Proueth Inuocation of Saints to be lawfull against D. Reynolds D. Field and D. Fulke pag. 255. The 14. Controuersy Establisheth the lawfull worship of Images against D. Bilson and D. Reynoldes pag. 276. The 15. Controuersy Maintaineth Purgatory and Prayer for the dead against D. Field and D. Fulke pag. 296. The 2. Chapter VVherin Prayer for the dead is defended against the foresayd Doctours M. Feild and M. Fulke pag. 316. THE FIRST BOOKE THE FIRST CONTROVERSY DECLARETH That neither the Holy Scripture by it selfe nor by any meanes the Protestants do assigne can be Iudge of Controuersyes AGAINST Doctour VVhitaker Doctour Reynolds and all other Protestants CHAP. I. THe extreme miserable refuge of al guilty persons who either mistrust the equity of their cause or feare the weaknes of their owne defence hath euer been to decline the barre of indifferent tryall and cleaue to the succour of some such Tribunall as will not or cannot giue sentence against them This was the wonted fraud of all ancient Heretikes this was the retraite of the Iran l. 3. cont haer Tertul l. 8. depraescrip Basil l. de Spir. sanct cap. 27. Aug. l. 1. cont Max. VVbitak coÌ„t 1. q. 5. c. 8. Reyn. in bis coÌ„f c. 2. diuis 2. p. 45. c. 8. diuis 1. p. 396. c. Bezainan noui Test 1556. in c. 10. Matth. in c. 22. Luc. Iran l. 1. c. 10. 20. 29. Aug. l. 32. con Faust c. 19. 21. Philast c. 36. Euseb l. 4. hist c. 29. Epiph. haer 30. Valentinians Eunomians Marcionists and the like This was the voice of Maximinus the Arian Bishop as S. Augustin reporteth writing against him And this is now the common cry of M. Whitaker M. Reynolds and their fellow-Sectaryes who will not stand to the generall arbitrement of Fathers Doctours Councells Historyes or former Churches not to the prescription of tymes presidents or approued customes not to any roll record or monument of antiquity They only appeale in all matters of Controuersy to the sole and silent maiesty of Gods sacred Stile and that for two chiefe and principall causes The one is to cloke couer their new deuises vnder the mysteryes of holy Writ The other with a cunning and guilefull sleight to auoyd indeed all manner of triall not to admit any Iudge at all For as long as they reserue in themselues this singular power to construe and expound Gods word as they list to receaue or reiect what Scriptures they please let vs produce any euidence against theÌ„ neuer so cleare they wil either cloud it with some colourable answere or wrest it to another sense or charge it with corruption as Beza doth in the Greeke text in many places or vtterly discard it as no Canonicall write as Heretikes vsually do such Oracles of God as condemnâ— their errours 2. Alleadge for example the old Testament against the Marcionists against the Manichees the new the Acts of the Apostles against Tatian Cerinthus against the Ebionites the Epistles of S. Paul they peremptorily deny these books of Scripture Pose Faustus the Manichee with these Ad Rom. 1. v. 3. Aug. l. â—0 con Paust c. 2. 2. Iac. 24. Cent. 2. c. 4. col 17. words of the Apostle to the Romans The sonne of God was borne of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh his reply saith S. Augustine is the booke is forged it is not Paules Proue against the Centurists out of S. Iames That by workes a man is iustisyed not by fayth alone they discredit the authority of his Epistle saying It is an adulterous and bastard Epistle Alleadge in like manner against M. Whitaker Intercession of Saints out of the vision of Iudas Machabeus concerning Onias he answereth His dreame of Onias I let passe as VVhitak in resp ad Ration c. Camp VVhitak ibidem Cyp. l. 3. ep 9. Ambr. l. 4. de side cap. 4. Aug. l. ad Oros Clem. Alex c. 7. strom VVhitak de sa Scrip. cont 1. q. 1. cap. 14. Orig. l. 2. de princ c. 1. Dionys Areop do Cal. hier â— 2. Cyp. ep â— 55. Aug. de doct Christ l. 2. c. 8. de ciut Dei l. 18. c. 36. a dreame As though God had not often reuealed to Ioseph diuers of his Prophets many thinges in their sleep Vrge him out of Ecclesiasticus with the liberty of Free-will he answereth That place of Ecclesiasticus I little regard neither will I belieue the liberty of Free-will albeit he affirme it an hundred tymes Then S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Augustine Clemens Alexandrinus were of light beliefe who credited this worke as the reuealed write Presse him at length with prayer for the dead out of the bookes of the Machabees he still replyeth I discouer in them a human Spirit a human wit a human confession all thinges human Then Origen Dionysius S. Cyprian S. Augustine were much deceaued who descryed in them the character stile and spirit of the Holy Ghost 3. But graunt our Aduersaryes admitted all those bookes of holy Writ the Church approueth or that they would be tryed by them we both imbrace yet I say the Scripture alone cannot be Iụdge or Vmpire between vs. Which that I may more strongly euince proceed more smoothly without rubb or incombrance in so waighty a question before I come to the period or full point of our variance I will briefly premise some certaine positions of our consent and agreement We accord then with Protestants 1. That the Scriptures are a diuine and infallible rule of faith yet not the sole and only rule as they affirme 2. We graunt with them that nothing is to be belieued The state of the question explained Deutr. 17. v. 9. contrary and repugnant to those oracles of God no traditions reuelations or interpretations whatsoeuer 3. We teach that the vniuersall iudgment and generall definitions of the Church are alwayes leueled and directed according to the inerrable prescript of holy Writ Therefore at her Oecumenicall Consistoryes she placeth They shal teach theâ— according to the law the Bible in some high eminent and honourable seat as the chiefe and speciall guide of her counsayles decrees 4. We yield that the letter of Scripture or to vse their phrase of speach that God speaking by that letter may improperly be tearmed the voice of our supreme Iudge in such manner as I shall explicate heereafter But our maine difference and dispute is whether it be such a voice and sentence of his as when any doubt or CoÌ„trouersy ariseth about the meaning of his word it may without any further externall and open declaration for of inward Inspirations in the Chapter ensuing giue a finall euident certaine and irresistable decision of all such doubts controuersyes to euery humble diligent skillfull and pious Reader and conferrer of places Our Aduersaryes say it is we say it is not proposing our arguments in this manner 4. The Scripture is the written word or outward rule by which
