kept it perfectly or else he accuseth the most Iust of great malice That cannot he doe for he which keepes perfectly that which God commands him in this life is without sinne sinne being no other thing then the transgression of Gods commandements all which doe meete at one ende and abut vpon charitie b Hieron ad Rusticum epist 44. c. 4. Now there is none that is pure from sinne though his life had been but for a day saith Saint Ierome The Apostle himselfe doth openly confesse that he and all the Saints are tied to this vnauoidable necessitie of c Aug. de tempore serm 47. sinne saith Saint Austin and that doth hee confesse in the seuenth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans as wee shall see in the fourth argument There is none then that keepes perfectly that which God commands him yea that can keepe himselfe all being tied to this necessitie of sinning by the flesh lusting against the Spirit and by the Law of their members warring incessantly against the Law of their minde and bringing them into captiuitie to the Law of sinne which is in their members d Rom. 7.23 Gal. 5.17 as the Apostle speaks This is more perspicuously set before our eyes by death which is saith the Scriptures e Ioshua 23.14 the way of all the earth f Heb. 9.27 it being appointed vnto men once to die It is therefore a manifest conclusion that all are sinners and by consequent all transgressours of the Commandements of God g Rom. 6.23 for the wages of sinne is death and the effect of death in the faithfull is the death of sinne h Rom. 6.7 for he that is dead is freed from sinne which made the holy Apostle to sigh and call after death i Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Now Bellarmine not being able to name any one Saint who hath been in his life pure from sinne and saying notwithstanding that they can perfectly keepe Gods Commandements hee accuseth and chargeth them with a notorious malice for what is the cause that they haue not kept the Commandements was it ignorance that was in them Noe for they knew the Commandements was it impotencie that was in them No for Bellarmine saith that they could keepe the Commandements The salt was then only in their will for three things concurre together in the reasonable creature to the producing and bringing forth of a good worke knowledge will power Now to know and to be able to doe good and not to will the doing of it is the propertie of a malicious and peruerse spirit it is a malice altogether condemned as it is written k Iames 4.17 To him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is sinne Let this be farre from Saints And therefore we will correct the saying of Bellarmine and say that the Saints and faithfull haue the wil to keepe perfectly the Commandements of God but they haue not the power and strength to doe them and that will we verifie by Saint Paul saying of himselfe l Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to performe that which is good I finde not And of vs all m Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrarie the one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things that ye would Lastly because that all which Bellarmine writes touching the diuers degrees of perfection commanded in the Law is maintained by him for the cause and defence of the Monkish state and life which he termes n Bellar. de monach c. 2. the state of perfection I would willingly aske Bellarmine himselfe or the most holiest Monke or Frier if seeing he thinkes he can keepe the Commandements of God he hath euer kept them If he saies that he hath kept them he is a lyar For hee that keepes the Commandements hath no sinne o 1. Iohn 1. â— Now if we say that we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. If he confesseth that he hath not kept them he confesseth himselfe to be a wicked and malicious man in that hee would not doe that which he could and by his owne confession is doubly the childe of hell p Luk. 12.47 For that seruant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himselfe neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes VII The third argument is this If a man could keepe the Law he should haue no neede of a Mediatour q Gal. 2.21 For if righteousnesse come by the Law then Christ is dead in vaine They answere that Christ indeede should haue died in vaine if man could keepe the Law by his naturall strength and power but it is by grace that Christians keepe it and this grace hath been giuen them through the merit of the obedience and death of Christ which for this cause is not frustrate nor in vaine An answere iniurious