thing yet master Bellarmine wil not thinke it sufficient that a bishop should be chaste because he knoweth that Saint Augustine and other of the fathers affirme that there is chastity in mariage but he will doubtles spie some greater vertue in continency then in chastity and therefore he will haue a bishop not chast only but also continent But if we must seeke for a difference betweene these two wordes I take this to be it that continencie is of shorter continuance that is to say but an abstinence for a time and chastitie is a vertue that indureth And the examples brought by master Bellarmine himselfe approue this difference But Chrisostome and Theophilact doe take continencie to be an abstinence not from lusts only but from al vice so that as Theophilact saith he must rule his tongue his handes and his eies Hierom vpon these wordes saith plainelie that the Apostle neuer speaketh of continencie or incontinencie but in respect of wanton lustes but yet he taketh continencie to be such a vertue as may be in maried folke And therefore the Apostle saith he hauing spoken of a bishop that hee may haue one wife least he should seeme to permit incontinencie to them addeth this and with Hierom agreeth Primasius So that they make continent and chaste all one 1. Cor. 7.3.4.5 For although married folke must performe the duties of mariage one to another yet so as they passe not the boundes of chastitie or continencie This reason then is not good Priests must by Saint Paules rule bee continent therefore they must haue no wiues But on the contrarie Saint Paul in that verie place where he requireth in a bishop continencie doth permit at the least that he shoulde be the husband of one wife therefore in mariage there may be continencie Tit. 1.6 As for that which hee alleadgeth out of Councels popes fathers and reason because they proue not that which hee hath vndertaken to proue Chap. 19. it is not worth an answere For the title of that Chapter is That single life by the Apostolicke law is verie well tyed to the holie orders And when hee hath snatched at one poore worde and findeth no greate helpe in it hee seeketh to prooue by Councels popes fathers and reason that single life hath beene commended of some commaunded of others But that the Apostles commaunded it hee prooueth not and that hee tooke in hande But on the contrarie the Canons that are called the Apostles haue this Canon Can. 6 Let not a bishop or Priest put awaie his wife vnder pretence of religion If hee doe it let him bee excommunicated if hee stande in it let him bee reiected But what saith master Bellarmine to this He answereth out of one Humbert a Cardinall that to put away his wife de cler li. ◠cap. 2◠is to haue no care of his wife But if we marke the fiftieth Canon of the Apostles wherein there is a prouiso that none shoulde abstaine from mariage because hee thinketh it to bee euill it will easilie appeare that the sixt Canon was made to ouerthwart the foolish opinion of them that condemned mariage as a thing more vncleane then that it should be fit for priestes or bishops And thus much to proue that mariage of priestes is not euill of it selfe or vnlawfull in respect of any commandement in Gods word Now that it is also lawfull I am perswaded by these reasons First because of the vncertainety of the contrarie doctrine for some say that sole life is commanded by God others denie it as you haue heard Againe there are and those papists too that say the lawe of abstaining from mariage Fab. Tract 4. in Luth. de mat clear for the clergie was first made by pope Siricius who liued almost four hundred yeares after Christ although Iohn Faber report that Calixtus forbad it somewhat before But Bellarmine and others thinke in no wise that it may be suffered that this their doctrine shoulde bee thought so farre shorte of the times of Christ and his Apostles Some holde it a necessarie lawe Bellarm. li. 1. de clericis cap. 18. others but conuenient And such diuersitie of doctrine in these and such like pointes is if not an inuincible yet a verie probable proofe that their doctrine hath no sure grounde in Gods word no great consent of antiquitie and that is the cause that there is no certaine doctrine of it amongest themselues and such is their agreement also concerning that other point whether matrimony be a sacrament or not Secondly the weakenes of their proofe doth euen proclaime vnto the world the weakenes of their cause For the most and best learned of them doe confesse that God hath not commanded it And the proofes that they bring out of the Apostle for it as it seemeth haue so little waight in them that Bellarmine is ashamed to alleadge them As for that small holde that he could get out of the Apostles words Tit. 1.8 That a bishop should be continent how little it can helpe his cause you haue heard before Seeing therfore that either they bring nothing worth hearing out of Gods word or apply vnto the clergy only that which the Apostle speaketh to all men and weomen indifferently such is all that they alleadge out of the 7. Chapter of S. Paules first epistle to the Corinthes we are the lesse bound to beleeue whatsoeuer they out of the fathers shall teach vs concerning this matter Who themselues doe charge vs to examine by the scriptures their writings and not to beleeue any thing that they shall teach vnlesse they teach such things as are agreeable vnto Gods word Yea since their arguments are so weake that euen Panormitane and other papists whom Iohn Faber in some respects spareth to name because they saw no necessary consequence in them although they liued in daies of greater darckenes than wee do God be praised for our light indeuoured to obtain that mariage might be lawful for the clergy as Faber reporteth yea and pope Pius the second Cont. Luth. Tract 4. was so little moued by those arguments that he had wont to say that there was great cause that priests should be forbiddē to marry Pla◠in the life of Pius 2. but greater that mariage should be permitted vnto them and the Ambassadours of catholicke princes were earnest suiters in the names of their princes to the councell of Trent that mariage might be free for the clergy Since these arguments I say were not able to persuade these men so deuoted to their doctrines as it is knowen they were how much more may we reiect this their lawe as hurtfull to Gods church and iniurious to our wise Law-maker and suspect it not to rest vpon good ground Thirdly the most blasphemous commendation that they giue vnto this estate of life and the efficacie and vertue that impudently and vntruely they do ascribe vnto the same maketh me thinke it is but a bird of their
cal the Scriptures and vnwritten which they call Traditions Traditions And the traditions say they were either deliuered by the Apostles themselues to some special men and therfore are called Apostolike or else are set downe by the Church and for that cause called Traditions of the Church Traditions equall with the word Now traditions are made equall and to be receiued with as great reuerence as the Scriptures euen by the Councel of Trent Ses 4. decre 1 Preferred before the word the most modest Papists But there are others who in their excesse of impietie preferre the trâ— ditions before the word written and make them of greater force than it as Pighius in his Ecclesiasticall hierarchie Eccl. Hierar lib. 1. cap. 4. Thesi 9. In his preface Wolfgangus Screckius Nay in that he wil by traditions haue all doctrines tried he manifestly subiecteth the pure written woorde of God to the prophane deuises of man BVt to take away the proppes of this their ruinous building let vs see what grounds or foundations for so Melchior Canus a learned Papist termeth them they lay of this their doctrine Obiection Melchior Canus in his common places of Diuinitie and Bellarmine in his controuersies lib. 3. cap. 3 Bellar. lib. 4 〈◊〉 of Gods worde dâ— written and others also set this downe as a most neceâ—â—â—rie principle That the Church is more ancient than the Scriptures As in trueth the Church was more than two thousand yeres before there was any written word of God in bookes and therefore Bellarmine inferreth That the Scriptures are not simply necessary Answere First this ground doeth not vpholde that which is in controuersie among vs. For they shoulde prooue traditions to bee a part of Gods worde so that without them Gods word could not bee counted perfect And to proue that they tel vs that it was more than two thousand yeeres before the woord was written Which maketh nothing for them vnlesse they can shew vs that this word which is now written is not that same that before was deliuered by tradition vnto the fathers of that old world For the question betweene vs and the Papists is not of the maner of deliuering Gods word whether it were deliuered by word or by writing but of the matter namely whether Gods word be any thing else than that is written in the old and new testament which we deny but they affirme it because the word was so long time vnwritten yet the church was not then without the word So that because the word was reuealed after an other manner the Papists wil haue it another word Whereas in trueth that same word that was from the beginning Iohn 1.1 what word that is that is written is that verie word of God that was so long after the beginning written for the Iewes and is now deliuered vnto vs. Wee must therefore take heede that they deceiue vs not by the double signification of the word Scripture which sometime expresseth the manner of deliuering the word namely by writing and so we confesse the scripture was not so ancient as the church by mo than two thousand yeares but sometime the word Scripture signifieth the word it selfe which is deliuered vnto vs as it is commonly now taken and in this place must so be vnderstoode And so hath the word written beene from the beginning That is to say that the selfe same word which God by word of mouth as we say and by tradition did teach the patriarkes hee afterwards did cause to be written which word wee call the holy scriptures And further also we must remember that one manner of deliuering the word of God Diuerse maners of deliuering the word at diuerse times is fit for one time and an other manner of deliuering it for an other time As may appeare by that which hath beene said how that God hath in his infinite wisedome seene it needefull to deliuer it one way afore the Lawe in an other sort vnder the Lawe and the Gospell although not in like measure in both these latter times So that this argument cannot stand good The scriptures haue not beene written in the first age amongst the patriarkes therefore they are not necessary now amongst vs in these dayes to whom God hath by them reuealed his word Which argument is strongly confuted by Chrysostome that learned and ancient Father In Matth. hom 1. But to these men who are as Tertullian calleth the Heretikes of his time lucifugae scripturarum De resurrect carnis such as shunne the light of the scriptures and flee from it I may say as the same Tertullian speaketh in an other place De prescript Beleeue without the Scriptures that yee may also beleeue against the Scriptures Let them seeke the desert of their owne deuises and follow the trod of their owne traditions to finde out some couert for their superstitions but let vs content our selues to dwell in the cities of the Lawe the Prophets the Gospel and the Apostles which are the Scriptures and not goe out of them In Mich. li. 1 as Saint Ierome speaketh For euery word of God is pure Prou. 30.5 6 hee is a shield to those that trust in him Put nothing to his word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar That this VVorde is sufficient CHAP. 2 THE PROTESTANTS This word is sufficient NOw this written word of God because it is sent vs froÌ„ that most gratious God that hath loued vs and chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laide Eph. 1.4 that we might be holy with out blame before him and is brought vnto vs by that most excellent Prophet In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss 2.3 and therefore can teach vs Heb. 3.2 who also is faithful and therefore wil deale truely with vs yea who so heartily loueth vs that hee died for vs and therefore doubtlesse will be careful to teach vs what behooueth vs to knowe Seeing also the Apostle saint Paul doeth testifie that he kept nothing backe that was profitable Acts 20.20 27 but shewed them all the councell of God We therefore beleeue the Scriptures to be written Ioh. 20.31 that wee might beleeue and beleeuing might haue eternall life 2. Tim. 3.16 And that the whole scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse 17 That the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes that is that the Scripture is so sufficient and perfect that it hath no want it needeth no supply nothing must be added THE PAPISTS BVT the Church of Rome knowing that Tertullian wrote truely De resurrect carnis That Heretikes if they be made to proue that they say by the Scriptures can not stand do find fault that they should be so straitly limited and tethered that
that with diligence the scriptures must be searched and without loathsomnes yea with reuerence receiued But that wee may the more easily and euidently see how little these fathers do make for them it is necessary to see with what purpose and to what end these say that they do write of the hardnesse of the scriptures Namely not to discourage men from reading of them but to stirre them vp to more diligence and carefulnesse in reading them As may appeare by the earnest and vehement exhortations which the ancient fathers doe make not onely to all men generally Hom. 9. in epist ad Coloss but euen to lay men in particular and especially Heare saith Chrysostome all yee lay men that are present and that haue wiues and children howe the Apostle commandeth euen you especially to reade the Scriptures and not to reade them only as it were by chance but with great diligence with many other such like exhortations in that place as also in many other of his writings Saint Hierome in sundry of his epistles vnto godly women exhorteth them to diligent reading of the same he also to intice them to be conuersant therein dedicateth vnto some women som of his treatises vpon the scriptures Yea and in his preface vnto Paula and Eustochium two women before his first booke vpon the epistle to the Ephesians which is the place out of which Bellarmines second argument out of Hierome was fetched doth highly commend the study and knowlege of the scriptures And in his preface vnto his second booke doth extoll Marcella for her diligent study therein Hom. 20 in Ios preferring her before himselfe Thou wilt say saith Origen the scriptures are hard yet it is good to reade them And wisheth that we all would doe as it is written namely Search the Scriptureâ— â—â—â—nelius Agryppa reporteth 〈◊〉 S 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that in the first Nicene councell it was decreed that no christian man should be without a bible in his house And Chrysostome exhorteth euen lay men and that very earnestly to get them Bibles Hom. 9 in Coloss or at the least the new Testament So then wee see to what intent the Fathers tell vs that the Scriptures are hard namely because they would not haue vs to be careles in the study of them and negligent or to imagine when wee knowe somewhat that we neede knowe no more but as Hierome would haue vs to doe Epistol ad Pâ—â— liâ— um We must cracke the nut if wee will eate the kernell We must take paines to get knowledge assuring our selues that wee can neuer learne too much because wee can neuer knowe enough And saint Augustine in his Confessions saith Liâ— 6. cap. â— they ought to bâ— read of all But the Papists in complaining of the hardnes of the scriptures shoot at an other marke that is to make the simple people afraide that they meddle not with it that they reade it not neither yet heare it read vnto them So that besides the other slaunders wherewith they seeke to staine Gods word proclaiming it not to be sufficient but that it wanteth many things and may be wrested to any fence they adde this also that it is hard and therefore dangerous for them that are not learned to reade it And this is the very cause why they speake so much of the hardnesse of the scriptures as not onely their writings and words proclaime in all places but also their cruell executions