certaine order and respect either to other as a school-master and his teaching so that the one proueth and declareth the other as causes and effects vse to do In which kind of prouing the order is that first the effect sheweth the cause it being ordinarie that a cause cannot be assured so to be but by the effect which it produceth and offereth vnto vs as a schoole-master is not knowne certainly so to be but by his teaching And if among many bad you would find a good one to whom you might commit your children this cannot be done but by hearing and examining his maner of teaching in which case though the man be a necessarie meanes whereby you learne his teaching yet the teaching it selfe is the marke whereby you know him to be such a man and distinguish him frâ—m all others And euen as the tree beareth his fruite and we seeke the tree principally for this end that by it as by a necessary meanes we may find the fruite and yet the fruite it sheweth vs is the onely marke that it is such a tree and if it be denied or doubted the tasting of the fruite wil proue it and distinguish it from all the trees in the ground beside So likewise as he saith the Church expoundeth the faith vnto vs and we seeke the Church principally for this end that by it as by the meanes we may learne the truth and yet this truth which it sheweth vs may be the marke to assure vs it is such a Church and to distinguish it from all other Churches in the world Therefore for the Church to teach the faith and the faith to be a note of the Church are not opposite but onely diuers and so may both be true as a light vpon a watch-tower in the darke night may be the onely marke whereby to find the tower and yet the tower it self holdeth out the light and sheweth it and is the meanes that the traueller seeth it § 28. Thirdly true faith is a thing included in the true Church and as it were inclosed in her bellie as S. August speakâ—th Psal 57. vpon these words Errauerunt ab vtero loquuti sunt falsa In ventre Ecclesiae saith he veritas manet quisquis ab hoc ventre separatus fuerit necesse est vt falsa loquatur Therefore like as if a man had gold in his bellie we must first find the man before we can come to the gold it selfe so we must first by other markes find out the true Church which hath this gold of true faith hidden in her bellie before we come to see this gold in it selfe since especially we cannot see it vnlesse she open her mouth and deliuer it neither can we being borne spiritually blind certâ—nly know it to be true and not counterfetted gold but by giuing credite to her testimonie of it according as S. Augustine saith Euangelio non crederem nisi me Ecclesiae authoritas commoueret lib. 9. Epist cap. 3. For if we had not the testimonie of the Church hâ—w should we be infallibly sure that there were any Gospell at all or how could we know that those bookes which beare title of the Gospell according to S Matthew Marke Luke Iohn were true canonicall Scriptures rather then those of Nicodemus and S. Thomas bearing the same name and title of the Gospell The Answer 1 This is his third reason and may be concluded thus That which is included in the Church is no mark of the Church But the true faith is included in the Church Ergo. The second proposition whereof that faith is a thing included in the Church and as it were inclosed in her belly is true and he hath well affirmed it out of Austine but yet it is worth the enquiring to demand how he wil reconcile himself herein with his fellowes For a Bellar. de not â—ccl c 2. a Iesuite writeth that true doctrine and pure from all error may be in the false Church for if this be so then is he not certaine that the true faith is inclosed in the true Church and he must needs speake vntruths which is deuided from the belly of the Church For mine owne part I think that Bellarmine lieth but yet it becomes not the Iesuit thus to crosse him and then in b §. 35. the next discourse so highly to extoll their vnitie 2 But the first proposition that because it is included in the Church and the Church teacheth it therefore it can be no marke of the Church is denied because true faith is inclosed in the Church not obscurely as gold is in a mans belly so as c Ioseph de bello Iud. l. 6. c. 15. we reade the Iewes vsed to swallow it thereby to hide it from their enemies but as a candle in a lanterne or a light in his watch-tower discouering both it selfe and the place that holdeth it which gold in a mans belly cannot do And therefore as a light standing in the window in a darke night is a good mark to find the house though otherwise it be included in the houâ—â— so the true faith being included in the bosome of the Church not as gold that is buried in a mans bowels but as a candle standing in a lanterne by it owne light can guide vs infallibly to the Church d 1. Tim. 3.15 Apoc. 1.20 Pro. 6.23 which is Gods house enlightened by his truth Neither did S. Austine in the words alledged thinke the contrary as may appeare by that which followeth within twentie lines after By the face of truth I know Christ the truth it selfe by the face of truth I know the Church partaker of the truth Which words shew plainly that S. Austine thought the Church was to be knowne by the truth which it contained as by it owne fauour and proper countenance as children are knowne one from another by their owne countenance and complexion which shineth in their faces And though the Church by opening her mouth deliuer vs this truth yet is she found by no marke but by this truth it selfe as a darke house is found by no meanes but by the light contained therein though it selfe by opening the window deliuer vs this light and the firmament is seene by the light of the Sunne though it selfe hold out the Sunne vnto vs. 3 Thus far then we agree that the Church containeth the light of the truth in her bosome and that she openeth her mouth and deliuereth this truth vnto vs but that by other markes we must find out the Church afore we can see this truth is the Iesuites conceit And so is the rest that followeth concerning our knowledge of the Gospell vpon the Churches testimonie for I haue shewed e §. 9. Digr 12. before that the Scriptures and the Sunne are both knowne by their owne light and the Church teacheth the Gospel by her ministery but proueth it not by her authoritie Neither did S. Austine meane otherwise f Lib. contra epist fundam c.
