to him likewise the Body and Blood of Christ Thou séemest thereby to contradict thy former speaches here vttered touching the same thing declare vnto vs therefore the cause why thou diddest write after that maner Aug. My sonne If Sacraments x In his 23. Epistle to Boniface had not some similitude oâ— likenesse of these things whereof they be Sacraments they should not be Sacraments at all and from this similitude most commonly they receyue the names also of the same things so that after a certayne maner the Sacrament of the Body of Christ is the Body of Christ The Sacrament of the Blood of Christ is the Blood of Christ c. And therefore as I sayd before * Pagâ— 18. at the letter â—o Our Lord doubted not to say This is my Body when he gaue the signe or Sacrament of his Body c. Lay. Undoubtedly thou hast layd open this matter also very playne for indéed after a certayne maner both Christ carryed himselfe in his owne hands and also Iudas did eate and drinke the Body and Blood of our Lord. But doost thou allow it lawfull for any man to follow the literall sence in a contrary respect that is with a carnall seruitude to take the signes for the things signified by them and so to reuerence the Sacrament as the thing it selfe Aug. My sonne The Lord himselfe y In his â— Booke of Christian doctrine Chap. 9. and the Apostolical discipline hath deliuered some few signes for many and the same most easie to be done and most reuerend to be vnderstood and most pure in obseruation as is the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Celebration of the Body Blood of our Lord which things euery one being instructed when he receyueth acknowledgeth to what they are referred that he reuerence them not with a carnall seruitude but rather with a spirituall liberty c. But as to follow the letter and to take the signes for the things which are signified by them comes of seruile infirmity so likewise to interpret the signes vnprofitable proceedes from the euill of wandring errour c. Lay. These last words of thine most reuerend Father are inuincible against the doctrine herein of our Romish aduersaryes for if hereafter they shall boast that thou doost agrée with their Transsubstantiation carnall aderation in the Masse we will then demaund of them what other thing it is to follow the letter to take the signes for the things signified and so to reuerence them with a carnall seruitude but the selfe-same carnall doctrine of Transsubstantiation And therefore we will now rest fully satisfied with these thy former speaches as being from thee a sufficient witnesse herein against them And the better to approue this thy doctrine to be the doctrine of the Church aboue a thousand yeeres since we will ioyne here with thee a witnesse or two more from Antiquity that by the mouth of two or three witnesses z 2. Cor. 13. 1. the Trueth may be confirmed Speake diuine Hierome what is thy true opinion touching this matter now in controuersie about the mystery or Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord. Speake briefly learned Father yet let it be so effectuall that thy words may playnely declare thy meaning Hierome My sonne a Vpon the 147. Psalm I thinke the Gospell the Body of Iesus c. And where he sayth He which shall not eate my flesh and drinke my blood c. b Iohn 6. 5â— although it may be vnderstood in the mystery yet more truely the word of the Scripture is the Body and Blood of Christ The doctrine is diuine c Looke the 26. Homily of S. Aug. and against Maximil Chap. 22. and note how he doth agree with this of â— Hierom If at any time we go to the mystery he which is faithfull vnderstandeth it If he fall into a spot he is in danger If at any time we heare the word of GOD both the word of God and the flesh of Christ and his blood is powred into our eares and we think an other thing to what great danger we runne into c. Lay. Verily thou hast here according to our desire briefly spoken to the purpose indéed and it may well suffice for a testimony from thée against that strange doctrine of Transsubstantiation for according thereunto we know not how the holy Scripture can be so truely the Body and Blood of Christ as the holy mystery and therefore because yea or nay is a sufficient answere we will content our selues onely with this thy briefe affirmation herein and so procéede to the third witnesse Speake diuine Theodoret what sayest thou touching the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord Theodoret. My sonne d All this from Theo. is to be found in his 1. and 2. Dialogue Thou knowest that God called his Body Bread e Iohn 6. 51. Lay. I know it Theodoret. Moreouer in another place he named wheate flesh f Math. 