against such as haue had in their mother tongue For libr. ◠〈◊〉 is and Momun in the beginning I say not the bible or the New Testament but euen the Lordes prayer or the tenne commaundements which they would seeme to allow vnto the people Gregory Nazianzene doth write In Apologâ—â— that some ancient men amongst the Hebrewes report of a custome which the Iewes had which he also commendeth which was that some places of the scriptures were not permitted 〈…〉 body to reade before they were fiue and twentie yeeres old but the rest of the scripture they should learne euen from their childehoode Where note that they make no difference of any state calling or sexe but of age onely and that when they were fiue and twentie yeares olde they might reade any parcell of Scripture But the Papists permit not any parcell of the scriptures to the lay people nay hardly to their priests but onely as they will followe such sence thereof as they appoint Yea I haue knowen bachellors of diuinity admitted to reade some booke of the master of sentences as the vse then was when they proceeded so that this was their conclusion They are hard therefore you shall not reade them That the scriptures are so hard as they are Papists to be blamed for hardnesse of the Scripture by their and to so many none are to bee blamed but the church of Rome that so much complaineth of their hardnesse but in trueth are sory they are so easie as is most plaine to see first in that they would not haue them in the mother tongues but when they see there is no remedy but that the scripture will be published whether they will or not they send vs a Testament from Rhennes Translations so full of Hebrew Latine and Greeke wordes turned into English letters that all the world may see that they meane nothing lesse than that they that reade it should vnderstand it And yet they cry The scripture is hard Secondly they are the cause of the hardnesse of the scriptures when in the most plaine places that are they will not suffer men to follow that sence which the words themselues and the circumstances both before and after doe affoord Interpretations but they must haue their interpretation from the church of Rome without whose approbations they must neither trust their own eies for seeing nor their eares for hearing neither yet their wit for vnderstanding of any thing When they change the very sence and wordes and where they finde Lord they put Lady as in that blasphemous booke called the psalter of the Virgine Marie they doe through the whole psalmes and some other places When the first promise that was made of that blessed seede that should breake the head of the serpent they apply as much as they dare vnto the Virgine Marie when these wordes shall be currant stuffe to proue worshipping of the Saints departed In as much as yee haue doone it to the least of these my brethren Math. 25.40 yee haue doone it vnto mee which are spoken of our goodnesse to Gods needy creatures aliue as Eckius imagineth in his common places De vener sanct when I say the people are taught thus to vnderstand the scriptures must they not needes bee hard Lastly the greatest cause of this hardnesse is that the people are not acquainted with them for they are forbidden to reade them nay Forbidding to reade scripture it hath beene death to haue them found with the
Truth and Falshood Or A Comparison betweene the Truth now taught in England and the Doctrine of the Romish Church with a briefe confutation of that Popish doctrine Hereunto is added an Answere to such reasons as the popish Recusants alledge why they will not come to our Churches By Francis Bunny sometime fellow of Magdalen College in Oxford GAL. 1.9 If any man preach vnto you otherwise than that ye haue receiued let him be accursed LONDON Printed by Valentine Sims for Rafc Iacson dwelling in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the white Swanne 1595. To the right worshâ—â—full Companie of Ironmongers in London Francis Bunny somtime their Scholer wisheth increase of knowledge and zeale of the trueth with abundance of all spirituall graces heere and a happy life with God elsewhere IF the children of Ruben and Gad Numb 31.21 2â— might not setle theÌ„selues to rest ease til the Lord had cast out his enemies froÌ„ his sight but that they should sinne against the Lord and their sinne should finde them out for it is great reason that they that haue one inheritance promised should take paines together to get the same and put from it their common enemies then how much more shal God finde vs guiltie if so many and mighty enemies seeking by al meanes possible to keepe vs and our brethren from the possession of the trueth here and so from that spiritual Canaan and heauenly Ierusalem else-where we seeking our quiet estate and contenting our selues with our owne happy life do not our indeuour to scatter and confound according vnto our place and calling the common enemies to our saluation When the children of Ruben and Gad Iosh 22 1â— and the halfe tribe of Manasseh had builded them an altar in their countrey for a remembrance that they were to be accounted Israelites although Iordan parted them from the other tribes and the rest of Israel had thought that they had builded it to offer sacrifices vpon the same the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered them together at Shiloh to warre against them For they thought it to be euery mans part to oppose theÌ„selues against Gods enemies and to be forward in defence of his glorie Seeing theâ—â— fore a common cause requireth common help and they that â— he not keepe a good watch in the place that is appointed vnto them and in their calling doe as much as in them lieth betray the cause Matth. 25.30 and such as doe not occupie their talent shal be Cast into vtter darkenes as vnprofitable seruants I haue thought it good according to my slender skill and simple talent to oppose my selfe against our aduersaries in defence of Gods glorie and the truth euen against them who are both the most dangerous enimies to our soules health and the continual disturbers of all common wealths The first they indeuour by their false doctrine the other by their most perillous and endlesse practises Insomuch as of the troubles that are this day in the world the Cardinall of Loraine seemeth to haue made a true confession euen in the councell of Trent For our sakes brethren saieth hee is this storme risen therefore cast vs into the sea Indeede not for their sakes onely Gentil exam concil Trident. sess 22 lib. 4. but by their meanes are these troubles come vpon this part of the worlde Nowe the multitude or malice of our enemies must not discourage vs from doing our duty but how much more they increase in number so much the more diligent should we be and their crueltie and malice should increase our courage against them But in vaine doe wee withstand them with our tongues and pennes if the Christian Magistrates doe not put to their helping hand who haue also their du y to do in the church of God as wel as they to whom the ministery of the word is committed Moses Aaron the prince and the priest were brethren to teach vs what mutuall help the one of them must make to the other Kings and Queenes if they forget not their dutie must be nursing fathers nurces to Gods church Psa 49.23 They must cherish and norish it they must loue and defend it And as idolatrous princes the slaues of antichrist haue one mind â—â— ocal 17.12 and shal giue their power authoritie to the beast and shall fight with the Lamb 13 as we see it is come to passe in these our dayes euen so should all godly Princes and Magistrates be ashamed that zeale of Gods glory and loue vnto his trueth should not knit them as fast together and make them as willing to maintaine the good cause as superstition ambition and malice preuaileth with the wicked to make them so 〈◊〉 bornly to striue against Gods vndoubted word Such princes 〈◊〉 in scriptures commended vnto vs as haue beene ready to maintaine trueth set foorth Gods word and regarded the sinceritie of the same and haue on the contrary withstoode superstition put downe idolatry and compelled their people vnto the seruice of God both according to the first and second table of the Commandements And on the other side it is left as a staine vnto the memory of others that they did not take away occasions of idolatry and remoue such stumbling blockes out of mens wayes If then we could in such a godly consent as the Prophet Sophonie saith serue the Lord with one shoulder the ciuil magistrates Zophon 3.9 by the sword we by the word they by correction if neede require we by exhortations they by punishments we by threatnings remembring that both the one and the other must one day make an account of our stewardship and answere for our defaults then I doubt not but God would blesse our godly labors with great increase of knowlege and godlines But as in the end of this treatise I haue made some exhortation vnto magistrates to consider of their dutie in this point so haue I also thought it my part to maintaine to my power Truth against Falshood euen Gods word against mens inuentions And for this cause haue I taken this trauell to set downe the summe of that that we teach especially in such matters as are principally in question amongst vs and on the contrary what our aduersaries teach concerning the same Which I thought to be necessary because our doctrine is many times by the aduersaries slandered especially before such as are ignorant as though it were far otherwise than in truth it is And that the truth more easly may appeare what is taught by them and vs he that listeth may see with little labor euen as it were at one view both our opinions Neither do I vndertake to set downe all that we teach concerning those articles but onely the points that doe especially belong to the controuersies that are betweene vs. Then also haue I set downe the principall arguments whereby they confirme their doctrines and indeuour to confute them Wherein especially I
alleadge M. Bellarmines reasons though not alwayes because he is accounted learned amongest vs and also commeth after others so that he hath seene what others haue and hath taken out of them what he liketh And as in all this treatise my endeuour is to proue I trust with some good effect that the doctrine of the church of Rome is not catholike so that it may the better appeare I haue towards the end set downe an abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis whereby I trust the meanest that seeth it shal be able to iudge how they make an vniust claime to the catholike religion And although I know my own wants and could rather submit my selfe to be a scholer vnto many than a teacher almost of any yet because I know not how my minde giueth me that this manner of writing may do some good especially among the vnlearned that are desirous to be taught I thought my duetie forced me to take this in hand though I want many helpes and meanes that other haue And to whom should this my labour such as it is be due rather than vnto you next after that place where I did sucke as it were my first milke of learning and laid almost the foundation of that knowledge such as it is that God hath indued mee withall By your good liberalitie I confesse my selfe to be the better inabled to do any good be it neuer so little that I can do in the church of God To your Worships therefore I confesse this my trauell to be due as a simple token of my sincere heart which would haue yeelded a better remembrance if my abilitie could haue affoorded it And the rather do I dedicate this Booke vnto your W. Company that you seeing the meaning of bestowing your exhibition which is to bring vp Labourers in Gods haruest teachers in his church to be in some part performed in me who first in Oxford receiued your liberalitie as I doubt not but you haue seene much more plentiful fruit in many other you may the more willingly continue your godly course and not be weary of your wel-doing Accept in good part I pray you this simple gift and if you see in it but my desire to doe good giue glo◠y to God to whose good grace I commit you and yours and my selfe to your good prayers From my house at Ryton in the Bishoprike of Durham Anno 1595. ⧠A necessarie Table of all the principall matters contained in euery chapter of this Booke THAT the Scriptures or word written is onely Gods word and not traditions Chapter 1 That this word is sufficient Chapter 2 The Scripture a sure rule Chapter 3 Scriptures easie Chapter 4 That onely the canonicall bookes of the old and new testament are this written word or Scriptures Chapter 5 What the catholike church is that in the creede is mentioned Chapter 6 That the catholike church mentioned in the articles of our creede is not visible or to be seene Chapter 7 The church here militant vpon the earth may erre Chapter 8 Of the markes of the church or how we may know the true church Chapter 9 What a sacrament is what is the effect of it or what it worketh how many sacraments there are Chapter 10 Of the sacrament of Baptisme Chapter 11 Of Confirmation Chapter 12 Of the Lords supper and Sacrament of the body and bloud of our Sauiour Christ and namely of transubstantiation Chapter 13 That the wicked receiue not in the sacrament Christs body and bloud Chapter 14 That the cup ought not to be denied to the lay people which thing the papists do Chapter 15 Against their sacrifice of the Masse or of the altar as they call it Chapter 16 Of true and christian repentance and of the Popish Sacrament of penance Chapter 17 Of lawfull calling into the ministerie and against the sacrament of Orders as they call it Chapter 18 Of matrimony that it is not a sacrament and that it is lawfull for all Chapter 19 Of anoiling or extreme vnction that it is not a sacrament Chapter 20 Of originall sin what it is and whether concupiscence be sin or not Chapter 21 Of the works of infidels and such as are not regenerate Chapter 22 Of Baptisme whether it doe extinguish and kill in vs originall sinne or not Chapter 23 That we haue not of our selues free wil or power to deliuer our selues from sinne Chapter 24 That by our workes we cannot bee iustified and against the doctrine of merites Chapter 25 Of iustification by faith and what faith is Chapter 26 That good works are necessary duties for all christians to perfourme Chapter 27 Of prayer to whome and how we should pray Chapter 28 Against Images in churches or anie where else for religions cause Chapter 29 What fasting is and of the true vse of fasting Chapter 30 Of Purgatorie Chapter 31 An Abridgement of Vincentius Lyrinensis with obseruations vpon the said Author Chapter 32 An exhortation to christian magistrates for to defend this truth Chapter 33 FINIS That the Scriptures or written word is onely Gods Word and not traditions CHAP. 1 THE PROTESTANTS The rule of faith life BEcause it is confessed of al that gods worde must bee the rule and square of our faith and life of our religion and conuersation It is very meete that first wee enquire what is this word of God And wee affirme What is gods word that that onelie which is contained in the Bookes of the old and new Testament is the very true word of God First bicause we are so often earnestly charged not to adde any thing to it or to take any thing from it Secondly this is prooued by the practise of the godlie of all times The Iewes most religiously kept the word written with great sinceritie and made it the Touchstone to try their actions by and by it they reformed such things as were amisse in religion especially As in Iehosaphat Ezechias Iosias and others it may appeare Christ also and his Apostles confirmed that which they taught out of the Scriptures yea they confirmed and expounded the Lawe Mat. 5. and preached no other gospell thā that which before was promised by the Prophets Rom. 1.2 And accounted them accursed that shoulde preach any other Gal. 1.6 7 8 9. Lastly the Fathers of the purer times of the Church did not only with open mouth submit their writings and doctrines to the iudgement of the Scriptures but also they tried doubts established all trueths and confuted all heresies onely by this word written THE PAPISTS BVt the Church of ROME not suffering herself to be hemmed in within so narow lists Prou. 22.28 hath remoued the ancient bounds which their fathers made and faineth that God who hath hitherto had but one voice now in our dayes shoulde speake with two tongues What is gods word in the Ro. church For they make Gods word to consist of two partes namely of the word written which we
