eternal save only upon his free and gracious promise made to them or at least in commutative justice do deserve it from any worth in them that equals it and for both these doth not always depend only on the Merits of Christ is held by Catholicks to err from Truth and to be guilty of a most false presumption 2ly For the true concurrence that good Works have by Christ's Merits thro God's free promise for obtaining or meriting life eternal here also as every one ought in general to believe most certainly and infallibly that all who perform such Evangelical Obedience shall obtain life Eternal So they affirm 1st That none is obliged to believe specially that his own Works or Obedience is such as cannot miss of it or that if he have not a full perswasion of the merit of his own Works or of his own Justification or Salvation or of the particular application of Christ's Merits to himself he cannot be justified or saved or partake of his Merits 2ly That by reason of the liableness of the once justified by or in their Baptisme to fall away again by committing Mortal Sin from their Justification and then the difficulty of discerning exactly among their Sins committed what are Mortal and losing the Divine Grace what are not then again by reason of the difficulty of knowing in our regaining a second Justification when we have a sufficient repentance or sorrow and contrition for our former Sins without which the Churches Sacraments do not profit us and a different measure of which is required according to the greatness of our fault and when we have not And 3ly by reason If we were ascertained of our regained estate of the great allay and impairment which our actions in this estate may receive from the mixture of many Venial sins so that our faults do many times equal sometimes exceed our good deeds nay sometimes that which we think a good act is no better than a true tho Venial Sin and is augmented also in our presumption that it is none By reason also of the difficulty to distinguish between Evangelical Counsels and Precepts in respect of which a different observance is required under penalty of falling into some Mortal Sin or only failing of Perfection And lastly by reason of the uncertainty of our perseverance and that our present Merits or Piety may not be all evacuated by some future miscarriages I say by reason of all these Catholicks affirm it the safest course especially for those who have not attained to any great perfection not to put any or much least it should happen to be a mistaken confidence in any merit or sufficiency of their own present works to those ends for which God requireth them of us But rather wholly to trust in and rely on God's mercy both for our present condition that if it be not safe he will through Christ's Merits by improving our Faith and Repentance change and amend it and for our present actions when we are in a safe condition that if they be full of defects and miscarriages he will for Christ's Merits remit these and for the future more sanctify them and give us also perseverance in them We ever remembring that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 4.4 Nihil mihi conscius sum sed non in hoc justificatus sum qui autem judicat me Dominus est Of which matter thus the Council of Trent Sess 6. c. 9. Sicut nemo pius de Dei misericordia Christi Meritis Sacramentorum virtute efficacia dubitare potest Sic quilibet dum seipsum suamque propriam infirmitatem indispositionem respicit de sua gratia i. e. of his Regeneration formidare timere potest 7ly Yet lastly they grant That such justified as are eminent in Sanctity both may have by special revelation which God sometimes condescending to a great familiarity communicates unto them an infallible certainty of their present justification and if persevering Salvation and may also without such revelation tho not attain any infallible certainty or perswasion cui non potest sub-esse falsum by reason of the possible defect of their judgment about some of the aforenamed particulars upon which therefore can never be built any Divine Faith the object of which is only Divine Revelation and therefore that only which is absolutely infallible yet have a strong and moral-certain perswasion or faith cui non sub-est dubium or dubitatio may have a fearless and calm security that they are actually justified and consequently if persevering shall be glorified Which is called the Testimony of a good Conscience grounded on their present Obedience as the condition and service required of them for rendring them capable of such a reward and of Christ's most perfect obedience the adequate meritorious cause thereof See 2. Cor. 1.12 1. Jo. 3.18 19 20. c. 24.4.17 2. Pet. 1.10 2. Tim. 4.7 8. To which Testimony of a good Conscience is added also the witness within them of the Holy Spirit Rom. 8.15 tho this witness as also it s other ordinary operations in us most-what is not certainly known by us to be its witness or operation for if it were so this would amount to special revelation Catholicks therefore affirm not a particular application of Christ's Merits to themselves or a confidence of their own Salvation in any justified to be unlawful but only an infallible certainty of these to be except by revelation unattainable and whilst they say that one tho in the state of Justification de sua gratia formidare timere potest yet they say not that every one timere debet ξ. ξ. See the Roman Writers quoted to this purpose by Dr. Field Append. 3. l. p. 318. c. And by Bishop Forbes de Justificat 3. l. 1. c. p. 95. c. Where Communior Romanensium sententia saith he libenter admittit ex vivae fidei sensu seu charitatis bonorum operum experimento certitudinem aliquam minoris inferioris gradus oriri quae conjecturalis probabilis nominari potest quae licet non omnem formidinem pellat tamen tollit omnem anxietatem haesitationem Progrediuntur alii quidam Romani ulterius certitudinem aliquam aliam minorem quidem certitudine fidei divinae Conjecturali tamen majorem quam certitudinem moralem appellandam censent admittunt Ita ut nullam habeant de sua justificatione formidinem deceptionis The Pharisee very confident Luk. 18.11 went home unjustified the Publican very fearful justified and so the Leper believing Christ's Power but doubting his good Pleasure si vis potes yet was cleansed Matt. 8.2 HEAD XVII Concerning Sin Venial and Mortal Concerning Sin Venial and Mortal THE Catholick Doctrine is 1. That all the Baptized are truely Regenerate 2. That a Man falls not from this state of Regeneration or from God's Grace and favour by committing any Sin how small soever nor yet continues still in this State whilst committing any Sin how
