the Homily shews The third part of the Homily of Salvation The meaning of this Proposition or saying We be justified by Faith in Christ only according to the meaning of the old ancient Authors is this we put our Faith in Christ that we be justified by Him only that we be justified by Gods free Mercy and the Merits of our Saviour Christ only and by no vertue or good Works of our own The Church of Rome The Council of Trent Justification is not only the Remission of Sins but the Sanctification and Renovation of the inward man from whence a man of unjust is made just If any one shall say That men are justified either by the only imputation of Christs rightousness or by the alone Remission of our Sins excluding the Grace and Love which is spread in their Hearts by the Holy Ghost and doth inhere in them or that the Grace by which we are justified is only the favour of God let him be accursed It s call'd our Righteousness because we are justified by it inhering in us If any one shall say That the wicked is justified by Faith alone so that he understands nothing else to be required which may co-operate to obtain the Grace of Justification and that it is not at all necessary that he be prepared and disposed by the motion of his own will let him be accursed The Opposition The Church of England The Church of Rome 1. Placeth the nature of Justification in the forgiveness of Sin. 1. Saith Justification is not only the forgiveness of Sin but also that it is the Sanctification of our natures confounding Justification with Sanctification and that whoever holds the contrary is accursed 2. Saith We are accounted Righteous only for the merit of Christ. 2. Saith We are justified by a righteousness inhering in us The 12 th Article of the Church of England Of good Works Albeit that good Works which are the Fruits of Faith and follow after Justification cannot put away our Sins and endure the Severity of Gods Judgment yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a Tree discerned by the Fruit. Homily of good Works And first of Fasting To have any Affiance or to put any Confidence in our Works as by merie and deserving of them to purchase to our selves and others Remission of Sin and so consequently everlasting Life is meet Blasphemy of Gods Mercy and great Derogation to the Blood-shedding of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Sermon of Salvation part 3. Our own Imperfection is so great through the Corruption of Original Sin that all is unperfect that is within us Faith Charity Hope Dread Thoughts Words and Works and therefore not apt to merit or deserve any part of our Justification for us The Church of Rome The Council of Trent Justified persons are esteemed to have truly deserved eternal life If any one shall say The good Works of the justified are so the gifts of God that they are not also the good Merits of the person justified or that by the good Works which are done by him through the Grace of God and merit of Christ he doth not truly Merit an increase of Grace eternal Life and the obtaining of eternal Life if he shall depart in Grace and also an increase of Glory let him be accursed The Rhemists Annotations This place convinceth for the Catholicks that all good Works done by God's Grace after the first Justification be truly and properly Meritorious and fully worthy of everlasting Life and that thereupon Heaven is the due and just Stipend Crown or Recompence which God by his Justice oweth to the persons so working by his Grace for he rendreth or repayeth Heaven as a just Judg and not only as a merciful Giver and the Crown which he payeth is not only of Mercy or Favour or Grace but also of Justice The Opposition The Church of England The Church of Rome 1. The best Works are imperfect and cannot endure the severity of God's Judgment 1. The good Works of the justified do truly merit eternal Life 2. To put any confidence in our Works and to think they merit everlasting Life is blasphemy 2. Whosoever saith they do not properly merit is accursed The 13 th Article of the Church of England Of Works before Justification Works done before the Grace of Christ and the Inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they Spring not of Faith in Jesu Christ neither do they make men to receive Grace or as School Authors say deserve Grace of Congruity Yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of Sin. The Church of Rome It was a common Opinion in the Church of Rome that Works done before the Grace of Christ do make men meet to deserve Grace of Congruity or that man by the power of Nature can dispose himself for Justification Of this Opinion were Scotus Durandus Biel Cajetan c. Council of Trent If any one shall say That all Works before Justification for whatever reason they are done are truly sins or deserve the hatred of God Let him be accursed The Opposition The Church of England The Church of Rome 1. Works done before Justification do not deserve Grace of Congruity 1. Works done before Justification do merit it of Congruity 2. Works done before Justification have the nature of Sin. 2. Whoever shall say Works done before Justification are truly Sins is accursed The 14 th Article of the Church of England Of Works of Supererogation Voluntary Works besides over and above