that is able to accomplishe the law as he ought to do Ergo No man linyng is able to attaine the true commendatiō of his righteousnes but in respect of his workes is of necessitie subiect to the Iudgement and curse of God In this Argument doth the whole force pithe of Paules disputatiō cōsiste if I be not deceaued In the Maior first proposition whereof he setteth down before vs the seueritie of Gods Iudgement In the Minor or second proposition he condemneth all men generally as guilty of sinne By the conclusion he allureth and as it were driueth all men to Christ necessaryly By this Argument you may playnely perceaue vnlesse you wil be wilfully blind like a want how you haue piked out not one scrappe so much of all that you haue hitherto raked together to salue the credite of your cause Finally to make shorte with you I referre you to note marke examine and search out all whatsoeuer the Churche doth acknowledge of the sayd Apostles Letters Epistles yea all his sentences Ye shall finde in them all so nothing agreable to this your Assertiō That Paule should attribute righteousnes to workes or promise be meanes therof possession of euerlastyng inheritaunce as that his whole bent and endeuour may seéme to bee in no one thyng els so earnest as in this wherein he trauaileth earnestly to persuade that the promise of God poureth out vpō all them that beleue in Iesu Christ most plentyfull and assured freédome yea such a freédome as is clearely deliuered from all entanglyng of workes So that the same Apostle doth inferre his conclusion on this wise If inheritaunce come by the law then not of promise And in an other place If we bee made heyres through the law then is our fayth made frustrate and the promise of none effect Rome 4. And agayne If righteousnesse come by the lawe then did Christ suffer in vayne Gal. 2. And least that your lying spirite should with sinister interpretation wrest those sentences spoken of the law to the ceremoniall law you may heare the Apostle there treating of that law which was geuē for offendours vntill the promised seéde should come which law should in steéde of a Schoolemaister lead vs as it were by the hād directly to Christ which law did shut vp all vnder sinne as well Iewes as Gentiles that the promise might be geuen vnto the beleuers through fayth in Iesus Christ. All whiche titles of the law can not be construed to haue any apte agreément with the ceremonies of the Iewishe Sinagogue And where are now those workes of the law maister Osorius vnto whom Paule doth promise possession of the kyngdome if you exclude those wherof Luther preacheth Sitheace Paule him selfe doth so wisely and carefully not onely exclude all presumption of mans righteousnesse from the inheritaūce of the kingdome but also rēder a reason wherfore he doth so By what law sayth he by the lawe of workes No ye may not beleue so Osorius And therfore that ye may the better vnderstand how no matter of Confidence at all is left to the consideration of the workes of the law But by the law of fayth sayth S. Paule the same lawe which consisteth in fayth and not in workes That is to say if we beleue the Paraphrast The very same law which requireth nothyng but fayth Now therfore sithence these matters are so throughly debated in the holy Scriptures discouered manifestly by the holy Ghost with what shamelesse face dare Osorius thrust those workes in the doctrine of freé Iustification whiche the Spirite of God doth so openly reiect or with what impudencie dare he affirme that Paule doth promise the right and title of inheritaūce to them whiche worke good deédes Whereas the same Paule mainteynyng the challenge of fayth and not of workes pronoūceth so expressely That God doth accept his fayth for righteousnesse whiche doth not worke but beleueth on him that doth Iustifie the wicked Which two sentences beyng so meérely opposite and contrary eche to other I referre me to the Readers Iudgemēt whether Paule shal be accōpted vnconstaunt or Osorius a false Fabeler But I heare a certeine gruntyng of this Pigge beyng no lesse an enemy to the Crosse of Christ thē to Paule who assoone as he heareth good workes to be banished from the effect of Iustification doth straightway cite vs to the Consistorie as though we did vtterly choake vp all care studious endeuour to liue vertuously and destroy all preceptes and rules of godly conuersation And hereupon conceauyng a vayne errour in his idle braynes he rageth and foameth at the mouth outragiously not much vnlike to Aiax Sometyme called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who beyng swallowed vp of extreme frensie did most foolishly assayle and batter poore seély sheépe in steéde of Agamemnon and other noble Pieres of Greéce But let vs once agayne geue eare to his gay Logicke which being sometyme esteémed the Schoolemystres of Inuētion and displaying the truth this Gentlemā hath made therof an Arte of lying and desceit as thus Luther doth exclude all good workes from the cause of Iustification Ergo Luther doth extinguishe all vertue and abolishe all Morall and Ciuill actions Agayne Luther doth make fayth onely beyng voyde of good workes the cause of Iustification Ergo Luther doth require nothyng in Christians but Fayth Onely I aunswere that this is a Fallax and a Sophisticallye deriued from the proposition that is tearmed in Schooles Secundum quid to Simpliciter Furthermore herein also hee doth bewray his Sophisticall iugglyng whereas by his liedger de mayne he conueyeth away the state of the questiō which concerneth the thynges onely to the circumstaunce of the persons For whereas we agreéyng herein with Luther do enquire the thyng onely which is the instrumentall Cause of our Iustification before God he in his aunswere doth describe vnto vs what maner of life they ought to lead that are already Iustified And bycause it is most requisite that those which are Iustified by the freémercy of God through fayth shall continually exercise thē selues in good workes hereupon he concludeth That Luthers propositiō wherein he affirmeth that fayth onely doth knit vp the knot of our Iustification without all ayde of workes is vtterly false As though Luthers disputation concerned the actions and endeuours of them to whom righteousnesse is geuen and not rather of the cause of Iustification onely or as though he did not as carefully require all faythfull persons to the dayly and cōtinuall practize of godly lyfe as any of all the Byshops of Portingall doe But if you be so vnskilfull Osorius as you seéme to be you must learne that it is one thyng to treate of the persons whiche are made righteous and other thyng of the Cause that doth make them righteous And therfore this is a deceitfull and a friuolous Argument The possession of heauenly kyngdome is promised to them which doe good deedes Ergo
Iudge them not worthy to be heard in any wise whiche will affirme that God doth chuse whom he will vnto Saluation out of the whole masse of mankynde for none other cause but bycause it so pleaseth hym Pag. 163. First where hath Luther any such Assertion Why do ye not set it downe good Syr and admit that he hath what is it that your carpyng cauillation cā gnaw at here if you interprete it aright For although Luther seéme in your goodly conceipt to be more then a thousand tymes madd whom ye can neuer name without some gall of raylyng speache yet was he neuer hetherto so foolish as to haue a will to spoyle the most wise workes of God of Reason and counsell in any wise There is with God a most perfect stable vnchaungeable knowledge of all the workes of his owne handes but such a knowledge as doth altogether surmount the greatest reach of our nymblest capacities and seémeth rather to be wōdered at then to be searched out by vs. Surely it is farre beyond the Reason that you make vnto vs. For deliberately notyng with my selfe and entring into a very deépe viewe and consideration of the thynges which are spoken of Election of purpose of Gods prouidēce for this word Predestination as scarse fine enough for a Ciceronian you abhorte neither dare ye so much as once to name in all your bookes hereūto all your drifts seéme to tende that ye suppose that Gods Iustice can by no meanes be defended in makyng a differēce betwixt them whom he reserueth to be saued those whom he adiudgeth to be damned but by foreknowledge of those workes which God doth behold shall be in them As though Osorius would seéme to argue with God with such an Argument as this is There must be alwayes with God a stable assured and vpright reason in euery choyse to be made There can be none other iust cause of Reason of Gods Election and Reprobation but in respect of the merite that must follow Ergo To the attainyng the grace of Election some preparation of merite must needes go before First I do aunswere out of Augustine that it is a most pestilent errour to say that the Grace of God is distributed accordyng to merites this is one of the errours of Pelagius Then as touchyng the Maior There is in deéde with God a perfect sounde vnchaungeable Reason of all his workes But by what reason be ordereth his workes may not be subiect to the Iudgement of the claye as Augustine sayth but of the Potter Now I come to the Minor Which we do vtterly deny for where you make a definition of Gods prouidence in chusing or refusing whom he will to be none other then such as dependeth vpon the foreknowledge of workes this is altogether most brutishe and vnreasonable For albeit that preuēting for eknowledge of things which out Deuines doe call foreknowledge is vnseparably knitte together to the will of him that doth Predestinate yet do we not graunt the same to be the cause of Predestination For first as concernyng the cause efficient for as much as the will of God is the very substaunce of God aboue the which there cā be nothyng more highe there can be no efficient cause thereof rendered either before it in limitation of tyme or aboue it in Maiestie but the materiall and finall cause therof may after a sort be assigned The materiall cause about the which it doth exercise her force is mākynde and those thynges which God doth geue vnto men by Predestination namely Vocation Faith Iustification Glorification The finall cause is two maner of wayes either that which forceth him to doyng by the preuentyng will and reason of the first Agent or els that which is produced out of action And bycause there may be many endes of one thyng it may be that there is one end of Predestination an other end of him that is Predestinated and an other of him that doth Predestinate As for exāple As Saluation and life euerlastyng is the end of Predestination the end of him that is Predestinated is to beleue and to lyue well and the end of him that doth Predestinate is his owne glory and the manifestation of his Iustice power and mercy As we do reade in Salomons Prouerbes God doth make all thinges for himselfe and the wicked man also for the euill day And therfore if it be asked whether God do predestinate for the workes sake it may be aunswered with S. Paule that the holy ones are predestinated not for their good workes but to do good workes so that now the respect of workes be vnderstanded not to be the cause efficient of predestination but the effect rather For thus we heare the Apostle speake Euen as God hath chosen vs in hys sonne frō eternitie that we should become holy to the prayse of hys glory c. not because we were or should be holy sayth he but that we should become holy to the prayse of hys glory c. So that no reason of Election may appeare but that which is to be sought for in the freé liberalitie of hym that doth make the Election neyther that any other last end may be conceaued but the prayse of the manifestation of hys heauenly grace So that as without God there is no cause efficient which may enforce predestination so if weé seeke for the very beginninges of eternall predestination we shall perceaue that S. Paule doth reduce them to iiij principall heades chiefly 1. to hys power Where he sayth hath not the Potter power c. 2. to hys purpose or hys good pleasure For so we reade in the Epistle to the Ephesianes where he vseth both these wordes because he hath predestinated vs sayth he according to the good pleasure of hys will c. And immediately after whē we were predestinated sayth he according to hys purpose c. 3. to hys will Rom. 10. he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden c. 4. to hys mercy or loue Where he sayth Rom. 10. It is neyther of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that taketh mercy Last of all if you demaund further for some reason of Gods Election who shall more liuely expresse the same vnto you then the Apostle Paule writing to the Romaynes on this wise If God sayth he willing on the one side to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne did with much lenity beare with the Vesselles of wrath prepared to destructiō and on the other side to make knowen the riches of hys glory towardes the Vessells of mearcy which he hath prepared to glory c. Unlesse you haue ceased long sithence to be a reasonable man Osorius what more perfect reason can be made vnto you or more manifest of Gods workmanship then this that is here set downe in Paule Whereby you may playnly perceaue that all these councells and workes
not withall difile all his posterity with that one onely morsell And by what reason I pray you surely not by way of participation of his offence but by way of propagation vnto the posterity In this Tipe of Adam lett vs behold the thing signified aunswereable to the Type And by Adam lett vs consider Christ who onely alone being found obedient did by this his owne onely obedience purchase life euerlasting for all his posteritye not by any partaking of his obedieÌ„ce but by propagatioÌ„ in the posterity onely namely by faith onely which faith doth onely and alone begett vs vnto Christ. Take an other Argument of the same doctrine out of an other Type Euen as in olde time to the Israelites was externall health of body geuen by the beholding of the brasen Serpent so likewise to vs is grauÌ„ted internall health of soule through Iesu Christ. The Israelites were healed by the onely view of their eies Ergo We are iustified also by fayth in Christ onely Hereunto may be annexed an other Argument as forcible as any of the rest taken out of Saynct Paule whereunto what aunswere Osorius will make I would wish him to be very well aduised We are made the righteousnes of God through Christ by the very same reason whereby Christ was made sinne for vs. But Christ was not made sinne but by Imputation onely Ergo Neither are we made righteous in the sight of God but by Imputation onely Hytherto in the behalfe of righteousnes of fayth out of S. Paule to the Roma Now let vs encounter Saynct Paule with an argument of the Romanists which they do knitt together for the mayntenaunce of righteousnesse by workes arguing in this maner forsooth ¶ Osorius Argument out of the Tridentine councell There is no iustification without the sanctification and renouation of the inward man Sanctification and Renouation consisteth in holy actioÌ„s and workes Ergo Iustification consisteth in good workes and not in fayth onely This Captious Sophistication can no man better auÌ„swere then Augustine Good workes do not goe before in the worke of iustification but followe iustification If workes doe followe how doe they goe together then If workes must be ioyned together with fayth how are they reported in Augustine to follow Now therefore to aunswere the Argument If the Maior be taken in this sence that an vnauoydable necessity of coupling and conioyning new obedience must neédes be required in the worke of iustification as the very cause thereof so that there be no hope for the vngodly man to be iustified but by his owne merite and innocency of life then is the Maior false But if good workes be sayd to be required as the fruites of iustification not the cause of iustification the Maior is true And it is not to be doughted but that with remissioÌ„ of sinnes the freé giftes of the holy ghost are ioyned who doth beginne and lay the first foundation of renouatioÌ„ sanctificatioÌ„ of life And yet is it not therfore true that this renouatioÌ„ is the thing for that which the vngodly man is to receiue remission of sinnes and to be adopted into euerlasting life Moreouer whereas the Tridentine Fathers doe add further that Iustification is not the onely Remission of sinns but the sanctification and Renouation of the inward man To speake their owne wordes through the voluntary receauing of grace and Gods giftes c. By what testimony of the Scripture will they proue this to be true Surely if sinne be the onely thing which did scatter abroad death into the world which alone doth procure the vengeaunce of God and make seperatioÌ„ betwixt God and men which alone doth make vs guilty of eternall damnation which alone forced Christ to suffer death vpon the crosse Now I beseéch you tell me for the loue of Christ what thing is iustification els but a continuall skourging and suppressing of sinne Euen as the life and the health of the body is nothing els but an excluding of death and Sickenesse Euen so sinne the reward wherof is death being vtterly extinct through remission what remayneth els but life and sinne being vtterly blotted out what remayneth els but iustification Howbeit neither doe we alleadge this on this wise as though \ we were ignorauÌ„t or did deny that sanctifiaction Renouation and such godly actions and vertues which do proceéd from theÌ„ce be the proper and peculiar giftes of Christ and must be practized of all godly Christians of very necessity But this is â—ot the state of the question properly for the state of the question here doth not consist vpon the direction and gouernement of this present life but of the life to come of the cause thereof not whether vertuous and godly actions of Christian piety ought to be exercised in this life but when they be accomplished whether they be of such valoure in the sight of God as to be able of themselues to deserue saluation and reconcile God vnto mankinde and whether vertues or the good workes of them which be regenerate be of such efficacy as may stand vpright and couÌ„teruaile the rigorous curse of the law agaynst the iudgement of god to preserue vs from damnation and whether in extreame terrours of conscience man may vndoubtedly and without feare rest assured vpon workes when that dreadfull question shal be demauÌ„ded to become the Sonnes of the liuing God and to deserue the euerlasting inheritaunce of our Father In that which you seé two maner of questions Osorius in the one whereof we doe easily agreé with you In the other not we onelye do gaynesay you but the whole authority of Gods Testament doth determine agaynst you whereby we be taught that man is not iustified by workes but by fayth in Iesu Christ. Rom. 3. And that we whiles we seéke to be iustified by him are not founde righteous are not found already endued with excellent integrity but are found vngodly sinners so that in this life which we lead in this flesh we liue none otherwise then through fayth in the sonne of God who loued vs and deliuered himselfe to death for vs. Gala. 2. Let vs note the wordes of the Apostle himselfe of being found sinners we liue by fayth howe cann Osorius make it good that we be righteous but if we be found righteous howe doth Paule iustify vs to be sinners but onely because whom this life doth make guilty of death the same is released by faith of the Sonne of God not whom he doth finde righteous but whom he doth make righteous not by liuing vprightly but by not imputation of sinne Neither is this therefore false that a godly carefullnesse of liuyng vertuously is required in the faythfull which may exclude presumption of sinnyng but it must be considered after what maner it is required If you suppose it be requisite to the necessitie of obedience you say truely but if you thinke it to be
newe What was the chiefe cause and meanes of the Restoring the trueth of the Gospell The Arte of Imprinting was a singuler gift of God The yeare of Antichrist 666. Osori pag. 212. 213. Osorius exhortation to Queene Elizabeth Osor. pag. 211. Pestiferous Councell The Troiane horse Osori pag. 214. In matters of Religion it is more meete to deale with mens cōsciences rather then with Princes only Osor. quarrell for the Popes Chayre Osori pag. 214. Osori pag. 214. A slaunderous cauillation agaynst Haddon Why Oso bookes treating of Religion haue no force to perswade The constācye of Queene Elizabeth in defending Christian Religion Osor. pag. 214. Osorius reproch against the Lutherans The wonderful prouidence of God in the preseruation of Elizabeth our Queene The tēpest of Queene Maries persecution Apoca. 18. Horace ser. lib. 2. satir. 3 The circumcision of the crowne amōgest the Papistes Osor. pag. 215. Osor. pag. 216. The knowledge of the Scriptures doth apperteigne to all men indifferently 1. Tim. 5. Osor. doth build Memphyticall Steeples In fewe wordes much matter In many wordes nothing at all Osor. wrytinges discussed A recapitulation of all Osorius Epistle to the Queene What doth want in Osorius bookes Osori pag. 216. Osori but a greene souldiour God doth auenge him of the persecution of his Gospell Pag. 216. English Papistes Osori pag. 216. Osori pag. 117. Ausonius Tit. 3. Osori pag. 217. Osorius Epistle to Queene Elizabeth how full it is of slaunderous reproches Osori pag. 217. Antithesis a figure whereby one contrary is ioyned for an other A Comparison betwixt Haddon and Osorius Osor. pag. 217. Osor. charity for our sauety Cicero in his 1. Booke of duetyes Psal. 140. Osori carefull of our sauety The way to saluatiō after Osorius Rule Osor. diuinity is Philosophicall Cicero in the dreame of Scipio Iohn 14. Faith is not coupled with Charitie in the Article of Iustificatiō Iohn 6. Actes 10. Actes 16. Galath The Triden tyne Counsayle Ses. 6. Cap. 7. The fallax from the Diuision to the Coniunction Onely faith worketh Iustificatiō but is not alone In what respectes Fayth hope and Charitie be coupled What fayth doth worke through loue A new kynde of obediēce but vnperfect The formall cause of Iustification accordyng to the Tridentynes The Councell of Trident Canō 11. Canon 12. Math. 13. Rom. 4. How much the merite of Christes death and passion may auayle vnto vs according to the Tridentyne Councell An Argument agaynst the Trydentines deriued from Abraham An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from the Type of Adam An Argumēt agaynst the Tridentines deriued from the Type of the Brasen Serpent An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from S. Paule 2. Cor. 5. An Argument of the Tridentine Councell agaynst righteousnesse of fayth An Aunswere out of Augustin◠New obedience is not the cause but the fruite of Iustification The Assertion of the Tridentines confuted It is proued that Iustification in the sight of God is nothing els then the Remission of Sinnes agaynst the Tridentines The state of the questiō Two kindes of questions Rom. 3. Galath 2. To lyue Through fayth When good workes be necessary Wherefore fayth onely doth iustify Fayth worketh by loue but not as effectuall to eternall life Apoca. 3. A Collect. for the kingdome of England Onely Christ is to be called vpon as a Mediatour The death of the body the soule swallowed by Christ onely The Conquest ouer the Empire of Sathan 2. Thes. 2. The Childe of Perditiō Apoc. 18. Apocal. 14. Be not light of beliefe Osor. lib. 2. de iustitia Pag. 31. Thou onely art holy
no wise of the Morall law Ueryly I would not much sticke with you herein good sir if accordyng to your Logicke it may be lawfull to deriue a conclusion from the part to the whole But what kynde of Argument is this or who instructed you to frame an Argument in this sorte In some places Osorius sporteth bitterly enough vsing his Rhetoricall digressioÌ„s and is sometymes very pleasauntly disposed to play with Haddones Schoolemaister his nose who soeuer hee were that enformed him in the principles of Rhetoricke when hee was young but how much more iust cause might I take here if a man would vse the offered occasioÌ„ to geue the counter scoffe agaynst your own Maister quareller whosoeuer he was whiche nooseled your youth in Logicke and taught you so foolishly and senselesly to make bald ArgumeÌ„ts and to fetche a Conclusion from an vnsufficient numbryng of partes to affirme the whole For this is your disordered order of arguyng in this place Paule once or twise or perhaps speakyng oftentymes of the law hath relation to the Ceremoniall law Ergo wheresoeuer hee maketh any discourse about the law of God there his meanyng tendeth to the same construction eueÌ„ through his whole discourse and in all his Epistles Nay rather if you did vnderstand Paule throughly and would not crookedly wrest his meanyng after your owne grosse sensualitie Ye should easily perceaue that by way of Negatiue hee doth orderly proceéde after the surest maner of arguyng from the whole to the partes and from the vniuersall to the particular For if the vniuersall proposition may iustly be denyed it followeth of necessitie that the particular propositioÌ„s may not be admitted As where he doth say No workes at all of the law do Iustifie ye may duely conclude hereof Ergo neither the Ceremoniall Morall Naturall Politicke Ciuill nor any other law doth worke Iustification And marke here Osorius how much I doe beare with you when as I doe cut of so much of myne owne right vnto you whiche you could neuer bee able by Argument to wynne at my handes For to admit the foundation of your Argument which is otherwise altogether false we will yet for this present tyme graunt it to seéme true as you would your selfe it should bee that when Paule doth reason of the law he doth chiefly meane thereby the Ceremoniall law Yet what a monstruous Argument is this whereby ye trauaile to coÌ„firme the affirmation of one part by the nagation of the other part in this wise Paule doth deny that the Ceremoniall law doth Iustifie the Iewes Ergo the Morall lawe doth Iustifie them Nay rather how much more soundly should you haue reasoned turning your coÌ„clusion backward If the Ceremoniall law which was the principall substauÌ„ce of Moyses law doe not Iustifie Ergo neither any other part of the law doth Iustifie Albeit I will not deny but that in the very swathlyng cloutes of the primitiue Church many doubts arose amongest the Disciples them selues touchyng the reteinyng of Moyses Ceremonies in so much that Peter him selfe durst not be so bold as to receaue Cornelius the Captaine into the felowshyp of the Gospell before he was coÌ„maunded by the heauenly Oracle Neither could the strife about the Ceremoniall law be yet so appeased amongest the brethreÌ„ for the false Apostles and such as were of the Circumcision did stiffely as it were with tooth and nayle defende the obseruaunces of the Ceremoniall law neither would geue their consent that the Gentiles should be receaued into the coÌ„gregation vnlesse they would be Circumcized after Moyses law and endeuoured all that they could to charge the Christians with the yoke of the Ceremoniall law Vntill in a Counsell holden at Ierusalem the holy Ghost did determine that the Gentiles should not be charged with any Iudaicall Traditions except a very fewe onely And it is not to be doubted as Osorius doth say that Paule had much adoe in euery place about this Ceremoniall law yea and dealt ofteÌ„tymes therein not without manifest perill of lyfe Yet all this whiles appeared not so much as one sparckle of dissention or doubtfulnesse nor any one question was raysed amongest the brethren agaynst the Morall law the keépyng whereof was yet adiudged most necessary The controuersie remayned as yet about the Ceremonies customes of Moyses law At the last when this question was decided further enquirie began to be made afterwardes of that part of the law which seémed to challenge chief authoritie and especiall gouernement ouer the consciences of men And euen here through the inestimable benefite of GOD sprang vp vnto vs S. Paule Who first of all did call backe the controuersie of this question from the speciall or particular to the generall or vniuersall disputing not onely of the outward Ceremonies but of the whole doctrine of the Morall law also Whereunto I suppose hee was moued not without great cause For he had an incklyng surely that the very same thyng would ensue thereof which afterwardes came to passe That the Ceremoniall law beyng once made altogether vneffectuall many persons would wrongfully ascribe their freé Iustification purchased with the bloud of Iesus Christ to the workes of the Morall law which thyng as Paule did foreseé in the false Apostles the selfe same wee may easily perceaue now to happen in our Pharisaicall Rabbynes in these our dayes and amongest all other in this our Osorius chiefly at this present wherfore it is not to be doubted but that S. Paule was raysed vp by the speciall prouidence of God euen for this purpose who discoursing throughly vpon the whole law and vpon the effect vse office and end of the law doth fully describe vnto vs how much we ought to attribute to our workes and how much we ought to yelde to the grace of God herein discouereth the very well-sprynges of sounde doctrine finally declareth vnto vs whiche is the false and which is the true righteousnesse in the sight of God and wherein the same doth consist Likewise whereunto it ought not be referred Not to workes sayth he for no man liuyng shal be Iustified by workes Well then if not by workes how then Through Fayth sayth he in Iesu Christ. Yet is not this all that he speaketh But adding thereunto a proofe he yeldeth this reason Bycause if through workes sayth he then is it not now of promise After this maner teacheth Paule both learnedly and playnly But our Osorius practizeth to wype away this negatiue proposition of Paule with a trimme shift as though Paule in all those places where he dischargeth workes from Iustification did meane nothyng els but that no man should repose trust of assured sauetie in the Ceremoniall law onely Uery well then is it reason that he teach vs whereupon we should grounde our Affâ—aunce Veryly in Fayth sayth the Apostle Paule and so in Fayth that if in workes then not in Fayth at all This is truely spoken by the Apostle But
