Popery Anatomized, Section 18
SECTION XVIII. Concerning Works of Supererogation.
M. Gilbert Brown.
TWelftly, we have other works that are called works of Supererogation, which are works of greater perfection, and are not ſet down to us as the commands of God (without the which we cannot be ſaved) but as divine counſels adjoyned thereto, they augment our glory and reward in heaven: which is alſo the doctrine of Chriſt and his Apoſtles. Chriſt ſaid to the young man, If thou wilt be perfect, go ſell the things thou haſt, and give unto the poor, and thou ſhalt have treaſure in heaven▪ and come follow me. Matth. 19.21. Mark 10.21. So we find, that wilful poverty is a work of ſupererogation. Such like, S. Paul, 1. Cor. 7.34.38. ſaith, And the woman unmarried, and the virgin thinks on the things that pertains to our Lord, that ſhe may be both holy in body and ſpirit. And afterwards: Therefore both he that joyns his virgin in matrimony doth well, and he that joyns not doth better. Therefore virginity is a work of ſupererogation: for albeit matrimony be good, yet the other is better: and this was a counſel that S. Paul gave, and no command. Such like Paul wrought a work of ſupererogation, when he preached the Evangel gratis, where he might have taken juſtly for his labors, 1. Cor. 7.40. and 9.14.15.23.17.18.19. Chriſt our Savior ſpeaks of the ſame works in the parable of the Samaritan, Luke 10.35. where he promiſed to the hoſtler to recompenſe him what ever he did ſupererogat upon the wounded man more then the two pennies. And David the Prophet did ſupererogat, when he did riſe in the night to give God praiſe, and ſeven times in the day, and ſo forth, Pſal. 118.62.164.
Maſter John Welſch his Reply.
As though your former doctrine had not injuried the merits of the Son of God, and his free grace enough, with the which (if the Apoſtle be true) your merits of works cannot ſtand. For the Apoſtle ſaith, (ſpeaking of our ſalvation) If it be of grace, then it is no more by works, otherwiſe grace were no more grace: and if it were of works, then were it no more of grace, otherwiſe works were no more works, Rom. 11.6. You yet add this damnable and blaſphemous doctrine to all the reſt. And certainly ſuppoſe ye will not let it fall to the ground, that your doctrine is the doctrine of the dragon, and that your Church is that myſtical Babylon, that mother of whoredoms, full of names of blaſphemie: yet this your blaſphemous doctrine ſufficiently declares what you are. For I appeal your conſcience, if ye have any unblotted out yet with the ſmoke of the bottomleſs pit, and the conſcience of all men who ever felt the power of ſin in them, and the free grace of God renewing them, whither this doctrine of yours be blaſphemous or not: That not only you may fulfil the Law, and do all the duty which God hath commanded you, and thereby merit eternal life: but alſo you may do more then God hath commanded, which ye call works of greater perfection then the Law of God requires of us; by the doing of the which, you ſay you merit a greater degree of glory in the kingdom of heaven: and as Bellarmin ſaith, in his preface before de monachis, lib. 2. That your religious Monks lives a ſtraiter, and more high kind of life, then either the Law of God or man hath preſcribed. And that a man may love God with a greater and more perfect love, then is commanded him in the Law, lib. 2. cap. 13. & 6. yea, that a man may love God with a greater love, then he is bound to love him: and that theſe works are not only meritorious of eternal life, and of a ſingular glory in heaven, but alſo are profitable to ſatisfie for our ſins: and that men may communicat of the abundance of theſe their merits unto others. And therefore, they have in their ſervice books, according to the order of ſarum, this form of prayer often, That by the merits of the Saints they may obtain grace: and by the blood of Thomas (Archbiſhop of Canterbury) they may aſcend to heaven. All which whither they be not words of blaſphemy, and the doctrine of the dragon, I appeal your conſcience before God in the great day, and the conſciences of all men, as though it were not blaſphemy enough to ſay, that men may merit eternal life, and a greater degree of glory in that life to themſelves by their works: but alſo to communicat unto others of the abundance of their works, and ſo not only to be ſaviors of themſelves, but of others alſo. And here, Reader, I am compelled to ſpeak this to thee, ſuppoſe thou believe not that they have written, and will maintain ſo horrible blaſphemies, I wonder not: for I ſpeak the truth to thee in my conſcience, I lie not, I could not have been induced my ſelf to have believed that ever they durſt have profeſſed ſuch damnable and deviliſh doctrine, if I had not read it my ſelf in their own books; yea, I durſt not have been ſo confident as to have ſet it down here upon the report of any, except I had read it my ſelf. But if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the pit together. The Lord deliver his own from ſuch damnable doctrine, which of neceſſity muſt bring damnation upon the believers and profeſſors of it.
