Answer to a Popish Pamphlet, Article 2
Article. 2,
Papiſt.
The Proteſtants are bound in conſcience, to auoyd all good workes.
Proteſtant.
If this Papiſt would hauehave avoyded all ſlaundering, the world ſhould not hauehave bin troubled with ſuch abſurd collections.
Papiſt.
EueryEvery man is bound, vponupon paine of eternall damnation, to auoide all deadly ſinnes. But faſting, prayer, almeſdeeds, and all good workes, accordingLuther in after, ar. 31 32. & 39. Calu. lib. 3. inſt. c. 11. …. 4. &c. 14 §. 19. Mclarch. locc. tit. de. peccat. Confeſſ. Auguſti articl…. 6. Rom. 6. 23. Iſa. 64. 6. to the Proteſtants religion, are deadly ſinnes.
Ergo, According to the Proteſtants religion; all men are bound, vponupon paine of eternall damnation, to auoide faſting, prayer, Almeſdeedes, & all good workes.
B. The Maior is manifeſt▪ for the wages of deadly ſinne is death Stipendium peccati mors.
D. The Minor is as euident. for, according to the Proteſtants religion, and common expoſition of this text of ſcripture, Facti ſumns, vt immundi omnes nos, & tanquam pannus menſtruat… omnes iuſtitiae nostr…. Wee are made all vncleane, and al our Iuſtices are like a ſtayned cloth▪
That is, as they ſay, the beſt workes, wee can do, are infected with deadly ſynne; and conſequently deſerue eternall damnation, and therefore to be auoided:
I am not ignorant, that ſome wranglers, with ſome ſhifting euaſions go about to anſwer this article; forſooth, that the ſtaines, and imperfections, the ſinnes, and ſpots, ought to be auoyded; but yet the good workes to be proſecuted: A ſilly ſhift, but put caſe it be impoſſible to wring out the ſtaines, then is not this monſtruous cloth to be abhord? put caſe I could not giuegive almes, but I muſt ſteale am I not bound in conſcience to auoide the giuing of almes? Admit I could not ſee mine enemy, but, by experiēce long proued, I ſhould fall a quarrelling with him; am I bound in conſcience to auoide his company? ſay that I could not eat fleſh, but I ſhould ſcandalize the beholders, ought I not to ſay, non manducabo carnes in aternum? I will not eat fleſh, for euer? Graunt that I could not releeue the poore, but I ſhould ſtaine this action with vaine glory;
Should I not heare of him, that can not lye, he hath receaued his reward, and conſequently that there remayneth no recompenſation therefore in heauen? So I ſay, in like maner, if the corruptiō of nature, if the poyſon of concupiſcēce ſo ſtaine my beſt actions, that whatſoeuer I do, or thinke, I cannot poſſiblie effect them, without theſe infections, and corruptions; then certainely I am bound in conſcience to auoide theſe crimes, & offences, the which cannot poſſibly be performed, without theſe vitious circumſtances; for, bonum conſtat ex integra cauſa; malum naſcitur ex quolibet defectu; a good thing conſiſteth of all integrity; but an euill thing is cauſed by eueryevery defect: that a man be in health eueryevery humour muſt keepe his temper; that he be ſick it ſufficeth one onelyonly exceed, & keepe not his iuſt proportion; ſo that a work be good, it muſt be effected with all due circumſtances, that it be ill, one only will defile; as we commonly ſay, one ill hearbe will ſpoile a whole potfull of pottage.
Protestant.
By an orderly courſe of diſputation, the firſt ſyllogiſme ſhould hauehave bin to this effect.
If al good works, according to the Proteſtants religiō, be deadly ſins, the Proteſtāts are bound in conſcience to auoid al good works.
But al good works are deadly ſyns, according to the Proteſ…ants Religion.
Therfore the proteſtants are bound in conſcience to auoide all good workes.
This, or ſome ſuch ſyllogiſme, would hauehave ſaued me ſome labour, for I ſhould not hauehave needed to hauehave medled with any thing, but the matter of it: and you ſome blame; for the forme of it would hauehave bene agreeable to logick. Wheras now I muſt needs take paines to finde fault with the lamenes of your reaſon.
EueryEvery man is bound, vponupon paine of eternall damnation, to auoide all deadly ſynnes.
This ſyllogiſme is faulty, becauſe the concluſiō agrees not with the queſtiō. Your concluſiō is general of al men; wheras your queſtiō is particular of proteſtant…. Beſides, that runs vponupon a penalty of eternall damnation, this ſpeakes of being bound in conſcience. If you anſwer, that is is all one, to bee bound in conſcience and to be bound vponupon pain of eternall damnation, either all ſinns deſerue eternall damnation, and then what will become of your purgatory diſtinction betwixt mortall, and veniall ſinnes; or elſe no man is bound in Conſcience to auoyde any, but deadly ſinnes; and then what a window do you ſet open to an innumerable company of ſinnes … How empty will you make purgatory? How ſhort and bare will your auricular Confeſſions be? It were as good therefore for you to do that, you make a ſhow of, euen directly to conclude your queſtion. But let vsus examine the matter of your ſyllogiſme.