with the Gospell the persons with the thynges them selues righteousnesse of fayth with righteousnesse of workes neither noteth which are the naturall causes of the thynges nor which are the proper effectes of the causes but disguiseth the causes vnder title of effectes and effectes likewise misturneth into causes For where as workes are properly the effectes of fayth neither are of their owne nature good nor can be esteémed for good but through Iustification goyng before yet our Osorius frameth his discourse as though the chief and especiall bullwarke of all our righteousnesse were built wholy vpoÌ„ workes And that which he readeth in Scriptures shall come to passe accordyng to workes the same forthwith he coÌ„cludeth to be done for the workes sake as though heauen were now a due reward for our trauaile and labours not the gift of grace as though they do worke might clayme it as due dette for their workes sake and were not rather promised to them that beleue for the Sonne the Redeémer his sake But we haue discoursed enough vpon this matter it remaineth that we pursue the tracke of the rest of his disputation And bycause we haue spoken sufficiently as I suppose of the one of those two propositions which he calleth false and whereof hee hath accused Luther to be the Authour Let vs now fyritte out the other and seé what vermine it is and how it is able to defende it selfe First of all whereas Luther hath noted this saying to be the chief piller and foundation of Christian doctrine That no man ought to ascribe the meane of his Saluation in any thyng els then in the onely fayth of Iesus Christ afterwardes he proceédeth to the other pointe That the fruites of good workes are engendred and doe issue from this fayth euen as the fruite is engendred of the roote of a good treé and that workes doe follow fayth of necessitie none otherwise then as a fertile treé budding out first his greéne leafe and beautifull blossome doth at the last by course and force of nature bryng forth fruite The sentence Osorius iudgeth to be haynous in no wise sufferable and yet in the meane tyme denyeth not but that good workes do follow fayth But he cryeth out with an opeÌ„ mouth this to be false that good workes doe follow Luthers fayth But it is well yet that we heare in the meane whiles that good workes are engendred out of Fayth but in no wise out of Luthers fayth I would therfore learne of you Osorius out of whose Fayth good workes doe proceéde Forsooth my fayth sayth hee is not Luthers nor Haddones fayth if he bee Luther Scholer herein Come hither Osorius a good fellowshyp that I may stroke the smoath shauelyng of yours a whiles Truely I can not choose but all to beloue you and beleue you also when you speake the truth for I I suppose that the Oracle of Apollo can bee no more true then this Oracle is that workes doe follow your fayth as you say They follow in deéde apasse in great clusters And bycause ye vouchsafe not your selfe to expresse vnto vs what kynde of workes those are it shall not greéue me to do so much in your behalf And yet what neéde I make proclamatioÌ„ of them whenas your owne bookes do so aboundauntly and manifestly vtter the same as that no man can be so blynd or deafe but he must neédes seé heare them What art thou desirous Reader to haue described vnto theé as it were in a painted Table what blossoms this pregnaunt fayth of Osorius doth shewe forth Peruse his writynges and his bookes especially those Inuectiues compiled agaynst Luther Haddon Was euer man in this world that hath heaped together so many lyes vpon lyes hath compacted so many blasphemies and slaunders hath vttered so many errours hath euer by writyng or practize imagined expressed vomited out so many tauntes reproches madde wordes vanities cursinges bragges follies and Thrasonicall crakes so much rascallike scoldyng mockes doggishe snarllyng as this beast hath brayed out in this one booke wherein you shall neuer finde Luther once named but coupled together with some title of reproche as outragious fraÌ„ticke or madde If those trimme monuments of your gay workes do cleaue as fast to your dayly conuersatioÌ„ as they are ryfe to be founde euery where in your bookes and the testimonies of your witte I Appeale to the iudgement of the indifferent Reader what consideration may bee had of that your fayth which whelpeth out vnto vs such a monstruous lytter For if a good â—â—â—â—growyng vpon a sounde roote do not commonly bryng forth fruites vnlike to the stocke And if children doe vsually represent their progenitours in byrth in some lineamentes of personage resemblaunce of maners or other applyable feature of Nature for the Gleade as the Prouerbe is doth not hatche forth Piggeons it must surely follow of necessitie that either your workes whereof you vaunt your crest do by no meanes follow your fayth or els we must neédes adiudge you a man scarse of any fayth at all And therefore to aunswere briefly to those glorious vauntes whiche you make touching workes that follow your faith and not Luthers fayth if you meane those workes which I haue rehearsed I will gladly agreé with you but if your meanyng tende to good workes truly your owne writynges will without any other witnes condemne you for a great lyar But go ye to Let vs allow this vnto you which you require to be graunted that is to say That your Fayth doth necessaryly drawe after it good deédes as the Southeast wynde doth draw along the cloudes yet what should be thestoppell in the meane space to barre good deédes from Luthers or Haddones fayth more then from yours Bycause say you fayth commeth by hearyng and hearyng by the word of God I do acknowledge this a very Catholicke maxime a sentence meéte for a true Christian. But I wonder what monster these mouÌ„taines will bryng forth at the last But Luthers fayth commeth not of hearyng for hee doth not heare the wordes of Christ. What wordes I pray you and where are they writteÌ„ Forsooth where Christ as he sayth doth promise euerlastyng life to them that Repente and doth man ace hell and destruction to them that are impenitent Where is this Seéke it Reader And bycause Luther doth not heare those wordes of Christ. Ergo his fayth commeth not by hearyng and therefore yeldeth no fruites of good workes but starke bryers brambles onely Go to And what doth your fayth in the meane space Osorius Let vs heare what grapes it produceth But my fayth sayth he that is to say the faith of holy Church whenas it coÌ„senteth to the wordes of Christ And whenas also Christ hym selfe doth threaten destruction to the impenitent sinners this fayth therfore wherewith I doe beleue these wordes of Christ causeth me to be repentaunt What do I heare Osorus why what neédeth repentaunce
but by the Mediatour the Sonne through whom righteousnesse is Imputed not purchased by workes neither to him that worketh saith hee but to him that beleeueth in Christ that Iustifieth the wicked And yet you seémyng not to bee so much as acquainted with this righteousnes by Imputation as that ye dare not once name this worde Imputation doe notwithstandyng stand so much in your owne conceite as though Christ at his commyng should finde all fayth in Osorius but no fayth at all in Luther If a man might be so bold with you it were no vneasie matter to pike out diuers other sentences out of Scripture whiche would quickly cracke the credite of your fayth As where the Apostle writyng vnto Timothe doth so manifestly Prophecie That it should come come to passe before the end of the world That many should departe from the faith beleeuing lyeng Spirites and doctrines of Deuilles forbidding Marriadge and the eating of meates which the Lord hath prepared to be receaued with thankes geuing These doctrines of Deuils for as much as the lying spirite of Osorius doth so stoutely mainteine bende all his force to vphold in this latter age of the world as besides him no man more obstinately what may be thoughe els but that either he is departed from the fayth or that the Apostle is an open lyar Agayne Where the same Apostle writeth touchyng Antichrist paintyng him out in his colours as it were so liuely expressing him to the apparasit view of the world his Throne his wickednesse his iuggling his lyes his pride his immesurable arrogancie vauntyng him selfe beyond all hautynesse of mans Nature What may a man Iudge of these sentences the meanyng of the whiche can by no meanes possible be applyed to any thyng els thē to the Romish Sée 2. Thess. 2. Agayne in the Reuelatiō of S. Iohn where the same Antichrist is set in open stage hauing the shape and countenaunce of a meeke Lambe whiche vnder the visour of false hornes should resemble the true Lambe and restore the Image of the wounded beast to lyfe and speache Whiche place of Scripture bycause can not be wrested any other wayes then to that Romishe Ierarchie whiche bendyng to ruine at the first was restored by that great Archeprelate of Rome yet in this most apparaunt Text of Scripture if Osorius faith he demaūded whether it may be applyable to the Bishop of Rome we shall finde him as farre dissentyng from the purpose of this Prophecie as if he were demaunded the way to Canterbury he might aunswere a poake full of Plummes We haue hitherto sufficiently enough declared I suppose that Osorius for all his bragges is voyde of all ayde to defende his Fayth And so for this tyme I will commit the cēfure of those gay workes which flowe so plentyfully out of that glorious Fayth to that Iudge which shall display the hidden corners of darkenesse and to the consideration of them who by the view of his bookes haue skill to discerne a Lyon by his pawes or rather an Asse by his lolieeares Now remayneth at length to discouer briefly that which he barketh agaynst Luthers fayth Now let vs see Luthers fayth sayth hee whether it can bryng forth any liuely fruite It cā not by any meanes c. Lye on yet more a Gods name First of all bycause hee teacheth that all workes appeare they neuer so godly are desiled with sinne Nay rather but that you were by nature of so corrupt a Iudgement that ye can not frame your selfe so much as to speake the truth you would neuer haue patched this lye amōgest the ragges of your leasings Luthers disputation cōcerning faith good workes tendeth to nothyng els but that which the Scriptures euery where the sacred spirite of truth and S. Paule inspired with the holy Ghost doe by all meanes and reasons confirme which we all ought of very duetie to embrace For Luther endeuouryng to make euidēt the doctrine of Iustification comparyng our good workes with the lawe of God is enforced to confesse the very truth of the matter that is to say That there is nothing so holy in workes but beyng of it owne nature in some respect vncleane and defiled must néedes be vnsauorie in the sight of God if without Christ it bee racked with exact scrutyne of Gods seuere Iudgement And hereof quarell is pyked forthwith agaynst Luther as though he should affirme that whatsoeuer workes the very regenerated engraffed in Christ them selues did worke were nothyng els but méere sinnes and wickednesse And bycause he doth abbridge good workes in that part onely wherein they be falsely adiudged to be of valew to Iustifie before God Osorius doth argue agaynst him in this wise as though he did vtterly roote out of mans lyfe all Ciuill and Morall vertues and vertuous conuersation Wherein a mā can not easilye determine whether he doth shewe him selfe more iniurious to Luther or bewray rather his owne blockish grosenesse No man euer taught more soundly no man more highly commended good workes then Luther did beyng separated a part from the doctrine of Iustification And whereas he doth extenuate the force of workes in the treatize of Iustification he doth not therein so altogether derogate from workes as rather frendly aduertize them whiche through vayne Confidence of workes doe challenge to them selues righteousnesse in the sight of God and do depende so much vpon the deseruynges of workes as though there were none other foūteine from whence our Saluation might be deriued Luther therfore vsing Argumēt agaynst those persons doth boldly auow that all our workes are defiled yet not simply but in respect of their application beyng considered without the fayth of the Mediatour Whiche beyng most truely spoken by Luther is as sinisterly wrested by Osorius as though he had spoken it simply that there is no good or commendable thyng in workes nothyng in them acceptable to God though neuer so duetyfully or vertuously performed And for this cause hee concludeth at last as with an vnuanquishable Argument That by no meanes possible Luthers fayth could bryng forth any frutefull workes like as that barren figge tree growyng neare vnto the high way whereupon grewe nothyng but leaues But this is Osorius his owne conclusion not Luthers a Sophisticall cauill concludyng falsely If S. Paule doubted nothing at all to esteeme all thinges sinnefull which were done without faith Rom. 4. If it were lawfull for Augustine to write in this wise Thy workes are examined sayth he and are foūde all defiled Why doth he rage so furiously agaynst Luther bycause he doth professe that the déedes which we call good are in none other respect to be daémed for good thē as they bee valued by the fayth of the Mediatour The consideration of this doctrine as is of it selfe most assured so doth it not tende to that end that Osorius imagineth to discourage godly myndes from vertuous endeuour Rather well disposed
whereof as many their notable lessons did aboundantly declare so aboue all other who can wonder enough at that heauenly voyce of Scipio the Romayne surnamed Affricanus being an Ethnicke whereof Marcus Cicero doth make relatiō in his Treatize called the dreame of Scipio Writing on this wise There is sayth he a certayne sure and determined place reserued in heauē for all such as do preserue ayd aduaunce their natiue coūtrey where they shall liue in euerlasting felicity for euer and euer There is nothing more acceptable to that high and mighty God that guideth and ruleth all the world amongest all the actions of men then counsailes corporations and societies of men lincked and knitt together with orders and lawes which are called Citties c. If we regard the iudgement of the flesh what sentence cann be spoken more plausible or more notable in the singler commendation of vertue then this was which doth assure the good deseruinges and mutuall amities of men ech towardes other exercised here of eternall and infallible rest and ioyes in heauen Go to And what is it els almost that this diuinitye of Osorius doth trayne vs vnto then to teach the very same that Scipio the Romaine did namely That there is no passable way to the attaynmēt of the blessed felycyty of eternall lyfe then that whych is atchyeued by godly actions wyth an absolute integryty of excellent life Pag. 32. But heauenly Philosophy doth direct vs a farre more neare way The heauenly Scholemaister doth out of heauen display abroad and chalke vs out a speédier way and an easier iourney towardes heauen teaching vs in the Gospell on this wise I am sayth he the way the trueth and the life Neither will Osorius deny this to be true I know in word but in deéd what doth he els then deny it For to admitt him his saying that there is no passable way to heauen but which is purchased with absolute perfection of life what may we winne hereof els but that this way to heauē be not Christ but the speciall prerogatiue of our owne purchase So that by this reasō if our owne industry do satisfy all thinges what neéd is there of Christ thē or to what vse will his death and passion auayle yes forsooth to this purpose you will say that by the merite of his passiō he may purchase for vs the grace and gift of sanctification regeneration wherewith being once endued hereof fortwith springeth that excellency of absolute perfection and other ornamentes of charity and vertues which will make vs an easy passage into the kingdome of heauen What then doe you so depaynt vs out the whole office and power of Christ in this one onely action namely that he shall powre out vpō vs new qualityes godly actions by the Deuine operation of the holy ghost what doth he not redeéme vs also doth he not iustify vs and reconcile vs yes What els you will say Doth he iustify all men without exception or the faythfull onely if he doe iustify them onely that do beleue I do demaūd further what the cause is why they be iustified Is it for their faythe 's sake or for their workes sake If it be for their faythe 's sake I aske againe whether for faith onely or faith ioyned with good workes I do here expect some oracle frō you for an aūswere hereunto If you finde that there is no hope of any thing to be iustified by wtout fayth then must you neédes alter your foundation that you grounded vpon before to witt That there is no passable way to heauen but whych is atchyued wyth godly actions of thys lyfe Pag. 32. And that it is onely righteousnesse that doth obtayne the fauour of God to Mankynde Pag. 142. And in an other place That fayth onely is onely rashnesse Pag. 74. What shall fayth therefore be quite banished away No but you will couple her with some copemate that neither Fayth without the company of good workes nor workes without the cōpany of Fayth may be able to procure righteousnes But this knott will the aucthoritie of the Scriptures easily cracke in peéces for if Fayth onely doe not aduaunce the faythfull to saluation except it be coupled with excellēt integritie of life why did not Christ thē couple them together whē he spake simply Hè that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life Why did not Peter couple them together when he doth preach Remission of Sinnes vnto all as many as doe beleeue in his name prouyng the same by the Testimonies of the Prophetes Act. 10. why did not Paule couple them together Actes 16. where he instructeth the Gaylor in Fayth Beleeue sayth he in the Lord Iesus and thou and all thy houshold shal be saued Many Sentences might be vouched purportyng the same in effect but it shall suffice to haue noted these fewe for breuities sake The History of the Galathians is notably knowen who beyng seduced by the false Apostles did not simply reuolt frō Christ nor did simply abandone their Fayth in Christ but endeuoured to couple the good workes of the beleéuers together with Fayth in the Article of Iustification before God for the attaynemēt of lyfe euerlastyng On which behalfe how sternely and sharpely the Apostle did reproue them his owne Epistle beareth sufficient Testimony But here commeth a Reply by and by out of the same Epistle where writyng to the Galathians he doth treate vpon such a fayth as doth worke by loue Upon this place Osorius agreéyng with the Tridentine Councell doth builde an vnseparable coniūction of Fayth and Charitie together so that Fayth without Charitie as an vnshapen and vnformed Image is altogether vneffectuall to the absolute fullnes and perfect accomplishment of righteousnes But that Charitie which they call a righteousnesse cleauyng fast within vs is so vnable to be seuered a sunder from the worke of Iustification that they dare boldly pronoūce that it is the onely formall cause of our Iustification To satisfie this place of S. Paule here is an easie and a Resolute aunswere For in the same Epistle the Apostle doth endeuour by all meanes possible to call backe agayne his Galathians to the onely righteousnesse of Fayth from whence they were backslyden and withall bycause they should not be seduced with a vayne persuasion of counterfaict Fayth he doth discouer vnto them what kynde of Fayth it is which he doth meane Not the fayth that is idle and dead without workes but which doth worke by Fayth sayth he And in this respect it is most true that Fayth is not alone But what maner of concludyng an Argument is this Liuely Fayth is not alone without Charitie Ergo Not Fayth onely but coupled with Charitie doth Iustifie The Argument that is deriued from thynges setterer by nature to thynges coupled by nature concludyng from that which is Secundum quid ad Simpliciter is worthely reiected in the Logicians Schoole and is called a meére
Argument Aunswere Aristot. Ethic Lib. 3. Cap. 3. The Fallax from that whiche is not the cause to the cause 4. Causes of Election or Predest by Paule Rom 9. Ephe. 1. Rom. 9. Osor. 2. argument The argument pag. 153. Aunswere The Aduersaries obiect resolued Leuit. 20. Numer 11. Marc. 1. The reason of the aduersaries touching the mercy and iustice of God and the cause of the same expounded and confuted The respect of merites are directly against Gods free power Pag. 156. 157. Osori Obiection Aunswere August de nat grat Cap. 5. Math. 12. Rom. 3. Arguments Both the propositiōs of the arguments are denyed All the defence of Gods iustice doth consist in hys will Aug. de Trinit lib. 3. Obiectiō of a Sclaunderer The argument of the Aduersary Maior Minor Conclusion An Aunswere out of S. Paule The Apostle doth aunswere two manner of waies Rom. 9. The similitude of the Potter Rom. 9. S. Paules Argument against foreseene workes The aunswere of this Proctour and others The confutatiō of the aduersaries aunswere Rom. 9. August de Praedest grat Cap. 7. Electiō depēdeth not vpon fayth in our workes but fayth and workes depende vpon Election The stinolous cauillation of Osorius hys ouerthrow Rom. 11. Rom. 9. Rom. 11. Aug. depredest grat Cap. 7. Osorius taken tardy as Enemy to Grace Osori pag. 257. The summe of Christian doctrine doth consist in foure thynges chiefly Electiō and Predestination Vocation Conuersiō Iustificatiō and lyfe euerlastyng Glory of immortalitie Osori doth couer an Enemy of Grace vnder a glorious praysing of vertue Rom. 9. Osori pag. 157. August ad simplicia Lib. 1. Quest. 2. The meanyng of Paule opened by Augustine The defēce of Gods Iustice consisteth not in any thing els thē in the onely mercy of God according to Osorius Esau. Iacob The hardenyng of Pharao Osorius Pag. 158. The confutation of Osori Obiection The chief meanes wherewith Gods Iustice may be defended Rom. 9. An other exception of Osorius confuted Osorius pag. 158. The reason of Osorius touchyng the cause order of predestination Aug. ad simplici lib. 1. quest 2. Rom. 9. The words of Paul expounded August ad simplici Lib. 1. Quaest. 2. In Predest the first cause must be coupled with the last end Osori pag. 158. 159. 160. The aunswere to Osorius cōclusion Pag. 161. Osori pag. 161. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The office of a Iudge of a creatour farre diuerse Rom. 9. Osori pag. 161. The Argument of Osori out of S. Paule The aunswere with an explication of S. Paule Osori Cauill vpō the wordes of Paule Fashioned The will purpose of God the first cause Election Predestination Creation Calling accordyng to his purpose Vocation accordyng to purpose Fayth Iustificatiō The Glory of God the last end Pag. 161. Osori Obiection pag. 161. Aunswere Aunswere Whether vessels of honour be made of wickednes onely as of the first cause Pharaoes Reiection proceeded not of his Rebellion but his Rebellion rather of his reiection A double consideration of the Vessels of wrath Rom. 9. Cauilles of the aduersaries An answere to Osorius Cauils Gods will taken two manner of wayes Psal. 113. Luke 10. Gods will is the beginning and rule of all thinges How wicked men do the will of God I. Thessa. 4. The order and processe of causes Rom. 9. The place of Paule to the Rom 9. expounded The cause effecient The cause deficient How the causes of Election and damnation do differr agree betwixt them selues How Gods will doth behaue it self in the Elect. The damnation of the wicked ought not to be imputed to God In the damnacion of the wicked two thinges are to be cōsidered Malum culpae Malum poenae How the damnation of thē that perish thorow their owne default tourneth to good in the sight of God Aug. Enchi Cap. 95. Aug. Enchi Cap. 100. How the efficient cause of saluation and damnation do differre The efficient cause The deficiēt Cause out of Aug. lib. de Ciuit. dei 12. Cap. 6.9.7 Question Answere The promise of God is generall with a promise Singuli generum Gunera singulorum The end of Creation to Godward The prouidēce of god ought not to be accused in the destruction of the Reprobates How Gods sufferaunce dealeth in mens actions or life Whether Gods sufferaunce or hys will beare more rule in mans lyfe A dubble obiection The originall of sinne is to be ascribed vnto the Creature not vnto the Creatour God dyd not create man to the ende he should perish Frō whēce the cause of damnation sprang at the first The Obiections confuted The cause of eche mās dānation is within him selfe Infidelitie proceedeth rather of ignoraunce thē of will Fayth being the gift of God springeth not frō mans will 1 Peter 2. 2. Thessa. 1. Actes 13. 1. Cor. 2. Esay 6.9 Math. 20. Luke 8. 1. Pet. 2. Two things to be considered in Gods mercy Whether Gods mercy be generall to all indifferently and how it is generall Grace of Vocation Grace of Election Fayth and Saluation take their originall from Grace rather then from our owne will An Aunswere to the place of Chrisostome The secret will of his good pleasure vnreuealed i. Beneplaciti The expresse will of God reuealed i. Voluntas Signi Vocation taken two maner of wayes accordyng to Augustine◠August ad Simplici Pighius touchyng the equalitie of Gods Grace towardes all Pighius similitude taken out of the Epistle to the Hebrues The Reason of Pighius and Osor. is cōfeted Whether it be of God or of man that the good and the euill do differre An answere Pighi similitude The place out of the Epist. to the Hebrues An other Reason of the aduersary leading to absurdity An acceptiō of persones The aduersaries obiections are mett withall That those that are not chosen doe not come how mans will gods predestination do seuerally work Selfe power or libertie to liue after her own will Aug. contra 2. Epist. pela lib. 1. Cap 3. Aug. de predest 1. sancti Cap. 3. Mans will is neuer so free but that it is alwaies coupled with Necessitie The strēgth of Orignall sinne Gods predestination both elder in tyme and in power surmonnting all mās will The obiections of the Aduersaries The aunswere Aug. ad bonifacium lib. 1. Cap. 19. De lib. arb Cap. 2. 17. Aug. de correp grat Cap. 1. epist. 107. ad victalem Wherein effectuall Grace doth consiste Aug. de gra libe arbit Cap. 5. Aug. contra 2. Epist. pela lib. 1. Cap. 18. Osori pag. 162. The complaynt of Osorius agaynst Luther touchyng the subuersion of Ciuill societie The Tyrannicall state of the Pope somewhat troubled by Luther The Pope The Cardinalls Mytred Byshoppes Droues of Monckes Friers The Wolfe doth accuse the Lambe for troublyng the water Gene. 26. The seat of the beast in the Apocali Apoc. 16. 2. Thessa. 2. Amos. 7. 3. Kyngs It is declared by exāples what and how
Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. IF I hadd vndertaken this enterprise not beyng enduced more of earnest cōsideration of the cause I take in hand and present necessitie of the tyme then of any allurement of priuate commoditie or presumptuous oftentation or vayneglorious persuation of mynde most Renowmed and vertuous Prince kyng Sebastian I should not onely haue bene accoumpted blameworthy in the Iudgement of all the godly but also haue willfully plunged my selfe into deserued obloquy of all the world that beyng a poore despised abiect a seely wretched vnderlyng so meere a straunger and so farre seuered from you by distaunce of place without all maner of acquaintaunce either of name or of Title neither called nor cōmēded by any desert nor by any person cōmaūded hereunto dare so boldly presume to write vnto your highnesse beyng the mirrour of all Princely dignitie But as the occasion that moued me to attempt your Maiestie seemed of no small importaunce so the oportunitie of the matter it selfe yelded vnto me no lesse euident Argument of assured affiaunce and audacitie though in vtter apparaunce vnseemely yet pardonable I trust vpon due examination of the cause And yet besides this alleadged necessitie emplyeng reasonable excuse I wanted not many others as commendable aydes to defend my enterprise if like example applyed in like cause may be allowable For if Ierome Osorius beyng as then but a priuate man no lesse estraunged from the Societie of this common weale of ours then a professed Enemy to the Religiō which we embrace in Englād prouoked either of some vayne glorious oftentatiō or of greedy desire to maintayne his owne Religion and to deface ours vnder zeale of pretensed good will and affection borne durst be so bold not onely to write so long and tedious an Epistle to our most Royall excellent Queene Elizabeth but also so vnprouokedly to aduertize her highnes of matters inconuenient daungerous to her soules health why should I be condemned of insolency if inflamed with sincere inclinatiō of most humble dutie towardes the most valiaunt Prince Sebastian kyng of Portingall no lesse famous in Princely vertues then valiaūt in administration of power if allured by the notable Reporte of his incomparable bounty do send most humble greetyng in the Lord Iesu in two or three wordes to his Maiestie in recommendyng his highnesse to the gracious protection of the allmightie with no lesse increase of perfect peace and tranquillitie to him and his by Letter then inwardly I wishe to his Maiesty frō the bottome of my hart Neither do I see any reason to the contrary why I should be more embraced in cōceipte and driuē from my endeuour hauyng so many notable commendations vttered by euery godly personadge in the behalfe of the famous kyng Sebastian Renowmed in eche Coast for his excellencie in prowesse and Noblesse in dignitie sithence Osorius through the pleasaunt blast of the Trompe of fame hath presumed so farre vpon the vnspeakable clemency of our Queenes most excellent Maiestie whom he neuer sawe when as also her highnesse of her aboundaunt grace hath with so great lenitie entertayned the Letters of Osorius and so gently perused them though otherwise perhappes vnworthy so noble a personadge why should not I persuade my selfe to obteine as much yea more rather of your Princely magnificence and heroicall clemency especially sithence it cann not be credible that kyng Sebastian beyng a man cann any ioate be inferiour to Elizabeth a womā Queene in any Princely ornamētes or dutie of Humanitie But there will some peraduenture be founde not farre from emongest vs to whō this comparison which I do make betwixt vs two Osorius and me will seeme in no respect agreable for as much as he beyng a constaunt frend to the true and Catholicke Churche as they will alleadge doth take vpon him a most commēdable and necessary cause But my defence they will say of sett purpose proclaimyng opē warre agaynst the most aūcient Catholicke Church agaynst sincere Religion agaynst the approued supremacy of the Byshop of Rome hath bene allwayes hitherto atteinted by Iudgement of all Monarches and by consent of all degrees condemned and banished◠and ought not by any meanes be admitted into the Courtes and eares of Princes as matter exempt from all protection and priuiledge of godly Lawes This Obiection is no new thyng whereof I haue long agoe well aduisedly debated with my selfe yea the very selfe same thyng most Royall kyng wherein I am become at this presēt your Maiesties most humble Suppliaunt and whereof I determined to beseech your highnesse in the bowels of our Lord God whose aucthoritie and person you do represent in your Realme that ye would vouchsafe due consideration Ierome Osorius Byshop of Syluain bandyng and enforcing all his knowledge and skill agaynst the professed doctrine of our Religion publiquely receaued in England hath published in Printe three famous Libelles vnder the Title of an Aunswere to Maister Haddon for Reply wherof we haue framed accordyng to our slender capacitie this Apology how conueniently to the purpose I haue not to say to what successe it will come is in the handes of the Lord surely for the garnishment of phrase and Stile thereof I haue no great regard For this our contention tendeth not to the blazyng of excellency in eloquence neither treate we here of the delicacy and finesse of speach neither descant we lyke Minstrelles of warblyng of stringes ne yet tosse we our questions to and fro in vaunt of brauery of witte Sophisters vse to argue of moates in the Sunne in their triflyng and Dunsticall Schooles But we dispute as Deuines in matters of greatest importaunce of true righteousnes of the way to eternall saluation and euerlastyng damnation and of the true woshippyng of allmighty God This Apology or Aunswere to the quarrellsome and slaūderous reproches of Osorius how simple soeuer it appeare we haue thought for no man so meete to be presented as to your Maiestie most excellēt kyng Sebastian whom we most humbly craue and desire to be both a wittnes and a Iudge of the controuersie As for the questions wherewith Osorius doth inueigh agaynst vs we suppose are allready well knowen to your grace Now therefore the petition that we desire to obteyne of your highnesse is this in effect That for as much as Osorius hath vttered all his cunnyng and eloquence by all meanes he may possibly to depraue vs whō he vnhonestly reprocheth by the name of Lutheranes not onely vnto your Maiestie but to all other Princes of Christendome also thereby to bryng vs into vnappeasable hatred it may please the Royall Maiestie of all godly Princes not to conspire to geaue sentēce agaynst vs before the matter be heard and debated betwixt vs. And your highnesse especially most noble kyng of Portingall hauyng allready seene the clamours and brables of Osorius beyng the best and chiefest Arguments that he vseth to deface the orders and obseruation of our profession will vouchsafe also with
