The Protestant Religion Truly State and Justified, Part 18 – Part 21
The Twentieth accuſed Point.
That it is impoſſible to keep the Commandments of God, tho' aſſiſted with all his Grace and the Holy Ghoſt.
Anſ. Still meer Confuſion. Proteſtants diſtinguiſh, 1. Impoſſibility as natural or Moral; 2. Of Grace as perfect or Imperfect, and as determitately Operative, or only Aſſiſting and not Determining.
And they hold, 1. That no Duty is Impoſſible, (or the performing of no Commandment,) by meer Phyſical Impoſſibility: The reaſon is, becauſe God commandeth no Phyſical Impoſſibles: Such as before named, to ſpeak without a Tongue, to ſee without Light or Object, to know things not knowable or revealed, to read without any Teaching or Learning, &c.
If a man indeed diſable himſelf, as put out his Eyes that he may not read, or cut out his Tongue that he may not Preach; the diſabling act is vitiouſly aggravated, from all the good to which he diſabled himſelf, as if it ſtill had been his Duty: But we cannot ſay that God ſtill commandeth him when Blind to Read, or when Dumb to Speak, &c. Indeed God changeth not his Law; but recipitur ad modum recipientis: The man hath changed his Capacity, and is now no Subject capable of ſuch an Obligation or Command; tho' he be capable of puniſhment for diſabling himſelf, and Non-performance: Sin is no further Sin than it is Voluntary, by the wills Omiſſion or Act, immediately or mediately.
2. But that it is Morally by our pravity now Impoſſible, for any man to keep all Gods Commandments and never Sin; what needs there more than ſad experience of the matter of Fact.
1. Did he ever know the man himſelf, that from his firſt uſe of reaſon to his Death, did ſpend every minute of his time as God commanded him, and did Believe, and Love God and Man, and all good, with as great Love as God commanded him? And was as free from every Fault, Thought, Paſſion, Deſire, Fear, Care, Trouble, Pleaſure, Word and Deed as God commanded? He would be no ſmall Sinner that were ſo ſelf ignorant, proud, unhumbled, as to ſay that he is no Sinner.
2. Why elſe do theſe Prieſts force all men to confeſs their Sins to them, if men be ſuch as never ſinned?
3. Why do they compoſe all their Liturgies and Offices for their Churches, with Confeſſions of Sin; and Prayers for Forgiveneſs?
4. Why do they Baptize all, if they have no Sin? And in what Sence do they give them the Euchariſt?
5. How little uſe do they feign ſuch men to have of a pardoning Saviour?
6. In what Sence ſhall ſuch ſay the Lords Prayer, Forgive us our Sins or Treſpaſſes?
7. Doth not the Text expreſly call him a Lyar that ſaith he hath no Sin; as aforeſaid: And Chriſt condemn the Phariſee that juſtified himſelf, and juſtified the confeſſing Publican?
But it's like he will ſay that he did not mean, that any man doth keep all the Commands, but that he can do it, tho' he do not. Anſ. I again ſay, 1. He can as to natural ſtrength, if he were but perfectly and conſtantly willing: But it cannot be that he ſhould be ſo willing without Grace, and Grace is not perfect in this Life. 2. The more he boaſteth of his Power to keep all Gods Laws, the more he condemneth himſelf that can and will not. 3. And fruſtra fit potentia quae nunquam & a nemine reducitur in actum: If he confeſs that no man doth it, he muſt confeſs ſuch a Moral impoſſibility as the Prophet meant, that ſaid, Can the Leopard change his Spots, or the Blackmore his Skin? Then may they that are accuſtomed to do Evil, learn to do well.
But perhaps he meant not that it is poſſible to keep all the Commands, for all our Lives, but for ſome ſhort time? I anſwer, 1. While a man hath the uſe of his Reaſon, he doth not reach the commanded degree of Faith, Love, Joy, Heavenlyneſs, one moment of time: But indeed, when a man is aſleep, in a Swoun, an Apoplexy, ſtark mad, &c. he may for that time break no Command, nor keep any.
But perhaps he ſpeaketh but of ſincere Obedience, and not of abſolute ſinleſs perfection. Anſ. If ſo, he is a deceiver to feign that we deny it: But their Doctrine of Perfection and Supererogation is contrary.
Obj. But he ſpeaketh not what man can do without Grace, but by it's aſſiſtance. Anſ. Grace maketh no man abſolutely ſinleſs, and perfect in this Life.
Let him know, that Proteſtants do not only ſay that man by Gods Grace may keep Gods Commandments ſincerely, (tho' not ſinleſly and perfectly,) but that no man of Age and Reaſon ſhall be ſaved that doth not ſo.
2. And that tho' all our Obedience be imperfect, the Imperfections are pardoned, and our Obedience accepted and rewarded, for the Merits of the perfect Obedience, Sacrifice, and Interceſſion of our Saviour.
The One and Twentieth accuſed Point.
That Faith only Justifieth, and that good Works are not abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation.
Anſ. Many wordy Controverſies are made about things, that in Sence men are commonly agreed in. 1. We all believe Gods Word, that they were deceived that thought they could be juſtified either by the Law of Innocency or Nature, or the Law of Moſes, or any meritorious Works of their own, without, or as a ſupplement to the Sacrifice, Merits and free Grace of Chriſt our Saviour, and Faith in him.
