The Novelty of Popery Opposed to the Antiquity of True Christianity, Book 7 · Controversy 8 · Chapter 3
CHAP. 3. That the Holy Scripture makes Chriſt and the merit of his death, to be the ground of remiſsion of ſins, as his death being the only ranſom and propitiation for our ſins. And that the Roman Church feigning to acknowledge the ſufficiency and perfection of that ſatisfaction, debaſeth and weakeneth it with all her power.
HOly Scripture attributeth the remiſſion of our ſins to Jeſus Chriſt. 1 John 2.1, 2. We have an Advocate with the Father, Jeſus Chriſt the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our ſins, and not for ours only, but alſo for the ſins of the whole world. 1 John 1.1. The blood of Jeſus Chriſt cleanſeth us from all ſin. Acts 10.43. To him give all the Prophets witneſs, that through his name whoſoever believeth in him ſhall receive remiſsion of ſins. Col. 1.19, 20. It pleaſed the Father — having made peace through the blood of his Croſs, by him to reconcile all things unto himſelf. Iſa. 53.5, 6. He was wounded for our tranſgreſsions — and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. John 1.29. He is the Lamb of God which taketh away the ſins of the world. 1 Tim. 2.5. There is one God, and one Mediatour between God and men, the man Chriſt Jeſus, who gave himſelf a ranſom for all. Col. 2.13. God hath quickened us, together with Chriſt, having (a)foreign. See Acts 5.31. Luk. 24.47. Heb. 1.3.forgiven us all our offences. In a word, it is the ſubſtance of the Goſpel; it is that we profeſs to believe in the Symbol. It is that we ask in our prayers, the remiſſion of our ſins by Jeſus Chriſt.
Now as in our prayers we intend to ask of God an entire remiſſion of our ſins, ſo we muſt believe that the ranſom which he paid for us, is not an imperfect ranſom. As in the Symbol, when we ſay, I believe the reſurrection of the fleſh, and everlaſting life, we mean not that we believe half a reſurrection, or an imperfect eternal life, but we profeſs that we believe a full and whole remiſſion of our ſins by Jeſus Chriſt. As the Lord ſaid unto his ſervant, Matth. 18.32. I forgave thee all that debt. And the texts alleadged before ſay, that all our ſins are forgiven, and that freely. And the Apoſtle to the Hebrews 7.25. He is able to ſave to the uttermoſt, them that come unto God by him. It would be an impious opinion, tending to the aboliſhing of the Goſpel, to think that when the Apoſtle ſaid, that Chriſt gave himſelf a ranſom for us, he ſpake of an imperfect ranſom, after which we are ſtill obliged to pay our ranſom or redemption, and to ſatisfie Gods juſtice by ſatisfactory pains, ſuch as thoſe of Purgatory. Of which it cannot be ſaid that they are inflicted for example, for no body ſeeth them: Or that they are for correction or amendment, for they hold that the ſouls in Purgatory are altogether juſt, and are no more ſubject to ſin.
The ſame is made evident by the death of thoſe whom Scripture affirmeth to be entred into reſt, and into the glory of the Saints, as the thief carried into Paradiſe the very day of his death, and that Lazarus mentioned, Luke 16.22, 23, 25. whoſe ſoul departed from his body, is carried by Angels into Abrahams boſom, where he is comforted. And Simeon received into peace, as God had promiſed him, Luke 2.19. And the merciful and righteous, of whom we read, Iſa. 57.1, 2. that they are taken away from the evil to come, and enter into peace: And thoſe of whom it is proclaimed in heaven, that being dead in the Lord they reſt from their labours, and they are bleſſed. For upon ſuch it is evident, that after their mortal race done, God laid no ſatisfactory pain. Upon this Cardinal Bellarmine is ſore gravelled, and not knowing in what rank to put the ſouls lying in Purgatory, he ſaith that(b)Bellar. lib. 1. de Purgat. c. 12. §. Reſpondeo. Qui decedunt cum peccatis venialibus aut cum debito poenae alicujus temporalis, ii ſimpliciter non moriuntur in Domino, ſed partim in Domino, &c. partim non in Domine. they partly die in the Lord, partly not in the Lord. This doctrine is ſo evidently ſet down in Scripture, that the Doctors of the Roman Church ſeem to embrace it, whenſoever they go about to amplifie the price, and efficacy of Chriſts ſufferings with exceſſive terms and Hyperbolical words, ſo duplicate page duplicate page far as to ſay that one drop of Chriſts blood was ſufficient to redeem a thouſand worlds, ſo that by their reckoning his death was not neceſſary to ſave us. Which is accuſing God upon the by, and taxing him of cruelty, for laying ſuch horrible torments upon his beloved Son without neceſſity, when one drop of his blood could have ſerved to his end. But theſe high expreſſions are uſed purpoſely to amuſe the ſimple, and to inſinuate with more plauſibility, thoſe Articles whereby they pare the merit of Chriſts death, and derogate from the perfection of the ſame. For Cardinal Bellarmine in the fourteenth Chapter of the firſt Book of Purgatory,§. Tertius. makes no difficulty to ſay that he(c)Tertius modus videtur probabilior, quòd una tantùm ſit actualis ſatisfactio, & ea ſit noſtra. thinks it more probable that there is but one actual ſatisfaction which is our own. He holds not Chriſts ſatisfaction to be an actual ſatisfaction. Only he will have it to ſerve to make our ſatisfactions of a ſufficient value for our redemption. Wherefore alſo he teacheth(d)Bellar. lib. de Indulgentiis, cap. 4. §. ſexta. that the Saints who ſuffered more then needed to ſatisfie for their own ſins, are in ſome ſort our Redeemers, becauſe their ſufferings become payments for our redemption. Whence it follows that every one of us, when he ſatisfies for himſelf, is the Redeemer of himſelf.