supreme and generall of which we now speake should be able to compose all questionable matters The Scripture cannot determine this important point on our beliefe Whether the Ghospell of S. Iohn the Epistles of S. Paul or any other volume of holy Writ be the Canon of Scripture or no. If in these weightiest causes it is needfull to recurre to another Tribunall in matters of lesse moment wholy as needfull 9. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought to be so cleare and facile as all both learned and vnlearned might haue accesse vnto it easily vnderstand it the Scriptures are hard darke hidden Hidden not only to the illiterate Aug l 12. Confess c 14. Ambroseepist 44. and vulgar sort but to the great and deepest Clarkes Hidden to S. August who crieth out O the wonderfull depth of thy speaches c. O the wonderfull depth HiddeÌ„ to S. Ambrose calling it A sea contayning most profound senses the depth of Propheticall riddles Hidden to Clemens Alexandrinus to which Clemens Alex l. 6. strom Psal 13. Orig. hom 11. in Exo. Iraen l. 2. cap 47. Russiaus l. 11. List c. 9. Apoc. 5. v. â—â— Ezeeh. 2. v. 9. 2. Petâ—â—â—â—t v. 16. he elegantly applieth those words of the psaâ—me Darke is the water in the clouds of the ayre Hidden to Origen to Irenaus to S. Basill to S. Gregory Nazianzen who being both rarely accomplished in al humane literature after 13. yeares study heerin would not aduenture as Russinus testiâ—yeth to interpret the same but according to the rule and vniforme consent of their forefathers They knew it was that hidden and concealed booke which S. Iohn describeth to be clasped with seauen seales which Ezechiel tearmeth the enrolled volume written within and without They knew S. Peter auouched certayne thinges hard to vnderstand in the Epistles of S. Paul which the vnlearned deprane as other Scriptures to their owne perdition If certayne things in his Epistles how many in other bookes How many in the whole Scripture Notwithstanding our illuminated Adâ—ersaries VVhitak cont l. q. 3. cap. 3. Aug. l. 2. de doctrin Christ c. 6. epist â—â—9 de side oper c. 15. 16. Ambrâ—s epist 44. Hier. ep Vincent Liriâ—â— c. 2. to whome the holy Ghost hath disclosed all his heauenly secrets find no such difficulty no prouerbe in it Yet to smooth the Fathers speaches they answere That the mysteries therein treated are darke and obscure the discourse easy the text cleare the sentence plaine But S. Augustine as deeply enlightned as any of them affirmeth The stile manner of enduing to be hard the discourse places hard The sentences saith S. Ambrose hard The text sayth S. Hierome hath a shell to be broken before we can tast the sweetnes of the kernell The Hebrew phrase hard the Tropes and figures hard Hard and difficult by reason of sundry and manisold senses it begetteth For which cause alone Vincentius Lirinensis necessarily requireth some other Iudge demaunding in his Golden Treatise against the prophane nouelties of Heresies why to the Canon of Scripture which is perfect and of it selfe sufficient inough for all thinges it behoueth to adde the authority and explication of the Church Because sayth he all take not holy Scripture by reason of her depth in one and the self same sense but her speaches some interprete one way some another In so much as there may seeme to be puked out as many senses as men For Nonatus doth expound one way and Sabellius another way otherwise Donatus otherwise Arâ—â—s Eunomius Macedonius otherwise Photinus Apollinaris c. Therefore very necessary it is for Tertul. in praescript the manifold turnings and by-wayes of errours that the line of Propheticall and Apostolicall interpretation be leuelled according to the square of Ecclesiastic all and Catholike sense or vnderstanding Because Tertullian sayth The sense adulterated is a like perilous as the stile corrupted Yea much more perilous in that it may be more easily wrested more variously turned more hardly espyed But to proceed 10. The Iudge of Controuersyes ought so to determine and deliuer his mind in all ambiguous cases as the partyes in strife may euidently know when they heare his censure whether they be cast or quit condemned or assoyled in respect of his verdict But neither Scripture or the holy Ghost as he speaketh by Scripture is euer able to pronounce such sentence Or if it can as Gretser a famous Grets act colloq Ratisbon sess 2. fol. 110. writer of the Society of Iesus pithily vrged in the coÌ„ference at Ratisbone let it now speake and pronounce vs guilty Heere sayth he we Catholikes and Protestants both appeale to the high Tribunall of Scripture heere we stand in the sight of the sacred Bible in the presence of the holy Ghost If he be Iudge as he precisely speaketh by Scripture alone let it giue sentence let it say Thou Iames Gretser are cast in thy cause Thou * This was the name of the Heretike Respondent Hailbronner hast gotten the victory And I will presently yield vnto you But if it cannot execute this iudiciall act if by reading hearing or perusing his sentence we cannot perceaue whome he condemneth how can it challenge the high prerogaâ—iue and doome of Iudgment Which argument he confirmed with another a like inuincible as the former For wheras Grets in Act colloq Ratisbon sâ—ss to sol 120. Protestants mantaine that the voice of God as vttered in Scripture giueth plaine sentence of condemnation against heresyes and errours thus he disputeth on the contrary side No guilty persons repaire to that Iudge by whome they are euidently sufficiently condemned But all Heretikes are guilty persons yet boldly appeale to the sentence of holy Scripture Therefore the Scripture 〈◊〉 that Iudge by whom they are euidently sufficiently 〈◊〉 What reply could Hunnine the Aug. l. 2. cont Max. Aug. orat in ps 10. Mat. 15. v. 11. Responâ—â—â—â— make to this Not any Vnlesse which S. Augustine obiected against Maximinus the Arian By talking much and nothing to the purpose he might be counted able to answere who was not able to hold his 〈◊〉 11. In sine the Scripture though in it selfe most holy yetby reason of her sublimity depth and variety of senses hath bin partly through the weaknes partly through the malice pride and presumption of men the roote of strifes the spring of debates the occasion of many detestable and blasphemous errours rather then the stay attonement or subuersion of them Wherupon S. Augustine compareth Scripture to a cloud which often tymes out of the same words raineth showres of snares to the wicked showres of fortillty fruitfulites in the Lust. As he exemplifieth in that sentence of S. Mattheu which our ProtestaÌ„ts abuse to the liberty of their diet and breach of Ecclesiasticall fast Not that which entreth the mouth defileth a man but that which proceedeth out of the mouth The Sinneâ— sayth he heareth this and he
so great a maister in Israel why blame you vs for approuing what your selues allow Why appeale you to Scripture alone and yet subscribe to such and so many points of fayth not comprised in Scripture Or if these Traditions be necessary to be imbraced what meane you M. Field to renounce others as ancient as behoofull as warrantable as these euen by the rules your selfe prescribe which are Field l. 4. cap. 19. pa. 242 Iran lib. 4. c. 32. â—ulke in his confut of Purgat p. 362. 303. 393. August tract 84. in Ioan. Chrys bo 21. in act Concil Nicen. 2. Damas lib. 4. c. 17. Hiero. con Vigil c. 2. Middlâ—ton Papis pag. â—34 Bils part 2. pag 265. Rom. 10. 