30. Libro ad Simpitcianum quaest secunda enables vs to worke aright which according to S. Hierome Lib. 1. aduersus Pelagianos Capite tertio doth whiten which according to S. Gregory NaZianZen Orat. in sanctum Lavaâ—rum doth cast its beames vppon vs and make vs liketo God which according to N. Austin Epist 85. is the beauty of the internall man and the brightness of mans mynd which according to S. Ambrose Lib. 6. Hexameren Cap. 8. is the picture of God which according to S. Irenaeus lib. 5. aduersus haereses Cap. 8. is the image of God which according to Macarius de libero arbitrio is the garment of heauenly beauty which according to S. Greg. Nyssen de perfecta hominis forma is purity deriued from Christ as the riuer from the fountaine which according to S. Hierome Lib 3. aduersus Pelagianos is the First stole and heauenly dewe which according to S. Gregory Nyssen Homil. 4. in Cantica is the riches of the Diuine essence which according to S. Austin de spiritu litera Cap. 28. is the stamp of God which according to S. Isidore in primum Regum C. 10. is the milke of a mother XLII But if we consult holy Scripture this truth that we are iust by true inherent iustice is so frequently and so clearly deliuered therin that it may seeme a wonder how it can be so much as called in question by any who belieue the Scripture Let vs alledg some few Texts of the many which might be produced Rom. 5.19 As by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so also by the obedience of one many shall be made just Since therfor none can deny but that we are sinners by sin or iniustice truly and really inexistent in our soules it followes that we are just by true inherent Justice And V. 17. If in the offence of one death raigned by one much more they that receyue the aboundance of Grace and of donation and of justice shall raigne in life by one Iesus Christ But death though proceeding from and by one Adam was truly participated by all and not meerly imputed to them Therfore the aboundance of Grace justice and life is really in all though by one Jesus Christ Ioan. 4.14 The water which I will giue him shall become a fountayne of water springing vp vnto life euerlasting And that this fountaine is the Holy Ghost dwelling in vs by Grace or Grace giuen by the Holy Ghost dwelling in vs appeareth in the 7. Chap v. 38. of the same Evangelist where our Sauiour hauing sayd He that beleeueth in me as the Scripture sayth out of his belly shall flow riuers of liuing water adds and this he sayd of the spirit that they should receyue which belieued in him S. Cyrill also Lib. 2. in Ioan Cap. 82 and Theophilact in cap. 4. Ioan. call this fountaine of liuing water the grace of the Holy Ghost S. Hierome in Cap. 55. Isaiae and S. Chrisostome Hom. 31. in Ioan Somtyme call it the Holy Ghost somtyme the grace of the Holy Ghost neither can any man doubt but that a fountaine signifyes a thing stable and permanent Rom. 5.5 The charity of God is powred forth in our harts by the holy Ghost which is giuen vs. 1. Ioan 4.7 Euery one that loueth is of God V. 16. God is charity and he that abideth in charity abideth in God and God in him Galat 3.29 You are all the children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus In which words that the Apostle speakes of a liuing faith appeares by the Chap 5. where hauing sayd V 4. you are euacuated from Christ that are iustifyed in the law you are fallen from grace V. 6. he explicates what that grace is saying in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision auayleth ought nor vncircumcision but faith that worketh by charity And Chap. 6. v. 15. this liuely faith he calls a new creature saying In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision auayleth ought nor vncircumcision but a new creature 1. Cor. 6.15.16.17.18 Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ Taking the members of Christ shall I make them the members of an harlot God forbid Or know you not that he which cleaueth to an harlot is made one body For they shall be sayth he two in one flesh But he that cleaueth to our Lord is one spirit Fly fornication What then shall we say of them who blasphemously joyne the spirit of God with the spirit of satan the spirit of fornication and all other vices XLIII 1. Ioan 4.13 In this we know that we abide in him and he in vs because he of his spirit hath giuen to vs. Ioan C. 15.5 He that abideth in me and I in him the same beareth much fruite Behold a permanency or abiding before fruite or good workes 1. Ioan 3. v. 9. Euery one that is borne of God committeth not sinne because his seed abideth in him v. 24. He that keepeth his Commandements abideth in him and he in him And in this we know that he abideth in vs by the spirit which he hath giuen vs. Tit 3.5.6.7 He hath saued vs by the Lauer of regeneration and renouation of the Holy Ghost which he powred vpon vs abundantly by Iesus Christ our Sauiour That being iustifyed by his grace we may be heyres according to the hope of life euerlasting All these words clearly signify a supernaturall thing permanent and inherent in vs 2. Cor. 1.21.22 He that annointed vs God who also hath sealed vs and giuen the pledge of Spirit in our harts 1. Ioan 2.27 The vnction which you haue receiued from him let it abide in you 2. Pet. 1.4 By whom he hath giuen vs most great and precious promises that by these you may be made partakers of the diuine nature Ioan 15.15 Now I call you not seruants but you I haue called friends 2. Cor. 5.18 If then any be in Christ a new creature 1. Cor. 15.49 As we haue borne the image of the earthly let vs beare also the image of the heauenly Ioan. 14. v. 16.17 I will aske the Father and he will giue you another Paraclete that he may abide with you for euer the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receaue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but you shall know him because he shall abide with you and shall be in you v. 23. If any loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and we will come to him and will make aboade with him 1. Ioan. 3.1 See what manner of charity the Father hath giuen vs that we should be named and be the sonnes of God Rom. 8.14 Whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God V 15.17 If sonnes heyres also heyres truly of God and coheyres of Christ Ioan. 1.12.13 As many as receiued him he gaue them power to be made the sonnes of God to those that beleeue in his name who not of bloud nor of the will of flesh
Charitie vvhich by the Apostle is preferrd before those other two vertues 1. Cor. 13.13 Now there remayne Faith Hope Charity these three but the greater of these is Charity Besides Charity being the fulfilling of the law if we cannot keepe the commandements without grace as we will proue in the next Section it followes that without grace we cannot Loue as we ought for attaining saluation But yet let vs alledge some places of Scripture wherin this truth is set downe 1. Ioan 4.7 Charity is of God and euery one that loueth is borne of God aÌ„d knoweth God Ioan. 14.23.24 If any loue me he will keepe my word and my Father will loue him and vve vvill come to him and will make aboad with him He that loueth me not keepeth not my words Who dare ascribe to a loue acquired by humane forces these priuiledges of keeping Gods word in so supernaturall a way as that the B. Trinitie will come and remaine vvith him Rom. 5.5 The charity of God is powred forth in our harts by the holy Ghost vvhich is giuen vs. Rom. 13.8 He that loueth his neighbour hath fulfilled the lavv V. 10. Loue therfor is the fulness of the lavv Galat. 5.22 The fruite of the spirit is charitie Ephes 6.23.24 Peace to the brethreÌ„ and charitie vvith faith from God the father and our Lord Iesus Christ Grace with all that loue our Lord Iesus Christ in incorruption XXIV Euen Chilling Pag. 20. saith what can hinder but that the consideration of Gods most infinite Goodness to them Protestants and their owne almost infinite wickedness against him Gods spirit cooperating with them may raise them to a true and syncere and a cordiall loue of God In vvhich vvords he may seeme to require the particular grace of the holy Ghost for exercising an Act of loue or charitie I say he may seeme because it is no nevves for him to dissemble or disguise his true meaning vnder some shew of words vsed by good Christians though it cost him a contradiction vvith himselfe and his ovvne Grounds Hovvsoeuer it be at least his manner of speach shevves hovv christians must not deny this truth SECTION V. The Necessity of Grace for keeping the Commandements and ouercoming temptations XXV THis point giues me againe iust occasion to obserue how they who deny a liuing jnfallible iudge of controuersies cannot auoyd running into pernitious extremes Some hold that Christians are not bound in conscience to keepe the Commandements a Vide Bellarm de justificatione l. 4. Cap. 1. in somuch as Luther is not afraid nor ashamed to say b In Commentario ad Cap 2 ad Galatas When it is taught that indeed faith in Christ iustifies but yet so as we ought to keepe the commandements because it is writteÌ„ if thou wilt enter into life keepe the coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts there Christ is instantly denyed aÌ„d faith abolished And elswhere c In Sermone de nouo Testamento siâ—e de Mâ—ssa Let vs take heed of sinnes but much more of lawes and good works Let vs attend only to the promise of God and faith I wonder how a man can take heed of sinne and ioyntly take heed of good workes Shall he be still doing and yet doe neither good nor badd Some teach that it is impossible to keepe the commandements euen with the assistance of diuine grace Others that they may be kept by the force of nature and that the assistance of Gods grace is not necessary except only to keepe them with greater ease or facility XXVI The true Catholike doctrine is