The suruey of popery vvherein the reader may cleerely behold, not onely the originall and daily incrementes of papistrie, with an euident confutation of the same; but also a succinct and profitable enarration of the state of Gods Church from Adam vntill Christs ascension, contained in the first and second part thereof: and throughout the third part poperie is turned vp-side downe.

The answere.

I answer, that S. Austen meaneth nothing lesse, then to denie concupiscence to be sin, for otherwise he should be contrarie to himselfe, who affirmeth it to bee sinne in many places of his works, as is alreadie prooued; but hee onely laboureth to per∣swade the reader, that it is neuer imputed to the faithfull, that stoutly striue against it. And that this is the true meaning of S. Austen, I proue it by the iudgement of S. Ambrose,* 1.1 concerning the selfe same matter. Thus doth hee write.

Caro contra spiritum, & contra carnem spiritus concupiscit: ••ec inuenitur in vllo hominum tanta concordia,* 1.2 vt legi mentis lex quae membris est insita non repugnet. Propter quod ex omni∣um sanctorum persona accipitur quod Ioannes apostolus ait; si dixerimus quoniam peccatum non habemus, nosipsos seducimus, & veritas in nobis non est: cum tamen idem ipse dicat; qui na∣tus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit, qoniam semen ipsius in eo ma∣net, & non potest peccare, quoniā ex Deo natus est. Vtrumque er∣go verum est, quia & nemo sine peccato est, in eo quod nemo est fine lege peccati; & qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit, quia per legem mentis, id est, per charitatem quae Dei semen est, peccatum non facit. Charitas enim operit multitudinē peccatorū.

the flesh lusteth against the spirit, & the spirit against the flesh; neither is there found in any man such concord, but that the lawe (of concupiscence) which is ingrafted in the members, fighteth against the law of the mind. And for that cause Saint Iohns words are taken,* 1.3 as spoken in the person of all saints, If we say we haue no sin we deceiue our selues, and the truth is not in vs, when for al that; the same apostle saith, He that is borne of God, sinneth not, because his seed abideth in him, and he cannot sinne because he is of God. Therfore both are true, because no man is without sinne, for that no man is without the law of sinne, (that is, concupiscence) and he that is borne of God sinneth not, bicause he sinneth not by the law of his mind, that is, by charitie, which is Gods seede; for charitie couereth [ 1] the multitude of sinnes. Out of these words I note first, that concupiscence moueth rebellion against the spirit, in the holyest [ 2] man vpon earth. I note secondly, that this rebellion of concu∣piscence, is sinne in euerie one, because S. Iohn speaketh of sinne indeede, whose words saint Ambrose applieth heere to concupiscence. I note thirdly, that hee speaketh of originall [ 3] concupiscence, because he speaketh of that concupiscence, which is in the saints, that is, in those that are borne of God. I note fourthly, that the faithfull sinne not, because charitie couereth [ 4] their sins. So then S. Austen meaneth as S. Ambrose doth, that they are without sin, to whom sinne is not imputed. Yea, Aquinas himselfe granteth, (which is to be admired) that the inordinate motion of sensualitie, euen which goeth before the deliberation of reason, is sinne though in a lowe degree. These are his expresse wordes:

Dicendum, quòd illud quod homo facit sine deliberatione ra∣tionis,* 1.4 non perfectè ipse facit, quia nihil operatur ibi id quod est principale in homine; vnde non est perfectè actus humanus, & per consequens non potestesse perfectè actus virtutis vel pec∣cati, sed aliquid imperfectum in genere horum. Vnde talis motus sensualitatis rationem praeueniens est peccatum veniale, quod est quiddam imperfectum in genere peccati.

I answere, that that which man doth without the deliberati∣on of reason, he doth it not perfectly, because that which is the chiefe in man worketh nothing there; wherefore it is not per∣fectly

mans act, and consequently it cannot be perfectly the act of vertue or of sinne, but some imperfect thing in this kinde. Whereupon such a motion of sensuality preuenting reason is a venial sinne, which is a certaine imperfect thing in the nature of sinne.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Amb. libr. 10. epist. 84. tom. 3.
• * 1.2

  1. Ioan. 1.
• * 1.3

  Note here a∣••ainst the papists, ••hat the faithfull ••oth are sinners ••nd iust at once.
• * 1.4

  ••q. 12. q. 74. ar. ••. contr. & ad 3.