ignem aeternum c. Mat. 25. Goe you accursed into euer lasting fire vvhich is praepared for the deuill and his angells This is the honourable title and office of Christ vvhich the ghospellers allso confesse in vvords and professe in their Creed but in their doctrine they deny as I shall euidently demonstrate by their opinions and vvords vvhich take from Christ the three offices of a iudge allready alleaged And first of all to beginne vvith the last acte and office vvhich a Iudge exerciseth â— 2. Inst c. 16. §. 18. to vvit condemnation Caluin sayeth plainly that Christ is our Redeemer and is not to mounte vp into his tribunal seate for the condemnation of a faithfull man Adde to this that place of scripture vvhosoeuer beleeues not is allready iudged Io. 3. And thou shallt see that CaluiÌ„ leaues none for Christ to condemne at the latter day And truly herin Caluin speaketh very conformably to his ovvne doctrine See the fourâ—he booke and fifte chap. for he is of opinioÌ„ that Christ hathe so redeemed vs that no lavve can bynde vs no sinne can be imputed vnto vs vv ch if it bee soe the title of a redeemer a Iudge are repugnaunt so if Christ bee our redeemer after this maÌ„ner he can not be our Iudge For if our redemption importeth a release from all lavves and such a freedom from sinne that noe sinne can bee imputed vnto vs then certes Christe can not for any sinne condemne vs at the latter day Secondly they deny all merit and affirme that all our actions are of them selues mortall sinnes seem they neuer so good Liâ— 2. Inst c. 2. §. 9 â— 3. Inst c. ◠§. 7. Luth. â—de captiu Babâ—e de bap in 〈◊〉 â— ad Gal vvhich is the opinion bothe of Luther and Caluin and is commonly receiued of all their schollers by vvhich doctrine they take avvay the sentence of remuneration For if our actioÌ„s deserue nothing at God his hands then althoughe hee may frankely bestovv vppon his elect vvhat glorie it pleaseth him yet can he not be sayed to remunerate revvard their vvorks for vvher is noe desert there is noe revvard and so thoughe Christ may like a liberall King bestovv glorie on them yet he can not like a Iudge by sentence of remuneration revvard them and so Christ looseth another parte of his office They affirme also that all our sinnes are aequall and they scoffe at that distinction of mortall and venial sinnes Luth. Calv. sup Mel. in locu tit de diserim peâ— mor veâ— and in this also Caluin speaketh according to his grounds for he sayeth that all our actions are vitiouse bicause they proceed from a vitiouse nature corrupted by originall sinne vvhence it follovveth that all our actions are alike defiled bicause they proceed from the same fountaine of corruptioÌ„ Vvhich doctrine if it goe for true then dothe Christ loose the third parte of his office vvhich is is discussion of sinnes and causes For vvhere there is noe distinction betvvixte the crimes and offences there can be noe difference in punishement and vvhere noe difference is in punishmeÌ„t the Iudge must pronounce the same sentence and giue the same iudgement vvithout all discussion ether of the offences or the punishmentes See the seueÌ„th booke and sixtâ— chap. They auouch also that vve haue noe libertie nor free vvill in our actions vvhence it follovveth as I shall demonstrate in the seuenth booke follovving that in our actions is nether vertue nor vice nether merite nor demerit and soe Christ in his iudgement can exercise none of all the three offices vvhich are before mentioned For vvhere is no vertue nor merit there can be no sentence of remuneration and revvard as is all ready proued vvhere is noe vice there can be noe sentence of coÌ„demnation and vvhere is noe vertue nor vice at all there can bee noe difference of vvorkes ether in vertue or vice merit or demerit and vvhere it is noe difference of causes there can bee noe discussion as is also all ready proued And so Christ is noe Iudge at all Epist 46. For as sainct Austine sayeth If free vvill be not hovv can God iudge the vvorld And if vvee haue not free vvill vvhy are not brute