to Christ and altogether false For if it were so our righteousnesse and saluation should be immediately of the Law and not of Christ and Christ should not be our Sauiour but onely an instrument by the which we are ayded and enabled to keepe the Law and by the obseruation of the same made our owne sauiours What blasphemie against the Sonne of God r 1. Cor. 1.30 Who of God is made vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption In as much as Å¿ 2. Cor. 5.21 God hath made him to be sinne for vs who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him We are then righteousnesse as he is sinne he is sinne t August Encherid cap. 41. not his owne but ours not in himselfe but in vs euen so are wee righteousnesse not our owne but that of God not in our selues but in him And marke he hath beene made vnto vs righteousnesse by God it is not written that we are made righteousnesse by him Againe we are the righteousnesse of God in him it is not said that we are the righteousnesse of God by him as by an instrument So doth the same Apostle write that u Col. 2.10 we are complete in him and not complete in our selues by him he felt it so when being as then renewed hauing been alreadie yea a long time an Apostle and neere vnto death when hauing fought a good fight kept the faith and finished his course he writes from prison vnto his Philippians that x Phil. 3.8.9 he counted all things but lesse and dung that he might winne Christ and be found in him not hauing his owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ to wit the righteousnesse which is of God by faith He would haue vs to thinke and feele it so when he wrote to vs in the person of the
in this Citie of Bourdeaux Two Virgins daughters of an honourable Citizen of the Romish religion withdrew themselues from the obedience of their father and mother to follow a Religion of a new stampe and edition called Of the Vrselines This fact being found strange of many learned men and others of the said Religion Cardinall Sourdis took vpon him to defend it by writing and I was requested to vndertake the refutation thereof which I not being able to refuse to those that requested of mee this piece of seruice I tooke in hand this worke some fourteene monethes agoe But I perceiued by the prosecution and sequell of this worke that I should labour in vaine if I refuted not in order all the principall arguments which the Church of Rome doth alleage in fauour and defence of the Monkish life which I haue done according to the method I haue here summarily and briefly set downe beginning first with the holy Scriptures because the author of the Pastorall letter begins with that point My discourse shall bee truth the fountaine thereof shall be charity the end thereof shall be the glory of God the edificatioÌ„ of his Church the conuersion of those that walke in darknesse and in the shadow of death to the true light and the discharge of my conscience before God and my Church to the which I would giue an account of my studies if she receiue any edification thereby I shall remaine fully satisfied THE SVMME OF THIS FIRST VOLUME THE FIRST BOOKE Of thâ— holy Scripture Chap. 1. Of the necessity and sufficiencie of the Scriptures Chap. 2. All men ought to reade the Scriptures Chap. 3. The Scriptures are perspicuous and plaine to bee read of all men Chap. 4. They are to be read with the same spirit wherewith they were written Chap. 5. 6. 7. What is the authority of the Fathers in the interpreting of the Scriptures Chap. 8. Of the Iudge of the sense and meaning of the Scriptures THE SECOND BOOKE Of Euangelicall Counsels Chap. 1. The holy Scripture makes no mention of Counsels which they terme Euangelicall Chap. 2. They are neither of the Law nor of the Gospell The difference betweene the Law and the Gospell Chap. 3. They are falsly termed Counsels of Perfection There is no other perfection then charity which is commanded to all men Chap. 4. The Monkes and Friers doe speake in vaine of keeping Counsels seeing there is no man liuing can keepe the Commandements Not the vnregenerate man that wants all the conditions required to the doing of a good worke Chap. 5. Nor the regenerate man who is imperfect and defectiue in his most holy actions Chap. 6. Which is proued by the examples of the holy men of the old Testament Chap. 7. And by them of the new Testament Chap. 8. Whence all their sinnes are mortall in their nature though veniall by grace Chap. 9. An answere to the two first obiections concerning that God doth promise to circumcise our hearts that wee should loue him with all our