Rome is too too foolish when thus they reason This religion is olde and hath had approbation of the greatest number for some hundredes of yeares therefore it is good For Vincentius did looke vnto that faith that was then ancient and catholicke many hundred yeares before many articles of popish religion were hatched But the papistes thinke it enough for them if they can proue their religion to bee nowe olde Whereas in trueth and according to Vincentius his rule also that which was not then olde is not now good That which was not then catholicke is nowe of all good men to bee reiected But let vs see what Vincentius saith After that hee hath declared how that by opportunity of time and place hee was mooued to write hee sheweth that to finde out the falshoode of heresies there are two waies The one by the authoritie of Gods word Gods word sufficient Whose rule is perfect and of it selfe sufficeth for all thinges aboundantly Yet because it is diuersly expounded such is the depth thereof as by example of sundry heresies doeth appeare The seconde way to finde out heresies hee maketh this By the tradition and rule of the catholicke Church to interpret that which is set downe in the writings of the Prophetes and apostles But so as wee take heede that wee receiue not for Catholicke euery thing that is holden in the Catholicke Church Catholicke but that onely that is beleeued in all places and so hath vniuersality at all times and so hath antiquity of all or almost all the godly and learned and so hath consent So that a Catholicke Christian must more regarde the soundnesse of the whole body than a parte thereof that is corrupted And where the infection is generall that which hath beene taught of olde is to bee preferred before the new But before the auncient errour of two or three or of one citty or cuntry a man must preferre that which vniuersally the vniuersall Church hath decreede if anie such bee If not then hee must consider of the iudgementes of the sincerest fathers not of a fewe of them but of all What they haue holden written taught When the fathers aâ—â— to be beleeued with one consent plainely often not changing their minde that hee may boldely beleeue So did the godly fathers in Affrica against Donatus and also others against that heresie of the Arrians that had infected almost al christendome and caused great destruction and cruelty because there were brought in superstitions inuented by men in steede of the Heauenly doctrine as is proued out of saint Ambrose and newe deuises for ancient decrees Yea so they withstoode all heresies whilest in the verie antiquity of the church they defended that only that was also vniuersal that is to say Ancient Vniuersality Ancient vniuersality And the more deuout that men were the more stifly did they oppose themselues to new inuentions As for example Stephen bishop of Rome with his associates did set themselues against the new opinion of Agrippinus bishop of Carthage yea and against the councell of Carthage For hee knewe that nothing can in account be godly We must follow religion and not lead her Vnlesse all thinges were sealed vp to the children as faithfully as the fathers receiued them And that we must not leade religion which way we will but followe her which way shee wil go And that it be seemeth not christian modestie or grauitie to deliuer to their posterity any thing of their owne but to preserue that which is receiued from the fathers And by occasion of the Donatistes who vnder colour of the decrees of the councell of Carthage saide that they baptised againe such as were baptised by heretickes hee teacheth that some deceiuers going about in some other bodies names to set forth their owne heresie A liuely description of popish teaching Doe snatch some of the writings of the ancient fathers such lightly as are most obscurely written which for their obscuritie maie after a sort agree with that they teach to this ende that whatsoeuer they say they may be thought neither first nor onlie to saie it Whose fault is double both in that they broach heresies and also open that in the fathers which shoulde bee hidden as did Cham whose rewarde vpon him and his posterity should feare them But to alter the faith or corrupt religion men should be afraid not only in respect of ecclesiasticall discipline but also in regard of the censure of the apostle against such Gal. 1.6.7 2. Tim. 4.3 1. Tim. 5.12 Rom. 16.17 2. Tim. 3.6 7. Tit. 1.16 1. Tim. 3.1 1. Tim. 6.4 5. 1. Tim. 5.13 1. Tim. 1.19 1. Tim. 2.16 17. 2. Tim. 3.9 Such aâ—â— our Seminary prists who for their owne benefit indanger many not men only but euen countries And because there came amongst the Galathians such as carried about errours and set them on sale whom the Galathians hearing did loathe the trueth vomiting the Manna of Apostolike and catholike doctrine liking well of the filth of nouelties the apostle denounceth that they should not heare either the apostles or an angell from heauen if he should preach any thing besides that hee had preached Gal. 1.8 9. And this caueat belongeth not to the Galathians only no more than the other precepts of godly life so that it hath not beene is or shall be lawfull for catholike christians to teach any thing besides that that they haue receiued And to hold accursed al those Take heed of beleuing vnwritten traditions who preach any thing else than that which is Once receiued it alwayes hath beene is and shall be our duetie So that to preach any thing else is too much boldenesse and to heare any thing else is too much lightnesse Althogh some frogges midges and flies of a short time such as the Pelagians crie against it seeking to drawe vs from that which hath beene committed vnto vs by our fathers and notable persons are thus many times infected Why the learned are heretikes because God will by them proue whether men loue God vnfainedly or not Deuteronomie 13.3 But this is a dangerous tentation and may deceiue many as by Nestorius Photinus and Apollinaris may appeare whose heresies he describeth as also the catholike doctrine with some confutation of Arrianisme and Manicheisme and the other forenamed heresies Against which danger of being by such men deceiued he would haue vs to holde this propertie of true catholikes How â—â— rre the fathers are to be heard with the Church to receiue the Doctours but not with the Doctours to forsake the faith of the Church Then hauing shewed the daunger that the great learning of Origen and Tertullian brought vnto the Church when they erred hee repeateth triall to bee cause of heresies many times A true catholike and then gathereth Him to bee a true catholike who loueth Gods truth the church the bodie of Christ who esteemeth nothing more than Gods religion than
cal the Scriptures and vnwritten which they call Traditions Traditions And the traditions say they were either deliuered by the Apostles themselues to some special men and therfore are called Apostolike or else are set downe by the Church and for that cause called Traditions of the Church Traditions equall with the word Now traditions are made equall and to be receiued with as great reuerence as the Scriptures euen by the Councel of Trent Ses 4. decre 1 Preferred before the word the most modest Papists But there are others who in their excesse of impietie preferre the trâ— ditions before the word written and make them of greater force than it as Pighius in his Ecclesiasticall hierarchie Eccl. Hierar lib. 1. cap. 4. Thesi 9. In his preface Wolfgangus Screckius Nay in that he wil by traditions haue all doctrines tried he manifestly subiecteth the pure written woorde of God to the prophane deuises of man BVt to take away the proppes of this their ruinous building let vs see what grounds or foundations for so Melchior Canus a learned Papist termeth them they lay of this their doctrine Obiection Melchior Canus in his common places of Diuinitie and Bellarmine in his controuersies lib. 3. cap. 3 Bellar. lib. 4 〈◊〉 of Gods worde dâ— written and others also set this downe as a most neceâ—â—â—rie principle That the Church is more ancient than the Scriptures As in trueth the Church was more than two thousand yeres before there was any written word of God in bookes and therefore Bellarmine inferreth That the Scriptures are not simply necessary Answere First this ground doeth not vpholde that which is in controuersie among vs. For they shoulde prooue traditions to bee a part of Gods worde so that without them Gods word could not bee counted perfect And to proue that they tel vs that it was more than two thousand yeeres before the woord was written Which maketh nothing for them vnlesse they can shew vs that this word which is now written is not that same that before was deliuered by tradition vnto the fathers of that old world For the question betweene vs and the Papists is not of the maner of deliuering Gods word whether it were deliuered by word or by writing but of the matter namely whether Gods word be any thing else than that is written in the old and new testament which we deny but they affirme it because the word was so long time vnwritten yet the church was not then without the word So that because the word was reuealed after an other manner the Papists wil haue it another word Whereas in trueth that same word that was from the beginning Iohn 1.1 what word that is that is written is that verie word of God that was so long after the beginning written for the Iewes and is now deliuered vnto vs. Wee must therefore take heede that they deceiue vs not by the double signification of the word Scripture which sometime expresseth the manner of deliuering the word namely by writing and so we confesse the scripture was not so ancient as the church by mo than two thousand yeares but sometime the word Scripture signifieth the word it selfe which is deliuered vnto vs as it is commonly now taken and in this place must so be vnderstoode And so hath the word written beene from the beginning That is to say that the selfe same word which God by word of mouth as we say and by tradition did teach the patriarkes hee afterwards did cause to be written which word wee call the holy scriptures And further also we must remember that one manner of deliuering the word of God Diuerse maners of deliuering the word at diuerse times is fit for one time and an other manner of deliuering it for an other time As may appeare by that which hath beene said how that God hath in his infinite wisedome seene it needefull to deliuer it one way afore the Lawe in an other sort vnder the Lawe and the Gospell although not in like measure in both these latter times So that this argument cannot stand good The scriptures haue not beene written in the first age amongst the patriarkes therefore they are not necessary now amongst vs in these dayes to whom God hath by them reuealed his word Which argument is strongly confuted by Chrysostome that learned and ancient Father In Matth. hom 1. But to these men who are as Tertullian calleth the Heretikes of his time lucifugae scripturarum De resurrect carnis such as shunne the light of the scriptures and flee from it I may say as the same Tertullian speaketh in an other place De prescript Beleeue without the Scriptures that yee may also beleeue against the Scriptures Let them seeke the desert of their owne deuises and follow the trod of their owne traditions to finde out some couert for their superstitions but let vs content our selues to dwell in the cities of the Lawe the Prophets the Gospel and the Apostles which are the Scriptures and not goe out of them In Mich. li. 1 as Saint Ierome speaketh For euery word of God is pure Prou. 30.5 6 hee is a shield to those that trust in him Put nothing to his word lest he reprooue thee and thou be found a liar That this VVorde is sufficient CHAP. 2 THE PROTESTANTS This word is sufficient NOw this written word of God because it is sent vs froÌ„ that most gratious God that hath loued vs and chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world were laide Eph. 1.4 that we might be holy with out blame before him and is brought vnto vs by that most excellent Prophet In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Coloss 2.3 and therefore can teach vs Heb. 3.2 who also is faithful and therefore wil deale truely with vs yea who so heartily loueth vs that hee died for vs and therefore doubtlesse will be careful to teach vs what behooueth vs to knowe Seeing also the Apostle saint Paul doeth testifie that he kept nothing backe that was profitable Acts 20.20 27 but shewed them all the councell of God We therefore beleeue the Scriptures to be written Ioh. 20.31 that wee might beleeue and beleeuing might haue eternall life 2. Tim. 3.16 And that the whole scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teach to improoue to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse 17 That the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes that is that the Scripture is so sufficient and perfect that it hath no want it needeth no supply nothing must be added THE PAPISTS BVT the Church of Rome knowing that Tertullian wrote truely De resurrect carnis That Heretikes if they be made to proue that they say by the Scriptures can not stand do find fault that they should be so straitly limited and tethered that
