Christ you can do nothing Yet there be men saith an ancient vnthankefull to Grace ascribing much to poore and wounded Nature It is true that man when hee was created receiued great strength of free will but by sinning he lost it Saint Augustine cited by Doctor Fulke propoundeth this question Rhem pag. 206. May not that part of mankinde to which God hath promised deliuerance and an eternall kingdome bee repaired by the merit of their owne workes God forbid for what good can he worke that is lost or cast away except he be deliuered from perâ—â—tion What by freewill God forbid that also For man vsing free will amisse lost himselfe and it also For as he that killeth himselfe doth it while he liueth but in killing himselfe liueth not neither can hee reuiue himselfe when he hath slaine himselfe So when man sinned by free will sinne got the victory and free will was lost For of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome to him hee is addicted or bound as a slaue Rom. 6. What liberty then can there be of him that is a bond-slaue but when he delighteth in sinne For he serueth freely that doth his maisters will gladly And by this he is free to commit sinne which is a slaue to sinne but to do iustly he shall not be free except he being deliuered from sinne beginne to be the seruant of righteousnesse That is true liberty for the ioy of well doing and a godly bondage to the obedience of the commandements But whence shall a man that is bound and sold haue this liberty Except Christ doth redeeme him whose saying that is Iohn 8. If the Sonne shall make you free then are you free indeed which thing before it begin to be wrought in man how can any man boast of free will in a good worke which yet is not free to worke well except he extol himselfe being puffed vp with vaine pride which the Apostle beateth downe when he saith You are saued by grace through faith Neither doth man when hee is made free by Christ make himselfe euery day more honorable then other vntill he come to be more pretious then fine gold Rem 9.23 Phil. 2.23 ye aboue the wedges of the gold of Ophir For this is a worke peculiar to Gods Spirit that worketh in vs the will and the deed according to his good pleasure We will saith Saint Augustine but it is God that worketh in vs to will we worke but it is God that worketh in vs according to his good pleasure This is behouefull for vs to speake This is a godly and true doctrine that our confession may be humbled and lowly and that God may haue the whole We liue in more safety if wee giue all vnto God rather when wee commit our selues partly to our selues and partly to him For as it is God that first worketh a new recreation in the minde through a heauenly illumination and a holy will by creating holinesse in the will so it is the same God that causeth the light of the one to increase and the holinesse of the other to abound Concerning which spirituall beatitude Saint Iohn teacheth most excellently when he saith That life was in God from the beginning Ioh. 1.4.5 and that life was the light of mâ—n that this light shineth in the darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not It was the speciall reuelation of the Father that Peter knew Christ And it was the exceeding mighty and powerfull worke of Christs Spirit Ioh. 2.20 that Saul afterward called Paul did preach Christ not directed by any fleshly or humane Spirit but by the Spirit of Christ by which he did liue in him That we liue well that we vnderstand aright we haue it of God of our selues we haue nothing saith Saint Augustine cited by Bishop Iewel From this want ariseth the paiers of holy men Dauid beseecheth God to create a cleane hart in him And Salomon saith Let him incline our hearts vnto himselfe that we may keepe his commandements These holy Patâ—â—â—â—ke did not thinke as ambitious Popish Priests dâ—e that they had power in themselues to make themselues cleane and to purge their owne hearts aâ— the Rhems teacheth By this which hath bene said we may see more cleare then the light that the will of man doth not co-operate with the Spirit of God in his recreation no more then Adam in his creation For the vnderstanding seeth no further then the Spirit of God inlightneth it which is but in part in this world no more then a man carrying a candle into a large gallery garnished on euery side with variety of curious workes seeth no more then that the light of the candle maketh apparent Psa 18.28 Surely saith Dauid thou wilt light my candle the Lord my God will lighten my darknesse Againe send thy light and thy truth let them leade me let them bring me into thy holy mountaine and to thy tabernacle Neither doth the will in any thing obey the Lords command more then it is effectually moued thereunto by Gods Spirit As it doth appeare in Ionas Ionah 1.3 who being commanded by the Lord to go to Niniuah that great citty and cry out against it rose vp to fly to Tharshish froÌ„ the presence of the Lord. But more