tius, and his deputy in the Seleucian Council; which, when the Fathers hotly contended, as there was good cause, for the consubstantiality of the Son; "Get you home;" said he, "and trouble not the Church still with these trifles *."

St. Basil was of another mind, from these men; who, as Theodorit reports, when the lieutenant of Valens, the emperor, persuaded him to remit but one letter for peace sake, answered, "Those, that are nursed with the sincere milk of God's word, may not abide one syllable of his sacred truth to be corrupted; but rather than they will endure it, are ready to receive any kind of torment or death.”

Eleusius and Silvanus, which were orthodox Bishops; and those other worthy guardians, and, as Athanasius's title was, Champions of the Truth; were of another mind from these cool and indifferent mediators t.

So far as the sacred truth will allow us, we will accompany them gladly but, if they urge us further, we stand still, or start back. And those two courses, which Epiphanius advised as the remedies of heresy, Heed and Avoidance, both those do we carefully use and perform. Great is the offence of discord, and unexpiable; and such, in the grave judgment of Cyprian§, as is not purged with the blood of our passion: and justly do we think that friend of Homer worthy of no place but hell. But yet, we cannot think concord a meet price of truth: which it is lawful for us to buy, at any rate; but, to sell upon any terms, is no less than piacular.

Let us, therefore, a little discuss the several differences; and, as it uses to be done when the house is too little for the stuff, let us pile up all close together. It shall be enough in this large harvest of matter, to gather some few ears out of every shock; and to make a compendious dispatch of so long a task ¶.

The grossest of the Popish Heresies; and, as Jerome objects to Origen, the most venomous opinions of Rome, which have bred so much trouble and danger, at this day, to the Church of God; are either such, AS DO CONCERN OURSELVES, NOT WITHOUT SOME RESPECT TO GOD; Or such, as concern God, not without some respect

to us.

Of the former sort, are those, which, in a certain order (such as it is) of discourse, are conversant about Justification, Free-will, the Merit of our Works, Human Satisfaction, Indulgences, Purgatory, and the Differences of Mortal and Venial Sins.

These, therefore, first offer themselves to our examination.

(1.) That point of Justication, of all other, is exceeding important; insomuch as Calvin was fain to persuade **, that if this one

head might be yielded safe and entire, it would not quit the cost to make any great quarrel for the rest.

Would to God that word of Cassander might be made good, which doubted not to say, "That, which is affirmed, that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but that they are freely justified by faith, was always allowed and received in the Church of God, and is at this day approved by all ecclesiastical writers." Yea, I would they would be ruled by their Thomas Aquinas in this, who attributes + Justification to works; not as Justification is taken for an infusion of grace, but as it is taken for an exercise, or manifestation, or consummation of justice. If this were all, in this point all would be peace.

But, whilst the Tridentine Fathers take upon them to forge the formal cause of our Justification, to be our own inherent justice, and thrust faith out of office ; what good man can choose but presently address himself to an opposition? Who would not rather die, than suffer the ancient faith of the Church to be depraved with these idle dreams?

Go, now, ye great Trent Divines, and brag of yourselves, as Etius did of old by Theodoret's report, that God hath now, at last, revealed to you those things, which he would have hitherto concealed from all the world.

In the mean time, we cannot but scorn to see the souls of men so shamefully deluded; while we hear the Spirit of God so often redoubling, without works: not by works, but by faith: by their works no flesh shall be justified: being justified freely by his grace: Rom. iv. 6. Gal. ii. 16. Eph. ii. 8. Rom. iii. 20, 24. By the power whereof, Arius Montanus, an ingenuous author (and, as Jerome said of Apollinarius §, a man of approved labour, though in many things, as the times then were, faulty in opinion) being utterly convinced, "It follows," saith he , "that faith is reputed for righteousness, to him, that works not in the Law; and that, according to the purpose of the grace of God.”

If we cast our eyes back to the Ancient Fathers, they are all ours. "Not according to the worth of our works;" saith Basil ¶. "Only to believe," To tigɛútai μóvov; saith Nazianzen **. “ Faith alone is sufficient;" saith Jerome ++. "By believing are men justified;" saith Augustin. And, with these, consort the rest; Epiphanius §§, Chrysostom, Athanasius ¶¶¶, Primasius ***, and that whole sacred Choir of Antiquity. But, to what purpose do I instance in these, when as the Expurgatory Index of Spain hath purposely wiped

Concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 7. Si quis dixerit sola fide &c. Com. 9.
Epist. ad Pam. et Occanum.

