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Rogers on Article XIV: Of Works of Supererogation

Thomas Rogers, 1607

Commentaries on Article XIV: Rogers (1607)Ellis (1660)Burnet (1699)Beveridge (d. 1708)Welchman (1713)Practical Exposition (1716)Veneer (1725)Madan (1772)Hey (1796)Tomline (1799)Wilson (1821)Jones (1849)Trollope (1850)Browne (1850)Forbes (1867)Boultbee (1871)Maclear & Williams (1895)Green (1896)Gibson (1896)Jackson (1900)Bicknell (1919) · Article 14: text, context and Study

Article XIV. Of Works of Supererogation

Voluntary Works besides, over, and above, God's Commandments, which they call Works of Supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety: for by them men do declare, that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.

Text: Book of Common Prayer (1662)

Transcription from EEBO-TCP (CC0): https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A10958.0001.001. Text: The Faith, Doctrine, and Religion, Professed, & Protected in the Realme of England (Cambridge: John Legatt, 1607), the edition later reprinted as The Catholic Doctrine of the Church of England. Transcription from EEBO-TCP A10958 (CC0), in its original spelling; special characters normalised; marginal references appear as notes; [?] marks an illegible letter and [...] an illegible passage in the source.

The propositions.

  1. Workes of Supererogation cannot be taught without arrogancie, and impietie.

  2. Workes of Supererogation, are that sub[?]ersion of godlines, and true religion.

1. Proposition. […] arrogancie, and impietie.

The proofe from Gods word.

WOrkes of Supererogation (which are voluntary workes, besides, ouer, and aboue the commandements of God) are often condemned in the holy Scripture, where wee are commanded to walke, not after the lawes of men, but according to the Statutes of God 1; and to heare, not what man speaketh, but what Christ doth say 2: & he, teaching the dutie of christians, setteth before them, as their rule, and direction, the lawe, and word of God 3, and more then that hee doth neither vrge, nor require.

And against mans Iniunctions.

They worship mee in vaine (saith hee) who for doctrine teach the commandements of men 4.

Teach them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you 5.

My sheepe here my voice, and know not the voice of strangers 6.

Which doctrine, ordinances, & workes whatsoeuer (besides, ouer, and aboue that which God hath reuealed, and imposed, is called of the Apostle, somtimes ordinances of the world 7, voluntarie religion 8 sometime the doctrine of Deuills9 and cursed 10: And the same is condemned in all Churches reformed after the word of God 11.

The Errors, and adversaries vnto this truth.

Therefore both arrogant, and vngodly be the Papists, which teach, and speak in the commendation of such workes, and namely Petrus a Soto 12, the Rhemistes13; yea and the Coū cell of Trent 14.

2. Proposition. Workes of supererogation are the subversion of godlinesse, and true religion.

The proofe from Gods word.

Where the workes of Supererogation are taught, and in regard, the Law of God there is broken, against the will of Christ 15, that mens traditions may be obserued 16.

The holy Scripture must be contemned, not as sufficient enough to bring men vnto the knowledge of saluation, which S. Paul saith is able to instruct in righteousnesse, that the man of God may be absolute, being made perfect vnto all good workes 17.

God, who is onely wise 18, is made vnwise, in not prescribing so necessarie workes.

Faith, and other spirituall, & most special virtues are brought into oblivion.

Perfection is imputed not vnto Faith in Iesus Christ, but vnto workes: and which is most detestable, vnto the workes too, not commanded but forbidden of God, ordained by men.

The Lawe of God is thought to be throughly satisfied; and moe duties performed then man needed to haue done. The same thinke our brethren of these workes 19.

The adversaries vnto this truth.

Contrariwise the Papists of supererogatorie workes: they doe merit (say they) remission of sinnes, and that not for the doers of them onely, but for others besides 20.

They are tokens of the forgiuenes of sinnes, so well as Baptisme; yea deliuer fom the wrath of God, so well as Christ 21.

Are greater, and more holy, then are the workes commanded in the Decalogue, or Law morall 22.

And so preferring their owne works, and inuentions before God his Law, Sacraments, and the blood of Christ, both ought this doctrine of workes supererogatorie to be counted the doctrine of Deuills, and the maintainers thereof taken for the subuerters of godlines, and true religion.

Footnotes

  1. Iosh. 1.7. Ezek. 20.19. ↩

  2. Mark. 9.7. ↩

  3. Matth. 5.19. ↩

  4. Mark. 7.7. ↩

  5. Matth. 28.20. ↩

  6. Ioh. 10.25. ↩

  7. Coloss. 2.20. ↩

  8. Jbid. 23. ↩

    1. Tim. 4.1.
    ↩

  10. Gal. 1.8. ↩

  11. Confess. Helv. 2. c. 16. August. ar. 20. Basil. ar. 10. Gal. ar. 24. Belg. ar. 12. Sax. ar. 3.17. ↩

  12. In his Asser. catholic. fidei. ↩

  13. Aanot. marg. Luk. 10.35. 1. Cor. 9.23. 2. Cor. 8.14. ↩

  14. Concil. Trid. sess. 6. c. 10. ↩

  15. Matth. 5.19. ↩

  16. Marke 7.7. ↩

    1. Tim. 3.16, 17.
    ↩
    1. Tim. 1.17.
    ↩

  19. Confess. Helv. 2. &c. as in the former prop. ↩

  20. Test. Rhem. an. 2. Cor. 8.14. ↩

  21. Confess. Aug. ar. 20. ↩

  22. Pet. à Solo assert. Cath. de Lege. ↩

Source: EEBO-TCP, https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A10958.0001.001