CHAP. I.

WHEN we teach that the Command∣ments of God, may by the help of his grace be obserued vpon earth, we do not meane that they may be perfectly fullfilled according to the whole end, and intent of the Law; nor that our duety should be so entiere and com∣plete, as nothing can be added to the full perfection ther∣of nor do we speake of the vniuersall obseruation of all precepts all the whole dayes of our life, for that is rare, & graunted but to few; nor yet of the perfect fullfilling of any of them, any long tyme without some veniall sinnes, or small imperfections, for this is an extraordinary pre∣rogatiue, & speciall fauour among al the children of Adam Page  337 communicated only to our Blessed Lady: But we defend it possible, if not easy, by Gods grace to fullfill the sub∣stance, and satisfy the whole obligation of the Law, as far forth as at any tyme it bindeth vs vnder the penalty of* sinne. This D. Fulke, this D. Whitaker, this D. Abbot with other Protestants deny, and Whitaker dubbeth as a point fundamentall, and this is that which we vphould against them. First, by that of Deutronomy: This commandment that I command thee this day, is not aboue thee, nor so far of, nor situated in heauen, that thou mayst say, which of vs is able to ascend vnto hea∣uen to bring it vnto vs, that we may heare, and fullfill it in worke &c. but the word is very neere thee in thy mouth, and in thy hart to do it. These two later members wipe away our Pro∣testants exposition, interpreting this place of the meere knowledge, not of the obseruation of the law, because God speaketh there of fullfilling and doing it in worke.* Yet if by reason of S. Paul, who allegorically only, not literally applyeth that sentence to Christ, they gloze it at least to be vnderstood of the Euangelicall doctrine of Fayth, then we also insist, that if the precept of fayth in substance supernaturall, may be obserued, how much more the naturall commandments of the Decalogue, of which S. Augustine, and Theodoret expound that of Deutero∣nomy.

2. Secondly the Apostle sayth: That which was impos∣sible to the law in that it was weakned by the flesh, God sending his, Sonne in the similititude of the flesh of sinne, euen of sinne damned sinne in the flesh, that the iustification of the law might be fullfilled in vs, who waike not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit: Therefore they that are regenerated in Christ, in whome the spirit of God dwelleth, who walke in new∣nes of life, do truly satisfy and fullfill the law of God. They* do it (quoth Fulke, and Abbot) by the supply or imputation of Christs righteousnes imputed vnto them and made theirs, not by a∣bility giuen them to keepe it. But this guilefull commentary hath beene heertofore discarded in the Controuersy of In∣herent Iustice. And heere S. Paul flatly auerreth the com∣ming Page  238 of Christ to haue beene, that the iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs; in vs, whose earthly shape and similitude he tooke; in vs, in whose flesh he damned and abolished sinne: for in his owne he neuer extinguished any, because it was neuer touched with the least aspersion. Therefore he cannot be expounded of the obedience per∣formed by Christ in his own person, but of that which we atcheiue in ours, whome he cleanseth from vice, and adorneth with grace: that the iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs, quickened by his spirit, which in flesh wea∣kened & infeebled by sinne, was otherwise without gra∣ce impossible to be kept. Likewise Christs righteousnes, according to Protestants is communicated vnto them by fayth only; but the Apostle heere writeth of a iustification obtayned by working, and going forward in newnes of life, by walking not according to the flesh, but according to the spi∣vit: then the causall preposition, for, which ensueth, the comparison betweene them that pursue their fleshly appe∣tits, and such as are swayed with the desires of the spirit, the correspondence and agreement with this other Text, Not the heares of the law are iust with God, but the doers of the law* shalbe iustifyed, inuincibly proue that the Apostle speaketh of the iustification purchased by the doing and keeping of the law in our owne persons, and not of that which by* your almighty-vaine beleefe is imputed vnto you. And so S. Augustine: When it is sayd (quoth he) the doers of the law shall he iustified, what other things is sayd, then the iust shalbe iustified? For the doers of the law verily are iust. Agayne: Fullfill* the law which thy Lord thy God came not to breake, but to fulfill, for thou shalt fulfill that by loue, 〈…〉 are thou couldst not. And a litle after: Our Lord will affoard his sweetnes, and our earth* will yield ber fruit, that by charity yee may fulfill which by feare was hard to accomplish. In another place: The law teaching, & commanding that which without grace could not be performed, dis∣couered vnto man his infimity, that infirmity discouered might seeke out a Sauiour, from whome the will healed might be able to do, which infirme it could not do. The law therefore leadeth vnto fayth, Page  239 fayth impetrateth a more copious spirit, the spirit diffuseth Charity, Charity fullfilleth the law.