In Rom. iv. 5.

** Vid. Whitak. contra Dur. Tepi iura.

+† Lib. i. advers. Pelag, et in iii. ad Galat.

## De Patient. c. 20, et in Psal. xxxi. §§ In Ancor.

In Psal. xiv. 1.

In Rom. 17. Hom. et in 1 Cor. Hom. 11. ¶¶ Orat. I. contra Arian.

*** De offic. 1. ii. c. 2.-De Jacob. et Vitâ Beat. 2.

See

both out of the table and text of Chrysostom *, Jerome †, Cyril ‡, most clear testimonies for the Sole Justification by Faith? the book is every where abroad: it is needless to recite the severals. now the Inquisitors guilty to themselves, both of error and fraud. To whom I must sing the same note, that Ambrose did, of old, to the Arians: "Ye may blot out the letters; but the faith, you can never abolish: those blurs bewray you more; those blots condemn you more, than the writing §."

But some, perhaps, may think this a mere strife of words, and not hard to be reconciled: for, that, which to the Papists is inherent justice, is no other to the Protestants than sanctification: both sides hold this equally necessary: both call for it equally:-True; but do both require it in the same manner? do both to the same end? I think not. Yea, what can be more contrary, than these opinions to each other? The Papists make this inherent righteousness the cause of our justification; the Protestants, the effect thereof. The Protestants require it as the companion or page; the Papists, as the usher, yea, rather as the parent of justification.

"But what matters it," say they ||, "so both ascribe this whole work to God? As though it comes not all to one, to pay a sum for me, and to give it me to pay for myself:"-I know not how these things seem so little dissonant to these men's ears, which the Spirit of God hath made utterly incompatible. To him that worketh, the wages is not imputed of grace, but of debt. If by grace, now not of works; or else grace should be no more grace: "For neither is it grace any way, if it be not free every way;" saith Augustin ¶. But these men say, "Therefore of grace, because of works."

Not of works, lest any man should boast; saith the Spirit; Eph. ii. 9. "But of works; and yet a man shall boast in the Lord;" saith Bellarmin. And wherefore shall he boast? because he is just? because void of sin? Perhaps, some Isiodore ** may say thus of himself, which voluntarily protested, that, for forty years' space, he found not in himself any sin; not so much as in his thought; not so much as any consent to anger or inordinate desire: or, perhaps, some Baronius or Bellarmin may report this of their late St. Gonzaga ++: or the offal of the Schools may say so of Bonaventure ‡‡; in whom, if we believe them, Adam sinned not: or Manicheus S may say it of his elect masters: or, perhaps, Priscillian, Evagrius, Jovinian, the Messalians, may brag thus of themselves.

But, far otherwise is that speech of Ambrose: "I will not boast, because I am just; but, because I am redeemed: I will boast, not because I am void of sin; but because my sins are forgiven me."

* In Rom. 8. Chrys. Hom. de verbis Pauli. Non solùm sed gloriamur in affl. Tom. iii. p. 945. In Ep. ad. Tit. c. 2.

+ Hier. in Epist. ad Rom. c. 10.

Fides sola justificat, delcatur ad Gal. ii.

$ Literas quidem abolere potestis, &c. Amb. de Sp. S. 1. iii. c. 11.

Exam. Pacif. Rom. iv. 4.

Aug. de Cor. et Grat.

**Socr. l. iv. c. 18.

In Bonaventurá non peccavit Adam.
Hier. advers. Pelag. ad Ctesiphont.

Otherwise, we shall come to that point, which Innocentius condemned in the Pelagians *: "What need have we now of God?"

But thou sayest, God hath given me this, whereby I am just." Indeed, this seems, at the first, a great and glorious praise of the grace of God; and, at the first hearing, sounds well to an ignorant ear: and yet, when it is better considered, under a pretence of piety, spoils Christ of his glory. Why dost thou not as well say, "He hath given me, wherewith I may redeem myself?" for, by the same, wherewith we are justified, we are redeemed: Being justified by his blood; Rom. v. 9. Behold, the blood of him, that is God and man, justifies us; and the same redeems us.

But, go on a little: God hath given thee this:-But hath he given it thee, without thyself? Is this done, without the intervention, without the operation of our free-will? Let the monks of Bourdeaux speak, in their Abjurations †: let Andradius, let Bellarmin (the flower of the Popish School), let any Papist deny this, if

he dare.