This is alſo the Doctrine of the Jeſuite Vaſquez, (e)Cap. 9. pag. 597.in the 132. diſpute upon the firſt part of the ſecond of Thomas, in the 82. queſtion, where he ſtiffly maintains that the next cauſe that gets us a right to the Kingdom of heaven, is not the righteouſneſs of Chriſt, but the righteouſneſs which by the merit of Chriſt is derived into us. So he calls the inherent juſtice, and the habitual vertues which are within us, the chief whereof is Charity.
To the ſame purpoſe our Adverſaries bring texts of Scripture depraved after their manner, which command us to redeem our ſouls our own ſelves. They ſay that we ſatisfie ex condigno, and by equipollency, ſo that God is wholly paid: That to ſatisfie God for temporal pain, ſuch as that of Purgatory, the merit of Chriſt is not neceſſary: And that we may very well forbear asking of God ſuch a great liberality, contenting our ſelves with our own ſatisfaction: As we ſhall hereafter more exactly ſhew.
The ſame appears in that belief of the Roman Church, that the torments and labours which the Saints have ſuffered, ſerve to others for payments and ſatisfactions to the juſtice of God. For example, Saint Antonine Archbiſhop of Florence, who was Sainted by the will, ſtatute and mandate, (for theſe are the terms of the Bull of canonization) of Clement the VII. relates of Saint Dominick, (f)Antonin. de ſancto Dominico Tit. 23. c. 1. ſect. 2. Trinam diſciplinam quaſi quotidie de manu propria, non chordula ſed catena ſerrea uſque ad ſanguinis effuſionem capiebat: Pro ſuis culpis unam, quae minimae erant, pro in Purgatorio exiſtentibus aliam, tertiam pro iis qui verſantur in mundo.That he gave to himſelf three diſciplines, that is, he whipt himſelf three times almoſt every day, not with a whip-cord, but with an iron chain, even to effuſion of blood; one for his ſins, which were very ſmall, another for them that are in Purgatory, and the third for thoſe that dwell in the world. Thus that venerable Saint paid and ſatisfied for others. The Pope hath received the two laſt diſciplines of that Saint into his treaſure, and converts them into cempenſation, payment and ſatisfaction for others. Not but that Chriſts ſatisfaction is ſufficient to exempt from Purgatory, but becauſe it is not Gods pleaſure to make it ſerve ſo far, or becauſe it was not Chriſts intention when he dyed for us, to ſatisfie for the pain of Purgatory. For (ſaith(g)Bellar. lib. 1. de Purg. c. 20. Si Chriſtus ſatisfecit pro omni culpa & poena, cur poſt remiſſam culpam adhuc tam multa mala patimur? Bellarmine) if Chriſt ſatisfied for all our fault and for all our pain, why after the fault is forgiven do we ſuffer ſo many ſorrows? This is declaring plainly enough, that Chriſt did not ſatisfie for the whole pain, although the whole fault be forgiven us.
This is the fundamental maxime upon which all that abuſe is grounded, that by Baptiſm all the fault is forgiven, and together all the pain of ſins committed before Baptiſm. But as for ſins committed after Baptiſm, the fault is wholly forgiven and remitted by the Sacrament of Penitence, but not the whole pain, but we are to ſatisfie for that pain, both in this life by penances enjoyned by the Prieſt, and by thoſe that are voluntarily undertaken, and after this life in the fire of Purgatory, out of which nevertheleſs the Pope may deliver ſouls by his Indulgences.
That maxime being a new Goſpel, taken from the unwritten word, deſerveth a Chapter by it ſelf.