inconvenience to acknowledge any thing to be sinne which no Law of God forbiddes That venial sinne should be beside the Law of God but not against it would make it no sinne which nothing but the transgression of the Law determineth 1 Joh. III. 4. Rom. IV. 15. For why is any thing sinne but because it ought not to be done Or why ought it not to be done but because it is Gods will that it should not be done Or what would God have done that is not a Law to his creature Therefore all sinne transgresseth that will whereby God would not have that done which it doing transgresseth his Law On the other side how clearly agreeth it with the goodnesse of God how necessarily followeth it upon that Grace which his Gospell publisheth that those who are called to it supposing them obnoxious to that concupiscence which will certainly induce them to sinne notwithstanding the Grace whereby they are regenerate should neither forfeit their estate in it by every sinne which they commit nor by any sinne which they forsake by timely repentance Therefore how exact so ever that obedience is which the Gospell requireth at our hands So long as it leaveth him that returneth by repentance from that sinne whereby he faileth of it right of being reestated in his reconcilement with God It is manifest that his estate in the promises of the Gospel is not forfeit by falling into sinne but by persevering in it How much more when it is acknowledged on all hands that there are in the World so many meanes to divert our mindes from the true end and rule of our doings so numberlesse snares for our inclinations naturally biassed towards that which seemeth best for the present that no Christian can keep an exact account of the occasions whereby he findeth himself to fail of that righteousnesse which he aimeth at how much more I say is it to be presumed that the grace of the Gospell reacheth further then any mans repentance and in consideration of our Lord Christ accounteth not that to be a breach of Covenant which onely the generall study of new obedience extinguisheth In this consideration if any man will say that some sinnes are veniall others mortall in regard of those terms of reconcilement with God which the Gospel proposeth which as no sinne voideth if repentance follow so those sinnes which the present weaknesse of our mortall nature cannot easily avoid must not be thought to infring he shall say no more then the Gospel of Christ will warrant by necessary consequence But whether any sinne be originally veniall by that first Law of God the transgression whereof it is as it manifest that we are not inabled by the Scriptures to dispute tending onely to reveal by degrees Gods purpose of dealing with man under sinne which the Gospel at last hath clearly set forth so it is certaine that it no way concernes either my purpose or any mans salvation to determine And this destinction of Gods Law is founded upon the expresse words of S. Paul Rom. IV. 27. where he saith that glorying is excluded by the law of Faith not by the Law of workes And S. James 11. 12. So speak ye and so do ye as those that shall be judged by the Law of liberty For those terms which God hath proposed to Christians whom he hath freed from sinne are that very Law of Christianity whereby those that are so freed shall be judged whether they have walked in the freedome to which they were called or not the originall Law which differenceth good from bad being set aside as to the purpose of giving sentence by it And upon these termes whosoever dieth in the state of Gods grace fulfilleth Gods Law obtaining the promise which the Gospel tendreth by fulfilling the condition which it requireth But where as it is further questioned among the Schoole Doctors whether according to the ordinary measure of Gods Spirit which the Gospel bringeth it is possible for the regenerate to live without sinne and that distinguishing whether without mortall sinne or whether without veniall sinne because I have allowed the distinction in some sense and to some purpose Having allready answered that which was necessary to be satisfied I am not solicitous of the rest The Church supposed the Faith secured when it was resolved against Pelagius That the Law is not to be fullfilled without the Grace of Christ For the rest S. Austine was tender of denying that a Christian may live without sin by Grace For what may it not doe Yet could have no good opinion of him that should thinke himself the man that lives without sinne S. Jerom with many of the Fathers found it an inconvenience to grant that God commandeth impossibilities And therefore punisheth that which a man must needes doe And yet he makes difficulty to grant that a man may live without sinne The Council of Trent decrees Sess IV. Can. XVIII Si quis dixerit Dei praecepta homini etiam justificato sub gratia constituto esse ad observandum impossibilia anathema esto If any man affirme that the commandments of God are impossible for a man that is justifyed and in the state of grace to keep let him be anathema Thus an opinion when Pelagius was condemned becoms an article of Faith by the Councile of Trent But my opinion is not pressed by the decree For having excepted invincible ignorances and meer surprises of concupiscence because the Gospel supposes concupiscence the commandments of God may be possible and yet not possible for a man whose intentions are distracted about many to avoid all sinne And it followes in the decree of the Council Can. XXII Si quis hominem Jemel justificatum dixerit posse in tota vita peccata omnia etiam venialia vitare nisi ex speciali privilegio quemadmodum de beata virgiâ—â— tenet Ecclesia anathema sit If any man say that a man once justified may avoid all even veniall sinnes through all his life unlesse by speciall priviledge as the Church holdeth of the blessed Virgine let him be anathema What Church holdeth that the blessed Virgine never sinned I know not That the Catholick Church holds it not is evident by the opinions of doctors of the Church to the contrary which you shall find with the rest which I have alledged in this point in Vossius his Collections Historiae Pelagianae libro VI. Parte I. But Andreas Vega who maintaines stiffely that a Christian may live all his life without sinne will have much ado to shelter himself from this anathema Thus farre then I quarrel not the Council of Trent And those who have the II. Councile of Orange at their fingers ends whensoever the absolute efficacy of grace is questioned will be ashamed to refuse the last Canon of it which saith Hic etiam secundum fidem Catholicam credimus quod accepta per Baptismum gratia omnes baptizati Christo auxiliante cooperante quae ad salutem pertinent possint
Advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins And when David who had the spirit of God upon the same termes as Christians have it excepting that which hath been excepted prayeth Psalm XIX 13 14. Who understandeth his errours Clense me from hidden sins Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins that they beare not rule over me Then shall I be upright and cleane from great transgressions He showeth sufficiently the difference between veniall and mortall sins as to Christians which in case of invincible ignorance and meere supprize comes to no sin as to Christians But he showeth also that Christians neglecting themselves may come to fall into sins of persumption which he prayeth against For the rest the same S. Iohn incouraging Christians to pray for the sins of Christians with this limitation as I surppose if by their advice they appear to be reduced to take the cours which may procure pardon at Gods hands acknowledgeth further that there is a sin unto death I say not that yee pray for it saith he 1. John V. 16. 17. And the Apostle to the Hebrews VI. 4 5 6. speaketh of some sin which he acknowledgeth not that it can be admitted to penance for the obtaining of forgivenesse which he protesteth again Ebr. X. 26 -31 XII 16 17. It is commonly thought indeed that to deny the true faith against that light which God hath kindled in a mans conscience is hereby declared to be a sin that repentance cannot cure Or rather that God hereby declareth that he will never grant in repentance And truly that blasphemy against the Holy Ghost which our Lord saith shall never he pardoned neither in this world nor in the world to come Mat. XII 31 32. Mark III. 28 29. Luke XII 10. manifestly consisteth in attributing the works which the holy Ghost did to convert men to Christ to the devill being convinced that our Lord came from God by the workes he did for that purpose Just as Saint Steven reproaches the Jewes for resisting the holy Ghost as their Fathers had done Acts VII 51. And that there is no cure for this sin it is manifest because it consisteth in rejecting the cure And apostasy from Christianity which is manifestly the sinne which the Apostle to the Hebrews intendeth differeth from it but as the obligation to Christianity once received differeth from that Christianity which being proposed with conviction a man is bound to receive But otherwise not onely the Church but the Novatians themselves supposed that those who had denied the Faith might recover pardon of God by repentance Nor can it become visible to the Church what is that conviction which whoso transgresseth becomes unpardonable because God hath excluded him from repentance In the meane time how difficult the Primitive Church accounted it to attaine pardon of such sinnes appeares by the excluding of the Montanists and Novatians first then by the long Penance prescribed Apostates Murtherers and Adulterers least the admitting of them to Penance might seem to warrant their pardon upon too light repentance Saint Paul admits the incestuous person at Corinth whether to Penance or to Communion with the Church But upon what termes Least the offender should be swallowed up with extream sorrow and least Satan should advantage himself against them should he refuse it And because having written out of great anguish of heart with teares for them who presumed to bear him out in it he had found them moved with sorrow according to God to repentance with all satisfaction and desire of peace with the Apostle 2 Cor. II. 1-8 VII 7-11 For we understand by Saint Paul 1 Cor. V. 2. 