sentence of scripture a man may gather diuerse good lessons and that with good fruit to others and approbation of all men so long as those interpretations are agreeable to the rule of faith yet when any euill thing in faith or life is thereby maintained without all doubt the words are then wrested and it ceaseth to bee Gods word Now this is not the fault of the word but of mans corrupt affections which abuse the same Rom. 7.12 For the Lawe truely is holy and the commandement is holy iust and good And as Epiphanius saieth Heres 70 There is no discord in the Scripture nor one sentence disagreeing from an other And in an other place Heres 76 All things in the holy Scripture are cleane enough to them that with godly consideration will come vnto that diuine word and haue not conceiued in themselues the worke of the Diuell indeuoring to throw themselues into the pit of death Euen as saint Paul saith If our gospell be yet hid 2. Cor. 4 3 4 it is hid in them that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded their minds And what is Gods word the worse if the wicked will not know it 2. Pet. 3.16 or the vnlearned or vnstable peruert it to their owne destruction I wil therefore conclude with that golden saying of Iustine the martyre I would wish others to be of that mind Iustin Col. cum Tryphone Iud. that they would not swarue from our Sauiours wordes For they can put religion into them that wander from the right way and refresh with most sweete rest them that are exercised therein The Scriptures easie CHAP 4 THE PROTESTANTS Scripturs easie WE also teach the scripturs to be easie not bicause we thinke nothing to be hard in them or that they are easy to euery one but we affirme with Chrysostome 2. Thess 2 hom 3. All that is necessary is easy in them So that with a mind humbled and crauing of God to be instructed men study them The simple may learn by them their duety towardes God and man and how to behaue them selues in their particular dueties And whereas by the Papistes own confessiō the x commandements are very easie Bellarm. de verbo Dei lib. 3. cap. 2. no man can deny but that Gods threatnings against sin the promises of mercy and many other things in this writtē word are as easie Yea why were the prophets sent vnto all sorts of men why do the apostles write vnto all but because much if not all that they do write or say might be vnderstoode euen of the simple THE PAPISTS ANd on the contrary the church of Rome fearing least the light of the worde should discouer the darkenes of their blind deuotions doe what they can to discourage the people from being exercised in the Scriptures lest knowing the truth they shuld detest their superstitions and idolatries and for this cause they cry out with opē mouth that the scripture is too hard to bee vnderstoode and too darke for ignorant men to meddle with the same Wherby they haue brought many ignorant and lay men into that foolish and vnchristian conceit that they thinke it a great deale more dangerous for them euen for their soules health to be occupied in reading or hearing some peece of holie Scripture than the wanton and vnchaste Bookes of prophane men which corrupt good manners and breede noysome lustes that fight against the soule But because this is a great stumbling blocke in the way of the ignorant it shall not be amisse somewhat particularly to examine the Arguments that are vsed to prooue the hardnesse of the scriptures Argument The first argument of Bellarmines is this Dauid prayeth thus Giue me vnderstanding and I wil search thy law Open mine eies Lib. 3. cap. 1. de verbi Dei interpr and I will consider the woonderous things of thy lawe shew the light of thy countenance vpon thy seruant teach me thy statutes therefore the Scriptures are hard Answere It is certaine that Dauids prayers were not to haue his naturall or outward man only instructed for who can imagine that the prophet Dauid being so well acquainted in Gods booke could not vnderstand Gods lawe but to haue his mind and inward man lightned and directed and therefore this proueth not the sense of scripture to be hard for the like prayers are to be vsed of them that thinke it to be most easie Secondly euen the lawe which they confesse to be easie hath not only the literall sense but should also be a bridle vnto the affections and thoughts of men Matth. 5 as most plainly appeareth in those Commentaries which our Sauiour Christ maketh vppon the sixt seuenth and fourth commandements Rom. 7.14 In which respect also S. Paul doth call it Spirituall although Bellarmine seeme to account the commandements to be but Natural The Precepts saith he of the x. Commandements seeing they are natural may easily be vnderstood Dauid therfore may there pray as all christians ought to doe that he may know by Gods word not only how to rule his actiōs but also his words affections This thē doth not proue the scripturs to be hard concerning such good lessons as out of the literal sense may be learned but he proueth that vnlesse God lighten vs we cannot see the spirituall meaning Psa 119.27 which he calleth the maruellous things of the law Arg. 2 His second argument proueth some parts of Scripture to be hard which we denie not and therefore deserueth no answere Arg. 3 Lib. 2. ca 47 Contra Celsum lib. 7 In Exod. hom 12 His third argument is taken from the Fathers Irene saith in the scriptures I commit many things to God Orig. saith the scripture is darke in many places And in another place that we must pray night and day that the lamb of the Tribe of Iuda will come and that hee will vouchsafe to open the booke that is sealed Answere That many things in the scripture are hard we neuer denied as before I said and that with Reading wee should ioyne Prayer therefore Bellarmine when he took these weapons in hand did but feare his owne shadow That Basil and Gregory Nazianzene did seeke not by their owne presumption but by other mens writings that were before them to attaine to the vnderstanding of this written word Ruffinus doth well to commend them But I am sure that Bellarmine himselfe will not thereof conclude that they vnderstoode nothing of themselues or without teachers or that all the scriptures are hard He bringeth in Chrysostome saying that the deepe things therein cannot be attained vnto without great labour and that Christ would haue the Iewes not to reade onely but to search them also If of this hee conclude therfore al the scriptures are hard his argument is to be denied for that it hath no trueth in it if hee say therefore many things are hard we say
Baptisme saueth vs by the resurrection of Christ 1. Pet. 3.21 which maketh nothing against vs. But Bellarmine to make his argument seeme stronger alleadgeth onely the former wordes Baptisme saueth vs as though it did so by it owne vertue and neuer maketh mention of the latter wordes Through the resurrection of Christ for that is against him and sheweth from whence baptisme hath her vertue and efficacie And this being well considered it wil perchance not be hard to answere vnto much of that which they can say for this their dangerous doctrine That the Sacrament of it selfe euen by the very receiuing of it giueth grace to the receiuer And for the necessitie thereof I haue saide before in this chapter in the answere to the first reason so much as I trust may satisfie the godly Reader Of Confirmation CHAP. 12. THE PROTESTANTS BVt as for Cōfirmation as it was vsed in the Romish church although we haue iust cause to reiect it and much lesse can we account it a Sacramēt which hath neither commandement in the worde nor promise of spirituall graces yet wee doe not deny but that the people of God in respect of their manifold wāts haue great neede continually to haue their ignorance instructed their dulnesse refourmed their weaknesse strengthned their godly indeuors bettered and their knowledge increased And for this cause is it very needefull that the childrē which because they are infantes when they are baptized can not at their baptisme yeelde account of their faith shoulde bee taught when they are older the principles of religion and make before the Bishop and other present profession of their faith and that by godly exhortation they should be moued openly to continue constantly in that holy profession God should be prayed vnto to continue and encrease his good graces in them And this holie Confirmation I doubt not would doe much good in the Church if it were often vsed THE PAPISTS BVT in steede hereof the church of Rome commendeth vnto vs a kinde of Confirmation that consisteth of a number of foolish and vnprofitable ceremonies And to make it more readily and reuerētly to be receiued they would perswade the ignorant that it is a Sacrament And not content therewith this deuise of theirs they doe highly commend Bellarm. de sa li. 2. ca. 28 as that It is more excellent than Baptisme it selfe in respect of the effect of grace bicause therein is giuen the fulnes of the spirit marke their blasphemy for the fulnesse thereof is giuen to Christ only to al vs by measure Coloss 1.19 Ioh. 3.34 Rom. 12.3 And that it doth consummate and perfect Baptisme Bellarm. li. 2. de Confir cap. 11. and giueth greater grace than Baptisme doth What copper or counterfeit coine dare not these men commend vnto vs for good gold who dare so confidently to preferre the greasie deuise of man before the holy institution of Christ himself And make more account of that which themselues doe confesse to haue no warrant in Gods worde than of Christes holy Sacrament De Sacram. confir li. 2. cap. 2. But let vs consider how Bellarmine defendeth this who for his learning is much accounted of and that worthily amongst the papists so that his want of proofe doth plainely shew the weakenesse of his cause Whereas there are but three things necessarily required in a Sacrament as hee truely confesseth visible signe promise of grace and Gods commaundement which much weakeneth that which hee saide of the working power of the Sacraments as appeareth in the tenth chapter he wil prooue that confirmation hath all these three Hee prooueth first that this Sacrament as hee termeth it hath promise of grace and why Because the holy Spirite is promised Is not this clarkely handled and strongly proued God promiseth the holy Ghost therefore confirmation hath the promise of grace Secondly the visible signe is saieth hee the laying on of the hands vpon the head But the popish confirmation hath not laying on of hands neither is it necessarie now a dayes by their owne confession Belarm de confir li. 2. cap. 13 For these are the ceremonies that doe belong to that their Sacrament First the Oyle must be consecrated by prayer secondly by crossing for without a crosse saith Bellarmine nothing can be consecrated Wherein Bellarmine giueth Saint Paule the lie because hee neuer spake of the crosse when he said 1. Tim. 4 4 5 Euerie creature of God is sanctified by the worde of God and praier and Bellarmine saith nothing is sanctified without the crosse But perchaunce he will say that oile is none of gods creatures as indeed in respect of the vse or rather abuse of it it is not Thirdly the Bishop must breathe vpon the cruet or cup of oyle Fourthly he must say to the oyle All haile holy oyle O foolish blasphemie Then are there other ceremonies but not essentiall in this Sacrament the Godfather Certaine praiers thirdly the Pax then a blow vpon the cheeke fiftly A ragge tied about the forehead sixtly He must not wash his forehead for seuen dayes Thinke you this slouenly Sacrament hath any such grace as they woulde haue vs to beleeue that it hath when as they feare that washing where the oyle was may hinder the vertue of it seuenthly it must be at Easter and Whitsuntide vsed lastly they that receiue this Sacrament must be fasting But of the laying on of hands there is no mention vnlesse you will say that he that giueth him a blow vpon the eare layeth his hands vpon his head And as for that it is reckoned among the ceremonies that are not of the substance of this sacrament But Bellarmine in another place saith De effec Sacram lib. 2 cap. 24. that then is that ceremony of laying on of the hands performed when the Bishop maketh the crosse in the forehead But that is not so for the laying on of hands was done vpon the head and was borowed from the olde lawe of that which they did vnto the sacrifices when they brought them to bee offered they did by that ceremonie of laying their hands vpon the head of the sacrifice consecrate as it were the same to the Lord. Num. 27 24 And when God commaunded Moses to consecrate Iosue to succeed him and to comfort and incourage him to the worke that he had to doe he doth lay his handes vpon his head Mat. 19 16 Acts 6.6 1. Tim. 4.14 2. Tim. 1.6 According to which example Christ laid his hands vpon the children the Apostles vpon the deacons and others Acts 8.17 and the Elders and Paule vpon Timothie Now marke howe it is prooued that Popish Confirmation hath the outwarde signe of a Sacrament The Bishop doth crosse the partie to be confirmed in the forehead therefore he layeth hands vpon his head Well then this their sacrament hath no promise as I haue shewed neither hath it any visible signe that was vsed and appointed by Christ and
