Doctor HAMMOND his [...], or A greater Ardency in Christ [...] love of God at one time, than another PROVED TO BE ƲTTERLY IRRECONCILEABLE With
- 1. His fulnesse of habituall grace.
- 2. The perpetuall happinesse, and
- 3. The impeccability of his soule.
By HENRY IEANES, Minister of Gods Word at Chedzoy in Somerset-shire.
OXFORD, Printed by HENRY HALL, Printer to the UNIVERSITY, for THOMAS ROBINSON. 1657.
Doctor HAMMOND,
1. I Was very willing to hearken to the seasonable advice of many, and to wholly withdraw my selfe à foro contentioso, to some more pleasing, and profitable imployment; but discerning it to be the desire of the Author of the Booke, intituled, A mixture of Scholasticall and Practicall Divinity, that I should reply to his examination of one passage of mine against M r Cawdrey, I shall make no scruple immediately to obey him; not only because it may be done in very few words, but especially because the doctrine which he affixeth to me, seems (and not without some reason) to be contrary to the truth of Scripture, which I am to looke on with all reverent submission, & acquiesce in, with captivation of understanding, and so not assert any thing from mine owne conceptions, which is but seemingly contrary to it.
2. The proposition which he affixes to me, is this; That Christs Love of God was capable of further degrees, and that he refutes as a thing contrary to that point (a truth of Scripture) which he had in hand, viz. The dwelling of fulnesse of all habituall Grace in Christ.
3. By this I suppose I may conclude his meaning to be, that I have affirmed Christs Love of God (meaning thereby that habituall grace of divine Charity) to have been capable of further degrees, so as that capacity of further degrees, is the deniall of all-fulnesse of that habituall grace already in him.
4. And truly, had I thus exprest my selfe, or let fall any words, which might have been thus interpretable, I acknowledg I had been very injurious not only to the verity of God, but also to my own conceptions, and even to the cause which I had in hand, which had not been supported, but betrayed by any such apprehensions of the imperfection of Christs habituall graces.
5. This I could easily shew, and withall how cautiously and expresly [Page 2]it was fore-stall'd by me; But to the matter in hand, it is sufficient, that I professe I never thought it; but deem it a contrariety to expresse words of Scripture in any man who shall think it, and in short, that I never gave occasion to any man to believe it my opinion, having never said it in those words which he sets up to refute in mee, never in any other that may be reasonably interpretable to that sense.
JEANES.
Whereas you terme your compliance with my desire, that you should reply unto me, Obedience; I looke upon it as a very high Complement; (for what am I, that my desire should have with you the authority of a Command?) and shall not be so uncharitable, as to thinke it a scoffe, though some of my friends have represented it to me under that notion: but suppose it were meant in way of derision, yet this shall abate nothing of my gratitude for your reply, which is a favour, and honour, of which I willingly confesse my selfe to be unworthy.
The best testimony I can give you of my thankfulnesse is, to assure you, that if in the exceptions, which you shall condescend to returne unto this paper, you can prove that I have done you any injury, you shall find me very ready to make you satisfaction. But if on the contrary you shall fayle in such proofe, I hope you will be so much a friend unto the truth, as to retract your mistake.
You acknowledg, that to affirme, that Christ's habituall love of God was capable of farther degrees, is a contrariety to expresse words of Scripture. Now this proposition, which you thus disclaime, is the naturall, and unavoidable sequele of that which you in this your reply §. 21 confesse to be your opinion; to wit, that the inward acts of Christ's love were more intense at one time than another: and this I shall make good by an argument, which I shall submit unto your severest examination.
Intension & remission are primarily, & per se, only of qualities; so [Page 3]that an action is not capable of degrees of intension and remission, but secondarily, and mediante qualitate; in regard of that qualitie, which it produceth, or from which it proceedeth ratione Collegium Compl. De generat. & corrupt. disp. 4. qu. 5. §. 11. n. 4 [...]. Scheib. Metaph. l. 2. c. 12. num. 35.36. termini, or ratione principii. The intension and remission of actions therefore must be proportioned unto that of those qualities, which they regard, either as their termes, or principles; now you acknowledge in terminis, that the inward acts of Christs love were more intense at one time than at another; and hereupon it undeniably, and unavoidably followeth, that either the terminus, some quality that was the product of these inward acts of love, or else the principium, some qualitie that was the principle of them was more intense at one time, than at another.
If you say, that the terminus, some quality, that was the product of these inward acts, was more intense at one time, than another; why then, first, you must tell us what this quality is, and in what Species of quality it is placed; it cannot with any colour of probability be ranked under any other of the foure species of quality than the first; and if it be put there, it must be either dispositio or habitus; now dispositio is such an imperfect and inchoate a thing, as that I am very loath to think so dishonourably of my Saviour, as to ascribe it to him. If you make it an habit, then you will run upon that opinion which you disowne; for it can be no other than a morall habit, and therefore in Christ it must be a vertuous & gracious habit. To affirme therefore that this quality was more intense at one time than at another, will be by just consequence to affirme, that a gracious habit in Christ was more intense at one time than another. 2 Entia non sunt multiplicanda sine necessitate: and therefore I shall reject this quality è numero entium, unlesse you can by convincing arguments prove a necessity of asserting it. I am not ignorant, that it is a common opinion, that omnis actio habet terminum; but how it failes in immanent actions, [Page 4]you may see (if you will vouchsafe to stoope so low) in Schieblers Metaphysicks l. 2. c. 10. t. 3. ar. 3. pun. 1.
If you take the other way, and say that the principle, the quality producing these inward acts of Christs love of God, was more intense at one time than at another; why then you grant that which you seeme to deny; for the principle of them is nothing else but the habituall grace, or habit of divine love; and therefore if you averre that to have been capable of farther intension, you averre that the habituall grace of Christ was capable of farther intension, and thus you see what the reason was that induced me to charge you with this opinion.
Doctor HAMMOND.
6. First, I said it not in those words, which he undertakes to refute; These are p. 258. of his Book thus set down by him.
This point may serve for confutation of a passage in Dr. H. against Mr. C. to wit, That Christs love of God was capable of farther degrees.
7. These words I never said, nor indeed are they to be found in the Passage which he sets down from me, and whereon he grounds them; which, saith he, is this:
Dr. H. p. 222. ‘ In the next place he passeth to the inforcement of my argument, from what we read concerning Christ himselfe, that he was more intense in Prayer at one time than another, when yet the lower degree was sure no sin, and prepares to make answer to it. viz. That Christ was above the Law, and did more than the Law required, but men fall short by many degrees of what is required. But sure this answer is nothing to the matter now in hand, for the evidencing of which, that example of Christ was brought by me, viz. That sincere Love is capable of degrees. This was first shewed in severall men, and in the same man at severall times, in the severall rankes of Angells, and at last in Christ himselfe more ardent in one act of Prayer than in another.’
8. Here the Reader finds not the words [Christs love of God is capable of further degrees] and when by deduction he endeavours to conclude them from these words, his conclusion falls short in one word viz. [further] and 'tis but this,
That the example of Christ will never prove D. H. his conclusion, unlesse it inferre, that Christs love of God was capable of degrees.
9. This is but a slight charge indeed, yet may be worthy to be taken [Page 5] notice of in the entrance (though the principall weight of my answer be not laid on it) and suggest this seasonable advertisement, that he which undertakes to refute any saying of another, must oblige himselfe to an exact recitall of it to a word, and syllable; Otherwise he may himselfe become the only Author of the Proposition, which he refutes.
10. The difference is no more than by the addition of the word, [further.] But that addition may possibly beget in the Readers understanding, a very considerable difference.
11. For this Proposition [Christs love of God was capable of further degrees] is readily interpretable to this dangerous sense, that Christs love of God was not full, but so farre imperfect, as to be capable of some further degrees than yet it had; And thus sure the Author I have now before me, acknowledges to have understood the words, and accordingly proposeth to refute them from the consideration of the all-fulnesse of habituall grace in Christ, which he could not do, unlesse he deemed them a prejudice to it.
