Mat. 5. c. 6. 6, 7. c. 5. 17. I Cor. 4. 7: Faithfuluefs; as our common Duty appears from Chrifl's Sermon upon the T. p. 278. Mount, and from all the rest of his Commands; He tells us that he came not to deftroy the Law but to fulfill it, and therefore even all good Moral Precepts and Counfels are our Duty, as St. Paul hath at large in many places told us, Phil. 4. 8, 9. and fet himself as our example herein, and tells us that the God of Peace hall be with all them who follow him herein. Now if our hearty and earnest Repentance, or our striving for the Maftery to obtain the incorruptible Crown, transport us to a higher performance of any of thefe Duties then ordinary, we cannot count them as Satisfaction to God's Justice for our paft Offences, or for Works of Supererrogation, as if we had made God himself our Debter thereby; For when we have done all those things which are Commanded us, we Luk. 17. 10. ought to say, we are unprofitable Servants, we have done that which was our Duty to do; for God knows that even the very best of all our performances are very very imperfect; we even want his Pardon for our Deficiencies therein; and we must depend upon the first perfect Satisfaction made upon the Cross for us to God's Justice, to render even these through Faith in Chrift any ways acceptable to him. How then can any Deed of Man be fatisfactory to God's Justice, which in it felf wants Satisfaction for it felf. Again, for one Man to fatisfy another, it is certainly to make fome fuitable return for the offence; But as to God, as Bellarmine truly faith, I have nothing that ut fupra. 1. 4. I can call truly my own that is worthy or fitting for him, for what have I c. 1. a. b. c. that I have not received? And to pretend to give him any thing, would be Reftitution, which, Bellarmine himself tells us, cannot be made to God who can fuffer no Lofs or Damage by us; and therefore he there grants that all I can now do, or (on my Condition in the Covenant) ought to do, is humbly and forrowfully to confefs my Faults to him, heartily to beg his Pardon for them, and to do fo no more. The inward Fruits of fuch Repentance, (Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Meekness, Temperance, Purity, and Charity in its full extent) cannot be produced in me at any Priest's Command; and all the outward Fruits alfo must be as truly Genuine and Free; if they are forced, or if thefe or the others are only Formal, they will prove but Grapes of Sodom and Clusters of Gomorrah. And now if Deut. 32. 32, thefe fpiritual inward Acts of the Mind, at beft are all Imperfect, and want God's Pardon and the Original Satisfaction in Chrift to make them any ways acceptable; what poor Satisfactions muft the bare outward Actions be without them? They are indeed done (as Bellarmine faith) ex Pacto, Donatione, ut fupr. c. ti Acceptatione, by Bargain or Agreement, Enjoining and Accepting, between B. the Pricft and the Sinner, but I find no fuch Agreement between God and Him. T. p. 279. But he makes the inward and outward Actions of my Repentance my Satisfaction, which I must call only the performing of the Condition on my part in the Covenant; full and compleat Satisfaction to God's Juftice being made before in Chrift for all my Sins; it is only his Satisfaction still both for my Sins and for my Imperfect performances. He may as well fay that all the Duties which a Chriftian now doth, or can do, are only his own Satisfactions to compleat that made in Chrift. And truly, he may as well call God's forgiving a Penitent, God's Satisfaction to him, as the Penitent's Acts of Repentance Satisfaction to God; For the fame Covenant that obliges me to Repent, the fame Covenant obliges God to Forgive me, if I perform the Condition. It was God's infinite Mercy to make this Gracious Covenant with us in Christ, and it is his infinite Juftice to fee it fulfilled on his own part; He will by no means clear the Guil- Exod. 34. 7. ty impenitent Sinner, but if we Confefs our Sins, he is Faithfull and Just 1 Joh. 1. 9. to forgive us our Sins and to cleanfe us from all unrighteounefs. Alas! The Obedience required by the Gospel, is not an Absolute, Perfect, unfinning Obedience; God hath Covenanted to accept what we are at our utmost able to do; if we do as much as in us lie. Our Love to God and our Neighbour cannot be always alike intenfe, nor can it ever be raised to that true fublime Degree as is prefcribed us; and therefore whatever Action fprings from thence must be defective. Rom. 12. 