heart and the testimony giuen to many that they haue kept the Law and loued God with all their heart Chap. 10. An answere to the third obiection touching those that are called perfect Chap. 11. An answere to the fourth obiection accusing God of crueltie if he haue giuen an impossible Law How and to whom the Law is possible and impossible Chap. 12. Answere to the fifth obiection that Gods commandements are not grieuous Answere to the sixth obiection whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not Chap. 13. An answere to the 7. obiectioÌ„ that all Gods workes are perfect An answere to the 8. obiection that we must not do good works if they be sins we must doe good workes and for what cause Chap. 14. Foure reasons why God doth not perfect our regeneration in this life Chap. 15. An answere to the 56. chapter of Isaias and to the 3. chapter of the booke of Wisdome where mention is made of Eunuches Chap. 16. An answere to an obiection drawne from the parable of the sower and the seede bringing forth an hundreth threescore thirtie fold and to that which the Lord saith of those which haue made themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heauens sake Chap. 17. An exposition of Christs words Goe and sell all that thou hast Chap. 18. An answere to the obiection taken out of 1. Cor. 7. Chap. 19. An answere to that which the Apostle saith He hath preached freely 1. Cor. 9. Also to that which is in the Reuelation chap. 14. concerning the 144000 Virgins Chap. 20. Answere to the example of those that haue liued in the state of Virginitie The end of the Contents AD MONACHOS Admonitio HIc discipatis nubibus Sol enitet Non iste lucem corpori qui sufficit Sed qui tenebras mentis illico fugat Hic scena fraudum tota hic mysteria Reclusa fictae sanctimoniae patent Deuota turba belluae teterrimae Quae vaticani montis incubat iugo Exosa coelo orbigranis grata inferis Procul hinc facesse Nam tibi certissima Mors hic paratur Ista si perlegeris Dâ—lâ—re victa non potes non emori IACOBS VOW OPPOSED TO THE VOWES OF MONKES AND FRIERS THE FIRST BOOKE CHAP. I. Of the holy Scriptures I. We cannot learne what seruice is acceptable vnto God but of God himselfe II. God teacheth it vs within by his holy Spirit and without by his holy Word III. The whole Word of God necessarie and sufficient vnto saluation is comprehended in the holy Scriptures WHat a Iob 36.22 teacher is like God said Elihu in his conference with Iob the same say we here where the question is betweene vs of Gods seruice of that seruice which he approues and to the which hee hath annexed a gratious promise of ample remuneration who then can better tell vs what he is then he himselfe Both we and they seeke for eternall life and desire to finde the way that leades vs vnto it it is God that hath giuen it vs who then shal shew vs the way of life but God Our b Col. 3.3.4 life is hid with Christ in God yea Christ is our life and c John 14.6 10 7. as hee is our life so is he the way of life the doore by the which the sheepe doe enter and there is none other then he d Heb. 10.20 that hath consecrated for vs a new and liuing way through the vaile that is to say his flesh As he hath consecrated it so hath he shewed it vnto vs by his truth e Iohn 17.17 His word is his truth and he himselfe is that truth f Iohn 14.6 I am saith he the way the truth and the life no man commeth vnto the Father but by me * August in Joan tract 22. Ambulare vis ego sum via falli non vis ego sum veritas mori non vis ego sum vita hoc dicit saluator tuus non est quò cas nisi
there should be no difference betweene me and the Creator that I should be aduanced higher then the Angels and that I should haue that which the Angels haue not Of him namely of Christ it is written as a thing proper to himselfe he did no sinne neither was guile found in his mouth If this bee common to me and Christ what had hee proper to himself And so he makes the Law possible to none but to Christ alone and attributes vnto Christ as a thing proper to him the perfect keeping of the Law But these answeres satisfie and pacifie not the conscience and therefore hee addes a third answere Thou sayest the Commandements of God are possible he speakes to the Pelagian and answeres him saying and who denieth it but how this is to bee vnderstood the chosen vessell sheweth plainely for saith he d Rom. 8.3 What the Law could not doe in that it was weake through the flesh God sending his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh IIII. The sense and meaning is that the impossibilitie of the Law proceedes not from the Law