to deale with you of the Supper of the Lord whiche beyng of it selfe a most precious and sacred monument of our redemption you haue so defiled and corrupted with your traditiōs that the true vse therof is almost vtterly extinct Yet in the meane space You accuse vs as violatours of the Maiestie of this sacred Sacrament and that we haue in the same I know not how haynously offended Which horrible accusation beyng enflamed with outragious burnyng firebrandes of Sentences if it be vnfolden throughly perused will seéme to sauour of nothyng at all but of malicious smoke of your shameles railing You make a preface hereūto in some leaues with a great rable of wordes but altogether contrary to the matter As that we do not cōceaue all the creatures of God by reason and a litle after you roll in your Rhetoricke commyng downe to the fashionyng of mans body and the whole creatiō of the world and herein bycause you will be accoumpted no small Ciceronian you besturre your selfe packe and stuffe together a whole sarpler full of Tullies owne sentences and at length with a long laboursome talke ye conclude that wherof no sensible man of our Deuines euer doubted That is to say That mās reason onely must not be vsed to the conceauyng of all the creatures of God but that fayth must be many tymes enterlaced withall And last of all you name our Lord Iesus Christ commyng downe vnto vs from heauen and of his infinite mercy takyng vpon him our frayle nature the whiche you preach to exceéde reason aboue measure What say you Osorius what do you meane hereby who hath distempered you you do suppose I thinke that ye write to stones and blockes not to men Who did euer doubt that there are as many thyngs to be woūdred at as be creatures in nature Let vs behold all the workes of God Or what Christian person hath euer bene foūd amongest vs so blockish and so voyde of perseueraunce which doth not confesse the commyng downe of Christ from heauen and all the Articles of our belief to be vnto vs as secrete and heauenly mysteries of our fayth wherfore do you so wastfully lose your own and other mens tyme in so euident approued confessed matters why are you so madde in the introduction onely of so great a matter to make so long a discourse of Maximes already manifest and whereof our children can not be ignoraunt Forsooth to this end I do it you say thereby to display your errour Who doe not comprehend the Sacrament of Euchariste by the mysterie of fayth but esteeme the same by reason onely That is false my Lord it is vntrue we doe earnestly vrge fayth we adioyne the Spirite we do graūt defend it to be both a Sacrament and a mysterie also You on the other side do plucke God out of heauen contrary to the expresse Article of our fayth and beyng pluckte from thence the holy Ghost crying out agaynst you in the Scriptures you shut him vp into bread and beyng shut vp therein ye doe transubstantiate him disguise him with your Argumentes illusions of schooleianglers chopt together framed vpō accidentes substaunces quantities and qualities and to helpe your iugglyng you borow a point of Paule cleane contrary the cause videl He that hath not spared his owne Sonne but hath deliuered him vp for vs all how hath he not geuen vs all thynges together with him I would to God Osorius you did as firmely and sincerely beleue this sentence of Paule as we doe There would not then be such a swarme of ceremonies and superstitions in your Church there would not bee such gaddyng on pilgrimages and lyeng grouelyng before Images neither should we seé the Uicare of God enstalled a Lord ouer mens consciences vtteryng his pardons of sinnes for a fewe pence tossing and turmoyling the poore and wretched soules in the flames of Purgatory not enhaunsing market of the holy Scriptures after hiw owne pleasure Lastly your Confessours and cowled generation of Uipers would not esteéme the worthynes of workes as a portion of our Iustification Yea if you had beleued Paul you would neuer haue admitted those poysoned monsters of Religiō but would haue cōfessed with vs That all thyngs are geuen vnto vs together with our Lord Iesus But I pray you what doth that sentence of Paule auayle to the Exposition of the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord Truely nothyng at all yet this our goodly graue father turmoyleth all thyngs confoundeth all thynges not regardyng what may be agreable to the cause but poureth out all thynges at happe hassard as they come into his vagaraunt quill Now followeth a decreé of your owne stāpe in these wordes I am of this opiniō that those persōs which do professe the true fayth should cōsider nothyng els herein but how that thyng that is decreed vpon to bee beleued may be agreable to the goodnes of God That no man might doubt by any meanes the mysterie of our Redemption What speake you Osorius shall we iudge how agreable any thyng may be to the goodnes of God Who hath made vs iudges of the goodnes of God that we should determine what may bee agreable and not agreable to the same but your toung doth folter for you would haue sayd the will of God or ye should haue so sayd as farre forth as we can vnderstād it as farre forth as the Patriarches Prophetes our Lord Iesus also his Apostles hath reuealed vnto vs by the sacred Scriptures And if your decreé tende to this effect we will accept thereof For we make no doubt of the power of God although you falsely reproche vs herein but do grope after his deuine will in his word and do humbly apply all our actions thereunto as farre forth as the imbecillitie of our frayle and weake nature will permit And therefore teache you I pray you what thyng God would haue to bee made in that Sacrament we will neuer enquire whether God be able to performe it sor whē we are made assured of Gods good will we will acknowledge with all reuerence and humblenesse his power as meéte is Next after your foolish and childish Preface ensueth a very graéuous accusation agaynst Peter Martyr a meéte hotchepot for your Confessours Schoolemē Friers For if they had couchte all their noddles together they could haue vomited out scarsely halfe so much poyson in so short a tyme. To make this matter somewhat playne of all partes what maner a thyng it is we will rippe abroad his Budget of tales euen as Osorius hath patchte it together These therefore are the wordes wherewith Osorius doth challenge the combate agaynst the soule of Peter Martyr O thou most wicked mā how came it into thy mynde to handle that most sacred mysterie I would to God my sweéte Peter were alyue agayne did heare this franticke slaunder agaynst him Forsooth he would easely suppres this
made free for all estates In deéde this may happely chaunce amoÌ„gest some persons for what caÌ„ be so well spoken at any tyme or so circumsplectly handled but that the malice of the wicked will take thereof euill occasion to wrest to their filthy lust So in the tyme of Paules preachyng there wanted not peruerse people which in like maner tooke occasion to slaunder his doctrine with his owne wordes videl Let vs doe euill that good may come thereof There were also some whiche were not ashamed to say that Paule did destroy the law did geue to much scope to libertie Of that kynde of people Peter doth coÌ„playne which with sinister deuises practized to wrest Paules writyngs crookedly to their own confusioÌ„ Shall not good men therfore frequent his Epistles Euen by the same Reason Osorius let not flowers grow in the spryng tyde bycause the Spyder doth aswell sucke poyson out of them as the Beés matter to make theyr honnycombe But if so bee that when good men doe geue vertuous and necessary exhortation of those thynges whiche they do thinke worthy to be embraced accordyng to their duety and profession of their fayth wicked men in the meane space starte vp betwene whiche will abuse the same good thynges to their owne destruction is this the fault of the teacher or rather the fallax of the accident as Logicians do terme it Many persons say you do take occasion of wicked confidence and vnpunishable libertie through that new Gospell of Luther But many on the contrary part do receaue froÌ„ the same very comfortable consolation and finde them selues thereby to be much more pricked foreward to pursue godlynesse with more carefulnesse If Luther teach the truth shall not his doctrine therfore be published bycause wicked men doe abuse it But if you thinke his Assertions to be erronious Why do not you O Thales I pray you vouchsafe to prescribe as becommeth the fulnesse of your wisedome some pretie rules of sounder doctrine whereunto Luther might more safely haue directed his opinions I beleue that he should by your aduise haue associated him selfe with the Schoolemen and Monckes and with that sacred InquisitioÌ„ of Spayne and vsed these kyndes of speaches videl That the kyngdome of heauen is a due reward for our good workes if it were not we should otherwise be vncerteine thereof Bycause that which is of duetie is most assured but that proceédeth from mercy is vncerteine Or els ye will require perhappes that he should teach vs as your Hosius doth preach who doth affirme that euerlastyng Saluation is obteyned by deseruinges proceédyng from the grace of God Or els as our Osorius doth Who calleth faith onely to be onely rashnesse boldly pronounceth that all the meanes and worthynesse of our Saluation consisteth in righteousnesse not that righteousnesse whiche we receaue by imputation from Christ through fayth but that same which euery maÌ„ maketh peculiar to him selfe by his owne purchase through workes Or els as the Schoolemen of your old Gospell do professe who bablyng very much about Iustification haue decreéd at the length that it must be taken two maner of wayes one way which is obteyned before any workes be done through grace geuen freély as they say as in Infantes beyng Regenerated by Baptisme The other in elder yeares through great store and perfectioÌ„ of workes That is to say through the resistyng of the froath enticementes of sinne dayly subduyng therof which they call in their phrase of speach Grace making acceptable or acceptyng Grace And although good workes doe not bryng to passe that first Iustification yet they do geue the second maner of Iustifieng the grace of God workyng together with the same which doth minister strength sufficient as well to worke stoutly as to striue agaynst the very stynges and prickes of the flesh effectually so that it may not onely be possible to lyue cleare froÌ„ deadly sinne but also to atteine to be Iustified peâ— Congruum Condignum You knowe well enough these fayre flowers Osorius if I be not deceaued and glorious speculatioÌ„s of your old Diuinitie Whiche how agreably seéme to accorde with your old Gospell I know not Sure I am that Christ neuer knew this Gospell the Apostles neuer taught it nor the EuaÌ„gelistes no nor the approued auncient Catholicke Fathers had euer any smatche thereof Nay rather Christ Paule the Apostles and EuaÌ„gelistes and auncient Doctours of the Church when soeuer they treated of Saluation and of lyfe euerlastyng do endeuour nothyng more seriously theÌ„ that seueryng our workes from the cause of Iustification altogether they might dispoyle vs wholy of Confidence of our owne sauetie and so referre vs ouer to the onely mercy of God who onely geueth the kyngdome of heauen not for any our deseruynges but for his promise sake onely But we haue sayd enough herein Let vs now proceéde to other cauillatioÌ„s of this troublesome trifler though it be somewhat greéuous and as neare as we may if we caÌ„ not all yet let vs briefly and orderly cut of the toppes of them There is no man that will geue him selfe to any good workes if he haue once heard Luther for his Schoolemaister c. Whereas Luther doth not take vpon him the person of a Schoolemaister nor hath challenged to him selfe the dignitie of high deske nor euer taught any Schooles of new factioÌ„s nor euer lead any trayne of Scholers but amoÌ„gest other Christians followed alwayes Christ the common Schoolemaister And was neuer knowen to haue vttered any other doctrine theÌ„ that whiche he receaued of Christ what should moue this quarellsome Docâ—or to reproch him with this enuious title of maister Many good and vertuous men haue heard Luthers preachyng but no man as I suppose acknowledged him for his Maister For that neéded not for through all Christendome in Uniuersities and common Schooles are whole droues of Maisters scattered abroad as though they dropped out of the Troiane horse Whom we doe heare also wheÌ„ they teach what they teach I will not here stand to discusse nor I make any estimate thereof The Christians did sometymes heare the Scribes and Phariseés teachyng in Moyses chayre neither doth the Apostle forbyd vs But that may take a tast of all doctrines but pet so tast them as we hold fast nothyng but that which is good If Luther teach any doctrine of his owne imaginatioÌ„ him selfe refuseth to be beleued therin but if the teach the doctrine of Christ and those thynges which he hath sucked out of the sweéte iuyce of Christes Gospell I beseeche you Syr doth he therfore professe him selfe a Maister to Scholers or a Scholer rather to his Maister Christ And therfore this scornefull title of schoolemaister wherewith ye reproche him is a scoffe more fitte for a common Rufâ—ian then a Deuine surely altogether vncomely and vnseémely for a Byshop But whereas ye pronounce that Luthers Auditory haue not geuen them selues to
Onely fayth doth not Iustifie This conclusion is altogether false and the subteltie therof transposed frō that which is not the Cause to ȳe which ought to be the Cause In deéde the inheritaunce of heauē is geuen to them which doe good deédes but not in respect of those good deédes whiche they doe But there is a certeine other thyng whiche doth both Iustifie the persons the good workes of the persons also That is to say which doth make the persons and the workes good also And therfore you do confounde those thyngs very vnskilfully which ought of necessity haue bene distinguished If you will make this the grounde of the question to enquire of what behauiour those persons ought to be whiche are called to the inheritage of euerlastyng lyfe Luther will neuer deny but that they ought to be such as must be conuersaūt in this world godly holy vnblameable as much as may be possible But if the state of the question tende to this end to shew what maner of thyng amongest all the good giftes of God that one thyng is in vs whiche doth procure our Iustification in the sight of God Luther will boldly pronounce that is Fayth Onely yea and approue the same with inuincible testimonies of Gods scriptures Neither will Osorius deny it without great reproch of errour Afterwardes he proceédeth to his accustomed trade of lyeng Workes do follow fayth as the Lutherans say not bycause they prepare a way to saluation for they shall not of them selues be cyted to iudgement but bycause they are deriued from faith as by a certeine way of procreation for as the tree bryngeth forth fruite by force of nature so doth fayth of necessity engender good workes which both propositions are false Or els Osorius doth lye for that wanted to make vp the periode But go to let vs seé what those two false propositions be which the Lutheranes do teach The first is that workes do prepare no way for vs to obteine Saluatiō bycause of them selues they shall neuer be cited to Iudgemēt The second is That workes do follow fayth of necessitie none otherwise then as fruite by force of nature is engendred of the treé Upon these he hath geuen sentence that they are both false But what reason alledgeth hee thereto Forsooth bycause workes sayth he do either procure vnto vs Saluation or Damnatiō vndoubtedly And yet Osorius ceaseth not to keépe his old wōt to lye And hereof no mā ought to be in doubt but that our deedes shal be throughly examined apart by thē selues by Gods sharpe Iudgemēt Yea say you so Osorius What shall they stād apart by thē selues what naked vnclothed of all succour of Christ of the promise of mercy Go to what shal be come of fayth thē Shall she stād ◠the meanes whiles with her finger in a hole like a Mome in a corner vnprofitablye whiles mercy being banished mēs deéds shal by thē selues be arrained before gods iudgemēt seate If this be true why do we not rase scrape cleane out of all bookes that saying of S. Paule Not thorough the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to the greatnes of his mercy hath he saued vs For if saluatiō be yet to be measured by the law of workes to be wayed after that Standard of Iudgemēt what place thē remayneth for fayth or for mercy And by what meanes is that hādwrityng of the law blotted out by the Crosse and bloudsheadyng of Iesu Christ if as yet we be holden fast yoaked vnder the curse of the law and not deliuered by grace for what doth the law elles if we dare beleue S. Paul but engēder wrath and procure to be accursed not bycause the law is of it selfe vneffectual if it might be accomplished but bycause we are all vnprofitable seruauntes vnable to performe the law And for your part doe ye thinke any mans workes to be of such valew as beyng throughly examined after the vttermost exaction of Gods Iustice can either endure the immeasurable horrour of Gods wrathfull indignatiō or by any meanes escape it Surely Dauid that godly Kyng and great Prophet perceauyng that there was no mortall creature but was ouerpaised and pressed downe with this heauy burden and weight of Iudgement beseécheth of God nothyng more earnestly then that he would not way his seruaūt in the ballaūce of his Iudgement And therfore in an other place he addeth If thou examine our iniquities Lord who abyde it Of this mynde was he euen then when he was a most trusty seruaunt of God As for Osorius I know not whose seruaunt he is neither am I hereof any thyng Inquisitiue but what Lord soeuer he serue I doe not a litle marueile at this in what place of heauen this Gentlemā shall stand whenas his wordes deédes yea all his thoughtes when so many his lyes slaūders errours blasphemies reprochfull speaches furies impieties whiche as it were to discharge his gorge he hath belched out in his bookes without measure or end shall come forth into brightnesse of Iudgement and shal be seuerely measured by the playne and streight squyer of Gods exact Iustice But let vs now ponder by the rules of the Scriptures the pretie reasons taken out of the same whereupon hee buildeth his defence And first of all that sentence offereth it selfe vouched out of the mysticall Psalmes where the holy Ghost doth witnesse that God will render to euery man accordyng to his workes This sentence I suppose is to be foūde in the 62. Psalme for Osorius had no leysure to note the place And I know not whether him selfe euer cited the same out of the very founteines them selues or rather scraped it out of the mustie Ambry of Hosius sinisterly applyed by him there and so this Marchaunt would wrest the same crookedly to fitte his owne drift After this S. Paule is vouched of a witnesse but no place noted where the Apostle doth affirme that all men generally and euery of vs particularely shal be summoned to Iudgement where euery one shall render accompt of the life that he hath lead and receaue reward accordyngly You shall finde this in the second Chap. to the Romaines Hereunto is annexed an other testimony of the same Paule All shall appeare and be arraygned before the Iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue reward according to the deserte of his life and euery mans peculiar worke may bewayed and measured in the iust and vpright ballaūce of seuere Iudgement Where is this Osorius Thou must seéke for it Reader The place is extaūt in the second to the Corinth the v. Chap. Here withall is also coupled that faying of Christ with like vncited place They that haue done well sayth he shall come forth into resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of death He had many other places to this effect besides these saith he
if he lifted to prosecute euery of theÌ„ but bycause they were beyond number the maÌ„ beyng otherwise occupied in other studies pardy seémeth well enough furnished with these few whiche he hath piked out of Hosius if I be not deceaued and so thought good to rehearse no more Well now Let vs seé what peéce of worke hee meaneth to frame out of these places of Scriptures so raked together and whereunto to he bendeth his force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of Christ. This is true Euery person shal be clothed agayne with his own body Those that haue done well shal be crowned with immortall felicitie and those that haue done euill shal be throwen into euerlastyng torments This is also vndoubtedly true Agayne the most iust and vpright Iudge shal be present which shall reward euery one accordyng to his workes and deseruynges I heare it and confesseâ—t to be true For who is ignoraunt hereof But what hereof at length what will Osorius Logicke conclude vpon this Ergo not fayth but workes sayth he doe iustifie which shall purchase for vs Saluation or Damnation But this ilfauored shapen consequent which you haue most falsely deriued from true thynges and confessed we doe vtterly deny vnto you and not we onely but the holy Scripture doth deny coÌ„demne all holy write doth reiect the whole fayth of the Euangelistes and doctrine of the Apostle and all the promises of God with generall consent do crye out agaynst hisse at it If out of these places of Scripture you would haue framed an Argument a right and accordyng to the true meanyng of the holy Ghost ye should more aptly haue concluded in this wise For as much therfore as there remayneth for euery of vs such a Iudgement wherein euery one must yeld an accoumpt of his lyfe speÌ„t there is no cause why any maÌ„ should flatter and beguile him selfe with a vayne promise that his wicked deédes or wordes shall escape vnpunished after this lyfe but rather that euery man so behaue him selfe in this transitory world that neither his good workes may appeare without fayth nor his faith want testimony of good workes Truely this conclusion would haue bene preached to them the number of whom is infinite not onely amongest the Papistes but also euen amongest the professours of the Gospel who professing the name fayth of Christ liue notwithstandyng so dissolutely as they bryng the name and doctrine of Christ into open obloquy And as though it sufficed them to professe Christes most sacred Religion in wordes onely or as though there should be no Iudgement at all to come make no accompt of their callyng but are caryed headlong agaynst equitie conscience into the gulfe of all licentious filthyues to the great dishonour of almightye God and the manifest ruine of their owne Saluation Surely I am of opinion if you had directed your conclusion in this maner agaynst those persons and others lyke vnto them which do so wilfully rash and throw them selues carelessely into manifest abhominations without all respect of equitie and conscience the consequent would more aptly haue bene applyed and of more force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of the hygh Iudge where accoumpt shal be made of the whole course of our lyfe Ergo who that wil be carefull for his Saluation let him haue especial regard to the vttermost of his abilitie that his life be agreable to his professioÌ„ and stand assured as much as in him lyeth in the testimony of a good conscience knit together with a true fayth voyde of all hypocrisie For otherwise we doe heare what the truth it selfe speaketh And those that haue done euill shall goe into the resurrection of Iudgement We shall likewise heare what Paule sayth Euen for these thynges sayth he the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience But to what purpose Osorius is this alledged agaynst the Iustification of fayth in them who hauyng receaued the fayth of Christ doe ioyne withall fruites of obedience as companions if not altogether pure and absolutely perfect yet do yeld their endeuour and abilitie at the least such as it is after the small proportion and measure of their weakenesse This trauaile endeuour though it be farre distaunt from that exact requireth perfection of the law is yet neuertheles accepted in place of most full and absolute Iustification in the sight of God who doth supply the want of our workes with his owne freé Imputation for the fayth sake in his sonne onely whiche is not Imputed for righteousnesse to them that do worke but to them that do beleue in him For what although the horrible rebellion of the vngodly whiche walke not after the spirite but after the fleshe doe procure vnto them selues most iust Iudgement of condeÌ„nation yet shall this saying stand alwayes inuiolable notwithstandyng and remayne assured for euer The righteous shall liue by fayth And he that beleueth in me shall not dye for euer Iohn 11. But yet that promise say you doth abyde most euident and vnuanquishable whiche doth promise resurrection of lyfe to them that do liue godly and good deédes Goe to and what conclude ye hereof Ergo Faith onely doth not iustifie vs say you Nay rather neither Faith Onely nor fayth any way els taken doth Iustifie a man or auayle any thyng at all to Iustification if workes accordyng to your interpretation bee examined by them selues by the waightes and ballauÌ„ces of Gods Iudgement shall make full satisfaction But ye conceaue amisse of the matter Osorius and therfore your coÌ„clusion is as ilfauoredly shapen Doe ye expect a reason Forsooth bycause you fayle in the rule Topicke whereby we are taught to apply true proper Causes to true effectes And therfore your consequent is faultie and a Sophisticall cautell deriued from that which is not the cause to that which is the proper cause Let vs discusse the very order of your wordes And they which haue done well What they shall come sayth he into the resurrection of life c. First of all ye perceaue that the workes alone are not treated of simply but the persons that doe the workes Surely in Iudiciall Courtes is no small obseruation vsed chiefly of the difference betwixt the circumstaunces of the Causes and circumstaunces of the persons As when a Seruaunt shall commit the very same which a Sonne shall doe although the factes be of all partes equall yet I suppose that the Sonne shall finde more mercy in his cause of his Father being Iudge then the seruaunt of his Maister being Iudge especially where the Iudge is not constreined to yeld Iudgement by any coaction or expresse rigour of Statute and Law but is at libertie to vse consideration of the trespasse accordyng to his own discretion EueÌ„ so neither do I thinke it all one if a Christian maÌ„ I say a true Christian man shall mainteine his cause before Christ his Redeémer as
Furthermore who be holy vnblameable before God Euen those truly which are voyde of all crime but accordyng to Luthers doctrine you can not bee voyde of crime for hee denyeth that sinne is extinguished and affirmeth that the flames of all abomination do broyle out therof as out of a whotte flamyng Ouē scorching and cōsumyng all things by meanes whereof no man can bee founde vnblameable without spotte The sutteltie of this Sophisticall cauill tendeth at the last to this end God hath chosen vs sayth the Apostle that we should become holy and vnblameable But according to Luthers doctrine no man can be holy and without fault in this lyfe Therfore hereof ensueth an vnauoydeable conclusion Bycause no man liuyng is cleare frō offence therfore neither Haddon nor any of all the Lutheranes can be reckoned amongest Gods Elect. Packe ye hence therefore as banished outlawes all ye vyle Lutheranes packe ye hence with all your torne ragged workes into the helles of Osorius damnable curse For the gate of Election is not opened to any but vnto Popes Osorians Phigianes Hosianes Eckyans and others the like Lordynges in whose most pure and choise behauiour no droppe of filth can be founde worthy of Reproch If Osorius him selfe had not bene so shamelesse beastly as to blaze abroad this trifling Argumēt it would haue loathed me to haue rehearsed the same in this place nor would I vouchsaued any aunswere thereto but that I thought good to geue the Reader a tast of his blockishe ignoraunce that he might smile at it a whiles or at the least learne by this to esteéme of all other his poppet reasons almost in all his booke for scarsely any founder matter is scattered in any part thereof FIrst of all The Apostle both teache that we are elected and chosen that we should become holy This is true Whereby you may perceaue Osorius that whatsoeuer holynes we be endued withall doth neither goe before nor accompany election but that it ought to follow altogether not in order of tyme onely but in respect of the end and effect thereof For the Apostle doth not say GOD hath chosen vs bycause we were holy or should afterwardes proue holy but that we should become holy so that Gods Electiō is now the cause not the effect of our good workes And if good workes do follow Electiō in order of time I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason our Iustification should likewise necessaryly follow For as much as the consideration of them both is all one For whom hath chosen the same he hath Iustified and with the same grace that he hath chosen vs hee is sayd also to haue Iustified vs by one selfe same meane and to one selfe same ende For God hath chosen vs if ye aske here the cause of his freé mercy accordyng to the good pleasure of his will if ye seéke the meane In Christ Iesu If ye looke for the ende to worke good deédes not for the good deédes sake not for any our deseruinges but to the prayse of the glory of his grace Truly none otherwise fareth it in the matter of Iustification For whom God of his freé mercy hath chosen the same also he hath freély Iustified not by any other meanes then in Christ Iesu not bycause he foresawe that we would be holy but to that ende that we should walke circumspectly and holyly in his sight But what emporteth this saying that we should become holy and vnblameable paraduenture Osorius bee of the opinion that the Catharres Celestines and Donatifies were imaginyng that herein our full and absolute regeneration of our renewed nature was signified vnto vs and that we should accomplish such a kynde of thyng as the Grecians do call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without the which Gods Election and our Iustification could not by any meanes consist Ueryly I could wishe withall my hart that we all could direct the course of our lyfe in such sort accordyng to this Puritanisme of Osorius And that we were all endued with such integritie and Angelicke innocēcie that no part of our life might be defiled with blemish or iust reprehension But what shall we say Such is the condition of mans life such is the weakenesse of the fleshe that euery man hath his infirmitie And we haue not as yet so put of the Nature of man altogether that we should bee forthwith transformed into Angels Goe to then what if it come to passe that in this brickle estate of our frayltie any of vs doe folter and falldowne are we therfore excluded forthwith from our Electiō or haue we by and by lost the benefite of our Iustification I doe not thinke so Osorius For in what sence shall the Electiō of God he sayd to be permanent if it may be cut of and haue an ende or how shall it be called stedfast and assured if it hange vpon the vncerteintie of our frayltie But do not the true elect say you fall at any tyme into deserued rebuke what thē shall euery one that is worthy rebuke be forthwith cast of frō his Electiō A good felowshyp Osorius What if this fall happē before Baptisme You will say that Baptisme doth washe it cleane away What and shall not fayth and Christian Repentaunce clense our offences after Baptisme likewise If there be no forgeuenes of those Trespasses which we Christians doe commit after Baptisme To what ende is that Article in our Christian Creéde wherein we cōfesse remission of Sinnes If no offence be made to what purpose serueth Pardon Surely where nothyng is blame-worthy their Pardon may goe play Let vs seé now will you now dispoyle vs of an Article of our fayth and withall bereue vs of hope of remission that erste bosted so boldly of your strong belief in the wordes of Christ But you say God did chuse vs that we should be vnblameable I do heare you Osorius allow your Obiection if you will likewise accept of myne aunswere Whatsoeuer is forgeuen to the guiltie by Pardon and purged by forgettyng and forgeuyng there is nothyng remaynyng to terrifie that person from Imputatiō or make dismayed for any controllement For that we may so bold to glory as Paule doth What is he that shall accuse the elect of God God is he that doth Iustifie who shall then condemne vs We may lawfully adde hereunto Who shall comptroll vs You seé therfore in what wise Gods elect doe appeare now excusable and righteous not so much through the cleannesse of their deédes as through the bountie of him that Imputeth Not from the begynnyng of vnrighteous nature to speake Augustines own wordes but by conuersion from sinne to righteousnes nothyng blame-worthy but bycause it doth not please the Fatherly clemēcie to exact sharpe and narrow triall of them whom he hath chosen in his Sonne And therefore the Apostle notyng the same thyng sayth Whom he hath chosen in Christ Iesu that they should become holy and