12. But those other words, which though he finds not in my papers, he yet not illogically inferres from them [that Christs love of God was capable of degrees, more intense at one time than at another] are not so liable to be thus interpreted, but only import that Christs love of God had in its latitude or amplitude severall degrees, one differing from another. See magis & minus, all of them comprehended in that all-full perfect love of God, which was alwaies in Christ so full, and so perfect, as not to want, and so not to be capable of further degrees.
13. The Matter is cleare; The degrees of which Christs love of God is capable; are by me thus exprest, that his love was more intense at one time than at another; but still the higher of those degrees of intensnesse, was as truly acknowledged to be in Christs love, at some time, viz. in his agonie, as the lower was at another, and so all the degrees, which are supposed to be mentioned of his love, are also supposed, and expresly affirmed to have been in him at some time or other, whereas a supposed capacity of further degrees, seemes at least (and so is resolved by that Author) to inferre, that these degrees were not in Christ (the direct contradictorie to the former Proposition) and so that they were wanting in him, and the but seeming asserting of that want is justly censured, as prejudiciall to Christs fulnesse. Here then was one misadventure in his proceeding.
JEANES.
1. He that saith that Christs love of God was more intense in his agonie than before, affirmeth, that his love of God before his agonie was capable of farther degrees, than yet it had; but you affirme the former, and therefore I doe you no wrong to impute the latter unto you: The premises virtually containe the conclusion, and therefore he that holds the premises, maintaineth the conclusion. I shall readily hearken to your seasonable advertisement, that he, which undertakes to refute any saying of anothers, must oblige himselfe to an exact recitall of it to a word and syllable; but notwithstanding it, I shall assume the libertie to charge you with the consequences of your words, and if I cannot make good my charge, the shame will light on me.
2. If there were any mistake in supplying the word [farther] it was a mistake of charity, for I was so charitable, as to thinke that you spake pertinently to the matter you had in hand: I conceived that your scope in your treatise of will-worship was to prove, that there be uncommanded degrees of the love of God, that those large inclusive words thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soule &c. do not command the highest and most intense degree of the love of God; so that a man may fulfill this command, and yet there may be roome or place for farther and higher degrees of the love of God. Now this proposition, Christs love of God was capable of degrees, which you confesse to be not illogically inferred from your papers will never reach this point, unlesse you understand the word farther, and therefore your censure of my supplying the word farther as a misadventure in my proceeding is groundlesse.
Dr HAMMOND.
14. But this is but the proemial part of my Reply, there is a more materiall part of it still behind, which may yet seeme necessary to be added, viz. to mind him of (what he well knowes) the distinction between habits and acts of vertues, or graces; and that love, the Genus, [Page 7]y doth equally comprehend both these species, and that his discourse of all-fulnesse belonging to the habituall grace of Christ, I speake distinctly of another matter, viz. of the degreess of that grace discernable in the severall acts of it.
JEANES.
The distinction between the habits and acts of virtues or graces I very well know; but that love as a genus doth equally comprehend the habit and act of love, is a thing which I confesse that I am yet to learne▪ and if it be a matter of ignorance in me, you must blame my Mr Aristotle, for he hath misguided me herein. He tels me lib. 1. top. c. 15. n. 11. that if a word be predicated of things put in severall predicaments, that then it is homonymous in regard of them, [...]. Now the habit of love is in the predicament of Quality, the act of love in the predicament of Action, and hereupon I cannot but conclude that the predication of love, concerning the habit, and the act, is onely equivocall, and consequently love no genus to them. No genus can equally comprehend those things which do differ toto genere, and are therefore termed primo diversa, rather then differentia; but now such are the habits and the acts of the love of God, and therefore love as à genus doth not equally comprehend them as it's species.
Dr HAMMOND.
15. This distinction I thought legible enough before, both in the Tract of Will-worship and in the Answer to Mr Caw.
16. In the former the Refuter confesseth to find it, pag. 259. reciting these words of mine, It is possible for the same person constantly to love God above all, and yet to have higher expressions of that love at one one time than another. Where the expressions at one time, and at another, must needs referre to the severall acts of the same, all-full habituall love.
JEANES.
The distinction, which you thought legible enough before in your tract of will-worship, in which you say that I confesse [Page 8]to find it, is such a distinction between the habits and acts o [...] love, as that love equally comprehends them both as species. Now I utterly deny, that there is any such distinction in those words of yours, which I recite: It is possible for the same person constantly to love God above all, and yet to have higher expressions of that love at one time than another: and the reason of this my deniall is, because love, as a genus, doth not comprehend the expressions of love equally with the habit. (1) Nothing can as a genus be equally predicated of things put in severall predicaments, but the habit of love, and expressions of love are put in severall predicaments; therefore love, as a genus, doth not equally comprehend them both. (2) The habit of love is formally and intrinsecally love; the expressions of love (that is, as you expound your selfe §. 21, the outward expressions of the inward acts of love) are termed love only by extrinsecall denomination from the inward acts of love; and therefore love doth not as a genus equally comprehend the habit, and the expressions of love. Raynandus in Mor: discip. dist. 3. N. 144. make smention out of Gab. Biel of a distinction of love into affective, and effective: and what is this effective love but the effects and expressions of love? but now, that he doth not take this to be a proper distribution of a genus into it's species, appeareth by what he saith out of the same Author concerning the division. Effectivum dicit ipsum illius àmoris eliciti effectum. Translato quippe causae nomine ad effectum, is dicitur amare effectivè, qui non ostentat in fertilem ac sterilem amorem; sed cum se dat occasio, erumpit in fructus dignos amoris. Quam esse admodùm impropriam amoris divisionem fatetur Gabriel, quia amare propriè est in solâ voluntate tanquam in subjecto: ea autem productio effectuum amoris in aliis facultatibus cernitur, estque actus transiens, non immanents volunt at is. (3) No one word can as a genus equally comprehend the efficient and the effect; the habit of love is the efficient cause, and the sincere and cordiall expressions of [Page 9]love are the effect; therefore love is not predicated of them equally as a genus. (4) That which is predicated properly of one thing, and tropically of another cannot equally comprehend them both as a genus; but love is predicated properly of the habit of love, tropically, viz. Metonymically of the expressions of love, by a metonymie of the efficient for the effect; therefore love as a genus cannot equally comprehend them both.
D. HAMMOND.
Onely I guesse not what temptation he had to choose that expression, which he there makes use of, viz. [That there D. H. minceth the matter, and speaketh more cautelously] adding [that what he there saith is nothing to the matter now in hand.] Whereas 1. those of Will-worship being the First papers written on that subject, are sure very pertinent to ascertain him of the meaning of the latter, written in defence of them.
JEANES.
That your first papers written on this subject are very impertinent to ascertaine me of the meaning of your latter is easily discernable unto any man, that will compare both together; however I shall offer unto your consideration two reasons, to prove the impertinency of them for that purpose. (1) In your first papers you speak only of the expressions of love (i.e.) as you interpret your selfe, the outward expressions of the inward acts of love: in your latter papers you speak of love it selfe: now the outward expressions of love are termed love only extrinsecè, denominativè, & participativè, from the inward act of love, as some say the imperate acts of the will, are said to be in this sense only free or voluntary. 2ly, That your first papers are very short, in explaining the meaning of your latter, is apparent by this your reply, wherein you extend the love of God, which you affirme to be capable of degrees, beyond the outward expressions, unto the very inward acts of love.
Dr. HAMMOND.
And 2ly, the early cautelous speaking there, might have made further latter caution unnecessary.
JEANES.
I had thought that in polemicall writings, it had still been needfull for a man to continue on his caution, for otherwise he may expose himselfe unto blowes, and knocks, which he never dream't off. Earely cautelous speaking is no salvo unto after unwarinesse.
