Answer to a Popish Pamphlet Called the Touchstone of the Reformed Gospel, Part 2 · Subpart 20
20. THat it is impoſsible to kepe Gods Comandements, tho aſſiſted with his grace and the holie Ghoſt.
VVHichWhich he ſayeth is contrary to Philip. 4. 13. where the the Apoſtle ſayth, That he can do all things through Christ. that ſtrengthneth him. Whereunto I anſwere, That the word (all things) is not of further extent, than theſe things whereof he ſpeaketh in particular in the preceeding verſe, where hee ſayeth, In all things I am inſtructed both to be full and to be hungrie, to abound and to ſuffer neede. Thus doth Sedulius and their owne canonized Aquinas expound this text, as alſo their late Eſtiꝰ, ſaying, The meaning is, all things before rehearſed, & what elſe I am to ſuffer I am able to do thorow Chriſt who enableth me, ſo that he ſpeaketh no… of his perfect fulfilling of the Law in generall, the contrarie whereof hee confeſſeth, Rom. 7. 23.
The ſecond place which he bringeth is, Luke 1. 5. 6. where it is ſaid of Zacharie & Elizabeth, That they walked in all the commandemen…s of the Lord blameleſſe. To which I anſwere 1. That this was the old Pelagian objection which they called their impenetrable Buckler, as Ierome witneſſeth, lib. 1. cont. Pelag. with whom the papiſts heerin agree. And to whom I anſwere in his words to the Pelagian. That where it is ſaid, that they are called righteous, this is (ſayth he) as many others are called ſo, in the holie ſcripture, as Io…, Iehoſaphat and Ioſias, not that they wanted all fault, but are commended ſo, becauſe for the moſt part they wer vertuous, for Zacharias himſelf was puniſhed with dumbnes (ſayeth he) and Io… by his owne ſpeech was rebuked, and Iehoſaphat & Ioſias are reported to hauehave done things which greatlie displeaſeth God. Next, where it is ſaid that Zacharie and Elizabeth walked in all the Commandements of God without blame, that is, without any groſſe wickednes (ſayeth he) but that they walked without ſinne, I deny (ſayeth he) that any man can do ſo, for that is cōpetent onlie to God. Their owne Carthuſian alſo (& with him their late Stella) ſhoweth, That this is ſpoken according to that meaſure which is agreeable to humane conditiō, but that there walking was not without ſinne, for there is none ſo righteous in this mortall life (ſayeth he.)
The third place is, Luke 11. 27. where Chriſt ſayeth, Yea rather bleſſed are they who heare the word & keepe it. To which I anſwere, and to all ſuch places that ſpeake of keeping Gods word or commandements, that ſuch a keeping therof is heere meaned (as there Carthuſian ſayeth) Which is agreeable to humane condition in this life. For as Ierome ſayeth lib. 3. cont. Pelag. If thou can ſhowe me but one man who hath fulfilled the Commandements, Thou may ſhowe me a man that needes not Gods merciemercy (ſayeth he.)
The fourth place is, Luke 11. 2. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. To which I anſwer, as their owne Carthuſian alſo expoundeth, That this is, readilie, reverendlie and ſincerlie, Q…antum noſtra fragilitas permittit, that is, as farre as our frailtie permitteth (ſayeth he) ſo that the word (as) hath relation not to that degree of perfect obedience which Angels performe in heaven, but to the manner of doing the ſame, as hath ben ſaid by Carthuſiā, & as our frailtie permitteth, which ſufferes us not to be free of ſinne, & of not doing Gods Will perfectlie, and therefore in the ſame prayer wee are alſo taught to crave daylie forgivnes, which we needed not, if wee could obey Gods will perfectlie as the Angels do.
The laſt place is, 1. Iohn 5. 3. For this is the love of God that we keepe his Cōmandements, which is coincident with the third place, & therefore alreadie anſwered.
As for any teſtimonies of Fathers, he bringeth the words onlie one of Baſil, ſaying, That it is an impious thing to ſay that the Commandements of God, are impoſſible. To which I anſwere, Though hee telleth not where Baſil ſpeaketh ſo, that it is impious indeed to ſay that Gods commandements are impoſſible to be keeped in any meaſure, for wee ſee the contrarie in Zacharie and Elizabeth, but to ſay that in this life they may be keped perfectlie without ſinne or any breach of them, that is lykewiſe impious, & plaine Pelagianiſme or hereſie, therefore in this ſenſe ſayeth Ambroſe on gal. 3. (which Aquinas citeth on the ſame place) The Commandements ar ſuch that it is impoſſible to kepe them (ſayeh he) but I admire how hee citeth Hilarie in pſal. 118. whoſe words are theſe on the 39. verſe in his contrar, ſaying, The Prophet being in the bodie speaketh, and knoweth that no living man can be without ſin, except one whom he remembreth, who had no ſinne, and in whoſe mouth was found no guile, to wit, Chriſt. As alſo I have ſhowne how oppoſit Ierome is to him, l. 3. cont. Pelag. whom notwithſtanding he citeth as for him. As Origen and Cyrill, who no wiſe patronizeth him.