3. Thirdly Christ pronounceth: May yoake is sweet, and* my burthen light. S. Ioan: This is the law of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not heauy. To whom are they not heauy? To them to whome our Re∣deemer spake: Take vp my yoake vpon you, and learne of me,* because I am meeke and humble, & you shall find rest to your soules: To them whome S. Iohn taught how to ouercome the world; but these men were inuironed with humane in∣firmityes, therfore men compassed with the frailty of our flesh, which M. Abbot gaine-sayth, may by the succour of* Christ and assistance of his grace, take vp the yoke of Gods commandments, easily beare them, and sweetly ob∣serue them. Fourthly our Sauiour sayd to him who desired to learne the way of saluatiō: If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Is it possible then to enter into euerla∣sting* life? Yes. And not by this meanes which Christ pro∣posed? No. No? Conceaue you so hardly of the blessed Redeemer, and louer of our soules, as to auouch, that he who came to teach the way of truth, who neuer counsail∣led the captious Pharisyes his deadly foes to run any vn∣couth, false, or straying path, did now perswade this Re∣ligious* young man, whome he loued, who vnfeignedly sought, as S. Basil, S. Chrisostome, and Euthymius thinke, his eternall weale, to an erroneous and impossible course of of atteyning blisse? Did he say vnto him, hoc fac & viues, do this and thou shalt liue, which although he would, he could not do, or if he did, might not purchase life therby? For such is the impious answere which Caluin, and his followers returne to this heauenly admonition, or precept of Christ; forcing his meaning quite contrary to his words. Fifthly Kinge Dauid auoucheth of himselfe: I haue ran the way of thy com∣mandments: I haue kept thy law: I haue not declined from thy testi∣monyes: I haue kept thy commandments and testimonyes. And that you might be assured he sayd true, the holy Ghost addeth his seale, & subscription thereunto: Dauid did that which was Page  240 right in the sight of God, & turned from nothing that he comman∣ded him all the dayes of his life, except only the matter of Vrias the* Hethi•e. Agayne: He was not like my seruant Dauid, who kept my Commandments. Of Ezechias he witnesseth the same. Of Zacharias and Elizabeth, Saint Luke recordeth: They were both iust before God, walking in all the commandments, and iustifications of our Lord without blame. Scan I pray these foure things. First, that they walked not in any one on∣ly, but in all the commandments. Secondly that they were iustifications which made them iust. Thirdly be∣fore God. Fourhly, without blame, viz. without any vicious defect, or culpable imperfection, which might eyther stayne the splendour of their iustice, or hinder their ful & complete obseruation of the law, which God required at their hands.

4. Lastly the keeping of the commandments is the sole marke, and true cognizance of a beleeuing Christian:* If you loue me, keepe my commandments: He that hath my com∣mandments and keepeth them, he it is that loueth me. And: In this we know that we haue knowne him, if we obserue his command∣ments: He that sayth he knoweth him, and keepeth not his command∣ments is a lyar, and the truth is not in him. Wherefore if Pro∣testants cannot obserue the Commandments, they are not* louers, nor knowers of God, or if they challenge his loue and boast of his knowledge, not fullfilling his law, they are lyars, blasphemers, and the truth is not in them. Their Ministers stinged with this sharpe censure, begin to startle and perswade their fauourits, that they keep the law cor∣respondently to the proportion of their loue and know∣ledge, that is, haltingly, weakly, imperfectly, as their loue is halting, their knowledge imperfect. Are these the new Apostles, diuine lightned Reformers, who sit in the sun-shine of their Ghospell, and rise to illuminate the world with their radiant beames? And do they con∣fesse their beames of truth to be dimmed with clouds, their flames of loue frozen with cold, with such misty clouds, with such nipping frost, as violate the precept of know∣ing Page  241 the commandment of louing God? For as their raw and imperfect obseruations (which hath been demon∣strated before in the precedent Controuersy) are of their owne nature, true breaches of the law; so their lame knowledge, their imperfect loue is a transgression of the precept of loue, a preuarication of the commandment of beliefe, which is the supernaturall knowledge of God, whereof S. Iohn speaketh. But if they violate the precept of fayth as often as they beleeue, with what conscience can they exercise an act of beliefe, who are charged ne∣uer to infringe the will of God? With what hart can they iudge that precept imposed, when neyther in this life, nor in the next (for then fayth ceaseth, and vanisheth away) it can be euer accomplished? With what tongue can they bragge of true beliefe (for this is commāded) wheras theirs transgresseth the commandment of God? With that false stringed tongue, with that hollow hart, with that seared conscience, with which they presume to auerre, that the Father of heauen doth esteeme and account their breaches obseruations, their violations accomplishments of what* he commandeth, forcing him to vnder go for the loue of their persons, that heauy curse he threatneth to others: Wo be vnto you that call euill good, and good euill, esteeming darknes light, and light darknes, accounting bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter.