for if a man could keepe the whole Law it would iustifie him but it comes from the flesh that is to say from the corruption of the humane nature which makes man vncapable to fulfill the Law and consequently makes the Law vnable to iustifie man But God in his mercie hath prouided and hath sent his owne Sonne in the likenesse of sinfull flesh that is to say in the human nature altogether like vnto ours sinne excepted and in this flesh of the Sonne in our human nature which hee hath put on God hath condemned sinne surely in that he hath punisht it in the humanitie of the Sonne being made a curse for vs. And that the e Rom. 8.4 Righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in vs questionlesse in as much as that in our nature and in our name Christ hath satisfied the curse thereof by the curse of his crosse which is allowed of God as if we had satisfied in our owne persons as also in as much as wee being iustified by faith in Christ wee are sanctified by the Spirit of Christ and by the same guided and fashioned to the willing obedience of the Law which begins here in the place of our pilgrimage and proceedes on daily from good to better and shall be consummated perfected in our countrie the place of our rest For that none hath euer fulfilled and cannot fulfill the Law during the dayes of this life f Hieron ad Ctesiphontem Saint Ierome proues it by the Apostles example lamenting g Ro. 7.14.24 25 that he was carnall sold vnder sinne so that he cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death and then he comforts himselfe with his answer The grace of God through Iesus Christ our Lord What say I the example of the Apostle alone when he proues h Hieron aduers Pelagia lib. 1. lib. 2. by a great number of places of the old and new testament and by the example of all the Saints that none euer hath fulfilled the Law but Iesus Christ alone who said i Mat. 5.17 I am not come to destroy the Law or the Prophets I am not come to destroy but to fulfill V. But to answere plainely to this obiection we will confider man in a fourefold differing state and condition in the state of his innocencie in the state of his rebellion and of his fall in the state of his regeneration and in the state of his glorification In the state of innocencie man was vpright perfectly holy perfectly righteous God gaue to this vpright holy and righteous man his iust and righteous Law possible in it selfe and possible to him which had receiued grace to be able to keepe it to be able not to transgresse it remaining in this state it did direct him vnto all perfection and he kept it in all perfection VI. But hauing allied himselfe with Satan the Prince of darkenesse and alienated himselfe from God who dwelleth in the light which no man can approch vnto he fell into darknes and hauing withdrawne himselfe from the obedience of his Creator k Psal 36.10 with whom is the fountaine of life and inthralled himselfe to his enemie l Heb. 2.14 to him that had the power of death that is the deuill he became m Ephes 2.2 Impossible to the corrupt nature dead in trespasses and sinnes and in such wise the slaue of sinne that he cannot but sinne In this state God giues him his Law which he cannot keepe not through the default of the Law but through the fault n Rom. 8.7 of the wisdome of the flesh which is enmitie against God for it is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeede can be yea it will not bee subiect to it and will not obserue it but applies her selfe with all her power to the transgression thereof Now it is not crueltie nor tyranny to require of this man the slaue of sinne the bondman of the deuill that which he cannot pay as it is not cruelty to aske of a bankrupt paiment of his debts A Tyrant exacts of his subiects that which they owe him not God exacts nothing of man but that which man had receiued of him all the heart all the soule all the thoughts the whole body and all the strength of that all What is the cause that man cleares not this debt T' is not long of God who o Eccles 7.29 hath made man vpright enriching him with all spirituall blessings but it is long of man who being an vnthrift a prodigall spend-all hath wasted and consumed the goods which he had receiued and by his owne fault is become vnable and vnapt to pay VII Furthermore a Tyrant demaunds vniustly of his subiect that which is not his due nor in the power of his subiect hath no other end then the ruine of his subiect In respect whereof notwithstanding it hath some vses 1. The Law accuseth him of sinne But God demaunding iustly of man that which man owes him