which comprehend the expresse Doctrine of the Councel of Trent they would forbeare to obiect to vs that we injure the Mediation of CHRIST IESVS and that we inuoke Saints adore Images in a manner peculiar to God himself It is granted by reason that in some sense Inuocation Adoration and the name of Mediator are competent only to God and CHRIST JESVS that it is easy by a perverse vse of those termes to traduce our Doctrine and render it odious but if they are ingenuously receiued in that sense we haue exhibited these obiections loose all their force and if there remayne in the minds of the Pretended Reformers any lesse important difficultyes naturall equity and syncerity will oblige them to auowe themselues satisfy'd in the principall exceptions Besides this there is nothing more vniust then to charge the Church with the stating of all piety in this devotion to Saints since as we haue already euinced the Councel of Trent iudgeth it sufficient to informe and teach Catholiques that this practise is Good Vsefull without advancing it further so that the Churches intent is to condemn such as reiect this practise either by Contempt or Misconstruction and the Church is obliged to condemn them by reason that she ought not to indure the condemning of salutary and usefull practises nor that a Doctrine which all Antiquity hath authorised should be reiected by the Nouellists Doctors The matter of iustification will manifest yet a greater light how many difficulties may be avoyded by a syncere exposition of our opinions Those who are never so little acquainted with the history of the Pretended Reformation can not be ignorant that those who were the first Authors of it did propose this Article to all the world as the principall and as it were the most essentiall ground of their separation so that this seemes the most necessary point to be rightly understood First we beleeve that our sinns are forgiuen freely by the divine mercy for JESVS-CHRIST'S sake these are the expresse termes of the Councel of Trent which addeth further that we are said to be iustified freely because none of those things which precede our iustification either our faith or our works can merit this grace And by reason the holy scripture explains to us the remission of our sinns expressing it some times by saying that God couers them and others that he takes them quite away and effaceth them by the grace of the holy Ghost which renders vs new creatures we conceiue that we are to combine all these expressions to forme a compleate Idea or notion of the iustification of a sinner we doe therefore beleeue that our sinns are not only couered but intirely effaced by the blood of CHRIST IESVS and by the grace by which we are regenerated and this perswasion is so farr from detracting from that image we ought to frame of the merit of that blood as quite contrary it indeareth and eleuateth the value of it for by this meanes the righteousnes of Christ is not simply imputed but actually imparted to the faithfull by the operation of the holy Ghost in so much as they are not only imputed but euen rendered righteous by the grace of Christ. If our righteousnes were only in the sight of man it would not be the operation of the holy Ghost it must then be iustice euen before God since it is God himself who produceth it in vs by an effusion of his charity vpon our harts It is notwithstanding but too true that the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and we all offend in many things Wherefore albeit our righteousnes be a true one by the infusion of Charity yet is it no perfect one by reason of the combat between it our concupiscence so that the sighing and sorrowing of a soule repenting her sinns performes the most necessary duty of Christian righteousnes which obligeth vs to confesse with S. Augustin that our righteousnes in this life consists rather in the remission of our sinns then in the perfection of our virtues Wherefore as to the point of Merit imputed to our workes the Catholique Church teacheth that Eternall life ought to be proposed to the children of God both as a Grace mercifully promised by the meanes of our Sauior IESVS CHRIST and as a Reward which is faithfully rendred to their good workes and to their deserts in virtue of that promise these are the expresse termes of the Councel of Trent but least the pride of humane nature should be flattered by the opinion of a persuming Merit the same Councel determineth that all the worth and value of Christian good workes is deriued from that sanctifying grace which is freely conferr'd vpon vs in the name of CHRIST JESVS and that is an effect of the continuall influence of that diuine head vpon his depending members True it is indeed that the exhortations the promises the menaces and reproaches of the Gospel doe declare sufficiently that we are to worke our saluation by the motion actings of our own