5. Yet on the other side, if abhorring these blasphe∣myes, they dare pronounce their knowledge, or beliefe such, as it fulfilleth the precept of fayth, as far as it ought: thence we argue, that they may likewise obserue the pre∣cept* of charity, as far forth as they ought, and by con∣sequence wholy obserue and fulfill the law. For Charity is the fulnes of the law, the summe or knot of perfection, on which the* whole law and Prophets depend. Hence it is defined in the secōd Arausican Councell: That all the Christned, hauing receaued grace by Baptisme, Christ ayding and cooperating, may, and ought if they will diligently labour, to fullfill all things which belong to sal∣uation. S. Hilary saity; It is not hard if the will be prompt to obey Page  242 the precept of our Lord. S. Hierome: No man doubteth of this, but that God hath commanded things possible. S. Augustine: Neyther* God who is iust can command things impossible, nor condenme man who is pious, for that which he could not auoyd. And agayne. Thinges impossible God commandeth not, but by cōmanding warneth thee, both to doe what thou art able, and to aske what thou art not able, and he helpeth thee that thou mayest be able. Yet because Protestants will strayne their wits to bow these sayings to some crooked sense, I will stand to the iudgement of such as their owne fellow Protestans furnish me withall, and whome they iudge to hold with vs without exception.

6. For the Century-writers affime, that the authour of Replyes extant among the workes or Iustin, with full mouth breaketh into these words: What is all the iustice of the law? to loue God more then himselfe, and his neighbour as himselfe, which truely is not impossible to men that are willing. Of Clemens Alex∣andrinus, mayster to Origen, they auouch: He with great er∣rour iudged the legall obedience to be altogeather possible to the re∣generate. Then passing to the three hundred years of Christ thus they deliuer their generall verdict of the Fathers of that age, They held concerning the law very exhorbitant opinions, as Tertullian in his booke against the Iewes disputeth, that the Saints in the old testament, as Noë, Abraham, Melchisedech, & others were iust by the iustice of the natural law. Hence with the like error (I vse the Centurists phrase) Origen heer and there inculcateth many things of the possibility of the law, as in his eyght homily vpon Exodus, where expounding the Decalogue, he seemeth to asseuere that the bap∣tized may according to all things fulfil the law. The same, sayth the Authour of homilyes vpon the Canticle, The diuine word is not mis∣shapen or without order, neyther doth it command things impossible. And Cyprian, because, sayth he, we know that which is to be done, and can do that which we know, thou conimandest me, o Lord that I loue thee; this both I can, and ought to do. Hitherto the Centurists producing witnesses against themselues.

THE SECOND CHAPTER; IN WHICH The possibility of keeping the Law is maintay∣ned, by other reasons: and obiections answered.