so with him Argument Hee alleageth saint Ambrose also who saith The holy scripture is a sea Answere Saint Ambrose doth not in that place call it a Sea because it is so deepe that the bottome can not be found but because it is so plentifull that it yeeldeth abundance to all as appeareth not only by the sentence next after that alleadged by Bellarmine but also by that conclusion that he gathereth a litle after saying Therefore the holy Scripture hath diuers riuers Thou hast to drinke the first time the second time and the last time Therfore although saint Ambrose say that the scripture hath in it depths yet doth he not say it is all darke Argument But saith he Hierome in his epistle to Paulinus writeth that without a teacher the scriptures can not be learned and briefly going through euery booke by name hee sheweth that in them are many and great difficulties or rather mysteries for he findeth in them sundry allegories Answere Yet all is not hard as before hath often bin answered And S. Ierome in that place as soone as hee hath made an end of reckoning vp of those books and shewing the mysteries that are therein he sheweth the cause why he did so I would not saith he haue thee to be offended with the simplicitie and basenes of wordes in the Scriptures Argument As for the other obiection out of Hierome is that Hierome was studious in the scriptures from his youth and also went to Alexandria to conferre with Dydimus of all that he did doubt of in the scriptures The simple may see this maketh not against vs Hierome studied them hard therefore all the scriptures are hard Or he conferred with Dydimus of that he doubted therefore all are hard Obiection The last obiection out of Hierome is That the whole Epistle to the Romanes is wrapped into great obscurities Answere This toucheth but onely that epistle and therefore is no argument against all the scripture And in that seeing there be many things both concerning faith and manners very plaine saint Hierome either speaketh hyperbolically as many times the fathers do or else by these obscurities he meaneth such mysteries as may be gathered out of the scriptures but not such doctrines as we must learne out of the same And who knoweth not that the fathers do many times so are higher and find out greater mysteries than the text will well affoord Obiection Out of Augustine he hath foure testimonies The first saith that such as rashly reade are many times troubled because that some things that are obscurely spoken do greatly blinde them Answere Which maketh not against vs that neither like of rash reading neither say that all is easie His second testimony is that exclamation that saint Augustine maketh Confess lib. 12. cap. 14 hauing entred into a deepe meditation what may be signified by these words heauen and earth in the beginning of Genesis as appeereth by the chapter going before and also by sundry of the chapters following therefore this his admiration O the wonderfull depth of thy words c. doth not proue all the scripture to be hard Nay seeing that the story of the creation may there bee plainely vnderstood it must needes follow that his meaning was not to say that Gods word is hard but rather that men may in the same consider of deepe matters as I answered to the last place out of S. Hierome Obiection The third and fourth places out of saint Augustine are these There is so great depth of christian learning that I might therein profit daily if from my childhoode vnto my olde age with much time earnest indeuour and a sharper wit I could study it only And lastly In the holy Scriptures I know saith Augustine not so much by farre as I am ignorant of Answere Both which places do prooue nothing else than as I said before of Ambrose that the scriptures are plentifull So that he saith heere nothing else than in another place of that third epistle out of the which the former of these two places is taken The maner saith he of speaking vsed in the Scriptures al may come to but very few can passe through and so afterwardes sheweth howe sundry good things all may receiue by them Lastly the two testimonies out of the Author of the vnperfect worke vpon Mathew Hom. 44 and that out of Gregory vppon Ezech. Hom. 6. which giue two reasons why the scriptures are obscure aâ—â— also like the rest nothing against vs. For the author of that worke vpon Mathew doth plainly shew in the same homily that he meaneth the scripturs to be obscure to them that will not reade them these are the words Therefore the trueth is not hid in the Scriptures but it is darke not so that they who seek it may not find it but so as they can not find it that wil not seek it And the same also appeares by the words of the place alleaged out of Gregory by Belarmine For one reason of the obscuritie is saith he that he may get that by labour which by idlenes he can not And then also because the knowledge of the scriptures is not gotten but by labour and paines taking they are not so lightly esteemed Arg. 4 The last generall argument is by reason to prooue the scriptures to be hard both in regard of the matter deliuered and the maner of deliuering it And here for the matter he reckneth some of the principal points of diuinitie wheras we may find in the scriptures milke for children that is easie lessons for the ignorant and meate for the elder sort Yea as Augustine saith He giueth milk to yong ones De verbis dom ser 38 fulgent ser de confessor that when they are elder hee may giue them stronger meate And as the matters contained in the scriptures are heauenly and spirituall so the heauenly minded man and he that is spiritually minded shal iudge of al things 1. Cor. 2.15 And it shall not be vnperformed that God hath promised The secret of the Lorde is reuealed to them that feare him Psal 25.14 and his couenant to giue them vnderstanding Answere Now for the maner of speaking although it is true that there are in the scriptures speeches hard by shew of contrariety by doubtfull and vnperfect speeches because one thing is set before another because of the proprietie of the Hebrew phrase and of the figures for these sixe he setteth downe the things whereby hardnesse may be in the scriptures by the manner of deliuering them yet neither are these things so common or so strange but that the godly may of the scriptures gather much fruit if they will diligently and with calling vpon God for help reade the same So that in briefe this is all that these fathers haue said either that many things are hard which no body denieth or else that none can so sound the depth of them but that something may alwayes be added thereto and therefore
Baptisme saueth vs by the resurrection of Christ 1. Pet. 3.21 which maketh nothing against vs. But Bellarmine to make his argument seeme stronger alleadgeth onely the former wordes Baptisme saueth vs as though it did so by it owne vertue and neuer maketh mention of the latter wordes Through the resurrection of Christ for that is against him and sheweth from whence baptisme hath her vertue and efficacie And this being well considered it wil perchance not be hard to answere vnto much of that which they can say for this their dangerous doctrine That the Sacrament of it selfe euen by the very receiuing of it giueth grace to the receiuer And for the necessitie thereof I haue saide before in this chapter in the answere to the first reason so much as I trust may satisfie the godly Reader Of Confirmation CHAP. 12. THE PROTESTANTS BVt as for Cōfirmation as it was vsed in the Romish church although we haue iust cause to reiect it and much lesse can we account it a Sacramēt which hath neither commandement in the worde nor promise of spirituall graces yet wee doe not deny but that the people of God in respect of their manifold wāts haue great neede continually to haue their ignorance instructed their dulnesse refourmed their weaknesse strengthned their godly indeuors bettered and their knowledge increased And for this cause is it very needefull that the childrē which because they are infantes when they are baptized can not at their baptisme yeelde account of their faith shoulde bee taught when they are older the principles of religion and make before the Bishop and other present profession of their faith and that by godly exhortation they should be moued openly to continue constantly in that holy profession God should be prayed vnto to continue and encrease his good graces in them And this holie Confirmation I doubt not would doe much good in the Church if it were often vsed THE PAPISTS BVT in steede hereof the church of Rome commendeth vnto vs a kinde of Confirmation that consisteth of a number of foolish and vnprofitable ceremonies And to make it more readily and reuerētly to be receiued they would perswade the ignorant that it is a Sacrament And not content therewith this deuise of theirs they doe highly commend Bellarm. de sa li. 2. ca. 28 as that It is more excellent than Baptisme it selfe in respect of the effect of grace bicause therein is giuen the fulnes of the spirit marke their blasphemy for the fulnesse thereof is giuen to Christ only to al vs by measure Coloss 1.19 Ioh. 3.34 Rom. 12.3 And that it doth consummate and perfect Baptisme Bellarm. li. 2. de Confir cap. 11. and giueth greater grace than Baptisme doth What copper or counterfeit coine dare not these men commend vnto vs for good gold who dare so confidently to preferre the greasie deuise of man before the holy institution of Christ himself And make more account of that which themselues doe confesse to haue no warrant in Gods worde than of Christes holy Sacrament De Sacram. confir li. 2. cap. 2. But let vs consider how Bellarmine defendeth this who for his learning is much accounted of and that worthily amongst the papists so that his want of proofe doth plainely shew the weakenesse of his cause Whereas there are but three things necessarily required in a Sacrament as hee truely confesseth visible signe promise of grace and Gods commaundement which much weakeneth that which hee saide of the working power of the Sacraments as appeareth in the tenth chapter he wil prooue that confirmation hath all these three Hee prooueth first that this Sacrament as hee termeth it hath promise of grace and why Because the holy Spirite is promised Is not this clarkely handled and strongly proued God promiseth the holy Ghost therefore confirmation hath the promise of grace Secondly the visible signe is saieth hee the laying on of the hands vpon the head But the popish confirmation hath not laying on of hands neither is it necessarie now a dayes by their owne confession Belarm de confir li. 2. cap. 13 For these are the ceremonies that doe belong to that their Sacrament First the Oyle must be consecrated by prayer secondly by crossing for without a crosse saith Bellarmine nothing can be consecrated Wherein Bellarmine giueth Saint Paule the lie because hee neuer spake of the crosse when he said 1. Tim. 4 4 5 Euerie creature of God is sanctified by the worde of God and praier and Bellarmine saith nothing is sanctified without the crosse But perchaunce he will say that oile is none of gods creatures as indeed in respect of the vse or rather abuse of it it is not Thirdly the Bishop must breathe vpon the cruet or cup of oyle Fourthly he must say to the oyle All haile holy oyle O foolish blasphemie Then are there other ceremonies but not essentiall in this Sacrament the Godfather Certaine praiers thirdly the Pax then a blow vpon the cheeke fiftly A ragge tied about the forehead sixtly He must not wash his forehead for seuen dayes Thinke you this slouenly Sacrament hath any such grace as they woulde haue vs to beleeue that it hath when as they feare that washing where the oyle was may hinder the vertue of it seuenthly it must be at Easter and Whitsuntide vsed lastly they that receiue this Sacrament must be fasting But of the laying on of hands there is no mention vnlesse you will say that he that giueth him a blow vpon the eare layeth his hands vpon his head And as for that it is reckoned among the ceremonies that are not of the substance of this sacrament But Bellarmine in another place saith De effec Sacram lib. 2 cap. 24. that then is that ceremony of laying on of the hands performed when the Bishop maketh the crosse in the forehead But that is not so for the laying on of hands was done vpon the head and was borowed from the olde lawe of that which they did vnto the sacrifices when they brought them to bee offered they did by that ceremonie of laying their hands vpon the head of the sacrifice consecrate as it were the same to the Lord. Num. 27 24 And when God commaunded Moses to consecrate Iosue to succeed him and to comfort and incourage him to the worke that he had to doe he doth lay his handes vpon his head Mat. 19 16 Acts 6.6 1. Tim. 4.14 2. Tim. 1.6 According to which example Christ laid his hands vpon the children the Apostles vpon the deacons and others Acts 8.17 and the Elders and Paule vpon Timothie Now marke howe it is prooued that Popish Confirmation hath the outwarde signe of a Sacrament The Bishop doth crosse the partie to be confirmed in the forehead therefore he layeth hands vpon his head Well then this their sacrament hath no promise as I haue shewed neither hath it any visible signe that was vsed and appointed by Christ and
taste of christian diuinity that a man may haue faith and no grace whereas in truth faith is Gods gift and that of his especiall grace we see what vertue the papists doe attribute vnto this sacrament as they doe call it and yet Peter Lombard their owne friend Li. sentent 4. dist 18. Levit. 13. out of the priests office concerning leapers who did only iudge whether they were cleane or foule but hee coulde not make them leapers or not leapers doth appoint also those limites vnto the priests concerning binding or loosing or rather sheweth that such is their authority not that they can make any sinners or voide of sinne which lesson he learned out of Hierom but only to iudge whether they were sinners or not vpon Matth. 