It is only Christ's therefore, which is imputed: that, which is inherent, is ours. "For all," saith Austin, "which are justified by Christ, are just, not in themselves, but in him. That, which is Christ's, because it is his, is most perfect: that, which is ours, because ours, is weak and imperfect. God hath made us men; not Gods. Our perfection is seasonable in heaven."

Justly doth Jerome deride Ctesiphon ; we, the Papists: "O blessed, O happy men, if that justice, which is not thought to be any where but in heaven, may be found with you only upon earth: in the mean time, it is sufficient for us, to mourn for our wants, to hate injustice." It is the very speech of Donatists, "I have nothing for thee to pardon §."

Let Bernard || now, to conclude, shut up this stage. "Not to sin," saith he, " is God's justice; but the justice of man, is the pardon of God."

"is

To be imputed therefore, and to be inherent, differ no less than God and man, Trent and Heaven. Wherefore, let our Romanists confess, that, which both Scriptures and Fathers and all their modester Doctors have both thought and reported to be the common voice of the former Church in all times; and we are agreed: otherwise, what fellowship hath God with Belial, light with darkness? (2.) Bordering upon this, is the point of Free-will.

To let pass all lighter quarrels of the nature of our will, let us enquire of the power of it. And that, not in natural, human, or moral things: (here is all peace and silence, save that the words jangle with themselves; and, when the matter is agreed upon, who would not contemn words, as Augustin ¶ saith well?) but, in spiritual and di

vine matters.

Theod. l. iv. c. 10. + Abjurat. Artic. 45.
Optat. I. ii. cont. Don. Non habeo quòd ignoscas.

Hier. advers. Pelag. lib. iii.

Ser. in Cant. et Ser. 4. de Verbis Esa. Rectam sortitam justitiam, &c.
Aug. de Ordin. 2.

We do will, indeed. We will freely: neither can we otherwise will any thing. Who denies it? Here is no physical determination, no violence but, to will that which is good, or to will well, we cannot *. We do freely believe; for faith is an act of the will: yea, and we do co-operate with grace: neither are we herein like to senseless stones, as Austin truly speaks.

But, whence is all this? Is it of ourselves, or of God? Is it of grace, or, which the Council of Arausica condemned, by the power of nature? This must be our question.

Both sides like well that speech of St. Augustin: "To will freely, is the work of nature; to will well, of grace; to will ill, of corruption:" but, when we come to the point, the Doctors of Trent are not more subtle, than the Jesuits inconstant.

It is yet good and safe, which Bellarmin + cites from his Ruardus: "A good work, as it is a work, is from free-will; as it is good, from grace; as both a work and good, both from free-will and grace."

But that is exceeding ingenuous, and truly evangelical, which the same Bellarmin affirms, against some Semipelagian Catholics, in those things, which pertain to piety and salvation, that man's will can do nothing without the help of God's grace. It is the voice of Jacob. If the Cardinal would hold him there, cursed be he, that should oppose him.

I go on to hope and read: and see what stuff I meet with, soon after, in the same book §; That our conversion is in the power of free-will; because it may be always converted, when it will: and, yet further; That, before all grace, we have free-will, even in the works of piety and supernatural things. Before all grace? what, before the grace of prevention? It were well the Cardinal would set forth some better recognitions.

Now, then, God doth not prevent us, as Austin ¶ said of old, that we might will; but we prevent God, because we will.

But, lest this should seem too gross, this liberty is tied up; and is altogether in the same state as the faculty of seeing, when a sensible species is absent: we can freely see, while the object is absent: we can freely will, in the absence of grace.

Let Bellarmin now tell me are we any whit more free to evil, than he feigns us to good? Did ever Pelagius dote thus much? We can will evil; but yet, unless it be determined, under some false semblance, by the verdict of our practical judgment, we will it not.

But, if we should yield him thus much, what help is this, that God gives us? To prevent, inspire, excite, and help, is of God: to incline the will, is of ourselves. How are we not now more beholding to ourselves, than to God? What is this, but that Pelagian

*Aliud est velle, aliud velle Bonum. Bern. † Bell. 1. vi. de Grat. c. 5. p. 10. Lib. vi. de Grat. c. 4. in titulo. § Lib. vi. c. 15. Resp. ad Secund.

Lib. vi. de Grat. c. ult. Sent. primâ. Aug. de Cor. et Grat. Nolentem prævenit, ut velit; volentem subsequitur, ne frustrà velit.