To anſwer you then; firſt, if we be not able to perform all the duties which God requires of us in his law, then we are not able to do works of ſupererogation, which is more then our duty, commanded in the law, as ye ſay. But the firſt I have proved before: therefore the ſecond is true.
Secondly, if the Law of God be perfect, and preſcrives more then we are able to do, then there is no works of ſupererogation: this you will not deny. But David ſaith, The Law of God is perfect, Pſal. 19. and our inability to perform it, I have proved before: therefore there is no works of ſupererogation.
Thirdly, what an abſurd and blaſphemous thing is this to ſay, that God hath no commanded to us the works of greateſt perfection, (for M. Gilbert calls theſe, works of greater perfection) and ſo ſuch works wherein he is moſt glorified: but hath left them in our own choiſe, to do, or not to do, as though the Lord had not commanded us to glorifie him in the greateſt perfection, nor yet we were bound to do the ſame?
Fourthly, if there be any ſuch works of ſupererogation which are of greater perfection then the Law commands▪ then it ſhould follow, that the vow of continency, wilful poverty, and monaſtical obedience to their ſuperiors, ſhould be works of greater perfection, and ſo pleaſe God more, then the love of God with all the heart, with all the ſoul, with all the ſtrength, with all the mind, with all the thought, Matth. 2.2.37. Mark 12.29.30 For the former are your works of ſupererogation, and the laſt is commanded in the Law: but this is abſurd: therefore there is no ſuch works.
Fifthly, this was only proper to the Son of God to fulfil the Law of God perfectly, and to do more then the Law required: to wit, to die for us who were his enemies: this doctrine therefore of yours ſpoils him of this his glory.
Laſt of all, if none can merit eternal life through their works at all, then none can augment their glorie and reward in heaven by their works of ſupererogation. But the firſt I have proved before: therefore the other muſt follow. And mark this, Reader, how far God hath blinded their minds: for they deride, and they mock at that imputation of the righteouſneſs and merits of Chriſt, and they pronounce them accurſed that ſo think: but yet they teach that the works of ſupererogation which men do, may be communicat to others. Be…larm. lib. 2. de justific. cap. 2. & Conſil. Trid. can. 10. & Bellarm. lib. 2. pag. 129. As for the firſt place which ye quote, Matth. 19. If thou wilt be perfect, &c. I anſwered to it before, in my anſwer to the ſecond point of your doctrine: to the which I refer the Reader. And ſo your wilful poverty hath no ground here. For if this man did not perfectly fulfill the Law, then was he not able to do more then the Law required of him: But the firſt is true, as I proved before in the ſecond point of your doctrine, and as the circumſtances of the text teſtifies it; for he went away ſad, and he put his truſt in his riches: and ſo it was not only difficile, but impoſſible for him to enter in the Kingdom of God, as our Savior ſaith; which had not been true of him, if he had fulfilled the Law. And this was a ſpecial command to this man, to diſcover his hypocriſie. And all Chriſtians are bound alſo out of the love of their heart to Chriſt, to be content to forſake all that they have, before we renounce him, or his Word, when he ſo requireth of us. And if wilful poverty be ſuch a work of perfection, as ye think, wherefore then would the Prophet have prayed, Prov 30.8. Give me neither poverty nor riches, but feed me with food convenient. And if this be the work of greateſt perfection, what is the cauſe that your Abbots, Popes, Biſhops and Cardinals (For who ſhould be perfect, if not theſe?) will not ſell all their revenues which they have, wherein they ſurmount the Princes of the world, and ſo augment their glory in heaven, and be perfect? But ſhal others believe and obey this doctrine of yours, when the greateſt Patrons of it believes and obeys it not? O hypocrits! who will believe you?
