An Antidote Against Popery, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAPTER VI. Of Sanctification, and man's abilitie to keep the Law.
The state of the Question.
HAVING considered the way, howe a man is made just, when hee is first reconciled to GOD, which our Adversaries call His first justification, nowe wee are to consider man, as hee is allreadie justified, and to enquyre, what hee is able to performe in this estate of grace wherein hee is allreadie translated? Our Adversaries mayntayne two thinges anent man's abilitie n this estate, which wee flatlie denye. The one is; That hee is able, perfectlie, to fullfill the Law of GOD, in all the Preceptes thereof, and dueties requyred by everie Precept. The other is grounded vponupon this, to wit, That hee is able to merit eternall lyfe; Rhem in Heb 6.10.and so to challenge it by right, That GOD should bee vnjust, if Hee denyed to reward him with the same. To come, then, to the first poynt, Of man's abilitie to keepe GOD'S Law.
UNDERSTANDING by Keeping of the Lawe, that sincere measure of obedience to everie Precept thereof, which GOD nowe requyreth vnderunder the Gospell; and which the Godlie, according to that measure of grace which they get, and the condition of this lyfe, (onelie still tending to perfection) performeth, and is graciouslie by GOD, in CHRIST, accepted. In this sense wee denye not,Philip 3.12.13 but the Godlie may keepe GOD'S Law; and ought more and more, with the Apostle, stryue to perfection, and to obey the same.
But that anie man on earth can so keepe the same, and giuegive such perfect obedience therevnto, as may endure the strict tryall of of GOD'S judgement; yea, doe more than the Lawe requyreth; and so super-errogat (as the Rhemistes teach;Rhem on 1. Cor. 9 16) this wee affirme to bee prowde Pelagianisme, and a most lurd Heresie, agaynst which the Authoritie of Scripture doeth most clearlie militate.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
1. KING. 8.46. There is no man that sinneth not.Amb. in psal 118. Naz. Hō. in patrē suum
Which thing to denye, (sayeth Ambrose) is sacriledge: and it is aboue the nature of man, (sayeth Nazianzene) not to sinne: and the propertie of GOD alone.
PROV. 24.16. For a just man falleth seaven tymes.
Therefore, sayeth DAVID, a man according to GOD'S heart,Psal. 143. 2 & 19 12. Enter not into judgement with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living bee justified. And agayne;So Iob 9.3.20 Nyssē de Orat. Dominica, Serm. 5 Hierō adv. Pelag lib. 3. Who can vnderstand his erroures? Cleanse thou me from secret faultes. Wherefore also sayeth Gregorie Nyssen. The Scripture telleth vsus, that none can bee found amongst men, who can liue but one day, without spot. And if thou canst showe mee but one man, who hath fulfilled the Commandementes, (sayeth Ierome to the Pelagiane) then thou mayest showe mee a man, that needeth not the MercieMercy of GOD.
1. IOHN. 1.8. If wee saye, then, that wee hauehave no sinne, wee deceaue our selues, and the trueth is not in vsus.
Where-vponupon Augustine showeth vsus, that the Apostle,Aug. l. 2. in Epist. Parmeniani. cap. 7 who sayde before, that hee who is borne of GOD, sinneth not; yet heere-in also hee speaketh right. For altho (sayeth hee) in so farre as wee are borne of GOD, wee sinne not: yet that also is in everie one of vsus, that wee are borne of Adam; and there-fore, sinne daylie. And if IOHN number him-selfe, and the other Apostles, amongst sinners, (sayeth Father FERVS on this place) who of vsus dare bee so bolde, to pronounce him-selfe to be righteous, and without sinne?
IAMES 3.2. For in manie thinges wee offende all.
Of which place, sayth Gregorie, Who is able in this lyfe after hee hath gotten fayth,Greg. super Ezechiel. hom. 22 to liue without sinne? seeing Iohn sayeth, If wee say that wee hauehave no sinne, we deceaue our selues, and the trueth is not in vsus. To whose wordes, (sayeth hee) S. Iames agreeing, sayeth, In manie thinges wee offend all. And lest that it should bee sayde that hee spake of lesser, or veniall sinnes, (as they call them) hee sayeth, By-past sinnes are remitted, when fayth is obtayned: and yet after fayth, while as wee decline to the cōmitting of sinnes, how can wee presume of righteousnesse, or hauehave hope in our selues of eternall lyfe?
ROM. 7.23. I see another law in my members, warring agaynst the law of my mynde, and bringing mee into captivitie to the law of sinne.
Wherefore (sayeth Ierome) if a man can be without sinne,Hier. adv. Pelag lib. 1 which is evident that the Apostles could not, then that man may be aboue the Apostles, to passe by the Patriarchs and Prophets, whose righteousnesse in the Law was nowyse perfect.
LVKE 11.4. And forgiue vsus our sinnes.
VponUpon which wordes (sayeth Tertullian) the LORD knew that himselfe onlie was without sinne,Tertul de Orat. cap. 7 Cypr. de Orat. Dominica. therefore hee taught vsus to seeke the forgiuenesse of our sinnes. As also (sayeth Cyprian) lest anie man should please himselfe as hee were Innocent, while as no man is innocent; and by ex…olling himselfe, should perish the more; hee is therefore taught, that hee daylie sinneth, while a hee is commanded daylie to pray for the pardon of his sinnes.
2. Witnessing of Antiquitie.
NO man can be without sinne, (sayeth Lactantius) so long as he is cloathed with flesh,Lact. lib. 6. c. 13 Bern. Serm. 50. in Cantica. Hier. adv. Pelag libro 2. See also Bern. Serm. 5. de verb. Isai. And Aug. lib. 1. retract. cap. 19. whose infirmitie three manner of wayes is subject to the dominion of sinne, in deedes, wordes, and thoughts, Therefore sayeth S. Ierome, (after adduction of sundrie proofes) All these examples I hauehave runne over, to show that the Law was never yet fulfilled by anie (sayeth hee.)
3. Confession of partie.
IT is impossible, (sayeth Aquinas) to fulfill the law,Aquin in Gal 3. lect 4 Sent. 4. & de Sacram. Euch. fol. 20 cited by Cassand. cōsule art. 6 Carthus. in psal 142 &c. and never anie could keepe the Law as it is commanded. And if wee wil heare a Pope, Hadrianus a Trajecto, hee sayeth, All our righteousnesse is lyke a menstruous cloath, as Isai speaketh; cap. 64. for continuallie vponupon the cloath of our good lyfe, which we weaue with the workes of righteousnesse, wee droppe the corrupt worsome of manie crimes, or grievous offences. Lykewyse Carthusian asking how Ezekias, Ieremie, and Ester, &c. alleadged their righteousnesse before GOD? hee answereth, that they sayd not this simplie, that they were righteous, but after an humane measure, knowing (sayeth he) that all their righteousnesse before GOD, was but like a menstruous cloath. Therfore it is sayde, Enter not into judgement with thy servant, for in thy sight no living man can bee justified.