FIRST it were no lesse then tyranny to punish men euerlastingly for not keeping the Commandments, if it be not in their power by Gods helpe to* keep them. Therefore to quit the so∣ueraigne goodnes from this merciles cruelty, the Fathers vniformely define: That it is a wicked thing to teach the Precepts of the spirit cannot be obserued. S. Basil: Accuse not God, he hath not commanded things impossible. S. Chrysostome: We stedfastly beleeue God to be iust & good, not able to command things impossible; hence we are admonished what we ought to do in things easy, what to aske in things hard and difficile. S. Augustine, & S. Hierome accurseth their blasphemy who teach any impossible things to be imposed by God vnto man. Which argument hath beene handled heertofore in the Cōtrouersy of Free will, Page  244 where the Aduersaryes cauils theretunto are reiected. The like impiety it were in God to cooperate with vs in such speciall manner, to affoard his heauenly grace, his super∣naturall ayde to the keeping of his Commandments, if we transgresse and sinne in keeping of them. For as our* great Doctour S. Augustine teacheth: To commit sin, we are not ayded of God; but to do good things, or wholly fullfill the precept of iustice, we cannot, vnles we be ayded by God. Marke heere that by the ayde of God we may not in part, but wholy fullfill the precept, and that in fullfilling it we do not sinne, be∣cause thereunto we could not be holpen by God. To which my aduersaries cannot shape their worne-out, and thrid-bare reply, That our obseruation, our loue of God* for example, is no sinne, but a good deed by acceptation. For as I haue often answered, God cannot accept that for good which is in it selfe naught and sinnefull, but it is good in the* originall of grace from whence it proceedeth. Explane your selfe a little better, whether you meane it is perfectly or imper∣fectly good? Graunt perfectly, and you go on our side: yield only imperfectly, and you stand at the stay you were before: perhaps you imagine that it springeth per∣fect from the fountaine of grace, and after receaueth a ble∣mish from the weaknes of flesh? You imagine amisse: for the same indiuiduall & morall act which once is enriched with the dowry of perfection, cānot be after impouerish∣ed with any basenes of vice. Or, is it partly good as it is wrought by grace, and partly euill, as it runneth through the conduct of depraued nature? No such matter: the thing contradicteth it selfe, as hath beene often signifyed, nei∣ther is nature the conduct or pipe, but true cause of the act, in which there is not any part good, assignable to grace, distinct from that which is ascribed to man: but the en∣tiere action perfect, or lesse perfect, is wholy assigned to mans freewill, wholy thereunto ayded by grace: as the characters which the scholler frameth by the Maisters gui∣ding of his hand, are not seuerally drawne fayrely by one, and rudely by the other, but the same fayre or de∣formed, Page  245 rude or well fashioned, are wholy from both. Which forceth M. Abbot from that incongruous shift: We* by our corruption do disgrace that, which proceedeth holy and pure from God. In like manner he is ferretted out of his other berry-hole: That the action is good in the will, and endeauour of* the person, by whom it is done. For the will is weake, the en∣deauour mean, the person cloathed with human corrupti∣on, who if he may will, and endeauour that which is good, then some good may proceed from a fleshly man, perfect and entiere, free from all spot and blemish or els the will and intendment is no better then the worke: and* this assignement of goodnes which you make to the will, is a meere shew or treachery to cloake the badnes of your cause.