Dr. HAMMOND.
And 3ly, I could not be said to mince, (which to vulgar eares signifies to retract in some degrees, what I had said before,) and againe speak more cautiously, when that was the first time of my speaking of it.
JEANES.
I am very loath to enter into a Contest with so great a Critick, touching the meaning of a word, however I shall adventure to say thus much, that a man may be said to mince a matter, and speak more cautiously at the first time of speaking of it, than afterwards at a second time of speaking of it: neither shall I be beaten from this mine assertion, by your bare and naked affirmation, that to mince, to vulgar eares, signifieth to retract in some degrees what hath been said before: for I appeale to both vulgar and learned eares, whether or no we may not say truly of divers erroneous persons, that in the first broaching of their errors they mince the matter, and speak more cautelously than afterwards, when they are fleshed and incouraged with successe.
Dr. HAMMOND.
17. Mean. while it is manifest, and his own confession, that there these were my words, and those so cautious, that this sense of the words which he undertakes to refute, could not be affixt on them. And this I should have thought sufficient to have preserved my innocence, and forstalled his Ʋse of Confutation.
JEANES.
Suppose that in your tract of will-worship, these were your words, and withall that they were so cautious that this sense of the words, which I undertake to refute, could not be affixt on them, yet this is nothing at all unto the purpose, and contributes [Page 11]nothing to the clearing of your innocence, and forestalling my use of confutation; and the reason hereof is very evident, because that which I undertook to refute, was affixt by me, not on these your so cautelous words in your tract of will-worship, but on a passage in your answer to Mr. Cawdrey. Indeed I censured those your words in themselves impertinent unto your matter in hand, and withall proved them to be so. But if you had gone no farther then these words, you should not have heard from me touching this subject; for time is more pretious with me, than to wast it, in medling meerely with the impertinencies of any mans discourse.
Dr. HAMMOND.
18. But the answer to M. C. which occasioned it was, I think, as cautious also, 1. In the words recited by the Refuter, viz. that Christ himselfe was more ardent in one act of prayer than in another. 2. In the words following in that answer, but not recited by him, viz. that the sincerity of this or that virtue exprest in this or that performance, is it we speake of, when we say it consists in a latitude, and hath degrees; where the [this or that performance] are certainly Acts of the virtue, consisting in a latitude, and the having degrees (viz. in that latitude) no way implies him that hath virtue in that latitude (viz. Christ) to want at present, and in that sense to be capable of farther degrees.
19. I am willing to look as jealously as I can on any passage of my own, which falls under any mans censure; and therefore finding nothing in the words ( set down by him as the ground of the Refutation) which is any way capable of it, I have reviewed the whole section, and weighed every period, as suspicioously as I could; to observe whether I could draw or wrest that consequence from any other passage, not recited by him.
20. And I find none in any degree liable, except it should be this in the beginning of the Sect. Where setting down the argument, as it lay in the Tr. of Will▪ wor. I say tis possible for the same person which so loves God (i. e. with all the heart) to love him, and expresse that love more intensely at one time than another, as appeared by the example of Christ.
21. And if this be thought capable of misapprehension, by reason of the [and] disjoyning love from the expressions of it, and so the expressions belonging to the acts, the love be deemed to denote the habituall love; [Page 12]I must onely say, that is a misapprehension, for that by loving with all the heart, in the first place, I certainly meant the sincere habit of Love, by love in the latter place, the inward acts of love, and by the expressions of love, the outward expressions of those inward acts, and o [...] those acts onely I speak, and of those expressions, when I say they are more intense at one time than another.
JEANES.
I shall here briefly represent unto you that which made me think you guilty of detracting from the all-fulness of Christs habituall grace, and referre you for confirmation here of unto what I have said in the beginning of this my discourse. The undeniable consequence of what you say in answer unto Mr. Cawdrey is, as I have proved, that Christs love of God was capable of farther degrees. Now hereupon I thus reasoned in my mind, you were to be understood either of the habit, or of the inward act of love, for as for the outward expressions of love, it is without dispute, that they cannot be said to be love properly, but only by a trope; if you should have said that you spake of the habit of love, then you would have expresly impugned the all-fulnesse of Christs habituall grace; and if you should say, as you now do, that you meant the inward acts of love; why then I concluded that you would even hereby implyedly and by consequence have opposed the perfection of Christs habituall grace, because the intension of the inward acts of love proceedeth from the intension of the habit of love, and is therefore proportioned unto it: but of this more fully in the place above mentioned. Thus having shewed you what invited me unto my use of confutation, I shall passe over the three other sections, which you your selfe I presume would have spared, if you had been privy unto that which I now acquaint you with.
Dr. HAMMOND.
22. The word love, as I said, is a genus, equally comprehending the two species, habituall and actuall love, and equally applicable to either of the species, to the acts as well as the habit of love. And so when [...] say love is capable of degrees, the meaning is cleare, The genericall word [Page 13] [...]ove restrained to the latter species, is considered in respect of the [...]cts of love, gradually differenced one from the other, is in that re [...]pect, capable of degrees, both inwardly and in outward expressions: that [...]ct of love, that poured out and exprest it selfe in the more ardent prayer, was a more intense act of love, than another act of [...]he same habituall love, which did not so ardently expresse it [...]elfe.
JEANES.
That love is not a genus equally comprehending habituall [...]nd actuall love, as its two species, I have already proved by [...]his argument, because they are in severall predicaments; [...]abituall love in the predicament of qualitie, and actuall in the [...]redicament of action. There are, I know, divers great Philoso [...]hers and Schoolemen that make all immanent acts, and conse [...]uently all inward acts of love to be qualities; they are, say [...]hey, only grammaticall actions, not metaphysicall actions in [...]he predicament of action; but this opinion is untrue in [...] selfe, and no waies advantageous unto your cause in [...]and.
1. It is untrue in it selfe; and to confirme this, I shall offer [...] your consideration two arguments out of Scheibler, which [...]earely prove immanent acts to be true, proper, and [...]redicamentall actions, in the predicament of Action. [...] universum id sine incommodo potest dici actio, quod sufficit [...] constituendam causalitatem efficientis: Atqui dantnr causae [...]ficientes, quibus non convenit alia causalitas, quam que [...] actio immanens: Ergo actio immanens vere est actio. [...]ropositio patet, quia praedicamentum actionis ponitur ad [...]candam causalitem efficientis causae in genere entium, ut [...]ipra disputatum, explicando divisionem praedicamentorum. [...]t confirmatur quod actio sit adaequata causalitas effi [...]entis ut supra visum est, lib. 1. c. 12. Assumptiopatet. Nam [...]mo absolutè est causa efficiens in quantum denominatnr [...]dere aut intelligere. Et tamen isti sunt actus immanen [...]. That which is the causality of an efficient cause is [Page 14]y a true and predicamentall action in the predicament of actions but immanent acts are the causalities of efficient causes, and therefore proper and predicamentall actions. Deinde ad actus immanentes sunt potentiae activae, sed potentiae activae sunt per ordinem ad veras actiones, ergo actus immanentes sunt verè actiones. Et si hi solum titulotenus sunt actiones Ergo etiam potentiae illae activae titulotenus sunt potentiae activae. That which terminates and actuates an active power is a prope [...] and predicamentall action: but every immanent act terminates and actuates an active power; and therefore every immanent act is a proper and predicamentall action, Met. lib. 2. cap 10. n. 27. You may perhaps slight Scheibler, as a trivial author, but I urge his reasons, not his authority, & if you can answer his reasons, you may speake your pleasure of him and o [...] me for alleadging of him. But I can presse you with the authority of an author far greater than Scheibler, our great Master Aristotle, of whom you make somewhere in your writings [...]norable mention; he l. 10. Ethic. c. 3. tells us roundly, that the o [...]perations of virtues, & even happinesse it selfe, are not qualities▪ [...], but thes [...] are immanent acts, & therefore in his opinion immanent acts a [...] not qualities. But, secondly, suppose this opinion were true i [...] it selfe, yet will it no waies advantage your cause, for the patrons of it rang immauent acts under the first species of quality and then they are either dispositions or habits. If you say the [...] are dispositions, as most of the above mentioned schooleme [...] hold them to be; against this I object, that however the [...] may be so in other men, yet they cannot be so in Christ for a disposition carrieth in it's notion inchoation, and imperfection, and therefore to attribute it unto Christ [...] to throw an apparent dishonour upon him. If you sa [...] they are habits, why then, you cannot deny them to be gracio [...] habits, and so you will fall upon that opinion, of which in th [...] reply, you so studiously endeavour to acquit your selfe, vi [...] that the same habits of grace in Christ may be more intense [Page 15]y at one time than another, and consequently that his habituall grace was not alwaies full and perfect.
