had found any place in the hearts of her governors! who, regarding more the entire preservation of their own honour, than truth and peace, were all in the harsh language of war; πaîɛ, Báλλe; smite, kill, burn, persecute.

Had they been but half so charitable to their modern reprovers, as they profess they are to the foregoing, how had the Church flourished in an uninterrupted unity? In the old catholic writers," say they", "we bear with many errors: we extenuate and excuse them: we find shifts to put them off; and devise some commodious senses for them." Guiltiness, which is the ground of this favour, works the quite contrary courses against us. Alas, how are our writings racked, and wrested to envious senses! how misconstrued! how perverted! and made to speak odiously, on purpose to work distaste, to enlarge quarrel, to draw on the deepest censures!

Woe is me, this cruel uncharitableness is it, that hath brought this miserable calamity upon distracted Christendom. Surely, as the ashes of the burning mountain Vesuvius, being dispersed far and wide, bred a grievous pestilence in the regions round about P; so the ashes, that fly from these unkindly flames of discord, have bred a woeful infection and death of souls, through the whole Christian World.

SECT. 4.

The Church of Rome guilty of this Schism.

Ir is confessed by the President of the Tridentine Council, that the depravation of discipline and manners of the Roman Church, was the chief cause and original of these dissensions. Let us cast our eyes upon the doctrine, and we shall no less find the guilt of this fearful schism, to fall heavily upon the same heads.

For, first, to lay a sure ground, nothing can be more plain, than that the Roman is a particular Church, as the Fathers of Basil well distinguish it; not the universal: though we take in the Churches of her subordination or correspondence. This truth we might make good by authority', if our very senses did not save us the labour.

• Index Expurgat. Belg. jussu Phil. ii. Antwerp. Offic. Plant. In catholicis veteribus alios plurimos, &c.

P Magdeb. Cent. 2.

Quæ jamdiu depravata atque corrupta, harum ipsarum hæresium, magná ex parte, causa origóque extitit. Orat. Præs. Conc. Trid. sess. 11. Petrus Oxon. Sum. Concil. sub Sixto iv.

Si authoritas quæratur, orbis major est urbe, ubicunque fuerit Episcopus, sive Romæ, sive Eugubii. Hieron. Evagrio. Waldens. Doctr. Fid. Tom. 1. 1. ii. Pighius. Hierar. Eccl. 1. vi. 3. Turrecremat. et alii. Vid. Mort, appell. 1. iv. c. 2. sect. 6. Answer of the Bishop of St. David's Chaplain to Fisher.

Secondly, no particular Church, to say nothing of the universal since the Apostolic times, can have power to make a fundamental point of faith. It may explain or declare, it cannot create, Articles'.

Thirdly, only an error against a point of faith, is Heresy.

Fourthly, those points, wherein we differ from the Romanists, are they, which only the Church of Rome hath made fundamental, and of faith.

Fifthly, the Reformed, therefore, being by that Church illegally condemned for those points, are not heretics. "He is properly a heretic," saith Hosius', "who, being convicted in his own judgment, doth, of his own accord, cast himself out of the Church."

For us, we are neither convicted in our own judgment, nor in the lawful judgment of others. We have not willingly cast ourselves out of the Church; but, however we are said to be violently ejected by the undue sentence of malice, hold ourselves close to the bosom of the true spouse of Christ, never to be removed as far therefore from heresy, as charity is from

our censurers.

Only, we stand convicted by the doom of gcod Pope Boni face", or Silvester Prierius; Quicunque non &c.: "Whosoever doth not rely himself upon the doctrine of the Roman Church, and of the Bishop of Rome, as the infallible rule of faith, from which even the Scripture itself receives her force, he is a heretic." Whence follows, that the Church of Rome, condemning and ejecting those for heretics which are not, is the author of this woeful breach in the Church of God.

I shall, therefore, I hope, abundantly satisfy all wise and indifferent readers, if I shall shew, that those points, which we refuse and oppose, are no other, than such, as, by the confessions of ingenuous authors of the Roman part, have been, besides their inward falsity, manifest upstarts; lately obtruded upon the Church; such, as our ancient progenitors, in many hundreds of successions, either knew not, or received not into their belief; and yet, both lived and died worthy Christians.