2. Lastly, you say (although you place it not in or∣der last) that the duty we obserue is in substance good. Well, I am contented with this (but see you recant not) for heere I haue, that the substance at least of louing God, the substance of euery obseruation of the law, which we a∣chieue, is perfect, and entiere, able to satisfy the will of God, able to make vs acceptable vnto him. Yes say they: If he fauourably looke vpon it, and impute not the fault: but if he* should strictly & narrowly deale with vs, he should haue iust cause of reiecting vs in the doing thereof. Forbeare these ifs, & ands, and come to the point. Is the substance of the action done entierely, good in it selfe, or no? abstracting from the fauour or dislike of God, whose indulgence, or seuerity* being extrinsecall, doth not make the substance of the worke better or worse? It is not so good, as it may endure the try all of the precise, and perfect rule of righteousnes & truth. This is not the question, but whether it may stand with satis∣faction of his law? It cannot stand with it in such full complete, and absolute manner, as that nothing at all may be added thereunto, Neither is that the thing demanded: who euer dealt with such slippery companions? Must I still put you to the tor∣ture, to draw out the truth? My question is, whether the substance of the act satisfyeth the obligation of the law? Page  246 Let vs heere what you say to this. They answere as heer∣tofore: It is short of that which the law requireth, it cannot be such* as it ought to be: as long as the flesh lusteth against the spirit, there can be no such entiere good in vs. Alwayes a man doth lesse then he ought to do. I thought you would flinch from your word: but I pursue you also flying. The act then of louing God is substantially short of that the law requireth, substan∣tially lesse then it ought to be, and not only lesse of that which ought to be, by perswasion or counsaile, but by precept binding to more, vnder payne of morall sinne; therefore the substance of this lesser act, is not morally good, but mortally defectuous, substantially faulty, a deadly sinne, and true transgression of the law, to which God cooperating must needs cooperate in particuler man∣ner to the accomplishment of sinne, & Protestants are bound to surcease from louing, praying, or endeauou∣ring to performe those mortall crimes, and bound to per∣forme them, because God commandeth them, as I further demonstrate by this dilemma. Either God commandeth the complete & perfect fullfilling of his law, which Protestants teach, no man in this life can euer atcheiue, & so his vnspeakable mercy degenerateth into tyranny, exa∣cting a tribute which we cannot pay, condemning vs for a fault which we cannot possibly eschew; or he comman∣deth vs to discharge our dutyes, according to our weake and limping manner, and then our vttermost endeauours satisfy his law, although they be lame and imperfect. If not? If our best endeauours transgresse his will, if they be wanting of the duty we ought to performe, and he com∣mand that defectuous duty; thus he himselfe commandeth a transgression, commandeth a sinne, and man by doing Gods will is bound to sinne. From which M. Abbot can∣not* excuse him by saying: It is the duty only he is bound to, and not to the sinne. For if the duety be vnauoydably linked with the sinful transgression, whosoeuer commandeth the duty, commandeth the transgression, and whosoeuer is obliged to accomplish the one, is necessarily obliged to incurre the Page  247 other. Neither is this fallacia accidentis, or any sophisticall cauillation, as he would bleare the eyes of the simple, pro∣ducing to that effect these two examples against Doctour* Bishop: A lame man is bound by law to come to the Church, he cannot come to the Church, but he must halt, therefore he is bound by law to halt. M. Bishop is bound to pay a man twenty poundes, but he cannot tell the money without soyling his fingers, therefore he is bound to soyle his fingers. So he, writing at randome: for i• there were no other pace amongst men, nor other meanes to repaire to Church but only by halting, all those who were bound by law to go to the Church, should be boūd by law to halt to the Church, and whosoeuer was willed to go should in this case be willed to halt, if, I say, there were no other gate at all then halting: now in the opini∣on of Protestants there is no meanes of fulfilling the law of God heer vpon earth, but defectuous lame, and sinneful, therfore whosoeuer is tyed to that sinnefull fufilling, 〈◊〉 al∣so tyed and obliged to sin, and whosoeuer commandeth it, commandeth sinne.

3. His second example is more extrauagant, for no* precept of the Decalogue can be obserued: The least (saith Caluin) is a burden more heauy then Aetna. No action of kee∣ping can be done without breach, & yet some money may be counted without soyling of fingers. I verily thinke many poore Artizans, many studēts also may receaue their rents without much soyling: howbeit the ample reue∣nues of great Lordships may stayne thē somewhat more; yet these staynes & defilements arise not immediatly from the action of counting or locall motion of the fingers, but from the money defilant & coyne which is soyled: clean∣se that, and your fingers will be cleane. But dare you say in like manner, that the impurity of our dueties, the spots of our actions are drawn from the things prescribed and commanded by God, from his spotted laws & defiled con∣stitutions? I cannnot iudge you guilty of so wicked a saying.