great soever But 3ly that there are some greater crimes and offences against God which are inconsistent with and destructive of the State of Grace which do so break God's Commandments as that if not worthily repented of they make us actually liable to eternal Damnation after the committing of which expelling us from the Grace and Priviledges of our Baptisme we cannot be reconciled to God nor restored to our former condition without the help of the Keys of the Church where-ever this may be had Lastly from which Sins by the Grace of God the Regenerate Person may totally abstain and totally reform his life and in respect of them may through his whole life perfectly observe all God's Commandments 4ly That there are other lesser Sins which are well consistent with the State of Regeneration From committing of which one or other of them no man tho Regenerate abstracting from God's special Priviledge can for any long time live free nor in respect of these can be said perfectly to observe God's Commandments Bellarm. de amiss Gratiae upon Matt. 5.22 Si quis leviter irascitur which he calls a Venial Sin is jam recedit a perfecta observatione legis Si quis autem manifestum convitium in proximum jactat is demum non a perfecta observatione sed simpliciter ab observatione legis recedit Which Sins however they do or do not offend against God's Laws or also in their nature do or do not merit eternal punishments yet all agree on this that no Regenerate person at all by committing them doth actually fall from God's favour or his former righteousness nor actually incur external punishments and that the Regenerate committing them have always at least an habitual repentance of them Next Concerning a Possibility to the Regenerate of fulfilling God's Laws and freedome from either Mortally or Venially offending him Next Concerning a Possibility to the Regenerate of fulfilling God's Laws 1. Catholicks do believe that some good thought word or work may be performed by the Regenerate and God's Commandments be observed therein perfectly and without any contagion or adherence of any Sin But 2ly that none can certainly know of himself 1. Cor. 4.4 when any work is so purely done 3ly They also willingly concede that the most or very many of the good works of the Regenerate are not done without some Sin or defect in some smaller Circumstances thereof by reason of concupiscence negligence and that no Regenerate person abstracting from the Divine special Priviledge can for any long time keep all God's Commandments as these Commandments are understood by any to involve the Prohibition of lesser and those commonly called Venial Sins But 4ly they maintain that many have kept and may keep them all thro the Grace given us by Christ at our Regeneration in the abstaining from greater or those commonly called Mortal Sins HEAD XVIII Of Works commonly called of Supererogation Counsels Evangelical or Works of Supererogation COncerning Evangelical Counsels or Precepts of Perfection and the Observance of them called Works of Supererogation 1. Catholicks disclaim any such Works taken in such a sense as Protestants explain and impose on them viz. That all things be performed and fulfilled that the Divine Law commandeth i. e. in living free as well from all those called Venial as from Mortal Sins α α. Bishop White Answer to Fisher p. 522. To the Definition and being of Works of Supererogation Two things are required First That all be performed and fulfilled which the Divine Law commandeth he meaneth without any Sin at all incurred Venial or Mortal See p. 525. but if without Mortal Sin and such as excludes from Grace were only meant by this Bishop so he must grant That all persons whilst in the State of Grace do thus fulfil God's commands He goes on But if just men have any Sin they perform not all which the Divine Law requireth Again p. 527. Supererogation implies these things 1st A perfect and exact performance of all commanded Duties without omission of any c. But saith he supposing the perfection of the Divine Law and presupposing all men to be Sinners in part i. e. as to Sins Venial the former is impossible So Perkins Demonstrat Problem p. 117. Of the Fathers Volunt Supererogationem fieri non quod officium aliquod praestari possit ultra legem moralem integram as now the Papists hold sed quod fit 1suo Ultra negativam partem ut non furari c. 2suo Ultra actus externos 3suo Unum aliquod mandatum 4suo Ultra mandatum caeteris hominibus commune Bishop Andrews Resp ad Apol. 8. c. p. 196. Quis nescit fieri a nobis multa libere quae a Deo non sunt imperata voveri reddi In hoc tamen Supererogandi vis tota non est Erogare prius oportet summam integram quae imperata est nobis Erogare quicquid debitum a nobis Id ubi jam factum tum ultra illud amplius quid Supererogare Peccavit in praecepta quis quae debuit facere non fecit sed votivum nescio quid vel voluntarium praestitit Hoc jampraeter erogare est forte non super Where his Answerer Discovery of Dr. Andrews Absurdities p. 363. long ago observed That he would have Works of Supererogation to be such good works only as are done after the Precepts are fulfilled or fully observed and so quite changed the question as it is stated by Catholicks And 2ly beyond this That something more be performed by us than is any way due to God from us β. β. See the Reason given in the Fourteenth Article of the Church of England why the Doctrine of Works of Supererogation is arrogant and impious For saith the Article by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do i. e. absolutely in respect of all the Divine Precepts but that they do more ' for his sake than of bounden duty is required Whereas Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that are commanded you say We are unprofitable Servants Vossius Thes de bonis Operibus Quest 3. Thes 1 2. Cum nemo in hac infirmitate vitae praestet ea quae debet impia est eorum sententia qui plus aiunt proestare quam debet Refellit hoc etiam Christus apud Lucam 17.9 10. Bishop White 's Answer to Fisher p. 526. out of St. Bernard By the obligation of Gratitude we owe to the Almighty omne quod sumus possumus c. And 3ly As some Protestants add γ. γ. Dr. Hammond Of Will-worship § 52. vindicating himself in the holding Evangelical Counsels yet from maintaining works of Supererogation The Romanists saith he mean by Supererogating that after having sinned and so become debtors to God they have paid that debt by satisfaction i. e. done something else which may satisfy God for their former sins Which satisfaction they say they may perform so far as