Dr. HAMMOND.
23. I shall explain this by the Refuters own Confession. The death of Christ, saith he, was an higher expression of Christs love of us, than his poverty, hunger or thirst. To this I subjoyne, that such as the expression was, such was the act of inward love, of which that was an expression: it being certain that each of these expressions had an act of internall love, of which they were so many proportionably different expressions; And from hence I suppose it unavoidably consequent, that that act of internall love, exprest by his dying for us, was superior to those former acts, which onely exprest themselves in his poverty, and so the same person that loved sincerely, did also love, and expresse that love more intensly at one time than at another, which was the very thing I had said in another instance. But this I have added ex abundanti more than the Refuters discourse required of me.
JEANES.
If you had repeated that which you call my confession full and intire, as it lay in my book, the impartiall and unprejudiced reader would soone have discerned that there was in it nothing that made for your advantage: my words at large are these, There may be a graduall difference in the expressions of the same love for degree. Christs death for us was an higher expression of his love of us, than his poverty, hunger, thirst &c. and yet they might proceed from a love equally intense. Now Sir have you said any thing to prove, that they could not proceed from a love equally intense? you seeme indeed, most vehemently and affectionately to affirme that they could not; but you must pardon me, if I entertaine not your vehement asseverations, as solid arguments, as if they were propositiones per se notae. Pray Sir, review this section, and put your argument into some forme; if you can make good that it containeth any disproofe of what I have said, unlesse begging of the question be argumentative, you shall have my hearty leave to triumph over me as you please; however untill then, I shall take your words asunder, and examine every passage in them.
D. HAMMOND.
To this I subjoyn that such as the expression was, such was the act of inward love, of which that was an expression, yet being certain that each of these expressions had an act of internall love, of which they were so many proportionably different expressions.
JEANES.
That each of these expressions had an act of inward love, of which they were so many different expressions, is an obvious truth, but impertinent unto the matter in hand, unlesse you can prove that they were of necessity equall in point of intension; and the proofe of this you have not hitherto so much as attempted.
Dr. HAMMOND.
And from hence I suppose it unavoidably consequent, that that act of internall love, exprest by his dying for us, was superior to those former acts, which onely exprest themselves in his poverty, and so the same person that loved sincerely, did also love, and expresse that love more intensly at one time than at another, which was the very thing I had said in another instance. But this I have added ex abundanti more than the Refuters discourse required of me.
JEANES.
From hence: whence I pray? if from the words immediately foregoing, then your argument stands thus. Every of these expressions had an act of internall love, of which they were so many proportionably different expressions: therefore that act of internall love exprest by his dying for us, was superior to these former acts, which onely exprest themselves in his poverty. And here I must professe that the reason of your consequence is to me invisible, and I shall never acknowledg your inference legitimate untill you drive me hereunto, by reducing your Enthymeme unto a Syllogisme; but perhaps there may be some mystery in the word proportionably, and your meaning may be, that these different expressions in regard of intension must be proportioned exactly unto their inward respective acts of love equall or paralell unto them; and if this by your meaning, then your argument is guilty of that fallacy, which [Page 17]is called petitio principii. It is my desire and purpose to have faire wars with you, and my pen shall not drop a disrespective syllable of you; but yet I am resolved to swallow none of your proofelesse dictates: seeing you have entered the lists with me, you must not think me irreverent and saucy, if (as the souldiers speak) I dispute every inch of ground with you, and be so bold as to call upon you for the proofe of whatsoever you assert touching that which is in controversy betwixt us.
Dr. HAMMOND.
24. It now onely remaines, that I consider whether this Refuter have in the processe of his discourse added any thing, wherein I may be any whit concerned.
25. And 1. saith he, the falsehood of such an assertion is evident from the point there handled and confirmed, the absolute fulnesse of Christs grace, which by the generall consent of the Fathers and School-men was such, as that it excluded all intensive growth.
26. But to this the reply will be easily foreseen, from the premisses, that as the point by him handled and confirmed was distinctly the all-fulnesse of habituall grace in Christ, so his proofs of it by the consent of Fathers and School-men belong still to that fulnesse of habituall grace.
27. Witnesse one for all, Aquinas [...]r. 3. qu. 7. art. 12. ad secundum. Licet virtus divina possit facere aliquid majus & melius quàm sit habitualis gratia Christi, non tamen—though the divine power may make somewhat greater and better than is the habituall grace of Christ, yet—so 'tis plain he speaks of the fulnesse of the habituall grace. And ad tertium. In sapientia & gratia aliquis proficere potest dupliciter; uno modo secundùm ipsos habitus sapientiae & gratiae augmentatos, & sic Christus in eis non proficiebat. Alio modo secundùm effectus, in quantum aliquis sapientiora & virtuosiora opera facit, & sic Christus proficiebat sapientiâ & gratiâ; sicut & aetate, quia secundùm processum aetatis perfectiora opera faciebat, — & in his quae sunt ad Deum, & in his quae sunt ad homines. One may increase in wisdome and grace two waies, one way according to the habits of them increased, and so Christ increased not; another way, according to the effects; when any doth more wise and virtuous workes; and so Christ increased in Wisdome and Grace, as he did in age, because according to the processe of his age, he did more perfect workes, and that both in things belonging to God, and men also.
28. And thus are the School-men understood by the Refuter himselfe, in his producing their testimonies, as appeares by the expresse words [ habituall grace p. 260. lin. penult and holinesse, and the Image of God in him] p. 261. lin. 13. And so 'tis most cleare, their consent belongs not, even in his own opinion, to the matter I had, and have in hand, no way denying but, asserting a capacity of degrees among the acts of Christs love of God, and the expressions of it.
JEANES.
1. They that can so easily foresee this your reply, may with as little difficulty foreknow the objection against it, to wit, that the intension of Christs actuall grace is exactly proportioned unto that of his habituall grace; and therefore your deniall of the perpetuall all-fulnesse of Christs actuall grace, is a virtuall and implied deniall of the all-fulnesse of Christs habituall grace: and how you are provided of an answer hereunto, the event will shew. It is not then so cleare as you pretend, that the testimony of the Schoole-men belongs not, even in mine own opinion, to the matter you had and have in hand.
2. As for that place you quote out of Aquinas, it is plaine that therein by the effects of wisedome and grace are meant such as are outward, for these are most properly termed works. And besides, an intensive increase in the inward acts of wisedome and grace would argue and presuppose an intensive increase in the very habits themselves.
3. Whereas you say, in the close of Section the 28, that the consent of the Schoole-men is no waies denying, but asserting a capacity of degrees amongst the acts of Christs love of God, i. e. of the inward acts thereof. There will be little sense in your words in themselves, and lesse pertinency unto the matter in hand, unlesse your meaning be, as you elsewhere expresse your selfe, that the inward acts of Christs love of God were more intense at one time, than at another: and if this be your meaning, I must needs assume the boldnesse to tell you, that no such matter is visible unto me in any of the [Page 19]Schoole-men. But perhaps you may meane such Schoole-men, as such a Puny, as I, never saw or heard of; however you cannot expect beleife, untill you produce their testimonies: And I shall entreat you to alleadge such, as may be had in Pauls-church-yard, or at least in the Library at Oxford.