4. Secondly eyther English Protestants hold with Page  248 Caluin, that all and euery commandment is impossible to be kept, or some particuler only. Not euer one, for I* consulte the consciences of your own Sectaries, whether some of your Iudges haue not beene free from murder, & bearing false witnes against their neighbours; whether some of your graue Matrons haue not beene faythfull to their husbands, not defiled neyther in thought, nor deed with the cryme of adultery; whether some Protestants children haue not beene obedient to their parents, some Protestants subiects loyall to their Prince? I for my part what soeuer the Caluinists libell to the contrary, vnfeig∣nedly iudge, that diuers among them haue fully obserued at least for a tyme some of these precepts: then euery com∣mandment is not impossible for some space to be kept.* But some perchance be. Which are they? The two hardest in your opinion are, thou shalt not couet; and thou shalt loue God withall thy hart &c. Of the former it hath beene already pro∣ued, that it forbiddeth not the vnuoluntary motions, but the free consent, which we may refrayne; as some Pro∣testants no doubt, at some tyme or other, checke and sub∣due their desires of adultery, of reuenge, of coueting their neighbours goods, their liues &c. For it is an infamy too reproachfull that all their women should be adultresses, all their men & aged children reuengers of their wrongs, spillers of bloud, purloyners of the goods of others, eyther* in hart or deed, as often as any such euill motion ariseth, or tentation is suggested vnto them. Agayne to affirme the first motions which inuade vs against our will, to be breaches of the precept, daunteth the courage of Christs valiant souldiers, it frustrateth the intent of Gods com∣maundement. For why doth he command vs not to couet but that we may fulfill his will in not coueting? Why do we fight against the motions of Concupiscence, but that we may not transgresse his law, yeilding to them? Which suppose it be, will we nill we, by their assaultes transgressed, we striue in vaine to keep of the receaued foyles, or preuent the woundes already inflicted. This Page  249 precept then we may keep as often as we bridle our in or∣dinate suggestions, and suppresse the inticements which prouoke vs to euill.*

5. The other also whereby we are commanded to loue God withal our hartes, with al our forces &c. may be fulfilled if we vnderstand it aright, of the appretiatiue loue of true frendship therein exacted, not of intensiue or affectionate loue (as the Deuines speake) that is, we ought to esteeme and prize God for his owne infinite goodnes before all thinges in the world, abandon al earthly riches, profits and emolumentes when occasion is offered rather then him, we ought to make him the only scope and fi∣nall end of all our desires: yet we are not charged to loue him with all the degrees of intention which may be, for that can neuer be shewed, nor to loue him with such per∣fection, as to imbrace voluntary pouerty or perpetuall chastity for his sake, these are only counsayled not com∣maunded by the force of that precept: neyther are we tied so to settle our hartes vpon him, as not to affect any other thing conducible to our estate, or profitable for the main∣tenance of our liues, but only not to affect any thinge contrary and repugnant to his seruice, which wee may easily do by the help of his grace, and wholy thereby dis∣charge our bond in fullfilling that sweet and comfor∣table* law, as king Dauid discharged it, when he testified of himselfe: With my whole hart haue I sought after thee; I besought thy face with all my hart: I haue cried in my whole hart: I in al my hart will search thy commmandments. Howbeit he busied also* himselfe in the affayres of the common wealth, and was often distracted with temporall cares; And the priestes and people prayed God with al their hart: although they were some∣tyme interrupted with other cogitations: All Israell is sayd* to follow Absalom with al their hart, albeyt they managed some other affayres (no doubt) and affected some other thing besides him. Of Iosias God himselfe witnesseth, There was no king before him like to him, that returned to our Lord in all his hart, and in all his soule, and in all his power, according to the law Page  250 of Moyses, neyther after him did there arise the like to him.

6. In fine, Protestantes obserue the precept of Faith; by which they are likewise commaunded to beleeue withall their hart: Yf thou beleeue with all thy hart, thou maiest:* notwithstanding they giue humane credit to many other authentical histories, or probable reportes, without hinde∣rance thereof, so they may accomplish the command∣ment of louing God, with all the powers of their soule, when this loue ouerswayeth the loue of all other thinges, when they make him the principall obiect of their hart, and summe of their desires, when they neyther imbrace nor execute any thing oppofite, or disagreable with his frendiship, which diuers haue, and euery one may by the prerogatiue of Grace atteyne vnto. Thirdly S. Paul pro∣fesseth, I can all thinges in him that strengthneth me, therfore he could by the strenght of grace fulfil the commaundments, or els you derogate both from the authority of the Apostle who affirmeth it, and from the power of grace by vertue whereof he many accomplish whatsoeuer. Moreouer* God maketh this promise vnto vs: I will put my spirit in the middest of you, and I will make that you walke in my preceptes, and keepe my iudgements, and doe them. Christ testifieth the per∣formance: I haue manifested thy name to the men whome thou* gauest me &c. and they haue kept thy word. Yet notwithstan∣ding, the possibility S. Paul speaketh of, notwithstanding the promise of God the Father, notwithstanding the ac∣complishment the Sonne mentioneth, do they breath v∣pon* the earth, and vaunt of Christianity, who depose against them that neuer any fulfilled the law? That it is not possible for man to accomplish it?