doubted that mens willes can not resiste the will of God but that he must needes doe what God will for as much as he doth dispose the willes also as him listeth and when him listeth Therefore to will and to nill is so in the power of him that willeth and nylleth that it neither goeth beyond Gods power nor hindereth his will but is many tymes hindered by the power of God and alwayes ouermaistered c. But that is somewhat more hard which is obiected out of the same Article that will is so fast bounde that we cā thinke no euill thought by any meanes For so doth Osorius cite the place Wherein he doth first cast a myste before the Readers eyes and then deale iniuriously with Luther For he doth neither faythfully nor fully rehearse the wordes of his Article He is also no lesse iniurious to Melancthon and Caluine whō he alledgeth as partakers of the same opinion Albeit I know right well that they doe not varie from Luthers meanyng yet did they alwayes of very purpose refrayne from this kynde of speache Where did Melancthon euer write that all thynges are performed by vnaduoydeable necessitie Where did Caluine say that Freewill was but a deuise in thynges Who euer heard Bucer say that man was not of power to thinke euill not bycause they varied from him in meanyng and Iudgement but they chose rather to quallifie with some more plausible kynde of stile that which seémed to be propoūded by him somewhat more roughly But to returne agayne to Luthers wordes I doe reknowledge herein not your new furnished cauill Osorius but the auncient rusty canker of many others agaynst Luther as of Leo Roffensis Eckius Iohānes Coclaeus Albertus Phigius Iohn Dreidon Alphansus de Castro Andrew Vega Peter Canisius and such like which do neither read Luthers writyng with Iudgement neither consider his meanyng nor cōferre the first with the last but catch here and there a worde halfe gelded for hast and out of these beyng sinisterly construed if they finde any one thyng more then other fitte to be quarelled withall that they snatch vp that they vrge stiffely and are alwayes rakyng their nayles vpon that scabbe as the Prouerbe sayth And bycause amongest all other his Assertions they can picke out no one sentence more odious in the Iudgement of the simple people it is a wōder to seé what a coyle they keépe here and how viperously they gnaw and turmoyle this one Sentence wherein he sayd That mans will hauyng lost her freédome is now of no force at all not so much as to thinke an euill thought And in this respect surely I can not but marueile much to seé the vndiscreéte disorder of some but chiefly the singuler shamelessenes of Osorius For albeit Luther in so many his Commentaries Sermons Bookes and Aunsweres doth vrge this one pointe alwayes and euery where trauaile earnestly to proue that mās Freewill beyng voyde of Grace auayleth to nothyng but to cōmitte sinne yet doth Osorius so frame all his writyng agaynst Luther as though Luther did teach that mans Freewill could not so much as thinke an euill thought And frō whence doth he pike this quarell out of the wordes of Luthers Article before mentioned I suppose But for as much as Luther doth in the selfe same Article openly professe that Freewill of her owne nature auayleth to nothyng but to Sinne and that all the imaginations of the hart do of a certeine naturall inclination rushe headlong into euill in what sense can that mā be sayd not to be able to thinke an euill thought whiche is alwayes occupied in imaginyng euill But I beleue he will presse vpon vs with Luthers owne wordes wherewith he affirmeth that no mā of him selfe is of power to thinke a good thought or an euill thought c. Well let vs heare what conclusion this Logician will coyne out of these wordes Mans minde whether it thinke well or euill doth neither of them both of her owne power Ergo Mans mynde of it selfe cā neither thinke a good nor an euill thought I do here appeale to your Logicke Osorius What kynde of Argumēt is this by what rule make you this cōsequent what bycause the substaunce of the matter doth depend vpon the first causes properly will you thereupō conclude that the secōd causes do therfore nothing at all Or bycause the freédome of doyng is restreined to the first and principall cause to witte to the onely Maiestie of God that therefore mans will is no cause at all bycause it is not freé and that therfore it cā thinke no ill thought by any meanes bycause it doth it not of her owne strength and libertie as though to do a thyng properly a thyng to be done of her owne proper power were all one to say So then by this reason the Iewes which crucified the Lord of glory shal be sayd to do nothyng bycause all the outrage whatsoeuer they kept was determined before by Gods vnsearcheable coūsell In like maner Pharao in withholdyng the people of Israell and Nabuchadonasor in spoylyng them may be sayd to do nothyng bycause the hart of the one was hardened by the Lord and bycause the other leadyng his armye into Egypt was constrayned to chaunge his will in his iourney and bende his force agaynst Ierusalem Likewise neither the Shippe whiles she sayleth nor the Pylote within the Shippe do any thyng at all bycause their course whether it bee fortunate or vnfortunate is not alwayes directed after their owne will but as the wyndes the tydes do driue them For what doth Luthers disputation of Freewill enforce els but that he may referre all the order of doyng to Gods freé disposition onely Neither doth hee dispoyle mā of will altogether which doth onely disable will of freédome Neither is it a good consequent to say bycause mans will is denyed to be freé therfore that man is altogether destitute of will bycause it is not freé but alwayes captiuate bounde an handmayde as the which in euill thyngs is either alwayes seruaunt to Sinne or in good thynges handmayde to grace euen as an Instrument or toole is alwayes at the bestowing of him that worketh withall For what should let but Luther may as well call Freewill by the name of a toole as Esay doth name the wicked by the name of Sawes in the band of the Lord and as well as in many places of Ezechiell those hartes are called stoany hartes which the Lord doth promise to soften and mollifie with his grace And yet I will not much trouble Osorius herein For whether will be freé vnto euill or be seruaunt vnto euill it maketh litle to the present purpose nor will stād Osorius much in steéde This is vndoubtedly true that mans naturall strength bee it freé or be it bond is more thē strong enough to all wickednesse So were all these stormes raysed agaynst Luther neédelesse also consideryng that he doth so frankely
neuer receaued grace as men who through their own Freewill haue made frustrate the Grace of God once receaued by their owne wickednesse But if they be not regenerate yet is that damnable originall sinne worthely punished that will through anguish of punishment may conceaue desire to be regenerate if at least the man that is so chastized be the child of promise That God by outward vsing this meane of scourge vexation and chastizement may by secret inspiration fashion and frame the will to obedience c. And thus much hetherto coÌ„cernyng lawes and ordinauÌ„ces for rewardyng vertue and punishyng vyce in Ciuill gouernement There followeth now an other absurditie to witte where he sayth that by Luthers doctrine man is altogether dispoyled of vnderstandyng depriued of Iudgement bereft of reason and driueÌ„ to that extremitie as to be no better then a naturall stoane throwen out of a mans hand Osorius Argument Whosoeuer do attribute the orderyng of all thynges to absolute Necessitie exemptyng freedome from will doe spoyle men of their vnderstandyng depriue them of Iudgement and bereue them of reason and do traÌ„fforme them into brute beastes and stoanes Luthers doctrine doth bynde mens actions and willes to Necessitie Ergo Luthers doctrine doth dispoyle meÌ„ of their senses and turneth them into stoanes I deny the Maior of this Argument In the Minor I distinguish this word Necessitie Lastly the Argument is altogether vicious and that for two causes Either bycause Osorius thinketh That no Necessitie at all byndeth thynges to be directed by the eternall prouidence and ordinaunce of God or els he supposeth this Necessitie to he such as must neédes exclude all freédome of will Both which are false And first touchyng Necessitie Luther other auÌ„cient writers do learnedly affirme That the actions of mans lyfe are not subiect to fortune but herein they do acknowledge the prouidence of God which they assigne to be the onely and principall gouernesse and guide of maÌ„s lyfe as which directeth maÌ„s purposes boweth and bendeth his will and ordereth all the enterprises thereof Moreouer they teach the same prouidence to be such as whiche is not whirled about through blynd and sudden motions wherein no place is left to the happenynges of fortune nor such a prouidence as must neédes depend vpon inferiour causes or vpon a necessary couplyng together of causes wherein destiny is excluded nor such a prouidence as is vnaduisedly vncerteinly tossed to fro accordyng to the wandryng chaunces of fortune wherein fortune chaunce is taken away but such a prouidence as consisteth in a certeine assured stedfast permanent order workyng so in the meane whiles by inferiour and mixte causes neuerthelesse not as though it were tyed to those causes with any such necessary bonde of couplyng that it may not possibly doe otherwise by her owne absolute and most freé motione neither as though those causes could not possibly doe otherwise but must of Necessitie follow the direction of the same prouidence whereunto they be subiect Whereby it commeth to passe that Freewill beyng occupyed in these meane causes neither ceaseth to be altogether freé as being forced by no forreine constraint but guided by her owne accord nor yet remayneth so absolutely freé but that it is constrayned whether she wil or no to yeld to the direction of Gods prouidence voluntaryly notwithstandyng not coactly Wherupon amongest the learned this Necessitie is called Necessitas immutabilitatis aut certitudâ—nis whiche though doe not vrge thynges with violent coaction yet for as much as nothyng is in al the creation of nature of so small substance as can be without the coÌ„passe of Gods knowledge therfore albeit many things seéme accordyng to our capacities to be done by chaunce yet in respect of Gods prouidence if wee duely consider the originall and principall cause of thynges that are done wee shall finde nothing done but which could not but be done of very Necessitie I make hast to the other absurdities to witte to Osorius his most friuolous brabblynges For in this sorte he crawleth from mans lawes and ciuill gouernement to Gods lawes arguyng as it were in this sort If will be nothing auayleable to good lyfe nor of it selfe can do nothyng but Sinne then are Gods lawes commaunded in vayne in vayne also are exhortatioÌ„s and aduertisementes ministred in vayne are blessinges and cursinges set downe in the Scriptures But no man wil say that these are coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the Scriptures in vayne Ergo this doctrine of Luther is false execrable whereby he leaueth none other habilitie to Freewill but onely to sinne whereby he bindeth all things to necessity This Maior must bee denyed beyng nothyng els but a most manifest cauillation to witte tendyng to this effect as though God commaunded vs to doe nothyng but that we might of our owne selues performe whereunto Augustine aunswereth in this wise O man in the commaundemeÌ„t learne what thou oughtest to doe in the punishment learne thy weakenesse through thyne owne default In the prayer learne from whence thou mayest obteyne c. By the law of commaundyng and forebyddyng therefore accordyng to Augustine we come to the knowledge of our Sinne and infirmitie not of our owne strength power yet is not the law therfore coÌ„maunded in vayne For to vs that aske in the Sonnes name and acknowledge our infirmitie is Grace promised which worketh in vs both to will and to doe accordyng as the same Augustine doth recorde in the same place Let vs remember that hee doth say make vnto your selues a new hart and nâ—w Spirite who hath sayd I will geue you a new hart and I will geue you a new Spirite How is it then that he that sayth make vnto your selues a new hart fayth also I will geue you a new hart Why doth he commaunde if him selfe will geue Why doth he geue if maÌ„ be the worker but bycause he geueth the thyng that he commaundeth and helpeth him whom hee hath commaunded that hee may do it For through grace it commeth to passe that man is endued with a good will which was before of an euill will c. Therfore by this Argument of Augustine appeareth that this word of admonition exhortation or of rebukyng vsed in the Scriptures is as it were a certeine meane or instrument which the holy Ghost doth vse in conuertyng the will of such as are not yet regenerate and in beautifying the first issues of his good giftes in such as are regenerate that they may grow to a more rypenesse through Repentaunce through Fayth and through Prayer And by what wrest of Logicke doth Osorius gather habilitie of Freewill out of the holy ordinauÌ„ces seyng Augustine doth in so many places so directly gayne say him but especially in his 2. booke agaynst the two Epistles of Pelagius writyng in this wise I can see nothyng in the whole Scriptures geuen by God in commauÌ„dement to man to proue that
vnsearcheable will doth sometymes encline the willes of men to committe horrible mischiefes and after a certeine maner willeth Sinne. Ergo God may be iustly accused of vnrighteousnes iniquity Which Argument applyed in the behalfe of mans nature might seéme to be of some validitie perhappes in the opinion of men But to transpose the same from men to God It can not holde And why so bycause there is great difference betwixt thynges wherof God is the Authour and thynges wherof man is the doer For euen Sinnes them selues and wickednesse as they come frō God are scourges yea and that most righteous and whatsoeuer is decreéd either by his couered or discouered will it is in this respect both holy and righteous bycause the will of God ought alwayes to be accompted for the very foundatiō of all righteousness Upon which matter let vs heare what Augustine speaketh in his thyrd booke De Trinitate euen his owne wordes The will of God is the chief and principall cause of all kindes of actions and motions For there is nothyng done whiche proceedeth not frō that vnsearcheable and intelligible wisedome of the most mightie Emperour accordyng to his Iustice vnspeakeable for where doth not the almightie wisedome of the highest worke as it willeth which reacheth from one ende of the world to an other mightely and ordereth all thynges sweetely and doth not these thynges onely which beyng in dayly practise and by reason of common vse are not much marked or marueiled at but thynges also passing all vnderstandyng and capacitie and whiche for the rarenesse of vse and straungenesse of successe seeme marueilous as are Ecclipses of the Sunne and Moone earthquakes mōsters and vgly deformed vnnaturall shapes of creatures such like Of the which no one thyng commeth to passe without the will of God though it seeme to be otherwise in the Iudgement of many persons And therfore it seemed good to the phātasticall Philosophers to ascribe such vnkindely operations to other causes beyng not able to discerne the true cause thereof which in power surmounteth all other causes to witte the will of God wherefore besides the will of God there is none other principall cause of health sickenesse reward punishment of blessinges and recompences This is therfore the onely chief and principall cause from out the which do flow all thyngs whatsoeuer and is it selfe without beginnyng but endureth without endyng Let vs now gather the Argumēts of Augustine into a short abridgement If the will of God be the souereigne and principall cause of all motiōs what remayneth but that Osorius must either deny that Sinnes are motions or yeld vnto this of necessitie that the same motions are not done without the will of God which will neuerthelesse must be adiudged cleare from all reproche Moreouer if the same motions which are on our behalfe Sinnefull be punishementes for Sinne What should lette why that euē the selfe same sinnes should not seéme to proceéde after a certeine maner frō God without any preiudice of his Iustice at all none otherwise truely then when as God is accompted the creatour of monsters Ecclipses of the Sunne Moone vnpassable darkenes vntymely byrthes and yet notwithstandyng no ioate of his maiesty and integritie empayred But we are vrged here with an Obiection out of the Scriptures where it is sayd that God is not a God that willeth iniquitie Aunswere As though Luther did not perceaue this saying of the Prophet well enough or that he were so impudent at any tyme as that he would cōtrary to the Prophet deny that sinnes raunge immoderately agaynst Gods will We rehearsed a litle earst out of Augustine that somewhat may be done agaynst the will of God which neuerthelesse cā not happen without his will In the one part wherof the vnsearcheable wisedome of his Deuine counsell is playnly discernable in the other the thyng that is naturally wicked displeasaūt in Gods eyes So that the thing which is of it selfe in respect of it selfe naturally euill may become good in respect of Gods ordinaūce in respect of the end whereunto it is directed by God The worke of our redēption from sinne and death is a good worke of Gods mercy But man should neuer haue stoode in neéde of this redēptiō vnlesse death sinne had happened Therfore death and sinne could not execute their malice wtout the foreknowledge ordinaunce of God So also no lesse notable is the worke of Gods Iustice in executyng his iust wrath agaynst Sinners which seueritie of Iustice had neuerthelesse neuer expressed his wonderfull brightnesse if sinne had neuer bene committed But here I suppose Osorius will not deny that men rushe headlong into wickednesse and Sinne if not by Gods prouidence yet by his sufferaūce at the least For it may be that many thynges may happen by a mans permission in the which he that did permit them may be blamelesse notwithstandyng I heare you well aunswere to the same that it is not altogether nothyng that Osorius doth alledge in deéde and yet this allegation of his comprehendeth not all For first I demaunde what if Osorius beyng a Bishop do suffer Gods flocke committed to his charge to starue by defraudyng thē the necessary foode of the word whom of duety he ought to cherish with all diligēce and care What if the Shepheard doe willyngly suffer the maggotte to pester the sheépe or what if the Maister should suffer the seruaunt to perish whose perplexitie he might haue releued by puttyng his hand to in tyme may not we iustly accuse Osorius of fraude for not feédyng or can Osorius acquit him selfe by any slipper deuise of negligence in this behalfe If in cōmon cōuersation of lyfe the man that will not repell iniury when he may be adiudged in euery respect as blameworthy as if he offereth the iniury him selfe by what meanes can God whō you say doth permit sinnes to be done either deémed be excusable in respect of this sufferaunce onely or how can you charge vs as accusing him of iniustice bycause we say that he doth not onely permit but also will sinne after a certeine maner Which thyng Augustine doth very well declare If we suffer sayth August such as are vnder our correctiō to doe wickedly in our sight we must needes be adiudged accessaries to their wickednesse But God doth permitte Sinne to raunge without measure euen before his eyes wherein if he where not willyng surely he would not suffer it in any wise and yet is be righteous notwithstandyng c. Wherfore your allegation of bare Sufferaunce doth neither helpe your cause nor disaduantageth ours any thyng at all But go to let vs somewhat yeld to this word of yours Sufferaunce whereupō ye stād so stoughtely yet will ye not deny but that this Sufferaunce of God is either coupled together with his will or altogether sundered frō it If ye confesse the will and Sufferaunce be ioyned together how can God be
by vnauoydeable Necessitie If this be graunted sayth he all Ciuill societie is rooted out Lawes are established in vayne correction praysing dispraysing good counsell are ministred in vayne neither anye ordinaunce deuised for the aduauncement of vertue and punishement of vyce serueth to any purpose at all Now bycause these haynous and daungerous absurdities are not tollerable in any weale publique Therfore sayth Augustine this man will not yeld that there should be any foreknowledge of thyngs to come So that by this meanes he forceth the Reader into these inconueniences to chuse one of these two either that mans will is of some force or els that thynges must be determined vpon before of Necessitie beyng of opinion that they can not be both at one tyme together but that if the one be allowed the other must needes be abolished If we leane vnto Gods foreknowledge and prouidēce then must Freewill haue no place on the other side if we mainteyne Freewill then foreknowledge of thyngs to come must be banished So the whiles Cicero beyng otherwise a man of wōderful experience as August sayth endeuoureth to make vs freé doth bring vs wtin the cōpasse of sacrilege as horrible robbers of Gods foreknowledge and beyng ignoraunt him selfe how to vnite this freédome and foreknowledge together rather suffreth God to be despoyled of his wisedome then men to be left destitute of Freewill which errour Augustine doth worthely reproue in him For it is not therfore a good consequent bycause the well orderyng dispositiō of all causes is in the hands of God that mans Freewill therfore is made fruitelesse altogether for that our willes them selues being the very causes of humaine actions are not exempt frō that well disposed order of causes which is alwayes vnchaungeable with God and directed by his prouidence And therfore he that with his wisedome doth cōprehend the causes of al thyngs the same also in the very causes them selues could not be ignoraunt of our willes which he did foreknow should be the causes of al our doyngs Go to now Let vs compare with this blynd Philosophy of Cicero the Diuinitie of Osorius in all respectes as bussard-lyke For as Cicero doth vphold the freédome of mans will by the ouerthrow of Gods prouidence and predestination and contrarywise by the ouerthrow of mans Freewill doth gather and establish the certeintie of Gods prouidence supposing that they can not stand both together In lyke maner our Osorius imaginyng with him selfe such a perpetuall and vnappeasable disagreément betwixt Necessitie in orderyng of causes and mans Freewill that by no meanes they may argreé together what doth he meane els thē pursuyng the platteforme that Cicero before him had builded in the couplyng of causes but to come to this issue at the length either to establish the doctrine of Necessitie with Luther or agreéyng with Cicero vtterly to roote out the foreknowledge and prouidēce of God for if to chuse be the propertie of will then are not all thynges done of Necessitie accordyng to Osorius opinion Agayne if not of Necessitie then is there no perpetuall orderyng of causes after Ciceroes suppositiō If there be no perpetuall order of causes neither is there any perpetuall order of thynges by the foreknowledge of God which can not come to passe but by the operation of causes precedent If the perpetuall orderyng of thynges be not in the foreknowledge of God thē all thyngs atteyne not the successes wherunto they were ordeyned Agayne if thyngs atteyne not the successes whereunto they were ordeyned then is there in God no foreknowledge of thynges to come Let vs cōpare now the first of this suttle Sophisme with the last The choise of mans will is free Ergo There is in God no foreknowledge of thynges to come Let Osorius aduise him selfe well what aunswere he make to this Argument If he hold of Ciceroes opinion what remayneth but hee must neédes condemne vs of Sacrilege as Cicero doth whiles he endeuoureth to make vs freé But I know hee wil not hold with this in any case and in very deéde Ciceroes Argument ought not to be allowed for that he doth not discende directly in this Argument frō proper causes to proper effectes For whereas Freewill is mainteyned in the one propositiō this is no cause wherefore it should be denyed that thynges are done by Necessitie As also this is not a good consequent lykewise bycause Necessitie is taught to consiste in an vnchaūgeable orderyng of causes and in Gods foreknowledge that therfore nothyng remayneth effectual in our Freewill And why so bycause agreéyng herein with Augustine we doe confesse both to witte Aswell that God doth know all thynges before they be done and that for this cause the thynges foreknowen are done of Necessitie And that we also do willyngly worke whatsoeuer we know and feéle to be done by vs not without our owne consentes But you will Reply That Luther contrary to Augustines doctrine both leaue mans lyfe altogether destitute of Freewill tyeng all our actions fast bounde in the chaynes of vnauoydeable Necessitie I do aunswere As Luther doth not defend euery absolute and vnaduoydeable Necessitie but that whiche we spake of before of the consequence No more doth he take away all freédome from will neither from all men but that freédome onely which is set contrary and opposite to spirituall bondage no nor yet doth he exempt all men from that freédome but such onely as are not regenerate with better Grace in Christ Iesu. For whosoeuer will inueste such persons with freédome is an vtter enemy to Grace And no lesse false also is all that whatsoeuer this coūterfaite Deuine doth now groūde him selfe vpon and hath more then an hundred tymes vrged touchyng this opinion of Necessitie For in this wise he brauleth agaynst Luther and Caluine If the thyngs that we doe are done of meere Necessitie and decreed vpon from the furthest end of eternitie Surely whatsoeuer wickednesse we do committe as not lead by our owne voluntary motion but drawen by perpetuall constraynte is not to bee adiudged for Sinne. Which triflyng Sophisme we haue vtterly crusht in peéces before by the authoritie of Augustine Neither came euer into the myndes of Luther or Caluine to mainteyne any such Necessitie which by any cōpulsary externall coaction should enforce will to committe wickednesse vnwillyngly For no man sinneth but he that sinneth voluntaryly Albeit none of our actions are destitute of a certeyne perpetuall directiō of the almighty Lord and Gouernour yea though neither the sinnes them selues can not altogether escape the prouident will and foreknowledge of God Yet is not the peruerse frowardnesse of the wicked any thyng the lesse excusable but that they ought to receaue cōdigne punishment accordyng to their wicked deseruynges for whosoeuer hath voluntaryly offended deserueth to be punished And therfore herein Osorius friuolous Diuinitie doth not a litle bewray her nakednesse that whereas debatyng about the matter of
be agreable to reason For God did also foreknow the euill will of the reprobate as there is nothyng in the world that his vnsearcheable purpose did not foreknow euen aswell as he foreknew before the glory of the elect that should come yet did he not therfore chuse vnto glory some bycause he foreknew thē nor did chuse all thynges which he did foreknow but whatsoeuer his Electiō had predestinated it is out of all doubt that the same were all foreknowen 4. Agayne the foreseéne pety workes which they make to be the cause of Election are either our owne or properly apperteynyng to God If they be Gods and not ours where then is the freédome of our choyse any merites of works But if they be ours that is to say in the direction of our owne willes then is that false that Paule teacheth God it is that worketh in vs both to will and to worke declaryng hereby that we are vnable to will or to attemp any thyng that good is without Gods assistaunce 6. The fift reason is this whatsoeuer is the cause of the cause is worthely adiudged the cause of the effect If the foreseéne workes of the faythfull be the cause of Predestination certes they must neédes be the cause of Iustification also whiche is directly opposite and aduersary to the doctrine of Paule and the Grace of Christ. 6. Workes as they issue from vs are thynges vncerteine But Gods Election is a thyng alwayes certeyne and permanent Now by what reasō will Osorius proue then that thyngs beyng of their own nature certeine vnchangeable shall depēd vpon thynges transitory and variable Not but foreknowledge sayth he of thynges that are foreseene doth stand in a certeine permanēt and vnremoueable assuraunce Neither do I deny this And therefore when the foreknowledge of God hath established thyngs in such a Necessary vnaduoydeable assuraunce whiche will be chaunged by no alteration what should moue him to gnaw so greédely vpon Luther for teachyng such a Necessitie of our workes 7. When as God did regarde the people of the old Testament as a Damsell naked polluted and adulteresse c. Agayne in the new Testamēt where we are heare the vyle things things despised in this world and thyngs which are not to be had in estimation with God Moreouer whereas accordyng to the testimony of August Gods Electiō is said to haue ouerpassed many Philosophers notable for their vertue famous for the cōmendable cōuersation of life doth not the thyng it self declare sufficiently that the whole exploite of our saluation is accōplished not of any desert of our workes that were foreseéne but of his onely bountyfull benignitie and most acceptable freé mercy 8. Moreouer what shall be sayd of Infantes who are taken out of this worlde assoone as they are Baptised what shall we thinke of the theéfe hangyng on the Crosse and others the lyke who hauyng lyued most abhominably were yet receaued into the kyngdome of Christ by holy repentaunce onely thorough fayth whenas they had done no good worke at all were either any workes to come foreseéne in these persons which were none at all shall we Iudge that they wanted Electiō bycause they wanted workes foreseéne before 2. Furthermore whereas this seémeth to be the onely scope of Paules Epistle to extoll and aduaunce the freé mercy of God by all meanes possible surely this scope is vtterly ouerthrowen and rooted out if the whole action of freé Election must be decided by merites of workes foreseéne before Whiche matter moued Augustine so much that to preferre knowledge of workes yea of foreknowledge of fayth either before the Grace of Election he adiudged matter of all other most intollerable 10. Lastly bycause Osorius doth so scornefully loathe our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 innouations as her termeth them as newfangled deuises of rascallike abiects to make it euidēt that we are not altogether destitute of antiquitie to iustifie our Assertions to be true we will ioyne with vs herein the Iudgement of Augustine who excludeth foreseéne workes altogether from the worke of Gods Electiō For these are his wordes most expressely set downe And least peraduenture the faythfull should bee thought to be Elect sayth he before the foundation of the world for their workes that were foreseene he proceedeth addeth therto But if Electiō come by Grace then cōmeth it not now of workes Or els Grace now is not Grace at all c. What say you moreouer to this that in an other place hee doth vtterly deny that choyse was made of the younger to beare rule ouer the Elder through the very foreknowledge of any workes at all c. Which matters being thus set in order what remayneth but that we encounter with our aduersaries argumentes wherwith they endeuour to reuiue the auncient heresie of Pelagius and hale it out of hell agayne For as those olde heretiques dyd teach that mans will was so farforth freé as that euery man was elected for the merite of their workes foreseéne before by God none otherwise do these our new Pelagians iarre vpon the same string or not very much vnlike treading the track of their forerunners the Archheretiques referring all thinges in lyke sort to workes foreseéne before least something maye seéme to bee found altogether without recompence in the behalfe of our most bountifull and souereigne God And amongest these notable Champions rusheth out this couragious ringleader Osorius and geueth a proud onset agaynst the kingdome of Grace and hath so disposed the whole force of hys battery that the maiestie of Freewill may not by any meanes bee endamaged trustyng chiefly to this Target of proofe before mentioned arguyng on this wise If election did consist of freemercy onely sayth he without respect or choyse of any the thinges that God did foresee he might be worthely accused of vnaduised and rashe dealyng But now whereas God accordyng to his vnpenetrable counsell doth determine all thinges aduisedly in a certayne well disposed order Ergo Gods Election doth not consiste of his mercy onely without respect or choyse of workes which he foresaw would be done by the faythfull To aunswere these thinges brieflye If Osorius senselesse iudgement were not throughly ouerwhelmed with heddinesse and rashenes he would not skatter abroad such black and thick cloudes to vse Augustines wordes and such crafty cautels of confused disputations We doe know and confesse Osorius that God doth neuer any thyng at all aduētures nor vnaduisedly Yet doth not that rashe imagination therefore followe whiche you haue as rashely conceaued in that blynde denne of your intoxicate braynes to witte that workes foreseene before are the cause of Election Moreouer Gods Election is neyther therefore decreéd vpon without cause nor yet therefore guyded by blynde chaunce though it hang not vpon the choyse of works afterwardes to be done But Osor. beyng a very naturall Philosopher and very Ethicall seémeth to
