good deuotions of the soule as the actes of Faith Feare Hope Charity Repentance goe before to prepare as it were the way and to make it more sit to receiue that high grace of iustification The second iustification is when a iust man by the exercise of vertues is made more iust as a Childe newe borne doth by nuriture growe day by day bigger of this increase of grace Catholikes hold good workes to be the meritorious cause M. PERKINS first graunteth that good workes doe please God and haue a temporall reward 2. That they are necessary to saluation not as the cause thereof but either as markes in away to direct vs towardes saluation or as fruites and signes of righteousnes to declare one to be just before men all which he shuffleth in rather to delude our arguments then for that they esteeme much of good workes which they hold to be no better then deadly sins The maine difference then betweene vs consisteth in this whether good workes be the true cause indeede of the increase of our righteousnes which we call the second justification or whether they be only fruits signes or markes of it M. PERKINS pretendes to proue that they are no cause of the increase of our justice and yet frames not one argument directly to that purpose but repeates those objections and proposeth them now at large which he made before against the first justification the which although impertinent to this place yet I will solue them first and then set downe our owne We conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe 2 Rom. 3. Answere The Apostle there speaketh of the justification of a sinner for he saith before that he hath proued both Iewe and Greeke to be vnder sinne and that all haue sinned and neede the glory of God Wherefore this place appertaynes not vnto the second justification and excludes only either workes of the law as not necessary vnto the first justification of a sinner against the Iewes who thought and taught them to be necessary or else against the Gentils any worke of ours from being any meritorious cause of that first justification for we acknowledge very willingly as you haue heard often before that euery sinner is justified freely of the meere grace of God through the merit of Christ onely and without any merit of the sinner himselfe and yet is not a sinner being of yeares of discretion meerely passiue in that his justification as M. PERKINS very absurdly saith for in their owne opinion he must beleeue which is an action and in ours not onely beleeue but also Hope Loue Repente And this kinde of justification excludeth all boasting in our soules as wel as theirs For as they must graunt that they may not bragge of their faith although it be an act of theirs so necessarily required at their justification that without it they could not be justified euen so let them thinke of the rest of those good preparations which we hold to be necessary that we cannot truly boast of them as though they came of our selues but we confesse all these good inspirations as all other good to descend from the bounteous liberality of the father of lightes and for the yeelding of our consent to them we can no more vaunt then of consenting vnto faith all which is no more then if a man be mired in a lake and vnable of himselfe to get out would be content that an other of his goodnesse should helpe him out of it Yet obserue by the way that Saint Paul forbiddeth not all glorying or boasting Rom. 5. For he gloryeth in the hope of glory of the Sonne of GOD 2. Cor. 10. and in his tribulations Againe He defineth that we may glory in measure and that he might glory in his power And that he was constayned to glory in his visions and reuelations 2. Cor. 12. So that a good Christian may glory in our Lord and in his heauenly giftes so it be in measure and due season Acknowledging them from whence they come But to boast and say that eyther GOD needed vs or that our good partes were cause that GOD called vs first to his seruice is both false and vtterly vnlawefull Ephes 2. So that by grace yea are saued through faith and that not of your selues it is the gift of God not of workes least any man should boast himselfe Is nothing against our Doctrine of justification but too too ignorantly or maliciously cited against it and note also with Saint Augustine that faith is there mentioned Lib. 83. q. 76. to exclude all merites of our workes which went before and might seeme to the simple to haue beene some cause why God bestowed his first grace vpon vs but no vertuous dispositions requisite for the better preparation to the same grace and therefore very fondly doth M. PERKINS inferre that in that sentence Saint Paul speaketh of workes of grace because in the text following hee mentioned good workes Whereas the Apostle putteth an euident distinction betweene those two kinde of workes signifying the first To be of ourselues The second To proceede from vs as Gods workemanshippe created in CHRIST IESVS and the first he calleth Workes simply the second Good workes prepared of God for vs to walke in after our first iustification What grosse ignorance then was it to take these two so distinct manner of workes for the same and to ground himselfe so boldly vpon it Now to his second reason If you be circumcised Gal. 9. you are bound to the whole lawe Hence thus he argueth If a man will be iustified by workes he is bound to fulfill the whole lawe according to the rigour of it That is Paules ground But no man can fulfill the lawe according vnto the rigour of it ergo No man can be iustified by workes He can apply the text prefixed vnto any part of the argument Erit mihi magnus Appollo Saint Paul only saith in these wordes That if you bee circumcised yea are bound to keepe the whole lawe of Moyses M. PERKINS That if a man will be iustified by workes he must fulfill the rigour of the lawe Which are as just as Germains lippes as they say But M. PERKINS sayes that it is Saint Paules ground but he is much deceiued for the Apostles ground is this That circumcision is as it were a profession of Iudaisme and therefore he that would be circumcided did make himselfe subject vnto the whole lawe of the Iewes Of the possibilities of fulfilling the lawe because M. PERKINS toucheth so often that string shall be treated in a distinct question as soone as I haue dispatched this M. PERKINS third Argument Election to saluation is of grace without workes wherefore the iustification of a sinner is of grace alone without workes because election is the cause of iustification Answere That election is of grace without workes done of our owne simple forces or without the workes of