Dr HAMMOND.
29. Secondly, he will heare the Doctors objection, and consider of what weight it is.
Objection? against what? against the fulnesse of habituall grace in Christ? sure never any was by me urged against it. And he cannot now think there was. The degrees of intensenesse observable in the severall acts of Christs love, his praying more ardently at one time than another, was all that I concluded from that text, Luk. 22.44. and that is nothing to his habituall love.
JEANES.
That this objection was not intended by you against the fulnesse of Christs habituall grace, upon your protestation, I readily believe; but, that by consequence it reacheth it, I thus make good. That objection which is urged against the perpetuall allfulnesse & perfection of Christs actuall love, the inward acts of his love of God, strikes against the perpetuall allfulnesse & perfection of his habitual love; because the degrees of the inward acts of his love of God are commensurate unto the degrees of his habituall love. For they have no degrees at all, but secundariò, in regard of the habit of his love: but now this objection is urged by you against the perpetuall all-fulnesse and perfection of his actuall love, the inward acts of his love; for it is brought to prove that the inward acts of Christs love were more intense at one time than another, and a greater intension presupposeth remission and imperfection; for intensio est eductio rei intensae de imperfecto ad perfectum, as Aquinas very often. Therefore this objection strikes against the perpetuall fulnesse and perfection of Christs actuall love of God, and so consequently against the perpetuall fulnesse and perfection of his habituall love.
Dr HAMMOND.
30. But even to this he is pleased to frame Answers (though I hope his doctrine of the fulnesse of Christs habituall grace be no way concern'd in it) and to these I shall briefly attend him, as my last stage in this no very long voyage.
31. And 1. saith he, the vulgar translation renders [...], prolixius; and if this version be good, then there is no place for the Doctors objection.
But though I seeke no advantage by that vulgar reading, yet thinking it a duty of reverence to that version, to take leave civilly whensoever I depart from it (wherein I have the suffrage of Protestants as learned in both the Languages Hebrew and Greek, as any) and that I may to the utmost observe the Refuters steps, I shall not utterly reject it.
32. Tis certain [...] doth primarily signifie extension, and that properly belongs to length, and so the comparative [...] to a greater degree of that length. And if it be granted that it so signifie here, there will yet be place equally for my conclusion.
33. For in every act of Prayer, be it but the shortest ejaculation sent out by Christ, I suppose (and my Refuter must not doubt of it) there was some degree of ardency or intension; And then sure according to the multiplying of those acts lengthening that prayer, there must still in Christ, (I say not in every one of us) be a proportionable multiplication of those degrees, and so parallel to a greater length, a greater intension.
JEANES.
The answer here is very easy and obvious; the intension of the degrees of the inward acts of Christs love of God may be said to be greater either in regard of the number, or in respect of the intensive perfection and excellency of those degrees; according to the lengthning of Christs prayer there is a multiplying of inward acts of his love, and proportionably a multiplication of the degrees of his love, and consequently a greater intension of those degrees, in regard of their number, but not in respect of their intensive perfection, or excellency. For in Christ let them be never so much multiplied, they may be and still are of an equall intensive perfection, and excellency, one is not more intense than another; and so if this reading [Page 21]be retained, there will be no place for your conclusion; That the inward acts of Christs love are more intense at one time than another, unlesse you will make intēsion to be a meere coacervation of hōo geneous degrees (i.e) degrees altogether like: the absurdity of which you may see in Suarez Met. dis. 46. & Pet. Hurtado de Mendoza. de Gener. & Corrupt. disp. 5. §. 6.
Sir, here I am very confident that you presumed very much on my ignorance, otherwise you would never have gone about to have imposed upon me so poore and sorry a sophisme, as is in the equivocation of the word greater, which is easily discoverable by a fresh-man: for that you your selfe should be ignorant of such an ordinary homonymy, I am loath to harbour such dishonourable thoughts of your abilities in philosophy as to imagine.
Dr HAMMOND.
34. This is cleare, and I need not adde, what else I might, that the very multiplication of more acts of any virtue, supposing it equally sincere in the habit, and such is the length of prayer, when it is in Christ, is more valuable in the sight of God, and that argues it more excellent, than the smaller number of those acts would be, and proportionably more abundantly rewarded by him, who rewardeth every man not only according to the sincerity of his heart, but also secundum opera, according to the multiplied acts or workes, the more abundant labour proceeding from this sincerity. And so that will suffice for his first answer.
JEANES.
1. This is an utter impertinency unto that which is in debate between us. For suppose that the very multiplication of more inward acts of any virtue in Christ is more valuable in the sight of God, and so more excellent than the smaller number of those acts would be; yet this supposition will never bring you to this conclusion, that one inward act of Christs love of God may be more intense than another; and my reason is, because in all these inward acts of Christs love of God (and we may say the same of the inward acts of [Page 22]other virtues and graces) there may be no graduall dissimilitude.
2. A great part of the Schoolemen will tell you, that the morall value of one single act of any virtue in Christ was infinite, and in the multiplication of more acts there is but an infinite value: now one infinite cannot be greater than another infinite in the same kind, wherein it is infinite, and hereupon they conclude that the multiplication of acts makes nothing in Christ unto an intensive addition of value▪ the value of one act is intensively as great as that of more acts▪ The first act of Christ (saies Albertinus) habet totam latitudinem intensivam valoris moralis, ct si non adaequet totam latitudinem extensivam: Corol. tom. 1.150. n. 61. And of this you have a reason. p. 145. this act is à personâ divinâ, tanquam á forma intrinsecâ; quae intrinsecè denominatur operans, ab [...] ipsâ operatione quae est in naturâ humanâ, et ut sic est illimitabilis àconditionibus actûs. Unto Albertinus I shall subjoine Suarez who speakes to the same purpose in tertiam par. Thom. Tom. 1. disput. 4. sect. 4. pag. 49. Plura opera Christi sunt quidem extensivè plura merita; intensivè tamen non est plus valoris in multis quam in uno; ut, si essent plures calores infinitè intensi, essen [...] quidem plures, non tamen efficerent unum intensiorem; & par [...] ratione, si in uno opere Christi, quod successivè per partes fiebat partes cum toto comparemus, intensivè tantus valor erat in quâlibet parte, sicut in toto opere, & in uno momento, sicut in longo tempore; quia forma à quà erat valor, tota erat in toto, & tota in singulis partibus.
Dr HAMMOND.
35. But then, 2. Saith he, suppose we stick unto our own transtation, yet the place may fairely be so interpreted, as that it may no waies advantage the purpose of the Doctor. For [...], more earnestly, may be considered in reference unto either the object unto whom he prayed, God; or the matter against which he prayed, the evills with which he conflicted in his agony.
1. Then, saith he, he did not in his agony pray more earnestly than at other times, if we consider his prayer in reference unto the object, unto whom it was, God. The religion, and inward worship of his prayer, was for degrees alwaies alike equal. His trust and dependance upon God, love of zeal and devotion towards God, from which all his prayers flowed, were not at one time more intense than at another.
But now 2. He prayed more earnestly in his agony than at other times, in regard of the matter, against which he prayed. the evills which he encountred with, which if they were not greater, then those that he deprecated in the former prayer, v. 42. yet at least they made a greater impression upon his humane nature; for they put him into a bloody sweat. Being in an agony he prayed more earnestly, & his sweat was as it were drops of blood, falling down to the ground.
36. These are the words of his second answer, and they are in the second part, the very distinct confession of all that I pretend in this matter (and therefore I need not make any reflections on the first part of them) For whatsoever, or how great soever the occasion of the increase of his intension was (which I am willing to believe proportionable to the degree of the intension, a very weighty occasion that thus inflamed his ardency) yet still, 'tis confest, that on this occasion, he now prayed more earnestly than at the other times, that which now approached made a greater impression on his humane nature; which what is it but a proofe of the point by me asserted, that Christ himselfe was more ardent in one act of prayer (this in his agonie) than in another.