God's commandments which they call works of Supererogation cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake than of bounden Duty is required ‡ Whereas Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that are commanded to you say we are unprofitable Servants Second Part Of the Sermon of good VVorks Which Sects and Religions in the Church of Rome had so many hypocritical and feigned VVorks in their State of Religion as they arrogantly named it that their Lamps as they said run always over able to satisfie not only for their own Sins but also for all their Benefactors Brothers and Sisters of Religion as most ungodilly and trustily they had perswaded the Multitude of ignorant People keeping in divers places as it were Marts or Markets of Merit being full of their Holy Relicks Images Shrines and VVorks of overflowing Abundance ready to be sold. The Church of Rome The Catechism In this the goodness and clemency of God is to be praised who hath granted to our weakness that one may satisfie for another
The Church of England teacheth The Church tho a Witness and Keeper of the Holy Writ yet ought not to decree any thing against the same nor to enforce any thing besides the same to be believed for necessity of Salvation p. 37. The Church of Rome holdeth It belongs to the Church of Rome to judg of the Sence of the Scripture and it 's in her Power to forbid receiving the Sacrament in both kinds tho Christ so instituted and delivered it The Fallibility of the Church The Church of England teacheth As the Church of Jerusalem Alexandria and Antioch have erred So also the Church of Rome hath erred not only in their Living and manner of Ceremonies but also in matters of Faith So that their claim of Infallibility is but a vain brag and nothing else p. 31 35. The Church of Rome holdeth The Church of Rome cannot err being taught by the Holy Spirit suggesting all Truth from day to day General Councils The Church of England teacheth General Councils may not be gathered together without the Commandment and will of Princes And when gathered may err and sometimes have erred in things pertaining to God p. 39. The Church of Rome holdeth It belongs to the Pope to call and direct General Councils and being so gathered they have ever the assistance of Gods Spirit and so cannot err Christ the only Mediator The Church of England teacheth Christ is the only Mediator between God and Man being both God and Man in whom alone the Conditions requisite in an object of Worship are to be found whence it followeth that we must call neither upon Angel nor Saint but solely upon him as our Mediator And to make them Intercessors to God is after the Gentiles Idolatrous usage p. 19 41 46. The Church of Rome holdeth There are other Mediators of Intercession in Heaven besides Christ such as Angels and Saints and more especially the Virgin Mary who is the Mother of Mercy and Advocatress of the Faithful and it is good and profitable to invoke them and to have recourse to their prayers aid and help And those that deny they are to be invocated or affirm the Invocation of them is Idolatry are accursed Original Sin. The Church of England teacheth Original Sin is the Corruption of the nature of every man naturally ingendred of the off-spring of Adam And all offend in many things Christ only excepted p. 20 30. The Church of Rome holdeth The blessed Virgin is not comprehended in the decree of Original Sin and never sinned so much as Venially in all her Life Images The Church of England teacheth Image-worship was abhorred in the Primitive Church as abominable and contrary to all true Christian Religion And to fall down before Images c. is to give that honour to Stocks and Stones which the Saints themselves refused when alive p. 44. The Church of Rome holdeth The Images of Christ the Virgin Mary and other Saints are to have due honour given to them by kissing them uncovering the head falling down before them lighting up Candles to them c. by which Christ is adored and the Saints are venerated Relicks The Church of England teacheth To worship and honour the Relicks of Saints is to pass the folly and wickedness of the Gentiles The Romish Doctrine concerning Worshipping and Adoration of Images and Relicks is a fond thing grounded upon no warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to it p. 44. The Church of Rome holdeth The Relicks of the Saints are to be venerated And all that hold the contrary are accursed Purgatory The Church of England teacheth There are two places only in the other World the one proper to the elect and the blessed of God the other to the reprobate And the souls of men passing out of the body go to Heaven or Hell. And the Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory is a fond thing vainly invented and grounded upon no Warranty of Scripture but rather repugnant to it p. 41. The Church of Rome holdeth There is a Purgatory or place of Torment in which the Souls of good Persons not sufficiently purged have their Sins expiated and they thereby are prepared for the Kingdom of Heaven And the Souls there detained are helped by the Masses Prayers Alms and other good Works of the Living And if any one shall say there is not such a place or that there remains no guilt to be expiated by penitent Persons