bread I trust then it will not bee anie heresie for mee to expounde nature the properties of the bread seeing doctor Chadsey a catholike doth it We see then that this vnanswerable argument that he made so great account of and bragged that it could neuer be answered is long since fully answered by one of his owne friends he knew not of it Ciril is his fift witnes not that learned father that was bishop of Alexandrie but another that was B. of Ierusalē Ciril Ierus cathec Mistagog 4 whose books are but lately set forth by thēselues that now bring him in for a witnes therfore we may doubt whether he be wel delt wtal Out of him he aledgeth 3. places He once turned water into wine shal he not be worthy to be trusted that he turned wine into bloud Beholde here sayth maister Bellarmine a reall change And why so I knowe he will answere because it was so in the water for it was really changed into wine and therfore also saint Iohn Iohn 2 11 who reporteth the storie saith it was a myracle Now to change wine into bloud is as great a miracle and therefore it is likely that if there had bin any such miracle wrought some or other would haue noted it for a miracle seeing so many haue spokē of that matter namely three Euangelists and S. Paul Master Bell. knoweth that the fathers vse many times to speake verie hyperbolically and to amplify with excessiue speaches the matters that they would set forth as here this Ciril doth yet we must not gather thereof such a real change in the wine as I haue said was in the water but this is spoken to win that at our hands that he in that place moueth vs vnto that we should not thinke the sacramentall wine to bee but bare wine His second witnesse for maister Bellarmine is after in that place Vnder the forme of bread the bodie is giuen and in forme of wine the bloud Wherupon maister Bellarmine againe insulteth thus Behold the accidents of bread which remaine We grant it but not the accidents or shew of bread only but the substance also and that he hath not yet denied therefore let vs see his third place Knowe this for a certaintie that this bread which is seene of vs is not bread though thy tast perceiue it to be bread In deed hee speaketh here farre otherwise than the auncient fathers doe in that hee sayeth It is not bread For there is not one of the fathers for at the least six hundred yeeres after Christ that euer spake so but this man onely And therefore howsoeuer he amplifieth the matter in wordes to bring vnto the holy Sacraments due regarde which the fathers at those times vpon great causes did much endeuour Catec Mist 3 yet he is not to be thought to haue meant otherwise than that hee sayd before that it is no more common bread For although if they regarde but the taste they shall finde no change yet that sacrament is an authenticall seale of our faith which assureth vs that Christ is spiritually giuen vnto vs. And thus much briefly of these authorities that men may see that they are not so very plaine that infallible arguments may be gathered out of them But now I must needes speake somewhat of the Author And first for the Booke it selfe Lib. Eccles hist ◠ca. 23. out of which these places are alleaged it seemeth to me that saint Hierome hath somewhat burnt it in the eare when he saith that hee wrote it when hee was but a yong man noting thereby perchance his yong and slender iudgement And of himselfe Ruffinus saith Lib. 2. ca. 40 That hee did change sometime in faith and in Communion often And Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall history saith of him that being summoned to answere some accusations that were laid against him he fearing to come to his triall for two yeares together appeared not and therefore was deposed What reason then that wee should be content to stand to his triall for matters in question that was himselfe afraide to be tried by the learned men of his time Or that hee who was deposed from his seate by them that best knew him yea and that as it seemeth by Ruffinus his saying of him for some heresie should now sit as Iudge yea or else be allowed as witnes in so weighty matters As for saint Ambrose De iis qui initiantur mist cap. 9. whom next he alleageth he maketh not against vs. He saith indeede that the bread is that which Nature hath formed but that Blessing hath hallowed Which is nothing else but that which hath beene answered before that it is not common bread but as Theodoret saith Theod. Immutabili◠dialog 1. the Nature not being changed to Nature is Grace added And that this is S. Ambrose his meaning is most plaine not only by that which he afterwardes saith in that very chapter Before the blessing of the heauenly wordes an other thing is named after the consecration the bodie of Christ is signified but also most euidently in his bookes of the Sacraments Lib. 4. cap. 4. where speaking of the change that is in these visible signes hee vseth these wordes If there bee so great vertue in the worde of the Lorde Iesus that the thinges that were not beganne to bee how much rather can it worke that they the visible signes in the Sacrament bee that which they were and be changed into an other thing By which hee can meane no other but a sacramentall change because hee flatly affirmeth that these signes are that which they were The first place that hee alleageth out of Chrysost is this It is he that doth sanctifie these things the outward elements and change them In Matth. Hom. 83. but that hee speaketh of a sacramental change only his owne wordes a litle before in that place do prooue For in teaching how that by these sensible creatures he deliuereth vnto vs things not sensible hee bringeth his example of Baptisme wherein I know they wil not say the water is transubstantiated And yet Chrysostome maketh no difference betweene it and the sacrament of Christes body and blood but that in them both in like sort by sensible creatures insensible graces are deliuered But most plainely in an other place doeth he confute that which the Papists woulde force out of these wordes namely the change of the substance of the bread saying Before the bread is sanctified Ad Caesarium monachum wee call it bread but the diuine grace hauing sanctified it by the Priest it is freeed from the name of bread and is vouched worthy of the name of the Lordes body although the nature of the bread abide in it Whereby wee see the change that hee speaketh of is in the vse not in the substance of the bread In the latter place Chrysostome saieth thus Doest thou see bread De Euchar. in encaenus doest
sacrifices wherein he striueth much to proue Howe 〈◊〉 talked 〈◊〉 that our spirituall sacrifices of prayers thankesgiuing yea of our selues and all ou◠obedience cannot bee cleane Wherein although he saith truly of our workes as they are in themselues considered yet are they also called Cleane first in respect of the fountaine of regeneration from whence they proceed in regard whereof although they bee not simpl◠e cleane yet in comparison of the workes of them that are secure in their wickednesse they are cleane Secondly because God accounteth them as cleane for Christs sake Thirdly in respect of that whereunto the workes of the regenerate doe tende for though they cannot attaine to perfection yet doe they firme for it And 〈◊〉 this sort Dauid confesseth some may be Cleane Psa ◠4 3◠Who shall climbe vp into the hal of the lord or who shal stād in his holy place He that hath innocent hands and a cleane heart To this Esay Esay 1.16 1. Tim. 2.8 exhorteth Be you cleane And of this speaketh the Apostle Saint Paule In euerie place lifting vp pure hand or cleane hands And if M. Bellarmine do not content himselfe with this cleannesse he will find that euen the sacrifice of the Masse it selfe for which he striueth so in this place seeing the vertue therof must somewhat depend vpon the goodnesse and deuotion of the Priest as he saith wil not be found verie cleane De Missa li. 1. cap. 4 because the sacrificer is manie times verie vncleane His third reason is taken out of the words that are in the beginning of the text alleaged Out of which he will proue that it must bee a new sacrifice and such as was not before but our spirituall sacrifices haue beene alwayes therefore the Prophet cannot meane of our spirituall sacrifices It will neuer be proued that the Prophet speaketh of such a sacrifice as neuer was But the Iewes trusted too much in their externall Sacrifices yea though they were not such as God commaunded that they should be But on the contrarie God telleth them that euen among the Gentiles whom they despised thinking that no good could be amongst them I say among them should be offered not such polluted and vncleane things as the Priests were content to take of the Iewes to offer to God but a Cleane offering euen such an offering as was the bodie of their shadowes the truth of their figures and the substāce of their ceremonies in respect of him that brought the offering that is they should serue the Lord with a sincere and single heart And this is the cleane sacriffce that Malachie meaneth which was acceptable alwayes and alwayes shall be Fourthly Bellarmine imagineth that God by Malachy setteth the contempt and dishonouring of God done by the Leuiticall Priests against the honour that he shall haue among the Gentiles Be it so What then The Iewes sayth he dishonoured God in a visible sacrifice therefore the Gentiles also must honour him by a visible sacrifice otherwise the dis◠onor done by the Iewes is greater than the honour done by the Gentiles I denie his consequence for they dishonored God but in a corner of the world but the Gentiles worshipped him from the rising of the Sunne to the going downe of the same and herein standeth the force of the comparison as by the wordes plainely appeareth Fifthly he supposeth that the Priestes of the olde lawe are compared with the Priestes in the Gospel but there is no such matter as the wordes declare But to wring and force wordes to see what may be gathered out of them rather than to search what their true meaning is doth bring but small credite to their cause and weake proofe to their doctrine His last argument to prooue this place of Malachie not to belong to a spirituall sacrifice is out of the fathers where in my iudgement hee sheweth his weakenesse more than in his other reasons or else a worse humour For although that Iustinus Martyr whom hee first alledgeth Col. cum Tryph. Iudaeo doeth in trueth affirme and wee denie it not that Malachie sayeth that the Eucharist is a sacrifice yet that hee speaketh not of a sacrifice properly so called Bellarmine must needes confesse except he speake agaynst his owne conscience if hee consider what hee sayeth long after in that booke namely that Euerie one that is called by the name of Iesus Christ are in deede made Priests to God as God doth testifie saying In euerie place cleane and acceptable sacrifices shall bee offered Which sacrifices also what they are he afterwards testifieth prayers and thanks giuings What can be more plaine But this especially is to be remembred that not Priests only but euery Christian doth by Iustines wordes offer vp these cleane offerings and therefore that hee speaketh of spirituall sacrifices Irene his second witnesse maketh little for his purpose for euen immediately before the words whereby Bellarmine woulde prooue the Eucharist to bee a sacrifice after the proper signification of the worde hee sheweth that God hath no delight in sacrifices or burnt offerings but in Faith obedience and righteousnes And after that he taught his disciples to offer to God the first fruits out of his creatures Iren. lib. 4. cap. 32 not that hee needed any thing but that they should neither be vnfruitful nor vnthankfull And so he tooke bread and gaue thanks and eat as is by Bellarmine alledged Can any thing be more plaine He first sheweth that God regardeth not those reall sacrifices that I may so terme them then he sheweth that the Eucharist is a sacrifice of thankesgiuing And as in the words alledged by Bellarmine it is an offering of the first fruits of his gifts Cap. 33. that giueth vs our nourishment and in the next chapter he expoundeth the incense so alledging the wordes of Malachie In euerie place incense shal be offered vp by that place of the Apocalips Apoc. 5.8 that the incense was the prayer of the Saints so we see that prayers and praises are the sacrifices that he speaketh of these are spiritual and not reall sacrifices And as for Tertullian Tertul. whom in the 3. place he bringeth forth as he hath nothing for him in the place by him alledged Tert. cont Marcion li. 4 so yet he plainly expresseth in another place what hee vnderstandeth by that cleane sacrifice that Malachie speaketh of Exam. Con. Trid. 2. part namely Sincere praier out of a pure conscience Which place being alledged by Kemnitius against the councel of Trent Bellar. to shift it off as boldly as vntruly he affirmeth that Tertul. doeth not expound Malachies place where he nameth the cleane sacrifice but where he nameth the incense But the place of Tertullian plainly sheweth the vntruth of his answere for Tertullian speaketh thus In euerie place a sacrifice shal be offered in my name and a cleane sacrifice euen sincere prayer out of a pure heart So that