18. Mat. 22 37 Jam. 3. 2. Prov. 20. 9. & 143. 2. Luk. 10. 2 Cor. 7. 10. §. 77. A. 62. T. p. 280. T. p. 279. fective. In. In many things we offend all, there is not a Juft Man upon Earth that doeth Good and Sinneth not. The moft Regenerate Man hath his Infirmitics, his Inadvertencies, his Surprifes, his Failings notwithstanding all his Refolution and Vigilance. So long as we carry this Flesh about us, there will be fome tincture of it in our beft performances. Who can fay I have made my Pf. 130. 3. Heart clean, I am pure from my Sin. If God fhould enter into Judgment with us, and mark our Sins, who shall stand and be fuftified in his fight. If this then be every Chriftian's cafe, who can be fo Bold and Prefumptuous, fo Daring and Wicked, fo Arrogant and Vain, as to fay or think that his poor faint Performances, his imperfect Faith, his Repentance to be Repented of, 2 Cor. 4. 16. (all which ftill want in themfelves to be Juftified before God,) are yet notwithMark 9,24 ftanding able to fatisfy God's Justice, as a Supplement to what is done before in Chrift. But now if my beft performances in themselves, want still God's Juftification and Allowance or Acceptance through Chrift for themselves, what Satisfaction can I make with them for another? The vicarious Satisfaction of the Romanists must needs feem very Ridiculous, as well as very TreaRom. Catech.cherous and Dangerous. One Man, fay they, cannot Confefs or be Contrite part 2. c. 5. for another, yet, if he hath Grace he may in another's name, pay, what he ows to God's Justice, for him. I think it is plain from what hath been faid, that Confeffion of our Sins to God and our Contrition for them, are the very Life and Soul of true Repentance; then all that one can do for another in this cafe, is to perform only the outward part of it for him; or (in plain Truth) to prefent to God only the dead Carcafe of Repentance for him in his Name. I know this is their Common practice every where where I have been amongst them. My good Lord, or my Lady, or Mafter or Mistress, N. N. cannot be at leifure to perform the Offices, which, Hore Beatæ Mariæ, the Hours of Prayer (that are enjoin'd) require; or they cannot attend, or leave off their Diversion, to run over the whole Corona of Aves and Pater-nofters so often in a day as they are obliged by their Ghoftly Father to do; But good A. or B. or C. full of Grace, can do it for them; Thele backney Votaries were in England of old, from their Beads, call'd Beads-men, not from their praying to God for you in your behalf, but from turning their Beads, and faying Prayers in your ftead. N. N cannot bear the Fafting or Abftinence, or the hard Lodging, or the Scourging, or the grievous Vfage enjoin'd; For Penance, (as hath been part 2. c. 5.noted before,) must have fomething of trouble or of tome (uneasiness at least) But A. B. C. can Faft for them a whole Lent, and will fhew their Suffering, the Sackcloath, or Haircloath which they wear for them, and the bloody Stripes that they have given themselves in their stead; and then the Reward given to thefe Vendipreghiere, Penitentiary Vicars, is counted alfo good fatisfactory Alms, as well to God, as to the Mercenary wretches. My, opus ooeratum, bare doing of a Thing, of this nature, for my felf doth me no good; much lefs can, my fo doing it for my Neighbour, profit him, my mumbling over the Lord's Prayer, without my Mind and Heart concurring with it, neither Affects me nor Helps me one jot; How then can it Affect or Help my Brother, for me to repeat it for him, whilft he at the fame time neither knows nor thinks any thing of it. They who truft to fuch Vicarious Penance done for them by others, will be as much mistaken as the Jews were, who thought all was well with them, because they had Abraham for their Father; upon which Paffage Bafil hath grounded this moral Rule, ε δὲ τοῖς ἄλλων κατορθώμασιν, Men Reg. moral. 15. ought not to trust to the good deeds, or performances, of others fo as to neglect their own. Therefore bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance. Nothing is more common in many places of Italy then for beggers, efpecially Boys and Girls, to fall down on their knees before you in your way, and fometime before your Horfe in the Road, and prefently to run over an Ave or two for you; if you will bargain with them, (as I have fometimes done for Tryal) you may foon be cloy'd with them and Pater-nofters for half a Farthing. I fancy poor People are thus brought up, and used to thefe Vicarious Satis Catech. Rom. §. 