beastes called to iudgement as vvell as vve seing that nothing caÌ„ excuse their cruelties but vvant of free vvill See the fifthe booke first chap. Lastly they are not afrayed to auerre that God and consequenly Christe is the authour of all our sinnes that Iudas his treachery and Dauids adulterie vvere as much God his vvorke as sainct Paules conuersion yea Caluin sayeth that God vrgeth vs eggeth vs and enforceth vs to sinne vvhich doctrine if it go for currante Christe can not iustly condemne any bicause as Fulgentius sayeth l. ad Monâ—mum Deus non est autor eius cuius est vltor God is not the autour of that of vvhich he is the reuenger and punisher and consequently can not iustely punishe sinners if he be authour of their sinnes For vvith good reason might the coÌ„demned parsons make exception against his sentence and stande to it that by noe reason nor iustice God can condemne them for that in vvhich hee had as much parte as they to vvhich he vrged them yea inforced them And so thou seest gentle reader hovv these great bosters vvho bragge that they giue all vnto Christ despoile him and robbe him of his honourable title of of Iudge of the quicke and the deade vvhich they profess in their creed but deny in their doctrine The eight Chapter declareth hovv to noe small iniurie of Christe they make euery Christian and faithfull man as good and as holy as he him self is LVther Caluin and all the packe of their adhaerents as in the seuenth booke shal be related and in parte in the second and third Chapter of this third booke is all ready declared are of opinion that vvee are iustified and sanctified by the selfe-same iustice vvhere vvith Christ him selfe is iuste vvhich is inherent in him and imputed to vs and apprehended by vs vvith the reaching hand of faith and so made our ovvne They are afrayed forsooth to graunt inhaerent iustice least they should giue vs occasion to glorie in our ovvne sanctitie and so to fall into Pelagianisme vvhich affirmeth that Christes grace is not necessary But vvhilest they feare vvhere they needed not they feare not vvhere they should but ronne boldly and desperately into an absurd blasphemie Ex Aug har â—â— ep 9â— 20◠〈◊〉 l de nat grat c. 10. 11. For Pelagius is not condemned for auouching inherent grace but for denying that Christes grace vvas necessarie ether to the obseruing of the lavve or to the meriting of eternall glorie or to the ouercoming of tentations or auoiding of sinne and for affirming that man by his ovvne free vvill vvithout grace might do all these thinges Vvherfore to graunt
doctrine God forbiddeth sinne by his lavve and therfore vvould not haue it done and hee punisheth sinne most seuerily and therfore is no autour of it and hee is goodnesse it selfe and deuoide of aâ—â— mallice and therfore caÌ„ not vvorke sinne vvhich is deuoid of all goodnes and nothing but mallice The tenthe Chapter by many pointes of their doctrine proueth that they take avvay all vice and vertue from mens actioÌ„s and so giue them leaue to sinne and to do vvhat they vvill IT is a thinge so manifest that vertue and vice honestie dishonestie is to be found in the actions of man that there vvas neuer any people so barbarous or vitiouse vvhich hath not commended many of mens actions and hathe not dispraised many others and blushed at them euen in them selues as not beseeming mans nature vvhich as it is reasonable so it should be ruled by reason Vvherfore to certaine actioÌ„s honours and revvardes haue beene proposed and to others seuere punishmentes and chastisments The vvisest of the GeÌ„tils vvhose reason by sinne superstitioÌ„ vvas least obscured vvere of opinioÌ„ that some actions vvere sinnes and offences of God that others vvere gratefull and pleasing vnto him For they knevv that God the autour of nature as hee had ordained all thinges to their end and giuen them faculties to exercise those actioÌ„s vvhich should bring them to their end so hee hathe ordained man vnto his end vvhich is to liue vertuously and by vertuous life so to serue God here that he maye enioye