not only to satisfy for their own Sins but also to do more than so help towards the raising of a bank or treasure for others also Reiterated also in his Answer to Cawdry p. 225. That they be such works as are satisfactory for our own or also other mens Sins and Disobedience and that are also laid up in the Church's Treasure for this purpose Catholicks freely granting 1st That none can perfectly fulfil the Law not only without the mixture of some imperfection but also without the intervening of several venial or lesser sins frequently happening See Head Justifica ξ. γ. But yet these sins or deficiencies not such as cast us out of God's friendship or the state of Grace or as can hinder us from the greater reward in our observing of Counsels any more than they do from that lesser reward in our observing Precepts From which Venial Sins also David when yet he is said to have loved God toto corde was not free 2ly Granting also That none can perform any work at all that is not by many titles a due debt to the Divine Majesty of which see before Head XVI γ. 1. yet not a debt exacted by him under pain of sin or loss of heaven to those who do not pay it 3ly Granting that these works are no way satisfactory for any ones Sin or the eternal punishment thereof nor yet of the temporal but by application of Christ's Satisfactions nor again these Works of Supererogation and observance of the Counsels satisfactory in any other manner than other works that are observances of the Precepts are also affirmed to be nor is this that there is any Treasure of the Church partly at least made up of these maintained to be any part of the Roman Faith Concerning all which peruse the ensuing Head concerning Satisfaction But notwithstanding these Concessions 1st Catholicks wherein Learned Protestants joyn with them δ. δ. Mountague in his Appeal Licensed by Bishop White p. 214. I know no Doctrine of our English Church against Evangelical Counsels I do believe there are and ever were Evangelical Counsels such as St. Paul mentioneth in his Consilium autem do such as our Saviour pointed at and directed unto in his Qui potest capere capiat such as a man may do or not do without guilt of sin or breach of Law therefore are these no particular Precepts obligatory to some which have received from God such a particular gift for then all that are so gifted would sin in omitting them all not so gifted in doing them and they would be Counsels to none at all Nor would there be any place in them for St. Paul's doing well in the one but better in the other Again p. 216. out of St. Nazianzen We have Laws that do bind of necessity others that be left to our free choice to keep them or not so as if we keep them we shall be rewarded if we keep them not no fear of punishment And out of St. Chrysostome A man may do more than is commanded i. e. not as to fulfilling the whole Law with freedome from all Venial Sin but as to some particular Precept thereof with freedome from transgressing it either by Mortal Sin at all or Venial Sin for some time Again p. 215. and p. 218. The Doctrine of Antiquity with universal consent held Evangelical Counsels Name but one Writer in all Antiquity of a contrary mind to this There are Evangelical Counsels Bishop White Answer to Fisher p. 522. ' God Almighty doth not rigorously or as simply necessary to Salvation therefore not under pain of sinning or such sinning at least as excludes any from Salvation exact of his Saints and Servants that in every particular work in his service they do the uttermost of their force c. Again p. 527. He grants men may do more than God hath commanded by his Law as simply necessary to Salvation to wit ' They who give all their Goods to the Poor c. Again p. 527. He allows Counsels i. e. free-will offerings or spontaneous actions exceeding that which the ordinary bond of necessary duty obligeth men unto and which are acceptable unto God in respect of their end Dr. Hammond in his Treatise of Will Worship § 41. Every man is not bound under pain of Sin to be prudent or pious or merciful in such a degree I may give so much as will denominate me merciful and pray so often as to denominate me pious and yet be capable of growing in each of these Graces And § 47. That ordinary saying ' That every one is bound to do that which is best it is most discernably false and that which a world of falsities are builton which to prove I shall need no further testimony than that of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7.38 He that giveth in Marriage doth well and he that giveth not doth better If all were bound to do that which is best that which were only good were evil for so is that whatever it is which comes short of what we are bound to do Ibid. in his Answer to Cawdry p. 192. The Macedonians saith he are an instance of doing more in this kind than either all men at all times or they at this time were obliged to have done And see before p. 184. His instancing in St. Paul's taking no hire from the Corinthians for his preaching Ibid. p. 195. He that observes the duty in any degree of the Latitude doth well and he that goes yet further but not beyond the Latitude doth better Why better but because he doth more than the other and more than the command requires under sin Again p. 224. If every regular act of Obedience which comes short of the highest degree of perfection is a sin than every act of Virtue in this life is a sin for the fullest perfection which cannot be increased is not to be found in any man in this life And p. 229. he saith That such persons may expect from our great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more and greater acceptance I shall add reward also than the same person could in reason expect for doing only what is commanded And of two men which have been equal in obedience one exceeding the other in acts of uncommanded perfection the more perfect shall have the richest reward In all which he saith plainly enough that a man may do more than is commanded as to some particular commands praying giving Alms and that without sinning in such act or simning either Mortally or Venially against such Precept at another time tho he denies this not sinning § 51. in respect of all commands whatsoever i. e. our never sinning against any of them where if he mean venially so saith the Roman Church with him Mr. Thorndike in Epilog 2. l. 32. c. p. 296. c. Justifies the Counsels of Continency of abandoning riches to which one hath just title and St. Austin's Comment upon St. Paul's forbearing his dues for Preaching Potuit S. Paulus ex