7. Thus much for the mayntenance of our doctrine. Now to the obiections of aduersaries. First they vrge out S. Paul; Cursed be euery one that abideth not in all things that be* written in the booke of the law to do them. But no man can ob∣serue euery iote of the law without some litle or veniall default, therefore he is obnoxious to that damnable curse.* For whosoeuer shall keep the whole law, and offendeth but in one, is Page  251 made guiltie of all. Truly they haue framed an excellent Ar∣gument to proue themselues accursed, who freely confesse they cannot keep any one precept of the law, much lesse the whole. But we to whome the cōmandments by Gods* grace are possible according to S. Hierome; we, who by the seed of God dwelling in vs do not sinne, but arriue to the full accom∣plishment of the law, and of all thinges written and con∣teyned therein; we I say, are free from that malediction, for veniall sinnes do not in that sense breake or violate the law. neyther doth S. Paul pronounce that curse of them, (as appeareth by the playne text of Deuteronomy, whence he reciteth those words) but of mortal and deadly crimes, of Idolatry, incest, murder &c. which are indeed grieuous breaches, & trānsgressions of the Law. Therfore* he that obserueth the rest and cōmitteth any one of those, is liable to the curse of the law, he is made guilty, as S. Iames witnesseth, of the whole, not that he who stealeth should be guilty of adultery, or he who is an adulterer, is therein a murderer, or that he who trāsgresseth one cōmaundement shalbe as seuerely punished & tormented in hell, as if he had brokē al, but the sense is, that he who offēdeth in one, eyther incurreth the wrath and indignation of God the v∣niuersal authour & enacter of them al, or cā haue no more* hope of obtayning saluatiō then if he were guilty of al; or that he sinneth as S. Augustine interpreteth, against the ge∣neral & great cōmandment of loue & Charity, the summe, the band, the plenitude and perfection of them all: for the breaking of the band is the dissoluing of the whole.

8. I answere agayne, that S. Pauls argument here allead∣ged inferreth the possibility of keeping the law for which we dispute, he reasoneth to this effect: Whosoeuer wil be iustified by the workes of the law, must fullfill the whole taske of the law: But without faith in Christ no man can by the force of nature vndergo, or do the whole taske of the Law: Therfore without faith, through the strength of nature, no man can be iustified by the workes of the law. Hence he inferreth, Christ hath deliuereth vs Page  252 frō the eurse of the law, he doth not meane as Protestants falsify him, that he hath discharged vs from the obserua∣tion of the law, as from a thing vnpossible; but that he inspireth fayth and affordeth grace from the Storehouse of of his merites, whereby we may keepe the law, and so eschewthe malediction, or curse of transgression which the delinquentes incurre.

9. Secondly it is opposed, Now therefore why tempt you God, to put a yoake vpon the neckes of the disciples, which neyther our Fathers, nor we haue beene able to beare? I answere, that S.* Peter there calleth not the obseruation of the decalogue, but the ceremoniall law of the Iewes, a yoake insuppor∣table, because it was very hard and difficult, as S. Tho∣mas* and Lyranus note, to be fulfilled. For all their precepts were, as Rabby Moyses, and Abulensis recount them, 600. or there about, amongst which were 218. that were affir∣matiue, and 365. negatiue commandements; then the obligation of them was strictly and punctually to be ob∣serued. the transgression capitall and punished with all seuerity, yet King Dauid, Zachary, Elizabeth, Moyses, Io∣sue, &c. fulfilled them: for of Iosue the Scripture gi∣ueth testimony: He accomplished all thinges; he omitted not of all the commandementes, not so much as one worde which our Lord had commanded Moyses. Now Christ hath exempted vs from that combersome yoke, from that Burthen (as S. Augustine calleth it) of innumerable Ceremonies (yet not, which Libertines pretend. from the * obseruation of the decalogue) and in liew of them imposeth a light carriage,* not pressing vs downe with weighty loade, but lifting vs vp, as it were with winges: A preceps of loue which is not heauy.