thing yet master Bellarmine wil not thinke it sufficient that a bishop should be chaste because he knoweth that Saint Augustine and other of the fathers affirme that there is chastity in mariage but he will doubtles spie some greater vertue in continency then in chastity and therefore he will haue a bishop not chast only but also continent But if we must seeke for a difference betweene these two wordes I take this to be it that continencie is of shorter continuance that is to say but an abstinence for a time and chastitie is a vertue that indureth And the examples brought by master Bellarmine himselfe approue this difference But Chrisostome and Theophilact doe take continencie to be an abstinence not from lusts only but from al vice so that as Theophilact saith he must rule his tongue his handes and his eies Hierom vpon these wordes saith plainelie that the Apostle neuer speaketh of continencie or incontinencie but in respect of wanton lustes but yet he taketh continencie to be such a vertue as may be in maried folke And therefore the Apostle saith he hauing spoken of a bishop that hee may haue one wife least he should seeme to permit incontinencie to them addeth this and with Hierom agreeth Primasius So that they make continent and chaste all one 1. Cor. 7.3.4.5 For although married folke must performe the duties of mariage one to another yet so as they passe not the boundes of chastitie or continencie This reason then is not good Priests must by Saint Paules rule bee continent therefore they must haue no wiues But on the contrarie Saint Paul in that verie place where he requireth in a bishop continencie doth permit at the least that he shoulde be the husband of one wife therefore in mariage there may be continencie Tit. 1.6 As for that which hee alleadgeth out of Councels popes fathers and reason because they proue not that which hee hath vndertaken to proue Chap. 19. it is not worth an answere For the title of that Chapter is That single life by the Apostolicke law is verie well tyed to the holie orders And when hee hath snatched at one poore worde and findeth no greate helpe in it hee seeketh to prooue by Councels popes fathers and reason that single life hath beene commended of some commaunded of others But that the Apostles commaunded it hee prooueth not and that hee tooke in hande But on the contrarie the Canons that are called the Apostles haue this Canon Can. 6 Let not a bishop or Priest put awaie his wife vnder pretence of religion If hee doe it let him bee excommunicated if hee stande in it let him bee reiected But what saith master Bellarmine to this He answereth out of one Humbert a Cardinall that to put away his wife de cler li. ◠cap. 2◠is to haue no care of his wife But if we marke the fiftieth Canon of the Apostles wherein there is a prouiso that none shoulde abstaine from mariage because hee thinketh it to bee euill it will easilie appeare that the sixt Canon was made to ouerthwart the foolish opinion of them that condemned mariage as a thing more vncleane then that it should be fit for priestes or bishops And thus much to proue that mariage of priestes is not euill of it selfe or vnlawfull in respect of any commandement in Gods word Now that it is also lawfull I am perswaded by these reasons First because of the vncertainety of the contrarie doctrine for some say that sole life is commanded by God others denie it as you haue heard Againe there are and those papists too that say the lawe of abstaining from mariage Fab. Tract 4. in Luth. de mat clear for the clergie was first made by pope Siricius who liued almost four hundred yeares after Christ although Iohn Faber report that Calixtus forbad it somewhat before But Bellarmine and others thinke in no wise that it may be suffered that this their doctrine shoulde bee thought so farre shorte of the times of Christ and his Apostles Some holde it a necessarie lawe Bellarm. li. 1. de clericis cap. 18. others but conuenient And such diuersitie of doctrine in these and such like pointes is if not an inuincible yet a verie probable proofe that their doctrine hath no sure grounde in Gods word no great consent of antiquitie and that is the cause that there is no certaine doctrine of it amongest themselues and such is their agreement also concerning that other point whether matrimony be a sacrament or not Secondly the weakenes of their proofe doth euen proclaime vnto the world the weakenes of their cause For the most and best learned of them doe confesse that God hath not commanded it And the proofes that they bring out of the Apostle for it as it seemeth haue so little waight in them that Bellarmine is ashamed to alleadge them As for that small holde that he could get out of the Apostles words Tit. 1.8 That a bishop should be continent how little it can helpe his cause you haue heard before Seeing therfore that either they bring nothing worth hearing out of Gods word or apply vnto the clergy only that which the Apostle speaketh to all men and weomen indifferently such is all that they alleadge out of the 7. Chapter of S. Paules first epistle to the Corinthes we are the lesse bound to beleeue whatsoeuer they out of the fathers shall teach vs concerning this matter Who themselues doe charge vs to examine by the scriptures their writings and not to beleeue any thing that they shall teach vnlesse they teach such things as are agreeable vnto Gods word Yea since their arguments are so weake that euen Panormitane and other papists whom Iohn Faber in some respects spareth to name because they saw no necessary consequence in them although they liued in daies of greater darckenes than wee do God be praised for our light indeuoured to obtain that mariage might be lawful for the clergy as Faber reporteth yea and pope Pius the second Cont. Luth. Tract 4. was so little moued by those arguments that he had wont to say that there was great cause that priests should be forbiddē to marry Pla◠in the life of Pius 2. but greater that mariage should be permitted vnto them and the Ambassadours of catholicke princes were earnest suiters in the names of their princes to the councell of Trent that mariage might be free for the clergy Since these arguments I say were not able to persuade these men so deuoted to their doctrines as it is knowen they were how much more may we reiect this their lawe as hurtfull to Gods church and iniurious to our wise Law-maker and suspect it not to rest vpon good ground Thirdly the most blasphemous commendation that they giue vnto this estate of life and the efficacie and vertue that impudently and vntruely they do ascribe vnto the same maketh me thinke it is but a bird of their
hee commeth at length to the authoritie of man And hee will prooue what men will say in his behalfe where God keepeth silence And the first that he bringeth in is Innocentius that liued at the least foure hundred yeares after Christ What was it no Sacrament for foure hundred yeares and nowe vpon a sudden is it become a sacrament howe doeth hee proue it to bee a sacrament He bringeth no reason hee hath no proofe no neither yet doeth hee so much as say it is a sacrament properly so called but that it is Genus Sacramenti A kinde of Sacrament What then if we graunt to master Bellarmine that which Pope Innocentius sayeth If it bee a kinde of Sacrament as hee sayeth is it therefore a sacrament truely and properly as maister Bellarmine saieth I denie that argument and maister Bellarmine will not proue it And yet to helpe his bad cause hee lowdly and lewdly belyeth Innocentius his woordes in that hee affirmeth that Innocentius saieth expresselie and plainlie that this oynting is that sacrament explaned by saint Iames. But Innocentius hath no such wordes no neither yet any thing like But M. Bellarmine to deceiue them that can not looke into the fathers doth many times falsifie them to make his cause to seeme better And nowe what cause hath this seconde Achylles of the Catholikes for Eckius did bestow that name first vpon himselfe as you may see in his Enchiridion in the title of the church in the margent what cause I saie hath this challenging champion thus to brag against Kemnitius that hee durst not so much as name this Innocentius When his testimonie is examined the cracke is great but he doth not hit the marke that maister Bellarmine would haue him to leauell at As for Kemnitius if he haue but his due praise we must needes confesse that by his learning and trauell he hath more beaten downe the walles of that popish Babilon than that all the papists if they ioine togither hand in hand shall be able with all their skill and cunning to raise it vp againe Of Innocentius the third because he came so late he is not worth the answering for he liued about 1200. yeares after Christ in time of ignorance and much superstition As for the Councels which he alleageth the first is the Nicene councell translated into latine out of the Arabic tongue But since that canon is not amongst those canons which wee haue in the tomes of the councels and in those coppies that hitherto haue beene counted the true councels we neede not much regarde those farre fetched authorities His second authoritie is out of the councell of Cabilon and some other particular councels and although he commend their antiquitie yet the first of them was almost 800. yeares after Christ And those which I haue examined make not for his purpose For they proue not that this annointing is a sacrament properly so called Now for the fathers master Bellarmine needeth no aduersary he confesseth his want of proofe out of them For he deuideth the fathers into two sortes The one he confesseth doe not plainly saie that it is a sacrament Why then doth he produce them He hath taken in hand to proue that anoyling as it is vsed in the popish church is a true and proper sacrament If they will not proue this they maie holde their tongues For to this end only are they to be alleaged An other sort there are who speake it plainely as he telleth vs. But they are of no credit neither are once named among the ancient fathers The eldest of them is about 800. yeares after Christ And for his examples of some few men what they haue done it is no proofe to vs that we ought so to doe They might haue their reasons that might well induce them to it They might also doe therein as in many things many haue done of a blinde zeale and foolish deuotion How or in what sort they haue done that which they did I wil not take vpon me to iudge as for their doings they ought not to be an example to any man so that we should be bound to follow them But hee wil proue by reason that it must needs be a sacrament Bellarm. de sac vnct li. 1. cap. 5. For since God hath by a sacrament holpen vs in the entraunce into the church and also in our continuance in the same we maie not imagine that his prouidence shall faile vs at our going out of the church these are maister Bellarmine his wordes I might briefly answere that we are not to teach God what we thinke conuenient that he should doe but to see what he hath done and to content our selues therewith and to frame our selues to performe the same But if God faile in his prouidence if their anoyling be not a sacrament then must we imagine that God had no due regarde of the fathers of the old world or of the patriarkes or of the godly vnder the law For vntill Christs time master Bellarmine will confesse they had not this Sacrament Yea the Apostles and all other the Godly and constant Martirs in Christs church had not that sacrament Neither yet did they make complaint for want of the same but comfortably and patiently indured all torments with great ioy although they had not this anoyling nor anie hope to haue it no neither once thought of it Lastly our Sauiour Christ to prepare vs against death telleth vs that whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish but haue euerlasting life and to cause vs not to feare it he saith that he is the resurrection and the life Many notable lessons did our Sauiour Christ giue to his disciples before he left the world to goe to his father which are recorded by Saint Iohn from the twelfth to the seuenteenth chapters And although he vse all arguments to comfort them yet he neuer once thought of this anoyling which yet then if he had purposed to leaue vnto his church anie such Sacrament it had beene good time to haue deliuered them for their comforte To be short whatsoeuer he commaunded vs to vse for the strengthning of our faith with boldnesse we may and with comfort and readinesse we ought to doe But it is farre from either true or sound comfort in the agony of death or a sufficient weapon to withstand the assaults of Sathan and conflicts of conscience to haue standing by thee some Idol pastor whose greatest good that he either can or will doe vnto thee is to grease some parts of thy body Let the world esteeme of these things as they will But this is certaine that it is only true obedience that hath the promise of blessing And without the commandement there can be no obedience either in our duties towardes God or our conuersation amongst men For obedience is nothing els but an earnest applying of our selues to doe that which is pleasing vnto God and which he hath commanded It is also far from the maiestie of