forementioned is not allowed nor other explicite Faith than the forementioned required Therefore that Proposition Haec est vera Catholica fides extra quam nemo Salvus esse potest as applied to the larger Creeds that of Athanasius or yet further to all the Decrees of all lawful Oecumenical Councils as in the Bull of Pius the Fourth ought either to be understood not distributively as if any Decree of any such Council unknown and so not believed or assented to excludeth from Salvation For how few among Christians do know or yield actual assent to all the Decrees of some one Council And how can the Doctors of that Church require such Belief to all the Decrees suppose of the Council of Trent a many of whom require it not to all the Articles of the Apostles Creed But collectively thus That all that Fides extra quam nemo Salvus is contained therein and that extra eam totaliter sumptam or si tota desit nemo Salvus esse potest As elsewhere in the same Council of Trent the Nicene Creed is called Fundamentum firmum unicum contra quod portae inferi nunquam praevalebunt Conc. Trid. Sess 3. or to be understood distributively but hypothetically thus That when any one knows any such Article to have been defined by the Church wherein a non-culpable ignorance of the Church's Definitions always excuseth he after this in non-believing or in dissenting from such Article doth by this his Pertinacy and Disobedience to the Church as by other greater sins persisted in and unrepented of incur the loss of Salvation HEAD XIV Concerning Obedience to Humane Laws made by the Ecclesiastical or Civil Magistrate Concerning Obedience required to Humane Laws 1. CAtholicks do not affirm from God's commanding Obedience to the Ecclesiastical and Civil Magistrate and to their Laws That therefore all Dis-obedience to them or their Laws is a mortal Sin For so all Dis-obedience to any of their Laws whatever tho never so light for their matter would be mortal Sin 2. It is manifest that many times the matter which these Magistrates command is antecedently our duty in obedience to some Divine Law under Penalty of Mortal Sin tho they had not commanded it As in matters of much consequence to the publick or our private good the Charity to our Neighbour or also to our selves that is commanded by God's Law requires that which the Magistrate also exacts of us In such cases therefore there may be a great and mortal Sin committed in dis-obeying the Ecclesiastical or Civil Laws but this by vertue of the Divine concurring with and corroborating them in these particular Injunctions 3. Catholicks affirm That the Breach of a humane Law made in a thing that is left indifferent by the Divine out of contempt may be a greater Sin than breaking one of the Divine Precepts out of Infirmity but this is also by vertue of our offending against another particular Divine Law prohibiting such contempt of the Magistrate But such contempt neglect c. set aside that a much greater guilt is ordinarily contracted from the breach of a Divine than only an humane command both from the greater necessity and benefit in general of the matter of the Laws Divine and from the supreme Dignity and Majesty of the immediate Legislator 4. Catholicks affirm That no humane Laws made in matters of what consequence soever do bind beyond the Law-Giver's intention so that such Laws tho given in matters of greatest moment bind not under pain of mortal Sin I mean as they are his Laws if he doth not intend them to do so In whose Power since it is to lay no obligation so not to lay the greatest 5. That whatever obligation to Sin such Laws may have from the Law-givers intention yet that in some Circumstances they may not bind at all as the Divine do as in Periculo mortis cum pergravi damno aut infamia for quod valde difficile moraliter impossibile and to Impossibles Laws bind not I say if the thing commanded appear not of a greater consequence than such private damage nor hath been expressed by the Magistrate to be esteemed so Otherwise it is presumed that the Law-Giver in that Charity which he oweth to his Subjects doth or ought to pass his Laws without any intention that they should bind under Sin in such cases 6. Most of the Church's Laws are passed without any express Declaration of her Subjects incurring mortal Sin in the Breach of them yet this rationally collected by her Doctors from the great consequence of the matter commanded the heavy punishment annexed c. And sometimes her Laws are so indulgent as to oblige to a Penalty only without any Guilt laid upon the Transgressor of them HEAD XV. Of Justification Of Justification COncerning Justification whereby man hath Right by vertue of the Evangelical Covenant to freedome from eternal Death and possession of eternal Life 1. Catholicks declare That by Justification they mean both God's pronouncing or reputing Man just or not unjust i. e. freed from his wrath and from punishment due to the unjust by God's free remission of all his former Sins And 2ly God's making and so reputing him just or holy by habitual Grace infused or by inherent righteousness Thus making God's Remission of the former Acts of Sin and our Sanctification and so by it the removal of former habits of Sin the two parts of our Justification or the two effects of God's mercy in justifying us α. α Conc. Trid. Sess 6.7 c. Hanc dispositionem Justificatio ipsa consequitur quae non est Sola peccatorum remissio sed Sanctificatio Renovatio interioris hominis c. Again In ipsa Justificatione cum Remissione peccatorum haec omnia simul infusa accipit homo per Jesum Christum cui inseritur fidem Spem Charitatem 6. Sess 11. Can. Si quis dixerit homines justificari Sola peccatorum remissione exclusa gratia charitate quae in cordibus eorum per Spiritum Sanctum infunditur Anathema sit Bellarm. de Justificationes l. 2. 6. c. Cum tam mors Christi quam resurrectio ad justificationem necessaria esset potuisset Beatus Paulus utramque partem justificationis i. e. Remissionem peccati donum renovationis tribuere morti Christi sed maluit resurrectioni tribuere renovationem Rom. 4.15 And § Deinde Justificatio non ideo Solum nobis confertur a Deo ut Gehennae paenas evadamus i. e per remissionem peccatorum sed etiam ut praemia vitae caelestis acquiramus i. e. per gratiae infusionem bona opera And see Ibid. c. 2. § Quod si Where he makes remissionem peccatorum infusionem gratiae duos effectus Dei hominem justificantis Where therefore renovatio interioris hominis per susceptionem gratiae is affirmed to be the formal cause of Justification and deletion of Sin to be the effect of it It is spoken of the only formal