〈…〉 Lay. I know this to be true also Theo. In the tradition of mysteries he called bread his Body and that which powred and commixed in the cup Blood Lay. So he did call these things indéed but did he rightly call them so as being his naturall Body and Blood or did he but change the names Theo. My sonne That which is a body according to nature shall rightly be called a body and likewise blood c. But our Sauiour changed the names verily and imposed to the body that name which rightly belonged to the signe and Symbole but to the signe he imposed that name which belonged to the body so when he had named himselfe a Vyne he called that Blood which was the signe Lay. But the nature of the Bread and wine still remayning what is the cause of the alteration of the names Theo. To those that are admitted to the diuine mysteryes the institution is manifest for he would not haue them which are partakers of the diuine mysteries to regard the nature of those things which are seene but by the changing of the names to beleeue the alteration which is made by grace for he which named that Wheat and Bread which by nature is a body and againe named himselfe a Vine he hath honored the Symboles and signes which are seene with the name of the Body and Blood not verily changing nature but adding grace to nature c. Lay. What sayst thou then to those Heretiks which hold that as those signes of the Body and Blood of our Lord were one kind of things before the inuecation of the Priest or minister and after are changed and made other things euen so the Body of our Lord also after the resurrection is changed into the diuine substance Theo. My sonne g In his â—… Dialoges They are taken in their owne snares for neyther do the misticall signes depart from their owne nature after sanctificatioÌ„ but they remayne in the former substance and figure and
S. Iohn He himselfe doth expound how that may be done which he spake of what it is to eate his Body and drinke his blood He which eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood sayth he dwelleth in me u Iohn 6. 56. Iâ—n him This it is then to eate that meate and drinke that blood to dwell in Christ and to haue Christ dwelling in him And by this he that dwelleth not in Christ and in whom Christ doth not dwell without doubt hee neither eates his flesh nor drinkes his blood spiritually although carnally and visibly hee presse with his teeth the Sacrament of his body and blood but rather hee doth eate and drinke the Sacrament of so great a thing to his owne Iudgement because hee presumes to come vncleane to the Sacraments of Christ which no man receyues worthily but hee which is cleane of whom it is sayd x Mat. â— 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God c. Lay. Then it séemes by thée contrary to the doctrine of the Church of Rome that the presence of Christ in the Sacrament is in such a spirituall maner that although the wicked may eate and drinke the same Sacrament vnworthily according to S. Paul y 1. Cor. 11. 27. yet they cannot by any meanes eate and drinke Christ himselfe the matter and substance thereof Whereby thou doost declare this thing to be an vnspeakeable mystery onely for the faithfull to vnderstand for it séemes here also by thée that none can receiue the Body of Christ but onely the liuely members of Christ that dwell in him so that as they dwell in Christ Christ dwelleth in them but this is not according to Transsubstantiation Therefore to satisfie our weake brethren speake yet more playne if thou canst reuerend Father and tell vs by some familiar example whether any can haue true life not eating and drinking that holy substance and also whether there bée any cause or spiritual sicknesse in man eating and drinking the Body and Blood of Christ to exclude him from that eternall life Aug. My sonne r In his â—6 Treatis vpon S. Iohn He hath not that life which doth not eate that Bread and drinke that Blood Indeed men may haue a temporall life without that but not at all the eternall He therefore which doth not eate his flesh nor drinke his blood hath not life in himselfe and he which eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath life He answereth to both because he sayd eternall It is not so in that meate which we receyue for the sustayning of this temporall life for he which shal not receyue it shall not liue yet for all that he shall not liue alwayes which doth receyue it for it may come to passe that many which haue taken that meate may dye by old age or by a disease or by some other cause But in this meate and drinke that is to say the Body and Blood of our Lord it is not so for both he which doth not receiue it hath not life and he which doth receyue it hath life and this likewise eternall Therefore he would haue this bread and drinke to be vnderstood the society of the body and his members a Iohn 14. 20. and 17. 