2 Cor. XII 21. that even the Church themselves when they shut a sinner out of the Church did make demonstration of sorrow for his case And therefore himself much more was put to mourning and to professe by his outward habit that he thought his sinne incurable without sorrow answerable to it And when Saint Paul commands the Collossians III. 5. Mortify your members that are upon earth fornication uncleannesse passion evill desire and covetousnesse which is idolatry For which the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience It is manifest that he placeth the mortifying of these vices in the afflicting and humbling of our earthly members wherein the lusts of them reside Therefore he serves his own body no otherwise but striving for the prize of Christians like one of their Greekish Champions that would not beat the aire he beates his own body black and blew to bring it under servitude Least having preached to others himself should become reprobate 1 Cor. IX 26 27. And certainly if Christianity require this discipline over Saint Pauls body least he should fall into sinne it will require very great severity of them that are fallen into sinne to be exercised upon their bodies the lusts whereof they have satisfied by those sinnes to regain the favour and appease the wrath of God and to settle that hatred of sinne and that love of goodnesse in the heart which the preventing of sinne for the future necessarily requireth The practice of the Old Testament sufficiently signifieth the same Though David in the Psalme that I mentioned afore seem to make the pardon of his sin a thing easily obtained at Gods hands as it is indeed a thing easily obtained supposing the disposition which David desired it with but not that disposition a thing easily obtained yet you shall find the same David elsewhere wetting his bed and watring his couch with his teares so that his beauty is gone with mourning his flesh dried up for want of fatnesse and his bones cleave to his flesh for the voice of his mourning Indeed he alwayes expresseth his affliction to be the subject of his mourning But alwayes acknowledging his sins to be the cause of those afflictions which he therefore takes the course to remove by taking this course for his sinnes The Prophet Esay I. 15 16. thus calleth the Jewes to appease Gods wrath Wash ye make ye clean remove the evil of your workes from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do good seek righteousnesse Sure this was never intended to be done by the meer thought of doing it But the Prophet Joel having threatned a plague what doth he prescribe for the cure And now saith the Lord return to me with all your heart with fasting weeping and mourning and rent your hearts and not your garments and turn to the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull long-suffering great in mercy and repenteth him of evill Blow the trumpet in Sion sanctify a fast invite the assembly gather the people sanctify a Congregation make the old and young and the sucking infants meet let the bridegroom come forth of his chamber and the bride of her closet let the Priests the ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and say Spare Lord thy people and
our sinnes imputable to Christ nor his sufferings to us formally and personally but as the meritorious causes which satisfaction answerâ—â—h The effect of it the Covenant of Grace as well as helpe to perform it The Fathers saved by the Faith of Christ to come The Gospel a new Law The prâ—perâ—y of satisfaction and punishment in Christs sufferings Of the sense of the Catholick Church 245 CHAP. XXX God might have reconciled man to himselfe without the coming of Christ The promise of â—â—â— Gâ—spel dâ—pend as well upon his active as passive obedience Christ need 〈…〉 pâ—iâ—â—s that we might not The opinion that maketh justiâ—â—â—g 〈…〉 â—rust in God not true Yet not prejudicial to the Faith The dâ—câ—â—â— of the Council of Trent and the doctrine of the Schoole how it is not preâ—udicial to the Faith As also that of Socinus 254 CHAP. XXXI The state of the question concerning the perseverance of those that are once justified Of three senses one true one inconsistent wiâ—h the faith the third neither true nor yet destructive to the Faith Evidence from â—â—â— writings of the Apostles From the Old Testament The grace of Proâ—heâ—â—e when it presupposeth sanctifying grace Answer to some texts and of S. Pauls mâ—aâ—â—ng in the VII of the Romans Of the Polygamy of the Fathers What assurance of Grace Christians may have The Tradition of the Church 266 CHAP. XXXII How the fulfilling of Gods Law is possible how impossible for a Christian Of the difference between mortall and veniall sinne What love of God and of our neighbour was necessary under the Old Testament Whether the Sermon in the Mount correct the false interpretation of the â—ewes or inhanse the obligatin of the Law Of the difference between matter of Precept and matter of Counsail and the Perfection of Christians 285 CHAP. XXXIII Whether any workes of Christians be satisfactory for sinne and meritorious of heaven or not The recovery of Gods grace for a Christian fallen from it a worke of labour and time The necessity and essicacy of Penance to that purpose according to the Scriptures and the practice of the Church Merit by virtue of Gods promise necessary The Catholick Church agrees in it the present Church of Rome allowes merit of justice 300 The CONTENTS of the third Book CHAP. I. THe Society of the Church founded upon the duty of communicating in the Offices of Gods service The Sacrament of the Eucharist among those Offices proper to Christianity What opinions concerning the presence of Christs body and Blood in the Eucharist are on foot page 1 CHAP. II. That the Natural substance of the Elements remaines in the Sacrament That the Body and Blood of Christ is neverthâ—lâ—sse present in the same when it is received noâ— by the receiving of it The eating of the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Câ—â—sâ— necessarily requireth the same This causes no contradâ—ction nor improperty â—â— the words of our Lord. 3 CHAP. III. That the presence of Christs body in the Eucharist depends not upon the living 〈◊〉 of him that receives but upon the true profession of Christianity in the 〈◊〉 thâ—â— câ—lâ—brates The Scâ—iâ—tureâ— that are alleged for the dependence of 〈◊〉 the communication of the properties They conclude not the sense of them b◠〈◊〉 â—â—ey are alleged How the Scripture confineth the flesh of Christ to the 〈◊〉 16 CHAP. IV. The opinion which maketh the Consecration to be done by rehearsing the operative words That our Lord consecrated by Thanksgiving The Form of it in all Lâ—â—urgies together with the consent of the Fathers Evidence that there is â—o Tradition of the Church for the abolishing of the Elements 23 CHAP. V. It cannot be proved by the Old Testament that the Eucharist is a Sacrifice How by the New Testament it may be so accounted Four reasons thereof depending upon the nature of Justifying Faith premised The consent of the Catholick Church The concurrence of the Church of England to the premises 38 CHAP. VI. The reason of the Order by which I proceed brings me to the Baptism of Infants in the next place The power of the Keyes seen in granting Baptism as well as in communicating the Eucharist Why Socinians make Baptism indifferent Why Antinomians make it a mistake to Baptize The grounds upon which I shake off both With answer to some objections 53 CHAP. VII The ground of Baptizing Infants Originall sinne though not instituted till Christ rose again No other cure for it Infants of Christians may be Disciplâ—â— are holy The effect of Circumcision under the Law inferreth the effect of Baptism under the Gospel 58 CHAP. VIII What is alledged to impeach Tradition for Baptizing Infants Proves not that any could be saved regularly who dyed unbaptized but that baptizing at years was a strong means to make good Christians Why the Church now Baptize What becomes of Infants dying unbaptized unanswerable What those Infants get who dye baptized â—5 CHAP. IX What controversie the Reformation hath with the Church of Rome about Penance Inward repentance that is sincere obtaineth pardon alone Remission of 〈◊〉 by the Gospel onely The condition of it by the Ministry of the Church What the power of