wills concurring with the Grace of God which assists vs but it is a fixt principle that free will can performe nothing in order to Eternall beatitude but by the same degrees it is moued and eleuated by the holy Ghost Whereupon the Church knowing that it is the holy spirit which worketh in vs by his Grace all the good we doe she ought to rest perswaded that the good workes of the faithfull are very acceptable to God of great estimation in his sight and she doth rightfully vse the terme of Merit concurrently with all Christian Antiquity cheefly to signify the value dignity of our workes which we performe by the motion of his Grace But by reason all their sanctity is deriued from God who workes them in vs the same Church hath receiued from the Councel of Trent as the Doctrine of the Catholique Faith this saying of S. August that God crowns his own Gifts when he crowns the Merits of his seruants We intreate all such as loue truth peace to be pleased to read the whole context of the Councel of Trent's words that they once be disabused and deliuered from those wrong impressions which are suggested to them of our Docctrine Notwithstanding we discerne cleerly say the fathers of that Councel that the holy scriptures esteeme so much Good woorks that IESVS-CHRIST himself promiseth that a cupp of cold water giuen a poor body shall not want its reward and that the Apostle declareth that a moment of light payne suffered in this world shall produce an Eternall weight of glory yet God forbid that a Christian should trust glory in himself and not in our Lord whose goodness towards Man is so aboundant that he allowes his own Guifts to them to be accounted their Merits This Doctrine is spread through the whole Councel which teacheth in an other session that we who are not sufficient to doe
syncere explication of our perswasions and that our Doctrine is Holy and that euen by their own principles none of the Articles of our Beleef ouerthrow the Foundations of our Eternall Beatitude If any one shall conceaue it requisite to reply to this Treatise I must desire him to consider that to aduance any thing towards his intent he must not attempt to refute the Doctrine it containeth since my designe was to Propose it only without Supporting it by any Proofs and if in some passages I haue touched part of the grounds reasons which establish it the reason was because the knowledg of the principall grounds of a Doctrine doth often beare a part necessary for its explication It would be also a great digression from the designe of this Treatise to dicusse the different ways methodes motiues and arguments which the Catholique Diuines make use of to establish or illustrate the Doctrine of the Councel of Trent and the various consequences particular Doctors haue deduced from them To vrge any thing solide against this Treatise and that cometh home to the point it must either be proued by some acts which the Church hath engaged herselfe to receaue that her Faith is not here faithfully deliuered or be shewed that this explanation leaueth all the Aduersaries Obiections in their full force or in fine it must be exposed directly wherein this Doctrine subuerteth the Grounds and Foundation of Faith FINIS Io. 18. v. 38. Io 19. v. 12. Io. 12. v. 43. Ps. 118. v 85 86. Io. 16. 13. Mat. 28. v 20. Jo 6. v. 61. Jo. 6. v. 64 2. Pet. 1. v. 4. Apoc. 2. Esay 50 v 11. Act. 4. Y. 32. Io. 17. 11. 21. 2. Cor. 12. v. 15. Apoc. 2. 5. Designe of this Treatise Apol. c. 6. Those of the Pretended-Reformed Religion confesse that the Catholique Church professeth all the Fundamentall Articles of Christian Religion All Religious worship endeth in God alone Inuocation of Saints Rom. Catech p. 3. tit de cultu Inuoc sanct p. 4. tit quis sit orandus Sess. 25. dec de Inuoc c. Lib. 8. de Ciu. c. 27. Tract 28. in Joan. serm 27. de verbis Apostoli CoÌ„c Trid. sess 22. c. 3. Images and Reliques Conc. Trid. sess 25. decr de Inuoc c. Gal. 2. Pontific Rom. de Benedict Imag. CoÌ„c Trid. Sess. 25. dec de Inuoc c. 1. Pet. 2. Iustification Conc. Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 9. ibid. c. 8. Gal. â— 17. Iac. 3. 2. Merits of good workes Concil Trid. Sess. 6. c. 16. CoÌ„c Trid. sess 6. c. 16. Sess. 14. c. 8. Phil. 4. 7. Phil. 2. 12. ibid. 13. Satisfactions Purgatory Indulgences Sess. 25. decr de Indulg Parum me mouent quae in veterum scriptis de Satisfactione passim occurrunt video quidem eorum nonnullos dicam simpliciter omnes ferè quorum libriextant aut in hac parte lapsos esse aut nimis asperè ac durè locutos Calu. Inst. l. 3. cap. 4. The Sacraments Baptisme Confirmation Act. 8. 15. 17. Pennance and Sacramentall Confession Math. 18. 18. Io. 20. 23. Extreame-Vnction Iac. 5. 14. 15. Sess. 14. c. 2 de sac Extr Vnct. Marriage Math. 19. 5. â—ph 5. 32. Holy Orders 1. Tim. 4. 