16 By which he learneth and plainely saith euen in this cause that God doth not alwaies follow the iudgement of the church And therefore god doth not alwaies binde or loose as the church doth in her consistory Is not this flatly to deny vnto this their sacrament that working vertue and power which the papistes giue to it Or rather is not this to deny it to be a sacrament seeing it is denied not only by Saint Hierom but also by a deare friend of theirs Peter Lombard that it hath such vertue as they ascribe to their Sacraments And heere their answere of the vnworthines of him that receiueth this Sacrament whereby he hindereth this worke of the Sacrament will not serue For we see that the iudgement of the church by their opinion doth only shew what men are and according to it doth binde or loose but it doth not make them good or bad And therefore Chrisostome in an homily of repentance Hom. 8. ad populum Antioch Trust not saith he vnto thy repentance for thy repentaunce is not able to take away so great sinnes Now therefore we see that neiâ—â— er the testimonie of the fathers in their commentaries vpon this place neither the words themselues if we looke vpon their naturall meaning neither yet the practise of the church for more then 1100. yeares after Christ can make these words to proue any sacrament of penance which the papists so boldly without all proofe thrust vpon vs. For I pray you where is the outward signe of this sacrament Are these words I absolue thee Concil Triden Sess 14. cap. 3. c But where are these words commanded Bellarmine hath found them in these words Whose sinnes you remit are remitted c. And how doth hee proue it Because the Lord would neuer grant vnto his Apostles power to forgiue sinnes de paâ— nit li. 1. cap. 10. but he would haue that power exercised by some externall signe for these are his words We grant it and for that cause hee hath appointed the ministery of the gospell but the promises are generall and whether they publikely or priuately are to be vsed to the comforte of the afflicted we finde not in the scripture any set forme set downe for absolution and therefore in the scriptures they caÌ„ neuer find that outward signe which is required in a sacrament And therefore it seemeth that Bellarmine scarcely dareth to defend that which the councell of Trent hath taught concerning the forme of this their sacrament For the councell of Trent saith Li. 1. de poen cap. 16. that these wordes are the forme of their Sacrament of penance But master Bellarmine saith we are not tied to those wordes but that these words I remit thee thy sinnes will also serue the turne For this matter let them agree amongst themselues But they must shew vs some outwarde signe appointed by Christ for this Sacrament or els we must denie it to be a Sacrament And that they haue laboured to doe these many yeares and yet they cannot doe it But M. Bellarmine striueth earnestly to proue that place whose sinnes so euer you remit they are remitted not to be spokeÌ„ of baptisme We will ease him of some labour we will graunt that it is not spoken only of that remission that therein is done Man is like a ruinous house that must alwaies be repaired by repentance Hom. 3. de paenitentia We haue alwaies need to pray forgiue vs our trespasses Chrisostome pretily compareth sinne in man to an oake tree which he that will cut it downe must strike not once or twise only but often yea he must neuer leaue vntill it fall So must we flie alwaies to this remedy not only once or twise but ten thousands of times if so often we offend yea alwaies The comfort of this promise therefore we will in no wise restraine to the time of our baptisme only but we confesse that that forgiuenesse of sinnes which in our baptisme is sealed vp vnto vs hath force and vertue through our whole life and thereby are we assured that this promise of the forgiuenes of our sinnes and remitting of the same is most certaine and true and belongeth to our whole life and to euery sinne that we commit Now this forgiuenes say the papists must be applied vnto vs by the sacrament of penaunce They should proue that for in matters of religion their credite is not so good that we dare trust them And the lesse wee trust them in this matter because we are sure that God hath giuen vnto vs other meanes to apply his mercy vnto vs namely his word for applying whereof vnto our consciences hee hath appointed his ministery in his church Yea he hath giuen his word to be read and knowne of euery bodie Then also hath he giuen vs Sacraments to confirme vs in this word and to make vs more confidently to beleeue it and more faithfully to receiue it These therefore are the meanes whereby our faith is nourished and made more bolde and strong to apply to our humbled hartes those comfortable promises of Gods good graces which in the words are offered and by baptisme and the supper of the Lord are sealed vp in our consciences Nowe other Sacramentes we know not and namelie this of penance Neither is there any necessarie consequence in this argument These wordes are spoken of remission of sinnes after baptisme therefore there must needes bee a Sacrament of penance And that should bee proued And therefore to grant him that which hee so striueth for will doe him no good After this one place that Bellarmine hath out of the Scriptures he commeth to the fathers De paenit li. 1. cap. 10. who because they afforde him no plaine proofe he indeuoureth to wring something from them by indirect meanes The proofe therefore that he hath from them as himselfe professeth is either because that when they reckon vp the true Sacramentes they often make mention of repentance also or els they compare it with the sacrament of baptisme shewing that it is God that worketh in them both Had it not bin better to yeeld vnto the truth then thus before hee proueth any thing out of the
together two into one flesh Then if we wil speake properly of marriage it is the ioyning together not of minds or heartes onely but of bodies also Yea li. 1. chap. 5 De Sacram. matrim and it is confessed by maister Bellarmine that such marriages as haue not copulation are but a maimed and vnperfect Sacrament and that Priestes may so be married And howe his fellowes will take this at his handes I cannot tell that they who count themselues most perfect should not bee admitted but to that vnperfect Sacrament whereas the common sort and knowne sinners might bee partakers of the perfect Sacrament But let them order those matters amongest themselues But saint Basil perchance would admit them to the vse of marriage since maister Bellar. doth permit them to marry De vera Virginitate so that they abstaine froÌ„ the vse of it For saith he since the reason of the minde directing hath manifestly ioined their hearts in respect of some necessitie worthily doth the vnitie of bodies to which they are knit folow those hearts so vnited wherin this lerned father seemeth to me to be of that mind that there is no cause but that whosoeuer may in heart be ioined vnto another as to his wife may also in bodie bee ioyned with her And so if it be lawfull for them to marry and to continue married Cap. 5. as Bellarmine confesseth it is also lawfull for them to haue the vse of marriage as saint Basill here saieth But what is the reason why they stande so much in this matter Are they not men haue they not infirmities Can they who this day finde themselues to be voyde of such assaults as are the fruites of wanton lusts promise to themselues that they shall bee so to morrowe likewise and so to continue also Let no man deceyue himselfe in that foolish imagination no body can assure themselues of anie such thing it is a rare gift of God All men cannot receiue this thing Mat. 19.11 1. Cor. 7 7 17 De monac li. 2. cap. 31 but they to whome it is giuen If it be a gift of God as Bellar. confesseth it is too much presumption for vs to be so bold to promise it as though it were within our owne reach If it bee care it is too much wickednesse and too great occasion of offence for the church of Rome to require it so as they doe of all their cleargie Yea but they teach this as a doctrine that needes must bee beleeued De Cler. li. 1 cap. 21 and with a full consent and namely Bellarmine That they haue the gift of continencie that will And againe That there is no man that cannot liue continently if himselfe will Of this doctrine of free will I shall God willing speake more largely hereafter But now for this bolde and grosse affirmation I am verily perswaded that it neuer could haue come from any man vnlesse either his minde were blinded with ignorance that hee saw not the trueth of his owne estate or his heart were either possessed with such a senselesnesse that it could feele no sinne or else so bent to resist the truth that he would not yeeld to it although hee knewe it For what can bee found in the scriptures more common than the falles of the godly the faults of Gods seruants their complaints their sighes yea their teares because of their sinnes Shall we say they sinned willingly or that they walked not carefully in their wayes S. Paul then wil proue vs to be liars who for his part doth testifie To will is present with me Rom. 7.18 19 but I finde no way to performe that which is good For I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that doe I. Wee see saint Paule would faine not haue done euill but yet hee did it Shall wee say we are stronger than hee was Then are wee fooles and knowe nothing of our owne weakenesse For this cause Paule willeth the yonger widowes not to vowe chastitie or striue for it 1. Tim. 5.14 but to marrie and doe such dutyes Yea and if the scriptures should not teach vs this let vs but looke into our selues and considering indifferently and without partiality how subiect we are to sinne we must confesse that if the Apostle had cause to sigh wee may iustly tremble â—â— d quake for feare If hee complaine and mourne wee may in bitternesse and anguish of soule crie out for his weaknesse shall bee founde strength if it bee compared with our readinesse to fast And yet I confesse that God will giue grace to them that aske it and let them that seek find so that they aske and seeke in such sort as they ought to doe and such things as are necessarie for them to walke in their calling But to aske that we should not stand in need of that helpe and remedie agaynst sinne that God hath prouided or that wee should liue a more angellicall life than hee hath appoynted vs to doe is to tempt God in asking without our warrant and therefore without fayth and to despise that measure of grace that God hath vouchedsafe to bestowe vpon vs. The treasure is great that wee who are Gods ministers doe carrie although in earthen vessels that the power might bee of God 2. Cor. 4.7 and not of vs. It is inough for vs if the Lord keepe vs so 〈◊〉 his great goodnesse from falling that we bee not dashed in peeces and bee a reproch to this excellent worde of life So that wee honour him and glorifie his name in what estate of life so euer it be whether single life or mariage it maketh no matter Gods will be done and Gods name be praysed for it Well then we see beggers must be no choosers but looke what hee hath appointed vs to haue let vs bee heartily thankefull for it and craue Gods good spirite to direct vs in that way Seeing then it appeareth I trust that neither to liue vnmaried without burning in lust is in our power neither yet it is needfull that anie should striue for that vnlesse hee see that God hath giuen him that gift let vs yet further consider what it is that they so much mislike in mariage Cens col diall 3 Ad Himer They say that it doeth open a doore vnto wantonnesse and putteth fire to all lustes And as Pope Sericius sayeth for such to marrie is nothing else but to liue in the flesh yea in pollution and that they cannot please God Censur col dial 3. Yea blasphemously doe the Iesuites of Colen call it the life of Sardanapalus for a Priest to marrie But more like to the saying of a plaine Atheist is that saying of that man of Colen that a man were better to haue a hundred harlots one after another than one wife And our countrey man Doctour Smith in his booke of vowes and single life D. Smith Obiection 8 is not ashamed to
say that this their Sacrament is not truly and properly a Sacrament instituted by Christ for so doeth the Councell of Trent Wherein I knowe not whether they haue somewhat wounded themselues Cap 1. both because they say themselues but a little before that it is insinuated by Christ which is lesse than instituted And also it is tanquam vere propriè Sacramentum as it were which is a doubtfull speach truely and properly a Sacrament De sacram Vnct. cap. 2. But let vs see howe maister Bellarmine prooueth this to bee a Sacrament out of that place of saint Iames. Hee can finde as he supposeth the outwarde signe The outward signe True it is there is an outwarde signe but it is not that which is required in annoyling nowe for nowe it must needes be consecrated but then it was not The Apostles did vse it especially against the diseases of the bodie but this Oyle is in the Popish church vsed especially for a remedie against the sickenesses of the soule Therefore I graunt it was in those dayes a signe of health of bodie whilest God left with his church that gift of healing but it was neuer a signe of spirituall grace which is it that now they do affirme As for the health of the bodie they so little regarde that it should be vsed to that ende that they must not in any wise annoyle them but such as they haue no hope that they may escape Whereas the Apostle saint Iames would haue it done to that ende that God forgiuing them their sinnes which are many times the cause of sickenesse they might be Healed as saith saint Bede vpon this place As for the promise which is a seconde thing that must be in a sacrament The promise of grace master Bellarmine maketh no doubt but that he can proue it because it is said The Lord shal raise him vp and if he haue sinned they shal be forgiuen him The meaning of the apostle in this place is verie plaine that wheras in the daies of the primitiue church there were many myracles wrought by the apostles and others they did not those things by any power which they had in them selues but by the prayer of faith the sicke were healed And if their sinnes were the cause of their sicknesse as they are many times although not alwayes Iohn 9.3 as by saint Iohns gospel it appeareth hee promiseth that God to the ende that they may not doubt but that they shall bee healed will take away their sinnes and forgiue their offences which otherwise might bee a let or hinderance And that this condition is to be vnderstoode in this promise it is plaine by these wordes And if you haue committed sinnes For the apostle nothing doubted but that they had sinnes For if wee say wee haue no sinne 1 Iohn 1.8 wee deceiue our selues and there is no truth in vs. But hee might iustly doubt whether sickenesse was alwayes layd vpon men for and in respect of their sinnes Therefore to doubt whether they might haue sinne or not belongeth vnto them that knowe not the corruption of mans nature which wee cannot thinke of the apostle saint Iames. But to knowe that God doeth not alwayes sende afflictions in respect of sinne hee had learned by that which our Sauiour Christ himselfe sayde vnto his Disciples of the blind man Neither hath this man sinned neither his parents Iohn 9.33 but that the workes of God may be manifest And for this cause saint Iames saith If hee committed sinnes they shall be forgiuen him that is if his sinnes haue beene the cause of his sickenesse his sinnes shall be forgiuen him that his sickenesse may cease So then the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes which should especially serue to make this oyling a sacrament is but conditionall whereas in the true sacraments in deede the promise of forgiuenesse of sinnes is most certaine otherwise wee should not haue in the vse of them any true comfort Thus then seeing sicknes sometime commeth of sinne sometime of other causes the apostle sayeth if it come of sinne not onely the man ouer whom the elders make their faithfull prayer and whom they so oynt with this visible oyle shal be raised vp but also his sinnes the cause of his sicknesse shal be taken away But that not forgiuenesse of sinnes was especially regarded in this ceremonie but bodily health the fathers afore named doe proue and maister Bellarmine cannot denie but that sundrie of the Papists do affirme whilest they teach that the Apostles in the 6. of saint Marke his Gospell did practise the selfe same thing that saint Iames commaundeth The institution of this Sacrament But for the institution of this sacrament maister Bellarmine can bring no proofe at all but onely in respect of this promise of saint Iames which if it be not of spirituall grace as I trust I haue proued that it is not then is there no institution of this sacrament to be found Then wee see that all this whole building hangeth vpon a weake foundation to bee grounded vpon one onely authoritie and that so little to the purpose vnlesse it be racked besides the meaning and that out of that Epistle which although it be in our churches receyued and read yet we know that the authoritie thereof hath bin doubted of and therefore the lesse force hath it to proue any thing that is not taught in any other place And especially for their annoyling that is now vsed in the Popish church which is farre vnlike that which the apostles vsed there is in that place no proofe at all And as master Bellarmine hath the better lyking to expounde this place of saint Iames of another oynting than the apostles vsed marke eth sixt chapter Cap. 2 because as hee saieth Luther Caluine and Kemnitius doe take both places for one annointing euen so doe I and that with much better reason mislike the Popish anoyling because it commeth so neare vnto that practise of the heretikes of whom Ieremie speaketh li. 1. cap. 18. That they redeeme their dead at the ende of their race or trauell powring oyle and water vpon their heads And whereas master Bellarmine would proue out of Epiphanius that this oyntment was vsed when they were dead And therefore therein they differ from the Papists yet saint Augustine in his booke of heresies saieth Cap. 16. they did it when they were dying So that master Bellarmine must not thinke so to face out the matter as if those heretikes were nothing like them And whereas they vsed water also with their Oyle although they differ therein from the church of Rome yet the difference is nothing so great by many degrees betweene the Papists and those heretikes as is betweene the apostles and the papists for this poynt as maie appeare by that which before hath beene saide De sacra vnct li. 2. cap. 4. But after this great scarcitie of proofe out of the scriptures