74. factions Hei Cor. 11. 31. factions, that the Ric the Lazy, and the Delicate, when the enjoin'd Pe- T. p. 188! nances are too hard or difficult, may the more eafily be fupply'd with humble Hirelings to do them for them; for there we are told, that, quodam pacto al- Ut fupr.§. 77. ter alterius onera portat, they treat about it first, and then by agreement they bear one the others burdens; where the better to colour over this Charitable cheat, they abuse the words of St. Paul who is even there directly against them. Gal. 6. 1, 2, The Apostle exhorts the Galatians to the Spirit of Meeknefs, towards thofe 3, 4, 5 who may be overtaken with a Fault. They fhould treat them mildly, and as having a fellow feeling of their burden, (their Infirmities and Failings) they fhould pity them and by this Charity keep that grand Law of Christ, which he a little before preffed upon them, (they should by Love ferve one another, c. 5.13, 14, 15. for this is the fulfilling of the Law, thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy felf,) and not bite, or vex, or grieve them by ripping up their Faults. commands every one to Examine and Judge himself and not to think himself fomething, or any thing above his Neighbours, or (to ufe the words in the Ut fupr. §. 77Catechifm) more Divina Gratiâ Præditus, entituled to the Divine Grace then T. p. 281. they; and better able to fatisfy for them, then they are for themfelves. Then he plainly confutes that Lazy, Vile, pernicious Doctrine, of Vicarious Satisfaction; Let every Man, faith he, prove his own Work, and then shall be have Rejoicing, or Glorying, in himself alone, and not in another; (or in refpect of himself onely, and not in Respect or Regard of another) now he that Fafts or Prays, not in his own name, but in another's ftead, may have fome vain-glorying in himself; nay fome kind of Satisfaction or Pleasure to himself, nay, perhaps fome kind of Acceptance from God himself, because poor filly Soul he means it well though upon a falfe ground; But the other, for whom that is, in whofe ftead this poor Man Fafts or Prays, hath no Rejoicing in himself, but, if he hath, it is wholly in or from another. Then the Apostle at laft (to fhew how abfolutely this place is contrary to the Schoolmens Doctrine who strive to reft it to their purpose) faith pofitively, every Man fhall bear his own burden; if Bág, pogriov, Burden, in this place fignifies Penance or Satisfaction, one Man is not to do Penance for another, but every Man is to do it for himfelf. The plain meaning of the Apostle in this place, is the very fame which he elsewhere often teacheth, ye that are Strong ought not to think too highly of your felves, but to bear the Burdens and Infirmities of the Weak with Pity and Gentleness; Judge your felves from your felves and not from others, examine every one his own Works, for every one hall bear his own Burden, his own Faults, and anfwer for himself. Notwithstanding this manifeft Sophiftry of the Trentine Fathers, yet ftill they there purfue their affertion with another Argument as Frivolous and Catech.ut fups, Weak. We all believe, fay they, the Communion of Saints, and we are all Members of the fame Myftical Body of Chrift; now as the Eye fees not for it felf alone but for the Direction of the Feet, and the Feet ferve not only themfelves but the whole Body to bear it, and all the Members about with it; fo the Offices of Satisfaction ought to be Mutual and Common amongst us. Methinks this Simily is very lame. Not only the Feet but the Hands and all the rest of the Members have the fame common Benefit of the Eyes seeing; and not only the Hands and the Head, but the whole Body and all its Parts are in like manner carried about by the Feet. So then one Man cannot be faid to fatisfy purely and folely for one other fingle Man, but all the other Members of Chrift are equally benefited by it; every Member muft partake of this Satisfaction alike; Nay, the Head muft likewife receive its proportionable part. It is not enough to fay, that the Vicarious Satisfier determines his Satisfaction to his Friend only, for this cannot confift with their explication of the Communion of Saints, and would be as abfurd as to fay, the Mouth feeds for it self alone, and therefore there may be a Rope fasten'd under the Chin to keep the Meat from going down any farther. But immediately ut (upr. §. 