doubt it for reuelation and miracle I am sure he can shew none because the miracles of his Legend which is all he can pleade concerne not him that neuer had them and yet he thinketh his holinesse and the holinesse of his people is a good marke of the Catholicke Church It is false therefore that he saith No man by his outward workes without miracle can be certaine he hath faith or charitie For c 1. Ioh. 3.7 Saint Iohn saith He that doth righteousnesse is righteous as God is righteous And Saint Iames d Iac. 2.18 Shew me thy faith by thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works And our blessed Sauiour e Mat. 7.16 By their fruites ye shal know them f Luc. 6 43. It is not a good tree that bringeth forth euill fruite nor an euill tree that bringeth forth good fruite For men gather not figs of thornes nor grapes of thistles A good man out of the good treasury of his heart bringeth forth good things and an euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill And if charitie cannot be proued to be present by our workes because it is a thing hidden secretly within vs then no cause can be proued or knowne by the effects and no physitian can know the inward state of the bodie by the outward signes which were absurd And the word of God calling vpō vs g Mat. 5.16 to let our light so shine afore mē that they may see our good workes and h 2. Pet. 1.10 bidding vs thereby to make our election sure and promising an abundant entrance into Christs kingdome to all that follow vertue temperance patience c. should deceiue vs if when we had taken paines in so doing we could not be assured that our workes arise from faith without which faith no worke were good nor could minister any argument of our saluation to vs. 4 Our workes therefore being not founded on mens traditions as popish workes are nor directed to a false end but done according to the direction of the word and for the glory of God in the faith of Iesus Christ without any opinion of perfection either to iustifie vs or to merit or satisfie thereby are good workes and infallibly secure the doers that they haue true charitie and are the true Saints of God though they haue no miracles nor other reuelation then this of Gods spirit renewing them For of such workes our aduersaries themselues say i Tho. lect 4. in Gal. 3. They are the execution and manifestation of our righteousnes Yea the Diuines of Colen affirme expresly against that which the Iesuite here saith k Antididag Colon. pag 30. that we rely not principally vpon our inherent righteousnesse because it is vnperfect but thereby as by a certaine inward experiment we are certified of the remission of our sins who feele and proue in our selues such a renouation of our spirit and that the perfect iustice of Christ is imputed to vs and that so Christ by faith dwelleth in vs. In which words affirming the experiment and certificat that Gods children haue within them and the feeling of their renouatiō and Christ dwelling in them by faith all which they say ariseth from their workes they make it plaine how false and friuolous it is that the Iesuite assumeth that no man without reuelation or miracles can infallibly know whether he haue true faith and loue or not And I will make it yet plainer in the Digression following Digression 43. Prouing that Gods children without miracles or extraordinary reuelation may be and are infallibly assured that they haue grace and are in the state of saluation 5 For to the place of Eccles 9.1 I answer first the Iesuite hath misalledged it For the Hebrew is thus No man knoweth loue or hatred all things are before him And I care not though his Trent-vulgar-latine be as he alledgeth it for the Hebrew is the onely authenticall text and not the Latin whereof themselues haue a base conceit though the Councell of Trent haue canonized it For Dominicus Bannez l In 1. par The. q. 1. art 8. dub 4 reporteth that since this decree there are not wanting many great men in the Church of Rome that take vpon them to correct and censure it and say the interpreter missed it fouly in many things And himselfe is of the same mind and acknowledgeth that being at last conuinced by his owne experience he iudgeth the Hebrew text vncorrupt What vanitie therefore is it in our aduersaries to alledge a translation which themselues despise as corrupt and vicious Secondly to the words I answer that Salomon doth not say that No man can simply know the loue or hatred of God to him but in a compound sence that No man can know it by the outward euents of this life the which hindereth not but it may be knowne by the testimonie of Gods spirit renewing vs as Catharinus himselfe a Papist expoundeth it and this is it that we say m Rom. 5.5 Gal. 4.6 Gods loue is shed in our hearts and made knowne to vs by the holy Ghost 6 To the place of Prou. 20.9 I say briefly that it proueth euidently against the Iesuit that no man can keepe Gods commandements because he cannot make his heart cleane from