The Propoſition, I graunt, is true, that EueryEvery man is bound in conſcience, or vponupon paine of eternall damnation, B.to avoide all ſinne. But what needs this popiſh diſtinction of Deadly ſinnes? Which is ſo alledged by you, as if it had ſome allowance from our Diuines, whereas we wholy reiect this fancy; becauſe there is no ſinne, that deſerues not eternall damnation. For proofe whereof wee need no other place of Scripture, then that which this Papiſt himſelfe bringes. The wages of ſinne is death. Neither may it be preiudiciallRom. 6. 25 to vsus; that he hath foiſted in Deadly; ſince neither the Greeke hath any ſuch word, nor the latine, which hee, according to his fond cuſtome, to no purpoſe, and here alſo vnwiſely againſt himſelfe, ſets downe. We grant there are differences, and degrees of ſinnes; but the leaſt, that can be, is a tranſgreſſion, and breach of the law, and therefore puniſhable by damnation: but, if his meaning were, by deadly ſins to ſignifie notorious groſſe tranſgreſſions, he doth vsus wrong another way, as in the aſſumption it ſhal preſently appeare, which is this;
But faſting, prayer, al…ſdeedes, and all good workes according C.to the Proteſtants religion, are deadly ſinnes.
But lying, and ſlaundering are not, according to the popiſh religion, as it ſhould ſeeme by your practiſe. For ſurely, if you thought they were, you would neuer be ſo deſperate to practiſe them againſt ſo manifeſt a truth, in matters of ſo great impo…tance. It is not poſſible you ſhould thinke, that Proteſtants account good works to bee ſinnes, which they acknowledge both to be commaunded, and alſo accepted of God. Yea, more then that, to be wrought in the faithfull by the ſpirit of God, and to hauehave a reward prepared for them in heauen.
But that, which the Proteſtants teach, concerning ſinne in good works is, that our Corruption diſtaines the beſt works of Gods ſpirit in vsus; ſo that, not only they cannot be meritorious to the obteining of euerlaſting life, but alſo deſerue eternall damnation, in the iuſt, diſtrict, and perfect iudgement of God: in whoſe ſight, nothing, that is any way vncleane, can appeare to receaue allowance, but onelyonly by his mercifull goodnes, that pardons the ſinne for Chriſtes ſake, and affords the worke acceptance. Yet doth not this admixtion of our ſinnefulneſſe, change the nature of the worke, as if it made that dutie a ſinne, which is of it ſelfe obedience: but takes from the particular act, all power to iuſtifie, and deſerue at Gods hands, which otherwiſe it hath, vponupon Couenant betwene God, and vsus. For example, Praying, geuing of Almes, and ſuch like, are not made ſinnes by any Corruption of ours: but the actions of theſe vertues being performed by vsus vnperfectly, and ſinfully, as they alwayes are, if they bee examined in the ſeueritie of Gods iuſtice, wilbe condemned as ſinnefull, not rewarded as righteous; becauſe we hauehave deſiled them. And this himſelfe acknowledgeth afterwards, for our opinion, where he ſayes, that wee affirme, the beſt works, wee can do, are, infected with deadly ſinne. But it is not all one, to ſay that Faſting, praier, almes deeds &c. and all good works done by vsus, are infected with deadly Sin, and to auouch that faſting, prayer, almeſdeeds, and all good works are deadly ſinnes. He, that ſayes the body is infected with ſome diſeaſe; doth not ſay the body is that diſeaſe. But concerning deadly ſinne, if thereby hee vnderſtād notorious, and willfull breaking of the law of God, by ſome greiuous tranſgreſſion, we deny, that all good works are ſo much as infected with dead y ſinne. For we knowe, and profeſſe, that, in the whole courſe of our obedience to God, wee are ordinarily free from ſuch ſinnes, and that the Corruption, which defiles our works, proceeds rather from weakenes, then willfullnes. As for thoſe actions of ours, which hauehave ſuch groſſe ſinnes adioyned to them, wee deny that they can, any way truely challenge ſo much as the bare name of good workes, in the ſight of God. Such are thoſe vaineglorious, and hypocriticall deeds of the Phariſies: Which our Sauiour condemnes; and ſuch, to come neerer home, are popiſh good works. Becauſe they are grounded vponupon an euill intent; namely a purpoſe, and Conceit of iuſtifying the doers thereof, & deſeruing Ex rigore iuſtitia, in the rigor of iuſtice, euerlaſting glory of almighty God.
