The second part of the Defence of the Reformed Catholicke VVherein the religion established in our Church of England (for the points here handled) is apparently iustified by authoritie of Scripture, and testimonie of the auncient Church, against the vaine cauillations collected by Doctor Bishop seminary priest, as out of other popish writers, so especially out of Bellarmine, and published vnder the name of The marrow and pith of many large volumes, for the oppugning thereof. By Robert Abbot Doctor of Diuinitie.

R. ABBOT.

Where they obiect that God commaundeth all to beleeue and repent, and therefore that all haue Free will to do that which he commandeth, M. Perkins answereth, that the argument is not good, because God by such commandements doth not shew what men are able to do, but what they should do, though of themselues they can∣not do it. Which answer why M. Bishop calleth obscure, I know not, but that his head haply fell out to be somewhat cloudie when he came to consider of it. Yet he replieth; then I hope that he will ad∣mit, that he will enable vs by his grace to do it, or else how should we do it? We will admit, that God by his grace enableth whom he thin∣keth good, to do his commaundements for the state of his life so farre as he thinketh good, and to them onely the yoke of Christ is sweete, and his burthen easie, and his commandements not grieuous, because of hima they receiue a gift whereby they become not grieuous vnto them. And to these the vse of the law and commandements doth properly belōg, which God did not deliuer as exspecting that any man could fulfill the same,b but thereby to bring men to the knowledge of sinne, and of condemnation thereby due vnto them, that by this meanes he might moue them whom he would call, to apprehend that meanes of saluation which he had promised in Ie∣sus Christ; who by his spirit giuen vnto themc delight in the law of God as touching the inner man, but by the rebellion of the law of sinne, are holden backe in this life from attaining to the perfect righte∣ousnesse of the law. To the rest the law is a conuiction of sinne, no helpe of righteousnesse; whilest Godd by vnsearchable, but iust iudgement, denieth to them that grace, which to others he vouch∣safeth, becausee he sheweth mercie to whom he wil, and whom he wil he hardeneth. Albeit that man is vnable to fulfill the law, it is not any default of God, but of man himselfe, and therefore there was no cause whyf the iust God should diminish any thing of the rule of righteousnesse, though vnrighteous man had by sinne disabled himselfe of the performance thereof; the righteousnesse of God I say required, that God should iustifie himselfe from seeming to approue any sinne by the defect of the commaundement, howso∣euer

man could not iustifie himselfe from sinne by the keeping of it. But of the end of Gods giuing the law and the possibilitie of keeping it, there will be occasion afterwards to entreate more largely, and therefore with this briefe answer I referre that point to his due place.

Notes

• a

  Aug. de per∣fect. iustitia. Cui grauia sunt intel∣ligat se nondum accepisse donum quo grauia non sint.
• b

  Ambr in Gae∣lat. cap. 3 Lex ad hoc data est, vt peccatores reos se scirent apud Deum. Manife∣statu enim pec∣catis suis conclusi sunt vt se excu∣sare nō possēt, sed quaererent mise∣ricordiam. &c.
• c

  Rom. 7.22.
• d

  August. de bono perseuer. cap. 14.
• e

  Rom. 9.18.
• f

  August. de peccat. merit. & remiss. lib. 2. cap. 16. Neque pec∣catum erit siquid erit si non diuini∣tus iubeatur vt non sit. Et iterū, Quomodo non vetatur pe•• iu∣stitiam si pecca∣tum est?