in Purgatory or that those that are there are not helped by Masses c. he is accursed Merits The Church of England teacheth The good works are pleasing unto God yet to put any confidence in them as by merit and deserving of them to purchase to our selves or others remission of Sin and everlasting Life is meer Blasphemy and great derogation to the blood-shedding of our Saviour Jesus Christ p. 24 25. The Church of Rome holdeth Justified Persons truly deserve eternal Life and the good Works of such are truly and properly Meritorious and are fully worthy of Eternal Life And whosoever thinketh otherwise is Accursed Supererogation The Church of England teacheth Works of Supererogation or such as are over and above God's Commandment cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety and it 's an ungodly practice to make sale of them and to perswade the people that thereby the Sins of other men might have satisfaction made for 〈◊〉 p. 27 28. The Church of Rome holdeth There are Works of Supererogation which are done more than Precept and a Person endued with Divine Grace may satisfie for another and pay in the name of another what is due to God and the value of such Works is to be so disposed of for that purpose by such as Christ hath made dispensers of his Treasures Indulgences The Church of England teacheth The Romish Doctrine concerning Pardons is a fond thing vainly invented and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture but is rather repugnant to it p. 41 42. The Church of Rome holdeth The Church hath a power from Christ to pardon Offenders and whatever Debts here or hereafter in Purgatory a man oweth to God for the satisfaction of his Sins may be remitted by the Indulgence of the Church and whosoever saith that the Church hath no such Power or that such Indulgences are unprofitable is Accursed Prayers in a known Tongue The Church of England teacheth It 's a thing plainly repugnant to the word of God and the Custom of the Primitive Church to have publick Prayers in the Church or to minister the Sacraments in a Tongue not understood of the People p. 49. The Church of Rome holdeth It 's fittest every where to have the Mass Celebrated in Latin or a Tongue not understood by the People and it 's for that reason so injoyned And whosoever saith it ought to be otherwise is Accursed Sacraments The Church of England teacheth There are only Two Sacraments Ordained of Christ viz. Baptism and the Supper of the Lord and the other Five commonly called Sacraments in the
Ancient and most other Churches in viz. Episcopacy and a Liturgy and it had been to the like purpose if he had also shewed their Agreement in the great Doctrines of Christian Religion And yet even here he fails again for he that concludes In a word the Agreement between the English Clergy and the Romanist about the immediate Divine Right of Episcopacy is so full c. doth before acknowledg that Ordination by Presbyters is granted in the Church of Rome to be valid and regular and that all those that hold the Supreme Jurisdiction of the Pope over the whole Catholick Church visible do hold the Divine Right of Bishops to be but mediate mediante Papa So that he is gone from an Agreement of Churches to an Agreement between Persons from a full Agreement in Opinion to an Agreement in Government and Worship from Worship to some parts of Worship from Demonstrations to Inferences and framed Propositions of his own from an Agreement at last to a Disagreement And now we may look back with some comfort to his bold offer and clear demonstration at the beginning when he saith The Author hath with some clearness demonstrated the Agreement of Opinion between the Church of England Men and the Church of Rome to be so exact and full that if the Government should so design it were but dictum factum according to their Doctrine and a Cassandrian Peace might be patch'd up presently with Rome He advances as if he were a kind of Plenipotentiary but it may be suspected he that has this way of Demonstration is not like to be very fortunate in the Negotiation Thus much shall suffice for our Author's way of Demonstration and his Attempt to shew the Agreement between the Church of England and Church of Rome leaving a fuller Answer to some of his particular Discourses to an abler Pen. But yet there remains another part toward a just state of the Controversy and that is as he well observed to let the World know how far these Churches differ as well as wherein they are agreed But that was a Province he had no mind to Prosecute as being tho more to the purpose yet not so much to his design For certainly he that will demonstrate the Agreement to be full and exact must either suppose there is no Difference or if there be that the Difference is not considerable enough to hinder the Agreement But if there be a Difference and the Difference in points Diametrically opposite and irreconcilable it is to no purpose to shew their Agreement were it so to be full and exact in others And that this is the case and the Disagreement far greater than the Agreement I shall endeavour to prove and that not from an Author or two or far-fetched Consequences and forced Interpretations and dubious Expressions but from sufficient Authorities and the avowed Principles of both