that we may keepe the commandements and ouercome temptations by the grace of God not by our owne naturall forces which is manifestly declared in Holy Scripture EZechiel 36.26 I will giue you a new hart and put a new spirit in middest of you and I will take away the stony hart out of your flesh aÌ„d will giue you a fleshie hart And I will put my spirit in the middest of you and I will make that you walk in my precepts and keepe my iudgments and doe them 1. Ioan. 5.3 This is the charity of God that we keepe his commandements Ioan. 14.23.24 If any loue me he will keepe my word and my father will loue him and we will come to him and will make abode with him He that loueth me not keepeth not my words Behold louing or not louing keeping or not keeping the commandements goe togeather But we haue proued that Grace is necessary to loue God it is therfor necessary to keepe his commandements Rom. 8.3 For that which was impossible to the law in that it was weakned by the flesh God sending his son in the flesh of sinne euen of sinne damnes sinne in the flesh That the iustification of the Law might be fulfilled in vs. 1. Cor. 7.7 The Apostle teaches that not only the continency of virgins and widdowes but maried people also is the gift of God saying Euery one hath a proper guift of God one so and another so Sap. 8.21 And as I knew that I could not otherwise be continent vnless God gaue it this very thing also was wisdom to know whose this gift was I went to our Lord and besought him Rom. 2.13 Not the hearers of the Law are iust with God but the doers of the Law shall be iustifyed And yet the same Apostle sayth Galat 2 21. If iustice by the Law then Christ dyed in vaine And we may say in the same manner If iustice by nature and not by Grace Christ died in vaine S. Iames 3.8 The tong no man can tame Rom. 5.20.21 The Law entered in that sinne might abound and where sinne abounded grace did more abound that as sinne raigned to death so also grace may raigne by iustice to life euerlasting through Iesus Christ our Lord. Which words declare that grace is so necessary for fulfilling the Law that without it the Law was occasion of death by reason of humane frailty and corruption Rom. 4.15 The Law worketh wrath Rom. 7. V. 23.24.25 I see another Law in my members repugning to the law of my mynd and captiuing me in the law of sinne that is in my members Vnhappy man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death The grace of God by Iesus Christ our Lord. 1. Cor. 15.56 57. The power of sinne is the law But thankes be to God that hath giuen vs victory by our Lord Iesus Christ 1. Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that which you are able but will make also with teÌ„ptation issue that you may be able to sustaine Psalm 17.30 In thee I shall be deliuered from teÌ„ptation Psa 26.9 Be thou my helper forsake me not Psalm 29.7.8 I sayd in my aboundance I will not be moued for euer Thou hast turned away thy face from me and I became troubled Psalm 117.13 Being thrust I was ouerturned to fall and our Lord receyued me 1. Pet. 5. V. 8.9 Be sober
enemyes How can we performe that exhortation of the Apostle As we haue borne the image of the earthly let vs beare also the jmage of the heaueÌ„ly if we neither are nor can be free from the jmage of the earthly which is sinne How doth the Father giue vs another Paraclete to abide with vs for euer the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue seing if all men be in state of deadly sinne they are all comprehended vnder the name of the world and so cannot receiue the Paraclete the spirit of truth How can men be named and be the sons of God heyres of God and coheyres of Christ and in the meane tyme be sons of Satan heyres to him and coheyres to damned ghosts How are any borne not of bloud nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man if all remaine ouerwhelmed in the will of the flesh and will of man in sinne and corruption How are we both holy and immaculate in his sight and in his sight wicked aÌ„d polluted How can wee be renewed in the spirit of our mynd and put on the new man which according to God is created in justice and holyness of the truth being in state of deadly sinne which is contrary to renouation of spirit to the new man created in justice and holy ness How are we signed in the holy spirit of God while we are signed with the wicked spirit of Gods enemyes How are the stipends of sinne death but the Grace of God life euerlasting if there be no Grace of God without sinne and so no Grace that can be life euerlasting How are men the holy Temple of God how doth he dwell and walke in them how are they his habitation how do we liue by him if they be still the Temple and habitation of satan and liue in him XLVII Certainly if any do hartily belieue Scripture and consider vnpartially these and the like Texts and what is sayd of our Sauiours Satisfaction and Merit for mankind and nothing of humane Reason or forces of nature except to declare the weakness of them contrary to the speaches of Chillingworth it is inpossible for him to belieue that men are justifyed either by any naturall Act or Habit which were to euacuate our Sauiours Death or that we haue no inherent true supernaturall justice at all but remaine still vgly and defiled in the sight of God which is to turne both Earth and Heauen notwithstanding that of Heauen it is sayd Apoc. 21.27 There shall not enter into it any polluted thing to Hell in which the worst thing is not the endless payne but those sinnes for which the damned merited that just punishment For if the torments in Hell were only paynes and not punishments that is the effect and wages of sinne they were nor so much to be abhorred and auoided as any least sinne or offence of God Yea innumerable Saints in Heauen by this doctrine are greater sinners than diuerse who liue on earth or burne in Hell because many are saued who were once guilty of sins more for number and greater in quality than some other who are damned ô doctrine deseruing all detestation XLVIII Besides it is a true Axiome Bonum est ex integrâ causa malum ex quocumque defectu One defect is sufficient to make a thing be absolutely ill but good must be good in all respects both for substance and circumstance How then can holy Scripture so often call men holy immaculate just c. if indeed they be not perfectly so but full of the impiety and staines of sinne Holy Scripture describing the happy fruites and diuine effects of our B. Sauiours Merits amongst the rest sayth Isaia 35.7 In the dennes wherin dragons dwelt before shall spring vp the greenâ—esse of reede and bulrush that is in the soules of Gentiles which once were the dennes or receptacles of Diuells and vices there shall arise the greenesse of Grace and Vertue But that in the dennes wherin dragons not only dwelt for the tyme past but dwell for the present ther should spring the greenesse of reed and bulrush no scripture doth set downe as a benefit For to couple Grace with sinne were not to destroy sinne but deforme Grace which to doe cannot be any effect of the Messias his comming and our Redemption XLIX We must therfore conclude that just men are indued with a supernaturall Gift which is the nature and soule of a spirituall man as such and with which the infused supernaturall Habits of Faith c are conjoyned by jnfusion of the Holy Ghost and are not produced by our euen supernaturall Acts. Thus glorious S. Austine teaches that these words Psalm 118. I haue done judgment and justice are to be vnderstood of the Act and not of the Vertue of justice because saith he none produces in man this Vertue of Iustice but he who justifyes a sinner and makes him from vnjust become just L. From this ground that the infusd Vertues and Habits of Faith Hope c are not produced by any Act of ours but immediatly by the Holy Ghost and that they giue vs not a facility but an ability to produce Acts of Belieuing Hoping c it further followes that we cannot by any as it were sensible feeling or experience know that we haue such Habits because as S. Thomas profoundly saith 1.2 Q. 65. A. 3. ad 3. of the infused Habits euen of Morall Vertues Habitus moralium virtutum infusarum patiuntur interdum difficultatem c The Habits of the Morall infused Vertues somtymes find difficulty in their operations by reason of contrary dispositions remaining of the former Acts of vices which difficulty is not found in morall acquired vertues in regard that by the exercise of Acts by which they are acquired the contrary dispositions for example Passions indisposition of corporall organs and the like are taken away LI Now these things being so in vaine would Chilling prooue that the vertue of Charity may stand with deadly sinne or Faith with Heresy as I touched aboue by reason men fynd facility in some seeming Acts of Charity or Faith though they be guilty of deadly sinns or Heresy Because as I sayd the infusd vertues cannot be prooud by experience but the sayd facility may proceed from some other reason as for example from acquired Habits of Faith Charity c. or from the remouall of impediments Passions disposition of the materiall organs of our body and the like and much lesse can we gather that we haue or want or haue in a more intense or remisse degree the infused supernaturall Habits by our hauing or wanting or possessing in a greater or lesse measure or number Habits acquired by exercise of naturall acts seing naturall and supernaturall habits are in nature and kind wholie different LII This I hope may suffice for what I intended for prouing the necessity of grace and weaknesse of nature in matters belonging to heauen As also for shewing the vtility aÌ„d necessity
