A09453:454
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Special abuses, do concern Contrition, Confession, and Satisfaction. The first abuse concerning contrition is, that they teach it must be sufficient and perfect. They ⟨p. 324⟩use now to help the matter by a distinction: saying that the sorrow in contrition, must be in the highest degree in respect 1of value and estimation, and not in respect of intention. Yet the opinion of 2Adrian was otherwise, that in true repentance a man should be grieved according to all his endeavour. And the Roman Catechism saith as much, that the sorrow conceived of our sins, must be so 3great, that NONE CAN BE CONCEIVED TO BE GREATER: that we must be contrite in the same manner we love God, and that is with all our heart and strength in a most VEHEMENT SORROW: and that the hatred of sin must be not only the greatest but also MOST VEHEMENT and perfect, so as it may exclude all sloth and slackness. Indeed afterward it follows, that true contrition may be effectual though it be imperfect: but how can this stand, if they will not only commend but also prescribe and avouch, that contrition must be most perfect and vehement. We therefore only teach, that God requires not so much the measure, as the trueth of any grace: and that it is a degree of unfeigned contrition ⟨p. 325⟩to be grieved, because we cannot be grieved for our sins as we should. The second abuse is, that they ascribe to their contrition the merit of congruity. But this cannot stand with the all-sufficient merit of Christ. And an ancient Council saith, God inspires into us first of all the faith and love of himself, NO MERITS GOING BEFORE, that we may faithfully require the sacrament of baptism, & after baptism do the things that please him. And we for our parts hold, that God requires contrition at our hands, not to merit remission of sins: but that we may acknowledge our own unworthiness, & be humbled in the sight of God, & distrust all our own merits: & further, that we may make the more account of the benefits of Christ, whereby we are received into the favour of God: lastly, that we might more carefully avoid all sins in time to come, whereby so many pains & terrors of conscience are procured. And we acknowledge no contrition at all to be meritorious, save that of Christ: whereby he was broken for our iniquities.