Churches Such are the 39 Articles the Catechism the Homilies and Liturgy of the Church of England Such again are the Councils more especially the Council of Trent the Catechism ad Parochos the Rhemists Annotations the Missal and Breviaries according to which and the like a Papist Represented as the Mode of speaking has been of late doth believe In order to which I shall premise 1. That there are some Articles which both Churches do in express Terms agree in called by our Author the great Doctrines of Religion viz. Art. 1. of the Holy Trinity and so how Socinians can subscribe the Articles of the Church of England as this Author affirms I understand not Art. 2. of the Word or Son of God Art. 3. of the going down of Christ into Hell Art. 4. of the Resurrection of Christ Art. 5. of the Holy Ghost Art. 7. of the Old Testament Art. 8. of the Three Creeds Art. 12. of good Works Art. 16. of Sin after Baptism Art. 18. of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ Art. 23. of Ministring in the Congregation Art. 26. of the unworthiness of Ministers Art. 27. of Baptism Art. 33. of Excommunicate Persons Art. 38. of Christian mens goods Art. 39. of a Christian mans Oath Against these the Jesuit Johan Roberti hath little or nothing to object in his small Tract purposely written in Opposition to our Articles But of these Articles it is to be observed there are some which each party differs as much from the other in when they come to explain themselves as if there had been no agreement in Terms Thus it happens in Articles 3 d 7 th and 15 th as shall afterwards in part be shewed 2. There are other Articles wherein both Churches do agree in the Sence tho they differ in Terms or that are not so much Controversies between Church and Church as between private Doctors in each Church Of this Opinion is a Learned Forreigner of the Reformed Religion about the matter contained in Articles the 10 th and 17 th of Free will and of Predestination and Election Of the former he saith The difference that our Adversaries will object between them and us upon this point of Free-will is only imaginary and a meer cavil Of the latter he concludes Since we agree in the Fundamentals of this Doctrine as we have already set forth and that our Dissent is but with a few of their Doctors it would not be very hard I should think to find out such a bias of Temperament drawn from the Word of God in proposing of these Opinions and in Terms so proportioned to their Sublimity as all humble and moderate Spirits would find sufficient for their Satisfaction 3. There are other Points which are matter of Liberty and left undetermined in the Church of England And so She doth receive into her Communion as well those that deny as affirm But on the contrary the Church of Rome hath determined several Points of this Nature to be Matters of Faith and anathematized those that do not so receive them Thus they are accursed by the Council of Trent that say We are formally justified by the Righteousness of Christ the only formal cause of our Justification being the Justice of God as it s there declared cap. 8. or that we are justified by the alone Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Or that shall say Justifying Faith is nothing else than a trust or confidence in the Divine Mercy forgiving Sins for Christs sake c. In which and the like unless the Church of England will curse those whom She doth bless and cast out of her Communion such as She receives into it She can no more be reconciled to the Church of Rome than in those other Points that for the matter of them are held and declared by her self to be false and erroneous 4. There are Articles which the two Churches do in whole or in part so differ in that the Doctrine of the Church of England cannot be the Doctrine of the Church of Rome nor the Doctrine
say The Sacrifice of the Mass is not Propitiatory and that it profits him that takes it only and that it ought not to be offered for the living and dead for Sins Punishments Satisfactions and other Necessities let him be Accursed If any one shall say That by the Sacrifice of the Mass there is Blasphemy offered to the Sacrifice of Christ upon the Cross or that thereby any thing is derogated from him let him be accursed The Opposition The Church of England The Church of Rome 1. The offering of Christ as a Propitiation was but once 1. In the Mass there is a Propitiatory Sacrifice offered daily 2. To say that the Priest offers for the living and the dead in the Mass is blasphemous Fables and dangerous Deceits 2. Whoever denies that Christ is offered for the living and dead or shall say Christ and his Sacrifice is thereby blasphemed is Accursed The 32. Article of the Church of England Of the Marriage of Priests Bishops Priests and Deacons are not commanded by God's Law either to vow the estate of single Life or to abstain from Marriage therefore it is lawful also for them as for all other Christian Men to Marry at their own Discretion as they shall judy the same to serve better to Godliness 2 d. Part of the Homily of Good Works This Pharifascal and Papistical levell of Man's feigned Religion in Monastical Vows which although it were before God most abominable and contrary to God's Commandments and Christ's pure Religion yet it