37. As for the greatnesse of the occasion, so profestlie great as to cast him into that prodigious sweat, falling [...], as it were drops of blood, that may testifie, but it cannot prejudg the ardency which was occasioned thereby.
38. Twas not in Christ, he will easily suppose with me) as it is oft discernable in many of us, that those which really have no sincerity of love or zeal to God, can yet, like the Marriners in the tempest, by some pressing fear or danger be awaked to, but formall, and, be they never so loud, but hypocritically zealous prayers.
39. The ardency in Christ was sincere ardency, accompanied with acts of love and trust of the same temper, and the heightning it [...], was an addition of degrees to that act of ardency, and so of prayer, and proportionably of love and trust in God, above either what there was, or what there was occasion for, at other times.
JEANES.
1. First you pretend in Sect. 21. of this your reply that the inward acts of Christs love of God were more intense at one time than another. Now this is not contained expresly, nor can it by any logick be inferred from the words of the second part of my second answer, that he prayed more earnestly in his agony than at other times, in regard of the matter against which he prayed, &c. and therefore this second part of my second answer is not the very distinct confession of all that you pretend in this matter; and therefore notwithstanding them, you must make reflections on the first part of my answer, or else you will never reply thereunto.
2. That the ardency in Christ was a sincere ardency, is not doubted of; all the question is, what ardency it was in Christ that was heightned: there was, as I plainly intimated in my answer, a twofold ardency in Christs prayer, one regarding God, unto whom he prayed, and this was seated in the acts of love and trust tanquam modus in re modificatâ: Another respected the matter against which he prayed, and the res modificata of this ardency was the acts of feare of, and greife for those evills with which he encountred. I readily grant the heightning of this latter ardency, so that there was in his agony an addition of degrees unto his feare of, and greife for those evils against which he prayed, above either what [Page 25]there was, or what there was occasion for at other times: but as for the former ardency regarding God, and placed in the inward acts of his love of God, &c. that was uncapable of further heightning: for his actuall love of God was in termino, as they say, was alwaies at the highest, and most intense; and this I shall not barely dictate: but prove by three arguments, which I present unto you to be examined, as rigidly as you please.
1. The all-fulnesse and perfection of Christs habituall grace.
2. His perpetuall and uninterrupted happinesse.
3. His impeccability.
1. The first argument, which hath been already so fully insisted upon, is the all-fulnesse and perfection of Christs habituall grace; the habits of all graces and virtues in Christ were alwaies full and perfect, most intense and not capable of farther or higher degrees, and therefore so were the inward acts of those graces and virtues too, and particularly the inward acts of the habituall grace of divine charity. The consequence of this Enthymeme hath been already sufficiently proved, and therefore I shall add nothing for further confirmation of it, but the testimony of some few Schoole-men. Aquinas, as Capreolus quotes him lib. 1. dist. 17. qu. 2. fol: 306. hath this passage. Nihil inquit aliud est qualitatem augeri quam subjectùm magis participare qualitatem. Non enim aliud est esse qualitatis nisi quod habet in subjecto, ex hoc autem ipso quod subjectum magis participat charitatem vehementius operatur, quia unumquodque operatur in quantum est actu. Aquinas thought (you see) that a greater vehemency in the operations of love, argued a greater participation in the subject of the habits of love. And againe secundâ secundae qu. 24. art. 4. ad tertium. Similiter [Page 26]charitas essentialiter est virtus ordinata ad actum, unde idem est ipsam augeri secundum essentiam, & ipsam habere efficaciam ad producendum ferventioris dilectionis actum. Unto this I shall adde a third place out of Aquinas quoted by Capreolus lib. 3. dis. 27, 28, 29, 30. pag. 209. Cum actus & habitus speciem habent ex objecto, oportet quod ex eodem ratio perfectionis ipsius sumatur. Objectum autem charitatis est summum bonum; igitur perfecta charitas est, quae in summum bonum fcrtur in tantum in quantum est diligibile. The habit of love is then perfect, when tis carried towards God as the cheife, when God is loved so farre forth as he may be loved, to wit, by a creature: when God is not loved thus intensely, the habit of love (as Aquinas thought) was imperfect. With Aquinas also Scotus accords l. 3. dis. 13. q. 3. Possibile est animā Christi habere summam gratiam, ergo summam fruitionem. Consequentia probatur, quia actus naturaliter elicitus ab aliquâ formâ, aequatur in perfectione illi formae. Unto these two great Schoole-men, I shall adde the testimony of a Philosopher of great subtilty and repute Pet. Hurt. de Mendoza. De An. dis. 16. sect. 8. p. 672. Intensio actus secundi supponit aequalem intensionem in actu primo, cum actus secundus supponat primum.
A second argument is drawn from the perpetuall and uninterrupted happinesse of Christ: it is resolved both by Aquinas 3 a.q. 34. .art. 4. Scotus lib. 3. disp. 18. and their followers, that Christ in regard of his Soule was even here in this life, from the very first moment of his conception, all his life long unto his death perfectus comprehensor; and therefore he injoyed in his soule all that was necessary unto heaven happinesse: and I find learned Protestants herein consenting with them; now tis the unanimous opinion of the Schoole-men that a most intense [Page 27]actuall love of God, an actuall love of God for degrees as high, as ardent, as fervent, as is according to Gods ordinary power possible unto the humane nature, doth necessarily belong to the heaven happinesse of men. The Scotists place the very formality of happinesse solely herein, and Suarez with others think it essentiall unto happinesse, though he supposeth the essence of happinesse not to consist wholly or chiefly in it. And for the rest of the Thomists, who hold that the essence of happinesse stands onely in the beatificall vision of God, why even they make this actuall most intense love of God a naturall and necessary consequent of the beatifique vision. By this that hath been said it is evident, that whereas you averre that the inward acts of Christs love of God were lesse intense at one time than another, (for so you affirme in saying they were more intense at one time than at another) you deny Christ to be happy and blessed at those times wherein his inward acts of love were thus lesse intense, and that this is propositio malè sonans, harshly sounding in the eares of Christians, that are jealous of their redeemers honour, will I hope be ingeniously confessed by your selfe upon a review of it. Adde hereunto that the Schoolemen generally consent, as unto a proposition that is piously credible, that the happinesse of Christs soule did even during the whole time of his abode here, farre surmount that of all the Saints, and Angells in heaven: but if the inward acts of his love of God were lesse intense at one time than another, the blisse of his Soule would have come farre short of that of the lowest Saint in heaven; for the actuall love of the lowest Saint was not, is not more intense at one time than another, but alwaies full and perfect; and therefore [Page 28]uncapable of further and higher degrees.
The third and last argument, is fetched from Christs impeccability; it was impossible for Christ to sinne: but if the inward acts of his love of God had been lesse intense at one time than at another, he had sinned; for he had broken that first and great commandment, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy Soule, with all thy mind, with all thy might, and strength. Deut. 6.5. Matth. 22.37. Mark. 12.30. Luk. 10.27. For this commandment enjoyneth the most intense actuall love of God, that is possible; an actuall love of him tanto nixu & conatu quanto fieri potest (i. e.) as much as may be; what better and more probable glosse can we put on that clause, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy strength or might, [...], then thou shalt love him with thy uttermost force and endeavour: sutable hereunto is that interpretation which Aquinas giveth of those words thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart (i. e.) saith he ex toto posse tuo, with as high a degree of actuall love as thou art able to reach unto. Deus est totaliter diligendus, potest intelligi ita quod totalitas referatur ad diligentem: & sic etiam Deus totaliter diligi debet; quia ex toto posse suo homo debet diligere deum, & quicquid habet, ad dei amorem ordinare; secundum illud Deuter. 6. Diliges dominum deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, 2 da 2 dae, q. 27. art. 5. But now Christ man had in him as great abilities for the actuall love of God as Adam in Paradise, as the Saints and Angels in heaven; for an all-fulnesse of the grace and virtue of love dwelled in him, and therefore if the inward acts of his love were lesse intense at one time, than another; then somtimes when he actually loved God, he did not love [Page 29]him as intensly, as ardently, as fervently as he could, he did not love him with all his might, and strength, ex toto posse suo, and so consequently he fulfilled not all righteousnesse; for his obedience unto this commandment would have been by this your opinion imperfect and sinfull, which, but to imagine were blasphemy. But you will be ready to tell me, that you have prevented this charge, by that exposition of those large inclusive words, thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy Soule &c. which you have given in your treatise of will-worship, which I shall transcribe and briefly examine.