This I auouch generally of all their good workes whatſoeuer: and particularly of all the. 3. here named, I ſay further, that, in ſome part, for the very ſubſtance of them, they are no better, nor other then ſinnes. Faſting is not of it ſelfe any good worke; as if it made a man more acceptable to God, then moderate eating doth; but in. 2. reſpects it is vponupon iuſt occaſion to bee vſed, either for teſtifying of our humiliation, by acknowledging our ſelues vnworthy ſo much, as to taſte of any of Gods creaturs: or els for the better preparing of our ſelues to call vponupon God by prayer. But Popiſh faſting accounts the very abſteining from meat, a parte of holines, and not ſimply from meat, but from ſome kinds of meat. So that a man may fully, and truely keepe a popiſh faſt, though he neither be humbled in the ſenſe of his ſinne, nor conſideration of Gods wrath d…e thereunto, nor performe any extraordinary dutie of praier, nor hauehave any occaſion of faſting, but perhaps of the Contrary. Yea though he gorge, and glut himſelfe with all kinds of dainties, and fill his ſtomacke, and head too with moſt delicate wines. Alwaies pro…ided, that hee touch not any fleſh, or whit meat. And hence it is, that a Popiſh faſt, by way of a prouerb, ſignifies as much, as a coſtly, & delicious bāquet. No, this kind of faſt is ſo far from beeing a good worke, that it is meerely a carnall, and ſuperſt tious worke of the fleſh, ha…ing not ſo much as the outward forme of a faſt, which conſiſts in refraining all kind of ſuſtenance, not this, or that only.
Prayer indeed is of another nature, as being a duty by which in it ſelfe, God is properly honored, whether it be by petition, or thankſgiuing. But Popiſh prayer ſtandeth in vaine repetition of Pater-noſters, Aue-maryes, Creeds, (whereof the two laſt alſo are nothing leſſe then prayers) and that many times for a penance. And out of doubt they are not much deceaued therein; for it is a grieuous puniſhment of blindneſſe, and ſenſeleſneſſe, to imagine, that ſuch toyleſome lip-labour can pleaſe God. Yet all this might hauehave the better ſhew of prayer, if that, which is babled ouer, were vnderſtood: but, for the moſt part, the common people pray, as Parrats ſpeake, altogether by rote, without knowledge what they ſay. Shall I adde herevnto, that the prayers, which ordinarily are made by poore ignorant ſoules, are not made to God but to creatures? inſomuch that it hath bene held here in England, and ſo no doubt is yet in Popiſh countries, for a certaine marke of an heretick, for a man to offer vp his owne prayers to God, in Ieſus Chriſt, without the mediation of ſome Saint or other. All which conſidered we truly auouch, that this Popiſh praying is ſinne.
And the like we affirme of ſome almeſgiuing; howſoeuer we gladly acknowledge, that the duty of it ſelfe, is one of thoſe ſacrifices, with which God is highly pleaſed. ButHeb. 13. 16. to giuegive almes, firſt, to be prayed for after death: ſecondly, to the ſinging of Maſſes, and Di…ges; thirdly, to the mainteinance of idle bellies: fourthly, to the impoueriſhing, and many times vndoing, of the poore wife and children, is no better then infidelitie; if the Apoſtle truely ſay, that he, 1. Tim. 5. 8.which hath not care of his owne, eſpecially of his domeſticals, is worſe then an Infidell.
Therefore, if we ſpeake of theſe workes, as they are done, and allowed by the Papiſts, we ſay that they are deadly ſinnes, not only faulty, by reaſon of infirmitie; which, for the moſt part, is the eſtate of thoſe good workes, that the faithfull in weakneſſe performe. Yet are they not, by reaſon thereof, deadly ſinnes, nor infected with deadly ſinne: but only, as all ſinnes, how light account ſoeuer the Papiſts make of them, deſerue eternall death. Neither doth it follow vponupon the graunt of this infection, and deſert, that therefore they are to be avoyded, no more, then, that a ſicke man is bound to ſtarue himſelfe by faſting, as Pomponius Atticus abſurdly did, becauſe his feeding continued his diſeaſe, and that, as Hippocrates ſays, the more you nouriſh ſome ſycke bodyes, the more you corrupt them. The ſinne indeed, which cleauing to the worke defiles it, is by all meanes poſſible to be auoyded; but not the worke it ſelfe to be forborne. For we hauehave an abſolute charge from God, to exerciſe our ſelues in all good workes, and a merciful promiſe of forgiueneſſe of thoſe infirmities, which our corruptiō faſtēs to our beſt indeauors. In matters indifferent, that are put to our choiſe, to be done or left vndone, it is a good rule to refraine, becauſe our weakneſſe will bring forth ſome ſinne, in the doing of them. As for example, it is lawfull for me to play at cheſſe or tenniſle, but if I find by experience, that I cannot vſe theſe exerciſes, without ſome ſpecial ſinne, as ſwearing, curſing, & fretting, loſſe of too much time. &c. I am bound in conſcience to refraine them altogether. The caſe ſtands otherwiſe in matters of neceſſary duty, as thus: I am commaunded to make my ſupplications to God by prayer: daily experiēce teaches me, that I cannot pray with ſuch a meaſure of faith, as I ought; that wandring thoughts, & ſomtimes enuious, couetous, or ambicious deuices cre…p into my heart, & quench my zeale in praying▪ am I therfore wholy to giuegive ouer praying? Nay rather I muſt pray more oftē, that it would pleaſe God to increaſe his grace in me to the ſubduing of this corruptiō: The like I might truly ſay of other good workes, but this is warrāt ynough for me to cōclud, that the protestants are not bound in conſcience to auoide al good works, though to the doing therof they bring an infectiō of deadly ſin, as all ſinne is deadly.