sinne but it toucheth not the assurance of grace because grace is and infallibly knowne to be where the heart beginneth to be cleansed though yet as it neuer shal be in this life it be not perfectly cleane For we are not assured that charitie and faith dwell in vs by this that our hearts are perfectly cleane for then the text had bene against vs but by this that they are free from hypocrisie and begin to be cleansed and dayly increase therein 7 The manner how we know we haue grace and shall be saued is by the meanes of the holy Ghost whose worke it is to assure vs the which he doth first by producing in vs the effects of sauing grace and predestination which is the constant reforming of our life within and without Whereupon it followeth that he which giueth himselfe effectually and stedfastly to a godly life may infallibly be secured thereby of his saluatiō because God whose promises are infallible n Rom. 8.13 Heb. 5.9 hath vowed saluation to all such Next by infusing or inspiring into vs the motion of assurance and by inclining our heart to giue consent to the promises of the Gospell The which inspiration is a supernaturall work of God created in vs by the outward meanes of the word and the inward operation of his Spirit consisting in a certaine knowledge and feeling that we haue of Gods good pleasure toward vs when once we truly beleeue And as the eye in seeing hath a certaine propertie annexed that it knoweth it seeth so faith and grace in whom soeuer it is hath this condition that it knoweth it selfe to be such and it not onely
ministerie thereof may be a condition subordinate for the obtaining of that which is the rule As a Ioh. 4.29.39 the woman of Samaria was a good meanes to bring her countrimen to Christ that knew him not and yet their beleefe was not built on her b ver 42. but on that which she reuealed to them And c Ier. 6.16 God biddeth vs by his Prophet Stand by the wayes and behold and aske for the old way which is the good way though in the meane time the persons to be asked are our direction no further then while they point to the old way And the Prophet biddeth d Hag. 2.12 Aske the Priests concerning the law and saith e Mal. 2.7 The Priests lips should preserue knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouth for he is the Angell of the Lord of hoasts yet these Priests many times spake vntruly being deceiued themselues and deceiuing others And so may it happen to the Pastors of the Church 2 All which notwithstanding the Church abideth still the same that Saint Paul calleth it the pillar and ground of truth in that the truth is no where else to be found Which that I may shew the beter it is to be noted that f Iul. Pol. Onomast lib. 8. pag. 454. Scol Aristoph Nub. Rosin antiq Rom. l. 8 c. 2. Alex. ab Alexand. genial dierum l. 6. c. 23. in old time the Gentiles vsed to write their lawes in tables and so hang them vp on pillars of stone that the people might reade them as Proclamations are nailed to posts in market townes and somtime g Phauorin Hesych Lexic verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they whited the pillar and so wrote the lawes vpon it h Lexic decem Rhet. Harpocration saith they reared vp straight pillars of stone and so wrote their lawes vpon them And it was also an ordinary thing that they had other pillars like the Pasquill in Rome i Eustach Il. λ. Suid. verbo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereupon whosoeuer listed hung their Epigrams or libels that they would haue knowne Now the Apostle describing the Church likeneth it to one of these pillars whose vse was no more but to shew that which hung thereon it selfe not being the law but that whereupon the law was hung For so the true faith written in the tables of the Scripture whereunto the world will giue no testimonie is fastened to the Church as to a stately pillar and strong supporter that there it may be seene and holden out vnto vs. Hence the Iesuite can challenge no more but that the Church is vnto vs a witnesse and vpholder of the faith and alway preserueth it which we denie not but in the meane time he forgetteth that it is one thing to hold out the rule and another to be the rule it selfe and he that saith the Church is the supporter of truth doth not say withall that the Pastors can neuer erre or faile in deliuering any part thereof The Apostle saith the former but the Iesuite onely beside the text affirmeth the latter 3 This exposition must needs be granted for foure reasons first it is called the pillar of truth in no other sence then k Eph. 5.27 elsewhere it is called glorious without spot or blemish or blame but it is certaine that the puritie there mentioned is mingled with some imperfection therefore it is also certain this vpholding of the truth is not free froÌ„ all error Secondly Paul in this place sendeth not Timothy to learne of the Church which he should do if the Iesuits conceit were sound but l vers 14.15 wisheth him to teach the Church out of the Scriptures that so it might be the pillar of truth Thirdly that which the Apostle saith in these words is true of euery particular Church but of euery particular church it is not true that it caÌ„not erre for we see they may as did m Act. 20.30 Apoc. 2.4 this of Ephesus concerning which the Apostle saith here it is the pillar and ground of truth Fourthly if this place proue that the Church cannot erre in any thing but of it all men must learne the infallible truth then seeing o Bellar. de verbo Dei l. 3. c. 5. Greg. de ValeÌ„t coÌ„ment Theo. tom 3. disp 1. q. 1. assert 3. the Papists hold their Prelates and Pastors to be the Church I demand what is that which must teach them for the