him herafter and therfore hee hathe endevved him vvith reason by vvhich hee may knovv vertue from vice and good from euill and a vvill also to execute that vvhich reason shal coÌ„maund so that vvhen hee liueth according to reason hee follovvethe his nature and Gods ordinaunce and exercise the those actions vvhich beseem his reasonable nature and are pleasing vnto God and vvhen he sollovveth sensualitie and leaueth reason theÌ„ dothe hee that vvhich is not beseeming his nature then dothe hee breake Gods ordinaunce and svverue from the end to vvhich he is ordained and consequentlye sinneth offendeth God l. 1. Eth. c. 8. Vvherfore Aristotle sayeth that vvise and vertuouse men vvhich liue according to reason are most deare vnto God Ex Clement Alex orat hortator ad gentes in Phaedone Plato affirmeth that God is the reuenger of sinne and dishonestie and in another place he distinguisheth three kindes states of men The first of those that liue vertuously and they sayeth he are sent to the happy Ilancls vvhich vvee vvould calle heauen the second state is of them vvho commit lesser faultes vvhich vvee vvould calle veniall sinnes such sayeth hee are purged for a tyme the same doe Catholikes saye of theÌ„ that dy out of mortall sinne yet are defiled so vvith veniall sinnes that they need some purging in Purgatorie and then vvith the first sorte are admitted to the happy IlaÌ„ds The last are they vvhich commit enormous and hainous crimes and such sayeth Plato are tormented perpetually bicause their paines do them noe good vvhich is as much to saye as Catholikes say of theÌ„ vvhoe for greater offences of vvhich they repent not before deathe are condemned to a praemunire and perpetuall imprisonment in hell By vvhich it may appeare that not only Christianes but also paganes and those that vvante the light of fayeth haue yet by light of reason espyed vice in some of our actions and vertue in other some and haue deemed those vvorthy punishment these vvorthy some revvard And yet if vvee giue credit to our nevve Christianes vvee must acknovvledge noe more vertue or vice in the actioÌ„s of men theÌ„ in the operations of brutish and vnreasonable creaturs For first if it be true vvhich Luther and Caluin teache vs that noe lavves caÌ„ bynde a Christian then doth it follovve that a Christiane can not sinne and consequently that ther can bee noe vice in any of his actioÌ„s For vvher noe lavve byndeth there is noe lavve vvhere no lavve is there is noe transgression of lavve vvhere is no transgression noe sinne can bee bicause euery sinne is a transgression of one lavve or other Rom. 7. Vvherfore S. Paule sayeth that vvithout lavve sinne is dead and of noemallice 8. 10. s. And S. Ihon sayeth that vvhosoeuer sinneth committeth iniquitie and that sinne is iniquitie that is transgression for so the Greeke vvord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich hee vseth importeth therfore the Grecianes commonly calle sinne by the selfe same name And althoughe some actions vvhich are of them selues cuill are not sinnes bicause the lavveforbiddeth them but therfore are by the lavve forbidden bicause of them selues they are sinnes yet certaine it is that there is noe sinne but it is forbidden ether by the lavv of God or of nature or of man and therfore vvell might sainct Austine saye l. 2. de pee mer. c. 16. that noe sinne should be if noe lavve did forbid it Rom. 2. And althoughe sainct Paule sayeth that the gentils sinned vvithout a lavve and therfore shal be punished vvithout a lavve yet hee excludeth only a vvritten lavve such as the Ievves had and vvithout that sayethe hee the geÌ„tils doe sinne but yet not vvithout all lavve for at least they transgressed the lavve of nature othervvise they could not haue sinned bicause euery sinne is against one lavve or other and so if noe lavv bynd vs in conscience noe sinne at all can bee found in our actions be they neuer so crossing and contratie to reason Secondly they denye free-vvill and consequently they take avvay all vice and vertue For if vvhen I do that