21 22 23. which is the holy Church his Saints and faythfull c. The Sacrament of this thing that is to say of the vnity of the Body Blood of Christ is prepared on the Lords Table in some place dayly in some place at certayne times and is receyued from the Lords Table vnto some to life vnto some to destruction But the thing it selfe to which the Sacrament doth belong is to euery man to life to no man to destruction whosoeuer shall be partaker of it c. Lay. Here thou art most playne indéed that the wicked cannot eate and drinke Christ Iesus the Bread of life And by this also we finde that thou doost acknowledge according to S. Paul b 1. Cor. 10. 3 4 that the faithful Iewes did eate and drinke the same spirituall substance which we do but in their SacrameÌ„ts Christ to come in ours Christ is come the same spirituall vertue in both otherwise as thou doost affirme they could not haue entred into eternall life Aug. True my sonne c In his Booke of the profit of repentance Chap. 1. Whosoeuer in Manna vnderstood Christ did eate the same spirituall food which we do c. To the beleeuer it was neyther this nor that meate and drinke which belongs to the hungry and thirsty but to the beleeuer the same which is now for then Christ to come now Christ is come to come and is come are diuers words yet the same Christ c. Lay. What other difference is there betwéene their Sacramenâ—s and ours besides Christ to come and Christ is come Aug. d In his 26. Tâ—eatis vpon S. Iohn In signes they are diuers but in the thing signifyed they are alike c. They did all drinke the same spirituall drinke but in the visible appearance they one thing we another but the same in spirituall vertue which that signifyed c. Hold firmely my sonne and make no doubt thereof e In his Booke to Peter the Deacon Chap. 18. 19. the same onely begotten Sonne the word made flesh to haue offered himselfe for vs a sweete smelling sauour to God f Ephe. 5. 2 A sacrifice and Hoste to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost beasts were sacrificed in the time of the old Testament by the Patriarks Prophets Priests and to whom now that is in the time of the new Testament with the Father and the holy Ghost with whom he is equall in diuinity the holy Catholike Church through the vniuersall world ceaseth not in fayth and loue to offer the sacrifice of Bread and wyne for in those carnall oblations there was a figuration of the flesh of Christ which for our sinnes he without sinne was to offer and of the Blood which he was to sheade for the remission of our sinnes But in this sacrifice there is a thankes-giuing and also a remembrance of the flesh of Christ which he did offer for vs and of the blood which the same God did shead for vs c. g In his 20 Booke against 〈◊〉 Chap. 2â— Before the comming of Christ the flesh and blood of this Sacrifice was promised by oblations of similitudes in the Passion of Christ it was deliuered in the trueth it selfe After the Ascension of Christ it is celebrated by a Sacrament of remembrance c. Lay. We note here from thée one thing well worth the nothing against our aduersaries that is if Christ be really contayned in the Sacrifice of their Masse then Christ the second person in Trinity is offered to himselfe the second person in Trinity But we assure our selues that it cannot stand with thy grauity to allow of such absurdity Thou doost here call this 〈◊〉 The sacrifice of Bread
Wine as it is indéed for we find in holy Scripture that the heauen must receyue or contayne Christ vntill his second comming h Acts. â— 21. and therefore we hold him not to be in diuers places at one time as in heauen aboue and in the bread and wine beneath but as thou hast fully resolued vs that the reprobate can neyther eate nor drinke Christ and also that the faithfull Iewes did both eate and drinke the same spirituall foode which we do euen Christ himselfe the spirituall Rocke that followed them i 1. Cor. 10. 4. so we pray thée to resolue vs also if Christ as he is man may be in diuers places at once if not then how we may hold him here on earth he being onely in heauen Aug. My sonne k In his 30 Treatis vp on S Iohn Christ being absent is also present vnlesse he were present we could not hold him but because it is true which he sayd l Math. 28. 