with them if they kept their station vnto the very end of their lives Behold an if a condition If they kept their station which if it be in their free will not to doe as your if supposes it to be then according to your Divinity they might faile and all Promise made to them proue ineffectuall neither can we be certaine that de facto they haue not failed and fallen into errour in their preaching and writing Scripture Nay do you not teach and labour to proue that the Apostles even after the receiving of the Holy Spirit which you confess was promised to abide with them for ever that is say you for their whole life and that they should never want the spirits assistance vnto the very end of their lives did erre in a command clearely revealed to them about preaching the Gospell to Gentills How then was that Promise performed if it were absolute And if only conditionall you grant no more to them than to any other neither can we be certaine that they haue not erred in other things as you say they erred in that Your alledging some Texts to proue that the word ever may be taken for the whole time of a mans life is not to any purpose vnless you had also proved that it is so vnderstood in the place of which we speak Joan 14.16 And seing even by this example the same words are capable of different senses and that Protestants cannot possibly giue any Rule which Text is to be interpreted by what others we must conclude that Scripture alone cannot be a perfect Rule of Faith 84. But now in your N. 75. we find threates that you will work wonders and that we may not be so much overseene as to pass them without due reflection you say to Charity Maintayned This will seeme strang newes to you at first hearing and not farre from a prodigy But it is not strang that heere you doe that which you doe in divers other occasions that is impeach the infallibility of the Apostles and consequently depriue their preaching and writing and all Christian Religion of all certainty though I grant it to be very strang and a prodigy that notwithstanding this you will pretend to be a Christian and that your Book is approved by and published among Christians For besides what I noted even now about your conditionall promise made to the Apostles If they kept theyr station heere you declare clearely and at large that the Promise of which S. John speakes was appropriated to the Apostles as you speak and that it is not absolute but as you expressly say most clearly and expressly conditionall being both in the words before restrained to those only that loue God and keepe his commandements And in the words after flatly denyed to all whom the scriptures stile by the name of the world that is as the very Antithesis giues vs plainly to vnderstand to all wicked and wordly men Behold the place entire as it is set downe in your owne Bible If you loue me keepe my commandements and I will ask my Father and he shall giue you an other Paracleâ—e that he may abide with your for ever even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receiue And then speaking of the Pope you say We can haue no certainty that the Spirit of Truth is promised to him but vpon supposall that he performes the condition where vnto the promise of the Spirit of Truth is expressly limited viz. That he loue God and keep his commandements and of this not knowing the Popes heart we can haue no certainty at all Doth not this interpretation and discourse clearly declare that we can haue no certainty of the Apostles infallibility because not knowing their hearts we can haue no certainty at all that when they preached and wrote they did loue God and keepe his commandements Besides in the doctrine of Protestants we cannot be certaine by certainty of Faith that the Apostles kept the commandemeÌ„ts except first we belieue Scripture and yet we caÌ„not belieue Scripture itself except first we belieue the Apostles to be infallible and to haue kept that condition of keeping the commandements Therfore we must belieue Scripture before we belieue the Apostles to keepe the commandements and be infallible and we must belieue the Apostles to be infallible and to keepe the commandements before we belieue Scripture which is an inextricable Circle and a contradiction implying finally that we belieue Scripture for it self which you confess no wise man will affirme and that the belief of Scripture should be cause of the belief of Scripture and the same thing be necessary to the first production of it self Wherefore you must either renounce this Interpretation of a conditionall Promise made yea as you expresly affirme Appropriated to the Apostles or els bid Scripture and all Christianity fare well And so you cannot haue certainty of this particular that God requires the saied condition of loue and Obedience 85. But to answer directly I say you miscite the words of S. John while you distinguish only by a comma If you loue me keepe my commandements from the following words And I will ask my Father and he shall giue you an other Paraclete whereas both in our and in the Protestants English Bible they are distinct Sections or Verses thus N. 15 If you loue me keep my commandements And then N. 16. And I will aâ—k the Father and he will giue you an other Paraelete Where it appeares that the condition is not If you loue me I will ask the Father and he will giue you c. as you set it downe and there vpon affirme that the Promise is restrayned to those only that loue God and keep his commandements but the condition or rather Assirmation or Consequence is this If you loue me keep my commandements And so the sense is very plain and perfect and the condition is terminated in the same N. 15. And that these words If you loue me keep my commandements render a perfect sense is manifest of it self and by the like Texts of Scripture as in the same Evangelist Cap. 15. N. 14. You are my friends if you doe the things that I command you and V. 10. If you keep my precepts you shall abide in my Loue. As contrarily the holy Ghost is promised absolutely in this C 14. V. 26. The Paraclete the Holy Ghost shall teach you all things And in the argument prefixed before this Chapter in the Protestants English Bible printed Ann 1622. it is sayed Christ N. 15. requireth loue and Obedience 16. Promiseth the Holy Ghost the comforter without expressing any dependance of the saied Promise V. 15. vpon loue and obedience V. 16. As also Joan 16.13 which Text is alledged both by Charity Maintayned and Dr. Potter it is saied without any condition when he the Spirit of Truth commeth he shall teach you all Truth And Matth 16.18 these words The gates of Hell shall not prevaile against her which both
glory of God in the face of Christ Iesus Galat. 5.22.23 The fruit of the spirit is Faith Ephes 1.16.17.18 I cease not to giue thankes for you making a memory of you in my prayers That God of our Lord Iesus Christ the Father of glory giue you the spirit of wisdom and of reuelation in the knowledg of him the eyes of your hart illuminated that you may know what the hope is of his vocation and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Ephes 2.8 For by Grace you are saued with Faith and that not of yourselves for it is the gist of God Ephes 6.23 Peace to the Brethren and charity with faith from God the father and our Lord Iesus Christ Philipp 1.29 To you it is giuen for Christ not only that you belieue in him but also that you suffer for him Colos 1.2 Giuing thanks to God the Father who hath made vs worthy vnto the part of the lot of the Saints in the light 2. Pet. 1.21 The holy men of God spake inspired with the Holy Ghost XX More Texts of Scripture might be alledged but it is needles since euē all Sectaryes except Pelagius and such as follow him belieue Grace to be necessary for faith and in particular D. Potter to whom Chilling is in this mayne poynt directly opposit as is euident by these his expresse words Pag. 135. Faith is sayd to be diuine and supernaturall in regard of the author or efficient cause of the act and habit of diuine faith which is the speciall grace of God preparing enabling and assisting the soule to belieue For faith is the gist of God alone 1. Cor. 12.34 2. In regard of the object or things belieued which are aboue Philipp 1.29 the reach and comprehēsion of meere nature and reason Philip. 1.29 Thus D. Potter and adds that of these two respects there is no controuersie he meanes betweene Catholiques and Protestāts For by the euēt it is cleare that there is a controuersy betweene him and the Socinians and in particular with Chilling worth his champion But necessity hath no law Charity Maintayned could not with any shew be answered in the grounds of Protestants who therfor chose rather to destroy their owne grounds and the doctrine of all good Christians then to confesse the truth of our Catholik faith though conuicted by euident reasons Besides Pag. 140. D. Potter sayth Humane authority consent and proofe may produce an humane or acquired faith but the assent of diuine faith is absolutly diuine in which words he distinguisheth acquired faith from diuine and consequently holds that this is not acquired but infused Pag. 141. That Scripture is of diuine authority the belieuer sees by many internall arguments found in the letter it selfe though found by the helpe and direction of the Church without and of grace within Mark how besides the externall proposition of the object by the Church he requires internall grace Pag. 142. There is in the Scripture it selfe light sufficient which the eye of reason cleared by grace and assisted by the many motiues which the Church vseth for enforcing of her instructions may discouer to be diuine descended from the father and fountain of light Pag. 143. he teaches that by the ministery of the church in preaching and expounding the Holy Ghost begets a diuine faith in vs. And in the same place he tearmeth the act of faith supernaturall as also we haue heard him tearme it so pag. 135. and it is a plaine contradiction that it should be supernaturall or aboue nature and yet be produced by the forces of