2. Tim. 1. Cor. faitl 35. Doctrine the Church touching the reall presence of the Body and Blood of IESVS-CHRIST in the Blessed Sacrament the manner wherein the Church vnderstands these words this is my Body Math. 26. Luke 22. 〈…〉 uit 6. 30 Leuit. 17. 11 Math. 26. 28. Luke 13. 12. Io. 4. 50. Math. 9. 2. Explication of the words doe this in remembraÌ„ce of me Luke 22. 19. 1. Cor. 11. 24 1. Cor. 11. 26. Habac. 2. 4. Exposition of the Caluinists doctrine about the Reallity Cat. Dim 53. Conf. of faith art 36. Cat. Dim 52. Dim 53. Dim 52. Dim 52. Of Transubstannation Adoration and in what sense the Eucharist is said to be a Signe Sacrifice of the Masse Hebr. 9. 24 Sess. 22. c. 1. The Epistle to the Hebrews Hebr. 10. 5 Hebr. 9. 24 Hebr. 9. 26. Hebr. 7. 25. Heb. 5. 7. Reflection vpon the preceding doctrine Communion vnder both kindes The written vnwritten Word 2. Thess. 2. 14. The Church's Authority Act. 15. 2â— Act. 16. 4. CoÌ„c Trid. seff 4. The opinion of those of the Pretended Reformed Religion concernig the Authority of the church The Authority of the holy see of Rome and of Episcopacy Conclusion of the Treatise
any thing alone by our selues can doe euery thing by him who inableth vs so that Man hath nothing wherein he can glorify himself nor any cause to confide in himself but that all his confidence and his glorying is in CHRIST JESVS in whom we liue and in whom we merit in whom we satisfy bearing worthy fruits of repentance which deriue their power from him and by him are offered to God the Father in him are accepted by the Father So that we preferr all our suites place all our hopes render all our thanks by our Lord IESVS-CHRIST We proclaime in a loud voice that we are acceptable to God only in him by him and we can hardly conceaue how any other intent or application can be imputed to vs. We fix in him alone so intirely all the hope of our saluation as we present to God euery day those words in the Sacrifice Vouchsafe ô God to graunt vnto vs sinners your seruants who hope in the multitude of your Mercys some part and fellowship with your blessed Apostles and Martyrs ... into which we humbly beg to be admitted not considering our Merit but forgiuing vs by your Mercy for our Sauiour's sake CHRIST IESVS Shall the Church neuer be able to persuade her children now become her ennemies neither by the explication of her Faith nor the decisions of her Councells nor by her most solemn prayers presented in her Sacrifices that she doth not owne any life nor conceaue any hope but in the merits of IESVS-CHRIST alone and this hope is so powerfull that it imprints in the children of God who walke faithfully in his ways that peace which passeth all vnderstanding as the Apostle assures vs. But yet although this hope be stronger then the promises or menaces of the world and be sufficient to calme the terror of our conscience yet doth it not suppresse intirely our feare by reason that though we are assured that of himself he neuer doth abandon vs we can neuer be certain that we shall not depart from him by our own faylings in reiecting his inspirations and God hath bin pleased to temper allay by this sauing feare that confidence he inspireth into his children for as S. Augustin saith such is our weakenesse in this seate of perills temptations that an entire assurance would produce in vs slacknesse and presumption whereas this fear which in the Apostle's mind makes vs worke our saluation with fear and trembling renders vs more vigilant and moueth vs to fasten our selues by an humble dependance on him who worketh in vs by his grace the will and the acting according to his good pleasure as the same S. Paul declares vnto vs. This is what is most necessary to be held and practised in the Doctrine of iustification and our Adversaries must be very vnreasonable and perverse not to confesse that this Doctrine is sufficient to instruct Christians in their duty of attributing to God by CHRIST IESVS all the glory of their saluation If the Pretending-Reformers after this exposition fly vnto nice subtile questions it is not amisse to aduise them that it is not now proper to raise or insist vpon needlesse difficultys reflecting vpon what they haue condescēded vnto towards an vnion with the Lutherans and what they have graunted to their own fraternity in the points of Grace Predestination That proceding ought to have instructed them to restrain confine their inquiries in this matter to that singly which is of absolute necessity to establish the foundation of Christian piety And if they could once resolue to bound themselues within those limits they would quickly be satisfied soone would desist from their obiecting to vs our nullifying the Grace of God by our ascribing all to good workes since we haue euindenced to them in so cleer termes of the Councel of Trent these three points so decisive in this matter viz. That our sinns are pardon'd by pure mercy for CHRIST JESVS his sake That we owe vnto a free gracious liberality the