which deprives the soul of its spiritual beauty which it should have and is made vile Mat. 15. 11. Apoc. 21. 11. is taken away by sanctification 1 Cor. 3. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified Eph. 5. 26 27 That he might sanctisie and cleanse it i. e. His Church with the
denial of his Lord and Master Paul's persecuting of the Saints and which do as they confess cause a spot or sâ—â—iâ— in the soul and are contrary to the Law of God and do render the â—â—â—er displeasing to God and deserve eternal death as Aquinas and Meâ—â— ubi supra do plainly teach should escape the same penal Purgation in Purgatory is to me very strange improbable and inconsistent Doctrine as well as contrary to sacred Scripture which saith of God thus Jer. 31. 34. I will remember their sin no more that is punish them no more and of them 1 Rom 8 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus if no condemnation theâ— surely no hellish punishments 2 Apoc. 14. 13. That they rest frâ—â— their labours and if from their bodily labours as Papists yield they do then much more from spiritual labours else it had been no comfort for them to die seeing their death would but free them froâ— corporal pains which could last at most but for the short time of their lives here but would transmit their souls into spiritual helliâ—â— pains which will last till the great day of judgment except the Pope of Romes good will can be procured to let them out somewhat sooner as the Popes Doctors teach 3 That Rom. 5. 1. being justified by faith they have peace with God but to have peace wiâ—â— God and to suffer the torments of hell inflicted by the Devil fâ—â— some hundreds it may be thousands of years are altogether inconsistent And this is an approved truth though mans sin do deserve temporal and eternal punishments yet the offence being remitted the punishment is remitted also which is excellently well proved by Dr. Davenant and that their Remissa culpa remittitur poena Dr. Davenant 〈◊〉 â—33 p. 149. sins are forgiven in this life absolutely perfectly and fully even when they believe in Jesus Christ and therefore the holy Scripture speaks of justification and remission of sins in the present tensâ— and time past Rom. 4. 2 5 7 9 16 22. Rom. 5. 1. Rom. 8. 1. Gal. 2. 16. Here believers in Christ are forgiven all their sins and there are all punishments due to their sins forgiven also Now that the punishment due to the offence or offender by Gods Law is forgiven when the offence is forgiven I prove thus 1. Because punishment properly so taken and called is inflicted only for sin Punishment is an evil inflicted upon the sinner or his surety for sin The sin which Poena est malum peccatori propter peccatum inflictum Ames Med. l. 1. a. 12. p. 55. deserves it being taken away it must necessarily be taken away too 2. Because to remit the sin is not to impute it any more to punishment that is not to punish it What man will or can say that a Magistrate hath perfectly pardoned a murderer and yet hang him up for the murder It implies a contradiction to say that God hath forgiven true believers in Christ all their sins and yet to say he punisheth them for them to be satisfied for breach of his Law 3. To say that God hath forgiven true believers all their sins and yet punish them for them with temporal punishment properly so called in Purgatory for the satisfying of his justice is undeniably to ascribe injustice to God who is justice it self seeing this way they teach that God doth punish the soul that hath no sin only because it formerly had sin which he hath for Christ's sake fully forgiven 〈◊〉 â—nd besides too here would be another piece of injustice most blasphemously fixed upon God if he should forgive all sins to the sinner for Christs sake who hath made full satisfaction to him for the believing sinners sins and yet punish the sinner to exact for one offence a double satisfaction one from Christ the surety and another from the poor sinner Would it not be decried as a grievous piece of injustice for a creditor to exact of the surety that is bound for 100 l. in a penal Bond of 200 l. the 200 l. and receive it and release the surety and yet afterward sue the Bond upon the principal for non-payment of his 100 l. at the time conditioned Yet this piece of injustice Papists do in effect by their Doctrine of the souls of believers in Christ suffering in Purgatory temporal penal satisfactions that is punishments to satisfie Gods Justice for breach of his Law after he had taken full satisfaction from Christ his Son and their surety and so exact and receive full satisfaction the whole Bond of him and then afterward exact of them satisfaction in part too fasten upon God who is Justice it self for he hath punished his own Son who voluntarily and by his Fathers consent became their surety He laid on him the iniquity of us all Isa 53. 6. that is the punishment of all our sins Read vers 5. He was woundeâ— for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisemeâ—â— of our peace was upon him and with his stripes are we healed though he had no sin of his own he had done no violence neither was deceit in his mouth yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him yea to put him to death v. 9 10. And he did bear our sins that is the punishment of our sins is his own body on the tree that is on the cross Isa 53. 11 12. 1 Pet. 2. 24. and this he did not for himself for he had no sin 1 Pet. 2. 22. but for us and in our sâ—ead 1 Pet. 2. 21 24. Yet notwithstanding all this Papists by this their Doctrine of Purgatory that believers souls for whom Christ hath suffered the punishment paid the bond of 200 l. 〈◊〉 so fully satisfied the debt yet that God hath sued the bond again upon the 〈◊〉 believers soul and will make that make him satisfaction too in part at least though I say he was fully satisfied before by his Son and her surety Jesus Christ the righteous as appears by his letting him out of prison when he had him fast in the grave at his resurrection by which he openly declared that he was fully satisfied Rom. 4. ult Who was delivereâ— that is to death for our offences and was raised again for our jusâ—iâ—â—cation to assure us that he hath satisfied for us pacified his Fatheâ—â— wrath with us for our sins and procured his favour for us and his gracious acceptation of us charge God with this great injustice And to prevent the Papists objection that Moses David aâ—â— others after their sins were forgiven were punished with tempâ—â— punishments I say that they were not punished with Gods vindiâ—â— justice for their sins but that they were chastised in love and mercy to humble them for sin past and prevent sin for the future in theâ—â— others afflictions that believers suffer in this life are not properly â—â—nishments but castigations and though they may be materially tâ—â— same that punishments inflicted