nature which were to make it aboue and not aboue nature XXI By the way it is to be noted that D. Potter deliuers a very vntrue doctrine in saying in this pag. 135. that the efficient cause of the act and habit of diuine faith is the speciall grace of God For the speciall actuall grace of God is not the efficient cause of the habit of our faith which is infused by God alone as our naturall acts of vnderstanding or willing do not produce the Powers of our vnderstanding or will and supernaturall Habits of Faith Hope c. are giuen vs not to facilitate but to enable vs to exercise Acts of Faith Hope c For which cause they are compared to supernaturall Acts as the naturall faculties or Powers of our soule are compared to their naturall Acts which they produce and are not produced by them I omit his vnproper speach that the speciall grace of God is the author of an act of faith SECTION III. The necessity of Grace to Hope as vve ought for saluation XXII IF Grace be necessary for euery worke of Christian Pietie and in particular for faith as we haue proued it will be needles to stand long vpon prouing that it is necessary for hoping which is a work of Pietie proceeding from a Theologicall Vertue to which Faith is referrd and of which mortall men considering the sublimity of eternall Happynes and guiltynes of their owne meanes frailty and sinnes stand in need for raising vp their soules towards so supernaturall an Object and preseruing them from dejection pusilanimity and despaire yet we will not omit to alledge some particular Texts of Scripture in proofe of this Truth Rom 5.2 By whom Christ we haue access through Faith into this Grace wherin we stand and glorie in the hope of the glorie of the sonnes of God Where it is cleare that the Apostle placeth hope amongst the gifts of the children of God which we receaue by Christ Chap. 15. V. 4.5 That by the patience and consolation of the Scriptures we may haue hope and the God of patience giue you to be of one mynd Which words declare that God is the author of those gifts 1. Cor. 13.13 And now there remayne Faith Hope Charity Where it appeares that these three Vertues are specially numbred togeather as belonging to the same rank and order Psalm 18.49 Be myndefull of thy word to thy seruant wherin thou hast giuen me hope Thessa◠5.8 But we that are of the day are sober hauing on the brest plate of faith and charity and a helmet the hope of saluation Where wee see the apostle ioynes Hope with Faith and Charity and V. 9.10 declares that it is given for Christ and is ordaynd and conduces to a supernaturall end saying for God hath not appointed vs vnto wrath but vnto the purchasing of saluation by our Lord Iesus Christ who died for vs. 1. Pet. 3.4.5 Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his great mercie hath regenerated vs vnto a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead vnto an inheritance incorruptible and incontaminate and that cannot fade conserued in the heauens in you who in the vertue of God are kept by faith vnto saluation SECTION IV. Grace necessary for Charity XXIII IF Grace be necessary for faith and hope much more is it necessary for
nor of the will of man but of God are borne Ephes 1.4 As he chose vs in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in charity and V. 13.14 In whom you also when you had heard the word of truth the Gospel of your saluation in which also belieuing you were signed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the pledge of our inheritance This promise is made to vs and so we being the Creditours the pledge must remaine with vs and signed signifyeth a thing both permanent and intrinsecall Like to this we reade Ephes 4.23.24 Be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new man which according to God is created in justice and holyness of the truth and V. 30. contristate not the holy spirit of God in which you are signed vnto the day of redemption And 2. Cor 1.21 He that annoynted vs God who also hath sealed vs given the pledge of spirit in our harts Rom. 6.23 The stipends of sinne death but the grace of God life euerlasting in Christ Iesus our Lord. Rom. 8.14 Whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God are the sonnes of God 1. Cor 3.16.17 Know you not that you are the temple of God and the spirit of God dwelleth in you The temple of God is holy which you are 2. Cor 6.16 You are the temple of the liuing God as God sayth because I will dwell and walke in them Ephes 2.21.22 In whom all building framed togeather groweth into a holy Temple in our Lord in whom you also are built togeather into an habitation of God in the Holy Ghost 2. Timoth 1.14 Keepe the good depositum by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in vs. Ioan 6.57 As the liuing Father hath sent me and I liue by the Father and he that eateth me the same shall liue by me Who can deny but that life signifyes an intrinsecall permanent thing XLIV To these authorityes of holy Scripture which clearly proue that just men are such by a gift inherent and not due to nature but supernaturall we might add conuincing Reasons grounded in principles of faith if it were my purpose to treat this matter at large But I will content my selfe with one taken from the many Texts of holy Scripture which we haue alledged and many more might be brought in this manner God concurres to certaine Actions v. g. Belieuing hoping c. with a particular influence aboue the naturall exigence of humane nature therfore such Actions are both Good and Supernaturall Good because it were impiety to say that God doth or can by speciall motion produce an ill and sinfull Action Supernaturall because no naturall cause alone can produce them nor hath any naturall exigence that they be produced by some more high and powerfull cause as though our soule cannot be produced by any naturall Cause or Agent yet there is an exigence in nature that it be created by God when sufficient dispositions are preexistent in the Body Now it being once granted that there are good and supernaturall Actions it followes that there must be in our soule some supernaturall powers or facultyes as connaturall Principles or Causes of such Actions therfor such Powers must be grāted as in thēselues are supernaturall and absolutely good without any tincture or staine or inclination to sinfulness Which sequeles are so cleare that protestants not deny them but grant at least the supernaturall Habits of the three Theologicall Vertues Faith Hope and Charity which is sufficient for our present purpose though I know not any generall ground or doctrine of theirs for which they doe or must deny the supernaturall infused Habits of Morall Vertues but they denie that either by these or any other quality or Gift we are just in such manner as that we do not still remayne stayned with habituall deadly sinne which heresy is clearly confuted by the Elogiums of the Fathers and Texts of Scripture alledged in this and the former Sections XLV For if deadly sinne still remaine how doth Grace take away the rust of sinne make the soule resplendent whiten it enlighten and make vs like to God is it the beauty and brightnesse of our mynd the picture and image of God the garment of heauenly beauty purity derived from Christ the first stole the riches of the diuine essence the marke of God since deadly sinne is of a direct opposite nature and produces contrary effects XLVI How shall holy Scripture be verifyed in saying that as by the disobedience of one man many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made just if we remaine truly sinners by the disobedience of Adam but not truly just by the obedience of Christ who merited for vs iustice and grace How is it true that if in the offence of one Death raigned by one much more they that receiue the aboundance of grace and of donation and of justice shall raigne in life by one Iesus Christ For if sinne remaine Death also remaines with which Life cannot raigne How can the holy Ghost be giuē vs while we persist in sinne How can he abide in God and God in him in whom sinne and satan abides How can Faith worke by charity in him who is voluntarily possesd by deadly sinne than which nothing is more repugnant to charity whose inseparable effect is effectually to detest all mortall sinne how is he a new creature who is in state of sinne which alone makes one a child of Adam or the old man not of Christ How doth he cleaue to God and is one spirit with him who cleaueth to sinne and is one spirit with it vnles men haue a mynd to blaspheme and say that the spirit of sinne and the spirit of God is all one how can he who abides in God and God in him beare much fruite if ioyntly he abide in sinne and sinne in him Yea for this very cause that sinne still abides in man these heretikes teach that all our workes or fruites are deadly sinnes so farr are they from being fruites of Gods abiding in vs And how doth this agree with that saying 1. Ioan. 3.9 Euery one that is borne of God committeth not sinne because his seed abideth in him seing sinne the seed of the serpent abides in him Or how doth the continuall breach of Gods commandements agree with what is sayd V. 24. He that keepeth his commandements abideth in him How can regeneration and renouation of the holy Ghost powred vpon vs aboundantly stand with deadly sinne which is directy opposite to regeneration and renouation How is the seale and pledge of spirit in our harts togeather with the seale and pledge of the diuell How can the vnction which we haue receiued from him abide in vs in company of deadly sinne How are men partakers of the Diuine nature while they remayne in sinne which is most opposite to God and all the Diuine perfections How cā we be called frendes being deadly