righteousnesse infused into vs by the holy Spirit And that as many good workes as we performe are so many free guifts of grace And we cannot but confesse that the most Learned of their party doe not now contend so much in this point as they did at the beginning of the Schisme and there are few that will not auowe that a Separation ought not to haue bin made vpon this Controversy But if this so important difficulty in the point of Iustification of which their first Authors raised their strongest fort is no longer accounted so capitall by the most intelligent and sufficient persons of their party we desire them to reflect what iudgment ought to be made of their Separation and how much we might hope a Reconciliation if they would raise their minds from vnder all prepossession and renounce the spirit of Contention It will not be amisse that I explaine further in what manner we conceaue our selues capable to satisfy God by his Grace in order to the leauing no doubt or scruple in this matter The Catholiques doe vnanimously professe teach that CHRIST IESVS only God Man vnited was sufficiently qualifyed by the infinite dignity of his person to make satisfaction for our sinns but hauing superaboundantly satisfyed he had power to apply vnto vs an entire abolition without reseruing any punishment or by commutation of a greater into a lesser penalty that is exchanging an Eternall paine into Temporall sufferances and by reason that this first sort of mercy is the most compleat and most suting to his goodnesse he hath taken that course in our Baptisme but we maintaine that he vseth the second manner in the remission he graunteth to those who after Baptisme relapse into sin being in a manner forced to it by the ingratitude of those who haue abused his guifts so that such offenders are condemned to some temporall paines although the Eternall punishment be remitted But from hence it ought not to be inferr'd that IESVS-CHRIST hath not fully satisfyed for vs but rather the contrary viz that he hauing purchased an absolute right and title of propriety in vs by the infinite price of his blood pay'd for our saluation he graunteth our pardon with what condition and vnder what law and reseruation he pleaseth to impose We should be very vngratefull iniurious to our Sauiour should we presume to question the infinitenesse of his merit by this pretext that hauing pardoned vs the sin of Adam he did not deliuer and free vs at the same tyme from all the consequences of it leauing vs still subiect to death and to so many corporal and spiritual infirmities vnto which that sin hath sentenced vs. It is surely grace enough that IESVS-CHRIST hath once pay'd the price for which we shall one day be deliuered from all the miseries which oppresse vs it is our part to receiue with humility and gratitude euery part of his benefit considering the motion
whereby he is pleased to carry on our deliuerance in that order his wisedome hath designed for our happinesse and for a more euident manifestation of his own Iustice and Mercy And for the like reason we ought not to maruaile if he who hath giuen vs so easy a deliuery by Baptisme becomes more seuere to vs after we haue violated our holy promises made vpon that remission and it is not only iust but euen beneficial to vs that God forgiving vs the sin and remitting the Eternal punishment we haue incurr'd should impose some temporal penalty to reteyn vs within our dutyes least we being deliuered too soone from the bonds of his iustice we should abandon our selues vnto a temerarious confidence abusing the facility of his Indulgence It is therefore in order to our discharging that obligation that we are subiected to some workes of Pennance which we are bound to perfome in the spirit of humility repentance and the necessity of these satisfactory workes was the motiue that induced the primitiue Church to impose vpon Penitents those pennances called Canonical So that when the Church inflicteth vpon sinners paynfull laborious iniunctions and they vndergoe them with humility that act we call Satisfaction and when either in regard of the zeale and feruor of the Penitent or other good workes performed which the Church hath prescribed she releaseth some part of the Pennance which was owing this remission is call'd Indulgence The Councel of Trent proposeth no more to our Faith then this in point of Indulgences that the power of granting them hath bin giuen the Church by CHRIST IESVS and that the vse of them is very beneficial whereunto the Councel addeth that the grant of them ought to be dispensed with caution least the Ecclesiasticall discipline should be weakned and eneruated by an excessiue facility which aduice declareth that the manner of disposing of Indulgences appertaineth to Church-discipline Such as depart out of this world in Grace Charity but yet owing those sufferances which the Diuine Justice hath