17. Basil de spir Sanct. c. 27. Chris ho. 4. in â— Thes 5. Aug. Ep. 119 86. Field l. 4. cap. 20. Rein. conclus 1. pag. â—17 The authority and custome of the Church Consent of Fathers or testimony of an Apostolicall Church By these Irenaeus alloweth the new oblation of Christs body and bloud as a Tradition from the Apostles Why reiect you this Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Chrysostome S. Hierome S. Augustine approue as M. Fulke your great Golias granteth the Sacrifice and prayer for the dead as an Apostolicall traditioÌ„ Why disproue it you S. Augustiue S. Chrysostome admit a memory or Inuocation of Saints in the selfe same sacrifice Three hundred Fathers of the second Councell of Nice defend with S. Iohn Damascen the adoration of Images as a Tradition from the Apostles S. Hierome by the custome of the Church and consent of Fathers D. Fields rules for true Traditions mantaineth against Vigilantius the religious worship of holy Reliques By the same Tradition of the Church and consent of the Fathers M. Middleton auerreth vowes of Chastity to be obserued What meane you to make no reckoning of these Are you only priuiledged to admit or discard what Traditions you please to countenance or deface whatsoeuer you list But an ill cause without cosenage cannot be vpholden I acknowledge the shifts of pouerty and falshood 13. Against these vnanswerable grounds M. Bilson opposeth in this weake and impertinent manner Fayth is by hearing and hearing by the word of God therefore S. Paul alloweth not matters of faith vnwritten How often shall I repeate inculcate a truth that the word of God is partly written partly vnwritten and this as S. Basil S. Chrysostome S. Augustine affirme is as worthy to be credited as the other Which speach albeit M. Whitaker noteth in S Chrysostome as inconsiderate and vnworthy so great a Father yet M. Field approueth it and reason perswadeth it vnles you belieue that letters figured with inke and paper add awe of reuerence to Gods hidden verityes M. Reynolds obiecteth out of S. Iohn These thinges are written that yee may belieue that Iesus is Christ the Sonne of God and that belieuing you may haue life in his name Heereupon M. Reynolds inferreth Ioan. 20. v. vlt. that S. Iohns Ghospell alone is sufficient to faith and saluation What may not be proued where such illations go currant S. Iohn speaketh of signes and miracles M. Reynoldes extendeth himselfe to many other matters S. Iohn writeth there of one principall point of fayth he concludeth all necessary to saluation S. Iohn disputing against Cerinthus who denyed the diuinity of Christ affirmeth that he hath written sufficient to proue that Christ is the sonne of God M. Reynoldes arguing against vs forceth him to say that he hath written inough concerning that and all other necessary articles of our beliefe Againe if S. Iohns Ghospell alone haue sufficient to saluation needlesse are the rest of the Euangelists the Epistles of S. Paul of S. Peter of S. Iude the Reuelations of S. Iohn wholy needlesse If S. Iohns Ghospell alone haue sufficient the Natiuity and birth of Christ his Circumcision Apparition the Institution of our Lords supper and many other thinges of which S. Iohn writeth nothing are not necessary to saluation Which to confesse is vtterly to subuert all Christian Religion to deny is plainely to ouerthwart M. Reynoldes assertion Rein. con â— 1. p. 618 â— 619. 2. Cor. 3. 16. 14. Secondly he alleadgeth out of S. Paul That all Scripture inspired by God is profitable to teach argue c. That the man of God may be perfect instructed to euery good worke Our Aduersaryes boast much of the pregnancy of this place and yet if it made any thing in their behalfe it would conuince that all and euery Scripture euery Epistle euery Chapter euery sentence which is some Scripture were The Greek hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latin Omnis Al or euery auailable to these foresayd effects Which they perceauing resolue rather to abuse the word of God then loose the force of their argument when insteed of all or euery Scripture they most fraudulently translate the whole Scripture contrary both to the Greeke and Latin text But no deceite will serue to betray the truth The whole Scripture was not finished when S. Paul wrote that Epistle the Ghospell of S. Iohn which by it selfe alone as M. Reynolds auerreth â— sufficient to saluation the Apocalips and other bookes of Scripture were wanting at that tyme he could Rein. loc citat not then speake of the whole Scripture before the whole was extant or if he meant of the whole that was written it maketh nothing against vs. For S. Paul speaketh of the profitablenes of Scripture to instruct argue c. and not of 1. Tim. 4. v. 8. the sufficiency thereof Many thinges are profitable to promote vs to perfection which are not sufficient to atchieue the same Piety as S. Paul writeth is profitable to all thinges yet not alone sufficient nor only profitable You cannot deny but that rayne is profitable for the fruits of the earth yet without the labour of men fertility of soile heate of the sunne not sufficient to make them increase So as when M. Reynolds disgraceth this as a mincing distinction he discrediteth not vs but S. Paul for mincing in this manner 15. Fourthly others obiect That Christ reprehendeth the Traditions of men S. Paul condemneth them and S. Peter exempteth all Christians from them They mistake Christ Mat. 15. v. 9. Colos 2. v. 22. only reprehendeth the fond and friuolous Pharisaicall traditions or deprauations of the law called Deuteroses Of which also S. Peter speaketh or of the superstitious errours of the Gentils from which we are redeemed by the bloud of Christ S. Paul forewarneth vs of the vaine Sophismes 1. Pet. 1. â— 18. and fallacyes of the Philosophers which impaireth not the authority of our soueraigne and holy Traditions deriued from the Apostles and their successours inspired by the holy Ghost 16. Yet M. Field will needs endite vs of two hainous faults 1. That we charge the Scriptures with imperfection 2. Field l. 4. c. 15. That therfore we rely vpon humane interpretations and vncertaine
him so he freely and sufficiently satisfyed for al but effectually for such as by penall afflictions by mercy and truth redeeme their iniquity Fulke against pur p. 45. 49. c. Calu. vbi supra Ezeth 18. v. 21. 22. Esay 38. v. 18. 44. v. 22. Micb. 7. v. 19. Psal 3â— v. â— 2. after regeneration willfully incurred In the second ranke are mustered the senteÌ„ces of holy Writ which meÌ„tion no memory but a cleane abolishment of sinne thorough true repentance as by Ezechiel If the wicked do pennance c. I will not remember his iniquityes By Isay Micheas King Dauid where God is sayd to cast our sinnes behind his backe To disperse them like a cloud To sinke them into the bottom of the Sea To hide them To couer them Not to impute them I answere these places are spoken 1. Of most true and perfect contrition which freeth both from the fault and punishment 2. Of imperfect with pennance and Satisfaction which Ezechiel seemed to insinuate saying If the wicked do pennance c. 3. They are vnderstood of the vtter abolishment of the fault and freedome from eternall paine in respect of which God is truly sayd To blot our Ezech. 18. v. 21. sinnes out of his mind to disperse them like a cloud to cast them into the sea to hide them to couer them and not to impute them as S. Augustine elegantly interpreteth the wordes of King August in Psal 3â— Dauid If God couer our sinnes he will not see them if he will not see them he will not punish them to wit with euerlasting punishment nor with temporall if we redeeme them with condigne satisfaction 21. Therefore he that pronounced by the mouth of Ezech. 18. v. 22. Num. 14. vers 34. Esay 38. v. 17. Eccles c. 5. vers 5. Haeb. â— v. 3 1. Ioan. c. â— vers 2. Prouerb c. 1â— v. 6. Ezechiel he would not remember our iniquityes threatned reuenge in his owne person to some he had forgiuen saying Scietis vltionem meam Yee shall feele the rod of my reuengement He who promised by the Prophet Isay To cast our faults behind his backe commanded vs by the mouth of Salomon Of pardoned sinne be not without feare He who by himselfe purged our offences he who sayd he was the propitiation for sinne auouched also By mercy and truth iniquity is redâ—emed So that both cooperate to satisfy for our trespasses the Passion of Christ and our workes of Pennâ—nce his Passion freely plentifully independantly of our merit or Satisfaction cancelleth the fault eternity of punishment our works sanctifyed in his bloud partly concurre by his ordinance to expiate the remaines of temporall chastisement Matth. 