will serue the Lorde As if a man would say now choose whether you will professe the Gospell or Poperie His testimonie out of Ecclesiasticus Eccle. 31.10 Who might offend and hath not offended or doe euill and hath not done euill I maruell bee so much commendeth thinking it vnanswerable Whereas if it proue any thing it is but that which we neuer denied namely that the wicked haue a free will to euill Now that which he alledgeth out of saint Paul is too absurd Neuerthelesse he that purposeth firmely in his heart that he hath no need but hath power ouer his owne will c. What are these wordes to free will The power that here he speaketh of is if he performe his purpose without inconuenience to his daughter as may appeare not onely by Primasius and Hierom of this place Primasius Hieronimus Tho. Aquin. but also by his owne friend Thomas of Aquine who sheweth that then he hath power of his owne will when hee knoweth his daughter hath a purpose to continue a virgine So that in effect this is his argument His daughter doth not hinder his will for keeping her a virgin therefore hee hath free will in himselfe to doe good or eschew euill Of the strength of which argument let maister Bellarmines owne friendes consider His last place out of the scriptures is verie like this As euerie man wisheth in his owne heart 2. Cor. 9.7 c. He speaketh of the contribution to the Saints You must sayeth saint Paul giue willingly Therefore sayeth maister Bellarmine you haue free will Wee confesse that the regenerate haue a willingnes to do good and eschew euill and this the apostle would haue in them But doeth this prooue that they haue free will And thus farre for their arguments for free will out of the scriptures Out of the fathers master Bellar. bringeth many proofes And although there be iust cause to suspect manie of them in this question because they could not so easily forget that which in the schooles of philosophy they had learned yet that it may appeare that they haue not so generall a consent as they bragge of it is not amisse somewhat to looke into and to examine the proofes Bellar. de grat lib. arbit lib. 5. cap. 25. that out of them they bragge But maister Bellarmine would make a man afraide to heare his crackes Hee braggeth alwayes that his armour is of the best proofe that can not bee pearced his arguments such as can not be answered And first commeth in Ignatius Epist de mag whose wordes are so vnanswerable that maister Bellarmine seeth no way but to denie the Authour But let maister Bellarmine quiet him selfe we will admit the authour The effect of that he alledgeth out of the first place is that looke what men doe choose that they shal haue and after If a man do wickedly he is a man of the diuell so made not by nature but by the will of his minde Then let vs see his argument Looke what men doe choose they shall goe into the place of that they choose whether it bee life or death so sayeth Ignatius therefore saith maister Bellarmine men haue free will The force of both his places is this and the argument that can bee gathered out of the same men haue will ergo they haue free will And are these his vnanswerable arguments That which hee alledgeth out of Dionysius Areopagita although hee make as great bragges of it as hee did of the other yet it neuer so much as mentioneth free will De diuinis nominibus li. 4. cap. 4. part 4. In deed he saith If a man might not resist sinne hee were lesse to be blamed But if hee that is good giue strength which as the holy Scriptures teach doeth giue things conuenient simplie to euerie man c. That God giueth conuenient strength to them which with humilitie seeke it but what doth this gift of God prooue that wee haue free will It rather ouerthroweth it For if we haue not strength but by his gift then we haue it not in vs or by free will As for Clement of Rome because himselfe dare not speake much for the trueth of that witnesse I let him passe Then commeth in Iustine the Philosopher and martyr whose words for free will maister Bellarmine taketh to be so plaine that he saieth maister Caluine neither doeth nor can feigne anie thing that will carrie any shewe of an answer What neede we to feigne Master Bellarmine that haue the truth for our warrant We leaue faigning to painters poets and papists who loue alwayes to make a shew of that that is not If we consider the occasions why the ancient fathers did write in such sort their meaning will bee pliane enough And that may appeare by Iustinus Martyr here alledged He saith I grant Apolog. ad senatum Apol. ad An. That if men haue not free will to shunne euill and doe good they are not to blame for that they doe and deserue neither reward nor punishment Thus in effect hee saieth in the places alledged We neither denie the authour in this place to be Catholike nor his woordes in his sense to be true But because there were some that beeing deceyued with that which the Stoikes taught concerning that fatall necessitie whereby all things were done as though man could not choose but do the euill that he doeth and that he were by this fatall necessitie compelled thereto in respect of the necessarie consequence of causes and thereby made man to haue nothing to doe in the workes that himselfe did but that hee were euen forced thereto without his owne will as stone or wood is laide in the house onelie at the pleasure of the workeman without anie disposition in themselues one way or other because I say that some hereby did denie all will or inclination in man to good or euill as not onely Simon Magus and the Manicheis of whom maister Bellarmine speaketh but also the Bardesanistes Cap. 35. Cap. 6◠of whome Saint Augustine writeth in his Booke of herisies who ascribed all mans conuersation to destinie and the Priscilianists who because they make all their actions to bee ruled by the Planets thinke that they sin against their will and therfore doth not Iustin onely but other of the godly fathers speak so plainly as they seeme to doe in defence of free will Not because they thinke that man hath such ability being once renued by grace that he can doe what hee will as the papistes teach but they only impugne these Stoicall opinions that affirme that man doth of necessitie euill or good And that this is the meaning of Iustine the Martir by his owne wordes doth plainly appeare because in both the places alleadged by maister Bellarmine he setteth himselfe to reason against thē that would haue men thinke that all things were wrought by desteny Against the which he on the other side reasoneth that if men had
to our maladies But they are content to confesse that it doeth iustifie yea Bellar. de iustif li. 1. ca. 15. Con. Trid. Sess 6. cap. 6. Orth. explica li. 6. and that faith doth somewhat merit our iustification because it doeth prepare and dispose the hart to iustification or as Andradradius saith because it goeth before to open as it were the doore to hope and charitie and is the beginning and foundation of iustification but that it iustifieth as the instrumentall cause that maketh vs to rest and settle our selues for our iustification onely vpon Christ without any regarde to the merit and woorke of Fayth they will not graunt A great cause of the difference betwene vs and the papists in this question is that we agree not in the signification of the worde what it is to be iustified This therefore is the question whether wee that are not only by nature sinners but also euen after our regeneration haue that Lawe in our members rebelling against the lawe of the minde Rom. 7.27 Bellar. de Amiss grat li. 5. ca. 13. which saint Paul calleth sinne and the papists themselues confesse to be euil damned and hated of God whether I say we being such sinners shal appeare righteous before God in hauing our sinnes pardoned couered and not imputed vnto vs and Christs righteousnesse accounted ours or in that goodnes or holines or those good workes which Gods grace worketh in vs. We say that Christ by faith is made ours Christ I say with all his holinesse and righteousnesses Ephe. 1.7 By whom we haue redemption through his bloud the forgiuenes of sinnes according to his rich grace And in this assurance we stand euen before Gods iudgment seat without feare and say with the apostle Who shall laie anie thing to the charge of gods chosen Rom. 8.33.34 It is God that iustifieth who shal condemne vs. It is Christ that is dead yea or rather is risen againe Who is also at the right hand of God and also maketh request for vs. And in this faith and assured perswasion we haue peace of conscience here and are in Christ and for his sake accounted righteous elsewhere euen before him that shall iudge the quicke and the dead They teach vs that after baptisme sinne is so killed within vs Popish iustification that we are able to doe such workes as doe merit iustification and eternall life That iustification is not by works but by imputation Gen. 22.18 And by this righteousnesse that is in vs we are made so iust and righteous that we are so iustified before God To confirme that which we teach we haue the promise made to Abraham That in his seede all the nations of the earth should be blessed In his seede I say not in our selues we must all be blessed And that Christ is this seede saint Paul to the Galathians doth affirme Gal. 3.16 Secondly the iustification of the people of the Iewes which they by their sacrifices obtained is a right pattern of our iustification For though the bloud of of the beasts could not make them holy yet the sacrifice being offered for them according to the law Hep. 9.9 did worke so much that they who before were accounted vncleane and might not appeare before the Lord nowe were accounted cleane and might serue before him Euen so we though wee bee not in our selues yet by this our sacrifice that hath offered him selfe a sweete smell vnto God the father wee are accounted cleane and without sinne Rom. 5.2 and haue by him accesse vnto that grace wherein we stand Thirdly this iustification is commended vnto vs by Dauid Psal 32.1.2 Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquitie And for this cause he stirreth vp his soule to praise the Lord Psal 103.3 because saith he He forgiueth al thine iniquities It is promised by Ieremie I will forgiue their iniquities Iere. 31.34 and remember their sinnes no more And the Prophet Hose teacheth the people to pray for it Hose 14.2 saying thus Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously Where this is also by the way to be marked that the prophet here biddeth vs come to God with such words as if he had said Your works are euill and cannot helpe they cannot merit Yet come with good words be suiters for grace Fourthly our sauiour Christ doth commend vnto vs this iustification which we haue by him apprehend by faith Whosoeuer beleeueth in him shall not perish Iohn 3.16 but haue euerlasting life Of whom the apostles also haue learned that we are iustified by faith that righteousnes is imputed vnto vs that we are accounted righteous Rom. 3.28 Rom. 4.3.11 Lastly we see how the apostle doth exclude works frō iustifying than which there can be no stronger argumēt against this inherent iustification which the papists contend for or for the imputation of righteousnes by faith in Christ Iesus which we according vnto the scriptures doe preach And therefore he doth not onely exclude works in generall from iustification Rom. 3.28 Gal. 2.11 Rom. 4. Iustified by faith without the workes of the law But also those works that Abraham did after his first calling when now he was regenerate euen then I say attributing iustification to faith and not to his workes And likewise for his owne works long after he was regenerate Phil. 3.9 he reiecteth them that he might attaine vnto righteousnesse by faith So little did he trust vnto that inherent righteousnesse that he counted it but dung and so wholie did he depend on that righteousnes that we haue by faith in Christ Iesus But of this I haue spoken in the end of the former chapter And I trust this may serue the turne to shew how farre we are from that inherent righteousnes and keeping of the law which our popish Pharisees dreame of especially if we consider what great perfection the law requireth to be in our workes Master Bellar. his profe for inherent iustice De iustif li. 2. cap. 3. Rom. 5.19 and what want through our corruption there is in the same But master Bellarmine bringeth some arguments to proue this inherent righteousnesse The first is out of these words As by one mans disobediēce many were made sinners so by the obedience of one many are made iust Of this argument because I haue spoken at large towards the latter ende of the 23. chapter I leaue the reader to that place His second argumēt is this Al are iustified freely by his grace Rom. 3.24.25 throgh the redemption that is in Christ Iesus whom God hath set to be a reconciliation In which place by grace master Bellarmine vnderstandeth that righteousnesse that God hath giuen or infused into vs for so he speaketh But saint Augustine in that place vnderstandeth