apparant in the saying of Paul Rom. 7.23 For I delight saith hee in the law of God concerning the inward man But I see another law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading one captiue vnto the law of sin which is in my members But Kellison saith Suruey pag. 144. If we co-operate not with God by our own free wil In vain do we pray that his will be done vpon the earth But to this we answer if we doe co-operate with God then our will shall bee done as well as Gods will 1. Cor. 25.28 Phil 4.6 Ibid. 2.13 And so God shall neuer be all in all in vs that we may bee wholly gouerned by his holy Spirit which is plaine opposite to truth and most dishonourable to Christ For if Christ should not wholly gouerne vs by his Spirit At the day of resurrection when our bodies shall rise Spirituall bodies that is wholly to be gouerned by his holy Spirit which now they are but in part then there would remaine a will in vs as now there doth cooperating against and not with the Spirit of God euen the will which the Apostle complaineth of when hee cryeth out Rom. 7. Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Euen from the law of my minde which leadeth me captiue vnto the law of sinne So also should Christs body that is his Church be imperfect the good worke of the Spirit of God vnfinished Eph. 1.23 and the fulnesse of Christ thereby extinguished For as by his gratious dispensation he is head of his Church hee is not full without his body But what should we speake further of the worke of Gods Spirit to those
not good first as he is good yea essentiall goodnesse cannot but require notwithstanding our wofull fall obedience at our hands to the fulfilling of his law through the purity of nature in which he created Adam Which purity lost being also the grouÌ„d and iustice out of the which the law should be kept no man though the Lord command obedience is able to performe the same For by sinne as Kellison saith we were dispoyled of grace Suruey pag. 254. And that force of grace had we none because sinne had depriued vs of it Likewise Saint Augustine cited by M. Whittaker against Campian saith Naturall gifts were corrupted the supernaturall extinguished Insomuch that the naturall mans vnderstanding as the Scriptures auerre is so farre off from doing the office of a Generall to direct the will to the effecting that which is good That it neither perceiueth 2. Cor. 2.14 Ephes 4.18 Rom 7.14 Ibid. 6.16.17.20 nor conceiueth the things of God And the will depriued of liberty to choose that which is good and wanting the direction of reason like an vnruly Souldier transgresseth coÌ„tinually the law through disordered motions and euill desires O euill is free will without God saith S. Augustine cited by Bishop Iewel Againe Man misusing his free will Apol. pag. 16. spilt both himselfe and his will Againe What do men presume so much of the possibility of nature it is wouÌ„ded it is maÌ„gled it is troubled it is lost it behoueth truly to confesse it then stedfastly to defend it Againe Free-will once made thrall auaileth nothing but sinne But to make this yet more manifest Rhem. pag 195. that neither the will nor vnderstanding haue life in them most excellent is that place cited by Doctor Fulke from the Councell of Arausican Chap. 7. That we are not apt to thinke any thing of our selues as of our selues If any man do hold that by force of nature he can thinke any good thing which pertaineth and is expedient to eternall life or that hee can choose to be saued that is to consent to the preaching of the Gospel without illumnation and inspiration of the holy Ghost which giueth to all men the sweetnesse in consenting and beleeuing the truth He is deceiued with an hereticall spirit not vnderstanding the voice of God saying in the Gospel Without me yee can do nothing And that of the Apostle Not that we are apt of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues but our sufficiency is of God And touching vnderstanding the Apostle saith The naturall man vnderstaÌ„deth not those things that be of the spirit of God For they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned So that neither the will nor vnderstanding haue heauenly life in them Therefore it is impossible to do good although the Lord commands it Neither is the Lord bound â—o woâ—k it in vs for he oweth vs nothing may leaue vs reprobate to be condemned for euer without impeachment to his goodnesse As he refused Esau when he loued Iacob Respecting them both as ill Rom. 9. Annotat. Rhem. as the Annotations vpon the Rhems teacheth and the one no lesse then the other guilty of damnation for originall sinne which was alike in them both And therefore where he might haue iustly refused both he saued of mercy one which one being as ill as void of grace as the other must therefore hold of Gods eternall purpose mercy eleâ—tion thâ—t he is prâ—fâ—rred before his brother which was â—lder then himselfe and no worse then himselfe Suruey pag. 