2â— Luc. 7. v. 48. 50. Luc. 18. v. 15. Luc. â—â— Ioan 8 v. 11. M. Fulke against purg p. 43 85. 22. In the last place are sorted the examples of Scripture of Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican the thiefe vpon the Crosse and the Adulterous woman whose sinnes were forgiuen without Satisfaction To which they adioyne the authorityes of S. Ambrose and S. Iohn Chrysostome confirming the same I answere 1. To the instances out of Gods word priuate examples are no presidents for publike rules 2. What the maister sometyme doth by prerogatiue of his person the seruant may not vsurpe as the priuiledge of his law 3. I say the teares of Peter the contrition of Magdalen the humility of the Publican the admirable confession of the theese the shame and confusion the adulterous woman endured with the inward sorrow of her hart might be sufficient satisfactions for their enormous crimes albeit the Scripture doth not in plaine termes expresse it As S. Ambrose affirmed of S. Peter when he sayd His teares I read his Satisfaction I read Amb. l. 10. in cap. 12. Lucae Lâ—chrimae veniam non postulant sed merentur not howbeit his teares were both a confession and singular satisfaction which craue not according to him but deserue and merit pardon Or S. Ambrose taketh Satisfaction in that place for the excuse and defence of his fault which S. Peter vsed not but would rather as he affirmeth condemne his sinne that he might be iustifyed by confessing then aggrauate it by denying S. Chrysostome accordingly vseth that word in his Homilyes vpon Genesis Where he likewise graunteth no Amb. ibid. Chrys ho. 10. in Gen. hom de Beato Philogonio satisfaction necessary for the recouery of Gods friendship although he after require it for recompence of the wrong committed against him in the course of his Iustice 32. Two other darke sentences M. Fulke scrapeth out of him the one out of his homilyes vpon the Epistle to the Romans Vbi venia ibi nulla est poena where there is forgiuenes there is no punishment In which place S. Chrysostome speaketh of the forgiuenes giuen to a Iew in Baptisme M. Fulke against purg p. 43. S. Chrysost Hom 8. in Epist ad Rom. who passing from the wrath of the law to the grace of Christ had full remission of all both fault punishment Another out of the booke he wrote of sorrow and compunction God requireth not the burden of shirts of haire nor to be shut vp in the straites of a little cell neither doth he command vs to sit in obscure and darke caues this only it is which he exacteth that we alwayes remember and recount our sinnes Where S. Chrysostome only reproueth the negligence of such dainty S. Chrys de compunct cordis l. 1. sinners as omit the behoofull bewayling and lamenting of their sinnes Quasi quidam intoler abilis labor sit As though it were a thing intollerable And thereupon discourseth that God commandeth not as necessary any such rigorous or insupportable satisfaction as they imagined Not to betake themselues to the strait mourning of Monks not to the inclosures of Anchorets not to be shut vp in caues dungeons which seuere pennances although many voluntarily and laudably vndergo yet God exacteth them not as necessary but he only requireth sorrowfull bewayling and some moderate satisfaction or due chastisement of our sinnes as that Golden Mouth often teacheth other where with whome S. Augustine so punctually agreeth Chrys hom 2. de lapsu primi hom in orat de beato Philogo hom 10. in Matth. Aug. in Psal 50. as I will only recite his wordes for a finall conclusion of this matter If he be iust whome thou inuokest he reuengeth sinnes If he be iust thou canst not depriue thy Lord God of his Iustice Implore his mercy but consider his Iustice His mercy inclineth to pardon the sinner his iustice to punish the sinne What then When thou seekest mercy shall sinne remaine vnpunished Let Dauid answere let the lapsed answere let them answere with Dauid that they may deserue mercy as Dauid did and say Not so O Lord my sinne shall not be vnpunished c. Therefore I will not that thou punish me because I punish my
excellencyes so we distinguish three kinds of adorations Godly Ciuill Religious 3. There is first in God a supreme infinite and illimited Excellency to which a Godly worship or adoration is due commonly called Latria There is secondly in Men in Kings Magystrats Maysters Fathers c. a humayn and naturall excellency to which our will by the apprehension of their worthinesse inclineth to exhibite an honour tearmed by Aristotle conformable to the nature of their dignity Ciuill or Humane Thirdly there is a meane or midle preheminence betweene these two an higher then the last yet inferiour to the first seated not in the naturall but in the supernaturall giftes and graces of God to which supernatural preheminence a supernaturall worship more then Ciuill lesse then Diuine Aug. ser 58. de verb. Dom. sup Ps 98. ought to be attributed commonly called Religious or Dulia For Hyperdulia is only a more eminent and remarkable degree yet contayned vnder the same kind of reuerence properly belonging to our Blessed Lady as she is mother of God and to the humanity of Christ as considered apart from the diuinity albeit as it is inseparably conioyned and Hypostatically vnited with the Word it ought to be worshiped with the adoration of Latria as the fifth generall Councell of Constantinople defined Rey. l. 1. de ldo Ro. Ec. c. 3. 8. Fulke in c. 4 Matth. sect 3 in Act. 14. sect 2. Aug. de ve reâ—g c 55. Hiero. ep ad Ripa con Vigil Augustquaest 61 supr Gen. Huro aduer Vigil cap. 20. agaynst Theodore the Heretike And S. Augustine answering the Gentils who obiected agaynst the Christians as now the Protestants doe against vs the crime of adoring Christs flesh in the Eucharist I adore sayth he the flesh of Iesus Christ because it is vnited to the Deity euen as one adoreth the King and his Royall robe with the same adoration 4. Notwithstanding these three sorts of honour be ech of them most different in nature the one from the other yet the names are most of them promiscuously vsed and according to the ten our of the discourse sometyme restrayned to one kind of adoration sometyme to another Which if M. Reynolds and M. Fulke had diligently weyghed they would neuer haue cited S. Augustine agaynst vs Affirming the worship of Religion neyther to be due to Angels or men departed but only to God Nor S. Hierome That neyther Angels nor Martyrs Reliques nor any created thing can be worshipped and adored Nor Ep phanius saying God will not haue Angels adored how much lesse Mary Nor S. Cyril nor S. Gregory nor any of the rest who in those places take Quis o insanum caput aliquando Martyres ador auis quis hominem putauit Deum Aug. l. 3. de trin c. 10. the name Religion Adoration and Worship for the supreme and soueraygne worship which is only proper vnto God as S. Augustine explayneth himselfe in his questions vpon Genesis S. Hierome in the same place and agaynst Vigalantius not for that inferiour kind of adoration which is often ascribed vnto creatures and which Abraham exhibited vnto the people of Heth wherupon S. Augustine gathereth That it is not sayd Thou shalt only adore thy Lord thy God as it is sayd Him only thou shalt serue Which in Greeke i◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in his â— booke of the blessed Trinity writing of the brasen Serpent and other holy signes he sayth They may haue honour as Religious thinges not admiration Fulke in 4. Matt. sect 3. Aug. l. 10. de Ciui c. 1. as strange thinges So that the Fathers only deny the Religious worship of Latria to Angels and other creatures the Religious worship of Dulia they assigne vnto them Which M. Fulke forced to confesse sayth S. Augustine a meane Grecian imagined a distinction betweene Latria and Dulia c. and that by them which haue interpreted Scripture Latria is taken for that seruice which pertayneth to the Religion of God But Lodouicus Viues in his notes vpon that Chapter telleth you otherwise But Lodouicus Viues O base comparison Was it not inough to disgrace S. Augustine with his meane knowledge in Greeke but must a late Gramarian be compared opposed preferred before him whome D. Couell esteemeth the chiefest Doctour that euer was or shal be excepting the Apostles Let his skill in Greeke be what it was shall his D. Couell in his book against M. Burges doctrine his distinction the diuersity of Religious worships which he and other Interpreters from these Greeke wordes deriue be vtterly exploded and reiected by you Shall Viues be accepted and S. Augustine outcouÌ„tenanced 5. Consider M. Fulke how farre heerein you iniure your cause wrong your conscience dishonour that graue ancient and incomparable Deuine Agayne vve ought to obserue that as the names so likewise the outward actions of kneeling prostrating lifting vp hands the like are generally vsed in euery particular kind of worship yet by the inward acts of the mynd they are wholy different the one from the other For he that kneeleth to God reuerently acknowledgeth by the light of his vnderstanding a certayne supreme incomprehensible and increated excellency authour and cause of all rare and excellent thinges he loueth with his will a bounty vnmatchable and with profound submission humbly adoreth an infinite and vnsearchable Maiesty He who kneeleth to his King or Prince dutifully agnizeth and aflectionatly reuerenceth his naturall or Ciuill dignity He who kneeleth to a Saint to their Tombes Reliques or Pictures deuoutly apprehendeth and piously worshipeth some supernaturall preheminence Three things necessary to the nature of honor quality or relation Wherby it followeth that three thinges concurre to the nature of honour 1. The apprehension of the vnderstanding which acknowledgeth an excellency worthy of adoration 2. The propension and inclination of the will which vnfainedly prosecuteth the same with honour 3. The externall obeysance of capping kneeling or bowing the body which is an outward obsequie of inward reuerence And although the vnderstanding be the root origen or rather motiue which exciteth the will yet the act of the will is the life soule and proper essence of adoration without which the sole notice and apprehension of dignity is no worship at all and the outward and externall action may be as well a sinne of mockery as any marke of honour As it was in the souldiers who adored Christ Matt. 27. Ioa. 19. and sayd All hayle O King of the Iewes 6. By which you may easily discerne the blindnesse of Protestants who distinguish not the outward worship by the inward mynd but seeme to make all externall Bils 4. par pag. 576. 577. honour belong to God whether it proceed from the acknowledgment of naturall supernaturall or intreated excellency Submission sayth M. Bilson of knees hands and eyes parts of Gods honour Agayne The outward honour of eyes hands and knees God requireth of vs as his due Then
10. c. 30. Euseb l. 7. hist cap. 14. Calu. lib. 1. Inst c. 11. the picture of the glorious Virgin Mary sent by Eudoxia from Hierusalem to Pulcheria the Empresse placed by her in the Temple she built at Constantinople Of thousands mentioned by Tertullian S. Gregory Nazianzen S. Chrysostome S. Augustin S. Basil Sozomenus Nicephorus Eusebius who for many profitable causes haue euer allowed the Images of Saints to be painted in Churches hanged on Altars carued in Chalices or embrodered in vestments to the open shame and rebuke of Caluin who resolutly writeth That in the first 500. yeares after Christ there were neuer any Images in Christian Churches 11. The first vtility and profit is an easy and compendious manner of instruction For that which is slowly Greg. l. 7. Ep. ep 9. l. 9. ep 9. Niss orat in Theod. instilled by other senses that which by many discourses is deliuered in wordes and with laborious study gathered out of books is all in an instant with curious delight presented to the eye by the message of the eye conueyed to the soule where through the quicknesse and viuacity Chrys orat quod vet non Test vnus fit mediator 7. Syn. act 2. 4. Greg. l. 7. Ep. 53. of that noble messenger whatsoeuer is brought the soule more liuely apprehendeth and more surely entrusteth to the store-house of the mind Which S. Gregory the great knew right well when he tearmed pictures The bookes of the vnlearned And S. Gregory Nissen when he sayd The silent picture speaketh in the wall and profiteth very muth 12. The second is to increase the loue of God and his Saints to enkindle in our harts the coales of deuotion which S. Chrysostome felt when thus he wrote I loued a picture of melted waxfull of piety S. Gregory Nissen felt the like who as it is rehearsed in the 7. Synod Was often wont to Basi orat in S. Barlaam Paulinus Ep. ad Seu. Salust orat quae incipit Falso quaeritur de natu lâ—utarch Arnol. Ferro in â—ita Caroli 8. weep looking on the Image of Abraham sacrificing his Sonne Isaac And S. Gregory our Apostle sought to stir vp the same in Secundine the Abbot to whome he sent the picture of Christ and sayd I know thou longest for our Sauiours Image that gazing on it thou mayest burne the more with the loue of thy Lord God 13. Thirdly they execute moue and with secret eloquence vehemently perswade to the imitation of their vertues whose noble acts we see depainted Which commodity not only S. Basil S. Paulinus c. but Plutarch Salust and other Heathens obserued Admirable is the history of Charles the eight King of France who ouercomming a towne in Italy was ouercome himselfe with the beauty of a yong betrothed bride And vvhen he determined to let goe the reynes to the slauish appetite of his vntamed lust in a chamber vvhere the Image of the Blessed and euer-vnspoted Virgin hanged the modest Damsell earnestly entreated him for the chastity of that pure and immaculate Mother of God which the Table represented she might reserue to her spouse her honour vnstained and bed vndefiled the King casting his eyes in an happy houre vpon that chast picture and vpon this humble suppliant was presently inspired with the heauenly guift of such vnexpected continency as leauing her vntouched yet enriched with a Princely dowry restored her her husband her parents and allies to their former liberty 14. Great was the force of this sacred Image which so luckily enfranchised so many captiues in such diuers manner captiued one in the thraldome of his owne vnbridled passion others in the bondage of a warlike coÌ„querour For a conquerour indeed he was rather then a captiue farre more renowned for the victory ouer himselfe then for the conquest of others But as chast picturs Teren. in Eunucho breed chast desires so immodest vnciuill monuments cause many vnchast and wanton motions Contrary aspects haue contrary influences which