also that we should performe to no other but to him those seruices and offices that are due vnto God amongst which inuocation or praier is one Secondly that commandement which more particularly toucheth this point Psal 50.15 Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee is flatly broken if we doe call vpon any other Thirdly the prophet Dauid doeth seeme to make it a property belonging to God only to heare our praiers Thou that hearest our praiers to thee shall all flesh come Psal 65.2 And therefore if wee will be heard we must pray to God only Fourthly Cont. Arian Orat. 2. Athanasius proueth Christ to be God because he is praied vnto in distresse Whose argument had not beene good if any other besides God might haue beene praied vnto Fiftly faith only belongeth to this life so that the Saintes haue it not in the life to come De iustif li. 2. cap. 4. 7. as maister Bellarmine himselfe affirmeth very truely but praier without faith auaileth not and How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Therefore the saints after this life cannot pray for vs or at the least their praiers cannot auaile Sixtly as it is not an office laid vpon the saints to pray for vs in all the scriptures so they regard nothing in the life to come but only Gods glory as may appeare by the exercise of singing praise to God only as in the Apocalips manie times is ascribed vnto them So little care they haue of their owne priuate estate much lesse of our affaires but of those things only that belong to gods glory Thus then we see concerning this first point in controuersie concerning praier that we must not pray vnto any creature but to God only De beatitud Sanct. li. 1. cap. 19. Popish argumentes for inuocation Gen. 48.16 But yet let vs see how M. Bellar. wil proue that we maie praie to the creatures Iacob saith of Iosephs children The angell that deliuered me from all euill blesse the children therefore Iacob praieth vnto the angel That which there he calleth the angel is God as appeareth not only by the words because before he called him God but also Chrysostome expounding this place vers 15. In Genes Hom. 66. Iob. 5.1 not once naming the angell maketh him to aske al these things of God And that which he alleadgeth out of Iob is of like force Call now if any will answere thee and to which of the saints wilt thou turne for many of the Hebrews vnderstand this of the saints that are aliue as if he had said what good man is of thy mind or wil take thy part Some expounde this place of the angels but so as they make Eliphaz to aske this question to whom amongst the angels Iob wil turne scoffingly As if he had said if thou shouldst aske of them it were in vaine they would not answer thee But howsoeuer it is it is certaine that heere is no mention of inuocation or praier vnto the angels Philippus Presbiter in Iob. but rather as it seemeth by Phillippus Presbiter vpon this place a taunting reproofe of Iob if he beleeued not Eliphaz his words But howsoeuer it is expounded heere is no good argument for inuocation or praier vnto angels For the Godly haue often turned themselues vnto the angels but not to pray vnto them As for that that Moses said Remember Abraham Isaac and Israel thy seruantes Exod. 32.13 respecteth not the merits of these fathers but the promise made to them as in that place appeareth for it followeth To whome thou swarest by thine owne selfe and saidst to them I wil multiply your seede Which words doe plainely burden God with his promise made to them Neither doth that which maister Bellarmine alleadgeth out of Theodoret proue any thing ◠o the contrary For he saith that Moses vsed the helpe or defence of these patriarkes And why not rather in respect of Gods promise which we know hee is able and ready to performe then of their merits Theod. quest 67. in Exod. So that if there were any inuocation or praier to them as there is not it is onlie a request that God will remember them and therefore this place belongeth not to the matter now in question but if there were any praier vnto them we see that it cannot bee concluded out of this place that Moses would haue God to regarde their merites But maister Bellarmine will helpe the matter with a testimonie out of the Psalmes Lord remember Dauid and al his kindnes Psal 131.2 There saith maister Bellarmine Salomon praieth in respect of his father Dauids merits but the word vpon which his whole argument dependeth that heere is translated kindnes may be trāslated Affliction And S. Hierom trāslating the psalms according to the Hebrew doth so translate it And how can he thinke with such vncertaine proofe to make good so bad a cause But I hasten to that argument that coulde neuer yet be answered for so maister Bellarmine saith And it is this We may desire them that are aliue to pray for vs therefore we maie pray to the saints that are departed If maister Bellarmine had not liked so well of this argument I should not haue thought it worth any answere For to praie one for another whilest we are aliue is both warranted and commaunded of God but to praie to them that are gone wee haue neither commaundement nor promise And there is greate difference betweene praiers which the papists woulde make to them that are dead and such requestes as the godlie haue made or we may make to them that are aliue to praie for vs. But maister Bellarmine will strengthen his argument by remoouing the causes that maie hinder this inuocation or rather their intercession for vs. First if wee saie they will not praie for vs hee answereth they haue greater loue than they had and therefore they will But what manner of loue they haue to vs ward is not described in the Scriptures And therefore we cannot of that their loue which is vncertaine gather any certaine argument But sure I am their loue towards God and our sauiour Christ is so great that they will not rob either God of his glory or Christ of his office of mediation And they cannot pray for vs because as before I haue shewed euen out of maister Bellarmine that they want faith And whether they know that we pray or not it is vncertaine As for the wrong that is done vnto God if any but he be praied vnto which maister Bellarmine imagineth to be the fourth let why they cannot pray for vs he answereth that if that be any hinderance to Gods glory Coloss 2.23 it also is against Gods glory that they who are aliue should request other to pray for them Which his answere how foolish it is the very wemen and children maie easily perceiue how the one hath commandement the other must
Pagans had of the vse of their Idols but also that popish vse of images to be laie mens bookes And seeing in al these points they are so like as if they were twinnes of one birth why should we doubt but they are al one But they are not more like in anie thing than in that definition of an idol which maister Bellarmine himselfe hath set downe De Imag. li. 2 cap. 5. The image of God the father De Imag. li. 2 cap. 8. An Idol saith he is a false likenesse But the popish images are false likenesses therefore they are idols First the image of God the father to be made like an aged man which maister Bellarmine liketh wel of is but a false likenesse For graie heires and age are rather a token of weakenes than a picture fit to set foorth Gods maiestie and shew him rather to be pitied than powerful Yea but God appeared saith M. Bellarm. to Daniel hauing The haire of his head like the pure wool Daniel 7. ◠It is true but he bid not Daniel paint him so He appeared in that shape to Daniel only whom he had indued with a principal spirit but did not shew himselfe so vnto the people He appeared vnto his seruants in sundry shapes not often in one sort to shew that he must not be made like vnto anie one of them for none of them all can set him forth vnto vs as he should be set forth therefore if we wil make them they are but lying similitudes The image of Christ And for the image of Christ it is but a lying likenesse For his very shape or outwarde forme is not by them expressed but one painteth him after one sort another after another sort But the especial things that we should receiue comfort or instruction by cannot bee painted his godlines of life his office of beeing redeemer and mediator These things which are the chiefest the grauer cannot graue the painter cannot paint These are liuely described in Gods booke But they that are most giuen to images care lest to learne these thinges And seeing the image cannot teach vs these things for wee see nothing in it but a stocke or stone or some other mettall made like a man which cannot stirre or moue or helpe it selfe therefore it is a false likenesse But false also are such images in another respect namely because the eie beholding it draweth the minde from the consideration and meditation of better thinges and hindereth more heauenlie cogitations False because they intise to lies Ier. 10.14.15 Habac. 2.18 And therefore wel saith God by his Prophet Ieremie Their melting is but falshood they are vanity and the work◠of errours What profiteth the Image saith God by Habacucke For the maker thereof hath made it an Image and teacher of lies These bookes then they are of a false print and teach not truelie but as are idoles euen so are these images false likenesses De consens◠euang li. 1. cap. 10. And therefore worthely did S. Augustine finde fault with them Who sought for Christ his apostles not in the holy scriptures but in painted wals And this is indeed a dangerous falshood vnder pretence of religion to draw vs from true religion And by satisfying the eie with a faire shew to rob the soule of the spiritual comfort and instruction Lastlie they are like in name also Which thing although M. Bell. others would faine deny yet G. Martin a great enemy to vs euen in this cause Against our english translat ca. 3. sect 15. In Exod. 20. cannot but grant that the greeke word Idolum maie signifie an image And Caietanus also another piller of poperie doth make an idol an image alone although M. Bellar. censure him for it And the Hebrew names are so general De imag li. 2 cap. 7. as that they may very wel serue for image or idol yea there is in the vse of them small difference Sometime their names shew and tell what they are as vanities lies abhominations yea dirtie and dungie Sometime they are called according to their making grauen or molten Sometime according to the effect that they worke in such as serue them they are called fleabogs Cap. 3. sect 5 Psal 106.36 and where Gregory Martin translateth they Serued grauen Idols the word signifieth vexation Because idols bring vexation to them that serue them they are so called But the words as I haue said are very general And therfore vniustly and without cause doth Gr. Martin find fault with our english translations for translating Ca. 3. sect 20. Exod. 20.4 Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image For the wordes doe so well beare it that euen their owne latine translation which they allow so wel of doth often translate that very word image as we doe for the most abhominable Idols that are as the images of the temple of Baal 2. Kings 11 1◠Ezec. 7.20 16.19 Ezec. 23.14 the idolatrous images which the Israelites made the images of the Caldeans And that word which with the Hebrews most properlie signifieth a likenesse or image doth their old translation translate an Idol De Imag. li. 2. cap. 5. if this word Simulacrum doe signifie an Idol as maister Bellarmine saith it doth For Tselamim wich in Hebrew signifieth likenesses or images that latin translation calleth Simulacra Idols 2. Cron. 34.3 Hos 11.2 and els where If the old translatour might indifferentlie vse the wordes that are of one significatiō why maie not our translatours do the like but they must by and by be falsifiers and corrupters And more euidently to proue that the olde translatour did not acknowledge this nice difference marke the place that we alleadge against them out of Habacucke Habak 2.18 and it will appeare that he maketh images that grauen thing which in this commaundement Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen thing is forbidden all one putting no difference betweene them For thus doth hee translate that place What profiteth the grauen thing For hee that made it hath grauen it a molten thing and a false image Where he plainelie calleth that an image which before he did translate as the word doth in truth signifie a grauen thing If this be no fault in him I trust the indifferent reader will not thinke it to be a fault in vs. Well then images and idols agreeing so wel as they doe in matter forme vnabilitie vse definition and name why maie they not bee birdes of one nest and whelpes of one litter one of them taken for the other If wee also consider how in other places of Scripture the idols are described and compare those descriptions with that which we see and know to be in their images Psal 115.4.5.6 we shall see them to be alike Their Idols are siluer and gold the worke of mens handes They haue mouthes and speake not eies and see not eares and heare not noses
