Canterburys Doom, Branch 1 · Evidence 2 · Section 29 – Section 32
29. Paſſages purged out againſt carnall and unchristian Feares and Popiſh Contrition.
IN Maſter Wards Comentary on Matthew, page 203. in the written copy, the Licenſer hath expunged this diſcourſe: What muſt we not feare? The things in generall which the child of God ſhould not feare are many; but the principle are theſe three; viz. Firſt, he muſt not feare great dangers, yea the loſſe of his life: Secondly, he muſt not feare the loſſe of his riches, wealth or profit: Thirdly, he muſt not feare the favour of men, or the loſſe of the favour of men, Iſa. 5. 7. Ier. 8. 17. How may we be ſecure in dangers and evill if we muſt not feare them? Firſt, if we deſire to be ſecure from evils, then negatively we muſt not raſhly runne into any; either firſt, by an inſenſibility of danger, as Epheſ. 5. 14. when men ſleep in ſinne, and are altogether inſenſible of the danger they are in by reaſon of their ſinnes; or ſecondly, by preſumption, when a man makes a covenant with death, and is at an agreement with hell, Iſa. 28. 14. Rom. 11. 20. or thirdly, by carnall ſecurity, when men think that though they ſinne, yet they ſhall be ſafe and ſaved, as Rom. 6. 1. 15. Prov. 20. 14. Secondly, the particular and affirmative meanes to be freed from all evils are theſe; namely, firſt, faith and an internall and ſpirituall covenant with God; for unto ſuch as beleeve in God, and have made a covenant with him, many gracious promiſes are made in the Word, of help and ſuccour; and ſecondly, piety and a holy life, Iſa. 44. 2. & 51. 7. and thirdly, Hope fixed and built upon the promiſes of the Word. Ioſh. 1. 5. & Heb. 13. 5. and fourthly, a remembrance of the Lords aſſiſtance and ſuccour, either towards our ſelves in former times, or towards ſome other, as Deut. 7. 18. and fifthly, prayer unto God for help and ayd, as Iacob did; Gen. 32. 9, &c. & Dan. 6. 10. and the Apoſtles Acts 4. 14. &c. Wherefore if we deſire to be preſerved from all danger and evill, we muſt enter into a new covenant with the Lord our God, and beleeve in him: we muſt labour that our lives may be holy, pure and …, and then hope confidently upon the promiſes which God hath made to ſuch; we muſt remember the many examples we have of Gods gracious aſſiſtance towards many in his Word: And laſtly we muſt pray that if we be free from corporall evils, the Lord would be pleaſed ſtill to preſerve a…, and if any evill lye upon us, that he would deliver us.
So on Matthew 25. 25. page 331. this clauſe is purged out: The Papiſts ſay that there is a contrition which ariſeth ſimply and onelyonly from the feare of puniſhment, which is good; and we ſay, that the feare of puniſhment at firſt is profitable, but after the love of God is entred into the ſoule, all feare of hell and damnation, which breedeth terrors and affrights of conſcience is expelled by love; this we confirme from this place thus, The ſlothfull ſervant ſaith to his Maſter, I knew that thou waſt an hard man, &c. and therefore I was afraid: Now this ſervant was not commended for this feare, but blamed and reproved, and caſt into utter darkneſſe; for his Maſter ſaith, thou evill and ſlothfull ſervant: and Origen hereof writeth well, non eſt honus hujuſmodi timor, &c. Neither is the feare good, neither doth it deliver from outward darkneſſe, Origen tract. 33. in Matth. Bellarmine replieth hereunto, that to feare God cannot be evill; but they who have this ſervile feare, doe notwithſtanding feare God: Ergo. Bellar. de poeuit. lib. 2. cap. 28. Firſt, the devill feares God and trembles, Iames 2. 12. and yet the Jeſuit would bluſh to ſay, that there is any good feare in Devils; Secondly, it is falſe that ſuch as thoſe feare God, for they feare not him but hell; and if there were no hell they would not feare him at all.
30. Paſſages deleted againſt Free-will, Reſisting grace, &c.
IN Doctor Featlyes Clavis Myſtica, page 604. Doctor Bray deleted theſe clauſes: Postremum genus corum eſt, qui oves Christi paſcunt, ſed cibo inſalubri, quo magis inficiuntur, quam reficiuntur Chriſti oves agnique; corum dico, qui floribus & fructibus Paradiſi aut noxias herb as admiſcent, aut flores Adonidis aspergunt; cujuſmodi ſunt iſt a dogmata, Vires liberi arbitrij ab Adami lapſu ad bonum ſpirituale fract as & debilitat as, non penitus profligat as & amiſſas, &c. And page 894. I told you before, that this was a wet ſtep, and many have here ſlipt; for ſome odiouſly object, that unleſle we will grant univerſall grace, and a power in the will of man to reſiſt and fruſtrate the work of the Spirit in our converſion, and that unleſſe theſe Jewes had ſufficient grace offered them to repent them of their ſinnes and thereby prevent this their finall overthrow, the prediction of our Saviour was to no end and purpoſe; nay, that his teares over Ieruſalem might ſeem like to thoſe which Iulius Caeſar ſhed for Pompey's death, who yet himſelfe procured it, or might have hindred it if he would; did not Chriſt (ſay they) foreſee and decree the deſtruction of Ieruſalem? how then doth he bemoane it with teares? &c.
Maſter Ward part 2. page 4. Queſt. 2. Why doe ſo few (if thoſe many who are called unto the profeſſion of Chriſt) perſevere unto the end? Anſw. Becauſe the gift of perſeverance is great, and but given to a few; I ſay great, becauſe it is greater then the gift of free-will (Auguſt. Corrupt & grat. 13.) for firſt, this was given unto Adam at the firſt, but not that Adam in his framing being endued with freewill, which he loſt by his fall but not with perſeverance, for then he could not have fallen. Here there is indeed pride in Religion, when God muſt be content either to accept of will-worſhip, and a free-will offering, or elſe he ſhall have nothing, &c.
31. A Clauſe expunged againſt Flagellant Fryars.
IN Doctor Clarks Sermons, page 148. After theſe words, both ſacrifice and Prieſt, this is expunged, To this end, I think the Fryars Flagellant never read this Text, why whip they elſe themſelves, but to heale themſelves by their owne blood; happily they will not be beholding unto Chriſt, they will be healed by ſtripes, but not by his. Thus much for the Phiſician, &c.
32. That God is not the Author of ſinne, deleted.
IN Doctor Claks Sermons, page 132. after theſe words, Gods owne works, the Licenſer hath expunged theſe lines following; Melanchton ſayes (Papiſts, ſay he ſayes it) and it is ſinne, then God muſt cry peccavi too; for that they inferre that we make God anther of ſinne; ſtrange they ſhould ſtudy ſchool-divinity ſo much, as not be able to distinguiſh between the Action, and the privity of the Action, between Actus and defectus, the Act and deformity: I preſume they will not learne of us, we Calviniſts are aſſes, they have all the learning; let Snarez teach them, a Jeſuit, that God doth operari Actum peceati, but not malitiam; the Act of Judas his delivery of Chriſt, that was of God; but the wickedneſſe of his heart in delivering him, that was of Satan and himſelfe: God is Author operis, but not ſceleris; Zuinglius, diſtinction, the operation, God's; the aberration ours.