binding and loosing contains more then Preaching or taking away offences Sinne may be pardoned without the use of it Wherein the necessity of using it lyeth 73 CHAP. X. The Sâ—cts of the Montanists Novatians Donatists and Meletians evidence the cure of sinne by Penance to be a Tradition of the Apostles So doâ—h the agreement of primitive practice with their writings Indulgence of regular Penance from the Apostles Confession of secret sinnes in the primitive Church That no sinne can be cured withoâ—â— the Keyes of the Church there is no Tradition from the Apostles The necessity of confessing secret sinnes whereupon it stands 86 CHAP. IX Penance is not required to redeem the debt of temporall punishment when the sinne is pardoned What assuraâ—ce of forgivenesse the law of auricular Confession as it is used in the Church of Rome procureth Of injoyning Penance after absolution performed Setting aside abuses the Law is agreeable to Gods Of the order taken by the Church of England 98 CHAP. XI The Unction of the sick pretendeth onely boaily health upon supposition of the cure of sinne by the Keyes of the Church Objections answered The Tradition of the Church evidenceth the same 106 CHAP. XII The ground of the Right of the Church in Matrimoniall causes Mariage of one with one iâ—solubly is a Law of Christianity The Law of Moses not injoyning it The Law of the Empire not aiming at the ground of it Evidence from the primitive practice of the Church 114 CHAP. XIV Scripture alledged to prove the bond of Mariage insoluble in case of adultery uneffectual S. Paul and our Lord speak both to one purpose according to S. Jerome and S. Austine The contrary opinion more reasonable and more general in the Church Why the Church may restrain the innocent party from marying again The
consideration of his merits and sufferings which they neither acknowledge to have been tendred by our Lord nor accepted by the Father to any such effect or purpose But nothing hinders him therefore to acknowledge it the Grace of God that is a meere grant of his free goodnesse whatsoever condition he require thereby to qualifie him that imbraces it for the promises which it tenders provided it be such as he that it is tendred to can accomplish For that Faith which alone justifieth according to S. Paul he maketh to consist in believing the Truth of Christianity and sincerely indeavouring to bring forth the fruits thereof out of a grounded confidence of obtaining the said promises And that in consideration hereof those that thus believe are counted righteous before God that is treated as if they had been originally righteous and not sinners before they came to believe As for the Sacrament of Baptism making no more of a Church then of an arbitrary Society of so many as agree to serve God together in the same Faith it is no marvel if he make it a meer Ceremony the use whereof was during the time of the Disciples of our Lord and the conversion of Jews and Gentiles to Christianity by their preaching to signifie the purifying of them by that Faith to which they professed thereby to be converted which intent ceasing in those who being born of Christian Parents were never tainted with the filthinesse either of Jewes or Gentiles by consequence that ceremony though it may freely be used by Christians in the nature of a thing indifferent yet ought not to carry that opinion as if any mans salvation depended upon it And having related this opinion I must relate another opposite to this in another extream which is the opinion of those that hold that Faith which alone justifieth to consist in believing that a man is predestinated by God to life from everlasting as being of the number of them whom Christ was sent to redeem exclusively to the rest of Mankind And that therefore the whole consideration for which this Faith justifieth is the obedience of Christ imputed unto them which are of thâ—s number upon no other account then the eternall purpose of God to give him for them alone whereby his sufferings are theirs in Law as much as if they had been performed by themselves the condition of Faith serving only to limit a qualification without which this purpose availeth them not being limited to take place from the time that this purpose of God is revealed unto them the revelation whereof they suppose to be that Faith which alone justifieth Who they are that maintain this opinion I will not here dispute which I intend to show cause why it is to be thought so ill of that I could with that no man that is called a Christian would own it And perhaps many of those who either expresly or in effect do hold it do withall hold other points which indeed and in effect are contradictions to it Neither can I say that our Presbyterians are parties in it but this I say that this is the opinion in opposiâ—ion to which Socinus brought in the Opinion hitherto described voiding the Grace and satisfaction of Christ by declining to the other extream as any man may see that with a little care shall peruse the fourth part of his Book De Christo Servatorâ— Cap. III. IX X. And therefore I conceive I may justly infer that to maintain this extremity which he not consulting the Catholick Church and the Faith thereof thought necessary to the voyding of that other extream which he found inconsistent with the principles of Christianity he proceeded so far as to deny any Godhead any being of Christ before his birth of the Virgin taking away by consequence that reason and ground both of satisfaction for sin and of merit of Grace which the Church ascribeth to his obedience and sufferings and placeth the Godhead of Christ which he acknowledgeth so far as to tender him the worship that is proper to God at least in some circumstances in that height of eminence to which God hath exalted him for undertaking and performing the Commission of reconciling Man to God though bound to it as a meer man and Gods Creature before he undertooke it And thus you see how that part of Socinus his Heresie in denying the Faith of the Holy Trinity indirectly commeth in to the question of the Covenant of Grace Seeing it is manifest to the sence of all men that had he not questioned the Godhead of Christ there had been no pretence of bringing the Faith of the Trinity into any dispute But of what consequence this opinion concerning Justifying Faith and the nature of it is to the substance of Christianity it will be time to consider when I have shewed why it is not true In the mean I shall note here another opinion differing in somewhat but agreeing in much with this which I take to be the opinion of our Antinomians but shall not be much troubled if any man shall dispute that I mistake it For seeing them so full with a blasphemous conceit of Gods Spirit that they would think it a disparagement to it to be tied to any dispute of reason though upon supposition of the Christian Faith to distinguish between principles and conclusions to infer a certaine position from certain grounds even of Scripture I cannot think it any great imputation to misunderstand them whose perfection it is not to understand themselves For when I name Antinomians I intend to comprise in the opinion which I refute all our Anabaptists all our Familists all our Enthusiasts and Quakers all Sectaries whatsoever that do believe themselves possessed of the Spirit not presupposing not only the beliefe of that Faith which is necessary to the salvation of all Christians but also whatsoever else it shall appear that the condition of the Covenant of Grace importeth The having of Gods Spirit as it inferreth a right to everlasting life so supposing whatsoever the Covenant of Grace importeth But by the noise which they make with the free Grace of God and the Covenant of Grace I conceive the main of their position lies in one step beyond that extream which I described even now in opposition to Socinus That we are justified by the obedience of Christ performed for them for whom God appointed it and therefore imputed to them from everlasting by vertue of that appointment made from everlasting but revealed to them by that faith whereby they know themselves to be elected to life from everlasting not depending upon the revelation thereof but the revelation upon the being of it And upon this ground it is that they say that God sees not nor can see sin in his Elect that all their sins are pardoned before they are done and that there is no mortall sin but repentance implying the want of saving faith with which no sin can stand nor any thing be but sin without