of this Introduction LIII Let vs now come to handle the matter it selfe for which I know and acknowledge the necessity of grace and therfore renouncing all confidence in humane reason and force of nature with profoundest humility begge of the Eternall Father for the Merits of his only son Christ Iesus true God and true Man the assistance of the holy Ghost and his diuine spirit of Wisdome Vnderstanding Counsell Strength Knowledge Piety and aboue all the spirit of the Feare of our Lord mouing and assisting me willingly to suffer death rather than wittingly vtter any least falshood or conceale any truth in matters concerning Faith and Religion and so prostrate in soule and body I pray with the Wiseman Sap. 9 4.10 O Lord of mercy giue me wisdome the assistant of thy seates send her from thy holy Heauens and from the seate of thy greatness that she may be with me and may labour with me that so my labours of themselues most weake may by Grace tend first to the Glory of the most blessed Trinity and next to the eternall good of soules CHAP I. CHRISTIAN FAITH NECESSARY TO SALVATION IS INFALLIBLY TRVE 1. AS all Catholiques haue reason to grieue that we were necessitated to proue the necessity of Gods grace against our moderne Pelagians so euery Christian yea euery one who professes any Faith Religion or worship of a God may wonder that dealing with one who pretends to the name of Christian I should be forced to proue the Certainty and Infallibility of Christian Faith which M. Chillingworth not only denies but deepely censures Pag. 328 N o 6. as a Doctrine most presumptuous and vnchariatble and Pag. 325. N. 3. as a great errour and of dangerous and pernitious consequence and takes much paines to proue the contraay that is the fallibility of Christian Faith A strang vndertaking wherby he is sure to loose by winning and by all his Arguments to gaine only this Conclusion that his Faith in Christ of Scripture and all the mysteryes contained therin may proue fabulous and false And yet I confesse it to be a thing very certaine and euident that the deniall of jnfallibility in Gods Church for deciding controuersyes of Faith must ineuitably cast mē Vpon this desperate vnchristian and Antichristian doctrine and while Protestants mayntaine the Church to be fallible they cannot auoide this sequele that theire doctrine may be false since without jnfallibility in the Church they cannot be absolutely certaine that Scripture is the word of God O what a scandall doe these men cast on Christian Religion by either directly acknowledging or laying grounds from which they must yeild Christian Faith not to be jnfallibly true while Iewes Turks Pagās and all who professe any religion hold their belief to bee jnfallible and may justly vpbraide vs that euen Christians confess themselues not to be certaine that they are in the right and haue with approbation of greatest men in a famous Uniuersity published to the world such their sense and belief In the meane tyme in this occasion as in diuerse others I cannot but observe that Heretiques alwayes walke in extreams This man teacheth Christian Faith in generall and the very grounds therof not to be infallibly certaine Others affirme Faith to be certaine euen as it is applyed to particular persons whom they hold to be justifyed by an absolute certaine beliefe that they are just 2. But now let vs come to proue this truth Christian Faith is absolutely and infallibly true and not subject to any least falshood wherin although I maintayne the cause of all Christians and of all men and mankind who by the very instinct of nature conceiue the true Religion to signify a thing certaine as proceeding from God and vpon which men may and ought securely to rely without possibility of being deceiued and that for this reason the whole world ought to joyne with me against a common adversarie yet even for this very reason I knowe not whether to esteeme it a more dissicile taske or lamentable necessity that we are in a matter of this moment and quality to proue Principles or a Truth which ought to be no less certaine then any Argument that can be brought to prove it as hitherto all good Christians haue believed nothing to be more certainly belieued by Christian Faith than that it selfe is most certaine Yet confiding in his Grace whose Gift we acknowledg Faith to be I will endeauour to proue and defend this most Christian and fundamental truth against the pride of humane witt and all presumption vpon naturall forces 3. Our first reason may be taken from that which we haue touched already of the joynt conceypt vnanimous concent and inbred sense of men who conceyue Diuine Faith and Religion to imply a certainty of Truth and if they did once entertayne a contrary perswasion they would sooner be carryed to embrace no religion at all than weary their thoughtes in election of one rather than another being prepossessed that the best can bring with it no absolute certainty Thus by the vniversall agreement of men we proue that there is a God and from thence conclude that the beliefe of a Deity proceeds from the light of nature which also assures vs that God hath a prouidence ouer all things and cannot want meanes to communicate himselfe with reasonable creatures by way of some light ād knowledg exempt from feare or possibility of fraude or falshood especially since Rationall nature is of it selfe 〈…〉 truth and Religion or worship of a God This consideration is excellently pondered and deliuered by S. Austin de vtilitate credendi Cap. 16. in these words Authority alone is that which incites ignorant persons that they make hast to wisdome Till we can of our selues vnderstand the truth it is a miserable thing to be deceyved by Authority yet more miserable it is not to be moued therwith For if the Divine prouidence do not command humane thinges no care is to be taken of Religion But if the beauty of all things which without doubt we are to belieue to flow from some fountayne of most true pulcritude by a certaine internall feeling doth publikly and priuatly exhort all best soules to seeke and serue God We cannot despaire that by the same God there is appointed some Authority on which we relying as vpon an infallible stepp may be eleuated to God Behold a meanes to attaine certainty in belief by some infallible authority appointed by God which can be none but the Church from which we are most certaine what is the writtē or vnwrittē word of God 4. M. Chillingworth professes to receiue Scripture from the vniuersall Tradition of all Churches though yet there is scarcely any booke of Scripture which hath not beene questioned or rejected by some much more therfore ought all Christian to belieue Christian Faith to be jnfallible as beinge the most vniversall judgment and Tradition of all Christians for their Christians beliefe and of all men for their
still goes vpon that ground that there are no Degrees of perfection in Faith which I haue demonstrated to be euidently false and that all Faith is of the same kind but not of the same Degree besides that it hath the imperfection of obseurity and for that cause doth not so conuince the vnderstanding but that it may be resisted and the contrary belieued And therfor you cannot inferr vpon equality of faith in all true Belieuers that our victory of the world must be equally perfect in all 60. Thirdly if you had cited the testimony of S. Iohn as you ought the weakness and impertinency of your Argument would haue clearly appeared His words are 1. Ioan 5. V. 3.4.5 This is the Charity of God that yee keepe his commandements and his commandements are not heauy Because all that is borne of God ouercomes the world and this is the victory that ouercomes the world our faith Who is it that ouercomes the world but he that belieues that Iesus is the son of God Where it is cleare that S. Iohn speakes of faith with Charity which is called by Diuines Fides formata faith informed with Charity by which we keepe the commamdements as he sayth V. 3. This is the Charity of God that yee keepe his commandements And V. 4. All that is borne of God ouercomes the world Now we are borne or regenerated to a new life or Being by justifying Grace and the Gifts which are giuen with it of Faith Hope and Charity and therfor he adds This is the victory which ouercomes the world our faith that is such a faith as the Regenerate or they who receyue a new life haue or a liuing faith working by Charity 61. Fourthly according to this true sense your Objection is wholy impertinent as speaking of a naked faith taken alone as it goes before Charity as like wise it doth not proue that such a naked faith doth necessarily bring with it Charity and so is the victory ouer the world For what consequence is it to say Faith as informed with Charity cannot be without Charity or is the victory ouer the world Therfor Faith taken by it selfe and considered only according to its owne nature and essence and abstracting from Charity is inseparable from Charity and the victory ouer the world An Argument no better than this The Body with the soule liues and makes a man Therfor the Body of it selfe liues and makes a man which is directly against S. Iames C. 2. V. 26. saying Euen as the body without the spirit is dead so also faith without workes is dead This appeares also by what S. Iohn sayth V. 5. Who is he that ouercometh the world but he that belieueth that Iesus is the son of God Which must be vnderstood of him who so belieues in our Sauiour as that he loues him and keepes his commādements For meerly to belieue Christ is the son of God is but that Faith which Protestants call Historicall and unanimously teach that it doth not justify nor is inseparable from Charity nor is the victory ouer the world And therfor interpreters vnderstand this Text of a liuing Faith or joyned with Charity And so this place makes against you and proues that Faith of it selfe though neuer so infallible is not the victory ouer the world But the weakness of this mans Socinian probable Faith forces him to reele