As for the next work of ſupererogation, Virginity: It is true that the virgin and unmarried, who hath the gift of continency, thinks upon the things that appertains to God: And it is true, that if any have the gift of continency, it is better to be unmarried, then to marry, eſpecially in the times of perſecution. But yet it follows not that it is a work of ſupererogation: For to them who have the gift, it is a commandment: For he that hath the gift, is commanded to uſe it; and in loſing it, he ſins. And every man is bound to glorifie God to the uttermoſt of his power, and God is moſt glorified by the ſingle life of theſe, eſpecially in the time of pe…ecution, who have the gift: And ſo it is not a counſel ſimply, but alſo a command, but to them only who have the gift, and that ſo long only as they have the gift. And the Apoſtle ſaith in that ſame place which ye quote here, that he thinks he hath the Spirit of GOD alſo, and ſo this judgement of his was the judgement of the Spirit of GOD, which binds and obliges all them who have the gift. But unto theſe who have not the gift, the Scripture hath a plain command, 1. Cor. 7.3.9. For the avoyding of fornication, let every man have his own wife, &c. And if they cannot abſtain, let them marry, &c. And whereas ye ſay that Virginity is better then Matrimony; that is not true ſimply, but only to them who have the gift. And ſince you ſay it is better, wherefore make ye Matrimony a Sacrament to give remiſſion of ſins? For ſhal not a Sacrament which gives remiſſion of ſins, be better then an indifferent action, which men may do, or leave undone, ſuch as ye ſay Virginity is? As for the Apoſtles example, 1 Cor. 9. in preaching the Goſpel freely without wages to them. I anſwer: Suppoſe it was lawful to him, and all the Miniſters of the Goſpel, to have taken wages, as himſelf teſtifies, and proves in that ſame chapter, from the 4. verſe to the 15. yet it was not expedient to him for the courſe of the Goſpel among them. And men are not only commanded to abſtain from that which is unlawful, but alſo from the things which are lawful, if they be not expedient: and ſo he did no more here then he ſhould have done. And therefore he ſaith, It were better for me to die, then that any ſhould take my glory from me, 1. Cor. 9.15. which cannot be ſaid of theſe works which we are not bound to do. And he ſaith, verſ 8. That I abuſe not my authority in the Goſpel: but this would have been an abuſe of his liberty with his people: therefore he was bound to do it. And yet we read that he ſpoiled other Churches, as he ſaith himſelf, and took wages from them. And alſo the Church of Philippi did communicat unto him twiſe, 2. Cor. 11.8. Phil. 4.
As for the 10. of Luke, it appears ye are ſcarce of proofs in quoting this place for your works of ſupererogation: For will you ſay that the Samaritan was not bound by Gods law to ware more upon his neighbor in his extremity then two penny worth? Hath not the Law ſaid, Thou ſhalt love thy neighbor as thy ſelf? And are we not bound to lay down our life one for another, much more to ware out for him ſuch things as may ſerve for the comfort of this life in ſuch an extremity? And the Greek word foreign, 1. John 3.16. is not to ſupererogat (as ye take it) but to ware out further expenſes. So your blindneſs is groſs in this. And as for that of David, in praiſing God night and day ſo often, he was ſo far from thinking of himſelf that he had done more then the Law required of him, that he never thought of himſelf that he had fully obeyed the Law. And therefore how often prays he in that Pſalm, that the Lord would open his eyes to underſtand the Law, and give him grace to perform the ſame, Pſal. 119.12.17.18.27. And in other Pſalms he ſaith, My ſins are mo then the hairs of my head, Pſal. 40.12. And if thou mark iniquity, who can ſtand, Pſal. 130.3. And therefore this was no work of ſupererogation. And if you knew, M. Gilbert (but the Lord hath blinded you) either the perfection of the Law of God, or our inability to perform it, or the unſearchable love and kindneſs of God, which hath obliged us to mo duties then ever we are able to do: (For when we have done all which is commanded us, yet we are but unprofitable ſervants:) you would be ſo far from defending theſe your works of ſupererogation, that ye would abhor and deteſt this doctrine.