thus proceedeth Heb. IX 13 14. For if the blood of Bulls and Goats and the ashes of an Heifer sprinkled sanctify the polluted to the purifying of the flesh how much more shall the blood of Christ who through the everlasting spirit offered himself to God blamelesse cleanse our conscience from dead works to serve the living God For though the Soul of Christ raised from the dead have immortality which is life indissoluable yet it hath not the virtue of it which is to be ascribed to the Spirit which raised him from the dead as vvell as us according to S. Paul Rom. VIII 10. 11. If Christ be in you though the body be dead because of sin yet the Spirit is life because of righteousness But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised Iesus from the dead shall quicken your mortall bodies also through his Spirit that dwelleth in you And whether the cleansing of sin can be ascribed to any gift bestowed upon the humane Soule of Christ as here they vvould have it ascribed to the immortality thereof let all the World judge I deny not indeed that Christ offers the Sacrifice of himself to the Father in the Heaven of Heavens as the Priest offered him the blood of those Sacrifices which were burnt without the Camp in that Holy of Holies But if I should deny that he offered himself to God vvhen he vvas crucified I might as vvell deny that the Priests offered therein Sacrifices to God when they killed them at the Altar and burnt them upon it So manifest so certain it is that the eternall Spirit by virtue whereof the blood of Christ being offered cleanseth sin was in Christ before his rising again And this is that which S. Paul saith 1 Tim. III. 16. And without crontroversie Great is the mystery of Godliness God was manifested in the Flesh justified in the Spirit preached to the Gentiles seen of Angels believed of the World taken up into Glory It is sayd indeed that the Syriack the Vulgar Latine the Arabick and the Commentaries under S. Ambrose his name all want 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and understand S. Paul to speak of the Gospel all the while And that the Gospel being sayd to be preached before it is sayd to be taken up into Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be no more then that it is exalted and glorified As if the order of the words did inforce that which is first sayd to have been first done or as if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did not signifie the taking of him up to God but the making of the Gospel famous Such violence will a prejudicate supposition offer even to Gods words rather then to quit an argument For to what sense can the Gospel be sayd to be manifested in the flesh because preached by the man Christ And suppose it may be sayd to be justified by the Spirit as Wisdome is justified by the Children of Wisdome Mat. XI 9. Luke VII 35. how much more proper is it to understand that God who appeared in the flesh should be sayd to be justified so to be in or by the Spirit the Works whereof shewed him so to be as afore Neither shall we need to make any greater doubt of the reading of those vvords of S. Paul Acts XX. 28. Look therefore to your selves and to the whole Flock ever which the Holy Ghost hath made you Bishops to feed the Church of God which he hath gotten with his blood Though the written Copy at S. James and the Syriack read here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because that the Church over which the Holy Ghost makes Bishops it bought with the blood of Christ is the same with that of the Apostle afore that the blood of Christ offered by the eternall Spirit cleanseth sin Neither is it so easie to avoyd the words of the Apostle Heb. XI 16. as some imagine For he took not Angels but the Seed of Abraham he took Suppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be to challenge which is done by laying hands on that which we challenge Is the ground therefore void upon which he challenges these to life as his own that through feare of death were in bondage does not the whole Epistle argue that this is done by the offering of our flesh saith he not expresly that it behoved him to become like his Brethren in all things and that he is not ashamed to call them Brethren because he that sanctifieth and those who are sanctified are all of one Heb. XI 11. 14. 17. does Christ vindicate mankind or the Seed of Abraham For though this is written to the Hebrews alone yet it was written at such time as all christians understood that it belongs no less to the Gentiles Wherfore it is manifest that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which might seem to signifie Christs challenging mankind or vindicating them into freedome from death as well here as elswhere is restrained by the Text and consequence of the Apostles discourse to signifie the assuming of mans nature by the means whereof he won mankind into freedome and maintains it in the same In fine when the Apostle sayth 1 Pet. I. 11. That the ancient Prophets did search against what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them did declare and profess the sufferings to come upon Christ and the glories following the same He sheweth plainly that the same Spirit by which they spake by fits dwelt in the flesh of Christ for ever having once assumed it Of which Spirit the Evangelist sayth Marke XI 8. That Jesus knew by the Spirit how the Pharises reasoned of him within themselves For as I sayd afore that when it is sayd in the Old Testament that the word of God came to this or that Prophet an Angel appeared unto him speaking in the person of God vvho vvas therefore vvorshiped as God because the Word of God for vvhich being incarnate our Lord Jesus is for ever to be Worshiped as God vvas in that Angel at the present for that Service So I must further note here that upon such Word of God coming to a Prophet he became inspired that is possessed and acted by the Spirit of God for the time of that Service vvhich God by such a message imployed him about Not that all Prophets did receive such Word by such message from God before they spake those things which we believe still they spake by the Spirit of God For there is a great deal of appearance in the Scripture for that which the Jewes doctors deliver unto us Abarbanel by name alleging Maimoni for his saying upon Numb XI that there are inferior degrees of Prophesie which comes not by apparitions in which a man saw one that spake to him in Gods Name but sometimes meerly by inspiration of Gods Spirit inwardly moving either to act or to speak as
then if nothing were revealed CHAP. XVIII The necessity of the grace of Christ is the evidence of originall sinne How the exaltation of our Lord depends upon his humiliation and the grace of Christ upon that All the work of Christianity is ascribed to the grace of Christ Gods predestination manifesteth the same THese things thus premised the evidence which I make for originall sinne from the grace of Christ as for the grace of Christ from originall sinne consists in this proposition That not onely the preaching of the Gospel but also the effect of it in converting us both to the profession and conversation of Christians is granted in consideration of the obedience of Christ for the cure of that wound which the disobedience of Adam made Here I must note that the conversation of Christians as it requireth and presupposeth the profession of Christianity so it comprehendeth all parts and offices of a mans life to be guided and lead according to that will and law of God which his word declareth So that to prove my intent it will be requisite to shew that it is through those helps which the grace of God by Christ that is in consideration of his obedience and sufferings furnisheth that any part of a mans duty is discharged like a Christian Which otherwise would have been imployed to the satisfaction of those inclinations which the corruption of mans nature by the fall of Adam hath brought forth This to do I will begin as afore with the Epistle to the Romanes In the beginning whereof S. Paul having proved that which Pelagius and Socinus both allow that there is no salvation without Christianity and coming to render a reason for the necessity thereof from those things which I pressed afore concerning the disobedience of Adam proceeds to maintain it by the antithesis of Christs obedience thus Rom. V. 15-19 having begun to say that Adam is the figure of him that was to come But the grace is not as the transgression For if by one mans transgression many are dead much more hath the grace of God and gift through the grace of one man Jesus Christ abounded to many Nor is the gift as that which came by one that sinned For judgement came of one to condemnation but the free gift is of many transgressions to righteousnesse For if by one mans transgression death reigned through one much more shall they who receive the abundance of the grace and the gift of righteousnesse reign in life through one Jesus Christ Therefore as by the transgression of one the matter proceeded to condemnation upon all so by the righteousnesse of one to justification of life For as by the disobedience of one many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous Here whosoever acknowledgeth that righteousnesse comes by Christ which the free gift that brings from many transgressions to righteousnesse and the abundance of the grace and gift of righteousnesse unto life manifestly argues can neither refuse the contrary unrighteousnesse which causeth condemnation and death to come from Adams sin nor yet the grace which voids it called by S. Paul the gift which comes through the grace of one man Jesus Christ that is that grace which he hath obtained with God to be granted in consideration of Christ through whom the Apostle saies they that receive the gift of righteousnesse shall raign in life For how shall they raign in life through him and through the gift of righteousnesse but that through him they receive the gift of righteousnesse Therefore S. Paul lamenting afterwards the conflict between sinne and grace Rom. VII 22 -25 I am content with the