iustly and whereof he cannot acquit himselfe by reason of his voluntary vnrighteousnesse seekes but mans saluation for he giues him his Law to make him see his owne debt as it is written p Rom. 3.20 2. It condemnes him of sinne By the Law is the knowledge of sinne And to make him shun and auoide Gods anger and wrath which is reuealed from heauen against him because of his debt as againe it is written q Rom. 4.15 3. In condemning him it leades him vnto Christ The Law worketh wrath that he knowing and acknowledging his infinite debt and feeling himselfe bound by the same vnto an infinite punishment hee may seeke out him who would and could answere for him as a pledge and suretie and who hath paied for him that which he owed
if it belongs to the father to giue his virgin in marriage or not to giue her in marriage he hath plaied the tyrant to haue handled so rigorously a father and mother that practised on their daughters virgins that lawfull power and authoritie which nature hath giuen vnto them the Scripture hath authorized and the right of Nations hath confirmed vnto them But we will speake of this here below as also of the intention of the Apostle in this Chapter VII The which I will but touch cursarily in this place the Corinthians asked the Apostle if it was expedient for a Christian to marrie He answeres f 1. Cor. 7.1 Now concerning the things where of yee wrote vnto me it is good for a man not to touch a woman calling good that which is commodious profitable and as he himselfe expounds it vers 35. expedient or comely he giues the reason saying that they that marry shall haue trouble in the flesh vers 28. It is therefore good to bee vnmarried by reason of the charges and troubles of marriage and of the disturbance that it bringeth to the free confession of the Gospell in time of persecution as he saith vers 26. I suppose that this is good for the present distresse and necessitie For then the persecutions were so hot and violent that they which were without wife and children were freed from a great burden hauing nothing to care for but Gods seruice and themselues Those during that present necessitie did well not to marrie This is the Apostles aduice yet not absolutely but with a restriction of the gift and vocation of God saying that marriage is necessarie for them that haue not receiued the gift of continencie g 1. Cor. 7.2 Neuertheles to auoide fornication let euery man haue his owne wife and let euery woman haue her own husband Bellarm. saith that it is a Counsell which is against himselfe for if it bee a Counsell to marrie to auoide fornication hee that marrieth to this ende shall haue a greater merit and consequently a greater glory then he that marrieth not But the words are of the imperatiue moode and binde all those which haue not the gift of continencie to marry He repeates them againe and saith If they cannot containe let them marry for it is better to marry then to burne Concerning those that haue the gift of continencie he saith h Vers 8. It is good for them if they abide euen as I yea he commaunds them so to remaine if they feele in themselues that they are called to it of God i Vers 17. As God hath distributed to euery man there is the gift yea as the Lord hath called euery one there is Gods calling so let him walke Now where there is the gift and calling of God to a thing there is a necessitie to doe it and a punishment for him that doth it not k 1. Cor. 7.24 Brethren saith he let euery man wherein hee is called therein abide with God If then a man hath receiued the gift of continencie and is called thereto by God he ought to follow his calling But if he burnes and feeles that the gift is taken away God calles him to marriage It is a Commandement on the one and the other side and not a Counsell VIII The conclusion is added to the one and to the other l 1. Cor. 7.38 So then he that giueth her in marriage doth well but hee that giueth her not in marriage doth better To wit because that this man lookes better to his virgin in not giuing her in marriage in so dangerous and troublesome a time it being presupposed that she haue the gift of continencie then doth that man In like manner the widow m Vers 40. is happier if she so abide happier indeede not towards God who is not moued with these outward things wherein godlinesse consisteth not but in respect of men and of the domesticall life in so much as being a widdow she hath not such care nor so many distractions in the time of persecution as the married woman hath But what serues all this to the cause of the Vrselines and the Counsels of the