Once more, if it be objected that what ever is thus performed, is commanded by those large inclusive words, [thou shalt love thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy Soule &c.] nothing being of such latitude, as that the (with all) should not contain it. I answer, that that phrase denoteth two things only.
1. Sincerity of this love of God, as opposed to partiall divided love, or service.
2. The loving him above all other things, and not admitting any thing into Competition with him; not loving any thing else in such a degree. Treat: wil-worsh. p. 24.
Here you barely dictate, that that phrase, [Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy Soule &c.] denoteth onely those two things, you mention, whereas your reader hath just reason to expect a confirmation of what you say.
1. Because this very answer is the shift of Papists in severall controversies between them and us, Bellarm. Tom. 2. De monachis. lib. 2. cap. 13. Tom. 4. de [Page 30]amissione gratiae, & Statu peccati lib: 1. cap. 12. &c. And was it not fit that you should acquaint us, what those cogent reasons were, that necessitated you unto this compliance with Papists?
2. Those protestants, that have dealt in the controversies betwixt us and the Papists, have proved this your sense to be too narrow, and with-all have given another exposition Nimirùm huc tandem res redit, ut sciamus ita imperari nobis amorem Dei, ut nullus sit amoris gradus, intra summum, cui quisquam debeat acquiescere. summum autem dico non tantum comparatè ad res alias, quae sub amorem cadunt: sed etiam, & quidem praecipuè comparatè ad nos ipsos, ut nè ultrà possimus amare: Ita enim verè totum cor erit tota anima: mens tota vires omnes, &c. Chamier. Tom. 3. lib. 11. cap. 16. sect. 22. of the words which they have confirmed and vindicated from the exceptions of the Papists. Now of all this, it had been equitable for you to have taken notice, and not to have troubled your reader with that which hath been so abundantly refuted by Protestant pens. But to take a sunder this answer into its parts.
The phrase denoteth 1. sincerity of this love of God, as opposed to partiall divided love, or service; Unto this I shall reply. 1. In the words of Ames unto Bellarmine: Bellar: Enervat: Tom. 2. p. 154. Hoc aliquid est, sed non totum quod his verbis praecipitur, tum enim illi etiam qui minimum gradum verae charitatis, quamvis tepidi fuerint, hoc preceptum perfectè implerent. This is something, but it is not all that is commanded in these words, for then those that have the least degree of true charity, although they were lukewarme should perfectly fulfill this command.
2. To Ames his words, I shall adde those of the Dr. Francis White (one that was farre from Puritanisme) in [Page 31]his reply to the Jesuite Fishers answer: If the precept, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart &c. bind men no further than to an unfained or sincere love of God, and the observance of his commandements without breach of friendship, then it bindeth them not to the shunning of veniall sins. But according to Austin and Bernard, it bindeth man to the avoiding of all sin, both veniall and mortall. But proceed we on to the second part of your answer. That phrase denoteth Secondly, the loving him above all other things, and not admitting any thing into competition with him: not loving any thing else in such a degree. The Schoole-men tell us that God may be loved above all things three manner of waies, objectivè, appretiativè, and intensivè: now which of these waies it is that you imbrace, or whether you imbrace all of them I cannot determine, and therefore I shall waite untill you declare your selfe, and accordingly shall shape mine answer. But in the meane while, that this commandement enjoineth a most intense actuall love of God, a love of God with as high a degree as is possible unto the humane nature, I shall evince by these following reasons.
1. It cannot be denied but that the intension, and dedegrees of love fall all under the commandement of love it selfe: for as Aquinas noteth secundâ secundae quest. 44. art. 8. Modus, qui pertinet ad rationem virtuosi actûs, cadit sub precepto, quod datur de actu virtutis. This premised I thus argue: Either the lowest degree, or some middle degree, or the highest degree [Page 32]of actuall love, is here commanded; if the lowest, then that is a perfect fulfilling of this law, and the lukewarmnesse of love can be no sin; if you say some one of the middle degrees betwixt the lowestand the highest, it concerneth you to determine, and specify what degree this is, below which all degrees of love are sin full, and beyond which all degrees of love are a voluntary oblation and uncommanded worship; and if you cannot do this (as I know you cannot) I shall conclude, that the highest degree is commanded in our love of God.
2. A most intense love of God, a love of him with the utmost of our forces and endeavors is due unto God debito connaturalitatis, & debito gratitudinis, 1. debito connaturalitatis, by an obligation of congruence, for it is very fitting that we love him as much as we can, who is infinitely good in himselfe, and therefore the cheife good, and supreame end of man. The Protestants are brought in by Bellarmine de Mon. Lib. 2. cap. 13. thus objecting against their popish evangelicall counsells of perfection, that he that is unwilling to love God as much as he can, doth hereby deny, to wit virtually and interpretatively, that God is the cheife good of man; and whereas he is so bold in his answer to affirme, that non requiritur ut quis summum bonumtam ardenter amet, quam fortè poss et: Ames hath hereunto a very round and acute reply, tum non requiritur (saith he) ut in bonum omni ratione summum feramur, affectu omni etiamratione summo.
2. This most intense actuall love of God is due unto God by an obligation of gratitude, for hereby (as Dr [Page 33] Francis White against Fisher out of Bernard) we are indebted and owe to the almighty, omne quod sumus, & omne quod possumus, whatsoever we are, & whatsoever we are able to do.
For the further confirmation of this point, Protestants alleadge the testimonies of divers of the Fathers, particularly Austin and Bernard, as also of the ancient Schoole men, who say that this command cannot be fulfilled in this life; because it commands such a perfection of love, as is impossible to be attained in this life. I shall not clog the readers patience with transcribing the severall quotations, because I beleive he may have them almost in every writer of controversies betwixt us and the Papists: onely I shall trouble him with what I conceive to be most remarkeable in Aquinas and Scotus concerning this mater. 1. Aquinas secunda secundae qu. 44. art. 6. intendit deus per hoc praeceptum Deut. 6. ut homo deo totaliter uniatur; quod fiet in patriâ, quando deus erit omnia in omnibus, 1 Cor. 15. & ideo plenè & perfectè in patriâ implebitur hoc praeceptum. And againe. qu. 184. art. 3. Non autem dilectio dei & proximi cadit sub praecepto secundum aliquam mensuram, it a quòd id quod est plus, sub consilio remane at; ut patet ex ipsâ formâ praecepti, quae perfectionem demonstrat; ut cum dicitur, diliges dominum deum ex toto corde tuo: totum enim & perfectum idem sunt sec. Phil. 3. phys. & cum dicitur, diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum: unusquisque enim se ipsum maximè diligit. Et hoc ideo est, quia finis praecepti charitas est, ut Apostolus 1 Tim. 1. in fine autem non adhibetur aliqua mensura, sed solum in his quae sunt [Page 34]ad finem, ut philosophus dicit 1. polit. Sicut medicus non adhibet mensuram quantum sanet, sed quanta medicina vel diaeta utatur ad sanandum. Thus also Scotus lib. 3. dist. 27. dico igitur quod illud praeceptum, Deut. 6. non potest impleri in viâ, quantum ad omnes conditiones, quae exponuntur perillas additiones ex toto corde, & ex totâ anima, &c. quià non potest esse in viâ istâ tanta recollectio virium, ut amotis impedimentis possit voluntas tanto conatu ferri, quanto possit, si vires essent unitae, & non impeditae, & quod ad talem intensionem actus expulsis impedimentis, & recollectis viribus debet intelligi dictum Aug. et magistri, quod praeceptum illud non impletur in viâ; nam pronitas virium inferiorum pro statu isto impedit superiores ab actibus perfectis. The first that Bellarmine hath to evade these testimonies is not unknowne unto me, viz. that they are to be understood of the command quatenus indicant finem, non quatenus praecipit medium; if you think fit to adventure hereupon, I must needs intreat you to remove first out of your way the replies of Chamier and Ames unto it.