10. Furthermore a slaunderous reporte is spread a∣gainst vs touching the diuision of the Decalogue (which I thinke not amisse heere to insinuate, as it were by the way) that we leaue out one of the commaundments, the second as Protestants count it, of not worshiping grauen Idolls: but this is a meere cauill, for we deuide the deca∣logue with S. Augustine, branching the first Table into Page  253 three precepts which instruct vs in our duty to God, the second Table into seauē appertayning to our neighbour,* and we proue this diuision to be most consonant vnto reason, because the internall desire of theft, as mainly di∣ffereth from the desire of adultery, as the externall actes vary amongest themselues in their specificall natures. Wherfore as it pleased God seuerally to forbid the out∣ward actes: so we distinguish the inward consentes into seuerall commandements, making two of the last, which Protestants combine in one, and vniting the first vpon far better grounds, then they distinguish it. For seeing he that draweth the pourtraiture, or ma∣keth the similitude of any creature, to the end to adore it, maketh to himselfe a straung God, another God besides the liuing God of heauen, which is forbidden in the first wordes of the first commandement, all the prohibitions appertayning thereunto, as thou shalt not make to thee a grauen thing: Thou shalt not adore &c. are but members and explications of the same precept, and so ought not to be deuided from the first: This is the cause why in our Catechismes, where a briefe summary or abridgement of the comandements is con∣tracted, we omit these declarations of the first, as li∣kewise of other preceptes for breuities sake, and not be∣cause they prohibite our adoration of images. For we allow euery member, word, and syllabe of the whole to consist there with as hath bin heretofore expounded.

11. Finally they obiect S. Augustine, S. Bernard, and S. Thomas affirming the precept of louing God to apper∣teyne* to the life to come, and that it cannot be perfectly accomplished in this life, which S. Augustine also teacheth of that other commandment, Thou shalt not couet. I an∣swere, hey auouch both impossible to be kept, in the ana∣gogicall meaning of those preceptes for which they were enacted, that is according to the end or supereminent perfection as S. Augustine writeth, or deyned by God, which is that ex∣tirpating by little and little all euill inclinations, we may Page  254 perpetually without intermission, be inflamed with the loue of vnspeakeable goodnes: this is the marke at which those precepts ayme, this is the goale vnto which we must runne, and cannot heere arriue vnto it: yet they confesse that these, and al other commandements taken in their li∣terall* sense may be perfectly accomplished, according to the substantiall fullfilling of them, and satisfaction of the whole bond they oblige vs vnto. Therfore S. Bernard: By cōmanding thinges vnpossible vnto vs he hath not made vs preuarica∣tors or trespassers (as M. Abbot englisheth it) but humbled vs; impo∣ssible he calleth thē in respect of the vnmatchable intēded purity, which admitteth not the least mixture of vnclea∣nes: possible notwithstanding and easy he accounteth thē to such as haue tried the sweet yoke of Christ. Impossible in respect of the end proposed; possible and easy by Gods grace in regard of the obligation exacted; ayming at that we increase in humility, crying for help to be discharged of the infirmities with which we are clogged: performing this, we become not trespassers or preuaricators, but doers & keepers of the law. In respect of that, there is no example of perfect righteousnes among men. S. Augustine: In regard of this we cannot deny (quoth he) the perfection of Iustice to be possible euen in this life. And, Grace doth now also perfectly renew man al∣together frō al sinnes; in respect of that: al the commandments are esteemed as kept, whē whatsoeuer is not done is pardoned, vz. * what soeuer is not done according to some litle precept or smal circūstance binding only vnder venial sinne. In regard of this, the whole law is fulfilled, nothing is to be pardoned in respect of transgressing the cōmandement, because that which is wanting is not to be accounted a breach therof. And so I end with this my S. Augustine, who neuer maketh end of impugning our aduersaries. Neyther doth God command any impossible thing to mā, neyther is there any thing impossible to God for to help & assist him, to the performance of that which he cōman∣deth, & by this, man may if he wil, be without sinne, ayded by God.