this caueat that M. Bellarmine giueth De Imaginibus li. 2. c. 22 that a man must not say especially when he preacheth vnto the people that any images are to bee worshipped with that worship that belongeth to God If it be true why may not the people know so much Perchance M. Bellarmine doubteth whether that their opinion will proue true Ibid. cap. 20 that the same honour is due to the Image that is due to him whom it representeth And therfore that the image of Christ should be worshipped with that worship that belongeth vnto God Indeede these their rules can neuer prooue good because they are not commaunded of God For it is alwaies in such thinges true that Tert. saith De Monogamia that which the scripture doth not set downe it doth forbid Hee learned it of Gods owne mouth who answered the superstitious Iewes pleasing themselues in such seruices as they had deuised Esay 1.12 who required these things of your hands But as they haue no warrant for that they teach and therefore ought not of christians to be heard so their opinions are in themselues so absurd that but to shew them is enough to make such as haue any care of their owne saluation to shunne them But how shall the afflicted mindes which would giue all that they haue for a little comfort vnto whom the feare of death is nothing in comparison of the terrour of sinne how shall they finde comfort in the conflicts of conscience when faine they would aske but they knowe not of whome and pray but they knowe not howe for if their teachers and Doctours at their best leasure can not yet resolue themselues how they should pray vnto their stockes and stones how shall he that hath to thinke of death and to striue against the assaultes of sinne and many feares knowe in such a case which way to turne him And therefore as Cyprian saith to the christians that sacrificed to idoles O wretched man De lapsis why bringest thou an offering with thee when thou comest to offer or intreate why doest thou lay on thy sacrifice Thou thy selfe commest an offering and a sacrifice vnto the altar thou hast there offred thine owne saluation thy hope In those wicked fires thou hast burned thy faith Euen so I may say to those miserable men and women that are carried away after such vanities that their owne imaginations shall punish them and They shall eate the fruit of their owne way Prouer. 1 3◠Prouer. 22.8 Esa 50.11 and be filled with their owne deuises For it is good reason that he that soweth iniquitie should reape affliction and see by the sparkes of the fire that he hath kindled What Fasting is and of the true vse of fasting CHAP. 30. THE PROTESTANTS AS praier is a good work commaunded of God so is Fasting also in the scriptures commēded vnto vs. But not because it is of it selfe good or a thing wherein God hath delight but as it is a mean to humble vs and make vs more fitte What fasting is any way to serue God And it is an abstinence from all meats and drinkes but I speake here of such fastes as vpon sudden or extraordinarie occasions the godly haue vsed not from flesh only or from certaine meats we must therfore fast not thinking thereby to deserue any thing of God but only to tame our selues I mean our flesh which is many times more vnrulye thā is expediēt that the spirit thereby may more earnestly come vnto God Whereby wee learne also the fittest times for fasting to be either when we see the flesh rebellious or dangers at hand THE PAPISTS BVT our aduersaries like the rauening fowles that Virgil speaketh of who defile all that they touch doe also with their superstitions pollute this christian and necessary exercise partly in that they haue in fasting a chiefest regarde to make choise of some meates reiecting others partly also in that they haue their certaine dayes and tymes set downe for their fasting and those many times in the honour of some of their Saints and doe not regarde such particular occasions as may force men to humble themselues before God but especially because they esteeme fasting to bee such a woorke as is meritorious and deserueth at the handes of GOD Bellar. de bonis operibus in part lib. 2. cap. 11. So that thereby hee is satisfyed and his wrath and indignation against vs appeased Fasting there is publike and priuate And of both sorts there are diuers kinds But I speake not here of the spirituall fast which is the best and without the which the other fasting is nothing els but a mockerie Nether yet doe I speake of that ciuil abstinence which in some politicke respects is commaunded amongst vs and is manie times called a fast But of those fasts only doe I intreat which are in question betwene vs and that superstitious church of Rome that we knowing the true vse of fasting may more vse it and shunne that superstitious and popish maner of fast Somtime the cause of fasting is the mortifying of our flesh by denying the bodie that wherby it is puffed vp and made wanton and rebellious Somtime some imminent daunger which wee see hanging ouer our heads or not far of or some feare of Gods wrath doth moue vs vnto it And this is for the most part publike and not alwaies after one maner Iudg. 20.26 Hest 4.16 for some fasted the whole daie from eating or drinking anie thing Some did fast so three daies together as Hester commaunded the Iewes Then was there another kind of fast wherin they did not abstaine from all meates and drincks but from delicate fare 2. Sam. 12.17 ◠Cro. 10.12 Dan. 10 2.3 So Dauid fasted seuen daies when his child was sicke So also did the people when Saul was dead And Daniel fasted three weeks all which time he did nether eat pleasant bread nether came flesh nor wine in his mouth But these are for the most part priuate fasts although not alwaies for we see the people did fast after Saule was dead as it seemeth publikly seuen daies And of the first cause of fasting which I haue said is the mortifying of our flesh and making vs more fit to serue God perchaunce we haue an example in Anna who serued God with fasting Luke 2.37 and praiers night and daie But of the second cause of fasting wee haue in the Scriptures manie examples Ioshua 7. Iudges 20. and in manie other places which for shortnesse I omit And doubtlesse there is a great fault I must needes confesse in this our realme in this poynt that that viperous generation of popish tyrants and traitours seeking so many wayes by poysoning fire murthering and all villaynous practises to roote out the trueth to make hauocke of this our Countrey and to shorten the most quiet gouernement and happie dayes of so mercifull and gracious a prince of whose most gentle
defineth that old heresies must not bee confuted by such arguments but onely such as are newly sprung vp And yet the Papists whose religion is almost nothing but a sinke of such old and vnsauourie heresies crie still to be tried by their vniuersalitie and antiquitie and the iudgements of men flat contrarie to Vincentius his rules And this triall he will not haue to be vsed but in great questions of fayth but they make it a proofe for their most foolish toyes So that although they readily call him in because hee nameth Antiquitie vniuersalitie and consent vnto the which they woulde faine seeme to make claime yet they will I trust from hencefoorth rather stoppe his mouth than suffer him to speake because his witnesse is their ouerthrowe Let vs therefore keepe that faythfully which is once deliuered vnto vs which to chaunge is to marre it to put to it or take from it is to corrupt it Let vs holde I say that fayth which is alwayes olde and alwayes one knowing that whatsoeuer we holde besides it it is not newe onely but euen starke naught also An exhortation to Christian Magistrates for to defend this truth CHAP. 33. THus hitherto haue I stood in defence of christian truth against popish falsehood indeuouring according to my simple talent and slender skill not only to admonish you of the baggage drosse which they bring vnto vs in steed of fine gold what filthie water they would haue vs to drinke for pure wine but also in the ballance of truth to trie what stuffe it is wherewith they seeke to comend the same vnto vs. And although the due acknowledging of mine own manifold wants weaknesse did discourage me a long time to enter into these lists yet the redinesse that I see in manie to take hold of the shadow of truth neglecting in the meane time the bodie of the same and on the other side the simplicitie of others to discerne betweene light and darkenes good and euill to stay the first and to helpe the latter sort I haue thought good at one view to set before thine eyes gentle reader that truth that we teach that thou mayest know howe they haue slaundered it and that falshoode which they maintaine with some touch of their chiefe arguments that thine owne selfe although ignorant and vnlearned may haue some triall of their corrupt doctrines Nowe the especiall cause that moued me to take vpon mee this enterprise God is my witnesse is that dutie that I and such as I am doe owe to the defence of the trueth by worde or writing or any such meanes whereby wee are bound to occupie vntill our Lord and master come the talent that he hath committed vnto vs to his most gaine and glorie Neither can I satisfie my self that I haue throughly performed my dutie when I haue set downe what is truth and what is falsehoode vnlesse I indeuour also to stirre vp all Christian magistrates to the defence thereof to their vttermost power in singlenesse of heart whom for that cause God hath set in high roomes and to whom God hath committed that great charge and at whose hands hee shall call for a strait account for that dutie Psa 10.11.12 Be wise therefore now O kings be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling Kisse the sonne least he be angrie And if you will knowe how princes may nay howe princes must serue the Lord in feare Saint Augustine teacheth it Epist 50 In forbidding and punishing with religious seueritie those things which are done against Gods commandment So that this seruice of the Lord consisteth of two points First in making of good lawes for the maintenance of the truth and abolishing of idolatrie Secondly in punishing such as offend against the same with a religious seuerity This then is the first thing that is required in all godly Magistrates euen from the prince that sitteth vpon the throne vnto the meanest that beareth office in the common wealth but especially of thē that haue the soueraigne authoritie that they haue a watchfull eie and a continuall care to consider and finde out what things they are whereby either the glory of God is most hindred and his seruice prophaned or sin is within their common wealthes ◠r seuerall charges occasioned and maintained Which when they espie they must seeke by godly lawes and ordinances to prouide some speedie remedie for the same For when I affirme that princes magistrates must make decrees for the truth against idolatrie and superstition my meaning is not to enter into that question against the papists whether ciuill magistrates may meddle with matters of religion or not although euen the truth therof also by the way may appeare but because I speake to such as acknowledge and confesse this to be their dutie and haue giuen notable testimonie of their perswasion therein my desire and indeuour is to stir them vp that nether they will be vnmindful thereof but alwaies and earnestly thinke of it neither vnwilling thereto but readily and diligently performe it Esa 44.28 For this cause God calleth princes sometime sheepheards so was Cyrus to teach them that they ought to be as watchfull and painful for the good of their people as is the shepheard for the good of his flocke yea they must be watchemen ouer their people and take great heed that through their fault the people perish not for if they doe it will also turne to their owne destruction De pastoribus cap. 9. For as saint Augustine saieth Their negligence shall slay them Their negligence I say wherby they are slacke in performing their dutie They are also called heads ouer their people not onely because they should haue eies alwaies to prie and spie for the eies are in the head what danger may fall vpon the people and find meanes to auoid it but also because they should in all carefull and christian discretion guide and direct them that are vnder them And because it is true that saint Paul saith Rom. 13.4 He is the minister of God for the wealth of the people and that he beareth not the sworde for nought but for to take vengeance of them that doe euill It is most necessarie that he prouide such lawes as may tend to those endes and set downe such decrees as my bridle disobedient vngodly persons that they who faine would 1. Tim. 2.2 may the more quietly liue in honestie and godlines Such is that law or statute that Asa king of Iudah made when he sawe how readie his people were to fall to Idolatrie and superstition and had taken away the altars of the straunge gods and broken downe their images and high places 2. Chro. 14.3 4. He commaunded Iudah to seeke the Lord God of their fathers and to do according to the law the cōmandement Wherin it seemeth vnto me that their case and ours is verie like therefore we cannot