Monkish life for the father that gaue not his virgin in marriage kept her at home And the widdow remaining so did serue God in her house This ought to be obserued euery where For there is not to bee found any place of Scripture what sense soeuer they coine and make thereof that concludes any thing for the Monkish life and therefore that can be alleaged by them to the purpose in this controuersie CHAP. XIX I. The eight obiection Saint Paul by a worke of supererogation hath preached the Gospell freely and frankely 1. Cor. 9. II. This obiection is nothing to the purpose is false and contrary to all Saint Pauls doctrine III. The true meaning of the Apostles words IIII. In preaching for nothing hee aimed not at any greater perfection and reward in heauen and did nothing but that which he ought to haue done V. The ninth obiection taken out of the Reuelation Chap. 14. touching the hundred foure and fortie thousand virgins VI. This is a fond and vaine obiection and which draweth with it many falsehoodes and inconueniences VII The true exposition of this place according to Origen Ambrose Austin BEllarmine setteth downe his eight obiection The 8 obiection saying a Bellar. de Monach c. 19. §. 61. that Saint Paul in the whole ninth Chapter of his first Epistle to the Corinthians doth indeuour to shew that hee hath done more then he was commanded to doe and therefore hath merited a singular and speciall glory of God for the Lord hauing ordained that they which preach the Gospell should liue of the Gospell Paul had rather preach the Gospell without charge and so doe a worke of supererogation b 1. Cor. 9.15.16.18 It were better for me to die then that any should make my glorying voide for saith he though I preach the Gospell I haue nothing to glorie of for necessitie is laid vpon me and woe vnto me if I preach not the Gospell What is my reward then verily that when I preach the Gospell I may make the Gospell of Christ without charge II. c Iob 15.2.3 Should a wise man vtter vaine knowledge and fill his belly with the East-winde should hee reason with vnprofitable talke or with speeches wherewith he can doe no good Yes for in all his discourse and purpose there is nothing that serues to the purpose whereof the question is For Saint Paul was no Monke nor Frier hee preached not the Gospell gratis and without cost by any counsell hee receiued of the Lord who contrariwise declared that d Mat. 10.10 the workman is worthy of his meat He preached not for nought by any vow For he should haue broken his vow hauing e Phi. 4.15 c. receiued maintenance abundantly of the Philippians f 2. Cor. 11.8 and of
lib. de vera virginitatâ— man euen like God though Saint Basil saith so Virginitie also is not the image and resemblance of Christ as Saint Cyprian affirmeth Holinesse alone makes man like God and this holinesse may be in as great a measure in them which are married in Abraham in Saint Peter in the Brethren of our Lord as in the eleuen thousand Virgins It is vnto the married folkes and not vnto any virgins by Counsell and by Vow that God saith in his Law Yee shall be holy for I am holy b Leuit. 11.44 It is vnto all both married and vnmarried that Peter speakes c 1. Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be yee holy in all manner of conuersation and the image of Christ consisteth in d Colos 3.10 knowledge e Ephes 4.24 righteousnesse and true holinesse saith Saint Paul and this knowledge righteousnes and true holinesse hath been as great in Adam and Eue in Noe in Abraham and Sarah in Isaac and Rebecca in Iacob and Rachel in Moses with whom God spake face to face and who hath had testimonie Numb 12.3 to haue been very meeke aboue all the men which were vpon the face of the earth in Ioshue g Iudg. 4.4 in Deborah the wife of Lapidoth and notwithstanding a Prophetesse in Samuel in Dauid in Iosias in h 2. Chro. 34.22 Huldah the Prophetesse the wife of Shallum in Isaiah and his wife who also was i Jsai 8.3 a Prophetesse in the k 1. Cor. 9.5 Brethren of our Lord in Cephas and the other Apostles which did leade with them their wiues and it may be yet as great as it hath euer been as it can be euer in any virgin or vnmarried person l Deut. 10.17 Act. 10.34 God is no respecter of persons m Iob 34.19 for they all great and little married and vnmarried are the worke of his hands If it were otherwise if virginitie were the image of Christ the Vestall virgins should haue been like vnto Christ n Clement Alexand strom .. lib. 3. Qâ—â—â— et 〈…〉 à cibis veâ—ere abstâ—â—ent Certe Magis quoque curae est qui angelos daemones colunt simul à vino