absolutio nominato aliquo temporis spacio intra quod Paenitens conatum adhibeat ad criminis emendationem postea absolutionem accepturus Bonacina de Paenit Disp 5. § 3. p. 2. Prop. 4. Confessarius potest obligare paenitentem ad paenitentiam ante absolutionem adimplendam quatenus judicaverit expedire ad curationem medicinam paenitentis See Suarez de Paenit Disp 38. § 7. n. 7. See the Rules of Carlo Borrhomeo Acta Eccl. Med. Part 4 in Instruct Confess enjoining Confessors to defer Absolution to persons offending mortally in such sins as are grown to much excess to those who have not quitted the near occasions of their former sins or who they probably gather will quickly return to them for the Contrition of such seems not sufficient till some experience be had of their Reformation And see Xaverius his Instruction to Gaspar Rector of the Colledge at Goa Tursel Vita Xaver 6. l. 17. c. Confessionem non continua sequetur Absolutio sed biduum triduumve dabitur eorum peccatoribus certarum rerum meditatione praeparandis ut interim animorum maculas lachrymis voluntariis eluant paenis Si quid cui debent restituant simultatibus si quas habent depositis redeant cum inimicis in gratiam a libidinis consuetudine caeterisque quibus impliciti sunt flagitiis expediantur Haec omnia absolutionem rectius praecurrunt quam sequuntur Where the space of time mentioned doubtless ought to be prolonged as a longer Mortification seems necessary Lastly In the Pope's Briefs to those who are authorized to absolve in reserved Cases they are enjoined not to absolve any for such great Sins till some part at least of a rigorous Satisfaction first performed See the large Collection of Authorities to this purpose in Arnauld de la Frequen Communion Part. 2. c. 44 45. 6ly That God no Acceptour of Persons or Ages doth in no times require lesser Penances or Humiliations from us for procuring his pardon of our sins or averting either his eternal or his temporal punishment of them than in others So that though such Penances happen not for some good reasons to be so severely now as anciently imposed on Penitents by their Ghostly Fathers according to the true demerit of their sins or being imposed equal to the sin in his judgment yet really are not so yet are they still in the same measure due nevertheless to be performed to God for such sin as well now as in any former times and therefore the Council of Trent endeavouring to correct some modern neglects requires Ut Sacerdotes quantum spiritus prudentia suggesserit pro qualitate criminum paenitentium facultate salutares convenientes Satisfactiones injungant And that Non tantum ad novae vitae custodiam infirmitatis medicamentum sed etiam ad praeteritorum peccatorum vindictam castigationem an Office committed to them by our Lord Jo. 20.23 Ne si forte peccatis conniveant indulgentius cum paenitentibus agant levissima quaedam opera pro gravissimis delictis injungendo alienorum peccatorum participes efficiantur μ. μ. Bellarm. de Indulgent 2. l. 18. c. Et veteres recentiores Episcopi non aliis quam paenitentibus Indulgentias tribuunt nec alias paenas Penances quam in foro paenitentiario debitas relaxant Quod autem ex paenis in â—oro paenitentiario debitis tunc relaxarentur paenae injunctae nunc autem tum injunctae tum injungendae ratio est quoniam tunc injungebantur severiores paenitentiae quae saepe delictis aequases erant nunc autem injunguntur mitiores quae delictis impares sunt sed sive pares sive impares injunguntur omnino pares in hac vita vel in alia perferendae sunt for our defect of performance of due Penance for our Sin nisi misericorditer relaxentur Again 8. Cap. Hoc tempore non injungitur quidem paenitentia tam severa i. e. pluribus annis tamen vere debitores sunt qui peccata gravia commiserunt paenitentiae agendae multis vel annis vel diebus c. And Ut plurimum longe plus est quod expiandum restat per non-injunctas paenitentias quam quod expiatur per injunctas And 7. Cap. § Ex his Imo Sacerdotes cum Paenitentias imponunt hortantur paenitentes ut ipsi etiam sponte assumant alias cum credibile sit impositas non esse aequales criminibus Cyprianus dicat Paenitentia crimine minor non sit quod idem alii Patres docent Again 2. l. 9. c. § tertio Tunc majores paenas Deus exiget quando Paenitentia Canonica injuncta est minor quam par esset sed si injungatur aequalis i. e. as explained below Thes 9. n. 4. ut plane injungi potest ea plene exolvatur nihil in Purgatorio solvendum superesse omnes Catholici docent Estius 4. Sent. dist 15. § 21 Si Sacerdos officio suo desuerit in jungens dans opera levia pro delictis gravibus vel etiam justa quaquam ratione addictus minorem quam pro exigentia delicti Satisfactionem injunxerit omnino videtur paenitens qui eum defectum vel scit velscire debot teneri ad satisfactionem aliquam ultra assumendam â—aque donec tota satisfactio perveniat ad quandam aequalitatem cum paena remporali pro peccatis debita cujus ratio est quia quamdiu nondum fecit fructus dignos paenitentiae nondum satisfecit divino praecepto Matt. 3.8 Card. Tolet. Instruct Sacerd. 3. l. 11. c. Advertendum est quod paenitentia imposita a Confessore quamvis ut diximus magis prosit quam voluntarie assumpta non tamen semper adhuc delet totam paenam sed partem aliquam nisi tam grandis sit ut totam auferat Sed humana fragilitas non patitur tales panitentias Ob id merito indulgentiis omnibus bonis operibus vitae juvamur adhuc in purgatorio solvenda post obitum ferimus Lastly thus Lugo de Paenitent Disp 25. § 2. Non sufficere prudentem existimationem Ministri Prebatur saith he Quia ad causandos alios effectus Sacramentales non sufficit prudens existimatio ministri v. g. in absolutione non sufficit quod sacerdos prudenter judicet paenitentem esse dispositum nec ad effectum Eucharistiae sufficit quod prudenter aliquis existimet se esse in gratia sic de aliis ergo nec ad hunc effectum remissionis paenae sufficiet quod Sacerdos prudenter existimet esse satisfactionem aequalem si revera non sit Dico autem aequalem non mathematice non enim requiritur talis sed juxta regulam dispositionem divinam qua Christus instituit in hoc Sacramento tantam satisfactionem paenitentis cum tali dispositione valere ad tollendum tantum reatum paenae temporalis And That therefore it is more beneficial to the Penitent that these be in case of great and mortal sins in some larger proportion