hee commeth at length to the authoritie of man And hee will prooue what men will say in his behalfe where God keepeth silence And the first that he bringeth in is Innocentius that liued at the least foure hundred yeares after Christ What was it no Sacrament for foure hundred yeares and nowe vpon a sudden is it become a sacrament howe doeth hee proue it to bee a sacrament He bringeth no reason hee hath no proofe no neither yet doeth hee so much as say it is a sacrament properly so called but that it is Genus Sacramenti A kinde of Sacrament What then if we graunt to master Bellarmine that which Pope Innocentius sayeth If it bee a kinde of Sacrament as hee sayeth is it therefore a sacrament truely and properly as maister Bellarmine saieth I denie that argument and maister Bellarmine will not proue it And yet to helpe his bad cause hee lowdly and lewdly belyeth Innocentius his woordes in that hee affirmeth that Innocentius saieth expresselie and plainlie that this oynting is that sacrament explaned by saint Iames. But Innocentius hath no such wordes no neither yet any thing like But M. Bellarmine to deceiue them that can not looke into the fathers doth many times falsifie them to make his cause to seeme better And nowe what cause hath this seconde Achylles of the Catholikes for Eckius did bestow that name first vpon himselfe as you may see in his Enchiridion in the title of the church in the margent what cause I saie hath this challenging champion thus to brag against Kemnitius that hee durst not so much as name this Innocentius When his testimonie is examined the cracke is great but he doth not hit the marke that maister Bellarmine would haue him to leauell at As for Kemnitius if he haue but his due praise we must needes confesse that by his learning and trauell he hath more beaten downe the walles of that popish Babilon than that all the papists if they ioine togither hand in hand shall be able with all their skill and cunning to raise it vp againe Of Innocentius the third because he came so late he is not worth the answering for he liued about 1200. yeares after Christ in time of ignorance and much superstition As for the Councels which he alleageth the first is the Nicene councell translated into latine out of the Arabic tongue But since that canon is not amongst those canons which wee haue in the tomes of the councels and in those coppies that hitherto haue beene counted the true councels we neede not much regarde those farre fetched authorities His second authoritie is out of the councell of Cabilon and some other particular councels and although he commend their antiquitie yet the first of them was almost 800. yeares after Christ And those which I haue examined make not for his purpose For they proue not that this annointing is a sacrament properly so called Now for the fathers master Bellarmine needeth no aduersary he confesseth his want of proofe out of them For he deuideth the fathers into two sortes The one he confesseth doe not plainly saie that it is a sacrament Why then doth he produce them He hath taken in hand to proue that anoyling as it is vsed in the popish church is a true and proper sacrament If they will not proue this they maie holde their tongues For to this end only are they to be alleaged An other sort there are who speake it plainely as he telleth vs. But they are of no credit neither are once named among the ancient fathers The eldest of them is about 800. yeares after Christ And for his examples of some few men what they haue done it is no proofe to vs that we ought so to doe They might haue their reasons that might well induce them to it They might also doe therein as in many things many haue done of a blinde zeale and foolish deuotion How or in what sort they haue done that which they did I wil not take vpon me to iudge as for their doings they ought not to be an example to any man so that we should be bound to follow them But hee wil proue by reason that it must needs be a sacrament Bellarm. de sac vnct li. 1. cap. 5. For since God hath by a sacrament holpen vs in the entraunce into the church and also in our continuance in the same we maie not imagine that his prouidence shall faile vs at our going out of the church these are maister Bellarmine his wordes I might briefly answere that we are not to teach God what we thinke conuenient that he should doe but to see what he hath done and to content our selues therewith and to frame our selues to performe the same But if God faile in his prouidence if their anoyling be not a sacrament then must we imagine that God had no due regarde of the fathers of the old world or of the patriarkes or of the godly vnder the law For vntill Christs time master Bellarmine will confesse they had not this Sacrament Yea the Apostles and all other the Godly and constant Martirs in Christs church had not that sacrament Neither yet did they make complaint for want of the same but comfortably and patiently indured all torments with great ioy although they had not this anoyling nor anie hope to haue it no neither once thought of it Lastly our Sauiour Christ to prepare vs against death telleth vs that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life and to cause vs not to feare it he saith that he is the resurrection and the life Many notable lessons did our Sauiour Christ giue to his disciples before he left the world to goe to his father which are recorded by Saint Iohn from the twelfth to the seuenteenth chapters And although he vse all arguments to comfort them yet he neuer once thought of this anoyling which yet then if he had purposed to leaue vnto his church anie such Sacrament it had beene good time to haue deliuered them for their comforte To be short whatsoeuer he commaunded vs to vse for the strengthning of our faith with boldnesse we may and with comfort and readinesse we ought to doe But it is farre from either true or sound comfort in the agony of death or a sufficient weapon to withstand the assaults of Sathan and conflicts of conscience to haue standing by thee some Idol pastor whose greatest good that he either can or will doe vnto thee is to grease some parts of thy body Let the world esteeme of these things as they will But this is certaine that it is only true obedience that hath the promise of blessing And without the commandement there can be no obedience either in our duties towardes God or our conuersation amongst men For obedience is nothing els but an earnest applying of our selues to doe that which is pleasing vnto God and which he hath commanded It is also far from the maiestie of
to laie open and amplifie our owne corrupt nature and to confesse the power and force of original sinne in vs are these Partly our owne woful experience whereby if we haue any true feeling of our fraile estate or knowe any thing of our vnwillingnes to that which is good and our ready inclination to that which is euil we must needes confesse that the lawe of our flesh Rom. 7.23 is alwaies rebellious to the law of the spirit which is in vs And that the wisedome of the flesh is such a froward enemy to God Rom. 8.7 as is not subiect to the law of God neither indeede can bee Partlie also the manifold and manifest testimonies out of Gods word which doe plainlie proue that this originall sinne hath so corrupted our whole nature that it can bring forth nothing that is good or godly Gen. 6.5 Such is that All the imaginations of the thoughts of mans heart are only euill alwaies And that also Gen. 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is euill from his youth Whereby we must needes confesse and acknowledge it to be true that we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues 2. Cor. 3.5 in those thinges that belong vnto true godlines And why Because that by one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5.12.18 and by the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation In this respect the Apostle calleth such as are not regenerate Enemies to God the children of wrath by nature vessels of dishonour and by such like names whereby hee sheweth plainely what we should iudge or how we should esteeme of the strength and force of originall sinne in them that are not regenerate Namely that no good at all can come from them in thought word or deed Which doctrine the Church of Rome will in no wise heare of But of that I must speake in another place But euen we that haue receiued the first fruites of the spirite and whom God hath deliuered from the condemnation of that common corruption we I saie do finde that if sinne raigne not ouer vs yet it dwelleth in vs. Whereby wee are many times forced Rom. 7 1â— To doe that euill thing that wee woulde not and to leaue vndoone That good that wee woulde doe Wee feele that there is 2â— A lawe in our members rebelling against the Lawe of our minde and leading vs captiue to the Lawe of sinne which is in our members Insomuch as wee are forced not onely to crie out with the Prophet Dauid Psal 19.12 Who can vnderstand his faultes Cleanse mee from secret faultes but also continually to pray as Christ willeth vs Forgiue vs our trespasses Heb. 12.1 For sinne hangeth so fast on vs that euen When wee woulde doe good Rom. 7 2â— then euil is present with vs. And therefore well may our spirite striue that the flesh preuaile not and the new man waxe euery day stronger against the olde man yet so long as wee carry about with vs this body subiect to corruption Sathan will not leaue buffeting vs sinne will not cease to assault vs. But as a froward and cruell enemy euen then when it is almost quite subdued and at the last cast yet will it stirre euen then I say will it striue to hurt vs. And this our deadly enemy was bred and borne with vs wee carry him alwayes about vs. So long as wee liue wee cannot shake him off Which made the Apostle saint Paul so wearie of this wicked world that hee desired to bee dissolued and to bee with Christ Philip. 1.23 And no maruell For what can a spirituall minded man see heere that may make him desire to liue in this flesh In his minde there is such ignorance of heauenly things as that although he be continually taught yet hee needeth continually to pray O teach mee thy Statutes Psal 119.12 and to aske that the eyes of his vnderstanding may be lightened by the spirit of wisedome and reuelation Ep. 1.17 18 Philip. 1.9 by the knowledge of Christ more and more in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding For the perfection of knowledge that heere wee can attaine vnto Coloss 1.9 is euery day to learne and when wee know most concerning heauenly things yet our knowledge is vnperfect Yea that which wee knowe not is much more than that wee doe knowe Then if hee consider of his owne heart he shall finde the affections thereof so rebellious against the spirite so running headlong vnto worldly and wicked lustes that it will force him for to pray Psal 86.11 Knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy Name Psal 5.8 Leade mee in the waie of thy righteousnesse make thy way plaine before my face Yea hee will bee driuen to confesse that no man can come vnto Christ to serue him Ioh. 6.44 Vnlesse the Father drawe him So that euen in respect of those excellent thinges that man doeth seeme to haue he may truly say Rom. 7.18 I knowe that in mee that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing For his minde is darkned that it can not knowe his heart is clogged that it will not obey sincerely and readily as it ought Gods holie will Thus then it appeareth not onely that all that are borne of vncleane seede are conceiued and borne in originall sinne Rom. 7.24 Rom. 8.23 but also that the same doth make great trouble euen to the godly yea it maketh them to sigh for their deliuerance from this their body which by reason of sinne is so subiect to death Concupiscence is sâ— n And now for this concupiscence by meanes whereof wee are thus inticed vnto sinne and also hindered from sincere obedience the church of Rome will in no wise yeelde that it shall bee sinne in the regenerate vnlesse it also drawe consent of reason to yeelde vnto it for this they all teach And yet saint Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes often calleth it sin as M. Bellarmine himselfe confesseth De amiss gratiae lib. 5. cap. 10. yea and that in the regenerate But it is so called saith he vnproperly not because it is sinne but because it is the cause of sinne and commeth also of sinne But how doeth hee prooue that out of any thing that saint Paul hath said in those places First because saint Paul saith Let not sinne raigne in this your mortall bodie Rom 6.12 Out of which words Master Bellarmine reasoneth thus The Apostle saieth that this sinne is in the body not in the minde but sinne properly so called can not bee in the body therefore the Apostle calleth not concupiscence sinne because it is so properly I may aunswere with Saint Augustine that the flesh neuer lusteth without the soule De perfect iustitiae and also out of Saint Ambrose vpon this place that the bodie is here taken for the whole man bodie and soule Neither
will serue the Lorde As if a man would say now choose whether you will professe the Gospell or Poperie His testimonie out of Ecclesiasticus Eccle. 31.10 Who might offend and hath not offended or doe euill and hath not done euill I maruell bee so much commendeth thinking it vnanswerable Whereas if it proue any thing it is but that which we neuer denied namely that the wicked haue a free will to euill Now that which he alledgeth out of saint Paul is too absurd Neuerthelesse he that purposeth firmely in his heart that he hath no need but hath power ouer his owne will c. What are these wordes to free will The power that here he speaketh of is if he performe his purpose without inconuenience to his daughter as may appeare not onely by Primasius and Hierom of this place Primasius Hieronimus Tho. Aquin. but also by his owne friend Thomas of Aquine who sheweth that then he hath power of his owne will when hee knoweth his daughter hath a purpose to continue a virgine So that in effect this is his argument His daughter doth not hinder his will for keeping her a virgin therefore hee hath free will in himselfe to doe good or eschew euill Of the strength of which argument let maister Bellarmines owne friendes consider His last place out of the scriptures is verie like this As euerie man wisheth in his owne heart 2. Cor. 9.7 c. He speaketh of the contribution to the Saints You must sayeth saint Paul giue willingly Therefore sayeth maister Bellarmine you haue free will Wee confesse that the regenerate haue a willingnes to do good and eschew euill and this the apostle would haue in them But doeth this prooue that they haue free will And thus farre for their arguments for free will out of the scriptures Out of the fathers master Bellar. bringeth many proofes And although there be iust cause to suspect manie of them in this question because they could not so easily forget that which in the schooles of philosophy they had learned yet that it may appeare that they haue not so generall a consent as they bragge of it is not amisse somewhat to looke into and to examine the proofes Bellar. de grat lib. arbit lib. 5. cap. 25. that out of them they bragge But maister Bellarmine would make a man afraide to heare his crackes Hee braggeth alwayes that his armour is of the best proofe that can not bee pearced his arguments such as can not be answered And first commeth in Ignatius Epist de mag whose wordes are so vnanswerable that maister Bellarmine seeth no way but to denie the Authour But let maister Bellarmine quiet him selfe we will admit the authour The effect of that he alledgeth out of the first place is that looke what men doe choose that they shal haue and after If a man do wickedly he is a man of the diuell so made not by nature but by the will of his minde Then let vs see his argument Looke what men doe choose they shall goe into the place of that they choose whether it bee life or death so sayeth Ignatius therefore saith maister Bellarmine men haue free will The force of both his places is this and the argument that can bee gathered out of the same men haue will ergo they haue free will And are these his vnanswerable arguments That which hee alledgeth out of Dionysius Areopagita