Of Free Justification by Christ, Book 2 · Part 12
Against the Tridentines, who deny that we are Iustified by Mercy or Remission only.
BUT it pleased the Tridentine Senate to determine otherways; for this is their Opinion, That Iustification is not purchased by God's pardoning Grace only, but by the commendation of Vertues: But let them again hear, what Augustin answers them to the contrary; who in opposition to the Tridentine Opinions refers all to the Grace of God only, and to Imputation, writing these words: All the Commands of God, (saith he) are esteemed to be done, when that which is not done is forgiven. A very short sentence, if it be reckoned according to the number of words. But if we rightly consider their efficacy, who sees not that all the buildings of the Adversaries, whereby with so much ado they establish their inherency, are utterly overturned by this Answer of Augustin? Which that it may appear the more evidently; First, Let us gather the assertion of the Council, on which all their defence seems to lean, into the exact form of an Argument, according to the art and use of Disputants, which should rather have been done by them: And then let us see what should be answered by the Authority of Learned Interpreters.
The Argument of the Tridentine Council.
Argument.
Ma. Whosoever observe all the For Inherent righteousness.Commands of God, they have an Inherent Righteousness, and that which is their own.
Mi. Whosoever keep all the Commands of God, are esteemed for righteous before God.
Concl. Therefore they that have a Righteousness, which is their own and inherent, are justified before God.
Answer.
The smoke of this Argument will easily vanish, by using the distinction of Augustin. Therefore we answer the Minor by the Authority of the Doctor: For A twofold manner of keeping the Commands. Psal. 39.there is a twofold manner of keeping the Commands; one is, when whatsoever is commanded by God is done. And after this manner the Son of God only is righteous, of whom only it is said, In the Volume of thy Book it is written of me, I come, that I might do thy will, O God, &c. The other is, when that, which is not done, is forgiven. And after this second manner we are righteous, that is, we are accounted for righteous, not upon any account of Merits, but only by the pardon of those things that have been done amiss: Wherefore by retorting the Argument upon the Adversaries, we may dispute after this manner.
The retorting of the Argument.
Ma. The observation of all the Commands of God, procures true Righteousness to men.
Mi. The keeping of all the Commands is performed, by remission and imputation, when that which is not done is pardoned.
Concl. Therefore by Remission and Imputation real Iustification is procured for us.
The Minor is upheld by the legitimate Testimony of Augustin. lib. Retract. cap. 19. But the Tridentine Heroes do here answer: That is true indeed as it is understood August. lib. Retract. c. 19.of the first Iustification, but not of the second. For by such an usual Scheme of Sophistical Speech they use to baffle the most evident Oracles of Scripture concerning our free Iustification by Christ. As when Paul reasons of Faith justifying freely without Works, they interpret it thus, that it is said of the first Iustification, which consists of Remission only and Reconciliation by Faith. But that there is another Iustification, besides this, which by inward Renovation is begotten of Inherent Righteousness, to which they attribute the much more excellent part of true Iustification. But here again Augustin helps, by confuting this idle Tale with sound speech; who writing of this same second unjust Iustification of theirs, Our very Righteousness, saith he, though it be true, because of the end, or true good, to which it is referred; yet it is so great in this life, that it consists rather in the remission of sins, than in the perfection of Vertues. Yea the same Augustin elsewhere adjudges the Life of the Regenerate how laudable soever, to a Curse, if it is to be judged in a separation from Mercy. What then? Augustin. curses all the Righteousness of Humane Life without the Mercy of God. And should not they of Trent be accursed, who are not afraid to curse those, that with Augustin affirm, that all the comfort of our Iustification relies upon the Mercy of God only, forgiving us our sins for Christ's sake?
Let us add hereunto the reckoning Oecumenius in cap. 3. ad Rom.of Oecumenius, lest we should not be too sufficiently guarded with Witnesses, who commenting on the words of Paul, Rom. chap. 3. Wherefore, says he, all, after they believed in Christ, are justified freely, bringing Faith only with them; and also intimating, what that is, wherein all the assurance of our Salvation is placed, he introduces the remission of sins only, in these words, Being washed from our sins by Iesus Christ, &c. And again confirming this same, and asking how this Iustification is brought to pass; he makes answer himself, saying, By remission of sins, which we have in Christ Iesus. And soon after demonstrating the same more evidently, viz. wherein Righteousness, or the Iustifying Grace of God chiefly Oicumen. ibid.consists: Herein says he, that men who are dead in sins, may be justified by the remission of sins. Behold a demonstration of Righteousness set before you, that not only God himself is righteous, but also justifies his People by the Faith of Iesus. By which there are two things which you may see to be very evident: First, That all power of justifying is placed in Faith only, according to this man's Opinion; where he says, bringing Faith only with them: and then, That against the Tridentines he teaches, that all this Iustification, received by us from God consists in the remission of sins: For what is more evident than this speech? All Iustification, Oicumen. ibid.which proceeds to us from God, consists either in the forgiving of iniquities, or in the covering of the same, or in their not being imputed, &c.