The anſwer to his ſyllogimſe (if it be a ſyllogiſme) is made.D as I hauehave ſhewed by denying the aſſumption, or Minor, viz. that faſting, prayer, almes-deeds, & all good workes are deadly ſinnes. In ſteed of prouing this, in his new edition he falles to diſcourſe of a diſtinction, and ſo leaues his argument ſtill without proofe, as before it was. The diſtinction is, that good workes, being enioyed by God, are not to be forborne, though ſome imperfection diſtaine thē, in the working: but the imperfection onelyonly. He would ſeeme to take away this diſtinction, by giuing particular inſtance againſt the truth thereof. The generall ſyllogiſme may be thus framed.
If a man be bound in conſcience to forbeare the doing of ſome good workes, becauſe he cannot doe them without ſome greiuous ſynne, then he is bound to auoyd al good workes, becauſe ſome imperfections alwaies accompany them.
But a man is bound in conſcience to auoide ſome good workes, becauſe he cannot do them, without ſome grieuous ſinne.
Therefore he is bound in conſcience to avoide al good workes, becauſe ſome imperfections alwayes accompany them.
I deny the conſequence of your propoſition. Firſt becauſe all good workes, are not of the ſame kinde, ſome being abſolutely commaunded, ſome onelyonly vponupon condition; ſuch as Giuing of Almes is, whereof in anſwere to the aſſumption. Secondly becauſe the imperfections are, for the moſt part, without our conſent, and againſt our liking: whereas moſt grieuous ſinnes are outward actions of diſobedience; as ſtealing to giuegive almes, which is your owne, though a moſt vnfit example.
I graunt your aſſumption, vponupon this ſuppoſition (which notwithſtanding I take to be very falſe) that there are ſome things, a man cannot doe without grieuous ſinne; and I come to the examining of your particulars which are brought to proue this aſſumption.
Giuing of almes is one of thoſe good workes, which are cōmanded conditionally, if a man be able, He that hath this 1. Ioa. 3. 17worlds good &c. Beſide wee ſpeake not of ſinning before the good deede, but in the act it ſelfe; and ſo this example is not to the purpoſe.
You are bound in conſcience to refraine your enemies company vponupon that ſuppoſall, vnleſſe there be neceſſitie of comming into it, for the performance of ſome dutie of your general, or particular calling.
It would alſo be remembred that comming into your enemies company is no good worke commaun…ed by God, and therefore not pertinent to our queſtion.
Eating of fleſh is a thing indifferent; and therefore, vponupon duty to God, and our bretheren, to be forborne, when they ſhall be ſcandalized by it. What is this to good works?
Neither am I to refraine Releeuing of the poore, becauſe I can not doe it without vaine glory, and ſo ſhall hauehave no reward in heauen; neither is the reward had here, or loſt in heauen for vaineglory: but onelyonly when a man makes that his end; not when it windes in it ſelfe, by our corruption, againſt our liking.
If I can not effect my best actions (ſay you) without the infections of my naturall corruption, I am boundia conſcience to auoide thoſe crimes, and offences, which can not poſsibly be performed without theſe vitious circumſtances.
But I can not effect my beſt actions without ſuch infections.
Therefore I an bound in Conſcience to auoide thoſe crimes, and offences, which can not poſſibly be perfourmed without theſe vitious circumſtances.
I will neuer ſtriue with you about this ſyllogiſme; which belonges nothing at all to the matter in queſtion, onelyonly geue me leaue to wonder at this ſtrange courſe of diſputing. Your reaſon, added to proue I know not what, but I am ſure prouing neither part of your ſyllogiſme, ſeemes to conclude that, which we deny not, namely, that EueryEvery leaſt corruption is ſufficient to make the worke not to be perfectly good; This I granted before, and withall ſhewed, that it did not follow herevpon, that Therefore theſe good workes were to be auoided; ſince it pleaſeth God both to pardon the imperfection, and reward the worke though imperfect.