although hee make as great bragges of it as hee did of the other yet it neuer so much as mentioneth free will De diuinis nominibus li. 4. cap. 4. part 4. In deed he saith If a man might not resist sinne hee were lesse to be blamed But if hee that is good giue strength which as the holy Scriptures teach doeth giue things conuenient simplie to euerie man c. That God giueth conuenient strength to them which with humilitie seeke it but what doth this gift of God prooue that wee haue free will It rather ouerthroweth it For if we haue not strength but by his gift then we haue it not in vs or by free will As for Clement of Rome because himselfe dare not speake much for the trueth of that witnesse I let him passe Then commeth in Iustine the Philosopher and martyr whose words for free will maister Bellarmine taketh to be so plaine that he saieth maister Caluine neither doeth nor can feigne anie thing that will carrie any shewe of an answer What neede we to feigne Master Bellarmine that haue the truth for our warrant We leaue faigning to painters poets and papists who loue alwayes to make a shew of that that is not If we consider the occasions why the ancient fathers did write in such sort their meaning will bee pliane enough And that may appeare by Iustinus Martyr here alledged He saith I grant Apolog. ad senatum Apol. ad An. That if men haue not free will to shunne euill and doe good they are not to blame for that they doe and deserue neither reward nor punishment Thus in effect hee saieth in the places alledged We neither denie the authour in this place to be Catholike nor his woordes in his sense to be true But because there were some that beeing deceyued with that which the Stoikes taught concerning that fatall necessitie whereby all things were done as though man could not choose but do the euill that he doeth and that he were by this fatall necessitie compelled thereto in respect of the necessarie consequence of causes and thereby made man to haue nothing to doe in the workes that himselfe did but that hee were euen forced thereto without his owne will as stone or wood is laide in the house onelie at the pleasure of the workeman without anie disposition in themselues one way or other because I say that some hereby did denie all will or inclination in man to good or euill as not onely Simon Magus and the Manicheis of whom maister Bellarmine speaketh but also the Bardesanistes Cap. 35. Cap. 6◠of whome Saint Augustine writeth in his Booke of herisies who ascribed all mans conuersation to destinie and the Priscilianists who because they make all their actions to bee ruled by the Planets thinke that they sin against their will and therfore doth not Iustin onely but other of the godly fathers speak so plainly as they seeme to doe in defence of free will Not because they thinke that man hath such ability being once renued by grace that he can doe what hee will as the papistes teach but they only impugne these Stoicall opinions that affirme that man doth of necessitie euill or good And that this is the meaning of Iustine the Martir by his owne wordes doth plainly appeare because in both the places alleadged by maister Bellarmine he setteth himselfe to reason against thē that would haue men thinke that all things were wrought by desteny Against the which he on the other side reasoneth that if men had
according to promise And out of the reuelation Apoc. 2.10 Be thou faithful vnto the death and I will giue thee a crowne of life How can he proue merites out of it Is this a good argument I will giue thee therefore thou hast deserued it Two or three places more he there alleadgeth but out of that I haue said it is easie to answere them His fift sort of places are such as promise to good workes eternall life And out of them he reasoneth thus Promise of rewarde for a worke doeth make that he that doth the worke maie bee saide to merite his rewarde That the reward is due but yet not deserued I shewed before in the answere to his first argument and I need not heere to repeat it His sixt argument is taken from those places that speake of our worthines and are of two sortes 2. Thess 1.5 Luc. 20.35 For two of them namely that That yee maie be counted worthy of the kingdome of God and that also They shal be counted worthy to inioy that world and the resurrection of the dead doe answere themselues For that may be accounted worthy which of it selfe is not so in truth As in our workes is seene which are accounted of not as they proceed from vs but as they are presented before God in the name of Christ and their imperfection couered with his perfect obedience The other two places seeme more pertinent to his purpose but yet being rightlie vnderstood prooue nothing for him The first is in the booke of wisedome which booke although it is not Canonicall yet because the place alleadged seemeth like vnto the words that he alleadgeth out of the reuelation they may both receiue one answere Wisdom 3.5 Apocal. 3.4 God proueth them and findeth them worthy for himselfe The other place is They shall walke with me in white for they are worthy First that this worthines doth many times signifie an aptnes or fitnes it cannot be denied Who saith Salomon can iudge 2. Cron. 1.10 this thy great people worthily Where by worthely he meaneth not as they deserue for they were a stubborne and bad people many times but as is fit or meete to gouerne them And so the Apostle willeth vs to walke worthy of God worthy of our calling worthy of the gospell that is as becommeth Gods children them that are called and fit for the professours of the gospell And this fitnes is said to be in vs in respect of the new man that is begun within vs not in respect of perfection that we doe or can attaine vnto And yet if we should indeed be worthy we must be perfect which heere we cannot be And in this sence you see his argument hath no necessity Men are worthy of loue that is fit to loued therefore they haue deserued it for this fitnesse is not of themselues Secondly although we be called worthy in respect of our election in Christ or in respect of the fruits of the spirite which God commendeth in vs although they haue their wants that we might not be discouraged but go on forwards in the wayes of godlinesse yet this argument will not hold We are worthy of loue therefore our workes haue deserued this loue or made vs worthy For our worthinesse hangeth nothing vpon our works but that God wil vouch vs to be so esteemed But in respect of our works we must confesse with the prophet Dauid Psal 53.3 There is none that doth good no not one And therefore we must pleade euen the best of vs mercy and forgiuenesse not merite or worthinesse Super Cantic ser 61. My merit saith Saint Bernard is the Lordes mercy neither am I without merite so long as hee is not without mercie His seuenth argument is grounded vpon those places of scripture that say that God accepteth no persons But must he needes therefore respect the worthinesse of the worke If there be with him no difference betweene Iew and Gentile bond or free male or female must merites needes be established I haue often said that God respecteth vs and our workes but not for our goodnesse but for his mercy sake For this must needs be true that S. Paul teacheth vs according to the consent of the scripturs that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Rom. 3 2◠Therefore as saith S. August let mans merits be silent which were lost through Adam De praedest Sanct. ca. 1◠and let the grace of God through Iesus Christ raigne as indeede it doth raigne Now for the Fathers if I should answer to euery testimony alleadged out of them it would be too long especially considering how largely I haue already handled this question Onely thus much woulde I admonish the christian Reader that when he readeth them he should remember they be but men Dial. 3. Impatib And if Theodoret said truly of the doctrines of the church the decrees of the church are to be prooued and not to be pronounced in maner of a iudgement then how much more should we reiect whatsoeuer any men speake without a good warrant Then also as they were men so were many of them great Philosophers might somwhat perchance smel of that infection speake more of mans worthines than had bin expedient for christian religion Aduersus Hermog Orat. 21. In so much as not without great cause did Tertull. cal philosophers The patriarchs of heretikes And G. Nazian cōpareth the subtilties of philosophy which he saith came vnhappily into the church vnto the whips wherewith the Aegyptians did scourge the Israelits Ser. de Arian In which kind of reasoning the tongue fighteth the words are speares the speech is the sword there is no end of contention all the day long as the same father saith in an other place And no maruel for the Philosopher is gloriae animal De anima euen the creature of glory as Tertull writeth No doubt therfore but they might be somwhat caried away with her intising words especially to thinke wel of that thēselues do Thirdly as I haue said in the former chapter the absurdities of thē that did teach that God moued man wrought in or by him as a workeman might do in or by a stocke or stone they not hauing so much as will thereto made the fathers to speake more not only of mans freewil as before I taught but also of the reward of them that worke according to the same And that this did the rather moue the fathers to speake somwhat too largely vpon this matter vnlesse they be warely red it may be gathered euen by that place that M. Bella. out of Origen alleadgeth Lib. 2. in Rom. in ca. 2. first saith he let heretikes be excluded that say that the nature of soules is good or bad let thē heare that God wil reward them not according to their nature but according to their merits Now cōcerning the vnderstāding of these words Rom
to our maladies But they are content to confesse that it doeth iustifie yea Bellar. de iustif li. 1. ca. 15. Con. Trid. Sess 6. cap. 6. Orth. explica li. 6. and that faith doth somewhat merit our iustification because it doeth prepare and dispose the hart to iustification or as Andradradius saith because it goeth before to open as it were the doore to hope and charitie and is the beginning and foundation of iustification but that it iustifieth as the instrumentall cause that maketh vs to rest and settle our selues for our iustification onely vpon Christ without any regarde to the merit and woorke of Fayth they will not graunt A great cause of the difference betwene vs and the papists in this question is that we agree not in the signification of the worde what it is to be iustified This therefore is the question whether wee that are not only by nature sinners but also euen after our regeneration haue that Lawe in our members rebelling against the lawe of the minde Rom. 7.27 Bellar. de Amiss grat li. 5. ca. 13. which saint Paul calleth sinne and the papists themselues confesse to be euil damned and hated of God whether I say we being such sinners shal appeare righteous before God in hauing our sinnes pardoned couered and not imputed vnto vs and Christs righteousnesse accounted ours or in that goodnes or holines or those good workes which Gods grace worketh in vs. We say that Christ by faith is made ours Christ I say with all his holinesse and righteousnesses Ephe. 1.7 By whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace And in this assurance we stand euen before Gods iudgment seat without feare and say with the apostle Who shall laie anie thing to the charge of gods chosen Rom. 8.33.34 It is God that iustifieth who shal condemne vs. It is Christ that is dead yea or rather is risen againe Who is also at the right hand of God and also maketh request for vs. And in this faith and assured perswasion we haue peace of conscience here and are in Christ and for his sake accounted righteous elsewhere euen before him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead They teach vs that after baptisme sinne is so killed within vs Popish iustification that we are able to doe such workes as doe merit iustification and eternall life That iustification is not by works but by imputation Gen. 22.18 And by this righteousnesse that is in vs we are made so iust and righteous that we are so iustified before God To confirme that which we teach we haue the promise made to Abraham That in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed In his seede I say not in our selues we must all be blessed And that Christ is this seede saint Paul to the Galathians doth affirme Gal. 3.16 Secondly the iustification of the people of the Iewes which they by their sacrifices obtained is a right pattern of our iustification For though the bloud of of the beasts could not make them holy yet the sacrifice being offered for them according to the law Hep. 9.9 did worke so much that they who before were accounted vncleane and might not appeare before the Lord nowe were accounted cleane and might serue before him Euen so we though wee bee not in our selues yet by this our sacrifice that hath offered him selfe a sweete smell vnto God the father wee are accounted cleane and without sinne Rom. 5.2 and haue by him accesse vnto that grace wherein we stand Thirdly this iustification is commended vnto vs by Dauid Psal 32.1.2 Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie And for this cause he stirreth vp his soule to praise the Lord Psal 103.3 because saith he He forgiueth al thine iniquities It is promised by Ieremie I will forgiue their iniquities Iere. 31.34 and remember their sinnes no more And the Prophet Hose teacheth the people to pray for it Hose 14.2 saying thus Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously Where this is also by the way to be marked that the prophet here biddeth vs come to God with such words as if he had said Your works are euill and cannot helpe they cannot merit Yet come with good words be suiters for grace Fourthly our sauiour Christ doth commend vnto vs this iustification which we haue by him apprehend by faith Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish Iohn 3.16 but haue euerlasting life Of whom the apostles also haue learned that we are iustified by faith that righteousnes is imputed vnto vs that we are accounted righteous Rom. 3.28 Rom. 4.3.11 Lastly we see how the apostle doth exclude works frō iustifying than which there can be no stronger argumēt against this inherent iustification which the papists contend for or for the imputation of righteousnes by faith in Christ Iesus which we according vnto the scriptures doe preach And therefore he doth not onely exclude works in generall from iustification Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.11 Rom. 4. Iustified by faith without the workes of the law But also those works that Abraham did after his first calling when now he was regenerate euen then I say attributing iustification to faith and not to his workes And likewise for his owne works long after he was regenerate Phil. 3.9 he reiecteth them that he might attaine vnto righteousnesse by faith So little did he trust vnto that inherent righteousnesse that he counted it but dung and so wholie did he depend on that righteousnes that we haue by faith in Christ Iesus But of this I haue spoken in the end of the former chapter And I trust this may serue the turne to shew how farre we are from that inherent righteousnes and keeping of the law which our popish Pharisees dreame of especially if we consider what great perfection the law requireth to be in our workes Master Bellar. his profe for inherent iustice De iustif li. 2. cap. 3. Rom. 5.19 and what want through our corruption there is in the same But master Bellarmine bringeth some arguments to proue this inherent righteousnesse The first is out of these words As by one mans disobediēce many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made iust Of this argument because I haue spoken at large towards the latter ende of the 23. chapter I leaue the reader to that place His second argumēt is this Al are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24.25 throgh the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set to be a reconciliation In which place by grace master Bellarmine vnderstandeth that righteousnesse that God hath giuen or infused into vs for so he speaketh But saint Augustine in that place vnderstandeth