Law of God according to the inward man But I see another Law in my members warring with the Law of my mind and captivating me to the Law of sinne that is in my members Wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ To wit because from God in consideration of J. Christ and his obedience and not onely through the doctrine which he taught he had help to overcome in so great a conflict Wherefore it followeth immediately Rom. VIII 1-4 There is therefore now no more condemnation for them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit For the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath freed me from the Law of sinne and death For whereas the inability of the Law was weake through the flesh God sending his Sonne in the likenesse of sinnefull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh that the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Whether you understand the Law of the Spirit of Life or Life to come in by or through Christ Jesus if we be freed from the Law of sin and death by Christ then by the helps God gives in consideration of his obedience For how is sin condemned in the flesh but because it is executed And how executed but because we are inabled to put it to death And how by Christs death but by the helps which God grants in consideration of it Therefore it followeth a little after If man have not the Spirit of Christ he is not his But if Christ be in you the body is dead indeed because of sinne but the Spirit is life because of righteousnesse But if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies through his spirit that dwelleth in you That Spirit which makes righteousnesse a Law to us by Christ shall raise againe these mortall bodies which shall be destroyed because of sinne So as our rising from death is purchased by the resurrection of Christ so our rising from sin by his death which purchased his rising againe For consider what S. Paul writes againe of our Lord Christ Phil. II. 5-11 For Let that sense be in you that was also in Christ Jesus who being in the forme of God made it no occasion of pride that he was equal with God But emptied himself taking the forme of a servant becoming in the likenesse of man and being found in habit as a man humbled himself becoming obedient unto death even the death of the Crosse Therefore God also hath overexalted him and given him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should how of things in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confesse to the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is the Lord. Where seeing iâ— is manifest by the premises that our humbling of our selves is with God the consideration upon which he promises to exalt us being as hath appeared the condition of the Covenant of Grace it cannot be denied that the humiliation of Christ was the consideration for which he was
exalted Neither is it any difficulty that Christ could not be exalted to any eminence that should not be due to him as God in mans flesh and therefore that which was due to him as incarnate could not be due to his Crosse For the assumption of mans nature being a work of God and not of nature the state which our Lord Christ was to assume in our nature was not determinable any way but by the voluntary apointment of God and the Father who ordered it So that nothing hindred the effects of the holy Ghost dwelling in our Lord Christ without measure to be exercised in such measure and upon such reasons as God should appoint nor the declaration of the fullnesse of the Godhead dwelling in our flesh to depend upon his obedience and suffering in it The declaration hereof is that which S. Paul calls that name above all names at which all things bow which the giving of the holy Ghost to our Lord Christ to convince the world of it upon his exaltation is that which effecteth So saith S. Peter Acts II. 33 Being therefore exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the holy Ghost of the Father he hath shâ—d forth this which ye now see and hear For it is true our Lord promised his disciples the holy Ghost John XIV 16 17 18. XVI 7 13 14 15. But this promise he received upon his advancement to the right hand of God being then and thereupon enabled to perform it And therefore it is that which our Lord signifies Mat. XXVIII 18. When he saies All power is given to me in heaven and upon earth Go ye therefore and make disciples all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost For the event shews that this power consists in sending the holy Ghost whereby the World was reduced to the obedience of the Christian Faith So that when our Lord saies Mat. XI 27. All things are delivered unto me by the Father he means the right to this power though limited in the exercise of it unto the time and state of his advancement which gave him right in it And though it be granted as I said afore that the generall terms of all power in heaven and earth and all things are to be understood of that which concerns his kingdome Yet seeing the ground thereof consisting in giving such measure oâ— the holy Ghost to his disciples as the advancement of his kingdom requires supposes the fullnesse thereof to dwell in his own flesh it imports no disparagement to the Godhead of Christ that the exercise thereof in our flesh is limited to that time and that state of his advancement which the Father appointeth S. Paul Ephes IV. 7-11 writeth thus Now to every one of us is grace given according to the measure of Gods gift To wit in which God pleased to give it Therefore he saith Going up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts to men Now that he ascended what is it but that he descended first into the lower parts of the earth He that descended is the same who also ascended farre above all heavens that he might fill all things And he hath given some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists some Pastors and Doctors Where it is manifest that he sets forth the ascension of our Lord in the nature of a triumph after the victory of his Crosse as Conquerors lead captives in triumph and give largesses to their subjects and souldiers And that which S. Paul terms giving gifts to men David out of whom it is quoted Psal LXVIII 18. calls receiving gifts for men Our Lord being his Fathers Generall and by his Commission conquering in his name Receiving therefore of him who gave him Commission the gifts which he bestowes at his triumph can any man doubt that he receives them in consideration of the discharge of that Commission which he undertook And these gifts are the meanes by which the Gospel convicteth the World and taketh effect in it The same appears by the conquest of Christs Crosse and those Scriptures that speak of it Col. II. 15. Disarming principalities and powers he made an open shew of them triumphing over them through it To wit his Crosse to which he had said just afore that he nailed the decrees of the Law that were against us Heb. II. 14. Seeing then that Sonnes partake of flesh and blood he also likewise did partake of the same that by death he might destroy him that had the power of death even the devil and free as many as through fear of death were all their life long subject unto bondage 1 Cor. XV. 54-57 When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortall immortality then shall that come to passe which is written death is swallowed up in victory Death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law But thanks be to the Lord which giveth us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ How doth God grant victory by our Lord Jesus Christ are we not and he severall persons by nature the conflicts severall what doth this conquest contribute to ours but by inabling us to overcome How that but by the help of God granted in consideration of it How are slaves to the fear of death freed from death by Christs death but because there is no condemnation for them that live by the Spirit of life granted them in consideration of his death And what is the triumph of the Crosse over the powers of darknesse but this that by the meanes of it they are disabled to keep mankind prisoners as afore And wherein consists the condemning or the executing of sinne in the flesh which S. Paul spake of afore but in this that by the death of Christ we are inabled to put it to death The Parable of our Saviour is manifest in this that as the branches bear fruit by being in the vine that is of it so Christians by being in Christ John XV. 1-8 and that force by virtue whereof they bear it not being conveyed but by Gods appointment why God had appointed the merits and sufferings of Christ to go before this conveyance but to procure it is not reasonable Therefore our Lord John VIII 31 36. If ye abide in my word ye shall be my disciples indeed and shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free And againe Verily verily I say unto you that every man that sinneth is a slave to sinne Now the slave abideth not for ever in the house but the Sonne for ever If therefore the Sonne set you free you shall be free indeâ—d The Sonne of God sets free the slaves of sinne not as the Sonnes of men by the death of their Fathers becoming heirs and granting freedome to whom they please but by dying himself and by his death helping them to their freedome And S. Paul 1 Cor. II.