20. Behold I am with you to the end of the world both he went away and is here also he returned and did not forsake vs. Lay. But how did he both go away and also remayne Is he present here both according to his Maiesty as he is God and also according to that substance which he tooke of the blessed Virgin his mother did not he carry his Body into heauen and there sits at the right hand of God Aug. He carried his Body into heauen but he took not his Maiesty away from the world c. The poore ye shall alwayes haue with you sayth he m Iohn 1â— 8. but me ye shall not haue alwayes c. He spake of the presence of his Body for according to his Maiesty according to his prouidence according to his infallible and inuisible grace it is fulfilled which he sayd Behold I am with you to the worlds end But according to the flesh which the word did take according to that which was borne of the Virgin according to that which was apprehended by the Iewes which was nayled vpon the Tree and taken downe from the Crosse lapped in linnen clothes and put in the Sepulchre which was manifested in the resurrection Ye shall not haue me alwayes with you Why because according to the presence of his Body being coÌ„uersant with his Disciples fourty dayes in their sight he ascended into heauen and is not here for there he sits at the right hand of his Father and is here for the presence of his Maiesty did not depart After another sort according to the presence of his Maiesty we haue Christ alwayes according to the presence of his flesh it is truely sayd to his Disciples But me ye shall not haue alwayes for according to the presence of the flesh the Church had him but a few dayes but now she holds him by fayth c. Lay. Notwithstanding all this playne speach of thine yet some do absurdly affirme that thou doost here but deny a Visible presence onely and that thou doost great according to Transsubstantion a corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament after an inuisible maner how shall we from thée answere to that absurd cauelling Aug. My sonne His diuinity truely is alwayes with vs n In his 60 Sermon vpon S. Iohn but vnlesse he were absent corporally we should alwayes carnally see his body c. o In his 2. Sermon vpon the birth of our â—ord The Word being made flesh it is euident God and man two to be in one flesh sometime man speaketh to the Father sometime God sometime visible from his mother sometime inuisible from his Father c. Lay. But God is omnipotent and therefore by his omnipotent power he may as some thinke be both in heauen and also corporally inuisible in the Sacrament and occupy no place for he may say they take away spaces of places from Bodyes and yet the Bodyes may remayne still and so he himselfe both God and man to be both here and there at one time Aug. My sonne God is in such wise omnipotent p In his 284. sâ—ntence that he neuer pulls in sunder the institutions of his owne order c. q In his â—â— Booke against Faustus Chap. 1â— According to a corporall presence Christ could not be at one time both in the Sunne and Moone and vpon the Crosse c. r In his 57. 〈◊〉 to Daâ—danus We must take heede that we do not so build vp the diuinity of the man that we take away the trueth of the Body c. Take away the spaces of places from Bodyes and they are no where and because they be no where they are not at all Take away Bodyes from the qualities of Bodyes and there shall not be any place where they may be and therefore of necessity it must be that they haue no being c. If the substance of a body how little or great soeuer it be be vtterly taken away there shal be no place where his qualityes may be c. Lay. Thou hast now fully resolued vs in this last poynt touching Christ to be onely in heauen and it doth euidently appeare also by these few wordes from thée that the formes and accidents of Bread and wine cannot remayne without their substances as some do vainly imagine but that it is truely Bread which we sée in the blessed Sacrament euen as our eyes do declare vnto vs. Aug. Verily my sonne Å¿ In his Sermon to the children cited by Bede vpon the 1. and 10. to the Cor. That which ye see is Bread and the cup which also the eyes do declare vnto vs But as touching that which your fayth requireth to be instructed in the bread is the Body of Christ and the Cup is the blood Lay. But Christ being now in heauen onely as thou doost affirme how is that Bread his Body or the cup or that which is in the cup how is it his blood Aug. These things my sonne are therefore called Sacraments because in them one thing is seene another thing is vnderstood That which is seene hath a corporall forme That which is vnderstood hath a spirituall profit Therefore if thou wilt vnderstand the Body of Christ heare the Apostle saying t 1. Cor. 1â— 27. Ye are the body of Christ c. Lay. We do so diuine Augustine for this matter we both heare him and note him not in that place onely but in diuers other places also u Rom. 1â— 5. 1. Cor. 6 15. 10. 16 17. Ephe. 1. 22 23 â—nd â— 4. c. to 17. 5. 2â— c. to the end and therefore the faithfull cannot mistake thée herein thou agréeing so well with holy Scripture But wherefore doost thou write in some place that Christ did carry himselfe in his owne hands when he did deliuer to his disciples the Sacrament of his Body and Blood And againe though Iudas receyued it vnworthily yet thou sayest also that the same Sacrament was