them For if some more imperfect acts of Faith of Repentance Hope Love c. done only by God's assistant Grace did thro God's promise and Christ's merits procure our first Justification and the consequents thereof much more the same acts and others the like now more perfect and proceeding from Grace inhabitant do thro the same promise and merits confer on or procure for us a greater or as some stile it a second Justification viz. An improvement of our former justice the remission of such Venial Sins as are still committed by the justified and a richer eternal reward 9. They affirm That a man may fall away again from this state of Justification by incurring those greater Sins either of Omission or Commission which are for this cause called commonly Mortal from which fall he is capable of restorement to a second Justification or justified condition by the same means as he attained the first only if instead of Baptisme not iterable he make use of the Sacrament of Penance for his entrance into it where-in concerning the just value and vertue of Penal Works see below Head XIX 10. These are the Catholicks Positions concerning Justification much tending to the promotion of pious endeavours and an holy life with whom also the more moderate Protestants do in most if not all the former Points concur But meanwhile there are other Tenents of the more rigid Protestants on this subject and several also of them broached by the first Author of the Reformation which brings a very great prejudice to it that tend much to the relaxation of good manners the breeding of false securities and weakning mens endeavours in the prosecution of a good life such as these ζ. ζ. See the most rigid Protestants maintaining the most of these Opinions cited and censured by Bishop Forbes in his Considerationes aequae placidae de Justificatione And by Dr. Hammond in his Treatise of Fundamentals from the 11th to the 19th Chapter And by Mr. Thorndike Epilog 2. l. from the 4th to the 10th Chapter 1st Their placing Justification only in the remission of Sin and imputation to us of the righteousness of Christ not in infusion of Grace or renovation of life making men fancy here that all their work is done for and without them none to be done in or by them 2ly In such remission of Sin their making Justification as it were one momentaneous act and God at one and the same time remitting to us all our Sins past present and to come which must needs produce afterward a very careless behaviour both to committing and repenting of Sin 3ly In such imputation of Christ's Righteousness their maintaining it in such a manner not as if we were meritoriously justified by the application of the effects of it to us as if it had been our own but formally justified by a translation of it and investiture with it in such a manner as if it were inherent in us and esteemed to be done by our selves 4ly From whence ariseth also a conceit that all men by this righteousness apprehended by their Faith are equally justified or all esteemed equally righteous in their Justification 5ly And so also that all become equal in the future celestial reward whether working much or working little 6ly Their making the only instrument or necessary condition required in us for Justification or remission of Sin Faith alone an easy act of the brain as Dr. Hammond Of Fundamentals p. 116. observes having nothing in it repugnant to our passions and not any other good disposition wrought in us by God's especial Grace Repentance purpose of a better Life and this Faith too required of us for this purpose not as any work or duty but only as an instrument or hand to apprehend and apply Christ's merits to us and to make his righteousness ours c. 7ly Their making this Faith that justifies us a strong fiducia or full assurance that we are justified or if you will that we shall be justified only on those terms if we firmly believe we shall be so Which obliging men of what life soever to believe they are or shall be justified without looking after any requisite thereto save only this full belief renders those who continue still unreformed in their Manners yet by such strong fancy secure of their Salvation whilst none more than they extol the all-sufficiency of Christ's Righteousness nor none so much as they do or have reason to diffide in and dis-esteem their own From which Tenent also it follows that all those that are truly justified are assured or certainly know that they are justified The ordinary effect of which Doctrine is despair in some who find in themselves no such assurance certain presumption in others who are fully assured without just cause 8ly Their holding that a justifying is only a true Faith which breeds a great presumption in those for their being also justified persons who do and have no reason but to take themselves for true believers and who would even give their bodies to be burnt for any Article of the Christian Faith 1. Cor. 13.3 and yet do or may want Charity and so Justification 9ly Their holding good works and the other dispositions that always accompany a justified Faith to be necessary to our Justification or Salvation only as effects and fruits or also signs and assurances to our selves or others of this Faith necessary for their presence indeed but not for their efficiency as causa sine qua non ad salutem non impediendum but not as instruments or conditions required thereto as our Faith is thus destroying obedience it self by taking away the chief motives that men have to it and making them neglect any further pains-taking for the production of those things which they are taught do necessarily grow from Faith or which serve only to justify them not before God but Men. 10ly Their expounding St. Paul not only to exclude Works performed by strength of Nature but done by Grace from any way disposing us or concurring thereto And St. James only to speak of good Works as declaring our Justification before men not obtaining it with God 11ly Their affirming the Promises of the Gospel to be meerly gratuital excepting for Faith and not conditional upon Obedience as those of the Law were denying our Lord to be any Legislator or denying Christian liberty to be so far obliged to the Obedience of the Law as that any account is had of our observing of it in any degree as to obtaining or improving our Justification And that Christians ought now not as tied to it by God's Law but spontaneously and freely to do that Will of his which was formerly made known to them by the Law Which Obedience of our's how little soever and upon such terms we may guess it will not be much yet is accepted by God through the more perfect Obedience of his Son made ours by Faith See Calvin Institutiones 3. l. 19. c. 2.4 § And then we may