79. thefe Good Fathers mince the matter and make a very juft Exception. All the Benefit T. p. 282. Benefit of Satisfaction does not always accompany that which is thus Vicarious. Because Penance is enjoin'd as a Medicine for the Cure of the sinfull Affections of the Mind; and therefore they, who do not jatisfy for themfelves, want this Effect of it. But if this Vicarious Satisfaction do not cure the finfull Mind of N. N. (the Patron for whom it is made) what is he the better for it? All the Pater nofters, and Faftings, and Whippings of A.B.C. which are done for him, that is, in his ftead, do him no more good then a Plaister clapt to a rotten Poft would do to a fcald Head. Thus after all their Sophiftry and Shuffling they here plainly give up their Cause and own the Impofture, and yet to my knowledge it is to this very day approved and Practifed amongst them. 1 Joh, 3. 1, 2. Rom. 1. 28. But let us now a little confider that principal Assertion of the Papifts up. on which this whole Doctrine of Satisfaction is grounded; that after God hath forgiven a Man the guilt of his Sin, and is reconciled to him, yet there ftill remains a Punishment due to his Justice for it, which he can justly inflict. In the first place, it seems to me, as I have faid, in it self very Abfurd and Irrational. For Punishment is due to God's Juftice only from the Guilt foregoing; then take away Guilt and the Debt is paid; an innocent Man is unjustly punifhed, for there is no preceding Guilt in him; if therefore a Man's Guilt be fully pardon'd or taken away, what can ftill remain to make him obnoxious to Punishment? Next I muft obferve that there is a vast Difference betwixt Sufferings in general, and real Punishments. Are all Croffes, and Troubles, and Afflictions, which good Chriftians meet withall in this World, real Punishments. We are now the Sons of God; God out of a wonderfull manner of Love, calls us his Sons and himself our Father. When he chaftifeth us, it is his Love and Mercy to us; if for Hardheartedness, Impiety and Impenitency he difcards any one, and gives him over to a Reprobate Mind, this is truly Punishment, Vengeance and Wrath. There is now no Condemnation to us, (no farther Debt or Reckoning left to be Satisfied upon any formal Score,) for we have not now received aveva deλeas, the spirit of Slavery, (as both Jews and Gentiles had, to do outward Performances, Penances, Luftrations and the like) or of Bondage to Fear, but the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cheerfully cry unto him, Abba, Father. Therefore God deals with us as with Sons, his Chastisements are Acts of his Love, not of his Vengeance or real Punishments; What Son is he whom the Father ChaSteneth not? For whom the Lord loveth he Chafteneth and Scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth; They that are without it, are Baftards and not Sons. Earthly Fathers Chaftife their Children after their own Humour, but God doth it purely, es to ouμDégov, for our Profit and good. Sometimes Afflictions are fent in Mercy only to awaken us and roufe us up and teach us. It is good for me, faid David, that I have been Afflicted, that I might learn thy Statutes; for before I was Afflicted I went wrong or aftray, but now have I kept p. 283. thy word; This is not fpoken as God's Vengeance or Punishment for his past Sins, but as his Fatherly Admonition and the Chaftifement of a Son, as fhall by and by be more fully explain'd. This makes the difference of Affliction to the Wicked and to the Good; It is not the fame to them both, for it is Vengeance and Punishment, to the firft, but only loving and tender Admonition to the other, is the Chaftifement of Sons, Vengeance? Is the Correction or Rebuke of Friends, Punishment? God forbid. Sometimes Afflictions are only Tryals of our Faith and Patience. The tryal of our Faith (being much · more precious then that of Gold which perifheth) tend to our Praife and Honour and Glory at the last day. And we must not think it firange conC. 4. 12, 13. cerning this Tryal, as though fome ftrange thing happens unto us, but rejoice Heb. 12. 6, 7, 8, 10. Pf. 119. 71. 67. T. I Pct. 1. 7. in it. Carendo magis quam fruendo, by wanting more then by enjoying; The mean T. p. 283. This being premifed, I will now a little examine the Arguments commonly ufed by the Jefuits and Schoolmen to fupport the foregoing Affertion. David, Deut. 8.9, 10. fay they, after he was forgiven, Culpa, the Guilt of Murder and Adultery, Bell. ut fupra. yet underwent, Pæna, a Funishment for it, he loft his Son. Ihumbly con- c. 2. c. D. M m ceive |