prayed for the faith of S. Peter and so consequently for the faith of all his sucessours according to the opinion of the aduersary * In their Rhemish notes vpon the 28 of S. Luke verse 31. that it should neuer fayle But if any Bishop of Rome may proue a false Christian and liue so lewdly that he may dye a Reprobate then vndoubtedly euery Bishop of Rome is not the true successour of S. Peter vnlesse a true faith may contradict in maners the things which it professeth in words for it was a true faith in S. Peter which our Lord prayed for to continue in his Church and not a vaine fayth And if it be true that the Bishop of Rome may erre as he is man but not possible as he is Pope that is to say although in person he may erre in his priuate doctrine and maners yet not possible to erre iudicially or definitiuely then could it not be preiudiciall to the Church although Antichrist himselfe were Bishop of Rome * See S. Chrisost vpon the â— to the Thâ—ssa and S. Barnaâ—d in hâ—s 123. Epistle and Vniuersall Bishop But according to diuine reason this séemes not agréeable to trueth Gregory My sonne If this be permitted to be lawfully spoken f In his 4. Booke and 36. Epistle the honor of all Patriarchies is denied and perhaps when he peâ—isheth in errour which is called vniuersâ—ll then no Bishop is found to haue remayned in the state of trueth c. I say therefore the vniuersall Church g In his 6. Booke and Epiâ—tle 24. falleth to ruine if one Vniuersall fall But farre be this vanity and foolishnessâ— from my eares c. * A true faith doth not contradict in maners the things which it professeth in words * for which Hom. 29 in Euâ—ng Tit. 1. cause it was sayd of certayn false ChristiaÌ„s by S. Paul * that they confessed God in words but denied him in deeds by S. Iohn * that whosoeuer sayth he knoweth â— Iohn 2. God and keepeth not his coÌ„maundements is a Lyar Which being so we must examine the trueth of our faith by consideration of our life for then not otherwise are we true Christians if we fulfill in works that whereof we haue made promise in words c. Lay. Would to God thy successours had bene of the same mind herein as thou and thy predecessours were for then the Church vniuersally could neuer haue bene so much diuided as it hath bene for most true it is according to thy speach that within lesse time then this 200. yéeres past hardly was there a Bishop to be fouÌ„d remayning in that sincere and pure doctrine taught in the Primitiue Church but being reuolted and departed from that sound doctrine they all from the highest to the lowest taught lyes in hypocrisie euen as Saint Paul prophested of them forbidding to marry h 1. Tim. 4 1 2 3. and commaunding to abstayne from meates lawfully to be eaten with other such like errours and deceyueable doctrines But the principall cause of such vniuersall euils thou hast playnely declared to procéede from the pride of him called vniuersall Bishop which man wée take to be no better then Antichrist himselfe for according to S. Paul i 2. Thesse 2. 4. he sits hypocritically in the Temple of God in word The seruant of seruants but in déede extolling himselfe aboue all power on earth for by vsurped authority he séekes not onely to be supreme head ouer all Bishops but ouer all Chrâ—stian Kings also which loftynesse was neyâ—her in thée nor in thy predecessours and that thou doost make most manifest not onely by these playne speaches here vttered but elsewhere also k In hiâ— 38. Epistle Chap. 82. with which we restfully satisfied herein And so we will conclude this first part with a few words taken froÌ„ our late Minister but now an Aposâ—ata Theophilus Higgons * Written since hiâ— reâ—oâ—t in his first Motiue Page 64. because they coÌ„taine a truth touching this poynt contrary to himself as thus It was a tyranny in Mezentius sayth he to bynd liuing men vnto dead carkeyses But the wisdome of God doth assure me and me also that he will not tye the lyuing body of his Church vnto the dead and putrified members thereof The end of the first part The second part treating of the Sacrament of the Blessed Body and Blood of our LORD and Sauiour Iesus Christ NOw diuine Augustine let vs go forward in that principall poynt touching the holy Sacrament let vs certaynely know thy mind whether Christ be there after a spirituall maner onely for the faithfull to eate and drinke or after a corporal and carnall maner as foode both for the worthy and vnworthy receyuer We find in holy Scripture that our Sauiour called l Iohn 6. 35. and 10. 7. and 15. 