Surely, it was but a just speech of St. Bernard'; and that, which might become the mouth of any Pope or Council: Ego si peregrinum &c.: "If I shall offer to bring in any strange opinion, it is my sin."

Nec Papa, nec Episcopus, propriè potest propositionem &c. Gers. An liceat in causis fidei, &c. Nil. Thessal. Orat. de Dissens.

Is propriè hæreticus dicitur, qui, suo ipsius judicio condemnatus, suá sponte seipsum ejicit ab Ecclesia. Hosius de Legitimis Judicibus Rerum Ecclesiasticarum. 1. ii. u Subesse Romano &c. Extr. de major. et obed. unam &c.

* Silv. Prier. Epit. Resp. ad Luth 1. ii. c. 7.

y Nilus imputat divisiones Orbis Christiani præsumptioni Romanæ Ecclesia, quæ susceperit in se, absque Græcis, definire de rebus fidei; et contrà sentientes anathemate ferire. Orat. de Dissens. Eccl.

Ego, si peregrinum dogma induxero, ipse peccavi. Bern. in Caut. Ser. 30.

It was the wise ordinance of the Thurians, as Diodorus Siculus reports, That he, who would bring in any new law amongst them to the prejudice of the old, should come with a halter about his neck, into the assembly; and there, either make good his project, or die.

For, however in human constitutions μerayeveσтépaι, &c. "The later orders are stronger than the former";" yet, in divinity, Primum verum; "The first is true;" as Tertullian's rule is. The old way is the good way, according to the Prophet. Here we hold us; and, because we dare not make more Articles than our Creeds, nor more sins than our Ten Commandments, we are indignly cast out.

Let us, therefore, address ourselves roundly to our promised task; and make good the novelty and unreasonableness of those points we have rejected.

Out of too many controversies disputed betwixt us, we select only some principal; and, out of infinite varieties of evidence, some few irrefragable testimonies.

CHAP. I.

ON JUSTIFICATION BY INHERENT RIGHTEOUSNESS.

To begin with JUSTIFICATION.

The Tridentine Fathers, in their seven months' debating of this point, have so cunningly set their words, that the error, which they would establish, might seem to be either hid or shifted: yet, at the last, they so far declare themselves, as to determine, that "the only formal cause of our Justification is God's justice; not by which he himself is just, but by which he makes us just: wherewith being endowed by him, we are renewed in the spirit of our minds; and are not only reputed, but are made truly just, receiving every man his own measure of justice, which the Holy Ghost divides to him, according to each man's predisposition of himself and co-operation." And, withal, they denounce a flat Anathema to all those," who shall dare to say, that we are formally justified by Christ's

a Cit. de Modest. Annot. in Leg. xii. Tab.

• Μεταγενεστέραι διατάξεις ἰσχυρότερα τῶν πρὸ αὐτῶν. Modest. Annot. ibid. e Card. de Monte Præs. Conc. Orat. suâ. sess. 11. professes, what they meant to have dispatched in fifteen days, cost seven months' work.

d Unica formalis causa est justitia Dei; non quá ipse justus est, sed quâ nos justos facit, &c. Conc. Trid. sess. 6.

e Secundum propriam cujusque dispositionem et co-operationem. Ibid.

f Si quis dixerit, &c. per eam ipsam formaliter justos esse, vel sola imputatione justitiæ Christi, vel solâ remissione peccatorum, &c. anathema sit. Can. 10. 11.

righteousness; or by the sole imputation of that righteousness, or by the sole remission of our sins; and not by our inherent grace, diffused in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." Which terms they have so craftily laid together, as if they would cast an aspersion upon their adversaries, of separating the necessity of sanctification from the pretended justification by faith; wherein all our words and writings will abundantly clear us, before God and men.

That there is an inherent justice in us, is no less certain, than that it is wrought in us by the Holy Ghost. For God doth not justify the wicked man, as such; but, of wicked, makes him good: not by mere acceptation, but by a real change; while he justifies him, whom he sanctifies.

These two acts of mercy are inseparable : but this justice, being wrought in us by the Holy Spirit, according to the model of our weak receipt, and not according to the full power of the Infinite Agent", is not so perfect, as that it can bear us out before the tribunal of God. It must be only under the garment of our Elder Brother, that we dare come in for a blessing: his righteousness made ours by faith, is that, whereby we are justified in the sight of God: this doctrine is that, which is blasted with a Tridentine curse.

