A40370:298
Of free justification
Of free justification by Christ written first in Latin by John Fox, author of the Book of martyrs, against Osorius, &c. and now translated into English, for the benefit of those who love their own souls, and would not be mistaken in so great a point.Of free justification by Christ written first in Latine by John Fox, author of the Book of martyrs, against Osorius, &c. and now translated into English, for the benefit of those who love their own souls, and would not be mistaken in so great a point.
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1694
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.
what then if I ask you of that first Command of Love, which you owe to the Lord your God with all your heart, and all the endeavour of your mind? or of that, whereby you are commanded not to covet at all? do you perform it? I know what a distinction the talkative Schools of the Sophisters use here, according to the substance of the act, and according to the intention of the Lawgiver. But I do not value these Fables of subtleties. We know this by the 1writings of Paul, that the Law is Spiritual, we are Carnal and sold under sin. I ask if thou thy self being compassed about now with this frailty of the flesh, dost fulfil this Spiritual Law of God, with that sincerity of Spirit that thou oughtest? Answer ingenuously, are you silent? 2What I my self do by my own strength, say you, I do not dispute here, yet I can by the help of the grace of God. O cunning device: After all your debate it comes to this, that you plead the commands of God are easy, and you would have nothing appointed by him, which cannot be observed by us. Now after a most heavy dream (that I may speak with Hierom) to deceive ignorant Souls, you ⟨p. 170⟩in vain endeavour to add, (not without grace.) But I enquire not what the Almighty Grace of God can do of it self, but what it does in you, or in any other mortal Man? You make the Precepts of Righteousness easy, which when the Divine Grace assists, do not exceed our best endeavour; and yet you cannot produce one Man that hath fulfilled them all. Now what an Argument is that, that 3a thing can be which hath not been? that that can be done, which you bear witness none hath done; and to attribute that to I know not whom, which you cannot prove to have been in the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles. Paul the Apostle himself complains of the refractory rebellion of his Members, who was not able to do the good which he desired, crying out that he was both carnal and miserable, and captive. Augustine testifies that sins may be diminished in this life, but that they cease not until death. And the same Augustine writing to Petrus concerning holy and righteous Men, bids him hold that most firmly, that righteous and holy men themselves, except Infants that are Baptized, none of