from faith to faith From Historicall to Faith of working Miracles From justifying faith to Historicall From both to a No-faith that is to a faith so weake that by it a man may belieue Christian Faith not to be true as we noted against you by occasion of the text of S. Paule about receyuing him who is Weake in faith 62. Fistly the whole force of your Argument must rely vpon the truth of this Proposition Whatsoeuer the vnderstanding proposes to the will with absolute certainty as a thing to be done the will cannot but follow the prescript of the vnderstanding and therfor if Christian Faith be infallible certaine our will must embrace what it proposes and so ouercome the world and sinne and be perfect in Charity which Principle to be palpably false is euident by Reason Experience Faith and by the Doctrine of all Protestants at least for as much as concernes that kind of Faith wherof we speake that is Historicall Faith Reason dictates that notwithstanding the certainty of Faith the vnderstanding may propose profitable and delightfull objects For these thinges haue no repugnance but do consist togeather It is certaine that this object is honest and that the same object is vnpleasant repugnant to sence honour profit c and therfore the will placed betweene these different motiues the vnderstanding which proposeth them all hath no power to necessitate the will to any of them it being represented with as great certainty that such an object is difficult vnpleasant or vnprofitable as it appeares honest and Vertuous Neither doth certainty in the vnderstanding necessitate vs more to embrace it as honest than the like certainty doth necessitate vs to fly from it as vnpleasant especially considering that Faith is obscure and alluring objects are cleare euen to sense Faith respects things to come or els aboue the reach of our vnderstanding humane objections and objects are of things present or not farr of Befides if certainty did impose a necessity it must follow that at the same tyme we must effectually embrace the same object as honest and fly from it as vnpleasant which is impossible We must therfor say that it remaynes in the will to determine it selfe to which part it pleaseth hauing sufficient direction from the vnderstanding for either side Sinnes were wont to be diuided into sinnes of Ignorance and of Knowledg that is committed by Ignorance or with knowledge but now if certaine knowledg of good necessitate our will to embrace it no sinne can consist with certaine Knowledg of good and so all sinnes are sinnes of ignorāce and that old distinction of Philosophers and Diuines must be corrected by this your new Philosophy and Diuinity 63. As for Experience who knowes not or rather who teeles not that vulgar saying Video meliora proboque Deteriora sequor I see that which is better and like it well but follow that which is worse 64. Lastly Faith teaches that we are indued with Free-will which may embrace or reject what is proposed by the vnderstanding Wherin all Protestants for our present purpose agree with Catholikes both in regard that they yeald Freedom of will to Angels and Adam before their fall who yet belieued by an infallible assent that there was a God and other mysteryes reuealed to them as also because they profess that Historicall Faith and of that Faith we speake doth not justify nor infallibly bring with it Charity Therfor it doth not necessitate our will Yea euen those Protestants who deny Free-will hold not that the will is necessitated by the Act of Faith which directs but by the effectuall
to vvhat purpose you say in your second Ansvver that it is one thing to be a perfect Ruâ—e of Faith an other to be proved so vnto vs seing your adversary expressly spoke of scripture in order to vs affirming Pag 41. N. 6. that it could not be proved vnto vs to be the word of God by its owne saying so which you also grant vnless it were to giue a blow to Protestants who calumniate vs as if we did subject the word of God to the judgment of the Church wheras we say no more then here you acknowledg that Scripture is in it self true but not knowen or proved so to vs otherwise than only by Tradition which say you is a thing credible of it self against other Protestants who hold the Church to be only the first externall Motiue or inducement and direction to belieue scripture as Potter speakes Pag 193. and 141. but not that for which we chiefly belieue it which they hold to be either the privat Spirit or the Majesty or other signes found in scripture it self 190. Object 6. That all may vnderstand in Scripture enough for their salvation you endeavour to proue Pag 93. N. 105. out of S. Austine whose words you cite thus Ea quae manifestè posita sunt in Sacris Scripturis omnta continent quae pertinent ad Fidem moresque vivendi The place you cite not which is your ordinary custome I conceiue you meane de Doctrina Christiana Lib 2. Cap 9. Where S. Austine speaking of the Bookes of Holy Scripture sayth Illa quae in eis apertè posita sunt vel praecepta vivendi vel regulae credendi solertius diligentiusque investiganda sunt Quae tanto quisque plura invenit quanto est intelligentiâ capacior In iis enim quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent Fidem moresque vivendi spem scilicet atque charitatem 191. Answer You know very well that S. Austine believed we are obliged to belieue more then can be clearly and certainly and particularly proved out of scripture taken alone without the authority and Declaration of Gods Church Did he not belieue and most zealously defend the validity of Baptisme conferred by Heretikes and taught it as a Point to be believed and practised by all And yet de vnit Eccles Cap. 22. he teacheth expressly that we must in this Point rely vpon the authority of the Church as we haue seene by his words This Testimony of S. Austine was alledged by Cha Ma Part 1. Ch 2. N. 27. Pag 74. and you take notice of it in your Page 118.119 N. 163. and yet returne to alledg against vs the words of the same saynt in iis quae apertè posita sunt c which shewes that I was not rash in saying you could not but know that S. Austine held that more points are to be believed and practised then can be proved out of scripture Nay your owne Answers to this authority of S. Austine demonstrate that you believed what I say about his judgment For 192. You answer First you say to Catholiques In many things you will not be tryed by S. Austines judgment this you proue by instances which are answered by an absolute denyall that S. Austine is contrary to vs in those points and therfor can with no reason or equity require vs to do so in this matter 2. To S. Austine in heate of disputation against the Donatists and ransaking all places for Arguments against them we oppose S. Austine out of this heate delivering the Doctrine of Christianity calmely and moderately where he sayes In ijs que apertè posita sunt c. 193. Answer It is strang or rather ridiculous I will not say Boyes-play as you thought good to speake that you should except against our allegation of S. Austine because say you in many things we will not be tryed by him and that you in this very place alledg S. Austine against vs you I say who togeather with your fellow Socinians speak more contemptibly of that holy learned glorious Saint than of any other Father And no wonder seing you find that zealous Doctour to be most direct cleare and efficacious for the Visibility Splendour Amplitude Perpetuity Succession and Infallibility of Gods Church and vnwritten Traditions which is our present Question This spirit you discover Pag 152. N. 44. where you speake in this manner To deale ingenuously with you and the world I am not such an idolater of S. Austine as to thinke a thing proved sufficiently be cause he sayes it nor that all his sentences are oracles and particularly in this thing that whatsoever was practised or held by the vniversall Church of his tyme must needs haue come from the Apostles But good Sr. what play is this To bring for an Argument and proofe against vs a saying of S. Austine and yet to professe not to thinke a thing proved sufficiently because he sayes it And which is most strang to bring for an Argument against vs a place of S. Austine to proue by his authority the contrary of that which you acknowledg him to affirme namely that whatsoever was practised or held by the vniversall Church of his tyme must needs come from the Apostles as if with reason and equity you may require vs to beleeue S. Austine when you bring him against vs and yet yourselfe not belieue him when in the very selfe same matter for which you alledg him against vs yourself acknowledg him to stand for vs to wit that whatsoeuer the vniversall Church holds must be believed to come from the Apostles and consequently to be believed although it be not expressed in Scripture which is directly against that for which you alledg him even here that all necessary Points of Faith are set downe in scripture alone But of your little respect to B. Saint Austine more may beseene through your whole Booke particularly Pag. 258. N. 16. Pag 259 N. 20.21 Pag 301. N 101. c 194. In your second answer you do not only slight S. Austines judgment but wickedly taxe his will and piety as if he had overlashed out of heate or had bene more excessiuely earnest in impugning heresyes than zealous in delivering the Doctrine of Christianity as you speake out of which Book you cite his words against vs or as if that can be called heate of disputation which is delivered in writing at leasure vpon mature study and never rétracted But as I sayd you cannot endure that B. Saint because he is so great a defender of Gods Church and you could not haue done a service more acceptable to the Divell and pernitious to soules than to giue a ground for every one to despise S. Austines Writings against the Donatists as being but exaggerations and effects of heate in disputation wheras of all those holy learned and pious volumes of his none can be of greater profit to Gods Church then those which he wrote against the Donatists who were Schismatikes
