An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Hence in the second place, All the sufferings which any undergo for the Churches ¹good, they are not meritorious or satisfactory, either for our selves or others. As the Papists do most derogatively to the honour of Christ maintain; for their Doctrine about the sufferings of Martyrs for Christs cause, is very proud and pharisaical. They dogmatize that by these he may merit and satisfy God (yet through the merits of Christ, Tincta sanguine Christi) yea not only thus satisfy for his own sins, but may supererogate. So that they exceed the wise Virgins, they will part with some of their oil, because they have more than enough. So that from the overplus of all their sufferings the Church hath a great stock and treasure to relieve those that have no merits of their own. Now this is a mere political engine in Popery, to make the Pope have indeed a great treasury, for he communicateth and dispenseth out of this stock for money. Insomuch that Albertus Magnus saith plainly, That a rich man is in a far better condition to be saved than a poor man, because he hath money to buy his pardon, and to redeem himself, which the poor hath not. Thus these like Judas, make a sale and bargain of Christ; but though the godly suffer, yet their sufferings are not for that end as Christs was; even as when they obey the Law of God they do it not for that end which Christ did. For both in suffering and doing Christ was only meritorious, because he was without sin, and did more than he was bound to, which cannot be said of any Martyr.

Hence in the second place, All the sufferings which any undergo for the Churches ¹good, they are not meritorious or satisfactory, either for our selves or others. As the Papists do most derogatively to the honour of Christ maintain; for their Doctrine about the sufferings of Martyrs for Christs cause, is very proud and pharisaical. They dogmatize that by these he may merit and satisfie God (yet through the merits of Christ, Tincta sanguine Christi) yea not only thus satisfie for his own sins, but may supererogate. So that they exceed the wise Virgins, they will part with some of their oil, because they have more than enough. So that from the overplus of all their sufferings the Church hath a great stock and treasure to relieve those that have no merits of their own. Now this is a meer political engine in Popery, to make the Pope have indeed a great treasury, for he communicateth and dispenseth out of this stock for money. Insomuch that Albertus Magnus saith plainly, That a rich man is in a farre better condition to be saved than a poor man, because he hath money to buy his pardon, and to redeem himself, which the poor hath not. Thus these like Judas, make a sale and bargain of Christ; but though the godly suffer, yet their sufferings are not for that end as Christs was; even as when they obey the Law of God they do it not for that end which Christ did. For both in suffering and doing Christ was only meritorious, because he was without sin, and did more than he was bound to, which cannot be said of any Martyr.