was praised to be a most Godly Life and the highest State of Perfection The Church of Rome 1. General Council of Lateran We do altogether forbid Presbyters Deacons and Monks to have Concubines or to contract Matrimony and according to the Definitions of Sacred Canons we do decree that Marriages so contracted be separated and that the Persons ought to be brought to Penance The 2. General Council of Lateran We do decree that they who being in the Order of Sub-deacon and above have Married Wives and had Concubines shall not have an Ecclesiastical Benefice for seeing they are the Temple of God c. it is a shameful thing that they should serve Beds and Vncleannesses The Council of Trent If any one shall say That Matrimony confirmed not consummated is not dissolved by the solemn profession of Religion of either Party let him be accursed If any one shall say That Clerks in Holy Orders or Regulars having solemnly professed Chastity may contract Matrimony and that so contracted it is valid notwithstanding an Ecclesiastical Law and Vow c. And that all may contract Matrimony who perceive they have not the gift of Chastity though they have vowed it let him be accursed The Opposition The Church of England The Church of Rome 1. The Marriage of Priests is lawful 1. Priests ought not to Marry and if they Marry are to be separated 2. The Marriage of Priests may serve to godliness 2. The Marriage of Priests is a defiling the Temple of God. 3. To Vow against Marriage especially upon the account of Perfection and Purity is a feigned Religion and contrary to God's Commandment 3. Vows against Marriage do oblige though the Persons have not the Gift of Continency The 34. Article of the Church of England Of the Traditions of the Church It is not necessary that Traditions and Ceremonies be in all places one of utterly like for at all times they have been diverse and may be changed according to the diversity of Countries Times and Mens Manners so that nothing be ordained against God's Word Every particular or national Church hath Authority to ordain change and abolish Ceremonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by Man's Authority so that all things be done to edifying 2 d Part of the Sermon of Good Works Let us rehearse other kind of Papistical Superstitions and Abuses as of Beads Lady-Psalters Rosaries Purgatory Masses Stations and Jubilees feigned Relicks and hallowed Beads Bread Water Candles c. See before Article 6 and 9. The Council of Trent The Holy Synod doth receive and regard with the like affection of Piety and Reverence the Old and New-Testament and also those unwritten Traditions dictated as it were by word of Mouth by Christ and preserved by continual Succession in the Church The matter and form of Extream Vnction Mass for the Dead The pronouncing the Mass sometimes with a loud at other times with a low Voice Mystical Benedictions Lights Incensings Garments and many other such like things are from Apostolical Discipline and Tradition If any one shall say that the Rite of the Roman Church of saying some part of the Canon of the Mass in a low Voice is to be condemned let him be accursed The Catechism of Trent The Shaving of the Head like a Crown is from Apostolical Tradition None of the Rites in the Mass are useless and vain The Opposition The Church of England The Church of Rome 1. It is not necessary that Ceremonies ordained by Man's Authority be in all places alike and such may be changed 1. Unwritten Traditions are equally to be regarded as Scripture such are Lights Incensings Shaving the Head c. and so to be every where and always retained 2. Lights and other Ceremonies of the Romish Church are superstitious and abuses 2. None of the Ceremonies used in the Mass as Lights and Incensings are useless and vain The 35. Article of the Church of England Of Homilies The homilies contain a Godly and wholesome Doctrine c. The Homilies charge the Church of Rome with Error Superstition Idolatry and Usurpation The 36. Article of the Church of England Of Consecration of Bishops and Ministers The Book of Consecration of Arch-Bishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons lately set forth in the Time of Edward the Sixth and confirmed at the same Time by Authority of Parliament doth contain all things necessary to such Consecration and Divering And therefore whosoever are consecrated or ordered according to the Rites of that Book or hereafter shall be consecrated or ordered according to the same Rites We decree all such to be rightly orderly and lawfully consecrated and ordered The Church of Rome Council of Trent A Sacrifice and Priesthood are so conjoyned by the Ordinance of God that both have existed in every Law. From the very beginning of the Church there were the Names of the following Orders the lesser viz. Acolythi Exorcists Readers and Door-keepers The greater and sacred viz. the Subdeacon Deacon and Priest. Rhemists Annotations Whosoever taketh upon him to Preach without lawful sending to Minister Sacraments and is not Canonically ordered of a true Catholick Bishop to be a Curate of Souls c. he is a Thief and a Murderer So came in all Hereticks and all that succeed them in Room and Doctrine It 's the common Opinion of the Members of the Romish Church of our Nation that our