SECT. 1.

The Newness of the Article of Justification by Inherent
Righteousness.

HEAR now the History of this doctrine of Justification, related by their Andrew Vega (de Just. 1. vii. c. 24.) Magna fuit &c. "Some ages since," saith he, "there was a great concertation amongst Divines, what should be the formal cause of our Justification. Some thought it to be no created justice infused into man; but only the favour and merciful acceptation of God: in which opinion, the Master of Sentences is thought, by some, to have been. Others, whose opinion is more common and probable, held it to be some created quality, informing the souls of the just; this opinion was allowed in the Council of Vienna; and the School-Doctors, after the Master of Sentences, delivered this not as probable only, but as certain. Afterwards, when some defended the opposite part to be more probable, it seemed good to the holy Synod of Trent thus to determine it."

c. 13.

Nunquam remittetur culpa, quin simul infundatur justitia. Bell. l. ii. de Justif. h Perfecta sunt opera Dei: ex Deut. xxxii. Bell. 1. ii. de Justific. c. 14. Justitiam in nobis recipientes, unusquisque suam secundum mensuram quam Spiritus Sanctus partitur singulis prout vult, et secundum propriam cujusque dispositionem. Conc. Trid. ubi suprà.

So as, till the late Council of Trent, by the confession of Vega himself, this opinion was maintained as probable only; not, as of faith: yea, I add, by his leave, the contrary was till then most current.

It is not the logic of this point, we strive for: it is not the grammar: it is the divinity: what that is, whereby we stand acquitted before the Righteous Judge'; whether our inherent justice, or Christ's imputed justice apprehended by faith. The Divines of Trent are for the former: all Antiquity, with us, for the latter. A just volume would scarce contain the pregnant testimonies of the Fathers, to this purpose.

St. Chrysostom tells us, it is the wonder of God's mercy, that he, who hath sinned, confesseth, is pardoned, secured, and suddenly appears just: just; but how? "The cross took away the curse," saith he m, most sweetly: "Faith brought in righteousness; and righteousness drew on the grace of the Spirit."

St. Ambrose tells us", that our carnal infirmity blemisheth our works; but, that the uprightness of our faith covers our errors, and obtains our pardon; and professeth, that he will glory, not for that he is righteous, but for that he is redeemed; not for that he is void of sins, but for that his sins are forgiven him.

St. Jerome tells us, then we are just, when we confess ourselves sinners; and, that our righteousness stands not in any merit of ours, but in the mere mercy of God; and, that the acknowledgment of our imperfection, is the imperfect perfection of the just.

St. Gregory tells us P, that our Just Advocate shall defend us righteous in his judgment, because we know and accuse ourselves unrighteous; and, that our confidence must not be in our acts, but in our Advocate.

But the sweet and passionate speeches of St. Austin and St. Bernard would fill a book, alone. Neither can any Reformed Divine, either more disparage our inherent righteousness, or more magnify and challenge the imputed.

It shall suffice us to give a taste of both.

i Forense vocab. Justif. verbum. justificandi in aliá significatione usurpant Patres. Chemnit. Exam. de Justif.

k Causa formalis, propter quam, homo dicitur justus coram Deo. Bell. 1. ii. de Justif, c. 1. Yet, in the next chapter, he corrects this propter, in Chemnitius; and expresses it by per: 1. ii. c. 2.

'Chrysost. in Gen. Hom. 2. O misericordiæ magnitudinem, &c. repentéque, justus apparet.

Chrysost. in Galat. c. iii. Crux sustulit execrationem: fides invexit justitiam: justilia verò gratiam Spiritús allexit.

n Ambros. de Jacob. et Vitâ Beatâ. Non operibus justificamur, sed fide; quoniam carnalis infirmitas &c.—Ibid. c. 6. Non gloriabor quia mens &c.-Similiter de Cain et Abel. 1. i. c. 9. de Fugâ. sec. c. 3. et 7.

• Hieron. adv. Pelag. I. i. Tunc justi sumus, cùm imperfectos nos &c.

r Gregor. in Ezech. Hom. 7. ad finem. Justus igitur Advocatus noster &c.