Axe of the truth and vtterly rooted out with the vnuanquishable force of Gods scripture Therfore first Let vs heare what discourse he maketh of Gods Iustice and mercy against the Lutheranes For whereas Luther and all good men of Luthers opinion do professe that the regarde of merites is directly cōtrary to Gods libertie and power as touchyng his Election and Predestination Osorius on the cōtrary part doth enforce all his might possible to proue that it is not so vsing these Argumentes especially Whereas we were all wrapped vp in one brake of perdition so that beyng ones defiled with sinne we became all most worthy of euerlastyng destruction for our naturall hatred agaynst Gods law engraffed fast within the nature of our bodies subiect to the outrage of lust God in whō neither any rashnes not vnrighteousnes can fall beyng a most iust Iudge towardes all men indifferently could not of his vnuariable equitie with singular clemēcy so embrace some as he must hate others vnlesse there were some cause or reason to enduce him to extēde his mercy to some and to execute Iudgement agaynst other But God now doth perceaue the whole cause therof to consiste in the maner of liuing and workes not the workes which were already done but which God foresawe should be done For what is there that the wisedome of God in his infinite knowledge doth not comprehende euen as it were present though the same be to be done in the vttermost minute of ages And by this reason it may be that God accordyng to the seuerall conditions of men did of his clemency elect them to eternall life whō he foresawe would be obedient to his Cōmaūdementes And on the other side did exclude them from the fruitiō of his kyngdome which he foresaw would vnthankfully despise his heauenly benefites And by this meanes sayth he Gods Iustice may right well be defended all the defence whereof standeth vpon mercy which otherwise cā not by any meanes deliuered from due reproch What a mockery is this as though if God should follow his owne libertie and will in the order of Predestination without all workes foreseéne before his Iustice could not stand inuiolable nor garded safe enough from all slaunder or suspition of vnrighteousnesse I demaunde then what if God out of this huge lumpe hadd chosen no one man at all whiche he might lawfully haue done if him lysted what if he had duely Iudged to deserued damnation the whole masse of mankynde which did altogether deserue his indignation wrath to speake Augustines wordes could any man cōdemne him of iniustice Goe to May not he that oweth nothyng to any man of his owne meére liberalitie lawfully exempt vndeserued out of this corrupted loste masse whō him listeth or haue mercy on whō he will haue mercy could not hee indurate and reiect whom he would without respect of meritorious workes followyng whenas there was matter more then enough ministred by their former desertes to condemne all to destruction As for example Admitte that a mā haue two debtours whereof the one is indebted vnto him in an exceédyng great summe of money the other oweth not so much by a great deale and the bountyfull creditour vouchsafe to forgeue the greater summe to that first I pray you is there any iust cause here for the other to grudge agaynst the creditour If he doe shall not his mouth be forthwith stopped with that aunswere of Christ in the Gospell Is it not lawfull for me to doe as I will with myne owne is thyne eye euill bycause I am good The very same doth that place of Paule seéme in my simple capacitie to emply where treatyng of the Election of the yoūger and refusall of the elder and of hardenyng Pharaos hart withall he doth annexe immediatly vnto the same what shall we say then is God vnrighteous makyng this Obiection agaynst him selfe as vnder the person of Osorius after this maner If God did not worke after the proportion of foreseene workes and deseruynges Ergo God may seeme to be vnrighteous in his Election and should offend against Iustice distributiue This Argument the Apostle doth forthwith deny saying God forbyd and withall rendreth a reason of his illation negatiue namely that both propositions bee Iustifiable in God Both that God is not vnrighteous And also that God accordyng to the equitie of his Freewill doth take mercy on whom he will haue mercye not in respecte of anye mans deseruynges but of his owne freé bountyfulnesse benignitie and mercy And therfore for the better establishyng of this his defence he doth forthwith cite the same wordes that were spoken to Moyses I will haue compassion on whom I haue compassion and I will shew mercy to whom I do shew mercy So that hereby you seé good Syr that to the worke of Election and Predestinatiō the Apostle iudgeth Gods will onelye though there were no cause els matter sufficient to acquite his Iustice freé from all flaunder and reproch that in my Iudgement now the defence of Gods Iustice which you haue placed in Gods mercy seémeth more aptly applyed to his will For as he can will nothyng but that which is most righteous so nothyng is truly righteous in deéde but that whiche proceédeth from the will of GOD. So that now it shall not be neédefull at all to be inquisitiue accordyng to the coūsell of Augustine after any other principall causes besides Gods good will consideryng that no hygher cause can be founde of greater importaunce But what can be so well spoken but that some will be founde somewhat scrupulous without cause will not in most brightest Sunneshyne seé wtout a candle Therfore this cauillyng colcouerthwart creépeth yet foreward If it be true sayth hee that Gods Election is directed by his will onely in allowyng or makyng hardharted whom he will that no man cā resist his will It seemeth then that Pharao and others who of indurate contumacy of mynde are wicked whereas in that their wickednesse they do execute the will God that they are not the cause of their owne wickednesse nor that they can chuse but do the wickednesse whereunto they are violently thrust necessitie If it be so what iust quarell can God haue then agaynst those whom him selfe hath made to be stiffenecked wherefore he should condemne thē To be short The substaunce of the Obiection is for the most part knitte vp in this Argument If God do harden mens hartes then should not Pharao be the cause of his owne Sinne consideryng no man can resist the will of God Or to reduce this consequent into a Sillogisme No mā hath iust cause to blame him whom him selfe enforceth to offende God doth iustly finde fault with sinners Ergo God doth compell no mā to sinne nor doth make them endurate I do Aunswere First euen by the self same Obiections wh the Apostle vnder the person of the
punishmendes of oftendours where is the ouerthrow of the coÌ„mon weale where is that haynous accusation of the vnrighteousnes of God And where are now those Protagoristes and Diagoristes and men farre more wicked then any of those of whom you preache so much what aunswere shall I frame to this your malapere and currishe slaunderinge O some of Iemini If God haue coÌ„maunded you to lye so shamelesly without controlement and to backbite vertuous personages in this sort what remayneth for them but that they patiently endure this generall grief of the godly and recomfort theÌ„selues by the example of Dauid If peraduenture the Lord will behold their affliction and will render vnto them good thinges for this cursed slaunder In the meane space this one thyng delighteth not a little that whereas his fellow doth counterfayte and lye in all thinges yet he doth the same so openly that no man can choose but laugh at hym and withall so Impudently that euery man may detest hynm and agayne so blockishly that euery man may despise and deryde him for it Wherby it commeth to passe that he doth not so much preiudice to Luther by euill speaking as he doth bewray hys owne ignoraunce to the worlde by worsse prouing hys false and forged lyes seeing heé hath neyther seemed to haue learned any thinge of the truth as yet nor proued those lyes which he hath forged nor euer shal be able to proue any of them Go to and what gaine think ye haue you made by these your slaunders and lyes when as ye accuse Luther amongest the nuÌ„ber of Atheistes Diagoristes Protagoristes and farre more wicked also then any of these as one that doth condemne God of vnrighteousness affirmeth him to be the Author of euill dispoyleth man of Iudgement reason bryngeth in fatall Necessitie excludyng all action and operation of Will compelleth men to do wickedly agaynst their willes teacheth that men may freely be euill and go vnpunished couereth their naughtines with an excuse These and other vnspeakeable treacheries when ye lay to Luthers charge do ye beleue that ye shall make any man geue credite to your talke And doe ye not think that some one or other will ryse vppe vpon the sodayne which by readyng Luthers bookes will espye thys your manifest falshood in lying Let euery man that will peruse Luthers writinges ouer and ouer which he hath left behynde hym as pledges and testimonyes of hys fayth who hath euer iudged or written more honorably of Gods Iustice who hath euer with more vehemency reproued mans vnrighteousnes or condeÌ„ned it more sharpely so farre is he of from shadowyng the wickednes of naughtipackes with a cloude of excuse And where then hath thys man affirmed that God is the Author of euill Or where doth he tye men to a Necessitie of sinnyng such a Necessitie especially as Osori dreameth of This doth he affirme That Nature being left destitute of grace caÌ„not but sinne of very Necessitie which Necessitie notwithstaÌ„dyng proceedeth froÌ„ no where els then froÌ„ will it selfe beyng corrupted But Osori doth so snatch and wrest this senteÌ„ce into a cauillation as though Luther did bryng in such a Necessitie as should leaue no freédome to man at all moreouer such a Necessitie as should so abolish all libertie as though will could vndertake nothing at all of his own voluntary choyse but should be forced and whirled as it were to all thinges through â—oaction and constraint Such indifferency vseth Osorius here both to make an open lye himself and to charge Luther with a lye also In the first wherof the vayne error of Osorius is easily espyed in the second hys vnshamefast impudeÌ„cy discouereth it selfe Now to make the same appeare more euidently it will not be impertinent in this place to make a short collection of all the sentences and argumentes of ech partie touching the whole cause of Freewill and Predestination which beyng compiled into certayne brief places it will not be amisse likewise to expouÌ„d the same That by this meanes the Reader may more easily coÌ„ceaue and more substancially discerne betwixt the doctrine of eche party aswell of them that are of Luthers opinioÌ„ as also of theÌ„ that hang vppon the Popes sleaue what is truth and what is false and how slaunderous a toung Osorius hath what soeuer therfore hath bene taught by Luther Melancthon Bucer Caluine and other Deuines of sounde Iudgement of Freewill and PredestinatioÌ„ are to be reduced for the most part into this brief ¶ A Breuiate of all Luthers doctrine of Free-will and Predestination gathered out of his bookes And withall the contrary Argumentes of the aduersaries and the solution of the same FIrst as coÌ„cerning maÌ„s corrupt nature thus they teache That man is so wholy and altogether defiled that he is not able of him selfe or of any part of him selfe to atteyne vnto God But they deny not but man may come to GOD by the helpe of Grace 2. That it is not in maÌ„s power to prepare him selfe to receaue grace but all maÌ„s conuersion to be the gift of God in the whole and of euery part 3. That the Grace of God is not so offered as that it resteth in our choyse afterwardes to take or refuse 4. That the grace of God is not so geuen nor to thus endonely that by his aide onely it shold helpe our weakenes as though there were otherwise somwhat within vs but that the worke and benefite hereof is his owne that our stoany hartes may be conuerted into fleshly hartes that our wills be not bettered but wholy renewed That being regenerated in harts and myndes first we may will that which we ought to will 5. That maÌ„kinde hauing lost that freedome which he receaued in his first creation fell into miserable bondage And they deny that man being in this seruile estate is endued with any free abilitie to do good or euill as that he may applie him selfe to whether part him listeth And here they expounde freedome to be that which is opposite to bondage 6. Touching the effectuall operation of Gods grace thus they doe affirme that our will is not so raysed vppe by the conduct therof that it may be able of it selfe if it will but that it is renewed and drawen so that it must follow of necessitie neither that it can be able otherwise but to will 7. They denie that in perseueraunce man worketh together with God as that of his owne power it may obey the guiding of God moreouer in reÌ„dring reward they denie that the latter grace is geuen to euery maÌ„ in steede of recoÌ„pence as though by well vsing the first grace man had deserued the last grace 8. That maÌ„ caÌ„ do nothing at all especially in the things which apperteine vnto God but so much as God himself vousafeth to geue And that God doth geue nothyng according to his good pleasure but the same is altogether free without all respect of any mans deseruinges Finally that God
But when a man may be without sinne and by whom that is the thyng that is in question If thou wilt say in this present life and in the body of this death how then do we pray in this life forgeue vs our sinnes If maÌ„ can of him selfe be without Sinne. Ergo Christ dyed in vayne c. But Osorius vnderproppeth his Freewill here with this crooch in couplyng the grace of God with it disputyng on this wise By the assistaunce of Gods Grace nature may subdue Sinne. The grace of God doth assiste them that be his owne Ergo In the thynges apperteinyng to God all Necessitie of Sinnyng is quyte excluded Least Osor. may not seéme to differre nothyng at all from the Pelagians he doth vphold the cause of Freewill with an addition of Grace And yet for all this he doth not so catche the thyng that he gapeth for but that a Necessitie of sinnyng shall alwayes be resiaunt euen in the holy ones of God Grace assistyng sayth he Nature may exclude Sinne. If he meane the perfect assistaunce of grace by the wh all infirmitie of nature is taken away the Maior is true but that Minor is false For to confesse as truth is the riches of Gods graces to be wonderfull and his blessyngs which God powreth into his Elect to be magnificent yet this Grace of God doth not make any man of such a singuler perfection in this world but that the best of vs all many tymes offende in many thynges and do pray dayly that our trespasses may be forgeuen The grace of God in deéde doth helpe our infirmities that they may be lessened and pardonable but to be cleane cutte away that I do vtterly deny it doth in deéde helpe out infirmities yet leaueth it vs neuerthelesse in our infirmities that he may alwayes help vs. How plentifully the Grace of Christ was powred vpon hys holy Apostles no man is ignoraunt which Grace notwithstanding did not make perfect their strength to the full measure but the same grace rather was made perfect through their infirmitie In part fayth S. Paule we do know and in part we do perceaue But when that is come which is perfect then shall that which is vnperfect be abolished For now we behold as by a glas in a darck ridle but then shall we see face vnto face nowe doe I know in part but then shall I know as I am knowne And therfore to aunswere at one word If Osorius do meane that assistaunce of Gods Grace which may make absolute and perfect obedience in this life Augustine will immediately deny the same who discoursing vpon the first commaundement whereby we are commaunded to loue God withall our hart and our neighbour as our selfe We shall fulfill that commaundement sayth August when we shall see face to face And immediately after And therfore the the man hath profited much in this lyfe in that righteousnes which ought to be accomplished who doth knowe by profiting how farre he is distaunt from the full perfection of true righteousnesse Lastly whereas it is argued from the power of Gods grace that sufficeth not to exclude Necessitie of sinning for it may come to passe through Grace and the absolute power of God that a man may not sinne at all And that the fire may not burne also And it might haue come to passe likewise That the punishment of the whole corrupted masse in Adames loynes should not haue bene deriued into the posterity if it had so pleased God Yet are not all things done that may be done vnlesse the decreéd Will of God do ioyne together with his power Not vnlike vnto this is the very argument of Celestius the Pelagian agaynst Augustine If God Will it may come to passe that man may not sinne in wordes nor in thought But Gods will is that no man should sinne Ergo Nothing withstandeth but that man may not sinne in wordes nor in thought The forme of this argumeÌ„t should rather haue bene framed on this wise If God Will and do minister help withall it may come to passe that man shall not sinne at all but God willeth helpeth withall that a man shall not sinne at all in worde nor in thought Ergo c. I doe aunswere with Augustine vnto the Minor That it is true in deéde that God willeth and helpeth agaynst the force of sinne I doe adde ouer and besides that no man is holpen but he that willeth and worketh somewhat himselfe also But two things are to be noted here both who they be that are holpeÌ„ how God doth help them Forsooth such as call vpon him such as beleue in the Sonne such as are called after the purpose of hys Will and such as whose will is sâ—irred vppe to this end to craue earnestly for assistaunce Because whom he hath foreknowne theÌ„ hath he also predestinate to be made like vnto the Image of the Sonnes of God c. Furthermore it must be coÌ„sidered by what meanes he doth helpe not to the ende that no more dregges of sinne should from thenceforth cleaue fast in the flesh but to the end that sinne should not raygne in the mortall bodyes of them whom himselfe hath sanctified through Grace What thing so euer God will haue to be done must of Necessitie be done God will haue all men to be saued Ergo It is of Necessitie that all men shal be saued I do aunswere vnto the Maior all things that God will haue done must be done of Necessitie so that God yelde hys helpe also together with hys will that they may be brought to passe Then I thus annswere to the Minor That it is true that God would haue all men to be saued with this addition annexed All to witte All that beleéue in the Sonne For without the Mediator he will haue no man saued But now sithence it is not geueÌ„ to all men to haue fayth nor that all men do repayre to Christ for helpe The fault hereof is their own vnbeleéuingnes not the will of God But some of Osorius pupills will vrge agayne Forasmuch as fayth is the gift of God and hys will that all should be saued is an vniuersall promise and that the greatnes of his mercy is prepared ready and set forth to all indifferently why then is not geauen to all indifferently to haue fayth is it because God will not geue it but so should he seeme an vnrighteous distributour and so should he offend in Iustice distributiue Or is it because men will not embrace the kingdome of GOD But this doth argue that men may take holdfast of the gift of fayth if they will And how then is the power of Freewill suppressed I do aunswere first out of the scriptures then out of August And they beleeued as many as were foreordeyned to lyfe euerlasting Actes 13. Augustine Two thinges are to be holden to be resiaunt alwayes in God That there is
most iust Iudgemēt agaynst sinne his most excellēt piety towards his sonne his most tēder loue towardes mākinde For in that he did most sharpely and with seuerest Iustice punish our Sinnes in his owne sonne he restored him to life to a most ample kyngdome wtall thereby prouided most fatherly for all our saluatiō generally We Read lykewise in the holy Scriptures It is necessary that offences shall come it is necessary that heresies be c. And it is not to be doughted but that this Necessitie doth issue frō the ordinaunce of God And what then if these offences do chaunce altogether besides the ordinaunce of GOD how then doe they chaunce of Necessitie Agayne if they happen by the ordinaūce of GOD how shall we then defende the goodnesse of GOD Forsooth euen by the same meanes that I spake of before For if he which dyd foreordeyne those offences were alyke affectioned and of the same mynde nor dyd respect any other ende then the persons themselues do from whom those offences doe aryse there should nothing withstand but that he should be in the self same fault and in all respectes as blameworthy as they But nowe sithe there is so great diuersitie betwixt them in the maner of doyng and the respect of the end hereby it commeth to passe that in one selfe action that which is committed by mē is a most haynous cryme and in that which commeth of GOD appeareth most euidently a wonderfull commendation of Iustice and pyety But here is yet a very great knott in thys bullrush whereupon Osorius scrapeth agayne very busily To cōfesse this to be true that offences and heresies must aryse by men yet forasmuch as their willes are not otherwise ordered but by the guyding and leading of Gods direction it can not be denyed but that God hymselfe as one that doth suggest some matter first must be accompted for an Abettour or furtherer for whosoeuer shall be the cause of any other cause or action euē the same must needs be an accessary to the cryme that is committed That offences and other sondry inconueniences of this present lyfe do flow from out the corrupt affections of men as out of their naturall source and sprynghead is most true And agayne that the willes of men which way soeuer they bend them selues are guyded not without the permissiō and especiall prouidence of God This is also most true Furthermore that the very Will of God and hys prouidence doe seéme to be in some cause that offences and inconueniences do aryse I doe confesse likewise agreéing herein with August Well and what hereof what if we graunt that God is after a certayne sorte the cause of euill Ergo Osorius doth conclude presently vpon the same that God as beyng the cause of euill cannot be excused of blame But if he do so hee is at hand that will deny his argument For it is not a good consequent which is deriued from the cause of offences and euilles but onely in such offences and sinnes which are not themselues the very punishment of sinnes and reward of trespasse where the euills that are committed be the vttermost effectes of the cause agent Whereof neyther of them both may be imputed to God For neyther doth Gods prouidence work in the corrupt affections of men as the principall cause vnto the last ende moreouer neyther are mens wills enclined or hardened to wickednes by the operation of God but where God hath most iust cause so to do aswell because God doth all thinges to make the excellency of hys power and Maiesty to appeare more glorious and to beé wondered at as also because hee doth harden the hartes of no person but to th end with sinne to punish the former sinnes wickednes and mischieuous facts that haue bene committed before Yea and this also most rightfully Whereupon August sayth this must be grounded and vnremoueable within your hartes That there is no vnrighteousnes in God And for thys cause when ye do reade in the holy scriptures that men are seduced by God or that their hartes are hardened dought nothing at all but that they haue committed before offence enough for the which they ought worthely to suffer c. If mans nature be of it selfe so valiaunt as to defend it selfe sufficiently agaynst all stormes and assaultes of sinne wherefore then doth he suffer himselfe to beé caryed away willingly and wittingly out of the right way why doth he not preuent all occasions and temptations as heé ought to do why doth he not practize the same courage that his owne reason inuiteth him vnto If he cannot why then euen from the beginning throwing ouer boorde the helme of Gods gouernement did he take vpon hym to be pylote of hys owne course why did he presume to be wise without God why was he so arrogant with so hauty and lofty a courage to geue the attempt vpon the tree of lyfe and graspe of the fruit thereof why being not contented with hys owne simplicitie chose he rather to raunge the field himselfe with the bridle in his teéth thē to abide the managing of the Lord who now if were able to gouern him selfe without Gods assistaunce doth worthely breake hys neck if he fall ouer the rock If he cannot guyde hys owne wayes euē for this cause is he worthely forsaken and spoyled because him self cast of of God beyng hys Ryder frō hys back Whereupon this is a good consequent and must be graunted of Necessitie that eyther God is not the cause of euill or if he be yet that in this cause is nothing at all but that whiche standeth most of all with equitie and Iustice likewise that in man is nothing but that whereof he may worthely condemne hym selfe The will of God doth worke together with mans will in sinne according to the Lutheranes It standeth therfore with as good reason that the same should be imputed to the one that is imputed to the other If the circumstaunces of them both were in all respects like the consequent would be good but the circumstances beyng altered the state of the conclusion is altered also All the actions of mans life are gouerned by the disposition of the secret prouidence of God This is very true Mans will also doth endeuour withall together with the same Here is therefore an operation and working on both partes God worketh and man worketh and both in one matter But bicause God doth order things after farre other meanes and respecting an other ende then men doe herein redowndeth vnto hym the highest commendation of power Iustice aud Bounty Men are worthely blamed as beyng the very causes of their own harmes When Ioseph was solde by hys brethren when Iudas betrayed the Lord when Absalon defiled hys fathers concubines When Pharao witheld the people of Israell When Semei rayled vpon Dauid When Antiochus waxed wrothe agaynst the Iewes long sithence whenas Antichrist euen now gryndeth hys teeth agaynst the
seéme to speake sufficiently in the honest defence of him selfe so in respect of your deserte he were not able to vtter enough agaynst you After all this ye adde moreouer and demaunde with what honest reason Luther doth ioyne the constancy of hys Discipline with the defence of Gods Iustice. To answere briefly Certes with much more honester reason then your bloudy Bishop or you his skraping catchpolles who hauing embrued your rotchets in so much Christian bloud play the Butchers more like then Byshops can ioyne your pryde vayneglorious Tytles Pompe Arrogancy Cruelty Tyranny Treason Lust Lechery Opinions Heresies Determinations and intollerable Canones of mans Traditions together with Peter with Paule with Christ and with hys Gospell not to speake of the rest of your secret abhominations I am come now at the length to the triumphaunt end of this glorious booke where leauing Luther in the field sounding the retraiâ—t from the great battell of Freewill Osor. doth furbush hys furniture for the Triumph agaynst poore Gualter HaddoÌ„ and not without cause for because this quarelling CiuiliaÌ„ who a little before did yelde ouer the preéminence of Eloquence to Osorius and confessed him to be the chiefe carpenter of speach and named hym also the scholer of Cicero many tymes he seémeth so variable vnconstant now That he dare affirme that Osorius writing is vnsauory voyde of likelyhoode of truth and without sense argument and proofe which Haddon is so childishe in hys style making skarse anye semblaunce of witte in hys vtteraunce that he deserueth no commendation of witte at all but such as seemeth to stand in darckenesse of speach Finally whereas he doth so oftentimes obiect agaynst Osorius the name of Cicero by way of reproche He him selfe did very carefully foresee that no man shoulde be able to reproche hym with the name of Cicero for he speaketh nothing very eloquently nothing playnely nothing distinctly nothing pitthely nothing substancially nothing loftely What soeuer pleaseth hym he hath thrust into hys wrytinge and that also he doth confirme not by reason or argument but with skolding and lauishnes of tongue Lastly hys whole wryting is so bluntish so base so colde that it moueth Osorius to pity it rather then to hate it And that is the cause That Osorius cannot according to hys promise condiscend with hart and mynde to hys opinions as he promised he would do if he could winne the victory of the cause which he vndertooke with apte and conuenient arguments But now sithence he hath not done it sitheÌ„ce he hath brought no argument nor vsed any proofe to the purpose sithence also hys reasons be such as haue no force to mayntayne credite but such as rather doe disclose a token of some miserable frensye hereof therefore it commeth to passe that he seemeth to be acquited of hys promise if hee remayne as yet in hys opinion vnuanquished And therefore that Haddon did very vaynely take in hand to wryte that they did not lesse vndiscretely that set hym a worke Moreouer that neyther hys Schoolemaister was voyde of blame whosoeuer he were that did not instruct hym at the first in what place and in what forme he ought to apply his interrogation making to the substaunce of the matter Nowe hast thou gentle reader the last acte of Osorius fable which whether I may tearme to be Comicall or Tragicall I can not well tell but that it seemeth in myne opinion to resemble rather the shape of a Comedye more neerely For what glorious Thraso I pray you could euer haue handled hys part vppon a stage more rufflingly moue the beholders to lowd laughter more pleasauntly To haue the whole fruition of his sweet pigsnye Cicero as it were of Thais or Phillida what a sturr doth he keepe And because he perceaueth that Haddon hath a fansie to hys mynion which maketh him to stand in some feare least he wil beguile him how hatefully despightfully doth he exclame vpon him to driue him out of countenaunce not onely treading hym vnder hys feete but so furiouslye boyling agaynst hym That if this Parasiticall Gallaunt were now in England with hys cogging companion Sanga and but an handfull of Catholicke Monkes with them Uerely I beleue he would as Thraso pretended agaynst Thais also burst open the gates vpon him whom he doth now thrust downe in the belfry amongest boyes as one that deserueth no title of good word for his witt in whom is neyther any force of seÌ„tence nor any likelihood of truth in whose writings no examples finally which HaddoÌ„ no reseÌ„blance of Ciceroes delectable pronuÌ„ciatioÌ„ doth appeare but a certayn piteous staÌ„mering of speach vttred in hys writings vntowardnes childishnes in disputiÌ„g obscure a certein vnskilfull applicatioÌ„ of Rhetoricall interrogatioÌ„s learned of an vnskilfull Maister but as one that can skarse expresse hys meaning by his vtteraunce hath no pertaking of Ciceroes finesse nor coÌ„meth so much as any thing neere the maiesty of Cicero expresseth nothing purely nothing playnly nothiÌ„g distinctly nothing substaÌ„cially nothing loftely Finally vttereth nothyng but a vayne sound of foolishe wordes that it woulde pittie a man to see it Wherefore O wretched man that thou art poore stammering Haddon O piteous estate of this seély Phedria And in the meane tyme thys vayneglorious proud pecocke is bedeckt with all these Distritch feathers and glittering plumes wrapt vp together in a great brush perdie so that here is no want of any thing nowe but of some gyering Gnato which may lowt this Thraso out of hys paynted Coate But go to Let these thinges passe Osorius Although this vnbrydeled and cottquenelike maner of scolding and lauishnes of toung doth of right require that we shoulde likewise blaze out your braynsicknesse in the right colour and make you as it were a mockery for boyes yet dismissing now at the last those toyes and merry conceites of your dame deynty wherewith she hath as you say besmeared Haddons lips we will deale in earnest with you and therefore let vs see what it is wherewith you reproche Haddon so vnmanerly He sayd that you were Ciceroes scholler and a conning coyner of words what euill was in this Afterwardes himselfe doth confesse that your writinges are vnsauorye and without reason wherin sayd he amisse meaning this in effect as I think that you busye your selfe about a straunge matter as though you were raking after the Moone wherein ye neyther sauour any thing at all you are not able to teache nor willing to learne You doe slaunder certayne godly and learned personages here in England yea euen to their Queéne whom despightfully ye call by a nickname new Gospellers And thus do ye eyther of no reason at all or in such wise as if onely exchaunge of names were made would easily be more appliable vnto the forgers and counterfayte stagers of the Romish Gospell yea would accord much more fittely with them then with those that you do accuse moreouer where you