Church before the Reformation and since the Reformation all that adhere to the Confession of Auspurg in this point are in the balance against Calvine and his followers As for the Church of England if we consider matter of right That is what ought to be the sense of the Article which alloweth Penance because men may cast off the Holy Ghost which they have received it is manifest that the addition of neither totally nor finally is a Glosse that distroyes the text For that facility of returning to Grace once received which frequent custome even of supernaturall actions disposeth men to may remaine when the Gift of Gods spirit is forfeit and though God may as well continue the assistance of it totally forfeited as he did first give the helpe of it yet is all title to the promises of the Gospell totally forfeit And that finally to those whom God hath not appointed the Grace of Perseverance whom had he cut off at another time they had been saved according to S. Austine Besides making justifying Faith to consist in trust in God according to the Article and Homily it will be utterly unreasonâ—ble to imagine that this trust which is not attained but premising repentance should not faile when that repeatance is recalled by sinne But making it to consist in the trusty undertaking of Baptisme according to the Service and Catechisme it is a meer contradiction to imagine that it can stand intire supposing such sinne This for the sense of the Church of England in point of right In point of fact as there have been allwayes those that have understood the article according to that Glosse which destroyeth the text so is that force whereby they have prevailed to destroy the Church of England with all no means to prevent the damnâ—tion of theire soules that give themselves up to be taught according to it CHAP. XXXII How the fullfilling of Gods Law is possible how impossible for a Christian Of the difference between mortall and vâ—niall sinne What love of God and of our neighbour was necessary under the Old Testament Whether the Sâ—rmon in the Mount correct the false interpretation of the Jewes or inhanse the obligation of the Law Of the difference between matter of Precept and matter of Counsail and the Perfection of Christians IF it be the marke of a good resolution that it assoileth all difficulties incident to the question that is resolved I shall not doubt that this will prove such by the ready means which it furnisheth to resolve those endlesse disputes which depend upon the premises As in the first place whether it is possible for the regenerate to fullfill the Law of God in this life or not For supposing that which hath been said the resolution is unavoidable That if we consider the originall Law of God which under the Gospell continueth the rule of that righteousnesse which we owe it is not possible that mâ—n coming into the world with his originall concupiscence should fullfill it by doing every thing according to it But if we consider the termes of the Covenant of Grace which is the Law by which God hath declared that he will proceed with all them that are under it that no man can be saved but by fullfilling it The reason is cleare on both sides For seeing that originall concupiscence remains in them who are regenerate by Grace and that it is confessed on all handes that by the means thereof all doe commit sinne either there is no Law of God which that sinne breakes and so it is no sinne which we suppose to be sinne or that Law is not fullfilled which that sin violateth On the other side if God of his Grace in consideration of our Lord Christ and his meriâ—s and sufferinges hath declared himselfe reâ—dy to accept of all them that returne to him by true repentance and serve him in the profession of Christianity with that new obedience which it requireth either the Gospell is false which tendreth remission of sinnes and everlasting life upon condition of this new obedience or whosoever fails not of the condition cannot come short of fulfilling of that Law For every contract is by the nature thereof a Law to the parties that make it And though the Covenant of Grace according to which our Lord Christ will judge is meerly Gods Law because he chuseth the termes upon which he inacteth it with these that are baptized and declaring them becomes ingaged to stand to them before man ingageth yet he becomes further ingaged by our imbracing the termes which he proposeth and much more by our iâ—deavors in forcing our naturall weaknesse and crookednesse to performe whaâ— we undertake and by the performance which these indeavors produce And if among civile men friendship long exercized suffer not a man that stands upon his credit to breake upon ordinary offenses we see the reason why God so often helpes his ancient people in respect of that Covenant which they for their parts had made voide and forfeit And therefore how much more he obligeth himselfe to passe by those faillâ—â—rs and weaknesses which Christians indeavor to overcome and cannot fully doe it It is indeed most manifest that the Gospell requireth of Christians the full innocence and holinesse of Paradise all that the first Adam was created to because created in it But it is manifest also that they who undertake to be Christians come into the world with concupiscence and therefore cannot undertake never to sinne though they may undertake to persecute and to crucify theire owne inclination to sinne and to deny themselves things otherwise Lawfull when they find themselves subject thereby to be seduced to sinne And it is likewise manifest that our Lord Christ who shall judge all men according to theire workes shall not judge the workes of Christians according to that which they might have done had not Adam failed But according to that which every one in his estate may attaine to in the performance of his Christianity Here is then the ground why those thinges that are done against the Rule which the Gospell proposeth out of invincible ignorance or out of meer surprizes of concupiscence though for the matter of them contrary to that Law which the Gospell inacteth for the Rule of theire actions cannot by the Gospell be imputed to Christians striving toward that perfection which Christianity importeth For those who doe not study to mortify the concupiscence whereby they have been seduced to sinne to watch over theire thoughts whereby they knew they may be seduced to sin cannot be understood so to doe And therefore though sins of invincible ignorance and upon meer surprize of concupiscence are sinnes against the Originall Law of Paradise and the directive part of Christs Law which revives it Yet are they not sinnes against the Covenant of Grace contracted upon supposition of Originall sinne â— nor against the vindicative part of Christs Law according to which he will judge Christians Certainly it is a grosse
do not therefore condemn this custome for a prophanation of the Sacrament when it was in use Infants cannot examine themselves neither can they presume in eating that bread and drinking of that cup. But neither can they be taught to do all things which Christ commandeth so soon as they are made his Disciples by being baptized If the Church duely presume that with remission of sinnes they attain the gift of Gods spirit by being baptized did it unduly presume that remission of sinnes remaining uninterrupted the gift of the Holy Ghost may be strengthned by receiving the Eucharist Let us rather watch over our own customes then condemn the customes of the Church The grace of the Holy Ghost may be fortified by the Sacrament of the Eucharist against those occasions of re-entry which the evil Spirit espieth in those that begin to perceive the difference between good and bad though unable to reflect upon themselves and to judge whither in the state of Grace or not If the Eucharist be prophâ—ned where they take it too young what pretense of Christianity or of a Church remains where neither young nor old take it CHAP. IX What controversie the Reformation hath with the Church of Rome about Penance Inward repentance that is sincere obtaineth pardon alone Remission of sinnes by the Gospel onely The condition of it by the Ministrey of the Church What the power of binding and loosing contains more then Preaching or taking away offenses Sinne may be pardoned without the use of it Wherein the necessity of using it lyeth I Have showed from the beginning that the Power of the Keyes which is the foundation of the Church is seen much more towards them that are already of the Church then them that are not of it For in those there is but one thing for the Church to judge whether their perswasion and resolution be such as qualifies them to be baptized Disciples of Christ that is Christians But in these so many particulars as the profession of a Christian is imployed about so many are there for this power to judge whether the profession of a Christian be discharged in them or not And this ground must needs be much strengthned by that which hath been resolved concerning the Covenant of Grace and the terms of it For if the profession of Christianity be that which qualifies a Christian for remission of sinnes and life everlasting then he that fails of this profession by any such sinne as cannot stand with it as he attained the communion of the Church upon presumption that he stood qualified for the promises of the Gospel so he failes of it upon evidence that he is not so qualified Therefore though the Powâ—r of the Keyes is seen in free admitting to the Communion of the Church yet is it more visible in excluding from the same as well as in readmitting to it And this is the next act or the next object which the the power of the Church is imployed about that comes here to be considered The difficulty whereof seems to stand in that which the Church of Romes by the Law of confessing once a year all sinnes that come to remembrance seems to teach That no sinne or at least none of those which a man is bound to confesse which in what sense they may and are to be allowed mortal sinnes I have showed in due place can be remitted him that falls into them after Baptism unlesse the Keyes of the Church passe upon them The opposite whereof in the other extream seems to be the opinion of those that pâ—etend for a point of Reformation and of that freedom to which the Gospel calls Christians That though it be necessary to give satisfaction to the the Church which shal have been scandalized by the evil example of a notorious offence yet that no office of the Church and of the Keys which it is â—rusted with by our Lord concurs to the loosing of that sinne which the Church hath first tied a man with by excluding him from the communion of the Church But that it is wholly to be imputed to the preaching of the Gospel ministred by the Church when it is received by faith Though for the present I inquire not what they would have this faith to be having distinguished the consequences of the several conceâ—ts which may be had about it afore For this difficulty being here proposed in the beginning I do not foresee any thing of moment in question concerning this power of the Church the effect â—nd intent of it that will not come to be determined by virâ—ue of the reâ—olution therâ—of