1. himselfe Bread called himselfe a Doore called himselfe a Vine These things in a spiritual sence we know to be truely and properly spoken yet according to the letter we take them figuratiuely to be spoken But wée would gladly vnderstand from thée what our Sauiour meant when he called Bread his body m Mat. 26. 26. and also what he meant when he sayd Exceptye eate n Iohn 〈…〉 the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye haue no life in you c. Whether these speaches according to the letter were figuratiue or proper Aug. My sonne Our Lord doubted not to say This is my body o Against Adamantus Chap. 12 when he gaue the signe of his Body c. p Vpon the 3. Psal Christ admitted Iudas to that Banket in which he did deliuer to his disciples the figure of his Body c. Note this also If it be a speach of commaundement eyther forbidding a mischieuous deed or a hainous fact q In his â— Booke of Christian doctrine Chap. 16. or commaunding a profitable thing or a good deed it is not figuratiue But if it seeme to coÌ„maund a wicked deed and a naughty fact or to forbid a profitable thing or a good deed it is figuratiue Vnlesse ye shall eate sayth he the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye shall not haue life in you c. He doth seeme to commaund a hainous or wicked deed It is a figure therefore commaunding vs to communicate with the passion of our Lord and sweetely and profitably to lay vp in memory that his flesh was crucifyed and wounded for vs c. r Vpon the 98. Psalm The words which I haue spoken vnto you sayth Christ is spirit and life s Iohn 6. 63. Vnderstand spiritually that which I haue spoken vnto you Ye shall not eate this Body which ye see neyther shall ye drinke that blood which they shall sheade that crucify me I haue commended vnto you a certayne Sacrament which being spiritually vnderstood shall giue you life c. t â—n his 2â— â—reatiâ— vpon
vnlesse they adde thereunto some matter of their owne deuising as namely by adding a condition to the holy text more then thou didst there expresse * Bellarmine in his 〈…〉 as though there were a defect in thy word by which all things are made perfit and by which at the last day they shalâ— iudge both the quicke and the dead But full well do thy faithfull people know by the direction of thy holy spirit that thou giuest not thy selfe for foode to any reprobate and vnworthy creature for thou sayst here most playnely that whosoeuer eateth and drinketh thy flesh and blood hath eternall life and therefore although the Sacrament thereof may be eaten and drunken both by the worthy and vnworthy receiuer as witnesseth thine Apostle Paul q 1. Cor. 11. 27. yet that blessed foode it selfe cannot so be eaten and drunken for the vertue thereof is to giue life to all that eates and drinks it and this is thy promise which can neuer be broken But most gracious Lord forasmuch as there be yet many weake people that cannot well vnderstand thée herein without adding to these thy words this word worthyly resolue them we humbly beséech thée whether it be so or not that some professed Christians may eate and drinke this sacred banket of thine euen thy selfe vnworthily and so dye in their sinnes as the vnworthy and faithlesse Iewes did notwithstanding they did eate Manna Speake so vnto them good Lord that they may both heare and vnderstand Christ My sonne Let those weake people of little faith marke well here what I say vnto them Haue not I graciously giuen you warning by my sacred word saying r Math. 16. â— and 15. 9. Take heede and beware of the leauen of the Pharises and Sadduces in vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines mens precepts Haue not I taught you by mine Apostle Paul faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God * Rom. 10. 1â— Iohn 8. 4â— Mark 1â— 24. He that is of God heareth Gods wordes c. * Iohn 5. 39. Are ye not therfore deceiued because ye know not the Scriptures neyther the power of God * Search the Scriptures My sheepe heare my voyce and I know them Iohn 10. 27. and 12. 48. and 14. 6. Luke â—1 23. and they follow me He that refuseth me and receyueth not my words hath one that iudgeth him the word that I haue spoken it shall iudge him in the last day I am the Way the Trueth the Life No man commeth vnto the Father but by me * Iohn 6. 