pure elegancy of Cicero do seeme in his iudgement childishe stammerers in vayne haue Augustine Ierome Ciprian Ambrose Gregory Bernard in vayne haue the Romish Prelates and all other expositours both of the Greéke and the Latine Churches in vayne haue Angrensis Dalmata Alphonsus Turianus Andradius bestowed great and paynfull labours in writiÌ„g whose style and forme of phrase if be throughly viewed and considered peraduenture the more part of them will be found to differre as farre from the finesse of Cicero as Haddon doth That I may be so bolde to make no mencioÌ„ at all of Scotus Sotus LoÌ„bardus Gratiane Thomas de Aquino Raphaell Gabriell and such like trasshe yea how many may a maÌ„ pyke out from amongst the most famous and true Christian deuines who of sett purpose haue abased their stile not because they could not write so loftely of the thinges that you esteéme of so gaâ—ly but because they were of this minde that this hawty loftinesse of affected Eloquence woulde not agreé with the naturall simplicitie of the Gospell Whereupon Ierom writing to Pammachius seemeth in this respecte to haue him in the more estimacioÌ„ because he despised Cicero in respect of Christ and farther also is of this Iudgement that in the expositioÌ„ of scriptures the nycetye of speache ought not onely to be dissimuled but also vtterly eschued because it might be more profitable for all ingenerall Christ our sauiour accompteth the high and great thinges of this worlde to he execrable and abhominable in the sight of God And the Prophet Esay doth with wonderfull manacing threaten Manasses the day of the Lord agaynst all things that be fayre beautifull florishing things of this world Paule in enlarging the knowledge of the Euangelicall doctrine durst not beginne the same with high and lofty Rhetoricall speache nor furnishe his wordes with humayne Eloquence not because it was hard for him to do so if he listed but chose rather to refrayne least the Crosse of Christ sayth he might be made voyde and of none effect I speake not this because I would haue men tyed to such a necessitie now a dayes by his example namely sithe the Gospell of Christ doth so florish euery where as though it might not be lawfull in these dayes with what soeuer ornamentes yea of greattest estimatioÌ„ to beautifie the speache to applye the same to the vse of Christes congregatioÌ„ But yet must modest discretioÌ„ be vsed here Truely if Plato were of opinion that the last end of Eloquence was that we should deliuer vtter things acceptable to God how much more theÌ„ is the same to be required in a Deuine Aud therefore as concerning the Grace and dexteritie of Cicero whatsoeuer it be that eyther Nature did emplant in him or Industry did attayne as I despise it not but rather very well like of it and do wonder at so excellent a gift of God in him so agayne do I not reprehend in any man to immitate him so that his imitation be ioyned with Christian simplicitie so that it be done not to hawke after the proud estimation of the worlde nor to the vayne glorious ostentation of witte nor for anye priuate glory finally so that it be so applyed that discret imitation may be clearely voyde of vayne affectation Nowe what shall we say to them who reiecting all other teachers of maners and doctrine do employ all their endeuour to file vpp their tongues so addict themselues altogether to Cicero alone and so amazedly dote vpon him onely that thinke it a lesse fault not to be a Christian almost then not to be a Ciceronian nor iudge hym scarse worthy the reading though he be neuer so Christian a wryter that doth not frame hys stile after Ciceroes patterne and sauor altogether of hys delicate speache And that is the cause as I suppose why Osorius doth recken that Haddon doth wryte nothing purely and nothing playnly Not because he hath corruptly or fasly written but that it seémeth to Osori that he hath not written like a Ciceronian because hee doth not throughly resemble his dexteritie loftines although in deéde he be not very farre behinde hym And therfore this sweete man doth woÌ„der what waywardnes of minde forced him to be so bold as to wryte agaynst Osorius and coÌ„maundeth him to learne of him if it please the Muses how hawty and vehement interrogations must be applyed in place fitte for the same Last of all in steade of a Rhetoricall acclamation concluding with a Satyricall skoffe he doth aduertize hym To procede in writing franckly as hym listeth and because he will encourage hym to wryte more franckly and freely he telleth him that he may freely wryte without daunger because no man of any iudgement or skill will blame him in this respect that he is addicted to Cicero more then is needefull If there were any sense or feélyng of right or wrong in all your body or if there were any reason in all these your vnmanerly tauntes and rascallike scoffes Osorius I could acquite you with the lyke and could be contented to space them vnto you in Haddons behalfe But now for as much as this your speach is so aboundauÌ„tly replenished with vanitie and folly what were better for me to doe then accordyng to the counsell of the wise man To aunswere a foole accordyng to his foolishnesse Briefly therfore and bycause I make hast to the end of your booke to auÌ„swere not to your Argumentes which in deéde are none but to aunswere your scoffes and nyppyng conceiptes not altogether vnpleasauntly yet neuerthelesse somewhat truly Surely I do geue you harty thankes Osorius not for myne owne cause onely but in the publicke name of all the learned generally for the thynges wh you haue taught vs hetherto in these your notable books For so haue you taught as we all can not but be merry and receaue singuler delight at your doynges For what is he that can absteine from laughing that shall heare you disputyng vpon those matters in wh you seéme to behaue your self no more aptly then as though a blind man should discerne betwixt colours and a Camell Iudge of dauncing You take vpon you to determine franckly betwixt true and false ReligioÌ„ very hautely and proudely but yet much more impudently And yet it shal be as easie a matter for a maÌ„ to finde as much Relligion in Tullies Offices yea and as true as this your Relligion is which you haue so gloriously painted out in these your bookes hetherto a fewe sparckles onely except Likewise also throughout the whole course of the rest of your discourse how often haue your friuolous and confused Argumentes moued me to myrth and laughter As where you thrust your selfe to stoughtly into the matter of Iustification Predestination in all which kinde of doctrine notwtstaÌ„dyng you seéme as meére a strauÌ„ger as though you came new froÌ„ India neither dare once so much all the while in all your
bookes name out of your mouth the tearme of Iustification or of Predestination Yea truly I maruell also why ye durst name the name of Christ also amōgest your writyngs sith that Cicero neuer made mention therof in all his bookes But this ridiculous Silenus doth neuer play his part more pleasauntly then whenas takyng the rodde in his hād and sittyng in the Schoolemaisters chayre he calleth forth poore seély Haddon into the middes of the Schoole and cōmaundeth him to harken to him to learne of his Maister And no maruell for he is full of such cōmaundementes But good M. Osorius you must beare with poore Haddō in this behalfe for he is occupied about other matters he can not come to your Schoole now And if he could be presēt he would not be so foolish yet though otherwise in eloquēce neuer so childishly ignoraūt as to be much afrayde of this vgly Buggebeare in a Lyons skynne but he would sooner espye him to be an Asse by his lollyng eares then a Lyon by his pawes Wherfore keépe these Maisterly preceptes now to your selfe which you may then at the length with shame enough lay vpon others neckes when you haue your selfe learned to vse them well before For if we lysted to set downe here to the viewe how oft your Reasons and Argumentes fayle you how vndiscretly how fayntly you roaue and raunge to vnseasonable exclamations and vntymely scornefull braggynges braying out as it were a madd man where no cause is triumphyng there where is no victory yea and many tymes where no aduersary is how stoughtly sometymes ye stād by incōgruitie I could easily shew that the faultes which you carpe at to be in Haddon cā be applyable to no mā more fitly then to your selfe Now whereas you adde last of all that there is no man of any Iudgement which will blame Haddon for that he is addicted to Cicero more then is neédefull as I am not ignoraunt whereunto that your vnsauory and more then foolishe scoffe tendeth so can I not sufficiently coniecture what this malicious bragge of the name of a Ciceronian and emulation of speache should emporte amōgest Christiās It is not my part to Iudge rashly of your meanyng And it may be that ye write this agaynst Haddon not so much of any true knowledge as to vnlade you of some cholericke humours And yet if you will geue me leaue to tell you in your care what I thinke if you thinke as you haue writtē and be of the very same mynde in deéde certeinly there can not be hidden vnder this couerte meanyng of yours any other thyng then very lurkyng Heathenish infidelitie For if you be carried into such a wonderfull admiration of Cicero that ye thinke him worthy to be noted for infamous that is not more then enough addicted to Cicero for so doe your wordes emporte and ou the contrary part thinke also a speciall poynt of hyghe commēdation if a man with whole bent of affection endeuour to become a Ciceronian◠where is thē I pray you the Glory of Christ where is that mynde that knoweth not to reioyce in any thyng but in the Crosse of our Lord and Sauiour Iesu Christ The Lord in the Gospell doth playnly deny that a man may serue two Maisters at once And the Apostle doth exhorte not in one place alone that we frame not our selues to the fashiō of this world But you will say that by these wordes Mammon is vnderstāded Be it so in deéde Ergo who so is addicted ouermuch vnto Mammon him you deny to be the seruaunt of Iesu Christ. And shall he be the seruaūt of Christ that is addicted to Cicero more then enough But it is prayseworthy to imitate the gorgeous neattnes of Ciceroes speach worthy of great cōmēdatiō to matche him in excellēcy nor is it any thyng preiudiciall to Christes glory But what if Christ will not be glorified on this wise what if the simplicity of the gospell will not admit such pyrlyd pyked delicate speéch what if the same that Synesius spake of the young man may be as aptly verified of speach that is to say That fine poolished speach is alwayes impudēt But eloquēce was alwayes had in great estimatiō amongest all men you will say As though that whatsoeuer were vnlike vnto Ciceroes phrase were by by barbarous and as though Cicero him selfe if he were now aliue agayne would not vse an other phrase of speach in the doctrine of the Scriptures thē he vsed at that tyme. And as I suppose this one mā Cicero did not accomplish all maner of learnyng Neither is one phrase of speach meéte applyable to all persons causes and Argumēts But now Maister Osorius other maner of matters are in hand we lyue now in an other world In that which we may not occupy our wittes so much about the poolishyng of speach but rather with earnest bent affectiōs seéke for life euerlasting for remissiō of sinnes for the kyngdome of God learne how to turne away the seueritie of Gods wrath Iudgemēt frō vs for that day surely hāgeth ouer our heades which shall bring vs either to euerlastyng glory or els to euerlasting destruction We must be well aduized how we shall aūswere in that Parliament before that Iudgemēt seate For the Iudge may not be dealt withall with floorishyng wordes but with substaunciall matter This must be all our care endeuour hereunto must we enforce all the powers of our soules not how measurably or aboundaūtly our toung may be framed to pretie cōceiptes not how loftely our style mayaduaūced But by what meanes the terrible coūtenaūce of God may be pacified All other thynges whatsoeuer are but shadowes though they delight prophane eyes of this world with neuer so glorious spectackles Undoughtedly whosoeuer is strickē with an earnest feare of God whose soule beyng terrified with the multitude of his haynous sinnes doth with inward harty sorrow sighe and scrytche out vnto Christ whom the holy Ghost hath endued with a true and liuely contemplation of this transitory world who hath in hart and mynde vtterly renoūced the world with the pompe therof Finally whom the vnmeasurable magnificence and vnspeakeable Maiestie of the kyngdome of the Sonne of GOD doth wholy possesse what shall he regarde the lofty grace of Cicero or the proude stately wordes of his phrase or his myniō deuises and toyes so that he speake purely plainly lightsomely and directly to purpose so that his speach be cleane ioyned with a meane comlynesse what neédes there any more aboundaunce be required in that man But he speaketh not lyke a Ciceronian veryly Christ him selfe spake not like a Ciceronian yea although he had so spoken he should haue profited lesse For it commeth to passe I can not tell by what secret operation and influence of thinges that the humilitie of the Crosse which consisteth wholy in Deuine inspiration will not agreé with this hauty and lofty
to vnlose it then Haddon was we should at least stand maruelously amazed at the inscrutable ingeniousnes of the man For determinyng with him selfe to make a playne demonstration that these new Gospellers as he calleth them should not in any wise be harkened vnto but should be banished out of all common weales as common plagues and maisters of all misrule and wickednesse he frameth his Argument vpon this pointe That whereas they tooke vpon them to restore the auncient puritie of the Gospell infinite mischiefes doe reigne notwithstandyng amongest their Auditories And that these teachers do keepe Schoole no where but they make the whole couÌ„trey there the worse for theÌ„ To this Sophisticall quicke HaddoÌ„ makyng auÌ„swere affirmeth that it is neither true that Osorius fableth of that waywardnesse of this people neither yet though it were true that it is preiudiciall to the defence of the cause now in hand For the controuersie here doth concerne properly matters of Relligion to the which if the conuersations of the professours were not correspondeÌ„t or if the séedes of Christes Gospell did not fall vpon the fruitefullest grounde altogether but were choaked vppe with thornes or that the Corne were ouergrowen with Cockell and Tares the fault therof was not in the word but in the people For humane actioÌ„s had neuer so good successe in this world but that the greater sorte were alwayes delighted with the worst and the worst part many tymes preuayled beyond the best And that this came to passe long sithence not onely in the tyme of Christ and his Apostles but in the age of the holy Martyrs also and doth likewise happen by a certeine continuall order and enterchaunged course of the world dayly and hourely so that not onely the Preachers of the word but the Church of Rome it selfe neuer wanteth matter sufficient of great greéuous complaintes And albeit as the maners of men are through the caÌ„kerd peéuishnes of wayward frowardes the most sacred word of God be euill spoken of amongest the Paganes and Infidelles yet if the matter be debated amongest wise and discrete personages it will not be thought matter reasonable that the thyngs which of their own nature are good should be called in question and condemned for the naughty behauiour of naughty packes abusing the same And therfore that Osor. did amisse herein to wrest the whole state of the question to maners and euill conuersation which did onely concerne matter of Relligion Moreouer also though neuer so straight InquisitioÌ„ were made of the life and maners of the professours of the worde yet behoued not Osorius to bende him selfe so sharpely agaynst our Preachers with any accusation before he had throughly acquited or at least wise aunswered the griefes and complaintes of many others of his own Catholickes which are much more haynous and worthy of speédy reformation To these reasons of Haddon let vs heare what Osorius doth I say not dispute but with open mouth cry out first he vaunteth and triumpheth that his argument is not resolued Afterwardes this gallant glorious Thraso doth meruaile very much with what face Haddon may deny this to be trew seeing that the very poreblinde do see it and is common in euery barbours shoppe sealed with the testimony of all men yea wherewith the Siopodes are so well acquainted also as he sayth that it is merueile that any man could be so shameles to deny it to be true For what is he that doth not onely coÌ„ceaue in imagination but also not behold with hys eyes yea feele it in the whole body to the great griefe of hys hart that luste doth raunge euery where allowed vnbrydeled licenciousnesse pestereth euery corner vnpunished Sanctuaries Religious houses lye tumbling in bloâ—d that Temples and Churches be robbed and spoyled Treasons practised agaynst Princes and Gouernours Finally all places whersoeuer these doctours teach schoole to be in a tumult and vproare And forasmuch as Haddon doth not onely heare all these not by report onely and confereÌ„ce of histories but also behould the same with hys eyes openly and vsually frequented how can he say that these things were neuer done March on couragiously in this dexteritie sharpnes of witte O Benedicte But go to let vs coÌ„sider awhiles the force of this ingeniouse man Whersoeuer these new preachers sayth he do plant themselues and teache there may you see all thinges polluted with most filthy Brambles Cockell and Darnell The man hath spoken But how shall I knowe this to be true that ye speake Osorius for sooth he is past all shame that denyeth it And why so I pray you Because the matter is knowen published abroad euery where to NatioÌ„s Countryes Ilandes all people finally bruted abroad ratified by the report of all meÌ„ Behold gentle reader a very woÌ„derfull euident demonstration concluded not with arguments silogismes as men are wont to dispute in the schooles of Chrisippus Cratippus but ratified yea sealed also as oratours vse to verifie their causes before the Iudges by the testimonye of publique seales and witnesses yea and that not by the report of a few but of all maner of meÌ„ of the people of Calecute I suppose of the Massagets Antipodes men of a new world yea beyond all herring as they say So farre so wide doth this Prelates knowledge of all thinges outstretch it selfe that he can test vpon hys fingers endes what all men do euery where what they speake and what they heare what may you require to be of more credite Christian reader sithence the worlde it self and the whole compasse of the same produced is wittnesse againste these newe prophettes the Lutheranes Which if might speak altogether with one mouth woulde vse this testimony as I thinke Whatsoeuer disorders and mischiefes whatsoeuer lust and vnpunished licenciousnes whatsoeuer outragious sacrilege whatsoeuer treacherous treason and conspiracies were euer hard of amongest any people the same be chiefly and aboue all others frequented and raigne especially amongst the coÌ„mon weales of the Lutheranes through the doctrine and preaching of their Prophettes In witnesse whereof we all and euery of vs as many as liue in this world doe set to our seales Ratifie and confirme the same to be true with our handes The worlde it selfe I think if it could speake would not speake otherwise forsooth And because it cannot speake for it selfe it hath appoynted Osorius to be proctor of the cause to speake for it In a matter therefore so manifest so approued and fealed is there any so impudent an Haddon that will dare to deny this But that ye may wonder yet a great deale more at his Rhetoricall amplification he proueth it to be true not onely by the suffrages of dumme men but cyteth to witnesse agaynst Haddon himselfe his owne eyes and eares Do ye not see sayth he with your eyes what should Haddon seé with his eyes do ye ask Osorius doughtles he might seé
such vniforme order as that they might not vary from amongst themselues in some poynt or other by the space of so many hundred yeares For looke how many conuenticles of orders be amongest them so many factions are they The Dominickanes do not agreé with the Mynorites nor the Benedictines with the Barnardines Yea euery particuler faction is many tymes dyuided in it selfe The Obseruauntes do hate the Coletes The Couent Fryers a third kynde vnlike to the other two doth enuy them both hereunto if you list to adde the Iangling opiniones of the Schoolemen how great warres are commonly betwixt the Scotistes and the Thomistes about Congresum and Condignum touching originall Sinne in the blessed Uirgine about solemne vowes and simple vowes betwixt the Camonistes And the Scholemen touching auriculer cōfession which th one part affirmeth was established by man the other part doth say that it was ordayned by God The olde brabble about Nominales and Reales is knowne of euery body common and stale now In fine what man is able to rehearse the maners of diuisiones whereof as euery particuler sect hath hys Patrone So euery Patrone hath his seuerall assertiones whiche are quite contrary to others So doth Thomas de Aquino dissent from Peter Lombard Occam cannot agreé with Scotus Haliensis opugneth Occam Albert Pighius Impugneth Cardinal Caietaue And to speake nothing of other things in the one onely matter of the Lordes Supper how variable are the controuersies and opiniones of their owne fraternities whiles some teache that Christ is present flesh bloud and bone others vtterly deny that othersome ascribe vnto him a body of dimensiones others otherwise some say that the body is torne with the teéthe of the communicants at the tyme of the communion others are to squeimish at that they cānot abyde it There be some agayne that say that the body of Christ is consecrated by the deuine operation And that by this Pronowne hoc the bread is noted others had rather to call it indiuiduum Vagum Some thinke that Myse may gnawe the body of Christ truely and in deede which others Iudge to be to grossely spoken Some are of opinion that the accidentes of bread and wyne may nourish many do deny that say that the Substance of the bread remayneth But these thinges may seeme but very trifles I will come now to the very secrette closett and of this Seé and will treat now not of the externall schismes and deuisions of Friers Moncks and opinions but of the very Seé of the Bishop of Rome it selfe For the first creation whereof how soeuer Osorius paynt it out in wordes as that it was erected not by any pollicy of man but by the power of the holy ghost yet hath he vouched for proofe thereof not so much as a sillable out of the holy Scriptures yea though he did yet should he gett no more thereby then if he cast his capp against the wynde for although in the first booke some reasons wrongfully wrested seeme to haue bene gathered by him to this effect out of the holy scriptures yet those haue bene both learnedly and playnely confuted by our Haddon already Yet because there is now nothing touched els then that whiche doth magnifie that holy Tabernacle onely it may be lawfull for me with as good leaue to set downe myne opinion also touching the same See Which Seé in that case wherein it standeth now a daies I may boldly tearme to be not an holy sacred Seé but a deadly Secte rather not the mother church but the Metrapolitane of all vnsaciable couetousnes not instituted by Christ but purchased by ambitiō raysed by fraud armed with power and force of mighty Monarches defended with bloud and boochery which carrieth a resemblaunce not of true Peace but an horrible vysor of discention which doth not aswage cōtenciouse and troublous sectes but which is rather an vncessaūt whirlewinde and troublesome Tempest of the whole world Finally is nothing els how great soeuer it is but a very naturall Secte for if thys word Secte do take his name as deriued from the word Sectari in what one place throughout the whole scriptures are there any names Seés or Tytles of any person set down for a patterne for vs to imitate and followe but the onely example of Christ the sonne of God Although Paule did rebuke the Corint as backsliders from Christ and that worthely which called thē selues some after the name of Peter some of Paule and some of Apollo considering that they were all members of one Christ what cōmunication would the same Paule vse now to the Romanistes who glory so much vpon the chayre of Peter and the succession thereof Peter sate at Rome say they and what matter is it where Peter sate or where he stoode so that Christ sitte in our hartes And what if I deny Osorius that Peter euer sate at Rome by what argument will you iustifie that he sate there or if one or too small stories perhappes fauour your cause I will proue for one tenne to the contrary which perhappes you shall not so easily confute But to admitte that he sate at Rome what is it to the purpose where Peter sate more then where he walked vnlesse in your conceipte Peter seeme more holy sitting then walking or whā he sate at Rome then whē he walked at Cesaria But he sate in such wise at Rome say you as bearing Souereigntie in Rome O wonderfull and inuincible defence But I pray you graunt vnto vs that Rome is now in the same estate that it was when Peter sate there Such Tirannous Emperors and such Martyrs And I will surely wonder if the Pope of Rome would euer craue for such a souereigntie yea though it might be geuen him But let vs returne agayn to Sectes and tumultes because the question doth properly cōcerne those matters And therefore forasmuch as your tongue vaunteth so gloriously of your deépe knowledge in tryall experience and knowledge of the chaunges and chaunces of this world and of Auncient Antiquitie wherein you bragge not a little that you are not vnskilfull surely you could haue alleadged nothing more directly against your selfe then this same and more properly to serue to the truth of our cause for that no one thing hath terrified vs from pertaking with the fraternitie of that Chayre of pestilence more then the very same that wee haue long sithence found true confirmed herein by our owne knowledge and dayly experience Namely that Brambles and Briars of tumultes Scismes do not fructifie and take so deépe root in any prouince or Nation in the world as within the Iurisdiction of this your Romish Ierarchie And as I haue spoken somewhat already of other their trinckettes so will I now touch a little of the very Toppe Gallaunte of their Pontificall Shippe Let any man of sound Iudgemēt take a full and perfect view of all the vsage of the church of Rome as it is now and
agreéd vpon confirmed and published before the whole Councell after the Testimony of Rob. Gagni in hys 10. booke Whereunto Constant. Phrigio addeth further saying which I would to God fayth he had bene hitherto obserued and kept But whatsoeuer hath any smack of sounde doctrine is abolished Thus much he To this also may be annexed that which Thom. Rhedonēs a Frenchman a Carmelite Frier and a Martyr wrate hereof who because he sayd that in Rome were many abhominations and that the Church needed much reformation and the vnlawfull cursinges of the pope ought not to be feared was after many tortures burned at Rome in the tyme of this same Eugenius in the yeare 1436. out of Antonine and other partes 3. title Cap. 10. I suppose that there is no man now that doth not very playnely perceaue and see though I would surcesse here to prosequute any more how men may duely and vprightly esteéme of all this whole Seé and pontificall religion whiche seémeth for no other purpose erected but to some discorde and rayse vppe vproares and Tumultes Whereupon it seemeth so much the more straunge to me that Osorius dare be so shamelesly Impudent to obiect sectes and sedicious troubles to our Churches sithence himselfe cannot with honesty deny so many cruell and mortall diuisions of factions so many contentious Seditions and mutines to haue sprong vp and continued euen in the innermost bowells of that most sacred Seé being also of so lōg continuance and which himselfe cannot by any meanes blotte out to speake nothing in the meane time of those sectes of errors and wicked doctrine moyling and turmoyling one agaynst an other in such an vnmeasurable quantitie skattered abroad that there is skarse any one thing wherein they agreé amongst thēselues and differ from vs but that in the same they flee cleane away not from vs onely but from Christ himselfe also But to let passe these sectes and factions of the Romanistes I will tourne agayne to the obiections that do properly touche vs. For thus doth Osorius contend agaynst vs accusing the Gospell that we professe on this wise as though it yelded none other fruits but sectes troublesome cōmotiōs And thys he affirmeth commeth to passe for none other cause but because we haue shaken of the authoritie of the pope which if had neuer bene banished or if might be restored to her auncient estimation in our Churches These Tumultes either had neuer bene or els might haue easily bene pacified All which tend hereunto at the laste to witte that we should humbly submit our selues to the Bondage of the Pope for this is the pleasaunt bayte whereat Osorius would haue vs fayne to be hooked this is his whole practise and endeuour But before hee shall be able to allure vs to that he must furnishe hys hookes agayne with fresher bayte somewhat more handsomely couched For with this touchangle he may fishe a good while catch a foole at the last But go to Let vs eyther imagyne and confesse vnto him that these sectes and Diuisions of opinions do waxe somewhat rawe in many places after that this romish Authoritie is neglected what shall he winne thereby doth he surmise this to be matter sufficient to make vs forsake the Gospell of Christ and to knitt the romishe halter vpon our neckes agayne or doth he iudge it a reasonable matter because there want not some in some places that are ouer greedely geuen to sectes and deuisions that it may not therefore be lawfull for others which teache sound doctrine to professe boldly before the people the rules and order of good and honest lyfe But where hath Osorius gone to schoole for this Logick or Sophistry rather to frame an argument from that whiche is not the cause as though it were the verye cause and to conclude a meere fallaxe of the Accident for a true and a knowne matter which maner disputation if may be admitted I seé no cause to the contrary but by the same reason the Orator Tertullus might seeme to hane had as good a challenge long sithence agaynst the Apostle as this our Tullian Rhetorician doth now mayntayne agaynst the Lutheranes For in the Apostles tyme neither wāted stoare of false Apostles and false brethren dogges euill workmen Philetians Hermoginistes Simonistes and Nicholaitans neyther was there any lack of faccious Fyrebrāds amōgst the Corinthians which did practize to withdraw the Galathians from the simplicitie of the engraffed word fayning themselues to be Iewes when as in deéde they were nothing lesse After them ensued Chorinthians which denyed that Christ was come in the flesh many Antichristes Libertines Seuerianes Nouatianes Sabellianes Nepotianes Manicheans Arryans Pelagianes Cataphrigianes Donatistes And yet for all this Christiā Religiō ought neuer the worsse to be esteemed by reason of these sects troublesome faccions wherewith it was entangled what one Age of the Church was euer without some such as entruding themselues among the other godly teachers and ministers of the Church would not now and then minister much matter of discention and deuision for as one maner of wheate doth not fructifie alike in euery soyle so can there none so pregnaūt an earth be found in the which the good carefull husbandman shall sow the pure and cleane corne of the Euangelicall wheate neuer so carefully but that the same Enuious man will forthwith creépe in and throw amongst the same noysome Darnell and hurtfull weédes Neither doth the wheate cease therefore to be any more wheate because it is intermedled with Chaffe and Darnell Euen so no more hurtfull is this wilfull and ouerthwart waywardnes of cōtrary sectes to the sound doctrine of the pure truth Nay rather it could not appeare to be a true Church at all vnlesse it were assaulted now then with such kynde of Batterye If it were so that these dissentions of opinions did but nowe onely peepe abroad eyther by Luther as author or by anye hys allowance your obiection perhappes might serue to some purpose But who hath euer more earnestly or more effectually oppugned those Phanaticall faccions of opinious then Luther hath done Let not this accusation of Osorius be filed vppe amongst the other hys false reproches and lyes vnlesse all the writinges and speaches of Luther euery where yea and experience it self do Iustifie my saying to be true Who did euer more sharpely rebuke the seditious vproares of Mūster then Luth. did who did more seriously zelously confute the frantick articles and vnreasonable requests of the Boores of Germany whēas not one of all your generation opened his mouth to the contrary then Luther did who appeased and pacified their Tumultes but the Protestantes Lutheranes what writing can be of more emportaunce then that of Luther agaynst the confederates of Mūster After these sprong vpp also the secte of the Laweles which through Luthers industry trauell and wryting was by and by husht vppe the Author thereof being reclaimed And it