Church doth not seeing they are the Church themselues 4 Or if the Iesuite dote vpon his owne exposition then let him cal to mind how other Papists haue expounded before him p Staphyl Apol. part 1. Sâ—apl his translat pag 50. who say The Apostle calleth the Church the pillar and ground of truth signifying by the word ground the largenesse of Christendome by the word pillar the continuall smooth and not interrupted succession of the Apostles and their schollers vpon whoÌ„ all truth is builded Which exposition differing from this of the Iesuites may giue him occasion to looke better into the text and at least mistrust his collections therfrom till he haue conferred with his fellowes For vpon the reckoning it will fall out that vntill the Friers and Iesuites of late began to hammer the Scriptures there was neuer any that out of them would deliuer his conclusion but the contrary The Apostles writings are the pillars and supporters of our faith saith q Lib. 3. c. 1. Irenaeus The Gospell is the gound and stay of the Church saith r Lib. 3 c. 11. the same Irenaeus The truth is the pillar and ground of the Church saith Å¿ Hom. in hunc loc Chrysostome The diuine Scriptures must teach who hath the true Church These are the proofes these are the foundations these are the grounds of our cause saith t De vnit Eccl. cap. 16. Austin 5 The words of Austin alledged by the Iesuite are good but they had bene better if he had not left out the beginning for thus they lie u Contra. Crescon gram lib. 1. cap. 33. For somuch as the holy Scripture cannot deceiue vs let him who feareth lest the obscuritie of this question concerning the baptisme of the Donatists should deceiue him enquire that Churches iudgment of it which the holy Scripture without all doubtfulnes doth demoÌ„strate Wherin Aust saith not the church is the rule or the Church cannot erre but onely as the Iesuite himselfe noteth that the iudgement therof should be inquired His meaning is that in the question of rebaptizing because in Cresconius his suppositioÌ„ the Scripture said nothing of it such as were doubtful might ask the iudgmeÌ„t of the true Church there they should learn Cresconius to be in an error Wherein the Iesuit shal find vs to consent with Austin for doth he think we allow not the Church her ministery or that we silence her from bearing witnesse to the truth or that we turne away the people
what say you to forty thousand yeares of pardon Pope Sixtus the fourth granted it to whosoeuer will say a prayer of his making not fiue aboue fortie words long that his Catholickes might not complaine the Protestants satisfaction was easier then theirs And there is another prayer somewhat longer which Saint Bernard vpon a time saying before the Rood so pleased the said Rood that bowing it selfe it embraced him in his armes being belike of the same good nature that the Rood of Naples was f Anton. Chro. part 3. tit 23. c. 7. § 11. p. 206. which spake so kindly to Thomas Aquin or of the same mettal that the crucifixe was of g Sibi or anti crucifixi imaginem inclinare caput aspexit Baron annal to 11. an 1051. nu 1. which nodded his head to the monke Gualbertus Now such a praier as this that like h Dictus Amphion Thebanae conditor vrbis Saxa mouere sono testudinio prece blanda Ducere quò vellet Horat. art Poet. Amphions harpe could make stones moue by all likelihood would pierce further then the straightest satisfaction that could be taught Or if the Protestants haue an easier way yet at last they must giue place to one peculiar kinde of deuotion throughly plied in our country which is to haue the armes of Christs passion the crosse nailes whip lance heart and hands of Christ for example painted and them deuoutly to worship For this kind of satisfaction hath wonderfull priuiledges granted it by one and thirtie Popes and an hundred twentie eight Bishops The first Pope granting three yeares pardon to them that vse it the other thirty adding euery one a hundred dayes more and each Bishop fortie 36 And so I conclude that the premises considered our aduersaries haue no cause to disgrace the Protestants with their penance or any longer to raile vpon them for putting it away for as much as their owne doctors haue spoken so coldly and vncertainly thereof and contrary one to another and allowed such qualifications by contrition pardons as make it a thousand times easier then an hypocrites repentance Which they would neuer haue done being warie and wise but that they thought in their conscience the repentance taught in our Church to be the truth and their penance a discipline of their owne inuentioÌ„ And so froÌ„ henceforward we wil take their angrie words about this matter as spoken in zeale of their cause and iealousie of their pardons but neuer thinke they meane in good earnest to condemne vs thereby though they speake somewhat rigorously for feare of the worst lest their people should suspect them and buy no more pardons Digression 40. Wherein the doctrine of iustification by faith onely is expounded and defended 37 The ninth point whereof he accuseth vs is for teaching that by onely faith our sinnes be not imputed to vs the which we teach indeed or rather haue learned of him that teacheth all truth the Spirit of God who i Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.6 saith Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinne is couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Now I neuer knew but k Sixt. Senens biblioth l. 6. annot 216. it was alwayes lawfull for Catholick men to vse the Catholicke phrase of the Scripture and speake as it doth For to say they are not imputed and by faith onely they are not imputed is all one because