Pagans had of the vse of their Idols but also that popish vse of images to be laie mens bookes And seeing in al these points they are so like as if they were twinnes of one birth why should we doubt but they are al one But they are not more like in anie thing than in that definition of an idol which maister Bellarmine himselfe hath set downe De Imag. li. 2 cap. 5. The image of God the father De Imag. li. 2 cap. 8. An Idol saith he is a false likenesse But the popish images are false likenesses therefore they are idols First the image of God the father to be made like an aged man which maister Bellarmine liketh wel of is but a false likenesse For graie heires and age are rather a token of weakenes than a picture fit to set foorth Gods maiestie and shew him rather to be pitied than powerful Yea but God appeared saith M. Bellarm. to Daniel hauing The haire of his head like the pure wool Daniel 7. ◠It is true but he bid not Daniel paint him so He appeared in that shape to Daniel only whom he had indued with a principal spirit but did not shew himselfe so vnto the people He appeared vnto his seruants in sundry shapes not often in one sort to shew that he must not be made like vnto anie one of them for none of them all can set him forth vnto vs as he should be set forth therefore if we wil make them they are but lying similitudes The image of Christ And for the image of Christ it is but a lying likenesse For his very shape or outwarde forme is not by them expressed but one painteth him after one sort another after another sort But the especial things that we should receiue comfort or instruction by cannot bee painted his godlines of life his office of beeing redeemer and mediator These things which are the chiefest the grauer cannot graue the painter cannot paint These are liuely described in Gods booke But they that are most giuen to images care lest to learne these thinges And seeing the image cannot teach vs these things for wee see nothing in it but a stocke or stone or some other mettall made like a man which cannot stirre or moue or helpe it selfe therefore it is a false likenesse But false also are such images in another respect namely because the eie beholding it draweth the minde from the consideration and meditation of better thinges and hindereth more heauenlie cogitations False because they intise to lies Ier. 10.14.15 Habac. 2.18 And therefore wel saith God by his Prophet Ieremie Their melting is but falshood they are vanity and the work◠of errours What profiteth the Image saith God by Habacucke For the maker thereof hath made it an Image and teacher of lies These bookes then they are of a false print and teach not truelie but as are idoles euen so are these images false likenesses De consens◠euang li. 1. cap. 10. And therefore worthely did S. Augustine finde fault with them Who sought for Christ his apostles not in the holy scriptures but in painted wals And this is indeed a dangerous falshood vnder pretence of religion to draw vs from true religion And by satisfying the eie with a faire shew to rob the soule of the spiritual comfort and instruction Lastlie they are like in name also Which thing although M. Bell. others would faine deny yet G. Martin a great enemy to vs euen in this cause Against our english translat ca. 3. sect 15. In Exod. 20. cannot but grant that the greeke word Idolum maie signifie an image And Caietanus also another piller of poperie doth make an idol an image alone although M. Bellar. censure him for it And the Hebrew names are so general De imag li. 2 cap. 7. as that they may very wel serue for image or idol yea there is in the vse of them small difference Sometime their names shew and tell what they are as vanities lies abhominations yea dirtie and dungie Sometime they are called according to their making grauen or molten Sometime according to the effect that they worke in such as serue them they are called fleabogs Cap. 3. sect 5 Psal 106.36 and where Gregory Martin translateth they Serued grauen Idols the word signifieth vexation Because idols bring vexation to them that serue them they are so called But the words as I haue said are very general And therfore vniustly and without cause doth Gr. Martin find fault with our english translations for translating Ca. 3. sect 20. Exod. 20.4 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image For the wordes doe so well beare it that euen their owne latine translation which they allow so wel of doth often translate that very word image as we doe for the most abhominable Idols that are as the images of the temple of Baal 2. Kings 11 1◠Ezec. 7.20 16.19 Ezec. 23.14 the idolatrous images which the Israelites made the images of the Caldeans And that word which with the Hebrews most properlie signifieth a likenesse or image doth their old translation translate an Idol De Imag. li. 2. cap. 5. if this word Simulacrum doe signifie an Idol as maister Bellarmine saith it doth For Tselamim wich in Hebrew signifieth likenesses or images that latin translation calleth Simulacra Idols 2. Cron. 34.3 Hos 11.2 and els where If the old translatour might indifferentlie vse the wordes that are of one significatiō why maie not our translatours do the like but they must by and by be falsifiers and corrupters And more euidently to proue that the olde translatour did not acknowledge this nice difference marke the place that we alleadge against them out of Habacucke Habak 2.18 and it will appeare that he maketh images that grauen thing which in this commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen thing is forbidden all one putting no difference betweene them For thus doth hee translate that place What profiteth the grauen thing For hee that made it hath grauen it a molten thing and a false image Where he plainelie calleth that an image which before he did translate as the word doth in truth signifie a grauen thing If this be no fault in him I trust the indifferent reader will not thinke it to be a fault in vs. Well then images and idols agreeing so wel as they doe in matter forme vnabilitie vse definition and name why maie they not bee birdes of one nest and whelpes of one litter one of them taken for the other If wee also consider how in other places of Scripture the idols are described and compare those descriptions with that which we see and know to be in their images Psal 115.4.5.6 we shall see them to be alike Their Idols are siluer and gold the worke of mens handes They haue mouthes and speake not eies and see not eares and heare not noses
that al the temporall punishment is not alwayes pardoned with the sinne And the Iesuites of Colen say that this commeth often to passe And so they all teach that not alwayes but often it is so But this is a very doubtfull doctrine for the afflicted conscience that would faine finde comfort and release of sinnes But so must it alwayes be nothing but doubting nothing but wauering so long as wee trust to our owne satisfactions No quietnesse and securitie but onely in Christ But because I haue spoken else-where of our satisfactions or workes how little auaileable they are I meane not to stay vpon this point But for the example of Dauid which is alleadged both by Allen 2. Sa. 12.14 maister Bellarmine and the rest whereby they chiefly indeuour to prooue that punishment may be inflicted the sinne being pardoned it maketh little for them For seeing there are in sinne two things as themselues will confesse the verie corruption it selfe and the danger or condemnation that followe◠h it the condemnation being taken away by forgiuenesse of sinne yet the corruption or infection of sinne still remaineth as before hath beene taught in the three and twentieth chapter The cause of chasticements Esa 48.10 God therefore sometime chasticeth his seruants to humble or reforme So he chasticed the Iewes Sometime to trie and prooue them whether their hearts bee right or not so did hee prooue the Israelites in the wildernesse fortie yeeres Deut. 8.2 Sometime to glorifie his owne name and for example to others as in the storie of Iob appeareth Then they can not reason thus Dauid was afflicted therefore it was to satisfie for his sinne For God wee see may send affliction for many other causes and not that wee might satisfie any thing by temporall punishment But master Bellarmine replieth against this answere out of the very wordes For there it is saide 2. Sam. 12.14 Because thou hast caused the ennemies of the Lorde by this thy deede to blaspheme the childe that is borne to thee shall surely die Where he noteth the cause saieth master Bellarmine why Dauid should be punished True but not thereby to satisfie for that he had done But that the enemies of God seeing the chasticements that God laieth vpon his children and how that Gods iudgements begin euen at his owne house and with his owne deare seruants 1. Pet. 4.17 they may the rather looke for his heauie wrath if they turne not to him And thus much for the right vnderstanding of the place But what is this to purgatorie for Dauids sinne was mortall and therefore could not be helped by purgatorie by their own doctrine De purgat li. 1. cap. 9. for M. Bellarmine saith they al agree therin To what end then doe they bring in Dauids punishment for a mortall sinne to shew howe God will take away veniall sinnes or howe doth it folow Dauid was here punished for his sinne therefore all men here or else where must be punished But to handle this question as briefly as I can master Bellarmine himselfe doth handle it doubtfully Iren. lib. 5. and so vncertainly yea and as Irene speaketh so vnconsequently and so euil agreing with it selfe that he giueth iust cause to suspect the truth of it Where the place of purgatorie is they haue not yet agreed Bellar. de purg li. 2. c. 6 Cap. 6. but are of eight sundrie minds And although in the first booke of purgatorie master Bellarmine hath alledged sundrie fathers for proofe of it Cap. 1. yet in the second booke he telleth vs that they are not agreed of it who shall come thether Some will haue all but Christ neither will exempt from thence so much as the virgin Marie others are of another minde But who must satisfie for them that are in purgatorie De purg li. 2. cap. 17. only he that is iust Why then where shall they finde priests to serue the turne For they are cōmonly as bad as who is worst And the time will scarcely serue them to recken vp their owne Li. 2. cap. 10 de purgat much lesse shall they be able to satisfie for others sins Other doubtes also there are which M. Bellarmine speaketh of but cannot certainly resolue Is this doctrine to be receiued as catholicke of so manie points whereof euen the greatest Doctours among them do disagree No certaine place no certaine people no certaine proofe of it What should we doe with such an vncertaine religion especially where so little good commeth towardes vs and so much of our goodes goe from vs For onely veniall sinnes they tell vs Veniall sinnes onely taken away in purgatorie can bee taken away by purgatorie But for such small faults because they doe not as the Papists would make vs bebeleeue turne vs from God they can tell vs manie mo easie remedies Holie bread holy water giuing a little almes pardons Pilgrimages Pater nosters and Auies And to bee buried in a Monkes Cowle and bootes it is a soueraigne remedie for such things or else they lie But one thing I cannot but muse at that in this life these veniall sinnes maie so easilie bee satisfied for as they all agree and yet after this life their torments shoulde bee so grieuous as they report them to bee For maister Bellarmine bestoweth a whole Chapter to proue the paines of Purgatorie to bee most bitter De purgat li. 2. cap. 1◠and that no torments that are in this life may bee compared with them Can a little holy water wash them awaie heere and must the fire be so sharpe that must burne them awaie else-where But I thinke I knowe nowe the mysterie of it The more that mens sinnes are heere mittigated or the lesse grieuous that they appeare vnto their iudgement the lesse carefull will they bee to satisfie for the same heere or rather to auoyd them and will liue more securely But when vppon their death-bed they shall finde anie conflict of conscience and can finde no rest then must they giue much for Masses and Trentals then must the bellowes of the Priests false and lying tongues blowe the fire of purgatorie vntill they haue made it so hote that a great peece of that which hee hath left behinde him and shoulde serue for the maintenance of wife and children must bee bestowed in the slaking of that great heate and the quenching of that tormenting and vnsatiable fire De purgat lib. ◠cap. 3. Now for his proofs of purgatorie out of the scriptures they haue either so little waight or are so obscure and so wrested from their natural sense that the simplest if without partialitie they could weigh them would find them too light to satisfie their consciences to be perswaded of the truth of that doctrine The two first the one of the Machabees 2. Mac. 12. Tob. 4. 1. Sam. 31.30 2. Sam. 1.12 the other of Tobie are out of the bookes that are not Canonicall and
therfore can proue nothing Thirdly the inhabitants of Iabes Gilead fasted when Saul was dead seuen dayes and Dauid mourned and fasted for Saul and Ionathan It may bee thought saieth master Bellarmine although they seemed to doe it in token of heauinesse yet that they did it especially to helpe the soules departed So here wee must take master Bellarmines it may be thought 2. Sam. 12.17 as a proofe for purgatorie But howe he will prooue it out of Dauids fasting and prayer for his child while it was aliue I can not see he cannot well tell vs. But whereas maister Bellarmine most falsely without all warrant affirmeth that this was the cause why the Patriarches so carefully desired buriall in the land of promise as Iacob and Ioseph did that they might bee partakers of the prayers there made Gene. 47.30 Gene. 50.25 In Gene. Hom. 65. and the sacrifices there offered Chrysostome telleth vs it was for another cause namely to assure their posteritie that the promised land at the length should be theirs And this hee confirmeth by Scripture Gene. 50.25 euen by Ioseph his wordes Surely God will visite you and you shall carie my bones hence Fourthly Psal 38.1 O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger neither chasten me in thy wrath Where is purgatory here Chastice me not in thy wrath that is Let me not be in purgatorie No authoritie of man no credit of person can make this a good proofe His fift place Wee went through fire and water Psal 66.12 thou broughtest vs into this wealth sheweth how God had dealt with his people here but what is this to purgatorie which is else where or what is this to proue our state that must be hereafter Sixtly Esa 4.4 The Lord shal wash the filthines of the daughters of Sion c. with the spirit of burning Now this burning must needs be in purgatorie fire master Bellarmine thinketh Iero. in Esa 4. Math. 3. otherwise here is no proofe for purgatorie But S. Hierom expoundeth it by that place of Matthew Esa 9.18 He shall baptise with the holy Ghost and with fire The seuenth Wickednes burneth as fire it deuoureth the briers and thornes What is there no torment of sinne or for sinne here none else where but that purgatorie must needes be proued out of this Let the indifferent reader iudge of it The eight place Mich. 7.8.9 Reioyce not against me O mine enemie though I fall I shal rise when I shal sit in darknesse the Lord shall be my light I will bear the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him Li. 2. in Mic. 7 Saint Ierom expoundeth these wordes to be the wordes of Ierusalem to Babilon that the Babylonians should not reioyce at their captiuitie What proofe is this for purgatorie Perchance they were in purgatorie in Babylon that was not this popish purgatorie which they would picke out of it Ninthly he will proue it by that lake that Zacharie speaketh of Wherein is no water Zach. 9.11 Where the prophet speaketh of their deliuerance out of Babylon But if we will haue it expounded figuratiuely S. Hierom vnderstandeth of that lake wherein the rich man was and that was a place out of which he could not come Lastly Malac. 