the same words not our Lord but I and not I but our Lord and therfor he must be vnderstood to speak by divine inspiration in all or none 40 But I pray you in any part of this Chapter or in any part of all S. Paules Writings doth he ever say in this God inspires me to speake and I speak not of my self in this other God doth not inspire me to speak but I speak of my self Is it all one to say God commands not I and to say God inspires and I speak not of my self Or I command not God that is I advise of my self not inspired by God Command or counsell are words of verie different significations from inspired or not inspired neither can any man precisely infer one from another as you would make vs belieue that S. Paul was inspired when he sayd God commands and not inspired when he sayd I Counsell And if you say S. Paul spoke not by inspiration when he sayd I giue Counsell with what certainty can you say that even his setting downe in writing the Command of God and his owne counsell proceeded from inspiration And so we can haue no certainty of S. Paules writings vnless we belieue that he spoke by inspiration as well when he gaue advise and Counsell as when he declared a Divine Command And therfor after he had sayd V. 40. of widdowes more blessed shall she be if she so remaine according to my counsell he adds presently and I thinke that I also haue the spirit of God least any should thinke he spoke and advised only out of humane prudence and not by Divine inspiration as if the Holy Ghost had forseene that there would not want such blasphemers as you are S. Chrysostome Hom. 19. in Cap. 7.1 Cor. speaking of the words of S. Paul Ego non ego I and not I sayth that they signify the Precept of God and the judgment of S. Paul as I sayd and then adds Least you should thinke those things to be humane therfore he added and I think that I haue also the spirit of God And the same Holy Father apud Salmeronem Tom. 14. Disp 12. Pag 94. sayth For that cause he S. Paul sayd not our Lord but I not meaning to signify therby that that was a humane saying for how can that be But that Christ had not delivered that precept to his Disciples while he was vpon earth but doth now deliver it by him And afterward feare not for I sayd so because that I haue Christ speaking in me neither do thou suspect that that speach is in any part humane And Theodoret. ap Salm ib. writes vpon these words in this manner this I say which signifyes I haue not found this Law written in the Gospells but now I ordaine it And that the Lawes of the Apostle are the Lawes of God is manifest to those who are instructed in Divine Matters For it is his voyce seeke you an experiment of him that speaketh in me Christ And S. Austine Tract 37. in Joan. hath these words Somtyme men of those things of which they are certaine seeme by way of reprehension to doubt that is they vse a word of doubting when indeed in their hart they doubt not as if thou be angry with thy servant and say thou contemnests me consider perhaps I am thy master Hence it is that the Apostle sayth to some who did despise him just as you doe and I think that I also haue the spirit of God He that sayes I thinke seemes to doubt but he did reprehend and not doubt And Christ our Lord reprehending the future infidelity of mankind saith Luc 18. V. 8. The sonne of man comming shall he find think you Faith in the earth Thus S. Austine If then S Paul did speak with certainty in a thing not commanded by our Saviour who dare deny but that he did it by inspiration and it is cleare S. Paul speaks this And I think that I also haue the spirit of God not of any command of God but of a Counsell which he gaue for widdowes to abstaine from marriage in which therfor those his words not our Lord but I haue place And indeed as S. Paul if he had spoken only the dictates of humane reason and bene subject to errour when he sayd V. 10.11 To them that be joyned in matrimony not I giue commandment but our Lord that the wife depart not from her husband and let not the husband put away his wife had put a great command vpon Christians for which he had no certainty or warrant so also counselling perpetuall chastity as the best if it be not so indeed as he might erre if he spoke only by humane prudence he had much diminished the naturall freedom which people haue to marry or perpetually liue chast For though he did not command it yet to persons of timorous consciences and desirous to do what they are taught to be most perfect such a counsell from such a person could not but much moue and as I may say more than eâ—cline them therto For the Corinthians in those Questions which they proposed and S. Paul answers in this Chapter had recourse to Him not as to a wise man only or as a private person for dictates of humane reason but as to an Apostle from whom they expected vndoubted answers by Revelation from God vpon which they might securely build their Christian Faith in matters of so great moment and as they believed him speaking of our Saviours command against divorce so they believed him advising chastity and supposed they might doe it as safely in both as in one for Point of S. Paules being inspired And this consideration vrges so much the more as the Corinthians were like to fynd greater difficulty in those Points for Virgins to remaine alwayes such and for widdowes to abstaine from a second marriage in regard they were much given to sensuall delights as Writers haue observed and appeares out of S. Paul in divers places and therfor to exhort them in those beginnings to perpetuall chastity had bene both burthen some and dangerous to them and not safe for S. Paul himselfe if he had done it without certainty communicated by divine inspiration 41. Thus we see that he having V. 35. counselled virginity preseÌ„tly V. 36 addes aÌ„d this I speak to your profit not to cast a snare vppon you as like wise having sayd V. 27. Art thou loose from a wife Seeke not a wife he adds V. 18. but if thou take a wife thou hast not sinned and is it not a very preposterous conceipt to say that in the first part seeke not a wife which is a counsell he vtters only a dictate of prudence and in the second if thou take a wife thou hast not sinned which implyes a matter of Faith he speakes by inspiration What is this but to bring all the writings of S. Paul to an vncertainty And as I sayd aboue by the like occasion to make holy scripture
producible by our Acts but infused by God for enabling vs to loue his Divine Majesty aboue all things you would easily see that it could not be destroyed by parts but all togeather and that only in case of committing a deadly sin wherby the sinner in fact voluntarily prefers some creature before God his Creatour and therby ceaseth to loue him aboue all things which yet is essentiall to Charity and without which it cannot exist in any least degree Holy Scripture tells vs he that loves not remaines in death which declares that Charity is the life of the soule and de dly sin being the death therof if Charity may stand with deadly sin the life and death of the soule should abide togeather But as I sayd it appeares by this that you discourse of the Theologicall vertrue of Charity as of naturall acquired habits produced by our Acts may be encreased diminished produced and destroyed without any like alteration in the habits of the infused vertues which are of a different nature and higher kind And by this appeares how necessary it was to premise the Introduction concerning the infused habits and necessity of Grace 16. In the meane tyme every one may see that either you make small account of Scripture which yet you pretend to be a totall Rule of Faith or els that it is not cleare even when it seemes to speake most cleare For what principle is more received in Christianity or more evidently set downe in Scripture than that by true and harty Contrition a sinner doth instantly obtaine pardon of his sins And yet you deny this first principle and as it seemes can see no such evidence in Scripture concerning it The Protestant Church of England once so termed at the beginning of their morning Prayer hath this sentence out of the Psalme 51. according to their account a sorrowfull spirit is a sacrifice to God and that out of S. Luke 15.18.19 of the Prodigall child I will goe to my father and say to him Father I haue sinned against Heaven and against thee I am no more worthy to be called thy son who vpon such Repentance was instantly received into favour as S. Basill Homil de penit saith of him Caeperat dicere mox illum Pater complectitur He had searce begun to aske pardon when it was granted him And S. Chrysost priore epist ad Theodor laps In eo momento totius vitae peccata abstergit In that very instant the sins of his whole life were wiped away Thus we reade Ezech 33.12 The justice of the just shall not deliver him in what day soever he shall sinne and the imprety of the impious shall not hurt him in what day soever he shall convert frō his impiety Therfore as a just man doth instantly loosegrace by his sin so a sinner repēting doth presentlyobtaine pardon of his sin and lives by justifying grace God being more ready to pardon than punish And no wonder seing a sinner performes all that is in his power for that instant And god requires of vs no more than is in our power nor can he seriously command impossible things as you expressly confesse Pag 390. N. 7. in these words The Rule of the Law is also the dictate of common reason and equity that no man can be obliged to what is impossible We can be obleged to nothing but by vertue of some command Now it is impossible that God should command in carnest any thing which he knowes to be impossible For to