And these things we have said hitherto, are taken out of Oecumenius, to whom, if we must agree, what credit then should be given to those Catholick Tridentines, who deny that they are justified by the remission of sins only? which how contrary it is to all reason, I need not plead against them with many Arguments, because they ought to be convinced of falshood by nothing more than by their own Actions. For who looks into the Lives of those Popes, Cardinals, Bishops, Monks, but he may easily perceive by those things which he daily sees, that there is nothing whereof they stand in greater need, or desire more ardently, than the gracious Clemency of God, in forgiving those sins which they have committed? This doth appear both many other ways, and also it is most evidently testified by their publick and daily wishes, suffrages and prayers. In their Temples, in their Liturgies, in the Solemnities of their Masses, in their Antiphonies, what other thing do they cry for, what do they request of God, but that they may obtain the pardon of their own sins, and the sins of their Parents and Benefactors? Otherways what is the meaning of those words daily repeated in the Prefaces of their Masses; Let the Almighty and Merciful Lord give unto us the indulgence, absolution, and remission of all our sins, &C? What is the meaning of so many Advocates in Heaven, Patrons and Favourites, to obtain Mercy from God? Moreover, to what purpose are those words, wherewith they daily confess to God, and blessed Mary, and all Saints. And again, when they, days and nights without measure and end, vehemently call upon the He-Saints and the She-Saints, and chiefly the blessed Mary, with such sort of cryes: By Out of the Roman Missal.thy pious interposing, wash away our faults. O most holy Virgin, Mother of Grace, I am unworthy of Grace, and less than all thy Mercies, My sins … anding in opposition, O most holy! I deserve not to be heard by …. O immaculate! hide not thy face from me so … a sinner. O Star of the Sea! suffer me not to wander from the way, but by the guidance of thy Light deliver me from the darkness of sins. O Queen of Mercy! do not lose the renown of thy Antient Mercy in me a miserable sinner. Hail Saviouress: Redeem me, O Redeemeress! My sins burden me. The World wraps me up. I have sins. I know not Merits. O most bountiful! take away my sins; draw me from the World, &c.
I beseech you, good men, what is the meaning of these Monsters of Religion? If those things be true, which your prayers declare, how is not your Doctrine false? with what Solder or Glue will these things so dis-joyned cleave to one another, that they who by an assiduous deploring of their sins, confess themselves to be sinners; the same men should seem to themselves to be formally just and perfect men in the sight of God by inward Renovation? that they should say they are less than the Mercies of the holy Virgin, and in the mean while the Mercy of God should be less than that it can justifie alone? That they know not Merits, and yet bring in no other thing but Merits to make Iustification perfect? What a contradiction is this of the Divines? Or who should suppose them worthy to be believed, who contradict in their Temples, that which they dispute for in their Schools? For they pray so, as if they were void of all Righteousness. But in Councils they so behave themselves, as if no Unrighteousness were inherent in them, and as if nothing were wanting to perfection of Righteousness. Now, these things being so, what remains to be said to these Men, but that with Hierom, we should say this: Let those Men either defend what they say, or forsake what they cannot defend. The Prophet cries, It is the Lord's Mercy that we are not consumed, and those Men hope, that they shall not be saved by Mercy only, but shall be Righteous before God, by the Righteous performance of Works.
Isaiah so great a Prophet, or rather Evangelist, under the sense of his sins, confesses his lips are unclean. And the same Isai. 5. 53. Dan. 9.elsewhere says, We have all gone astray, like Sheep. Daniel in his Prayer laments, We have sinned, we have done wickedly, we have behaved our selves unrighteously, and departed from thy Commandments, &c. And lest any Man should pretend that these things were signified by the Prophets, not in their own Name, who were Saints, but in the person of the People, the Prophet presently made confession of himself, adding, Whilst I was yet praying, and confessing my sins, and the sins of my People, &c. Abraham and Sarah, though praised upon the account Abraham and Sarah. Genes. cap. 17.of their Faith, were rebuked in their laughter, and their very thought was rebuked as a point of unbelief, and their silent Motion of Heart was not hid from the knowledge of God though they were not Condemned of distrust, because they laughed. Moses, than whom none was more familiar with God, after he had received so great a power of grace, yet he offended at the waters of strife, and did not obtain to enter with his Brother Aaron into the Land of promise. Peter the Apostle in whom so great Moses Aaron Psal. 143. peter. Mat. 15.gifts of grace received shined forth, yet he is almost drowned, and deserved to hear, O thou of little Faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? If there was little Faith in him, I know not in whom it is great: Except in those successors of Peter, and the Fathers of Trent. Paul himself though he Paul. Philip. 3.was taken up into the third Heaven, yet writing to the Philippians, openly professes, that he had not yet attained unto that which he sought for, but having forgot those things that were behind, he pressed forward with all his might, towards those things that were before. And does any in this life hope to attain unto that, which Paul with all his endeavours, was not able to attain unto?
But why should I prosecute this matter any further? The Moon shall be confounded (said the Prophet) and the Sun ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall reign before his Ancients gloriously: and in another place, the Heavens are not clean in his sight, and he charged his Augels with folly. The Moon is ashamed, and the Sun consounded, and the Heaven is covered with Sack-cloth. Wherefore then are not the Tridentines affraid to appear in the presence of so great a Iudge, as if they were free from all guilt, whilst they have nothing to trust to, but their own Inherent Righteousness?