prescribed and such Penitents have good cause both gratefully to accept and to desire it of their Confessors Both for that such Penances are as necessary now as heretofore to be paid in the same proportion at least by our own supplying such a defect and a less measure of them prescribed is more effectual to such purposes than a greater voluntarily undertaken both for the Sacramental efficacy and the power of the Keys exercised in the one that is not in the other and also for the merit of Obedience when they may happen to be imposed by these our spiritual Superiors in a way less grateful to us ν. ν. Layman 5. l. 6. Tract 15. c. Multo plus valet modica paenitentia a Sacerdote imposita quam magna quae sponte assumitur quia non haec sicut illa vim Sacramentalem habet Estius adds nor meritum obedientiae all Obedience being a kind of Mortification Quamobrem â—ptandum est paenitenti ut non levis ipsi paenitentia imperetur 7. Thus much of Penances and Satisfactions as they relate also to Contrition and the Remission of Sin and eternal torments due thereto in our Justification 7ly Catholicks affirm That after Sin and its eternal punishment thus remitted and after the person restored into God's favour in his Justification yet both after our first Justification by Baptisme as to some temporal sufferings in this life tho not in the next but chiefly after a second by the Sacrament of Penance to those who have relapsed after Baptism into greater sins and who to use the expression of the Council of Trent Sess 6. cap. 14 Gratiae Dei quam acceperunt ingrati spiritum Sanctum contristaverant Templum Dei violare non sunt veriti there many times remains still reserved and so not the Sin always as to all its punishment remitted in our Justification See Conc. Trid. Sess 14. Cap. 4. some temporal punishments besides that common one of a corporal Death to be undergone by them God's justice not admitting so far the application to us gratis or for our former repentance of the all meritorious satisfactions of our Lord as that great sins especially should escape impune and unchastised with some temporal scourges at least in this manner to shew his hate to sin even when he hath taken into favour the sinner Examples of which punishments of the sin after God reconciled to the person and so his offence in this sense removed are found frequent in Scripture See Numb 20.12 27.12 13 14. Numb 14.34 2. Sam. 12.10.13 14. 2. Sam. 24.10.13 2. King 20.6.18 comp 2. Chron. 32.31 2. Chron. 20.37 35.22 23. 1. King 13.22 1. Cor. 3.15 Exod. 32.34 Where the punishment threatned ver 10. being remitted yet are others less than that reserved whensoever their new sins should provoke the Lord also to remember these Josh 22.17 Psal 89.31 c. Prov. 11.31 1. Pet. 4.18 Ecclesiasticus 5.4 Psal 98.8 1. Cor. 11.31 32. Which temporal Sufferings of the already justified Protestants also though some of them had rather call them Chastisements and Corrections than Punishments acknowledge inflicted on them for former Sin and amongst other ends for this to shew God's hate to Sin ξ. ξ. Chemnitius Exam. Conc. Trid. Part. 2. De Satisfact Fide propter Christum accipimus simul remissionem culpae paenae aeternae Sed quod ad paenas temporales in hac vita attinet post acceptam remissionem peccatorum subjiciuntur justificati in hac vita vel communibus calamitatibus vel peculiaribus paenis propter certa seu privata quaedam peccata Ut Adam David populus Israel Miriam Testantur idem calamitates Baptizatorum post baptismam Ostendunt etiam Scripturae exampla Deum aliquando post reconciliationem seu remissionem quibusdam singulares paenas ob peccata in hac vita imponere quanquam hoc non sit universale Scripture etiam dicit de reconciliatis Corpus mortuum est propter peccatum Roman 8. 2. Reg. 12. Quia fecisti hoc c. Non quasi Deus illis nondum satis sit reconciliatus seu aliquid offensae retinuerit etiam post datam remissionem peccatorum sed illis imponuntur ad castigationem sui ad exemplum aliorum Ne accepta reconciliatione obliviscantur quanta sit abominatio peccati quae magnitudo irae Dei adversus peccatum Ut crescat in ipsis odium detestatio peccati timor Dei fides sollicite curans ut gratiam retineat Ut his Exercitiis conservetur confirmetur paenitentia quae perpetua esse debet fides obedientia in Cruse spes petitio expectatio auxilii liberationis seu mitigationis Denique Deus vult in illis tanquam in publico spectaculo conspici Exempla admonentia nos alios de judicio suo adversus peccata c. Daille De Paenis Satisfact 1. l. 3. c. Neque absolute negaverat Calvinus piorum castigationes ad praeteritum referri qui sciret eas piis imponi ob admissa delicta Libenter concedimus ob admissum a Davide peccatum mortuum esse ejus filium Mortem parvuli paenam i. e. impositum in ultionem peccati tho ultio he calls it when man punisheth such Sin See De Christ Pacif. σ. and so doth the Scripture 2. Cor. 7.11 why not when God fuisse admissi a Davide peccati proprie dictam negamus Again Sapientissimus Pater ut grassaturae pesti occurreret tempestiveque tanto malo mederetur sui in ea peccata qualia a Davide admissa erant odii and why not as well suae ultionis which he denies See pag. 5. specimen edendum putavit sublato parentis ante oculos filio So he saith chap. 6. of the punishment of Moses's Sin Ea insigne documentum fuit tum nostrae miseriae tum sanctitatis ac puritatis divinae quae ne minimos quidem vel carissimorum ministrorum naevos sine animadversione transmittit But next Concerning these temporal Punishments Catholicks do not affirm 1. That there always remains a debt of them reserved after remission of the Sin obtained in Justification But that in this one act of Contrition may possibly be so intense and prevalent with his Divine Majesty as to remove at once thro Satisfactions of Christ whatever punishment due thereto ζ. and that after our Regeneration in Baptisme no temporal Punishment at least in the next world of which see Council of Trent Sess 6. c. 14. Conc. Florent de Baptisme where the person being now uncapable of meliorating his condition several former ends of such sufferings cease remains payable for any sins preceding it 2. Again of Punishments that remain they do not affirm the sole end of God's inflicting them to be the Satisfaction of his vindicative Justice upon Sin but many other merciful purposes As for the cure of the remaining stains and bad impressions of such Sin and of the vicious inclinations left in the offenders or also for increasing the merit of the