Take heede I pray O yee Magistrates that that reproach may not iustly bee laide vppon vs that was spoken against the Iewes who were called Gods people before vs. Esa 1.23 Thy Princes are rebellious and companions of theeues euerie one loueth giftes and followeth after rewardes they iudge not the fatherlesee neither doeth the widdowes cause come before them For By swearing and lying and killing Hos 4.2 and stealing and whoring they breake out and bloud toucheth bloud But it is most certaine that sinne breaketh out in euery corner in great aboundance by sea by lande yea and if it bee not maintained by some yet is it too much spared and too little punished almost by al men that haue authority If such disorders may stil be permitted that is if offendours may stil goe vnpunished and they that beare with and wincke at such thinges maie stil beare authority can we looke for any other thing than that God shoulde saie vnto vs as hee saide in his wrath vnto his owne people whome hee loued as dearely as vs Arise depart out of this land this is not your rest Mich. 2.10 Because it is polluted it shall destroy you euen with a sore destruction For God in Leuiticus Leuit. 18.25 pronounceth that a lande is so defiled with sinne that it must vomit out her inhabitantes Haue we not then iust cause to feare God heauy wrath seeing that idolatry and superstition blasphemies murders whoredomes robbings and stealings doe so abounde in many places of this lande and yet so litle reformation yea so much forbearing of such had persons yea of such as are most notorious offendours so much speaking and writing for them so much pitying them vpon their tears so much repriuing them after their iudgement that they might haue time and meanes to procure their pardon as though wee feared nothing more than that the weedes should be weeded out least they shoulde hurt the herbes or the tares plucked vp that they choke not vp the corne This our wel liking of sinne this forbearing of so bad men is it that I more feare and will indeede sooner bring this land to desolation than al the cruell practises of professed enemies or faithles friends This I say if wee repent not shal make vs weake our enemies strong this shal more hastely bring vpon vs and against vs the Spaniard more strengthen his hand than al that he can deuise beare he neuer so cruel a hatred against vs. So that whosoeuer or whatsoeuer they be that wil not now when by their authority they may nay whē they ought to procure peace safety vnto the oppressed by punishing offendours shal one day if with speed they amend it not Luc. 19.42 Esa 48.22 see that al things that belong to their peace shal be hidden from their eies For there is no peace to the wicked If any man thinke that I note any particular persons herein they are deceiued I rather touch all For I see such horrible vices abounde almost in euery place and such disobedience against God and man and so little punishment especially of such as can procure the friendship of some great men although their offences be great that I say with the Prophet Wickednes saith to the wicked man euen in my hart that there is no feare of God before his eies So that almost the continuall breach of all good lawes by them that haue any delight to sinne doth proclaime it in the eares of men more shrill then the sounde of a trumpet that many of our Magistrates are farre shorte of that duty that they shoulde performe Which as we feele in these north partes to be the vndoing of many a poore man in particular yea almost the ruinating of the country so I heare the south parts are not in much better case But whosoeuer is boldest to sinne findeth many friendes to sue for his pardon Which if it be true let vs assure our selues that our generall contempt of religion and iustice and that after so many warnings and so plaine giuen by Gods messengers against this shal bring vpon vs and our land a general plague Neither let vs flatter our selues in our owne strength or our allyes or that our enemies are weake or otherwise occupied If we prouoke the Lord he shal neuer want whips to whip vs withal And thus much by way of digression vpon occasion of good Iehosaphats great care that hee had to examine and see that they beare office vnder him did deale zealously for the truth and iustly and truely with his people A godly care a good but a rare example Which point although Iehosaphats example gaue me good occasion to enter into yet the necessity of these times doth the rather force mee to handle the same Yea this is so necessarilie belonging to the matter that I am in hande withall that neither godlie lawes and decrees can easily bee deuised published neither being made can at all be executed vnlesse this be chiefly regarded But to returne to my matter againe When Ahaz the king of Iudah had polluted the land with idolatries of sundry sortes after him commeth Ezechiah his sonne 2. Chron. 29. who opened the doores of the temple that Ahaz had shut vp hee called for the Priestes and commaunded them to sanctifie themselues teaching them their duetie hee gathered the Princes together to the house of the Lorde hee commaunded the Priestes to offer and hee and the Princes commaunded the Leuites to praise the Lorde appointing how namely with the wordes of Dauid yea 2. Chro. 30. ◠hee also by Postes sent to all Iudah and Israel 2. Chron. 3◠that they shoulde come to keepe the Passeouer And Iosiah his diligence to serue the Lorde by commaunding to reforme such thinges as were amisse is notable in his storie In which example of Iosiah it is woorthie the marking howe hee gathered togither all the Elders of Iudah and Ierusalem and the people also and made them goe vp with him vnto the Lordes house And Ezechiah and hee as in the storie of Ezechiah is noted commanded them to come to celebrate the Passeouer And in Ezechiah his dayes it is to their eternall praise set downe that they had not one Recusant 2. Chro. 31. ◠but God gaue them one heart to doe the commanment of the king If Princes might then make lawes to bring their people to the church and constraine them to be partakers of their rites and seruice why may not princes now doe the like Nay if it were then the duetie of the Rulers amongst Gods people to be carefull to make such lawes howe can our Rulers excuse themselues if they be found slacke heerin For as before I haue shewed I seeke not by these examples to shewe what Princes may do but what they can not but doe vnlesse they will runne in danger of Gods displeasure But 2. Chr. 34 1◠to proceede in the storie of Iosiah when Hilkiah the
haue too good experience heereof For meekenesse some call it but I take it to bee an excessiue want either of care or courage in the Lordes cause hath brought these countries to that passe that the sinnes of the countrey as murder whoredome thefts and spoiling do abound more than euer they did for many yeeres As for recusants not men onely and women but euen in sundry places the children also either may not or will not come at the church And that more is and to be wondered at there are that dare reprooue them that will perfourme that duety And yet the church of Rome hath not much to brag of this their plentifull haruest as in many of their bookes they doe for it is full of filthy weedes For euen the better sort of them rest vpon I knowe not what name of conscience without any reason of their religion or ground of their faith And they being deceiued through their ignorance doe fall into the pit which false teachers as ignorant almost as themselues haue made to catch thē in And though amongst thē that do professe religion there are too many that doe know too little yet for them to seeme to haue a better perswasion in religion than the common sort who haue scarce so much knowledge as the common sort hath to ground their religion vpon is a great skorne Yea many there are whose conscience as it is thought will serue them some to take their neighbours horse cow oxe or sheepe by stealth some to beare with and winke at such as doe such things and yet their conscience will not suffer them to come to the church Others haue conscience that will suffer them to liue in continuall whordome and to lead a most filthie life euen almost in the sight of the sunne but to shew themselues dutifull to God and man it will not suffer them Seeing therfore that as in a sore if the surgeon forbear to search it to the quicke it doth but corrupt and putrifie so in this our malady nothing hath so much increased the same as too much lenity there is now no other way to mend that is amisse but by some due punishments to beate downe the pride of the obstinate and to restraine their insolencie I meane not that life or limme of anie should be touched for religion only vnlesse perchaunce the word of God expreslie doe commaund it for as mildnesse hath been a precious ornament to her maiesties person So I am well assured that it hath beene as a strong pillar to vpholde her estate Prou. 20.28 For mercie and truth preserue the king and his throne shal be established with mercie yet would I haue manie pittied rather than one That is that one or some few should rather be punished than whole multitudes by too much gentlenesse should be imboldened to follow that which is euil Neither are the punishments for religion by our law of such qualitie as that there is iust cause to complaine of the rigour of the same although the papistes that they may seeme to haue a great number of martyrs and confessours with manie a loude lie crie out against the crueltie that is vsed amongst vs. Restraint of libertie only would not in the late time of persecution in Queene Maries daies haue beene thought crueltie when most sharpe and vncomfortable imprisonments and in the ende cruel death was thought too little for them that could not be charged with any thing but onely dissenting in religion from the Church of Rome The paiment of a little money would then haue beene thought an easie redemption for the libertie of conscience and these are the most grieuous punishments that our lawe in such case hath set downe And that these chasticements should nowe with some seueritie be executed it is high time when as so many vpon a meere will or to please some other will not sticke to reuolt from that holy profession which once they followed Yea it seemeth vnto me a necessarie policie that that penal statute against recusants should more seuerely be executed not onely to haue the greater treasure in store for the necessarie defence of the realme but also to withdrawe from hollow hearted subiects that wherewith they do either vnmeasurablie inrich and furnish themselues against that euil day which so long they haue looked for or in the mean time relieue bad persons to be trumpets of rebellion For howsoeuer those lying spirits blow it abroad that catholiks for so they falsely tearme them are in most cruell maner persecuted in England for religion yet it is most certaine that there are an infinite number of knowne and stubborne recusants among vs that feele no smart at all Which thing also I would wish that by some meanes they might bee made publikely to confesse therby to confute and confound the shamelesse slaunders of their lying masters And such as are imprisoned can not iustly complaine of want of anie thing necessarie vnlesse it be libertie They are not forced to lie vpon the ground or to sit vneasilie in the stockes They are not loaden with boltes and fetters or anie other way cruelly handled as many good men were in the dayes of our late persecution No no we willingly leaue those cruel torments to the bloudie papists to that purple Harlot that sitteth at Rome who is euen drunken with the blood of the saints and hath a delight to torment and make hauocke of the people of God Lib. 2. To such as Dinothus in his storie of the warres of Fraunce speaketh of For hee reporteth that when the papists that sauage generation had woonne Aurasia they spared no sexe no age no estate no not sucking babes they deuised new those cruell torments for to kil only cannot suffice that catholike humor And towarde women when they were dead they passed the limits I will not say of christianitie or of humane modesty but they shewed themselues more beastly thā beasts And that they might the rather be incoraged impudently to commit all these excesses they had a fit watchword for their purpose which did both shew their meaning and with what spirit they were guided which was this I curse god thrice O catholike watch word It seemeth they were at defiance not with good men only but with God also Of like beastly cruelty also and shamelesse despiting of the dead bodies the same authour writeth in the verie latter end of that his second booke euen such as anie man excepting Romish catholiks would be ashamed to commit But the more shameles in crueltie that they are the more like them selues For if we will beleeue euen their owne stories we shall find that they alwaies made litle accoumpt of that which is pretious in Gods sight Such crueltie I say beseemeth that popish crue but we hate and detest the same We are content if they be not dangerous to the state that they liue at ease and in libertie also so long as it confirmeth not themselues in their errour