moued Aristotle Arist l. 7. Pol. 17. Xenop in Cyrâ— Damas l. 4. Orth. fi c. 17. Zenophon two memorable Philosophers to prohibite vnto children al obscene tables naked Images of their Gods 15. Fourthly they renew the daily memory of Christ and his Saints It often chanceth sayth S. Iohn Damascen when we thinke not at all of our Sauiours death by the sight of his crucifyed Image the memory of his holsome Passion is reuiued in vs. Whereof we haue a very profitable example fresh in memory In the booke written of her life c. 9. p. 57. and fit for my purpose in the life of the vertuous and holy Woman Saint Teresa of Iesus which she relateth in this manner One day going to my Oratory I saw a picture which was brought thither to be kept hauing beene borrowed against the solemnizing of a certaine feast it was of our Sauiour full of wounds and so deuout that so soone as I looked vpon it I Marke what modâ—ns the â—ight of a Picture stirred vp was exceedingly troubled to see him in that case for it represented very well what he suffered for vs I was so much grieued to thinke how vnthankefull I had beene for those woundes that me thought my hart was pierced through and I cast my selfe downe by it with great aboundance of teares beseeching him that he would once giue me strength neuer to offend him any more Thus she prayed recommended her selfe eftsoones with great deuotion to S. Mary Magdalen one while intreating her to obtaine pardon for her otherwhile crying out to Christ saying in her hart That she would neuer rise from thence vntill he graunted her request O what effects did this prayer work What darknesse did it expell What light did it infuse How cleane did it wash and purify her soule and all by the outward meanes and help of a picture Whereupon she testifyeth I verily belieue it did me good for I profited much Pag. 57. Pag. 59. Cyr. Alex l. 6. con Iulianum Salutare lignuÌ„ c. ad recordationem omnis virtutis inducis from that day forward c. and for this cause was I such a friend of pictures Miserable are they who through their owne faul depriue themselues of this benefit it appeareth very well that they loue not our Lord for if they did loue him they would be glad to behold his Image Glad to behold the holesome wood which as S. Cyrill of Alexandria sayth putteth vs in mind of all vertue 16. The fifth and last profit I will now recite is to honour them whose Images we keep For the reuerence giuen to Pictures redounds to the Originall as S. Basil affirmeth and the deuotion of our vertuous and religious King â—anatus confirmeth who tooke the Diademe he vsed to were on his head and crowned therewith an Image of Christ crucifyed which in his dayes was deuoutly reserued Henry Hun. hist Angl. l. 6. in the Church of
fire Aug. l. 21. de Ciu. Dei cap. 24. 13. But when D. Fulke can find nothing in S. Augustine contrary to his assertion of Purgatory he and D. Field mightily labour to craze his credit as variable and irresolued in this point M. Field feareth not to write Aug. l. 2. de Gen. coÌ„â— Mani haeos cap. 20. Et post hanc vitaÌ„ habebit vel ignem purgationis vel poenaâ— aeternam Augustine to auoyd a worse did doubtingly runne into the errour of Purgatory M. Fulke as insolent as he The opinion of Purgatory in S. Augustines dayes began to be harkened vnto he doubteth of it Notwithstanding S. Augustine is so farre from doubting as he professeth of them that depart with the remainders of sin not wholy cleansed Tales constat c. It is manifest that those purged before the day of IudgmeÌ„ by temporal pains which their soules suffer are not deliuered to the punishments of eternall fire Again He who hath not happily tilled his field but hath suffered it to be ouergrowen with thornes hath in this life the malediction and curse of the earth in all his works and after this life Field in appen part 1. fol. 18. Lodouicus Viâ—es in cum locum he shall haue eyther the fire of Purgatory or euerlasting payne 14. To the first authority out of his booke of the Citty of God M. Field answereth That the words as Viues noteth are not found in some auncient manuscripts nor in that printed at Friburge But Viues annexeth which you most guilfully suppresse Neuertheles the stile is not dissonant from Augustines phrase peraduenture they are either wanting in some bookes or else are interlaced heere out of some other worke of S. Augustines So that if Viues censure may take place it should haue preuailed rather to haue made you reuerence that as S. Augustines saying then insolently reiect it as none of Field ibid. his To the second place he replieth as many cauilling Sophisters are wont to do to the texts of Aristotle they cannot otherwise auoyd that he speaketh not according to his owne mind but according to the opinion then preuailing of deliuerance out of Hell which S. Augustine in that place would not stand to discusse but else where refuteth it at large What Doth he approue and disproue the selfe same thing And doth he approue it heere by absolute asseueration and not by way of obiection Was he so peeuish as to countenance an errour himselfe taught repugnant to Scripture Or so farre ouerseene as to giue such aduantage to his prying enemies the Manichees whom he impugned and you the first to espie his fault which he one of the wisest and humblest that euer was eyther wanted grace to see or modesty to recall in his booke of Retractations There might be found perchaunce a man so senslesse as would giue eare vnto you if the same doctrine were not inuincibly confirmed by S. Augustine in sundry other places 15. In his booke of the Citty of God writing of the Infant regenerated by Baptisme He not only is not adiudged Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. 21. c. 16. to eternall torments but neyther doth he suffer after death any Purgatory paynes Likewise in the 13. Chapter of the same booke As for temporall paine some endure it heere some heereafter and some both heere and there c. Some shall be pardoned in the world to come that are not pardoned in this In his treatise Aug. 50. boâ— ho. 16. Ezech. 24. of 50. Hom lies he verifieth of the sinfull soule after this life that saying of Ezechiel Lay it naked vpon the coales vntill her brasse be heated and all her tinne be fried out There the idle words and wicked or impure cogitatious there the multitude of lesser sinnes which haue infected the purity of the noble nature shal seeth forth there the tynne or lead which haue obscured the diuine Image shall be consumed All which might heere by almeesdeeds and teares after a more short and compendious manner haue beene purged from the soule Wherby you may see how absolutly Field in append par fol 19 Field ibid. fol. 17. Fulke in c. 3. 1. ad Cor. sect 6. and against Purgat p. 121. 