injuriam quam Deo fecimus Nihilominus tamen accedente gratia Dei eaque multiplici vere possumus aliquo modo ex propriis ad aequalitatem ac per hee juste ex condigno satisfacere Aâ—iquo modo i. e. dum opera nostra ut a Spiritu Christi in nobis habitante procedunt quandam habent infinitatem And Dum Deus qui omnia nostra sibi jure vendicare posset non omnia quae facere possumus imperat Lugo De Paenit Disp 24. § 1. Comparing Merit and Satisfaction Sicut mereri in the sence that Catholicks use it non est emere pro aequali pretio aequalitate rei sed est seminare apud aequitatem gratitudinem Principis quare aequalitas meriti non est sicut precii sed sicut seminis in corde Principis faecundissimo Sic etiam facere non est satis pati sed imitatur meritum eo quod debitor tendat ad placandum Principem alliciendam ejus mansuetudinem ac clementiam ut acceptet voluntariam punitionem anticipatam placetur ne exigat debitam paenam Unde multo minor paenalitas sufficiet ad expiandum debitum majoris paenalitatis And Disp 25. § 2. Dico Satisfactionem aequalem non Mathematice non enim requiritur talis sed juxta regulam dispositionem divinam qua Christus instituit in hoc Sacramento tantam Satisfactionem Paenitentis cum tali dispositione interna valere ad tollendum tantum reatum paenae temporalis See the stating of Merit in Merits α. 3ly Yet that these Penances being the fruits of the Spirit in the Regenerate and adopted Sons of God have a supernatural dignity in them most acceptable to him See Merit Thes 3 4. especially those done freely by them beyond the obligation of his Precepts and so the same which hath been said of the worth of their other good works See before in order to their meriting in some fence eternal life may much more be said of these in order to their meriting in the same fence the remission of or which is the same satisfying God for some temporal Punishment That is In such a fence as these good Works may have a worth acceptable to God for obtaining from him that which is more they may for procuring or giving satisfaction to him for that which is less β. A like worth to which no Penal Works have that precede our Justification as to any remission of the eternal punishment a pardon always received before the production of these later Penances that follow Justification which therefore are affirmed Satisfactions for the temporal Punishment not for the eternal Conc. Trid. Sess 6. c. 14. 4ly But in this satisfaction or remission of the one Sufferings that are to be inflicted for the other Penalties voluntarily undergone there is affirmed no equality in strict justice of the later to the former of the sufferings performed by us to those remitted by God but these far greater affirmed to be averted by the other far lesser therefore they are called Satisfactions in reference to God's acceptance not Satispassions a just recompence of in comparison to such punishments Ï…. But since God's Justice suffers no Sin to pass unpunished nor Punishment to pass unsatisfied-for to the uttermost by some person or other therefore for whatever they are deficient herein it is affirmed to be abundantly supplied in and by the Satisfactions of our Lord applied for the remitting of these temporal Punishments less or more according to the various measure of those self-revenges and fruits of Penance which Christians bring forth and offer to God for their release As also the same Satisfactions of our Lord are affirmed to be applied to the faithful for remission of these Punishments by the Sacraments of the Church by oblation of the Sacrifice of Christ's Body and Blood for them by the Churches Indulgences Lastly by their own Prayers though without any other Penal Works as God pleaseth God's Justice finding these plenary Satisfactions in his Son for any Punishment eternal or temporal the pardon of which his Mercy is pleased to indulge us without our own φ. φ. Concil Trid. § 14. c. 1. Sacramento Paenitentiae one part of which are Satisfactions lapsis post Baptismum beneficium mortis Christi applicatur Ibid. c. 13. Si quis dixerit pro peccatis quoad paenam temporalem minime Deo per Christi merita satisfieri paenis ab eo inflictis c. Anathema sit Again Can. 14. Si quis dixerit Satisfactiones quibus Paenitentes per Christum Jesum peccata redimunt non esse cultus Dei c. Again Cap. 8. Dum satisfaciendo patimur pro peccatis Christo Jesu qui pro peccatis nostris satisfecit ex quo omnis nostra sufficientia est conformes efficimur Omnis Gloriatio nostra in Christo est in quo meremur in quo satisfacimus facientes fructus dignos paenitentiae qui ex illo vim habent ab illo offeruntur Patri per illum per illius merita acceptantur a Patre c. Ubi vides saith Cardinal Lugo De Paenit Disp 24. § 1. intervenire merita Christi non solum ut fiant nostrae satisfactiones sod etiam ut acceptentur a Deo Again Cap. 9. Corporalibus flagellis a Deo inflictis a nobis patienter toleratis apud Deum Patrem per Christum Jesum satisfacere valemus Upon which thus Lugo Ibid. Congruum est quod hoc etiam beneficium non aliter concederetur nisi propter Christum propter quem Deus remittit indulget omnia quae quolibet modo nobis remittuntur indulgentur For since God's Justice must be fully satisfied by some person or other for all Sin and all its due punishments Else why suffered Christ and the Satisfactions of our Penal Works are affirmed not in rigid justice to equal the temporal punishment remitted here also our Satisfactions are compleated by Christ's in the same manner as our Merits And what Cardinal Lugo saith in Defence of that Thesis Liberari nos posse a debito paenae temporalis per impetrationem vel merito congruo may as well be said of our freedome from it by our imperfect and diminutive Satisfactions Nostra peccata non manere tunc impunita as to what they fully deserve Sed satisfieri plene divinae justitiae applicando satisfactiones Christi propaena quam nos debebamus solvere quae applicatio obtineri potest aliquando per orationes Sicut nec manent impunita peccata quando paena pro iis debita remittitur per Indulgentias aut Sacramenta vel Sacrificia quia tunc etiam Satisfactiones Christi applicantur quibus solvitur plenissime totum debitum Suarez De Paenit Disp 36. § 1. Nostra Satisfactio Christi Satisfactioni innititur non solum quia per illum habemus virtutem satisfaciendi sed etiam quia nostra satisfactio propter ipsum acceptatur ut rationem justitiae participet in ejus satisfactione