the not imputing of sinne is a mercie of God l Nazian orat in sanct bapt whereby he ascribeth it not to vs nor deputeth it to condemnation but as if we had neuer done it he forgiueth it and esteemeth vs no sinners The which mercy being in God alone supposeth somewhat on our behalfe that may receiue it which can be nothing but faith alone the Scripture saying m Gal 3.14 We receiue the promise of the spirit by faith and n Rom. 4.11 righteousnesse is imputed to all them that beleeue as o V. 3. Gen. 15.6 Abraham beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse The which our exposition making faith alone the instrument and not penance or workes if our aduersaries mislike then let them hearken what some of the learnedst among themselues haue written Forsomuch p 4. d. 15. q. 1. saith Bonauenture as man was not able to satisfie for so great offence therefore God gaue him a mediator who should satisfie for it whence it cometh to passe that by onely faith in his pâ—ssion all the fault is remitted and without his faith no man is iustified And q In Ioh. 19. â— 30 Ferus Our saluation is consummate not fully but in hope by reason maÌ„ beginneth to be iustified healed so that whilest he is iustified the rest of his sin remaining in his flesh through Christ is not imputed to him And r Antididagm Colonienf tit de Iustif hom pag. 29. Gropper By faith we are iustified as by the apprehensiue cause that faith whereby without doubting we firmly beleeue that hauing true repentance our sins are forgiuen vs for Christ whereof notwithstanding it behoueth vs by faith to haue the inward testimonie of the holy Ghost Whereby we see that iustification or not imputation of sin by faith onely is good diuinitie among our aduersaries themselues 38 But because either through ignorance or malice it is misreported to the people who are made beleeue that thereby we exclude the necessitie of a godly life therefore I will briefly expound the meaning of this proposition By faith onely we are iustified Wherein there are three termes the first is iustification and thereby we meane Gods acceptation of a sinner to grace and glorie For man being guiltie of the breach of Gods law and so subiect to the penaltie thereof which is condemnation cannot be restored againe vnlesse he bring a righteousnesse to satisfie this law againe that is to say which may answer both the obedience that it requireth and the punishment that it inflicteth The reason hereof is because the law being part of Gods will and being giuen to man out of the iustice of God must take his effect else God should leaue his iustice vnsatisfied and depart from his nature Å¿ Mat. 5 18. which is vnpossible This righteousnesse we affirme to be not our owne inherent iustice but the obedience of Christ alone whereby he fulfilled the whole law most perfectly for vs. We denie not but euery seruant of God hath in him true sanctification and holinesse enabling him to repentance satisfaction faith hope and charitie but we denie these or any of them to be the iustice whereby the bond of Gods law is answered and we appeare righteous before Gods iudgement seate partly because they are vnperfect and partly for that we do them not by our owne strength But the very thing that maketh vs accepted as iust is the obedience of Christ whereby he fulfilled the law and satisfied the punishment in his life and
since Christ till now without interruption 2 Gregory of Valenza teaching that it is one property of the Church to be alway visible b Tom. 3. pag. 142. saith this troubleth vs exceedingly in as much as we are not able to shew any company of people which in times past was known in the world to hold that form of doctrine and religion that now we haue brought in And I haue obserued in all my acquaintance with persons affected to Popery in this country where I dwell that they obiect nothing against vs more willingly then this And therefore I will answer it fully and directly And touching the time immediatly after Christ and so forward til 800. yeares were ended I name the Primitiue Church and the other Churches throughout the world professing the faith of Christ and affirme that they were of our religioÌ„ though some corruptions especially laterward came in withall And if our aduersaries deny this we offer to make the triall by the new Testament and writings of all the said ages successiuely out of which we will shew that our faith is the same which the Apostles preached and the fathers for al that time beleeued whatsoeuer came in beside was resisted and disallowed all the difficultie is touching the ages following til Luthers time And we say that all that time also in euery age successiuely there was a Church of our religion Our aduersaries bid vs shew it and name the place and persons whereto I answer two things That touching the place the Church of Rome it selfe was it For in euery part thereof there were some that held our faith and that which was called the Church of Rome was but a contagion outwardly cleauing to it and by reason of the multitude preuailing against it in a sort and obscuring it Concerning the persons and particular companies we lay downe two things first it must needs be granted that such there were because the names of some are extant as for example the Waldenses Wickliffe and the Bohemians which agreed with vs in the substance of our religion Next we are not bound to shew an exact catalogue from time to time precisely of euery such person and companie so that vnlesse we do it we lose our cause for first it was the time of Antichrist wherein the Church must be persecuted and by that persecution be diminished and obscured which is the cause why the professors