2. By Faith is meant Chriſtianity: In the Goſpel it is all one to be a Believer, a Diſciple of Christ, and to be a Christian. The Chriſtian Faith is that which is expreſt in the Baptiſmal Covenant, believing in and giving up our ſelves to, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt: To Chriſt as our Prophet, Prieſt and King, to be ſaved by his Merits and free Grace: And this is put in oppoſition to the Works of Adam's or Moſes Law, or any other that are conceited to ſuffice and merit, without the foreſaid Redemption by Chriſt. And is not this the true Doctrine of all true Chriſtians?
2. Theſe good Works that are our Obedience to the Law of Chriſt, are but the performance of our Baptiſmal Covenant, and the Fruits of Faith, without which it is dead Hypocriſie, and are of abſolute neceſſity to Salvation, to all that have time to do them.
Againſt the charge, That we are Sinners deſerving Hell, we are juſtified by Chriſt believed in: Againſt the accuſation, That we are Infidels, Ungodly, Hypocrites, we muſt be juſtified by our Faith, Godlineſs, and Works, or periſh.
But we do alſo hold, 1. That if a man be convicted, as the Theif on the Croſs, and ſhould die ſuddenly, no outward good which he cannot do, is abſolutely neceſſary to his Salvation, but only his inward Faith, Love, and Repentance, and Confeſſion if able.
2. We do firmly hold, that Works done with a conceit of obliging God by Merit, in commutative Juſtice, or as conceited ſufficient without a Saviour, and the pardon of their failings, are ſuch as more further Damnation than Salvation, at leaſt in thoſe that hear the Goſpel.
3. And we are no Papiſts, and therefore believe not that ignorant words of Prayer in a Tongue not underſtood, and wearing Reliques, and going on Pilgrimages, and needleſs confeſſing to Prieſts, and ſubjection to an univerſal Vice-Chriſt, and living upon the Blood of Saints, Murdering the Living, and praying to the Dead, and the Sons honouring their Days, Relicks and Monuments, whom their Fathers Burnt or Perſecuted; theſe are not Good Works neceſſary to Salvation, as is plain, Math. 23. and Revel. 14.17, 18, &c. We do, with Paul, renounce all Works of our own, that are thought to make the Reward to be of Debt and not of Grace, and that are ſet in the leaſt oppoſition or competition with Chriſts Merits, or any place ſave commanded Subordination to him.
The Two and Twentieth accuſed Point.
That no Good Works are Meritorious.
Anſ. The word Merit is ambiguous, and ſo abuſed by Papiſts, that indeed the Proteſtants are ſhyer of it than the Fathers were, leſt the uſe of it ſhould cheriſh the abuſe.
1. There is Merit of man, and of God. 2. And this in Commutative Juſtice (conceited,) or only in Governing diſtributive Juſtice. 3. And this is either according to the Law of Innocency or Moſes, or according to the Law of Chriſt.
Now Proteſtants hold, 1. As to the Name, that foreign and foreign, worthy and worthineſs, are Scripture words, and may be uſed; and Merit is but of the ſame ſignification, and we condemn not the Ancients that ſo uſed it: But the worſt Sence muſt not be cheriſhed.
2. Do they hold, 1. That no Creature can merit of God in Commutative Juſtice, that giveth quid pro quo to his Benefit: God receiveth not from Man or Angels; unleſs he will call Acceptance and Complacence Receiving.
3. None but Chriſt merited of ſtrict Governing Juſtice, according to the Law of Senceleſs Innocence, nor by any Works that will ſave man from the charge of Sin and deſert of Death.
3. All at Age that will be ſaved, muſt have good Works according to their Capacity, for Chriſt is the Author of Salvation, to all thoſe that obey him. Heb. 5.9▪ Tho' they obey not an unknown Prieſt at Rome.
But all theſe Works are our Obedience to Chriſts own healing Government, ſuch as the Laws of a Phyſician to the Sick. And we all agree, that he will Judge (that is, Juſtifie or Condemn in Judgment) all men according to their Works, that is, according to the Law and it's promulgation, by which in their ſeveral Ages and Nations he governed them.
4. Your own Doctors that know what they ſay, tell us, that by Merit, they mean nothing but the Rewardable quality of their acts, related to Gods promiſe through Chriſts Merits. And doth any Proteſtant Church deny this?
The Three and Twentieth accuſed Point.
That Faith once had, cannot poſſibly be loſt.
Anſ. Still confuſed ſlander and deceit.
Proteſtants hold, 1. That the Faith not rooted, prevalent and ſaving, is frequently loſt, ſuch as you call ſides informis.
2. That even ſincere Faith may be loſt, as to the Act for ſome little time, that is, ſuſpended in a deliquium, as Peters and theirs, Luk. 24. that ſaid, We truſted this had been he, &c.
3. That many loſe to the Death ſome degree of their habitual Faith.
4. But they differ in the reſt, juſt as you do among your ſelves, Dominicans and Jeſuits. 1. Some think that no one (at Age at leaſt) in a State of ſuch Faith as at preſent would have ſaved him, doth ever totally loſe it. 2. Some think that many have but ſuch loſeable Grace as Adam had. 1. As being not Elect to Salvation, and therefore not in Gods decree of Preſervation and Perſeverance, 2. As having a Faith not Rooted and Confirmed: And that theſe may fall from a juſtified State: But that, 1. The Elect. 2. Nor the Confirmed, never fall away. This was Auſtins Judgment, and his followers, of which ſee Voſſii Theſes. And is that Jeſuit honeſt that feigneth this proper to the Proteſtants, where the Controverſie is the ſame among themſelves?