Thirdly you seeme in the latter end of section the 39. to intimate, that in the time of Christs agony there was more occasion for the heightning of his love of God than there was at other times. What you meane by these ocasiōs of heightning Christs love of God that you intimate, I will not undertake to guesse; but this I am sure of, that at all other times he had sufficient causes, grounds, and motives to induce him to love God with as heightned degrees of Actuall love as the humane nature could reach unto; he injoied the beatificall vision, [Page 35]a cleare, evident, and intuitive knowledg of the divine essence, that had in it all the fulnesse of goodness, and so was an object infinitely lovely and amiable: Now such an Object thus known, thus seen, challengeth such a measure of actuall love, as that it leaveth no place for a farther and higher degree. The Thomists generally maintaine that this most intense love of God is a naturall, and necessary sequele of the beatificall vision, necessary quo ad exercitium, as well as quoad specificationem actûs; now that which works naturally and necessarily, works as vehemently and forcibly as it can. Omne agens de necessitate, necessariò agit usque ad ultimum potentiae suae; therefore the inward acts of Christs love of God were alwaies as ardent, and fervent as he could performe them, and therefore some were not more intense than others; for if we speak of a liberty of indifferency, and indetermination, he had no more liberty towards the intension of the inward acts of his love, than he had towards the acts themselves.
Dr. HAMMOND.
40. Of this I shall hope it is possible to finde some instances among men (of whose graces it can be no blasphemy to affirme, that they are capable of degrees) suppose we a sincerely pious man, a true lover of God, and no despiser of his poore persecuted Church, and suppose we, as it is very supposeable, that at some time the seas roar, the tempest be at its height, and the waves beat violently upon this frail brittle vessell, may it not be a season for that pious mans ardency to receive some growth? for his zeal to be emulous of those [Page 36] waves, and poure it selfe out more profusely at such, than at a calmer season? I hope there be some at this time among us, in whom this point is really exemplified; if it be not, it is an effect of want, not fulnesse of love. But I need not thus to inlarge, It is not by this Refuter denied of the person of Christ, and that is my intire [...] in reference either to Mr. C. or to him, the utmost that I undertook to demonstrate then, or to justify now.
JEANES.
This Section your poore refuter had passed over as a digression, had he not found himselfe named in the close of it; it is not by this refuter denyed of the person of Christ. I suppose the antecedent to the relative is in these words, may it not be a season for that pious mans ardency to receive some growth? for his zeale to be emulous of those waves, and poure it selfe out more profusely at such than at a calmer season? And then there be two things that you affirme, that I deny not of the person of Christ.
1. That a tempestuous time (a time of affliction) was a season for Christs ardency to receive some growth.
2. That twas a season for his zeale to poure it selfe out more profusely at such, than at a calmer season.
As for the first sentence, a time of affliction was a season for Christs ardency to receive some growth, if by ardency you understand the ardency of his love of God, I deny that it did receive any growth; for to ascribe growth unto it is to charge it with imperfection. [Page 37] Charitas, quamdiu augeri potest (saith Austin) profectò illud quod minus est quàm debet, ex vitio est. And I am very confident that besides this replyer, no learned man either protestant; or papist hath ascribed any such growth unto the ardency of Christs actuall love of God.
As for the second sentence, that a tempestuous time, a time of Christs affliction was a season for his zeale to poure it's selfe out more profusely than at a calmer season, this is not (I grant) denied by me, if by this more profuse pouring out of his zeale you only understand the outward expressions of his zeale; but I cannot but extreamly wonder that you affirme this to be the utmost, that you undertook to demonstrate to Mr. Cawdrey, or to justify now against me &c.
For 1. in your answer to Mr. Cawdrey, you affirme by consequent, that Christs love of God was capable of farther and higher degrees, but love is predicated of the outward expressions thereof only analogically, analogiâ attributionis extrinsecae, sicut sanitas dicitur de urina.
2. In this your reply unto me you expresly averre, that the inward acts of Christs love of God were more intense at one time, than another Sect. 21. and I hope you have more philosophy, then to confound the inward acts, and the outward expressions of love.
That which hath herein occasioned your mistake is, I beleeve, a supposall that the inward acts of love, and the outward expressions thereof are, if they be [Page 38]sincere, alwaies exactly proportioned in point of degree; but this proposition hath no truth in it, as you will soone find, if you attempt the proofe of it, who almost but may easily conceive how 'tis very ordinary for the outward expressions of love to be gradually beneath the inward acts thereof? he is no hypocrite in expressing his love, that loveth inwardly more than he expresseth outwardly; the degrees then of the inward acts of love may not only equall, but also transcend the most sincere expressions of love. It may be so in all men, and I shall alleadge two reasons, why in Christ the inward acts of his love were alwaies equally intense, though the outward expressions thereof were gradually different.
The first reason agreeth unto Christ in common with other men. Christ as man was alwaies obliged unto the most intense, ardent, and fervent inward acts of love of God, but he was not alwaies obliged unto the most intense expressions of these inward acts; the reason of the difference betweene his obligation unto the intension of the inward acts of his love, and his obligation unto the intension of the outward expressions thereof, you may fetch from what is said by Aquinas 2 da 2 dae, q. 27. art. 6. ad tertiam. Nec est simile de interiori actu charitatis & exterioribus actibus. Nam interior actus charitatis habet rationem finis, quià ultimum bonum hominis consistit in hoc, quod anima Deo inhaereat, secundum illud Psalmi, mihi adhaerere deo bonum est. Exteriores autem actus sunt sicut ad finem, & ideo sunt [Page 39]commensurandi, & secundum charitatem, & secundum rationem.
The second reason is peculiar unto Christ above all other men: Whil'st he lived here upon earth, he injoyed the beatificall vision; and the naturall, and necessary consequent thereof is a most intense actuall love of God, and therefore the inward acts of his love of God were equally intense at all times: but as for the outward expressions of these acts, Christ had to them a proper freedome, taking the word [freedome] for an active indifferency, in sensu diviso, and therefore they might be more intense at one time than another; but of this you may, if you please, see further in Suarez in tertiam partem Thom: dis. 37. sect. 4. where the question debated is quomodo voluntas Christi ex necessitate diligens deum, in reliquis actibus potuerit esse libera.
Dr HAMMOND.
41. And so I shut up this hasty paper, hoping that he which invited and promised it a welcome, in case it were given in a fair and Scholasticall way, having nothing to accuse in it' as to the first Epithet, will abate somewhat in reference to the second, and allow it a friendly, though being unqualified, it pretend not to a more hospitable reception.
JEANES.
Unto this your hasty paper (as you call it) I have given a deliberate answer; and I hope it may contend with your reply for civility, and fairenesse in carriage of the controversy between us. As for the Scholasticallnesse [Page 40]of either paper, it were a vaine thing for me to say any thing of it; for we must be tried by the learned readers, unto whom we both have, by thus appearing in publique, appealed; and unto their judgment I shall contentedly submit my selfe. And thus your refuter, for the present, takes his leave of you, hoping, when your more pleasing and profitable imployments shall permit, to heare further from you; in the meane time he shall rest: Your most humble servant