natures yet shall you neuer be able to raze out the remembraunce of them from the posterity so long as this world doth endure And as for theyr vertuous liues and cōmendable monumentes of their godlynesse left behinde them all the packe of your popish prelacy priestes and parasites will neuer be able to reach vnto Let me be so bolde to annexe somewhat of Luther himselfe Reported euen of him who is so much the more to be beleued as he seémed to be wholly seuered from partaking his doctrine For after this maner Erasmus writing to Thomas Arch. of Yorke in a certayne Epistle concerning Luther doth constātly affirme that his life was irreproueable by all mens iudgement and addeth furthermore which he confesseth to be no smal argument of his commendation That he was of such integrity of maners and common conuersation of life that his enemies could finde nothing whereat they might cauill And albeit the credite of this testimony seéme but of small estimation with you as appereth by your writing Yet whoseuer is endued with sound iudgement shall easily perceiue that in respect of theyr age and countrey wherein they were both borne he was better acquaynted with the whole life and cause of Luther then you were I could also recite vnto you the testimony of Fisher Byshoppe of Rochester touching the same Luther out of an Epistle of his written to Erasmus who although was more outragiously bent agaynst Luthers doctrine then beseémed him yet made he much more honest and commēdable report of Luther then you do The words of Roffensis as I finde them are these Luther of whom you wrate vnto me is a man endued with singuler dexterity of witte and hath the scriptures at his fingers endes For I haue readde ouer his writinges very earnestly And as willingly would I haue some conference with the man if I might with out any preiudice to my person that I might debate many matters with him which trouble me c. Agayne in an other Epistle to Erasmus I doe heare say that Luthers Commentaries vpon the Psalmes and vpon the Epistle to the Ephesians shall shortly come forth in print I am maruey lously delighted with the mans witte and his wonderfull knowledge in the scriptures Truely I could wish that he had quallified his speeches agaynst the high Byshoppe and masters appertayning to the See Apostolicke c. But go to if this be your reason Osorius that the soundnes of the doctrine shal be aportioned according to the liues of the teachers I beseech you forgette a whiles that your collericke passion of your blinde affection vouchsafe to aunswere vprightly What fault finde you in the liues of Phil. Melancthon Mart Bucer Oecolampadius Zuinglius Peter Martyr and Iohn Caluyne For their liues were not led in hugger mugger nor theyr conuersations so closely cloystered but that there be yet eye witnesses liuing Recordes by whome this question may easily be decided betwixt vs whether I doe Imagine or flater more in praysing then you erre more monstrously in slaundering them And where are now those horrible wickednesses mōstruous sacrileges murthers lust outrages and Treasons Surelye wheresoeuer they be they are not in Luther nor euer published by his doctrine sithēce his doctrine is none other maner of doctrine then is of all true Christiās therfore let Osorius him selfe looke out who these be and what Auditory of what Gospell they be whom he accuseth guilty of such horrible crimes whatsoeuer they be surely they are neither Lutheranes nor Gospellers And forasmuch as there is none so holy a profession but doth shrowd oftentymes many such persons as in deéd are nothing lesse then they seéme in outward countenaunce Osorius doth argue skarse Clarkly like a doctor herein that valueth the dignity of the doctrine by the quallity of the Auditory Logitians call it Fallax consequentis For whereas Signes are not all of one nature but some called accidentes some likely hoodes many perpetuall and necessary he learned Logitians therefore teach that an argument can not lightly be deduced from Signes except it be from snch Signes onely which in their owne nature appropried to the thinges it selfe haue alwayes a perpetuall and necessary cause of consequence coupled with them For Parentes are not alwayes to be adiudged wicked though their childrē be vnthrifty and go out of kinde Nor is the scholemayster to be blamed alwayes if his schollers profitte not in learnyng accordingly Nero was enstructed by a very godly Mayster in all godly and vertuous preceptes of learning and life yet what man was euer more wicked The soundnes of doctrine doth not alwayes appeare in the maners of the Schollers And sometimes also the matter fareth quite contrary as that vnder the veyle of vertuous maners may lurcke perilous poyson of most contagious doctrine Doctrine therefore ought alwayes to be measured by her owne principles and groundes chiefly from whence it taketh her Roote Otherwise whereas all those are accounted Christians in name and profession which are infected with semblable vyces and corruptions It should follow vpon this rule of Logick that Christian doctrine were in this respect worthy to be blamed because many Christians at this day do abuse the name of Christians to cloake and couer theyr wicked and abhominable lustes I haue aunswered all the partes of Osorius Inuectiue reasonably well Wherein he bringeth himselfe expostulating with the Lutheranes by a figure called Apostrophe or a Rhethoricall sleight rather but in such wise as that you may not so easily discerne Osorius as that old witch called Slaunder it selfe speaking in the wordes of Osorius This quarrell therefore being now throughly canuassed which seémed to pinch Haddós maisters most He remoueth his camp bendeth his whole force now agaynst his opposed enemy Haddon whom he determineth to assayle on euery syde First touching the most auncient profession of the Church next concerning a comparison made betwixt both Churches to seé whether of thē do resemble the Apostles Church nearest In which part many things are discoursed of all partes of the ordinaunces of both Churches of manners and lyfe of preaching of Masses of the communion of the variablenesse of opinions of the Papane of Images of praying to Sayntes of sacrifice and of Purgatory For these be almost the chiefest furniture of this wiffeler And first as touching Prescription of Antiquity Osorius perpleding demaūdeth of Haddon in what wise he defendeth that his innouation or new gospell If Haddon were present this matter could not be destitute of a sufficient Aduocate And because Haddon can not now come I will by your patience aunswere not so artificially peraduenture as him selfe could haue done yet as effectually in his behalfe as shall satisfie the cause though can not stopp your ianglyng which cause neuerthelesse remaineth vnuāquishable not so much by any my defēce as fortified thoroughly with her owne strength and force of the truth And that I may know first
to exclayme agaynst Luther was hissed out of the place not without great gleé and delight of the beholders So small and so no acquayntaunce at all hath this proud hawty and loftye kynde of myncing Minnions with our Lord and Sauior Iesu Christ. I do willingly abstayne from naming of men because I would haue them forewarned rather to theyr benefitte then reproched to their infamy if there be any besides this Osor. whom this Ciceronian skabbe hath infected with like dottage But I come agayne to Pardons wherwith as they say they sweépe all Purgatory and make cleane riddaunce when they will and by which picklockes they locke fast the gates of hell opeÌ„ the gates of heauen to whom they list But I pray you Osorius by what authoritye doe they this By the same authoritye you will say where of was spoken to Peter I will geue thee the keyes of the kingdome of heauen c. That the keyes were geuen to Peter no man will denye But what is this to the Pope of Rome because next vnto Peter the succession of the See Apostolick falleth vpon the Pope forsooth And why so how will you proue this to be true I beseéch you What because he doth enioy Peters Chayre what had Peter no more Chayres but one or did he fitt no where but at Rome And what if he neuer sate at Rome But putt the case he sate at Rome I wil geue you an argument not much vnlike vnto this It was not vnknowne to be old Poetts what a skilfull Harper Orpheus was whom they imagined to haue drawen aâ—ter him with the sweétnesse of his Harpe stoanes and woodes It came to passe in processe of time that one Neanthus Sonne of Pittacus chaunced to come by the same Harpe who being farre vnlike this Orpheus in skill of playing altogether an Asse as the prouerbe speaketh at the harpe yet through a foolish opinion conceaued of himselfe dyd persuade himselfe that he should be able to draw after him Rocks and Woddes immediately vpon the sound of the Harpe This clownish Cocklorrell therefore wandring abroad ouer hilles and dales and maruayling that the Rockes and Woods stood still as before vnmoueable and would not sturre out of theyr place at the sound of the Harpe neuer surceased from striking from stretching from thumping the Harpe vntill hauing made hymselfe loathsome to the very cattell with the tedious and brutish noyse of the Harpe became a pray to dogges and was guawed and rent in pieces by them And what els doth this popish Prelate emport with his pompous pryde and stately Chayre wheron he is no lesse â—rantickly fond then this seély soule was vpon the Harpe I list not as now to gesse the garbroyle of his glory of the thing it selfe I dare boldly speake this much as Orpheus Harpe maketh not an Harper forthwith so neyther doe Peters Keyes shape a right succession but the onely confession and fayth of Peter And yet did the Church alwayes acknowledge the Byshoppe of Rome to be the Successour of Peter the Apostle So did also the consent of the Fathers and the Antiquity of time I do heare you But by what authority by what testimony and witnesses will you iustify this to be true or by why what reason or argument will you proue it what because he canne shew the Chayre that Peter sate in Nay rather lette him expresse the vertuous life and gratious giftes of Peter and in his life geue forth vnto vs as Peter did a President and patterne of the causes precedent and the true Circumstaunces for the which the Keyes were deliuered vnto Peter For on this wise are we enformed by the Gospell Because flesh and bloud hath not reuealed this vnto thee but my Father which is in heauen You doe heare mention made first of the notable testimony of his faith and open confession of the Sonne of God which was not discouered vnto him by flesh and bloud nor by any naturall Philosophy nor engraffed within him by any force of natures lore but which being endued with heauenly inspiration he had receaued from aboue beyond all reatch of humayne Capacity For the knowledge of Christ commeth by the onely inspiration of the holye Ghost Which assoone as the Lord perceaued was engrauen within Peter wondring as it were at the greatnesse of the miracle doth first declare vnto him the glad tydings of blessednes froÌ„ God Thou art blessed Simon Bariona then alluding to the nature of his name because he was called Cephas that is to say Peter vpon that Petra that is to say vpon that Rocke of his fayth an confession he doth promise to establish the building of his Churche And added hereunto the promise of the Keyes I wyll geue thee sayth he the Keyes of the Kingdome of God c. By which CircumstauÌ„ces what are we taught els then that the foundation of the Church of Christ wheresoeuer it be is grounded vpon nothing els then vpon true fayth and vnfayned confession of the Sonne of God For when the Lord spake this vnto Peter he made no accouÌ„pt of his righteousnesse nor of hys vertues and conuersation of life neither of his fastings nor his dutifull obseruation of the commaundementes ne yet the holines of his Religion forasmuch as all these ornamentes dyd shyne as aboundauntly in others as they did in Peter But at the first vtterannce and confession of his excellent fayth the Lord doth denounce him to be blessed buildeth his Churche and doth promise the Keyes vpon the same Whereupon remayneth that we conclude at the last most truely that wheresoeuer the Keyes are exercised which are Christes true Keyes in deéd there of necessity must an influence and speciall inspiratioÌ„ of the holyghost and a certayn earnest and harty effectualnes of fayth and coÌ„stant confession of Christ goe before On the contrary part where no perseueraunce or feéling can be perceiued of the ingraued knowledge of Christ from the heauenly Father whose minde being not endued with any influence of the holyghost sauoureth of nothing at all beyond the retch of flesh and bloud who hath wedded his hart to earthly treasures to the Royalty pompe and gorgeousnes of this world who neglecting the glory of Christ is vassall and bondslaue to Ambition subiect to affections geueth himselfe to pamper the paunch and is drowned in the deépe doungeon of worldly cares who doth breath out of his nostrilles the blood and butchery of his brethreÌ„ That person in what Chayre soeuer he sitte doth with to much shamelesse arrogancy vaunte vpon the possession of the Keyes And therefore yf this Romishe ruffler doe meane to royst stille with Peters keyes he must endeuor to expresse in his maners the vertuous lyfe and godly conuersation of an Apostle and not chatt so much of a Chaire Otherwise to what purpose is it how sumptuously soeuer a man be enthronized yf he be wicked and vnworthy the place the place doth not
the vse for the which the foresayd collection was pretended Many such pageantes haue bene played by the Byshops of Rome But Mystres money made vpp alwayes the peryode of the play Let vs call to remembraunce the ages of our auncestors which were but a whiles sithence and note well the Actes and Recordes of the same within these fewe yeares for what is he so blockish who but meanely acquaynted with the late Chronographers canne not easily perceiue those practizes whenas he shall read of so many bloudy battels so many preparatiōs for the recouery of the holy Land shall heare of so many redd Crosses beautifully blazed and embrodered with the Popes trypie Crowne with a skarlett Boxe whenas he shall perceiue the perpetuall prating of Proctours Frier beggers which had skill to claw the poore clownes for their croomes voasting much promising infinite performing nothing Wherunto were added sweéte names titles of Renowme Now must there be a leauy raysed agaynst the Turke by and by the Pope is in great hassard by force of the enemy then comes there a Iubilee euery hundred yeare first not long after an other Iubilee euery fifteth yeare the last euery xxv yeare that so the retourne being more speédy might also be more neédy call for more reliefe Within a whiles after the Church of Saynt Peter must be built vpon the hill called Vaticanus mons in Rome Then began Saint James of Compostella in Spayne to waxe hūgry sometime the holy Ghost in Rome was driuen to extreame beggery So also the world went hard a boord with the poore Mounckes of Mount Sinay Then was compositiō offered for a Restitutiō to be made of loane money or a Iustification of goods euill gottē And so to cease here what were all these but open Marketts deny this to be true Osorius if you canne If you cann not denye it with what face shame you to make warrant that no portesales haue bene made of holy Reliques at any time in your holy mother Churche But the matter goeth well peraduenture these fellowes are to much ashamed of theyr powlyng pranckes and because they can render no reasonable excuse for their bribery and pilladge they beleéue that they shall be able to stoppe mens mouthes with dissimulations and lyes And I doubt not but it will shortly come to passe that they wil as stiffely deny hereafter that they did euer worshippe those holy misteries and signes of the body and blood of Christ in the holy Sacrament in steéde of the very naturall bodye and bloud of our Sauiour Iesu Chryst. And so let this suffice for Pardons OF Images what shall I say sithence hereof hath bene spoken sufficiently enough already and sith he also alledgeth no new matter but olde and bare names onely of Nazianzene Basile Ierome and Ambrose neither vouching any places of the Authors in the meane space nor citing any example at all out of any theyr writinges Goe to and what is it that these Nazianzene Basile and other Doctours do say at the lenght For sooth euen this they do say They doe extoll and magnifye with all the ornamentes of Eloquence such holye Sainctes and godly Martyres to whom was geuen this high honour and glory to persist stoughtely in the face of the Enemie for the testimony of Christ and to washe their garmētes in the bloud of the Lambe their vnuāquishable constancy and heauenly fortitude of courage theyr names actes and Monumentes they do aduaunce very studiously and religiously they pray all night before their Tombes and exhort other godly congregations to read ouer their Actes and Monumentes and to celebrate theyr memorialles Where is all this Osorius and from whence fetch ye this ware Seéke for it good Readers and let it not be tedious vnto you to peruse the volumes of the Doctours ouer and ouer And here by the way especially let Haddon be ashamed which hath so whollye addicted himselfe to the perusing of Accursianes writinges that he coulde spare himselfe no vacant tyme to read the Bookes of these Doctours But to passe ouer these trifles let vs consider the Argumēt of Osorius The auncient Fathers doe honorably sett forth extoll and magnifye the holye Martyres that suffered death for Christes cause I do know this I do know I say that the bookes of the holy Fathers are full of such commendations and prayses of godly men So doth Basile describe famouslye the vertues of Saynt Iulitta Gordius Barlaa Mamantes and forty Martyrs more Nazianzene doth highly commend Marcus Arethusius and Cyprian Chrisostome prayseth his Babyla Ambrose also is full of the like commendations so doe many others extoll and magnify aboue the skies such as they accoūpt prayseworthy But what is all this to the purpose who euer practised to defraude any godly Martyr one title so much of his worthy cōmendation Neither doth our discourse now concerne Saynctes or Martyrs but Pictures and Images Let the holy Martyres haue theyr cōdigne prayses Let the Fathers be aboundantly and plentifully eloquent in theyr commēdatory Declamations Yet did all that garnyshing magnifiyng of Saynctes and Martyrs vertues constancy tend to none other end then to expresse vnto vs a certayne liuely president thereby to imitate theyr patience and to practize their integrity of life and not with crootching and kneéling to worshipp them Neither was that auncient learned age euer so superstitious and bussardly blinde as to adore and make intercession to men in stead of the Lord theyr God But woulde glorify their God rather in his Sainctes And for this cause do I thinke were auncient Monumentes erected Temples buylded wherein the Christian people might heare the Actes and vertues of those holy Martyres to be taught to imitate their example not because the Martyres that were deade shoulde be worshipped Afterwardes some Portraictes were added perhapps wherin the conflictes and intollerable tormentes of these valiaunt Martyrs were curiously paynted as may appeare in Gregorye Nicenus in his commendatory treatise of Theodorus the Martir which labour peraduenture was not altogether fruitlesse according to the capacity of that age that so by the beholding of the History and noting the maner of their agonies and passions others might be the more encouraged to endure the like as occasion should be ministred But that any Pictures and Images of dead bodyes were seéne erected in the Churches of Christians to be worshipped in those dayes vnto the which the Christian people might be so affyed as to celebrate the dead portraict of dead bodies with more then prophane Religiousnesse to witte with prayers with owches and brooches with sacrifices with vowes with supplications with Pilgrimages with temples with Altars with Capers with hollidayes with fasting dayes with excommunications and cursinges with intercession with inuocation with affyaunce and hope of assistaunce in the stead of their Christ or should worshippe Christ in those Images or by those Images Certes no man can make this iustifiable by Basile Gregory or
you so besides all order and without all cause to whirle your selfe into such outrages exclamations and outcryes so ofte to double redouble theÌ„ whereunto you haue so tyed your selfe by commoÌ„ custome that if you should not vtter your olde choler you would surely burst your gall Goe to and what kinde of incestuous Marriage at the length is it I beseéch you for the loue ye beare to that smoathe shaueling Uirginitye of yours worshippfull Syr that ye obbrayd agaynst Luther what kinde of procurement of Citizens to commit treason what kinde of warre speake you of leuyed agaynst Chastitye and sacred holynesse where were these tumultes and vproares sturred vpp where is this state of Churches rent a sunder where is destructioÌ„ where be these discipatioÌ„s burnings fierings of holy Reliques Or what frantique speeches be these Finally what kinde of Battell and warres are promised agaynst heauen it selfe agaynst the earth and Seas of Neptune and agaynst the fayth of the Church with most abhominable attemptes And why was not this added agaynst Purgatory also that so the Rhethoricall amplification might haue flowen aboue the Weathercock I wis the defence of this skalding howse hadd waxed very cold I suppose vnlesse these florishings hadd bene choppt in emongest to encrease the vehemency of the speéch and extoll the Maiestye of his Rhetorick But how much more beseémed you Osorius sith you were so minded to vphold and defend the creditt of Purgatory with some Maiestye to haue vttered your skill by way of Argument rather then by skolding and slaundering and so Iustified your cause good with reasons not with accusation But now you shew your selfe in rayling not halfe so couragious and foreward as you bewray your dastardly cowardize and fearefulnes in disputing You cyte the names of Augustine Cyprian Chrisostome and Dionisius once or twise and those you name onely but nether vouch any sentence of these Doctors nor shew any Testimony of their bookes nor yet compare any authorityes together And although I neede not so to doe say you yet because Luther doth deny that Purgatory can be veryfied by any testimony of Scripture you will conuince his falshood herein by force of your Diuinitye At the length you are tumbled downe to the very closetts of Scripture alledging out of Scripture it selfe besides the coÌ„mon places that haue bene vsually set out by others certein new testimonies culled out by a certien new ingenious pollicy Wherof the first shall be out of that place in Marke the 9. Chap. In the which when the Lord hadd made mention first of those whose worme should not dye in that fiery Lake nor where the fier should be neuer putt out he annexed imediately for euery man shall be Salted with fyer and euery sacrifice shall be seasoned with Salt Surely he that can discerne one sparke so much of this Purgatory fier in these wordes hadd neéde to be quicker of sight then euer Lynceus was But you wonder peradueÌ„nture gentle Reader whereunto this compasse of Osorius doth tend Note therefore diligently For in this place two poyntes are specially to be obserued First where you heare the Worme and the Fyre spoken of which doth not dye which do expresse vnto vs the euerlasting tormentes of Hellfire what do you conceaue by this worme that doth not dye and thys fire which neuer ceaseth to be on flame but that there is a certayn Worme that neuer dyeth and a certayne fyre that is neuer extinguished Otherwise the Lord would neuer haue vsed these wordes in Esay The Women that dieth not and vnqueÌ„chable fire but by alluding to some other worme which doth dye and some fire that is put out Loe here you haue the very groundwork of Purgatory O notable straunge diuinity doubtles neuer heard of before hetherto amongest all the deuines of the world The other is where you heare mention of Salt for this is an vnauoydeable reason to establish Purgatory by For as in the olde law no Sacrifice was performed without Salt euen so is it not coÌ„uenieÌ„t that mens soules should come within the kingdome of heauen but by purging all the fayth of their sins first with Salte fire with due punishmeÌ„ts which because can not be performed in this life that which wanteth must of necessitie be supplied in an other life For wheras the Lutherans do teach that sinn is by the singuler clemeÌ„cy mercy of Christ sâ—ayne and extinct in them which are endued with a liuely and effectuall fayth in Christ albeit this saying is true after a certayn sort yet this is not sufficient enough And why so Forsooth because cleanesse it selfe obtayned by the liberality of Christ hath certain degrees so what whom the bloud of Christ hath purged the same may be washt more cleane ought to receiue increase of theyr cleanesse in Salte in the fire of Purgatory whereby the Sacrifice may be made more cleane and more acceptable in the sight of God But as concerning those partes of Christes clemency We must defend them in such wise as not passing ouer the maiestye of his righteousnesse vnregarded to the patterne and likenes whereof our vnrighteousnesse ought to be coÌ„formed As that blessed heauenly Doctour Saynct Thomas doth teach vs The crime being inordinate sayth he is not reduced to the order and rule of Iustice but through some punishment For it is conuenient that he which hath with a voluntary will followed his owne appetites more then he ought should agaynst his will suffer some punishment more then he would Which Sinne albeit be released by Christ yet is not the Sinner forgeuen therefore But the trespasse being pardoned there remayneth yet a punishment appoynted for the purging of the other dreggs of sinnes So that it is necessary now that the Iustice of God be satisfied euen to the vttermost farthing And because this doctrine shall not waÌ„t a Patrone the matter is made manifest by the example of Dauid to whom albeit the offence of aduoutry was released the punishment remayned notwithstanding to be executed vpon his Sonne and the subiectes of his kingdome I haue in few wordes described the substaunce of Osorius iudgement It remayneth that we aunswere him in as fewe wordes First whereas he alleadgeth the text of the scripture touching the Worme gnawing the conscience and that vnquenchable fire we do confesse the same to be true Moreouer that other also which he doth affirme touching the other tormeÌ„t which hath an end in processe of tyme ouer and besides that other endlesse horror we do not gaynesay But I looke for the knitting vpp of this knott Ergo sayth he it appeareth manifestly that there is a Purgatory after this life that is as himselfe doth interpret it a pledge or witnesse of Gods clemencye and his iustice withall Of his iustice which doth punishe the soules with the Worme and the Fire of his Clemency which doth make an end of his punishment I
estimation of his speaches without yeloyng any reason or demonstration of the thynges which he vttereth in good sooth then haue you spoken enough Osorius and crackt the creditt of all the poore Lutherans vtterly as you say But if in decidyng of controuersies trueth must be tryed not with bare speéches but with substantiall matter certes either you must gett a better visor for your glorious persuation or els in my iudgement you were better hold your peace altogether You doe oppresse vs in a glorious braggery of speéch with the speéches of the Apostles and with the tradicioÌ„s of the Apostles disciples And yet out of all the Apostles writings can not any man hitherto force from you no not by violence one title so much which will auaile any ioate to the creditt of those your Assertions but will rather deface them discouer your packing Upon the neck of them you do force vpon vs also the authoritye of auncient Fathers and the generall consent of the vniuersall Church cleare from all maner of variablenes and disagreéing What a iest is this As though there were any one of those auncient Fathers euer borne as yet that euer vttered one sillable so much of purging the sinnes of the faythfull after they were once departed this lyfe or of the Popes Pardons of the Propiciatory Sacrifice of the Masse of Transubstantiation of Merite Meritorious of Merite of CoÌ„gruum and Condignum or that euer durst presume to make the Sacrifice of the Altar comparable with the Sacrifice of the Crosse or durst affirme that Christ himselfe was really in the consecrated hoast with all the dimentions and liniaments of the same body which suffred death vpon the Crosse or would euer ascribe to a pelting Priest full power to Merite and offerr Sacrifice for the quick and the dead Now if euer you haue chaunced vpon any such Doctrine in the writings of the auncient Fathers gentle Syr Byshopp why doe yoe not vouch the same boldly wherby you may seéme to haue confuted vs not with babling but with trueth and substaunce of matter But if you haue not so done as yet nor seéme euer able to doe it where is then that generall consent and agreément of the whole Church Where be these Records and Monuments of auncient Antiquitye and of all foreages Where be those inuincible Arguments Where be those irreproueable Testimonyes and vndeceiueable examples wherevpon you crake so lustely perhappes you will empart them vnto vs in your next bookes at your better leysure For hitherto as yet you haue hadd no leysure to muster that your braue guarison that you beare your selfe so stought vpon and to leade them into the fielde being otherwise surcharged with farr more weightie affaires And now to deteigne theé no longer geÌ„tle Reader thou hast heard heretofore howe this Portiugall hath powred forth his prattling Rhetorick for the vpholding of his Purgatory his Uowes his Supplications and Prayers for the safety of the dead and also of that most holy oblation of all other the Sacrifice of the body and bloud of Christ offred for the reconcilemeÌ„t of Gods wrath and displeasure There remayneth behinde the knitting vp of all this geare Wherein purposing to make an end of his whole discourse he rusheth vpon Haddon with all the bent of his Eloquence Dare you be so bold sayth he to call this holynes of Religion this ardent endeuour of Loue this comfortable oblation offred not for vs alone but for our bretheren also wherewith we are knitt together in an euerlasting amitye to be defacinges disgracements of Religion A very haynous offeÌ„ce verily to call a Boate by the name of a Boate and a Mattock by the name of a Mattock But here was one sharde left open which must neédes be slopt vp with some brambles and Bryars Is not this foolishnes Is not this vnshamefastnes Is not this Madnes For if Osorius Eloquence were not furnished with these flashing flames surely it would be very colde But how more commendable yea how much more seémely and sittingly for his personage in my conceipt should he haue done if surceasing these outragious exclamations which preuaile not to the creditt of his cause the value of a pinne he hadd discreetly and with sober reasons debated the matter first and examined thoroughly whether Haddon hadd spoken trueth or falshood If he haue vttered the trueth then is Osorius frendly dealt withall If he haue spoken any untruethes there be scriptures there be arguments meéte and couenable Reasons wherwith Osorius might easily both defend the truth of his ReligioÌ„ and preserue it from to be impeached by others Spightfull reproching Skornefull taunting Cotqueanelyke rayling Rascallyke raging and Barbarous exclaming further not the defence of his cause If Osorius be so fully settled and so throughly wedded to his Church that no persuasion will seduce him to thinke that his Churche may straye by any meanes from the right course and that in all his Religion is no wrinkle or spott that may be amended surely he is herein very much deceaued Conferr who so list the whole face shape of the Popes ReligioÌ„ to witt his adoratioÌ„ his SacrameÌ„ts his Masses his breadworshipp his Imageworshipp his Sacrifices his ApplicatioÌ„ his TransubstantiatioÌ„ his Releasing of sinnes his Merits his Ceremonyes his Pardons sixe hundreth lyke papisticall truÌ„peries with the pure cleare founteines of the sacred Scriptures with the Institution Euangelicall and the expresse rule of the doctrine Apostolique and he shall easily perceaue that Haddon did vse an ouer myld maner of speéch wheÌ„ he called theÌ„ disgracements Some other man perhappes would haue blazed abroad these dreggs with some grosser tearmes Truely if the Apostle Paul hadd heard these profound opinions and these deépe deuises of the Romish Religion and hadd seéne their decrees their Cannons their Clogges of Ceremonies snares of consciences I he liued now and beheld these obseruations of dayes Monethes times these vowes and restraintes of meÌ„ forbidding Marriage denying the lawfull vse of meates which are now dayly frequented in the Church would any man dought whether he would call these disgracements of Religion or the Doctrines of Deuils rather But because we haue spoken hereof sufficiently before It shall be lesse neédefull to take this dounghill abroad any more But Osorius goeth forward and because HaddoÌ„ shall not escape sâ—â—tfreé for naming his pontificall pilfe to be disgracements of Religion Osorius acquiteth him with the like beadroll of the Lutherans corruptions in a long raggemarow of wordes that so comparing both partes one with an other to witt Luthers nakednes and beggery with the maiestie glory of the Catholickes he may make them to grow into the greater obloquy and hatred It remaineth therefore that we geue eare a whiles vnto the gallaunt brauery and loftines of Osorius Eloquence To abaÌ„don dutifull obedieÌ„ce to the Magistrate to disturbe the auncient ordinaunces of the Church to defyle the virginitie of sacred Nunnes