action vvhich is counted a sinne I haue noe free-vvill then I can do no othervvise if I can do noe othervvise I ame not to bee blamed for that vvhich I could not auoyed but rather to bee pityed that I ame so constrained And if vvhen I pray to God or giue almes to the poore I can do no othervvise as I can not if I haue noe free-vvill I ame not pravse vvorthe bicause noe God a mercie to him that dothe vvell vnavvares or vvether hee vvill or noe Vvherfore vvee commend those moste vvhich doe vvell freely and of their ovvne choise vvhere vvee see men by feare or coÌ„pulsion are driueÌ„ to vvell doing vvee coÌ„mend them the lesse by hovv much greater vvas the constrainte vvhich is a signe that free choise more or lesse is necessary to the making of a vertuouse action Thirdly they say that God imputeth no sinne vnto a faithfull man vvhence it follovveth that there is noe sinne in their actions or that God is deceiued or is noe right esteemer of thinges but this they vvill not saye and therfore must auouch that there is noe sinne in Christians actions Fourthly although herin they speake not vvith that consequence vvhich might haue beene expected of men of reason they affirme that all our actions euen those that go for best are of them selues
of sinne and the bondage of the deuill Ser. 197. Domin l. post Trinitatem For as saint Austine sayeth Christ novv hath tyed the deuill in a chaine so that he can no farther tempte vs then vve can resist barke he may tempte he may sollicite vs he may but byte he can none but those vvhich vvill vvillfully cast them selues vvith in his reach Vvho novv is so vngratefull as not to acknovvledge this benefit Vvho vvill arrogate vnto him selfe the name of a Christian vvho vvill not also acknovvledge Christ for his redeemer Dare novve the reformers deny Christe the title of a redeemer they dare not Yet by their doctrine they make him a most absurd redeemer and so more dishonoure him then if they had denyed him this title alltogether For they saye that there is noe iustice but Christes iustice noe good vvorkes but his vvorkes noe merit but his merit noe satisfaction but his consequently that Christes passion vvas our iustice our merite our satisfaction Out of vv ch doctrine they inferre first that nether there is any inhereÌ„t iustice or sanctitie in maÌ„ nether is there any necessarie bicause Christes iustice is ours by imputation l. 〈◊〉 Inst c. 11. §. 2. Luth. in 2. Gal fol. 29â— and that is sufficient So sayeth Caluin and to him subscribeth Luther as shall appeare by their vvordes vvhich shal be related and refuted in this selfe same booke as also in diuers chapters of the seuenth booke Secondly they gather out of the same doctrine that good vvorkes are not necessary bicause Christes vvorkes are ours and they are sufficient vvhich doctrine I shall laye open in the same booke and first chapter Thirdly hence they inferre also that noe lavves ether humaine or diuine can bynd vs in conscience bicause Christes passion vvas the ransome vvhich freed vs from all lavves Fourthly that vvee are bound to noe satisfaction bicause Christes satisfaction vvas sufficient Fiftly that noe sinnes nor euill vvorkes can hurte vs bicause Christes iustice being ours noe sinne can make vs sinners vvhich doctrine shal be set dovvne in the same booke Sixtly that noe hell nor iudgemeÌ„t remayneth for vs bicause Christes iustice being ours sinnes can nether bee imputed to vs in this life nor punished in the next And in these pointes they saye that Christian libertie consisteth So that Christe according to these doctours opinions hath redeemed vs from the slauery of sinne bicause his iustice being ours noe sinne can hurte vs hee hathe deliuered vs from the yoke of the lavve bicause noe lavve can bynd vs hee hathe deliuered vs from hell and the deuill bicause hovvsoeuer vve liue if vvee beleeue that Christes iustice is ours and our satisfaction and payment the deuil hathe noe povver to punish vs in his Hellish prison bicause Christe hathe suffred the payne devve to our sinnes before hand