could not ordinarily possesse whole cities and countries wherein they might professe their faith openly but in all places they liued oppressed with the tyrannie and obscured with the greatnesse of Rome that their names and places with other circuÌ„stances whereby their memory should haue bene preserued could not so easily come vnto vs. Next it is certaine that the Church may be in places where none can see it as c 2. Reg. 19 18. in Elias his time there were seuen thousand in Israel and yet he saw neuer a one of them Whence it followeth that they argue but weakly against vs that say our religion was not because we can shew no professors for Elias could shew none and yet there were seuen thousand Thirdly the want of histories is a hinderance For things past can be shewed by no other meanes and the most of those times were exceeding barren of good writers Baronius d An. 90â— n. 1. noteth such want of writers in the nine hundredth yeare that therfore it is called the obscure age So that many things might appeare at those present times which for want of stories could neuer come to our knowledge And the consideration of this one point may iustly stay the discreete from being too confident against vs when they shall see many things to be done that are not written to the posteritie but he forgotten And more then this we assure our selues that the Church of Rome would in all those ages do her best to deface the memorie of any thing that might witnesse for vs whereby it came to passe that so little was written of the men of our religion For what they writ themselues it was easie for their enemies to suppresse and what their enemies wrote of them is of as much credite as that which the Iesuites write this day of vs. This that I say is more then probable For if at this day our aduersaries e Azor. instit tom 1. l. 8. c. 16. Posseu biblioth select pa. 130. a. wipe our very names out of bookes and commaund that no man shall name vs but in contempt and charge vs with horrible opinions that we hold not as that we make God the author of sinne denie fasting praying and good workes c. we may with good discretion assure our selues their ancestors haue done the like in former ages to the men of our religion Hence it cometh to passe that their memorie is very scant in Popish stories as the matters of the Iewes are rarely mentioned in the writings of the Gentiles though they were famous and where they are remembred it is with contempt and slander and hence it is that Wickliffe and the Waldenses are charged with such vile opinions For if the Iesuites thus charge and belie vs at this day why might not their forefathers belie them in like manner and deface their memorie The man that readeth but Wickliffes owne bookes and compareth them with that which Frier Walden most impudently chargeth him with shall finde this to be true that I say And euery bodie knoweth what monsters are written touching Ierom of Prage by his aduersaries and yet Poggius the Popes owne Secretarie that was an eye-witnesse of his death and triall at the Councell of Constance saith f Epist ad Leonard Aretin inter epist Pij 2 â—p 425. he was a man worthy eternall memorie there was no iust cause of death in him he spake nothing in all his triall vnworthy a good man and he maketh question whether the things obiected against him were true or no. So then the practise of the Papists this day with vs defacing our names belying our opinions burying our memorie corrupting our bookes suppressing the truth of things purging and razing all manner of euidence maketh vs assure our selues that in the same manner our ancestors were vsed and that it is a principall reason why we yeeld not so perfect a catalogue as else we might do 3 That which is more to be said touching this point shall be handled below sect 50. § 46. But the Romane Church is for it hath bene continually without interruptioÌ„ since Christ and his Apostles time still visible professing the same faith without change which now it hath and therefore is Catholicke or vniuersall in Time It hath had and hath at this day at least some of euery countrey where there are anie Christians which is almost if not absolutely euery where that communicateth and agreeth in profession of faith with it therefore it is Catholicke and vniuersall in Place It teacheth a most ample and
workes good or euill that God foresaw he should do he is deceiued likewise and the former difficulties return vpon him For the most iudicious and learned in the Church of Rome are of the same minde Touching election there are e Magist 1. d. 41 ibi Occham Aâ—im Camerac Capreol Dur. Mayro alij Bell. de gr lib. arb l. 2. c. 10. Valent. tom 1. p. 364. Tolet. in Rom. 9. few but grant it is of the free mercie of God without any respect to our merits f Tract de Praedest l. 1 p. 38. And Catharinus saith the contrarie is Pelagianisme and deserueth to be hissed at Touching reprobation the opinion is more currant that it should passe vpon the foresight of sinne which God beheld in the wicked But this in reprobation negatiue especially is also crossed by the g Altisio l. 1. c. 9 qu. 1. 2. Arim. Dur. Camerac Capreol vbi supra Tho. contra Gentil l. 3. c. 161. 