122. Aug. in Enchir. c. 69. Aug. l. 5. Hypogn Fulke in c. 12. Mat. sect 6. Aug. de Ciuit. Dei l. 21. c. 26â— S. Augustine is resolued in this point and how voyd of sincerity that protestation of M. Fields is I dissent not from Augustine in anything he constantly deliuereth But the places which are gathered out of him partly by M. Field partly by M. Fulke and others coueting to discrie some vnconstancy and variablenesse of his opinion are these First out of his Enchiridion to Laurence It is not incredible that some such thing also is done after this life and whether it be or not it may be found out or it may be hid Secondly out of his booke of Hypognost where he sayth The third place we are vtterly ignorant of Lastly out of his booke of the Citty of God If any one say the Spirits of the dead all that while suffer such fire c. I contradict him not perhaps he may hold the truth Where S. Augustine nothing doubteth of the assertion of Purgatory paines after this life but only of the manner and quality of them For in the first place hauing expounded the fire S. Paul mentioneth of the fire of tribulation in this life that is of the griefe anguish that tormenteth them that loose their temporall goods which they ouer greedily affected he only doubteth whether there be any such griefe and sorrow in the next life or Aug. ad Duâ—cit quest 1. no for the losse of wordly commodities Which doubt he maketh also in his treatise to Dulcitius 16. In the second place he argueth against the Pelagians who graunted to the Baptized Infants a speciall place Aug. lib. 5. hypognos of eternall ioy and as he proueth no place of euerlasting death but hell so he denyeth any place of continuall coÌ„fort and ioy but heauen alone saying Assigne me besides this another place where there may be perpetuall repose of life A third place of perpetuall abode he was ignorant of and so are we In the last passage S. Augustine disputeth and leaueth it as it were in suspense whether the fire of Purgatory be the same in substance with the fire of Hell yet neuer maketh question but that there is some purging fire after this life And it is nothing but desperate boldnes in our Aduersaryes to auouch the contrary as the zeale of his honour iust defence of so great a pillar of the Church hath made me declare more amply then my purposed breuity would otherwise permit 17. I need not repeate the consent of other Fathers of the Latin Church whose authorityes I haue already alleadged and at whome our enemyes and theirs carpe not so much as they do at S. Augustine I passe
made Before Iudgment after Iudgment or at the tyme of Iudgment You cannot say before IudgmeÌ„t For such as we are found in the last moment of this life such are we summoned before the tribunall seate of God according to many passages of holy Scripture which S. Gregory in his dialogues gathereth togeather according to Greg. l. 4. dial c. 39. 1. Cor. 3. 2. Cor. 5. ad Rom. 2. ad Gala. 6. Marc. 13. v. 36. v. 17. the expresse words of S. Paul which I shall quote in the next Chapter And according to that of S. Marke where God sayth he shall find in the houre of death some sleepy some breeding and beginning to do well Woe be vnto them Neither can this Purgation be either at or after IudgmeÌ„t For the Iudgment of God is according to truth therfore such as Protestants are presented before his throne such are they iudged They are presented before him not wholy purged but tainted with the corruption the last actions of life draw as they faine from the poisoned fountaine of Nature Therfore they must be iudged guilty of sinne defiled with those filthy dregs And whereas you obstinatly also defend that the wages of all sin without Fayth Fulk in c. 1. Ep. 1. â—â— sect 5. and Repentance is eternall death no sentence of remission but the irreuocable doom of euerlasting damnatioÌ„ ought to be pronounced against all that dye of your profession vnles you repeale the Law of God recorded by Salomon Eccles c. 11. vers 3. Where the tree falleth there it shal be or coÌ„trary to the decree of our inexorable Iudge allot tyme to belieue and place to repent after the warfarre of this life is ended to them Field vbi supra that haue their sinnes as M. Field sayth remitted in the first moment of the next Cypr. l 4. Ep. 2. Orig. hom 6. in Eâ—â—â—d Aug. in â—0 hom hom 16. Dan. 7. vers 10. 28. Lastly the Fathers do not only require an instant but longer space of punishment after this life according to the remaines of sinne S. Cyprian sayth One thing it is a long tyme punished for trespasses to be amended and purged by fire another to abolish all faults by suffering for Christ Origen All must come vnto the fire all to the forge c. If any one bring a little iniquity that little like lead ought to be consumed with fire and if more heauy or leady metall he is more burned that more may be wasted and melted forth S. Augustine discoursing Amb. in c. 12. Luc. Tertul. â— de anima c. 17. Greg. Nazian orat in S. lumina Lactan. l. 7. cap. â—1 Eus Emis hom 3. de Epipha Hilar. in Psal 118. of that propheticall speach mentioned by Daniel A fiery and violent floud ranne before the face of our Lord Some sayth he in the next life shall passe throâ—gh a fiery lake and horrible shallowes full of burning flames as much as shall remaine of the drosse of sinne so long shall the delay of passage be S. Ambrose So long is euery one exercised with noysome paynes vntill he pay the punishment of his faulty errour Tertullian S. Gregory Nazianzen Lactantius Eusebius Emissenus and S. Hilary haue many worthy sentences to this purpose which cannot be interpreted of M. Fields momentary Purgation nor of the guilt of sinne which without repentance deserueth damnation but either of the punishment due to former faults or of the saultines of lesser sinnes which are of their owne nature veniall or pardonable the chiefest points I intended to proue in this Chapter the confutation of Obiections I referre to the next THE SECOND CHAPTER WHEREIN Praier for the Dead is defended against the foresaid Doctors M. Field and M. Fulke PVRGATORY Praier for the Dead are lincked together in such mutuall dependency the one with the other as S. Isidore teacheth by the proofe of the latter by necessary consequence the former ensueth Because if our praiers releeue the soules departed they caÌ„not be in state of happinesse for then they should not need Isido l. de diuin offi c. de Sacrif them nor in the state of damnation for then our indeauours could not auaile them Therefore in the state of Purgatory they suffer punishment for their former misdeeds from which they be freed by the Praiers Almsdeeds and other charitable workes of the faithfull vpon earth as the Holy Ghost witnesseth in the booke of Machabees 2. Machab c. 12. v. vltimo 1. It is a holy and behoouefull cogitation to pray for the Dead that they may be released of their sinnes Which although our Aduersaries discard as no Canonicall Scripture yet they ought to credit it as much at least as Liuie the Roman or Thucidides the Grecian Historiographer they ought to reuerence it as the allowed testimony of a graue ancient and most worthy writer worthy to out-countenance all the base vpstarts of our latter age worthy to be accounted Cyp. de exhorta Martyrij Ambr. l. 2. de Iacob c. 10. 11. 12. Hier. in prolog in Machab. Aug. l. 18. de ciu Dei cap. 36. Concil Carth. can 47. Field in appen 1. p. fol. 69. Eccles c. 7. Eccles 38. Cyp. ser de Eleemosy Amb. in l. de Tobia cap. 1. Basil in orat de auaritia Aug. in Speâ—ul Tob. 4. Beda in fine Comment in l. 1. Reg. Gen. 50. by S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Hierome S. Augustine and by the third Councell of Carthage One of the Diuine Secretaries and Pen-men of the holy Ghost In so much as S. Augustine inclineth not only as M. Field writeth to this opinion but expresly resolueth The bookes of Machabees not the Iewes but the Church esteemeth Canonicall Likewise it is written Mortuo ne prohibcas gratiam Restraine not thy fauour from the Dead Moreouer My Sonne power forth thy teares vpon the Dead c. And In his departure make his memory rest in peace Tobie also whose booke S. Cyprian S. Ambrose S. Basill S. Augustine admit into the Canon of Scripture counsaileth Place thy bread and thy wine on the Sepulcher of the Iust and do thou neither eat nor drinke thereof with sinners 2. Hence it appeareth it was an ancient custome amongst the Iewes to make a feast at the funeralls of their friends to inuite the poore and faithfull persons thereunto who by the charity and Almesdeeds bestowed vpon them might pray for their soules And it is most likely the ancient Patriarkes and Prophets intended this reliefe to their deceased friends whom they with Praier with Fasting with griefe and sorrow so many daies lamented as was otherwise vnfitting vnlesse it had beene addressed as Venerable Bede well noteth to the benefit of their soules 3. The Patriarch Ioseph 77. daies mourned the death of his father Iacob The men of Iabes Galaad 7. daies continued a fast at the solemne buriall of Saul Ionathas Of whose death when King Dauid the Royall Prophet heard he wept fasted and