Vvherin the discreet reader may easily perceue vvhat an absurd Redeemer they make Christe to bee For if Christe hathe redeemed vs from the slauery of sinne bicause noe sinne can hurte vs then dothe hee open vs the gappe to all manner of sinnes and outrages For vvhoe vvill care for sinne that is persuaded that Christes passion is so imputed to him that noe sinne can hurte him If Christe hath redeemed vs from the yoke of the lavve bicause noe lavve novve can bynde vs in conscience then dothe he giue vs the occasion to transgresse freely and contemne bodely all maÌ„ner of lavves and ordinaÌ„cies If Christe hathe deliuered vs from hell bicause hee hathe payed the punishemeÌ„t deâ—e to sinne and requireth noe other satisfactioÌ„ at our handes then doth hee in a manner egge vs forvvard to all vice from vvhich noe man vvill absteyne if fear of hell do not bridle his vnruly appetites and keepe him in avve And so Christes passion vvhich vvas a sacrifice to abolishe sinne is a cause of all sinne and Christe vvhoe came to redeeme the vvorld from sinne filleth the vvorld vvith sinne and so is an absurd redeemer so to redeeme vs from sinne that hee inuiteth vs and eggeth vs forvvardes vnto sinne So they make Christ not vnlike to that father vvhoe seing the excessiue expences of his prodigall sonne dothe not commaunde him to vse more thriftines but payes before hand to all disers cookes Inkeepers and merchauntes all that possibly hee can loose at dise or lauish out in apparell or consume in banquetting vvherin hee doth nothing else but inuite his sonne to all vnthriftines vvhoe needes neuer to care hovve hee spendeth vvhen all his debtes are payed before hand For so the ghospellers saye that Christ perceiuing that vve could not keepe the lavve freed vs froÌ„ all lavves and seing that vve could not auoyd sinne imputed his ovvne iustice so vnto vs that noe sinne can hurte vs and knovving that vvee vvere not able to satisfie for sinne hee abode the pain him selfe and vvould haue none required at our hands And in so doing vvhat else hathe hee doone but opened the vvide gate to all licentious libertie vice iniquitie Hovve farre more reasonable is the opinion of the Catholike Churche vvhich affirmeth that Christes passion vvas not our formall iustification nor satisfaction but only the meritorious cause of our redemption and saluation vvhich deserued for vs at Gods handes grace by vv ch together vvith our cooperation vve may be saued and redeemed For as vve fell by our ovvne vvilles into captiuitie so Christ thought it good that by our ovvne vvilles together vvith his grace for vvithout grace vvee may fall but vve can not rise again vve should rise vp again and vvinde our selues out of the seruitude of sinne and the tyranie of the deuill So that Christ hath redemed vs from the seruitude of the lavve not that the lavve by ndeth vs not but bicause Christ hathe taken avvay the heavinesse of the lavve and by his grace vvhich he giueth vs hathe giuen vs force easilie to fulfill it vvhich othervvise vvould haue tyraÌ„nised ouer vs in coÌ„maunding more theÌ„ vve should haue beene able to haue performed Christ also hathe redeemed vs from captiuitie bondage of sinne not bicause noe sinne can be imputed vnto vs but bicause his passion hathe deserued grace for vs by vvhich vvee maye dispose our selues to iustification vvhich is a resurrectioÌ„ from sinne to nevvnesse of life and by vvhich vvee may auoid sinne vvhensoeuer vve are moued there vnto Christ also hathe freed vs from the tyrannie of the deuill and captiuitie of Hell bicause he hathe procured vs grace by vvhich vvhen the deuill by him selfe or the vvorld or the fleshe prouoketh vs vve may resist maugre all the force of hell Christ also hathe satisfyed for our sinnes not bicause his passion vvithout any cooperation on our part doth suffice for so as is proued the gate vvere opened vnto all iniquitie but bicause his passion had obteyned grace for vs vvith out vvhich vve could not satisfie for the least veniall sinne and by vvhich if vve cooperate vvith it in