3.3 the place in Malachie is to this effect that he will sanctifie the priests that they may offer holy offerings What And shall they come out of purgatorie to offer sacrifices If not he might haue spared this place as also all the rest For there is not one that hath any shew of proofe of that for which they are brought Surely fit for these proofes were that conclusion which I remember a preacher in Queene Maries time made in a funerall sermon Nec est qui se abscondat a calore eius Neither can any man escape purgatorie And was not this clearkely handled Psal 19.6 The prophet speaketh of the sunn whose heat none can hide themselues from and he perchance in a dreame or some vision learned to expound it of purgatorie But here I must admonish the reader that in most of these places alledged M. Bellarmine bringeth perchance some one in or some mo of the fathers so expounding the same but therin he playeth but the part of Cham Gene. 9.22 who hid not but proclamed the nakednesse of his father De purg li. 1. cap. 4. It had beene his part rather to haue buried in silence those their senselesse and singular interpretations But now let vs see what he bringeth out of the newe Testament Whosoeuer shall speake against the holy Ghost Mat. 12.32 it shall not bee forgiuen him neither in this worlde nor in the worlde to come therefore say they some mens sinnes bee remitted in the worlde to come Mark 3.29 But Saint Marke comming after saint Matthew expoundeth his wordes Hee shall neuer haue forgiuenesse but is culpable of eternal damnation A direct answere to their obiection Secondarily they obiect out of saint Paul â— Cor. 3.15 Himselfe shal be safe yet as it were by the fire Out of saint August M. Bellar. confesseth this place to be hard and in deed is diuersly expounded by reason of the hardnesse of it and therfore out of an vncertaine place he cannot gather a certaine argument But of purgatorie it cannot be meant because he maketh this fire a triall of euery mans worke De ciuit dei li. 22. cap. 26. as saint Augustine wel noteth And though themselues shall bee saued yet is it as it were by fire But I trust they will neuer thrust saint Peter and the other apostles into purgatorie Yea they teach that some come not there Therefore this fire whereby Euerie mans worke is tried cannot bee purgatorie Saint Augustine in the place named thinketh it to bee tribulation Saint Ambrose seemeth to expound it of the confusion of minde Ambrose vpon this place 1. Cor. 15.29 But of purgatorie I haue shewed it cannot be meant His third proofe is far fetched euen beyond all compasse of reason What shall they doe that are baptised for dead that is saith maister Bellarmine what shall they do that pray fast mourne and afflict themselues for the dead So that to pray fast or lament if wee will beleeue master Bellarmine is to be baptised Hath hee not wrung hard thinke you to wring such a meaning out of these wordes To poynt vnto his folly I trust is sufficient confutation of it Mat. 5.26 Fourthly Thou shalt not come out thence vntill thou haue paid the vttermost farthing therefore it must bee payd say they First in the words there is no such necessitie Ioseph knew not Marie Mat. 1.25 vntill she had brought forth her first begotten sonne that is as they will confesse neuer So we say in that place thou shalt neuer come out thence Secondly the place is wholy parabolical therfore out of such speaches infallible arguments cannot be gathered Thirdly
defineth that old heresies must not bee confuted by such arguments but onely such as are newly sprung vp And yet the Papists whose religion is almost nothing but a sinke of such old and vnsauourie heresies crie still to be tried by their vniuersalitie and antiquitie and the iudgements of men flat contrarie to Vincentius his rules And this triall he will not haue to be vsed but in great questions of fayth but they make it a proofe for their most foolish toyes So that although they readily call him in because hee nameth Antiquitie vniuersalitie and consent vnto the which they woulde faine seeme to make claime yet they will I trust from hencefoorth rather stoppe his mouth than suffer him to speake because his witnesse is their ouerthrowe Let vs therefore keepe that faythfully which is once deliuered vnto vs which to chaunge is to marre it to put to it or take from it is to corrupt it Let vs holde I say that fayth which is alwayes olde and alwayes one knowing that whatsoeuer we holde besides it it is not newe onely but euen starke naught also An exhortation to Christian Magistrates for to defend this truth CHAP. 33. THus hitherto haue I stood in defence of christian truth against popish falsehood indeuouring according to my simple talent and slender skill not only to admonish you of the baggage drosse which they bring vnto vs in steed of fine gold what filthie water they would haue vs to drinke for pure wine but also in the ballance of truth to trie what stuffe it is wherewith they seeke to comend the same vnto vs. And although the due acknowledging of mine own manifold wants weaknesse did discourage me a long time to enter into these lists yet the redinesse that I see in manie to take hold of the shadow of truth neglecting in the meane time the bodie of the same and on the other side the simplicitie of others to discerne betweene light and darkenes good and euill to stay the first and to helpe the latter sort I haue thought good at one view to set before thine eyes gentle reader that truth that we teach that thou mayest know howe they haue slaundered it and that falshoode which they maintaine with some touch of their chiefe arguments that thine owne selfe although ignorant and vnlearned may haue some triall of their corrupt doctrines Nowe the especiall cause that moued me to take vpon mee this enterprise God is my witnesse is that dutie that I and such as I am doe owe to the defence of the trueth by worde or writing or any such meanes whereby wee are bound to occupie vntill our Lord and master come the talent that he hath committed vnto vs to his most gaine and glorie Neither can I satisfie my self that I haue throughly performed my dutie when I haue set downe what is truth and what is falsehoode vnlesse I indeuour also to stirre vp all Christian magistrates to the defence thereof to their vttermost power in singlenesse of heart whom for that cause God hath set in high roomes and to whom God hath committed that great charge and at whose hands hee shall call for a strait account for that dutie Psa 10.11.12 Be wise therefore now O kings be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling Kisse the sonne least he be angrie And if you will knowe how princes may nay howe princes must serue the Lord in feare Saint Augustine teacheth it Epist 50 In forbidding and punishing with religious seueritie those things which are done against Gods commandment So that this seruice of the Lord consisteth of two points First in making of good lawes for the maintenance of the truth and abolishing of idolatrie Secondly in punishing such as offend against the same with a religious seuerity This then is the first thing that is required in all godly Magistrates euen from the prince that sitteth vpon the throne vnto the meanest that beareth office in the common wealth but especially of thē that haue the soueraigne authoritie that they haue a watchfull eie and a continuall care to consider and finde out what things they are whereby either the glory of God is most hindred and his seruice prophaned or sin is within their common wealthes ◠r seuerall charges occasioned and maintained Which when they espie they must seeke by godly lawes and ordinances to prouide some speedie remedie for the same For when I affirme that princes magistrates must make decrees for the truth against idolatrie and superstition my meaning is not to enter into that question against the papists whether ciuill magistrates may meddle with matters of religion or not although euen the truth therof also by the way may appeare but because I speake to such as acknowledge and confesse this to be their dutie and haue giuen notable testimonie of their perswasion therein my desire and indeuour is to stir them vp that nether they will be vnmindful thereof but alwaies and earnestly thinke of it neither vnwilling thereto but readily and diligently performe it Esa 44.28 For this cause God calleth princes sometime sheepheards so was Cyrus to teach them that they ought to be as watchfull and painful for the good of their people as is the shepheard for the good of his flocke yea they must be watchemen ouer their people and take great heed that through their fault the people perish not for if they doe it will also turne to their owne destruction De pastoribus cap. 9. For as saint Augustine saieth Their negligence shall slay them Their negligence I say wherby they are slacke in performing their dutie They are also called heads ouer their people not onely because they should haue eies alwaies to prie and spie for the eies are in the head what danger may fall vpon the people and find meanes to auoid it but also because they should in all carefull and christian discretion guide and direct them that are vnder them And because it is true that saint Paul saith Rom. 13.4 He is the minister of God for the wealth of the people and that he beareth not the sworde for nought but for to take vengeance of them that doe euill It is most necessarie that he prouide such lawes as may tend to those endes and set downe such decrees as my bridle disobedient vngodly persons that they who faine would 1. Tim. 2.2 may the more quietly liue in honestie and godlines Such is that law or statute that Asa king of Iudah made when he sawe how readie his people were to fall to Idolatrie and superstition and had taken away the altars of the straunge gods and broken downe their images and high places 2. Chro. 14.3 4. He commaunded Iudah to seeke the Lord God of their fathers and to do according to the law the cōmandement Wherin it seemeth vnto me that their case and ours is verie like therefore we cannot
nor withdraweth other from the truâ— worship of God Yea there are who for religion being imprisoned haue inriched themselues and increased their reuenues We only seeke to reforme them not to torment them and to lay vpon them gentle chasticements to amende them not cruell punishments to destroy them But yet as I saide before of lawes that they would bee made for a restraint for all sorts of men and women so the punishment would be inflicted vpon all in like sort that offende in like maner And although I will not take vpon mee to define whether princes may beare with recusants or not because they are enemies to God namely such as despise wilfully Gods worde and contemne his Sacraments yet I may be bolde to affirme that the magistrates who will suffer vnpunished the breaking of the first table of the commaundements doe shewe therein no great zeale to their high Lord and master And here would I wish this one poynt to be considered vpon whether it be not verie conuenient and necessarie that wheras God by his law expresly hath set downe that Idolaters should be stoned to death Deut. 17.2 3 4 5 7. whether I say the papists whose seruice and ceremonies are almost nothing else but Idolatry and superstition should bee iudged according to that law concerning that point of their religion wherein they defend and practise the worshiping of Images and praying to those that are no Gods Heereby two commodities I doubt not would insue First that the papists should be knowen to be as they are Idolaters and worshippers of false gods which sinne if the people did know that they were subiect vnto they would neuer be so deceiued by them Secondly thereby many would be afraied to call vpon stockes and stones as now they doe For to defile the lande with their manifest idolatries why should not wee account it a sinne worthie of death seeing it is a breach of that commaundement which especially concerneth the honour of God Which how feruently and sincerely we should maintaine we may among manie other notable presidents learne of the children of Israel who with full consent Iosh 22 did gather themselues to fight agaynst the tribes of Ruben and Gad and the halfe tribe of Manasseh because they had thought that an altar which they built for a memoriall and witnesse that the tribes beyond Iordan worshipped the selfe same God and professed the same Religion that the other did they thought I say it had beene built to offer sacrifices vpon and so to dishonour God Which thing rather than they would suffer vnreuenged they would venture their liues So zealous they were and wee should be of Gods honour For euen to that ende were we created and that dutie we must as louing and obedient children zealously performe to our heauenly father Yea seeing they account vs as heretikes in whose doctrine neither they neither yet their fathers could euer or yet can proue by the worde of God the least suspition of heresie to the end that themselues may be knowen what they are that thus dare slaunder the professours of the trueth without iust cause Why should not they whose doctrine and doings beeing examined by Gods written worde doe plainly proue themselues to be idolaters why should not they I say be called idolaters as in trueth they are Well seeing it is before plainly proued that godly princes did make lawes to restraine and reforme the sinnes of the people yea and that in matters of Religion and haue as it were watched all oportunities to serue the Lord in such sort and this I take to be that seruing of the time Rom. 12.11 whereunto the Apostle exhorteth for so many do read it I trust it cannot be denied but that it belongeth vnto the dutie of Christian magistrates to doe the like And if they may make lawes may they not also punish the breakers of the same I haue before shewed that it is necessarie if we consider our estate that they should And that it is their part so to do it cannot be denied Rom. 13.4 For He is the minister of God to take vengeance of them that doe euill And what Nehemiah did herein is worthie to be remembred whose authoritie was not very great being but as it were a captain yet did he not onely make decrees as of other matters so also concerning the breach of the Sabboth day Nehe. 10.17 a sinne too common in England and too lightly accounted of but also did execute the same 20 21 yea and threatned to lay hands vpon them that were cause of it if they made that fault againe Yea did not Asa commaund them vpon paine of death to turne from their Idols and false gods â— Chr. 15.23 making this couenant nay taking this oath of all Iudah and Beniamin that Whosoeuer will not seeke the Lorde God of Israel shall bee slaine whether hee bee small or great man or woman Marke there is in this no respect of kinde or kinred yea he suffered not his owne grandmother to be regent neither thought her worthie to bee a gouernour Because shee had made an Idoll in a groue and hee brake downe her Idoll and stamped it and burnt it at the brooke of Kidron Christian princes and Magistrates should alwayes set such examples before their eies comparing that which they did and Gods spirit commendeth in them with that which they doe to prouoke themselues thereby in godly zeale to serue the Lord. Nowe therefore seeing I haue indeuoured as God hath inabled mee to stirre vp all christian magistrates more watchfully to regard and more speedily to redresse than of late especially hath beene done the state of religion growen I knowe not by what negligence almost into contempt amongst many I would wish that a chiefe care shoulde bee taken among many other to auoyde two verie daungerous conceytes which are as Scylla and Caribdis 1. Tim. 1.19 at one of the which it is an easie matter for all them to make shipwracke of fayth Rom. 1.18 that striue not to holde fast a good conscience but withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse The one is poperie the other is Atheisme Of papists and recusants I haue sayde alreadie somewhat They are too many and vpon euery small occasion of hope of their bloudie day verie bolde whereby we may consider what subiects they are They are dangerous snakes to carrie in our bosome If inquirie should be made how many haue beene presented that were neuer called before authoritie and howe many called that haue beene sent home againe as free as before they came to the magistrate and yet as bad also as euer they were I suppose they will be found manie And for them that are imprisoned it is manie times more for the gaine of their keepers than the reformation of themselues So that they are almost in no place more free to doe or say what they will than in their prisons whereby they corrupt many This