and in consequence to it Which resolution shall briâ—fly be this That inwâ—rd repentance with confession to God alone that is â—â—ncere and effectual to the reforming of that which a man repents of for the future is a diâ—position qualifying a man for pardon of sâ—â—ne by virtue of the Covenant of Grace without any act of the Church passing upon it But that God hath charged his Church and therefore given it power and right to call all those that notoriously transgresse that Christianity which once they have professed to those demonstrations of inward repentance and amendment of mind by visible actions that may satisfie the Church that Gods wrath in regard of that sinne is appeased through Christ and upon these demonstrations to readmit them to communion with the Church And further that God having provided this means of procuring and assuring the pardon of sinne by the Church hath also obliged all Christians to make use of the same by bringing their secret sinnes to the knowledge of the Church so farre and in as much as they ought to stand convict that the ministry of the Church is requisite to procure in them that disposition which by the Gospel intiles them to forgivenessâ— This resolution hath several parts which I have thought fit to be thus wound up in one not onely for brevities sake which I seek so farre as it will let me be understood but for the dependance they have one upon another in point of reason and truth And first to clear the foundation in the first place I suppose what our Saviour preached himselfe in publishing his Gospel according as it stands declared and setled by the premises to wit that mankind being lost in sinne and neither the law of Nature nor that of Moses being able to reduce it to righteousnesse and so to happinesse God by our Lord Christ requires all them that find themselves surprized in this estate to believe him to be sent for remission of sinnes and life everlasting to all that turning from that conversation in which they are overtaken do make the glory of God the end and his will the rule of their actions for the future by undertaking to live like Christians in hope of being inabled by Gods spirit to perform the same for Christ his merits and of being accepted for his suffering This being the summe of Christ his Gospel according to
pardon and absolution and the blessing of the Church was given them who could not be induced to restore the Church goods seized by Hen. the eighth A thing excluding all pretence foâ— any presumption of true conversion in them whom it concerned and yet â—ound necessary for the restoring of the Body in unity But so that the said necessity made it to be evidently for the general good even upon these terms For maintaining those who could not be induced to do right in the point in the unity of the Church there was no reason why the Church should be thought to warrant that absolution as to God which it granteth as to the Church Because it appears that it is granted to avoid a greater mischief Leaving them who finde themselves concerned by the ministery of the Church the communion whereof they regain to be reduced to that course which may assure their absolution as to God But I use this instance onely ad hominem that my reason may be understood not intending to justifie the proceeding in point of right as I do undertake to justifie the Council of Nicaea in admitting the Meletians who were guilty of the crime of Schism not onely without satisfaction of their repentance but all in their ranks onely suspending the exercise of their offices till those that were presently possessed should depart Or as I might undertake to justifie Pope Melchiades in offering to do the like for the Denatists for which he is commended by S. Austine Epist XLVII which the Church supposing Schism to be a mortall sinne that is of that number which the now Church of Rome injoyns Penance could not do upon other terms then I have said and if it had thought no sinne reconcileable without the Church could by no means have done The same is to be said of those that are excommunicated and cast out of the Church without cause For as no man ever doubted that to be a case which comes to pass so can no Christianity allow that a man should be excluded the Kingdom of God for another mans fault He therefore that hath the knowledge in Christianity and the resolution for it to keep himself to the duty of a Christian in such a case though being destitute of all advantage by the communion of the Church it is difficult to do he I say shall obtain pardon of sinne without help of the Church and not by desiring the Ministery thereof otherwise then as not desiring of communion with the Church remains a barre to the work of Gods grace In fine consider the primititive order of the Church and that of the Church of Rome at this day by the law of secret confession once a year For he that considers how much businesse the reconciling of a Penitent made the Church in those days will never imagine that it could be presumed that all sins which now come under secret confession should then be expiated by the Keys of the Church I have given you the testimony of Origen directing to make choice of some of the Presbyters of the Church to make acquainted with secret sinne that if he should require Penance to be done in the face of the Congregation his prescription might be followed This inforces us to understand the other part of the alternative that if he required no such thing it should be enough to take that course of humiliation and mortification which he should prescribe in private And truly one of the Canons of the Council at Elvira XXXII orders Penance to be injoyned by a Priest not by the Bishop Which I understand to be in private and not in publick Allowing it very probable that this is not properly counted Penance but onely suspension from the Eucharist injoyned by some of those Canons in some case XXI L. LXXVII and is opposed to Penance Can. XIV So that probably one of the Presbyters might injoyn it in secret by these Canons But otherwise seeing that all this while there was no Penance but by order of the Bishop or as in some of S. Cyprians Epistles of the Bishop and Presbyters sometimes when the case was difficult as in Firmilianus quoted afore by order of a Synod what appearance is there in common reason that all sinnes that now come under secret confession could then come under the Keyes of the Church In the order which Nectarius abolished any man may discern there was nothing but a course of abridging publick businesse of the Church by referring Penitents to one Priest set aside to that purpose When that course was abrogated still they had recourse to the Bishop and Presbyters but it is manifest so many could not be dispatched as afore And now it is manfest that to require of every man to confesse all the sinnes that ever he did since he confessed last would be an unsufferable torture to mens consciences And therefore it is onely required that they confess those which they have in remembrance I ask then how those which they have not in remembrance come pardoned If by inward repentance restoring the disposition of a Christian it is that which I seek If by being willing to confesse them if I had them in remembrance he that is not qualified for remission of sinnes as Christianity requireth is not qualified becauâ—e he would have been so qualified had it not been his own fault I adde further that it is at this day resolved by Casuists of very good note that a Penitent is bound in conscience to impose upon himself further Penance then that which his Confessor injoyneth in case he be satisfied in conscience that he hath not imposed that which is sufficient For in the case of clave errante it is manifest that there is no remission by the Keyes and yet remission is to be had by the Gospel antecedent to the Church If then a mans own Christianity may supply that means of forgivenesse which the Keys of the Church fail of procuring it is manifest that the use of them is not absolutely necessary for every particular Christian though absolutely necessary for the whole Body of the Church Add hereunto the restimonies of Ecclesiasticall Writers by which it appears that as they maintained the discipline of Penance which I also would maintain so farre as truth will allow so they supposed remission of sins attainâ—ble without it The exhortations of Tertullian and S. Ambrose to Ecclesiastcal Penance will no way inferr that it was then actually a Law in force that all sins that void the grace of Baptism should be made known to the Church for the obtaining of pardon by the Keyes of it For how ill doth iâ— become any Law to begge obedience by alledging reasons which must inforce it if they be good were there no Law But on the other side what express testimonies what necessary consequences there are to inferr that there was no such Law in the primitive Church I remit the Reader to the Collections of the Aâ—â—hbishop of Spalato 5. VII 10-20 and
Epist IX ad Probum Statuimus fide Catholica suffragante illud esse conjugium quod primitus erat divina gratia fundatum Conventumque secundaemulieris priore superstite nec divortio ejectâ nullo pacto posse esse legitimum We decree the Catholick faith voting for it that to be mariage which first was founded upon Gods grace that was first made according to Christianity and that the wedding of a second wife leaving the first can by no means be lawful Which exception could possibly signifie nothing if in no case not of adultery a second could be maried while the first is alive And in the West Chromatius of Aquileia in Mat. V. as well as in the East Asterius Homil. an liceat dimittere uxorem the first damns him that shall mary again excepting adultery The second would have his hearers perswaded that nothing but death or adultery dissolves mariage But do I therefore say that the Church cannot forbid the innocent party to mary again or is bound by Gods law to allow it All Ecclesiastical Law being nothing but the restraining of that which Gods Law hath left indefinite And the inconveniences being both visible and horrible I conceive I am duly informed that George late Arch-bishop of Canterbury was satisfied in the proceeding of the High Commission Court to tie them that are divorced from marying again upon experience of adultery designed upon collusion to free the parties from wedlock having been formerly tender in imposing that charge The Greek Church may beter avoid such inconveniences not being tied to any Law of the Land but the tempering of the Canons remaining in the Governors of the Church But they that would not have the Lawes of the Church and the justice of the Land became Stales and pandars to such vilanies must either make adultery death and so take away the dispute or revive publick Penance and so take away the infamy of his bed and the taint of his issue that shall be reconciled to an Adulteresse or lastly bear with that inconvenience which the casualties of the world may oblige any man to which is to propose the chastity of single life in stead of the chastity of wedlock when the security of a mans conscience and the offence of the Church allows it not But though this in regard of the intricacies of the question and the inconveniences