58â— Secondly God as he is iust requireth obedience at our hands that our actions may be tryed by the diuine rule of iustice namely his law Otherwise as S. Augustine cited by Kellison teacheth No sinne should be if no law did forbid it If no sinne then no death Iâ— no death then Aâ—am should escape vnpunished contrary to Gods word which saith In the day that thou â—aâ—â—st thereof thou shâ—lt dye the death Yet God in commanding vs that which is good and in puniâ—hing vs doing euill and not good which both as Saint Augustine saith are damnable neither impeacheth hiâ— gooâ—nesse as we said before nor iustice the fault being ours that we transgresse and not Gods who created Adam and we in Adam able to performe his law as his word doth auerre his Angels witnesse and Kellison afore cited testifie Therefore if Princes for a momentary transgression may iustly punish their subiects with perpetual exile and death it selfe how much more may God that created Adam so glorious a creature both punish him for his rebellion all his posterity in him that spaâ—â—d not the Angels yet himselfe a most iust and good God According to that saying of Moses Perfect is the work of the mighty God Deut. 32.4 all his waies are iustice and iudgement God is true and without wickednesse iust and righteous is he Not cruell inhumane barbarous or tyranicall as the false Prophet Kellison like a prophane Marcionite vrgeth For as Aristotle a heathen could say Iustitiam esse hespero lâ—cifero sormosiorem Iustice is farre more beautifull then the euening and morning starre But to conclude against this most blasphemous hereticke with Saint Augustine Detrâ—ctor diabolum in lingua portat A slaunderer beareth the diuell in his tongue and yet maketh himselfe in the meane time as cunning as any Pelagian of whom Saint Augustine thus speaketh The Pelagians thinke themselues cunning men when they say That God would not command that thing that he knoweth a man is not able to do And who iâ— there that knoweth not this But therefore God commandeth vs to do some things that we are not able to do that we may vnderstand that we ought to craue of him Thus we see God is good in requiring that which is good at our hands and iust in punishing vs not performing the same And Kellison a blasphemous wretch to vrge the contrary to disgrace the truth the Lord of truth and the preachers of the same OPPOS 2. The Protestant Preachers auouching the lawes and commandements of God to be impossible giue occasion to all impiety Suruey of tâ—â— new religion Pag. 570. The Protestant preachers auerring the couenant of workes founded in nature and in the law of God impossible to be performed auouch the truth Yet teaching the true vse of the law direct the way to all piety Whereas Popish Iesuites and Priests making the law to be no law leade the way to all impiety as the sequele shall declare Although the promise of the law hath annexed condition impossible to be performed by any of the sonnes of Adam yet concerning the elect it is not without most excellent vse For first it serueth thâ— Spirit of God as an instrumentall meanes to bring them to the notion of sinne Secondly to worke a terrour in them for sinne And thirdly to be as a Schoolemâ—ister directing to Christ Concerning the
thing at Gods hands that by their doctrine we be still indebted to God concerning the punishment the debt of sinne Therefore it must needs be that all that are deliuered out of the common condemnation are deliuered by the meanes and merits of Iesus Christ as the Annotations elsewhere truly teacheth or not at all Rom 9. annot Reue. 20. marg Againe they thus teach Reue 2. annot Reue. 1. annot 2. Tim. 4. annot That none vnperfectly cleansed can enter into the kingdome of heauen Againe that God cannot be good that can loue and saue him hee knoweth to bee euill Yet they send the Catholicke Christian man liuing but an ordinary honest life either not sinning greatly or supplying his fault by penance as a man of great iustice to challenge heauen in his owne right bargained and wrought for and accordingly to be paid for him Others that are altogether vncleane and not so chast as the Priest that keepeth but one Concubine that they may be made heires of other mens goodnesse that haue none in themselues as the Pope is of Peters make with the foolish virgins purchase of counterfeit oyle that they may receiue to their saluation righteousnesse from their workes of supererogation As the Pope though neuer so wicked receiueth his holinesse by succession of Chaire Others seeke it in Popes Pardons Apol. Bish Iewel pag. 147. Ibid. 125. who by power as hardening inforceth is Peter by annoynting Christ And thus Simon Begumus Bishop of Madâ—usia in the late Councel holden at Lateran in Rome sought it who poynting to the Pope as Iohn Baptist did to Christ said Behold the Lyon is come of the tribe of Iuda of the roote of Dauid ô most blessed Leo we haue looked for thee to be our Sauiour And thus the Ambassadors