〈…〉 He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth but * He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him As that liuing Father hath sent me so liue I by the Father and he that eateth me euen he shall liue by me Note well here what I say I speake not one thing and meane an other I make not my promise so absolutely and meane it but conditionally I say not he that eateth me worthily because no vnworthy creature that shall dye in his sinne can eate me And to make that most playne vnto you I say againe as I haue sayd already This is that bread which came downe from heauen not as your fathers haue eaten Manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall liue for euer c. Lay. For this thy playne declaration all prayse be giuen vnto thée O Lord for hereby all may discerne most clearely that thou doost not commit thy selfe to vnfaithfull creatures and to be foode for the reprobate as Iudas and such like We therefore most humbly pray thée to open the eyes of these blinde weakelings which by too much establishing the doctrines of men go about to contradict thée herein and so inspire their heartes with the grace of thy holy spirit that they may thereby discerne the onely cause of their great blindnesse But the same cause being by thy gracious help taken away they shall then clearely sée to séeke and find euen according to thy diuine direction Å¿ Math. â— 7. Let them sée O Lord that their Church of Rome doth yet erre and will erre still vntill shée acknowledge her owne weakenesse that she may erre But so aboundant is thy goodnesse mercy towards repentant sinners that if she would in due time repent her former errours with that vayne and presumptuous opinion touching her supposed purity in her owne doctrine generally no doubt thou wouldst not onely pardon all her erronious doctrines and superstitious cerimonies but also restore her to her first dignity and commendation and cause all her good and laudable Traditions and Customes which now in respect of her wilfull blindnesse in some poynts are little or nothing regarded by a great number to be as highly estéemed and as duely obserued as euer heretofore they haue bene for thy eternall wisedome doth more respect the good and faithfull intent of the dooer then the déed done whatsoeuer it be because whatsoeuer is not of true faith séeme it neuer so holy in the sight of man is no better then sinne in thy infallible Iudgement * Rom. 14. 23. In consideration whereof we most humbly beséech thée also to encrease in vs Protestants true and liuely faith which alwayes worketh by loue that we may be all in generall more zealous in thy seruice then hither to we haue bene for we here acknowledge before thée that knowest the secrets of all hearts who also hereafter shalt be our Iudge the knowledge without true zeale is more vnprofitable in thy sight then zeale without knowledge t Math. 21. 28. to 32. Luke 12. 47 48. Iohn 9. 41. Actes 10. 1. 10 5. Rom. ◠〈◊〉 5. 6. therefore as we professe thée in words so good Lord let vs expresse thée in workes that we may not be reckoned in the number of those foolish men that build vpon sand that is those that heare thy words and do them not u Math. â— 26. 27. We professe before thy diuine Maiesty that none can be saued but those that haue a faith working by loue x Gala. â— 6. 1. Tim. 1. â— Tit. 3. 8. Iames. 2. 20. other faiths we hold as dead and vayne in respect of Iustification but that faith onely which worketh by loue we hold to iustifie without the workes of the law euen as thine holy Apostle hath taught vs. y Rom. 3 â—8 Therefore for the great loue in thée declared vnto vs when thou didst suffer torments death for our sinnes we beséech thée swéete Iesus so to blesse the hearts of all true Christians that they may all from hencefoorth both liue and dye in peace and vnity Behold sayth thy Prophet Dauid * Psalm 1â— how good how comely a thing it is brethreÌ„ to dwell euen together It is like the precious oyntment vpon the head that runneth downe vpon the beard euen vnto Aarons beard which went downe on the border of his garments and as the dew of Hermon which falleth vpon the Mountaynes of Zion for there the Lord appoynted the blessing and life for euer Let thine heauenly blessing therefore so blesse the Vniuersall Church here on earth that it may euen now without any more controuersies conclude a spirituall marriage as it were betwéene faith and workes that so wée may all both truely glorifie thée in this world also be made partakers with thée of that euerlasting felicity in the next world euen in that holy place of enâ—lesse ioy which from the foundations of the world hath bene prepared for thine elect z Marâ— â—â— 24 by thine heauenly Father our onely God and Creator to whom with thée our swéete Redéemer and the holy Ghost our sanctifier thrée persons and one euerliuing God be ascribed all prayse power honor dominion and glory both now and for euermore Amen FINIS Let no man deceiue himselfe If any man among you seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise for the wisdome of this world is foolishnesse with God c. 1. Cor. 3. 18 19. Laus Deo et pax Christianis Glory be to God and peace among Christians Faults escaped In Page 5. line 23. for a principall Read the principall Page 12. line 24. for sayth he knoweth God Read sayth he knoweth God Page 24. line 5. in the mergent for Page 18. Read Page 15.