owne lyfe then retourne agayne with most assured sauety and euerlastyng glory to the auncient Religion of her noble progenitours discōtinued by the haynous impiety and wickednesse of flatterers First where you seéme to conceaue so well of the disposition of our most vertuous Queéne herein you doe no more then her Maiestie deserueth gentle Syr nor lesse thē beseémeth your person And as touchyng the offer that you make to witte to Iustifie your promise by vnuanquishable Argumentes and Reasons more clearer then the Sunne in mydday we doe gladly accept and withall do most hartely desire if you haue yet any greater stoare of better Arguments or Reasons that you will vouchsafe to emparte vs of your notable aboundaunce For the Fables that you haue told vs hitherto be no Reasons but bables be no Argumentes but monsters wherewith you sett a good face in deéde on the matter with brawlyng and scoldyng but proue nothyng define nothyng deuide nothyng conclude nothyng edifie no man and the cause it selfe which beyng in dispeyred case you tooke in hād to redresse you haue with illfauored handlyng made it as leane as a Rake And you wonder neuerthelesse in the meane space that in all this land no man can be founde so wittlesse that will yeld to those your illfauouredly patcht Reasons or rather no Reasons at all and those your clouted conclusions framed after most foolish forme and fashion But it is well yet that for these foyffy and raynebeaten prety tales you haue promised vs much more strong Argumētes and Reasons brighter as you say then the Sunne it selfe on mydday which you will so prynte out euen to the view and beholdyng of our most gracious Queéne that at the twincklyng of an eye she shall be able easily to descry the vncleannesse and wickednesse of this forged Religion This is a great promise my good Lord But when will this be done when pigges flye with their tayles foreward and when S. Iames of Compostella and our Lady of Waltsingham become man wife But let vs pursue the tracke of Osorius lusty promise For on this wise he doth in his aunswere Reason with Haddon If Reason sayth he may persuade her if Authoritie of auncient Fathers may preuayle with her If Gods Law may reclayme her to be of the mynde that she become once desirous to abhorre this sect Goe to and admitte that all these may happen which your hypotheticall proposition doth ground vpon which neuerthelesse I am fully resolued will neuer come to passe duryng the lyfe of our most gracious souereigne But in respect of the chaungeable and variable estate of humaine actions lett vs graunt that this may be done that the Queénes affection seduced with the bookes of Osorius may haue an inward desire to suppresse this sect with all her hart Go to and what then I pray you Now listen gentle Reader to his amplification more then Rhetoricall What then will Haddon sayth he of his owne absolute power forbidd that which the Queene will haue done doth he presume so much vpō his owne power and mistrust of her witte and vnderstandyng that he dare be so bold to affirme that without his consent she will by no persuation nor meanes be reclaymed to that sinceritie of Religion whereof her Auncestours were notable defendours to their great renowme and glory Will you Haddō restrayne her in her owne Realme and Dominion will you abbridge her of her will will you direct her what she shall do shall she not prouide for her owne safety and dignitie for feare of your displeasure O Muses what a force fortresse of wordes is there here what a brauery what a sturre of Rhetoricall swellyng speaches in a matter so friuolous so forged and so false a man would thinke it a peaze in a Mounckes hoode or you would take it to be some Ape pleadyng in Ciceroes purple Roabes Haddon is accused of a certein arrogaunt presumyng vpon power wherewith he should thinke him selfe able to abbridge the Queénes Maiestie of her will as that the Queéne her selfe did not dare to suppresse this Lutherane sect without his consent and commaundement yea though she would neuer so faine which how foolish and slaunderous a deuise it is your felfe dyd right well perceiue when Haddon was aliue and may muche more playnely seé and imagine now sithence he is departed this life You wrate letters first to the Queénes Maiesty of England full of wordes and tedious enough if wordes could haue preuailed ought in matters of fayth what gayned you by it within a whiles after you contriued threé Inuectiues in one volume agaynst Haddon touching the same matter which you beleéued would haue purchased you no small credit and countenaunce with her highnes and her Nobility what hath this auailed you The Queénes highnesse remayneth yet vnshaken in the same minde that she was What is the cause hereof Is it thinke you because she is agast or euer was agast of the displeasure of Haddon or any her Subiectes Surely if you thinke as you speak you are a foole but if you speake agaynst your conscience you are past all shame for now that Haddon is dead dare she not for feare of his bigg lookes professe whatsoeuer she listeth And therefore you seé well enough that the dread of her Subiectes doth not restrayne her from yelding to your doctrine But there is an other thing in the winde which if you be desirous to know I will describe it vnto you in few wordes Whenas the Queénes highnesse to whom you write a Princesse adorned and endued with most excellent ornamentes and qualities of Princely renowme perused your letters and according to her singuler dexterity and ingenious capacity could read could see could feéle no sound nor substantiall matter worthy of creditte which had any affinity with trueth or modestye when she beheld in thē no reasons at all or surely very windeshaken motheaten and worne out to the hard stumpes by many others heretofore no pith in your arguments and nothing concluded orderly when she perceiued that out of councels out of auncient Fathers and Doctours you vttered nothing but bare names onely and no sentence to the purpose and withall no example of the primitiue and most purer ages when she could not finde out any likenesse of Apostolicke doctrine throughout all that your discourse nor any marke or sparckle almost of Euāgelicall sincerity but all thinges ouerwhelmed with darcknesse tumbled drowned in deépe dongeons of errours and superstition did throughly perceiue that you alleadged in stead of reason impudent Insolency in stead of sound argument foreiudgementes in stead of testimonies and authorityes of auncient fathers outragious outcryes craftely conceiued lies spittings reproches skornefull tauntes and infamous slaunders finally nothing els but skolding and malicious rayling may you yet be so blinde as to be ignoraunt or in doubt of the cause that doth stay her from partaking with your doctrine It is not I wys it is not that
Sophistication If all thyngs that goe commonly after a certein maner together be done together must be coupled applyed to one and the selfe same operationÌ„ by this Reason it must come to passe that he that hath feéte eyes and eares and haue them not by them selues alone therefore he shal be supposed to goe not vpon his feéte onely but to walke vpon his eyes and to seé with his eares For the matter goeth none otherwise in Fayth Hope and Charitie which threé heauenly Iewelles albeit be instilled into vs by the freé liberalitie of God with Remission of Sinnes and cleaue fast within one subiect yet euery of them are distinguished by their seuerall properties and functions notwithstandyng As for Example If a question be demaunded what thyng it is that doth Iustifie vs in the sight of God and obteine vs euerlastyng lyfe I doe aunswere that it is Fayth yea and Fayth onely If you demaunde by what meanes I do aunswere through Iesus Christ the Mediatour Agayne if you aske what kynde of Fayth that is I do aunswere not an idle nor a dead Fayth but a liuely Fayth and a workyng Fayth If you will demaunde further by what markes you may be able to discerne a true Fayth from a false Fayth S. Paule will make aunswere vnto you The true Fayth is that which worketh by Charitie If you will demaunde further yet what this Fayth worketh I doe aunswere accordyng to the seuerall properties thereof two maner of wayes namely Fayth worketh Saluation thorough Christ and it worketh obedience of the law by Charitie what absolute obedience I doe not thinke so What then vnperfect obedience But such a Fayth must neédes be insufficient to the full measure of absolute righteousnesse and perfect felicity And where is now that excellent integritie of lyfe which doth purchase vs a way into the kyngdome of heauen where is the effectualnesse of Charitie auayleable to eternall lyfe where is that solemne Decreé of that Tridentine CouÌ„cell which doth ascribe the onely begynnyng of our Iustification to Fayth but maketh the Formall cause thereof onely Charitie as a certein new kynde of obedience which they call a righteousnesse cleauyng fast within vs whereby we are not onely accompted righteous but be both truely called righteous and be also truely righteous in the sight of God Annexing thereunto a very dreadfull and terrible curse If any man dare presume to say that man is iustified either by the onely Imputation of Christes Righteousnesse or by onely Remission of Sinnes excludyng Grace and Charitie which is poured forth into their hartes by the holy Ghost and cleaueth fast within them or if any man will presume to say that the Grace whereby we be Iustified is the onely fauour and mercy of God Lett him stand accursed And agayne in the Cannon followyng If any man dare presume to say that Iustifiyng Fayth is nothyng els then a CoÌ„fidence of Gods mercy forgeuyng Sinnes for Christes sake or to be that onely affiauÌ„ce whereby we be Iustified lett hym be holden accursed Behold here learned Reader a notable Decreé of this Councell which when these graue Fathers did coyne may any man dought but that the Maister of the Familie was a sleépe when the enuious maÌ„ did scatter abroad darnell emongest his wheate They doe discourse and determine vpon Iustification but none otherwise then as they might argue in Aristotles schoole about naturall causes or powers of the soule For how much more nycely could Aristotle him selfe the Prince of the Peripateticall Schoole dispute if he hadd accoÌ„panyed them and debatyng this cause together with that Ghostly Councell then Osorius and the Tridentine Deuines did Philosophically dispute of the formall cause of Iustification which consideration of doctrine if must be holden for an infallible foundation then lett vs be bold and blush not to roote out withall the whole natiue and essentiall substaunce of all mysticall Diuinitie and lett vs raâ—e out the very foundations of all our Religion For if the state of our Saluation be come to this passe that it must be established by merites not by freé Imputation onely where then is that righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of Fayth the force and power whereof is so highely and often aduaunced by Paule what shall become of the difference betwixt the law and the Gospell which if be not obserued very diligently we shall wander and straggle blindely in the course of the Scriptures none otherwise then as wantes and rearemyce at the bright beames of the cleare Sunne Moreouer what shall become of that Antithesis of Paule betwixt the righteousnesse of the law and Fayth betwixt grace and merite what shall become of all that excluding of glorious boastyng vpon workes where is that Fayth Imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse Moreouer how shall this saying of Paule agreé with these Tridentine Lawgeuers to witte Not to him that worketh but vnto him that beleeueth on him that doth Iustifie the wicked Sinner Fayth is imputed for righteousnesse Moreouer what shall become of those exceptiue exclusiue senteÌ„ces of S. Paule wherein all the consideration of our Saluation beyng taken away from confidence in workes is ascribed wholy to Imputation Finally what shall become of all those sweét and most amiable promises of God if according to the rule of this doctrine we shal be excluded from our assurednesse of Saluation and Gods freé imputation We do heare the Lord promising in the Gospell When you haue lifted vpp the Sonne of man on high I will draw all things vnto my selfe And how cann this be true if all assurednesse must be attributed to merites according to the TrideÌ„tines Not so simply to merits say they but we do couple Grace therewith which grace because is not receiued but through the merites of Christ herefore there it commeth to passe that the merite of Christ is so farr forth effectuall to vs in the worke of our saluation as God doth powre into vs the measure of his grace to worke well O notable Deuines But goe to that I may the better aunswere them may I be so bold to demaund a question or two touching Abraham whose workes if we behold what thing coulde be more holy If we respect the vprightnes of his life what was more excellent if we regard the grace of his sanctificatioÌ„ and renouacioÌ„ where was it euer more pleÌ„tifull in any man And now lett vs heare the iudgement of S. Paule concerning all those so manifold and wonderfull workes For if Abraham haue anye thing whereupon he may glory sayth he he hath it in respect of meÌ„ but not of God What where the most excellent workes of Abraham are nothing worth shall our most filthy workes be auayleables Lett vs haue recourse to the first creation of mankinde and lett vs call to remembraunce the auncient age of our first Parent Adam who alone tasting of the forbidden fruite did he
pag. 19. b. Peter Lombarde The Retractation of August There was no disagreement amoÌ„gest the Lutherans Coelest Anabap. Interem Math. 25. Osorius his ignoraunce in iudgement and triflyng about words Luce. 7. Cicero pro Mar. Coelio Osori fol. 24. August Epist 19 Osorius his vanitie také tardy Iero. ad Marcel in Epist. cuius initium est Mensur charit non habet Chrisost. in 1. in 3. Concione de Lazaro Of the suppression of Monkes Luce. 3 Luther vntruly charged with vprores in Germany George Duke of Saxone 1. Kyngs 18 Luke 18 Luther charged with the ouerthrow of the Hungarians most vntruly Tomorraeus Archb. of Tholosse Paulus Iouius in his 23 booke of Histories Osorius slauÌ„der touchyng the death of kyng Edward the sixt Of the ouerthrow of the Emperour Osor. slauÌ„derous lye touchyng the poysonyng of Queene Mary The death of Queene Mary The death of Cardinal Poole The foreine mariage of Queene Mary Osorius doth accuse Fraunce of highe treason Thraso The most miserable murthering of Henry the Scottish kyng Erasmus his commendable report of Luther The death of Luther which was most holy sinisterly depraued by the malicious slauÌ„derers In the Epistle to the Queene pag. 11. In myne aunswere pag. 8. Deut. 18. Math. 3. Iam. 4. Iohn 3. Deut. 4. Psal. 27 Psal. 25. Psal. 119 Exod. 3. Esai 53. Iaco. 1. Act. 20. Ad Galat. 1 Aristarchus was a great quareller Osorius a Proctour for monkes 1. Cor. 12. Ephes. 4. Act 10. and 11. Math. vlti Cicero in his booke of dueties Aristotle in his Ethickes Leuit. 21. Leuit. 19. 20.26 Deut. 27. Math. 28. Math. 5. 1. Cor. 7. Legenda Aurea Rom. 3. Rom 2. Iohn 4. Galat. 2.3 Osor. Fable of an hypocriticall Monckes Of the vowes of widowes 1. Cor. 7. Luke 19. Osorius fol. 37. Hoc tantum munus c. 1. Cor. 7. Gal. 2. Luthers Mariage reproued Gene. 1. Pope Gregory the 7. Hildebrand by name was the first that did establishe single lyfe by Decree Of Images The Images of Cherubins The brasen Serpent Exod. 20. Deut. 5. Ezechias Exod. 32. Sence in Hercul fur The Papistes are taken tardy in committyng manifest Idolatry Of the Images of the Crosse. 2. Tim. 3. Thomas of Canterbury Of Schoole Diuinitie The second CouÌ„cell of Nice Osori fol. 47. In myne answere to Osor. Epist. Luke 4. The last chap. of the Apocal. 1. Timo. Exod. 1â— Iohn 4. Hyperbole is called an excessiue vehemency of speach Whereunto the Apologie of Haddon had especiall regard Exod. 32. Rom. 9. Rom. 6. How we ought to esteeme of the Sacramentes Ex opere operat Rom. 4. Rom. 10. Sacraments are tokens of saluatioÌ„ but do not worke saluation 1. Cor. 1. ConfessioÌ„ Sacrament of the Altar Two Sacramentes Auâ—icular ConfessioÌ„ Heb. 9.10 Actes 2. Iames the last chap. Osorius Iames. 1. Psal. 22.30 Deut. 32. Mercenaâ—ie ConfessioÌ„ Iohn 1. Luke 17. 1. Cor. 4. Luce. 16. 1. Tim. vlt Ad Hebâ— vlt. Ezech. 33. Apoc. 21. Apoc. 3. Apoc. 1. Apoc. 5. Math. 28. Ad Cor. 4. Psal. 51. A true forme of Confession out of Dauid Publique CoÌ„fession Luce. 15. An example of priuate ConfessioÌ„ in the prodicall Sonne Heb. 4. Esay 11. 1. Tim. 3 The place of Esay wrongfully wrested by Osorius Luke 10. Esay 11. The place of Esay explaned Of the Sacrament of Euchariste Osori Tullyes couÌ„tersaite Cicero de natura Deoâ—um Actes 1. Hebr. 1. Osori Prolopopoâ—ia agaynst Peter Martyr The aunswere of Peter Martyr agaynst the Prolopopoâ—ia of Osorius 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 11. 1. Cor. 10. Actes 1. Iohn 6. Iohn 6. Iohn 6. August de doct christi Tertullian What tyme TransubstaÌ„tiation was brought in first A shew of Osorius pride Cyprian Actes 2. Actes 20. The confutatioÌ„ of the Transubstantiation Pope Innocentius the thyrd 1. Cor. 14. Of vnknoweÌ„ and straunge tounges in Churches Ibidem Gallat 4. Phil. 3. Luke 11. Math. 33. Osori fol. 69. 1. Cor. 14. 1. Cor. 14. Luke 3. 1. Cor. 14. Iohn 21. Luce. 4. 2. Timo. 3. The knowledge of Scriptures ignoraunce accordyng tâ— Osoriuâ— Iohn 4. Iames. 1. Peter 1. Psal. 12.19 1. Peter 1. Of Christ being a king and a Byshop 1. Pet. 2. A kyngly power Rom. 13. 1. Tim. 2. To the Hebrues euery where A shewe of Osorius slaunderous speach The bookes of Osorius De Iustitia Cardinall Pooles iudgement of Osorius bookes of Iustitia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee hath sayd Gregor lib. â— Epist. â—0 24. lib. 7. Epist 3â— lib. 4. Epist. 34. 38. 36. c. To be conueniently distaunt Dominari Rom. 14. A miserable distinction of Osorius How far in what causes kynges doe beane rule 1. Timo. 2. Peter 1.2 Ilâ—â—ne Illi False Latin in Osorius puttyng Illi for Illos Ofori rayling agaynst our Bishops of England 1. Timo. 3. Thersites a notable brauler Homer in Iliad Out of the bookes of the Kynges and Paralipom The courtes of Princes subiect to flatterers The Popes Parasites Kyng Henry the viij Sueto in the lyfe of Nero. Rom. 13. Rom. 13. Math. 17. â—uce 20. Wherein the office of a kyng consisteth Numb 16. Distinct. 22. Cap. Omnes Decrees ful of blasphemie The Popes power Martin Bucer Peter Martyr The Idoll of Rome The bookes of Osorius de Iustitia Tenne Cardinall Poole his iudgement of Osorius his bookes This worde Osor. signifieth bolde in the Portingall toung Ascham StaÌ„meryng of â—he touÌ„g turned vpoÌ„ Osorius necke Of the cause of Iustification Psal. 13. Psal. 50. Rom. 13. Rom. 11. Math. 11. Gallat 3. 1. Iohn 1. 1. Peter 1. Apoc. 1. 1. Cor. 1. Rom. 7. Rom. 8. Luke 5. Rom. 10. Rom. 8. Rom. 13. Plinius lib. 35. cap. 10. That is to say coÌ„myng out of the Sea The decease of M. Haddon Osoria melancholycke brauler The summe of all Osorius worke briefly coÌ„prehended in three wordes Exclamatâ—oÌ„ of Osorius agaynst Luther Osorius pag. 141. The doctrine of desperation whether is it more proper to the Papistes or to the Lutherans Iohn Eckius with others Henry second FreÌ„ch kyng his death The affiaunce and assurauÌ„ce of saluation wherein is it to be placed Two kyndâ— of desperation The ende and office of the law The lawe vnprofitable to saluation A wholesome kynde of trust and mistrust Osori pag. 141. The trust of saluatioÌ„ depeÌ„deth vpoÌ„ promise not vpoÌ„ the Law Ergo the more assured Promise made before the Law and without the law Galat. 3. The promise of saluation free and simple without condition Fayth onely howe it doth exclude and not exclude good workes Tertull. Actc. 24. Christian peace and affiaunce Rom. 5. Ephes. 3. Hebr. 4. Iohn 16. Galat. 4. Esay 35. Esay 61. Esay 52. Ierem. 23. 32. Ezech. 39. Rom. 4. The righteousnesse of the law and of fayth Leuit. 18. Psal. 142. The affiaunce of workes Barnard How farre the workes of the lawe come short to true righteousnesse Augustine Aug. Confes Lib. 9. Cap. â—3 Gregor in Iob. Cap. 9 Gregor Com. Cap 11. Barnardu Osorius Pag. 142. Phillipica August Epist 105. pag.
Ionas Iohn Iero. in Ezec. Lect. 14. Cap. 46. August ad Bonif. Lib. 3. Cap. 7. August de Spirit Lit. Cap. â— Basil. in conc de humilit Aug. Lib. cont 9. Cap. â—â— Aug. Serm. de temp 49 August de Spirit Liter Cap. 11 Ierom. ad Ctesiphon coÌ„tr Pelag. Tomo 3. Ierom. coÌ„tr Pelag. Lib. 1. The holy and perfect life of Oso compared with S. FraÌ„cise Osor. Lib. 2 Cap. 100. How great the force of Popish coÌ„fession is Pag. 148. Osori ArgumentatioÌ„ discussed To be irreprehensible how it is taken in the Scriptures Rom. 8. August Epist 95. The Cause and end of Election Osori Obiection The confutatioÌ„ of the Obiection August de natura gra Cap. 53. 1. Timo. 5. 1. Tit. 3. 1. Timo. 6. Tit. 2. Collos. 1. How holynes frayltie be concurraunt in the holy ones Rom. 7. Of PredestinatioÌ„ and Freewill Pag. 149. 150. 151. Hercules not able to staÌ„d agaynst two yet Osorius agaynst foure Osori more couragious in accusing then in arguyng Osori his stinolous foolish treatyng of Free will The principall partes of Osor. accusation reduced into certeine places Luther in his AssertioÌ„ Article 36. Pag. 151. The repulse of the cauill Will caÌ„ not be seuered froÌ„ Reason The substaunce of Freewill is neuer seuered from Nature Adam created in absolate freedome How mans will is free not free The title onely of Freewill The name of Freewill without effect August vpoÌ„ the wordes of the Apost Serm. 13. Luther doth not take away will from man but freedome from will The words of Luther touchyng title onely are expounded Freewill beyng with out grace whiles she doth what it can of it selfe sinneth deadly Of Luthers Hyperbolicall maner of speach Outragious Hyperbolicall speaches in the Popish doctrine The Papistes can neither away with fayth onely nor with grace onely Luthers vehemencie whereupon it began August de grat Lib. Aâ—bit Cap. 16. Aug. in his booke de bono perseuerentie Cap. 13. The differences of tymes and persoÌ„s must bee distinguished Foure degrees of Freewill after Lomband 2. Lib. Distinct. 25 Freewill weakened after the fall but here must be obserued a distinctioÌ„ of actions Naturall actions Ciuill actions belongyng to the vse of common lyfe Actions merely spirituall Fiue kyndes of Questions 1. Quest. Aug. vpon the worde of the Apostle Serm. 2. 2. Quest. Ambros. of the callyng of the GeÌ„tils Lib. 1. Cap. 3. Capacitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 August Epist 46. August de grat Lib. Aâ—b Lib. 1. Cap. 15. Mans freedome is twofold How freedome of will must be coÌ„strued How Free-will must be taken 3. Quest. Whether will be free to those thynges whiche are ruled by reason The Maister of the Sentences 2 booke Dist. 24.25 Nazienzenus in Oratione 4. Quest. August de peccat merit Lib. 1. Cap. 5. Aug. writyng against 2. Epistles of the Pelag 1. booke Cap. 2. Iohn 8. In the same booke the. 3 Chap. Aug. of the wordes of the Apostle Serm. 13. Aug. of the wordes of the Apostle Serm. 2. 11. De Ecclesiastic Dogmatibus 21 Mans will how it is free not free 5. Quest. Whether nature beyng not regenerated haue any free motioÌ„s in spirituall thinges Reason Will. Freewill in respect of spirituall functions is not onely weakened in vs but altogether blotted out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 power Aug. de boâ—â— no perseue Cap. 6.13 Luthers proposition of bonde will defended The bare Freewill of man beyng deuoyde of grace is none otherwise theÌ„ as a dead man without a Soule 1. Cor. 1. Aug. in his booke of Retract Aug. Enâ—hirid Freewill of it selfe vtterly lost Osâ—c 13. The Grace of God without our Free-will onely sounde and perfect August de Nuptijs coÌ„câ—p Lib. 2. Cap. 3. Pag. 148. Whether our conuersion be the worke of God onely Pag. 149. An aunswere of August De peccat merit Lib. 2 Cap. 18. August De peccat merit Lib. 2 Cap. 5. August De peccat merit Lib. 2. Cap. 5. Obiection Aunswere out of August Freewill hath no power of her selfe either of the whole or of any part to worke A Fallax a Diuisis ad Coniuncta Pag. 149. Against the 2. Epistle of the Pelag. 1. booke Cap. 18. The sutteltie of the Argument framed by not yeldyng cause sufficient August agaynst the 2. Epistle of Pelag. 1. booke Cap. 19. Grace doth not knocke alone but openeth mans will also August de verbis Apost Sermo 13. O Lord opeÌ„ thou our lyppes Obiection Aunswere Aug. vpon the wordes of the Apostle the. 15. Sermon August de grat Lib. Arbit Cap. 16. Freewill is made naked of all maner merite Aug. in the same booke the 13. Chap. Pag. 149. The beatyng down of Osorius Argument Ezechiell 11. Chap. and 36. Chap. The Fallax from the proposition Secundum quid to Simpliciter Osori double fault Aug. contra Iulian. Lib. 4. Cap. 3. Aristotles Ethickes booke 3. Cap. 1.5 Obiection The Aunswere How mans will doth execute the force of an instrument By what meanes wil doth both worke and suffer Aug. Lib. de Correp gratia Cap. 2. How will demeaneth it selfe passiuely and actiuely Mans will is taken for an Instrument yet free neuerthelesse Wherein the papistes do attribute to much to Freewill Pag. 149. 1. Cor. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The state substaunce of the questioÌ„ of Free-will How it is to be vnderstaÌ„ded that the Apostles were together workers with God The Argument of Osorius and the Papistes Tne Aunswere How Luthers wordes are to be coÌ„strued An other Argument of Osorius Pag. 149. An Aunswere Phil. 2. The double errour of Osorius Pag. 149. Osori doth attribute our Saluation partly to Grace partly to Freewill Osorius Obiection Aunswere August de grat Lib. Arbit Otherwise worketh Gods Spirite otherwise mans Freewill the diuersitie of them both Will doth nothyng in good things but wheÌ„ it is holpen applyed Grace doth plye but is neuer plyed Examples of maÌ„s will beyng hindered euen in the euill whiche it purposed Will obeyeth the spirite of God many times whether it will or no. The exaÌ„ple of Paule Peter August de Correp grat Cap. 8 Ierem. Cap. 10. Luther in his booke of Assertions Art 36 Prouer. 16. Man is not altogether depriued of free will to euil though the same be many tymes stayed Pag. 151. Pag. 152. Osor. lyeng rayling agaynst â—uther MelaÌ„cthon Caluine c. Osor. Pag. 151. Freewill is not of powder simply absolutely to make his wayes euill August de Ciuita Del Lib. 5. Cap. 9. Aug. in the same place August de Correp gratia Luthers Artic. 36. Osorius a lyeng Rhethoritian a grosse Logician Mans Free-will is an Instrument of Gods Grace Esay Ezechi Cap. 11. 36. This worde freedome is discussed distinguished Luther Lib. de Sâ—râ—o Arb. Cap. 46. August The power of doyng waÌ„teth not but it â—â— the freedome of power that wanteth August de bono perseuer Lib. 2.
like equitie and patience of minde to admitte our confutation thereof into your presence whereby eche partie beyng discouered according to truth your highnes may more certeinly determine of the cause There is a notable Law and an othe established in the Iudgementes of the auncient Athenians To heare with both eares that indifferent eares should be open to eche partie But what maner of custome is vsed now a dayes in this perplexitie and coÌ„bate of opinions where Byshops armed with the aucthoritie of Princes doe stand raunged in mayne battell agaynst the manifest veritie and doe so bende the whole coÌ„sent of their fayth to the one partie that all libertie once to mutter is vtterly cutte of from the other partie But here may some contrary doubtfullnes paradueÌ„ture trouble your Royall thought not so much proceedyng from your gracious nature as whyspered into your godly eares by the subtill and slaunderous practizes of glaueryng glosers who vnder the counterfaict vysour of this glorious couÌ„terfaict Church haue wonderfully bewitched the eyes and eares of many noble personadges vnder preteÌ„ce of succeeding course of many yeares do make glorious bragges that this new-fangled Church wherein the Romish Byshopp in enthronized is the onely Catholicke Church and the supremacy thereof to be onely obeyed alleadgyng the same Church to be the Empresse and gouernesse of all other Churches and which of right ought to be esteemed aboue all Kinges Emperours as ouer the which Christ hath substituted the Byshopp of Rome his sole Vicar and Vicegerent earth and therfore that all degrees ought and may safely submitt themselues to the aucthoritie and determination of that Churche as which beyng continually vpholden by the power and blessing of the holy Ghost was neuer seene hitherto to haue erred ne yet could by any meanes swarue one title from the right lyne and knowen trade of the true fayth taught in holy Scriptures And that all other persons whatsoeuer sequestering theÌ„selues froÌ„ the prescript Rules and Cannons of that Churche cann not chuse but runne headlong into wandryng errours amazed blindenes and extreme maddnes Wherefore those Lutheranes and Hugonoughtes are worthely to be expelled from the vnitie of that Church and deseruedly adiudged to fier and fagottes as most dampnable heretiques not worthy of any fauorable protection no not their writinges so much as to be touched with any maÌ„s handes bycause they dare presmouÌ„te once to quacke agaynst the supremacy of that Angelicke Ierarchy As touchyng which slaunderous surmises albeit nothyng cann be more falsely and shamefully imagined then those Sorcerous enchauÌ„tementes it is wonder how much this poysoned Dolldreanche hath betyppledd the sences of many great personadges and hath so long preuailed in great admiration with sundry estates through the onely ignoraunce of learnyng and ouermuch credulitie of godly Princes vntill of late by the incomprehensible prouidence of Almightie God the worthy Arte of Emprintyng was erected by meanes whereof good Letters and Bookes came to the Marte and Printers shoppes discouered the foggy and darkened cloudes of this olde mothe eaten barbarousnes Hereby it came to passe that the tedious deepe doungeons of lothesome ignoraunce beyng surprised with a certein new and cleare dawnyng day of purer doctrine as also of all other liberall Sciences beganne to shyne abroade nor will leaue I trust to ouerspread his brighte glisteryng beames dayly more and more vntill with the inaccessible brightenes thereof it do either thoroughly vanquishe the whole kyngdome of darkenes or at the least chauÌ„ge the same into some better countenaunce And to the ende we may conceaue assured hope of good successe herein two thynges do minister vnto vs especiall comfort Wherof the one consisteth in the mearcy of the Lord the other remayneth in your handes that be Kynges and Princes next vnder the God being the Lordes watchmen For the first we haue an infallible Argument which cann neuer deceaue the assured testimony of Iesus Christ who hath prophecied in his holy Scriptures that the same shal be brought to passe the greater part whereof we haue allready experimented to be accomplished in these our dayes That the Lord with the breath of his mouth shall confounde the pride of the Beast so arrogantly vaunting him selfe in his holy Temple For the next That other is of no small force I meane your vigilant wisedomes and singuler godlynes which causeth vs to coÌ„ceaue well of you that are Princes whom the Lord of his infinite mearcy hath ordeyned to exercize chief rule and gouernemeÌ„t next vnder him vpon the face of the earth especially whenas him selfe hath pronounced out of his owne mouth in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn That he will lende his helpyng handes hereunto saying And the tenne hornes sayth he which thou didst see vpon the Beast are those â—enne Kinges which shall abhorre the Babylonicall Strampett and shall make her desolate and naked and shall deuoure her fleshe and burne her Carkasse in flames of fire for the Lord hath inspired into their hartes to bring this to passe euen as it hath pleased him Apocal. 17. Wherfore awake you noble Princes and Christian Captaines march on in Gods name Atchieue an exployte worthy your noble Race and be no longer trayned with the trayterous sleightes of subtill sycophaÌ„tes but pursue with the power the godly guidyng of the Lord of hostes Emongest whom I most humbly call vpon your highnes most singuler Paterne of Princely Royaltie not to the ende to teaze you to exercize cruelty agaynst that viperous generation Onely my petition is that for the loue you beare to Iesus Christ and your owne soules health ye vouchsafe to deliuer simple innocentes from the bloudy iawes of those rauenyng Wolues and horrible blouddsuckers That enterchaunge of thynges beyng made the true and pure word of God may be heard what it teacheth And that ye lett lowse the reynes of their licentious insolency no longer so that they do not hereafter abuse you as the Iewes did handle our Lord Iesu Christ whose faceÌ„ when they had blindefolded they beate his body with whippes There hath bene to many broyles allreády emongest vs Christians to much Christian bloud hath bene spilte to much crueltie and horror hath bene exequuted whiles you in the meane space in whose power rested the staye of this outrage either wincked at their bootchery or at the least left poore innocentes succourlesse in their slaughter houses How long shall this Romishe Nymrod vaunt in his throne how long shall he make a scorne of your patience most excellent Princes when will your Royall hartes and noble courage daunte his pride when will you resume into your handes the whole sword of Iustice the better part whereof the Romishe Russian hath bereft you when will you surcease to be bondeslaues vnto them whom the mighty God hath made vassalles to your lawfull RegimeÌ„t how long will ye suffer your mouthes to be mooseled and your eyes muffeled with such blynde errours contrary to the manifest light of the Gospell If