of Sicilia fought it who cryed lying prostrate on the ground O thou holy Father that taketh away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs Thou which takest away the sinnes of the world giue vs peace Others in the Popes Chaire For the truth saith Cardinall Cusanus cleaueth fast to the Popes Chaire Therefore the members vnited to that Chaire and ioyned to the Pope make the Church Others whom the Pope iudgeth in his finite wisedome to bee somewhat vncleane are sent into Purgatory which as Angelus Parsiensis saith is the peculiar possession of the Pope there to stay till his Holinesse thinke them sit through the mediation of Angels to passe to heauen There is none sent to haue passage by Christ to that hauenly Ierusalem but the abiects of the Gentiles Cal. 3. annot Rhem. who commit mortall sinnes For they as the Annotations teacheth cannot be deliuered by themselues nor by any other meanes from the curse of the law but by faith and the grace of Christ Iesus Here we may behold the Angels of light leading to Christ in teaching that not some part but all Christs obedience is imputed vnto vs. The other namely the Angels of darknesse hauing mingled lerma malorum a heape of mischiefe sends men thither from Christ to seeke saluation in them But as Saint Augustine saith Ecclesia in nullo homine spem ponere à suo redemptore dedicit The Church hath learned of her Redeemer to put no trust in any man OPPOS 7. The Preachers of this Monarch teaching that faith onely iustifieth open a gap thereby to all vice Suruey pag. 526. THis Popish Iesuite vseth Faith that is an assurance in Christ for happinesse according as hee hath done the obiect namely Christ Iesus In teaching that faith cannot iustifie without opening a gap to vice As Christ could not make a perfect redemption for vs without opening a gate to all licentious libertie vice and iniquity But contrary to this Pelagian opinon we will proue that Faith onely doth iustifie and withall in the next position make manifest that though the Preachers of this Monarch teach this doctrine yet withall preaching an inherent righteousnesse as well as an imputatiue sanctification as well as iustification open no gate at all to vice Whereas they teaching neither the one nor the other neither the tree nor the fruit set open a gap to all idolatry But first concerning this doctrine in hand we are to consider that the reason why we are iustified by faith and not by workes is because iustification and therefore saluation goeth before workes For the way which the holy Ghost vseth to make vs able for them is Faith vniting vs to Christ whereof he himselfe is a witnesse who saith As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe except it abide in the vine no more can you except you abide in me Apol. Bish Iewel pag. 296. The beginning saith Saint Syrill cited by Bishop Iewel and foundation of our â—olineâ—se is Christ by faith I meane and none otherwise for in this sort Christ dwelleth in vs. Those onely are to be counted good wookes saith Saint Augustine which are wrought by loue Faith of necessity must go before for they must take their beginning from saith Rhem. â—4 pag. and not faith from them Saint Ambrose cited by Doctor Fulke thus speaketh Faith onely shal go with you to the next life and iustice shall also accompany you Heb 11. annot If faith go before which as the Annotations vpon the Rhems teacheth is the ground and foundation of all other vertues and worship of God without which no man can please God Rhem. pag. 232. Then that which followeth after which is workes cannot be the cause of that which goeth before namely the free iustification of life through faith By this argument Paul proueth that neither Gentile nor Iewe are iustified by workes but by grace For by grace yee are saued saith the Apostle through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God The Church casteth all her liuing into the gift of God which vnderstandeth all that she liueth not to be of her merit but of Gods gift when she saith God be mercifull to me a sinner As Beda teacheth cited by Doctor Fulke For whether we respect faith or righteousnesse and life which we receiue from Christ by that instrument of faith they are all the gifts of God No maruaile then if Saint Augustine stileth the opinion of merit pride and the iustification of saith the discipline of humility Seeing this as Saint Basil teacheth is a full and perfect reioycing in God When a man doth not boast himselfe of his owne iustice but knoweth himselfe to bee voyd of of true iustice and to bee â—ustified by onely faith in Christ Saint Paul in the definition of the Gospel the seed of immortality sheweth Rom. 1 1â— that the efficient cause of our iustification is the power of God Rom. 1.10 Gal. 3.11 Heb. 10.3 the end our saluation and the instrument whereby it is receiued faith for he addeth vnto euery one that beleeueth And this he confirmeth by a testimony of the Prophet Abacucke wherein