163. lect 2. in Rom. 9 chiefest Schoolmen that euer writ and h Bell. vbi supra c 16. Valent. tom 1. p. 404. Tolet. vbi supra the Iesuites themselues shrinke from it Ariminensis saith No man is reprobated because of the euill vse of his freewill or finall resistance of grace which God foresaw in him i Part. 1. q 23. art 5. Dominus Bannes confuteth them that hold otherwise and saith that considering the reprobate absolutely there can no cause or reason of their reprobation be giuen on their own behalfe But all the effects of reprobation are ordinated to this one end to shew the iustice of God and his mercie towards the elect Our aduersaries therefore communicating with vs in our doctrine touching the cause of reprobation are as guiltie of making men carelesse thereby as we 50 But I wonder most what should driue this Iesuite to say we make God the authour of sinne I know he might heare and reade the imputation laid vpon vs by k Posseuin bib select l. 8. c. 11. Bellar. de amis grat l. 2. c. 3. the Iesuites but it is very strange any man of vnderstanding should not discerne the foolery For I chalenge any man that listeth to trie it let him shew if he can that the Church of England holdeth any more touching this matter then the Papists themselues haue expresly written Occham saith l 2. q. 5. lit k. God is immediatly the first cause of all things produced by the second causes But of things euill he is the mediate cause in that he produceth and preserueth the creature that is the mediate cause of euill And m 3. q. 12. lit yy againe if we speake of the sinnes of commission not onely the will of the creature is the efficient cause of euery such act but euen God himselfe who immediatly causeth euery act And if you reply that then God should sinne by causing an act of such deformitie as the will of the creature sinnes when it causeth such an act I answer that God is debter to no man and therefore he is bound neither to cause that act nor the contrary nor yet not to cause it but the will of the creature by Gods law is bound not to cause the act and so consequently sinnes by doing it To the very same effect writeth n 2. d. 34. q. 1. art 3. Gregorius Ariminensis o Pag. 126. ad 7. addeth further that some Doctors of his time affirmed that albeit the sinfull act were of God yet the sinne was not which saying saith he may haue a good sence not by conceiuing the deformitie to be any thing distinct from the act which is not caused of God but vnderstanding that although the sinfull act be of God yet as it is sinfull it is not of God who doth nothing against that which right reason iudgeth should be done Cardinall Cameracensis p 1. q. 13. art 1. pag. 193. saith Many solemne Doctors confesse that God is the cause of sinne and that he can cause and will sinne Medina q Bartol Med. in 1 2 q 93. art 6. pag. 496. saith A sinner when he sinneth doth against the will and law of God in one sence and in another not He doth indeed against his signified will and against his precepts and prohibitions which by a figuratiue speech are called his will but against the will of his good pleasure he doth not nor against the effâ—ctuall ordination of God In the same manner r Mayr 2 d. 43. q 1. Duran 2. d. 37. q. 1 1. d. 46. q 2. Altisioâ— l. 2. p. 79. Feliâ— in decal pag. 69 Tâ—o in 9. Rom. write others and such as are busiest in accusing Luther and Caluin touching this point yet by strength of argument and euidence of the Scriptures are driuen to say Å¿ Bann 1. part q. 49. art 2. That no sinne falleth out beside the will and intention of God t Bell. de amiss grat l 2. c. 13. but that by a figure he commandeth it and exciteth men vnto it as a huntsman setteth the dog vpon a hare by letting go the slip that held the dogge God therefore not onely permitteth the wicked to do many euils neither doth he onely forsake the godly that they may be constrained to suffer the things done against them by the wicked but he also ouerseeth their euill wils and ruleth and gouerneth them and boweth and bendeth them by working inuisibly in them And not onely inclineth euill wils to one euill rather then another by permitting them to be caried into one euill and not permitting them to be caried into another but also positiuely he bendeth them by inclining them to one euill and turning them from another occasionally and morally c. Let our aduersaries looke well into these speeches and they shall finde we say in effect no more and if they will expound ours as gently as they do their owne there will appeare no difference 51 For we hold first in generall that u Ps 5.4 Habb 1.13 â—â—h 3 5. Zach 8.17 eccl 7 31. lac 1.13 God is not the author of sinne but the diuell and mans owne corrupt will the contrary whereof we defy as blasphemy Next more particularly we beleeue that God willeth nothing that is formally sin as he willeth that which is good but hateth it raâ—her whence it followeth that he inspireth it into no man neither doth he create any corruption in our will which was not there before but forbiddeth it absolutely x Esa 30.21 Rom. 2.15 within vs by the light of his Spirit y Deut. 27.26 without vs by the commandement and the first entrance of sinne into the world and the continuance of it in the world was by the voluntary action of mans will corrupting it selfe God infusing no euill into it That which he doth about and concerning sinne are three actions First as the vniuersall cause of all things z Act. 17.28 he sustaineth