c. He also thinketh some whose fayth is enobled with no accesse of works may indeed be * To wit infants and such as by Baptism or contrition being iustifyed are preuented by death before they can accomplish any good workes Method serm de resurr Cuius fragmentum extat apud Epiphan l. 2. tom 1. Tertul. l. aduers Iudaeos Cent. 3. c. eo Colum. â—40 saued but attaine not to the height of the kingdome or liberty which say they what is it other then without works no man to be perfectly iustifyed And the Authour of the homilyeâ—in Cantica maketh a double iustice one of Fayth another of Workes and truly to ech of them â—e imputeth saluation c. Methodius seemeth to hold that we are iustifyed by the obseruation and fullfilling of the naturall law which is performed by the ayde and help of Christ Tertullian sayth The Saints were iust by the iustice * Done by grace and fayth in Christ Cent. 3. c. 4. Col. 80. 81. Cypr. l. 3. ep 25. Serm de eleemos Tob. 4. v. 11. Eccles 3. v 33. Ioan. 5. v. 14. Serm. de eleemos Cent. 4. c. 4. Colum. 292. 293. Cent. 4. c. 4. Col. 292. 283. of the law of nature He attributeth to satisfaction remission of sinnes teaching nothing in the meane tyme perspicuously of the fayth in Christ or of free remission of sinnes as almost no where doth he either touch plainely inough or handleth very slenderly the article of the Ghospell and iustification With which errour Cyprian yieldeth to descipline or strict obseruation of good life That it is the guardian of hope the retentiue or stay it maketh vs alwayes remayne in Christ continually liue in God and to arriue to the heauenly and diuine promised rewards c. So he professedly teacheth sinnes committed after Baptisme by almes deeds and good workes to be abolished At once sayth he in Baptisme remission of sinnes is giuen dayly and continuall doing of good after the imitation of Baptisme imparteth the indulgence and mercy of God which he endeauoureth to proue by words of Scripture as by almesdeeds and fayth sinnes are purged As water extinguisheth fire so almesdeeds sinne also by the saying of Chryst Behould thou art whole see thou sinne no more least some worse thing befall thee he reasoneth that by good workes saluation had is to be kept and lost to be recouered 10. In the fourth hundred yeare they reproue for the same cause Lactantius Nilus Chromatius Ephrem S. Hierome S. Gregory Nissen S. Hilary S. Ambrose and Theophilâ—â— Alexandrinâ—â— Some of their words I will set downe as they are recorded by the Centurists the rest I omit for breuityes sake Lactantius say they auerreth that God giueth eternall saluation for our vertues labours afflictions torments c. Lactant. l. 7. c. 27. l. 3. c. 9. Chrom in conc de beatid Cent. 4. c. 4. Col. 301. Voluntariam paupertatem suo merito diuitias regni caelestis acquirere ait Eadem cent col 192. l. 8. comment in Isa EadeÌ„ cent Col. 293. Ambr. l. 10. ep ep 82. Qui sunt hi Preceptores noui qui merituÌ„ excludunt iâ—iunij EadeÌ„ cent col 293. Theoph. Alexand. l. 3. Pasch Cent. 5. c. 4. Colum. 504. 505. 506. 507. 508. 509. 510. c. 10. colum 1008. Chrys hom 6 in c. 1. Ioan. c. 4. col Cent. 5. c. 4 Colum. 504. Chrysost hom 20. in e. 2. Ioan. eadem cent 506. Cyril c. 18. in Ioan. Eadem cent c. 4. col 505. citant Aug. it a dicentem l. 2. de peccat merit c. 3. 4. c. haec de Aug. cent 5. c. 4. colum 507. 508. To serue God sayth he is nothing els then by good workes to maintaine and preserue iustice Chromatius attributeth so much to voluntary pouerty that he auerrâ—th the riches of the heauenly kingdome to be attayned by the merit thereof Hierome sayth It is not inough to haue the wall of fayth vnles fayth it selfe be strengthned with good workes S. Ambrose What saluation can we haue vnles by fasting we wash away our sinnes When as the Scripture fayth fasting and almesdeeds deliuereth from sinne Who are therefore these new Maisters who exclude or deny the merit of fasting Is not this the voice of the Gentils saying Let vs eate and drinke c. Theophilus Alexandrinus Such as fast that is imitate in earth Angelicall conuersation through the vertue of abstinence by a short and small labour gaine to themselues great and eternall rewards 11. In the fift age are traduced by them in like manner S. Chrysostome S. Cyrill S. Leo S. Augustine Theodoret Sedulius Prosper Hesychius Primasius Theodulus Saluianus Maximus Salonius Thalasius Marcus Eremita Eucherius and Paulinus For in the beginning of that Paragraffe of Iustification thus they write Most of the Doctours of this age ascribe also too much to workes in iustification and acceptation of men before God c. Chrysostome speaketh of many wayes or kindes of iustification c. Chrysostome is an immoderate Encomiast or prayser of humane workes For this he sayth Let vs endeauour withall our forces to attaine saluation by our owne good workes c. Againe Is it inough to life euerlasting to belieue in the Sonne No truly c. Cyrill also contendeth that fayth alone sufficeth not to saluation but fayth and workes Augustin attributeth sometyme too much too workes c. He recyteth some testimonyes by which he proueth euill workes to condemne good workes to merit eternall life As out of the first to the Corinthians the sixt Chapter Out of the first to the Galathians out of the ninetenth and fiue and twentith of S. Matthew Theodoret contrary to himselfe affirmeth Theâ—d quest 63. in Exod. ita asserunt de Theod. cent 5. c. 10. col 1008. Prosp l. 1. de vit contemp c. 19. Cent. 5. Col. 505. that only fayth is not sufficient to saluation but it needeth workes Prosper sayth Neither workes without Fayth nor fayth alone without workes doth iustify Hitherto the Centurists 12. And yet they are not singular in condemning all these Doctours of the Church Pomeran once Superintendent of Wittemberge sayth In the books of the Ecclesiasticall Doctours seldome shall you find the article of Iustification purely expressed not certes in the bookes of Athanasius A little after Touching Iustification they write at a venter whatsoeuer coÌ„meth in their mind Then he concludeth You ought not to beleeue the Fathers because out of the same mouth they blow both heate and could Chytraeus another Protestant complaineth that not Chytr l. de stud theol only Basil and Hierome but most of the Fathers either very sleightly touch or darken and depraue with politicke opinions concerning the iustice of the law the speciall doctrine of the Ghospell touching the grace of God and Iustice of fayth which is the chiefe and proper patrimony of the Church Schnepsius one of the same fraternity sayth Augustine neuer vnderstood the true and settled Schâ—â—ps