animatis rebus abstinere venereis They which adore idols saith Clement doe abstaine from meates and carnall lust now the Apostle saith that the Kingdome of God is not meate and drinke surely the Sorcerers which adore the Angels and the Diuels doe abstaine altogether from wine from liuing things and from women Where shall we finde any in the most austere Cloister which doe as much The Fathers then haue mistaken when they haue established the image and resemblance of God in that which was to bee found in the Heathen and is to be found in these daies among the Turkes with a great deale more excesse of seueritie then among all the Monkes of Christendome IX The third example is of the beginning of the Primitiue Church Pag. 11. for our Author of the Pastorall Letter saith This Counsell had so penetrated and passed through in the beginning of Christianitie as Saint Iâ—rome obserues it eloquently vpon the Acts of the Apostles Post crucem Christi statim vna domus Philippi quadrigam producit virginum filiarum That after the Crosse of Christ presently the house of Philip yeelds foure daughters virgines X. What could the Author of the Pastorall Letter haue alleaged worse against his cause and intention he hath heretofore spoken of an Euangelicall Counsell recommending single life and voluntarie pouertie and now he speakes of o Act. 21.8.9 Philip the Euangelist keeping house in Cesarea married and hauing his daughters with him in his house Philip then hath not kept the Euangelicall Counsels and hath not been lesse perfect for all that I hope then the perfectest Monke or Frier Secondly hee will proue that the daughters ought to leaue father and mother and withdraw themselues into a Monasterie to keepe there their virginitie and that the fathers and mothers ought to consent thereunto and hee sets vs downe the example of foure daughters virgines dwelling in their fathers house and liuing there as Christianly as any cloisterly Nunne Thirdly hee presupposeth against the truth of the historie that these maides haue perseuered in their virginitie al their life time For the Scripture saith it not and Clemens Alexandrinus saith the coÌ„trary writing against the hereticks hertofore meÌ„tioned and asking them p Clemens Alexand strom lib. 3. An etiam reprobant Apostolos Petrus enim Philippus filios procrearunt Philippus autem filias quoque suas viris tradidit Euseb lib. 3. Eccles hist cap. 27. Doe they reproue the Apostles also for Peter and Philip haue begot children and Philip hath giuen his daughters in marriage They were then virgins when Saint Paul passed by that way but they ceased to be virgins when they were maried Bellarmine answereth q Bellar. de monach c. 10. §. 2. that we ought to beleeue that they haue beeue perpetually virgins and by election because that Saint Luke relates that as a great matter to wit that one man had foure daughters virgines Now what great matter is it to haue foure daughters virgines which being mariageable did marrie But Saint Luke recites not as a great matter that Philip had foure daughters virgines but that he had foure daughters virgins r Act. 21.9 which did prophesie A thing recommendable and worthy to be registred to posteritie that one man hath had in his house foure daughters virgins which being Prophetesses the prophesie of the Prophet Ioel hath been fulfilled Å¿ Joel 2.28 your sonnes and your daughters shall prophesie XI The last example is of the Church in the time of Cypriaâ— and Iustine Martyr Cyprian saith of his time t Cypri de habitu virg The world is filled with those which can comprehend continencie which liue like Eunuches for the Kingdome of God u Iustin Apolog 2. Iustin elder then hee faith Surely many of the one and of the other sexe of sixtie and seuentie yeeres of age remaine Eunuches and Virgines and in this state haue kept the discipline of Iesus Christ euen from their youth vp and I glory that I can shew such among all the sexes of those of our religion Behold the first fruites of the Gospell saith our Author of the Pastorall Letter Pag. 11. XII The fruit of the Gospell is the fruit of the Spirit x Gal. 5.22.23 loue ioy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meekenesse temperance c. Of these fruits are not virginitie nor marriage but chastitie in the one and in the other state is a true fruite of the Spirit and is comprehended vnder the vertue Temperance Iustin and Cyprian say not that virginitie is a fruit of the Gospell for that which is common to Christians and Heathens is not of the Gospell but they recommend those which in so wofull a time wherein the