mankind and vpholdeth his being yea the being and mouing of all his actions good and bad so that no man could either moue to an action or haue being himselfe if God sustained not Whence it followeth that * The Schoolemen call it Substratum peccati pars materialis quae subest ipsi malitiae the very positiue act called the materiall part of sinne whereunto sinne cleaueth is of God in the same sort that all other actions of the creature are Secondly a Esa 6.9 Ioh. 12.39 Rom. 9.18 2.5 1. Sam. 2.25 he withholdeth his grace being bound to no man and leaueth the wicked to themselues wherupon it followeth that their hearts harden and they cannot but sinne the maner how he hardeneth is not by creating the sinne as he doth grace in the elect but by denying them the power of his grace which should mollifie them and by offering them sundry obiects which they conuert into occasions of sinne and ruine whereby they stand exposed to the temptations of Satan and haue neither power nor will to stay themselues Thirdly he ordinateth the sinne which is nothing else but the directing of it in such maner as he pleaseth that it proceede no further or otherwise then his good pleasure willeth Sometime he restraineth it that it shall reach no further then he willeth sometime he turneth it to another end then the person doing it thought of sometime he maketh way for it to passe to punish one sin with another And this is all we hold touching this point and I dare vndertake to shew euery parcel thereof in the Papists owne bookes as I haue said already And therefore their writing that the Protestants make God the author of sinne are but clamors and verball quarels arising from malice For they may vnderstand if they will that when we say God willeth or worketh sinne and positiuely ordaineth it or any such like we meane not this of Gods formall will but of the three inferior actions that I haue here briefly touched whereby he gouerneth it Digression 42. Againe touching Freewill wherein the doctrine of our Church is methodically propounded in euery point compared with that which the Papists hold that the seuerall questions betweene them and vs and the maner how and where they rise may be seene distinctly set downe 52 When we speake of freewill the question may be laid either touching that freedome which man had before his fall in the state of innocencie or touching that which remaineth with vs now in the state of corruption Concerning that which man had before his fal there is no question but he had a perfect freewil both to good and euill the which was naturall to him and giuen him with his creation by the strength whereof he had power in himselfe to perseuere in grace because the grace whereby he might perseuere was in the power of his will Onely he was created mutable that is such as albeit he were euery way perfect yet he might fall from that perfection if he would and he needed the generall helpe of God to preserue his nature and to moue him to his actions the which he had from the instant of his creation to his fall neither of which impaired the libertie of his will but rather perfected it In this matter there lieth no question for it is a Tho. 1.2 q. 109 ar 2. ad 1. Arim. 2. d. 29. art 1. a Schoole point that man before his fall needed the influence of Gods grace to moue his wil which he had 53 The question is touching our will now in this corrupted nature And we are all agreed that the facultie or power of mans mind called the will is not lost by his fall no more then the parts of his body are but the controuersie is about the NATVRE first and then the STRENGTH of it And touching the nature of our will we hold two things first that although Adams will by nature was free as wel in things spirituall concerning God as in things naturall concerning this life yet ours is not so but in things spirituall it is stark dead till God create spirituall life and libertie in it and so that freedome it hath is in it by grace and not by nature By nature we haue power to will naturall things but till grace come there is no facultie to will heauenly things concerning the sauing of our soule or once to mind them This is the first point and the Papists dedenie it saying that will by Adams fall was not extinguished or lost outright but onely maimed or weakened and left destitute of that which guided it and the grace of God approching doth onely heale it againe or as it were waken it out of sleepe and they liken it to b Andr. orth l. 4 Salm. Rhem. in Luc. 10.30 a man wounded that still hath life in him though physicke and cure bring perfect health And c Bell. de gra lib. arb l. 6. c. 15. § Dices quom the Iesuites hold that before any grace come it is free to do good but this freedome is as it were bound and stopped till God giue it power As a man hauing the sight of his eyes yet seeth not till some sensible forme come which forme is not the cause he seeth but that which perfecteth the sight And d Bell. de grat pâ—â—m hom c. 5. 7. de grat lib. arb l. 5. c. 13. § Decimus they write that all our naturals are as whole in vs as euer they were in Adam and we onely want a supernaturall gift to guide them which he had To this purpose e OcchaÌ„ 1. d. 17. q. 2. lit c. they write that it exceedeth not the facultie of mans nature to do the acts of charitie which may euen merit at Gods hands and f Andrad orth l. 3. that all the workes of the very Gentiles are not sinne and g Gabr. 2. d. 28. that by doing what is in our owne power euen by nature without any grace we may merit Gods grace of congruitie as I shall shew hereafter The which assertions of theirs shew what they hold touching the nature of our will namely that euen by nature afore any grace come it hath some freedome to good but if God do but preuent it then it is able to do much more Wherein we refuse them because the Scripture saith h Col. 2.13 a naturall man is dead in sinne and i 1. Cor. 2.14 perceiueth not the things of Gods spirit neither can know them for they are spiritually discerned 54 The second point touching the nature of freewill is that as some Diuines thinke it standeth not in freedome from all necessitie but from all externall constraint For I haue shewed before that Gods will ordereth and determineth all wils from which determination no creature is free but they all depend on God and can do nothing but what he pleaseth yet for so much as this will of God taketh