reserued discharge them in the next life and this perswasion hath obliged all the Christian Antiquity to offer prayers almes and sacrifices for the faithfull departed in the peace and communion of the Church with an assured faith that such sufferers may be eased by these applications this is what the Councel of Trent proposeth to be beleeued concerning the soules deteyned in Purgatory without determining the special manner of their paines or declaring any thing vpon many the like debates vpon which the holy Councel aduiseth a great referuednes blaming such as expose what is not only vncertain but may be vnfound This is the holy and the harmelesse Doctrine of the Catholique Church in point of Satisfactions from the mis-construction whereof so many wrongfull imputations have bin cast vpon her and if after this explanation the Pretended-Reformers doe obiect to vs the detracting from the satisfaction made by IESVS-CHRIST they must needs haue forgot what we haue professed to them that our Saviour hath pay'd the entire price of our Redemption and that there is nothing wanting in the value since it is in it self infinite and that the reservation of those payns we have asserted proceeds not from any disproportion in this payment but from a certain order Christ hath designed to restraine vs by iust apprehensiōs and healthfull discipline And in cafe they should yet obiect to vs the beleefe that we are sufficient of our selues to satisfy for some part of the paine due to our sinns we may reply with great assurance that the contrary is manifested by those maximes we haue established since they proclaime cleerly that our whole Saluation is but a worke of Grace Mercy that what we act by the Grace of God is no lesse to be ascribed to him then what he effecteth singly by his absolute pleasure and in fine whatsoeuer we present him belongs no lesse to him then what he freely bestows vpon vs to which we must adioyne in conformity to the whole ancient Church this profession that what we terme Satisfaction is but in effect an application of the infinite Satisfaction pay'd by CHRIST IESVS This same consideration ought to appease those who seeme offended when we affirme that fraternal charity and the Communion of Saints is so acceptable to God that he doth often receaue euen the Satisfactions we offer one for another It seemes these Pretending Reformers doe not conceaue how intirely whatsoeuer we are belongs to God nor how much all those regards which his goodnes produceth in fauour of the faithful who are members of CHRIST IESVS are necessarily relating to that Divine head But surely such as haue read and considered that God himself inspired into his servants the zeale of afflicting themselues by fastings and other mortifications not only for their own sinns but for those also of the whole land where they liued wil not wonder if we affirme that God being moved by the pleasure he takes to gratify those he vouchsafeth to call his friends doth mercifully accept the humble Sacrifice of their voluntary mortifications for an abatement of those punishments he had designed for his criminal poeple which declareth that being satisfyed by one part he will be softned sweetned to the other honouring by this means his sonne CHRIST IESVS in the communion of his members and in the holy society of his mystical body The order of our Doctrine requireth that we expose in the next place that of the Sacraments by which the merits of our Sauiour CHRIST are apply'd vnto vs. And since the disputes we haue in relation to them excepting that of the Eucharist or Communion are not persued with much heate we will in the first place cleare in few words the principal difficulties which are obiected concerning the other Sacraments reserving that of the Blessed Sacrament for the last as the most important The Sacraments of the new Alliance are not simply holy signes which doe but signify the Grace of CHRIST nor only seales which confirme it but also instuments of the holy spirit which serve to apply it vnto vs and which confer Grace by the virtue of the words pronounced and the exteriour action apply'd vnto vs in case we interpose no impediment by our own indisposition When God annexeth so great a Grace vnto exteriour signes which in their own nature hold no proportion with so admirable effects he signifieth to vs cleerly that besides what we can confer to it by our interiour contribution there is required a special intervention of the holy spirit to effect our sanctification and a singular application of our Sauiour's merits which are imparted to vs by the Sacraments So that this Doctrine can not be reiected without iniuring the Merits of CHRIST JESVS and detracting from the efficacy of the diuine power in our Regeneration We acknowledg seauen signes or sacred ceremonies established by CHRIST JESVS as the ordinary meanes instruments of sanctification and