evident to practice may remain in the power of the Church yet can it never come within the power of the Church to determine that it is prejudiciall to the Christian faith to do so as by Gods Law And the Church that erres not in prohibiting mariage upon divorce for adultery will erre in determining for mater of faith that Gods law prohibites it so long as such reasons from the Scriptures are not silenced by any Tradition of the whole Church It is easie to see by S. Augustine de adulterini conjugiis II. 5-12 that publick Penance was the means to restore an adulteresse to the same reputation among Christians which an adulteresse that turned Christian must needs recover among Christians And that is the reason why the Canon of Arles orders that young Christians be advised not to mary again that their wives may be recovered of their adultery by Penance and so their mariage re-estated I see also that Justiniane Nov. CXVII hath taken order that women excessive in incontinence be delivered to the Bishop of the City to be put into a Monastery there to do Penance during life And supposing adultery to be death according to Moses Law the inconvenience ceaseth If the Civil Law inable not the Church to avoid the scandall of this collusion it is no marvail that the Church is constrained to impose upon the innocent more then Gods law requires to avoid that scandall which Gods law makes the greater inconvenience And thus having showed you that S. Austines interpretation of fornication is not true I have into the bargain showed you that it cannot serve to prove divorce upon other causes besides adultery and so the insolubility of mariage excepting our Saviours exception is as firmly proved as the consent of the Church can prove any thing in Christianity I know Origen argues that poysoning killing children robbing the house may be as destructive to the Society of Wedlock as Adultery And he thereupon seems to inferre that our Saviour excepts adultery onely for instance intending all causes equally destructive to wedlock as Grotius who follows his sense seems to limit it But Origens opinion will not interrupt the Tradition of the Church unlesse it could appear to have come into practice sometime in some part of the Church Neither would it serve his turn that would have those divorces which the secular Power allowes to extend to marying again For Origen never intended that his own opinion should bind but that it is in the power of the Church to void mariages upon other causes For he saith he knew some Governours of Churches suffer a woman to mary her former husband living Praeter Scripturam besides the Scripture And that as Moses permitted divorce to avoid a greater mischiefe But I may question whether they thought that against the Scripture which Origen thought to be against the Scripture And in the mean time as I do not see what breach his report can make upon the Tradition of the Church so it is plain the Power of the Church and not the secular did that which he reports And truly what the testimony of S. Austine extending that Adultery upon which our Saviour grants divorce to all mortall sinne but confining him that is so divorced not to mary another can avail him that would intitle the secular Power to create causes of divorce to the effect of marying again let all reason and conscience judge I shall conclude my argument Exceptio firmat regulam in non exceptis An exception settles the rule in all that is not excepted Either our Saviour intended that who had put away a Yoke-fellow for adultery should mary again or not If so he hath forbidden marying again upon other causes If not much more For though upon adultery he hath forbidden to mary again And thus is the Power of the Church in Matrimoniall causes founded upon the Law which our Lord Christ hath confined all Christians to of marying one to one and indissolubly whither without exception or excepting adultery For seeing that of necessity many questions must arise upon the execution of such a Law and that Civil Power may as well be enemy to Christianity as not and that as well professing to maintain it as professing to persecute it to say that God hath left the Consciences of Christians to be secured by the Civil Power submitting to what it determines is to say that under the Gospell God hath not made the observing of his lawes the condition of obtaining his promises This is that power which Tertulliane in several places expresly voucheth de Pudicitiâ cap. IV. Penes nos speaking
themselves up to studies of the mind for exercise of their time in the intervals of Gods service The whole intent of it may be comprized in two cases Either a man hath forfeited his Christianity with the promises due to it and desires to regaine the grace and to appease the wrath of God in one word to make satisfaction for his sinne in the language of the ancient Church Or he desires to prevent and avoid such forfeitures and knowing his own and seeing other mens infirmities and the danger to which they render him liable resolves to attend upon nothing else as not confident of passing through the rocks and billows of the world without making that shipwrack S. Jerome is an eminent example of the former case His writings are most an end the fruits of his retirement to that purpose Onely that being a Priest afore and tied to the service of his Church he must be dismissed by his Bishop Gennadius showes upon what ground De dogm Eccl. cap. LIII Sed secreta satisfactione solvi mortalia crimina non negamus sed ut mutato prius seculari habitu confesso religionis studio per vitae correctionem jugi imo perpetuo luctu miserante Deo veniam consequamur Ita duntaxat ut contraria his quae poenitet agat EucharistiaÌ„ omnibus Dominicis diâ—bus supplex submissus usque ad morteÌ„ percipiat But we deny not that mortal sins are loosed by satisfaction in secret though so that a man obtaine pardon by the mercy of God changing first the habit of the world and professing the study of religion by amendment of life and continuall or rather perpetuall mourning Onely on these terms that he do the contrary to that which he repents of and humbly like a suppliant receive the Eucharist every Lords day till his death By this custome so generall that Gennadius makes the ground of it a position of the Church we may see by the way that the ancient Church never took the power of the keyes to be necessary to the remission of all sins after Baptisme Seeing of those sinnes upon which the Power of the Keys had passed by Penance there can no doubt remaine whether remitted or not That a man should change his state of life to assure it In the meane time the other case is contained in this For he who retires from the world to bewaile his sinnes does it with an intent to provide that he may not commit the like for the future And that is also the intent of all those that propose this life to themselves or have it proposed to them by their parents for the future How this estate of life may be counted a state of perfection Not as if the perfection of a Christian did consist in any observation of an indifferent nature but in the complete observing of that which our Baptisme professeth I have showed in the Second Book The objection which here is to be made to it is of waight For the perfection of Christianity consisting in charity as S. Paul teacheth and that charity in this state of life being confined to a mans self and those little offices which a man hath occasion to exercise towards a little Convent for what consideration is to be had of the almes which the worke of their hands where that was in use might contribute to the necessities of the poor it seems that the ordinary state of those that have ingaged in the world is of more perfection then Monasticall life as furnishing greater oportunities for the exercising of that charity wherein our Christianity cheifely consisteth To which I answer that though the occasions of the world minister more opportunity of exercising charity to them whome a man converses with Yet the ingagements which a man that liveth in the world hath by his estate and profession even according to Christianity make it more difficult for him to follow the reason of charity supposing that it were easy for him to discerne it in every thing then for those who have retired themselves from such ingagements And though the profession of Monasticall life not being vulgare and therefore being difficult many were seene to fall short of it even when the intention of undertaking it was innocent and the condition simple and falling short of it become farre worse then those who faile of their Christianity in the ordinary state of Christians Yet there is in the state it selfe not incombred with accessory corruptions grounded for a persumption in reason that those who live in it come nearer that which our Baptisme professeth by the means thereof then others can doe And this answer serves comparing private persons with private persons in the one and in the other estate But comparing private persons in this estate with publick persons in the Church which are the Clergy whose profession doth and ought to disingage them of those obligations to the world which I allegâ— for the presumption why the Laity having opportunity doe not attaine the reason of charity in the intent of their actions I acknowledge their estate is of it self simple absolutely the state of perfection in the Chu though morâ— difficult to discharge then that of Mona life whatsoever perfection it pretendeth For the profession thereof being the solemn dedicating consecrating of a mans selfe to God for and in the ministry and service of his Church containeth in it selfe and ought to expresse unto the world the disclaiming of all maner of ingagements inconsistent with it so far as the foundation of the Church alloweth That limitation I except because I have provided else where that the foundation of the Church presupposeth civil governement for an ordinance of God and therefore no quality standing by the foundation of the Church can exempt any man from the service of his Country So the priviledges of the clergy it is granted stand by the civill Lawes of Christian powers though oblâ—ged as not to persecute for Christianity so not to hinder Christians from dedicating themselves to the service of the Church Who upon those termes being so dedicated can not be subject to those services of their Country which all are necessarily subject to upon any pretence to discontinue their attendance upon the service of the Church But this exception being made for the rest that ingagement to the Church which the undertaking of holy Orders constituteth remaines absolute supposing a disposition and resolution in him that undertakes the estate to behave himselfe with that simplicity innocence humility charitablenesse and sobriety of judgement in the midst of the world which he undertakes to converse with which Monasticall life professeth towards a mans selfe and those few from whom we cannot reâ—ire This the constitution of the Church and the reason of it this the examples of the Apostles and their companions and substitutes in the Scriptures of the New Test as partly of the Prophets and their disciples under the Old evidenceth no lesse then the Canons