command in earnest is to command with an intent to be obliged which is not possible he should doe when he knowes the thing commanded to be impossible These I say be your words ād they are very true but directly against the common doctrine of Protestants that it is impossible to keepe the commandements of God who surely commanded them in Scripture in good earnest and not in jeast neither is there any moment wherin a man indued with the vse of Reason may not avoide eternall damnation if he cooperate with Gods grace which is never wanting nor can there be any moment wherin a man may not hope to be saved It is a true Axiome of Divines facienti quod in se est c God doth not denye his Grace to him who doth all that lyes in his power assisted by grace I sayd A sinner doth all that lyes in his power at that instant For if he surviue he is obliged to keepe all the Commandements which oblige vnder mortall sin but this observance is not a part of Contrition or Repentance but only the Object therof for as much as Contrition implyes an effectuall purpose of keeping the Commandements And for that cause the same Prophet Uers 14.15.16 saith If I shall say to the impious Dying thou shallt dye and he do pennance from his sin and do judgment and justice and the same impious restore pledge and render robbery walke in the Commandements of life and do not any vnjust thing living he shall liue and shall notdy All his sins which he hath sinned shall not be imputed to him he hath done judgment and justice living he shall liue This appeares in the conversion and justification of David 2. Reg 12. who repenting had scarce vttered two words I haue sinned to our Lord when he heard of the Prophet Our Lord also hath taken away thy sin Where some obserue that the Prophet sayd not our Lord will take away thy sin de futuro but hath taken away thy sin de praeterito to signify that Contrition and remission of his sins mett in the same instant Which David himselfe witnesseth Psalm 31. V. 5. I sayd I will confess against me my injustice to our Lord and thou hast forgiven me the impiety of my sin Vpon which place S. Austine speaking in person of David saith my confession had not come so far as to my mouth and God heard the voyce of my hart My voyce was not yet in my mouth and the eare of God was already in my hart Actor 2.38 Peter sayd to them do pennance and be every one of you baptized in the name of Jesus Christ And Uers 42. They therfore that received his word were baptized But it is cleare that these men could not haue tyme to roote out all vicious habits therfore that cānot be required to true Repentance Prov 8. I loue those who loue me But how cā God be sayd to loue those who loue him if he forgiues not the sin but remaines offēded ād an enemy to one who loves him by true Contrition which implyes the loue of his divine Majesty aboue all things S. Austine in Enchirid C. 65. saith Not so much the measure or quality of tyme as of sorrow is to be considered For God doth not despise a contrite and humbled hart Which last words taken out of the 40. Psalme do of themselves proue our Assertion So that Scripture Fathers and Theologicall reasons do all concurre in this that effectuall sorrow for
Chapter Moreover how do these things agree with your saying heere N. 78. If we grant that the Apostle calls the Catholique Church the pillar and ground of Truth and that not only because it should but because it alwayes shall and will be so yet after all this you haue done nothing vnless you can shew that by Truth heere is certainly ment not only all necessary to salvation but all that is profitable absolutely and simply All. How I say doth this agree with your saying now cited out of your Pag 105. N. 139. To make any Church an infallible guide in Fundamentalls would be to make it Infallible in all things which she proposes and requires to be believed seing you say also that although it were granted that S. Paule affirmed that the Church shall and will be the Pillar of all necessary truth yet it doth not follow that she is so in all Truth And now how many clustars as I may say of Contradictions may be gathered from your owne words related by me in this small compass 76. First The Church is an infallible Teacher in Fundamentalls and yet is not an infallible guide or if you grant her to be an infallible Guide then Secondly you say to make any Church an infallible Guide in Fundamentalls would be to make it infallible in all things which she proposes and requires to be believed and yet you say the Church is an infallible Teacher or guide in all Fundamentalls and deny her to be infallible in all things which she proposes and requires to be believed Thirdly How can you make a distinction between the Churches being infallible in Fundamentalls and an infallible Guide in Fundamentalls seing you teach that she is both infallible in Fundamentalls and a Teacher of them Fourthly How doe you say That to be a Teacher of all necessary truth is the Essence of the Church and that any company of men were no more a Church without it then any thing can be a man and not be reasonable And yet in this Chapter N. 39. to proue that there is a wide difference betweene being infallible in Fundamentalls and an infallible Guide in Fundamentalls you say A man that were destitute of all meanes of communicating his thoughts to others might yet in himself be infallible but he could not be a Guide to others A man or a Church that were invisible so that none could know how to repaire to it for direction could not be an infallible Guide and yet he might be in himself infallible For these examples if they be to any purpose declare that to be a Guide or Teacher is accidentall and not the Essence of the Church and for that purpose you bring them and yet I never imagined that the Essence of any thing is separable from it as you say it is impossible a thing can be a man and not be reasonable Fiftly If it be essentiall to the Church to be an infallible Teacher or Guide in Funmentalls which you say she cannot be without an vniversall infallibility in all Points seing every errour destroyes that vniversall infallibility which is essentiall to such a Teacher as the Church how can you say that every errour doth not destroy the Church but that she may erre and yet the gates of hell not prevaile against her To what purpose then do you talk of eyes and hands which are not essentiall or necessary parts of a man or of biles and botches which are accidentall to his body and not necessaryly destructiue thereof as you must suppose wheras infallibility is essentiall to the Church of Christ and is destroyed by errour which cannot possibly consist with infallibility that is with certainty never to erre Into how may inextricable difficulties and contradictions do you cast yourself vpon a resolution not to acknowledg the infallibility of Gods Church the only meanes to cleare all these perplexityes And how inconsequently and perniciously and you compare botches and biles to errour against Faith which you confess to be damnable sinnes and without repentance absolutely inconsistent with salvation 77. But to returne to the maine point If the Church were not vniversally infallible Christian Faith could not be infallible as I proved hertofore and so the gates of Hell should prevaile against Christianity which by that meanes should come to want a thing absolutely necessary to salvation necessitate medij to witt divine infallible Faith Your Parity betweene a particular man or congregation and the vniversall Church hath bene answered hertofore and is confuted by what we haue saied heere that infallibility is essentiall to the vniversall Church and nothing can exist without that which is essentiall to it but no such Priviledge of infallibility is necessary or is promised to particular men or Churches Finally seing that according to Potter and other Protestants the Promise of our Saviour that the gates of Hell shall not prevaile against the Church must be vnderstood of the whole Church as well Primitiue as of consequent Ages by what evident Text of Scripture can you proue that the same words must haue different significations in order to the Primitiue Church which was infallible in all Points of Faith and the vniversall Church of following Ages As in a like occasion I saied hertofore Yourself N. 72. speak to Charity Maintayned thus vnless you will say which is most ridiculous that when our Saviour saied He will teach you c and he will shew you c He meant one you in the former clause and an other you in the latter If it be most ridiculous that one word should be referred to different Persons I may say ad hominem why ought it not to seeme most ridiculous that in the same sentence the same words the gates of Hell shall not privaile must signify two differēt kinds of not prevailing one against fundamētall ād an other against vnfundamentall errours in order to one and the same word Church 78. In your N. 71. you pretend to answer the Text which Ch Ma saieth may be alledged for the infallibility of the Church out S. Jo 14. V. 16.17 I will ask the Father and he will give you another Paraclete that he may abide with you for ever the spirit of truth And Jo 16.13 but when he the Spirit of truth commeth he shall teach you all truth You answer first that one may fall into error if this all truth be not simply all but all of some kind Secondly that one may fall into some error even contrary to the truth which is taught him if it be taught him only sufficiently and not irresistibly so that be may learne it if he will not so that he must and shall whether be will or no. Now who can assertaine me that the Spirits teaching is not of this nature Or how can you possibly reconcile it with your Doctrine of free will in believing Thirdly you say N. 72. that these promises were made to the Apostles only 79. Answer These places were alledged by Dr.