answere is the most extrauagant of all the rest as being furthest off from the true sence of the Scripture examine any one of the places and a babe may discouer the incongruity of it Namely Christ saith that great is their reward who are reuiled and persecuted for his sake Assigning the reward vnto their constant bearing and enduring of tribulation for Gods sake and not to his owne merittes imputed and if you desire a formall sentence fitting this purpose take this 1. Cor. 3 Euery man shall receiue his reward according vnto his owne proper labour And not according to Christs merittes imputed vnto him So a doer of the worke shall be blessed in his deede And not in the imputation of an others deede Iacob 1. In stead of our second reason blindly proposed by M. PERKINS I will confirme the first with such textes of Holy write as specifie playnelie our good workes to be the cause of eternall life Math. 25 Come vnto me yee blessed of my father possesse a Kingdome prepared for you And why so For when I was hungry yee gaue me meate And so forth the like is in the same Chapter of the seruants who imployed well their talentes for their Lord said vnto them Because you haue beene faithfull in fewe thinges I will place you ouer many And many such like where good workes donne by the parties themselues are expresly said to be the very cause why God rewardeth them with the Kingdome of heauen Therefore he must needes be holden for a very wrangler that doth seeke to peruert such euident speeches and would make the simple beleeue that the cause there formally specified is not to be taken for the cause but doth onely signifie an order of thinges But if any desire besides the euidence of the text to see howe the auncient Fathers take it Let him reade Saint Augustine Where he thus briefly handleth this text Come yee blessed of my Father In psal 49 receiue What shall we receiue A Kingdome For what cause Because I was hungry and you gaue me meate c. Of the reall imputation of Christs merittes there vvas no tydinges in those dayes And that iuditious Doctor found that good workes was the cause of receiuing the Kingdome of heauen Here by the way Master PERKINS redoubleth that common slaunder of theirs that we take away a part of Christs mediation For saith he if Christs merittes were sufficient what neede ours It hath beene often told them but they will neuer learne to vnderstand it I will yet once againe repeate it We hold our Sauiours merits to be of infinite value and to haue deserued of God all the graces and blessinges which hath or shall be bestowed vpon all men from the beginning of the world vnto the end of it yet his diuine will and order is that all men of discretion hauing freely receiued grace from him doe meritte that crowne of glory which is prepared for them not to supply the want of his merittes which are inestimable but being members of his misticall body he would haue vs also like vnto himselfe in this point of meriting and further desirous to trayne vs vp in all good works he best knewe that there could be no better spur to pricke our dull nature forward then to ordayne and propose such heauenly rewardes vnto all them that would diligently endeuour to deserue them The man seemes to be much ignorant in the matter of Christes mediation I will therefore helpe him a little It consisteth in reconciling man to God which he performed by paying the ransome of our sinnes in purchasing vs Gods fauour and in ordayning meanes how all mankinde might attayne to eternall life in the two first poynts we doe for the most part agree to witte that our sinnes are freely pardoned through Christes passion and that we are as freely justified and receiued first into Gods grace and fauour although we require other preparation then they doe yet we as fully deny any merit of ours to be cause of either as they doe Marry about the meanes of attayning to heauen we differ altogether for they say that God requires no justice in vs nor merit at all on our partes but only the disposition of faith to lay holde on Christes righteousnes and merittes but we say that Christes righteousnes and merit are incommunicable vnto any meere creature but that through his merittes God doth powre into euery true Christian a particular justice whereby he is sanctified and made able to doe good workes and to merit eternall life Which ability we receiuing of Gods free gift through Christes merits doth much more magnifie both Gods grace and Christes merittes for the greater that the gift is the greater is the glory of the giuer And to argue that to be a derogation vnto his mediation and merits whith he hath appoynted to be very instrument of applying the vertue of them to vs is indeede vnder colour of magnifying Christs merittes to vndermine and blowe out all the vertue of them But saies M. PERKINS what should we talke of our merittes who for one good worke we doe committe many bad which deface our merits if we had any True it is as it was once before said that euery mortall sinne blotteth out all former justice and merit but by repentance both are recouered againe but must we not speake of any good because we may happe to doe euill that is a faire perswasion and well worthy a wise man Let vs to our third Argument God hath by couenant and promise bound himselfe to reward our workes with life euerlasting Therefore good workes doe in justice deserue it for faithfull promise maketh due debt Math. 20. The couenant is plainely set downe where God in the person of an housholder agreeth with his workmen for a penny a day that is to giue them life euerlasting for trauayling in his seruice during their life time as all auncient interpretours expound it Whereupon Saint Paul inferreth Heb. 6. that God should be vnjust if he should forgette their workes who suffered persecution for him 2. Thes 1. And saith If it be just with God to render tribulation to them that persecute you and to such as are persecuted rest with vs Vpon the same ground S. Hierome saith Li. 2. cont Iouin c. 2. Great truly were the iniustice of God if he did only punish euill workes and would not as well receiue good workes To all these and much more such like M. PERKINS answereth that couenant for workes was in the olde Testament but in the newe the couenant is made with the workman not with the worke Reply All that I cited in this Argument is out of the newe Testament where expresse couenant is made for working and workes as you haue heard And as it was said in the olde lawe Math 19. Doe these thinges and thou shalt liue so is it said in the newe If thou wilt enter into life keepe the
him but what is this to justification by only faith Marry M. PERKINS drawes it in after this fashion As nothing was required of them who were strong by serpents but that they should looke vpon the brasen serpent So nothing is required of a sinner to deliuer him from sinne but that he cast his eye of faith vpon Christs righteousnes and apply that to himselfe in particular But this application of the similitude is only mans foolish inuention without any ground in the text Similttudes be not in all poynts alike neither must be streatched beyond the very poynt wherein the similitude lyeth which in this matter is that like as the Israelites in the Wildernes stoung with serpents were cured by looking vpon the brasen serpent so men infected with sin haue no other remedy then to embrace the faith of Christ Iesus All this we confesse but to say that nothing else is necessary that is quite besides the text and as easely rejected by vs as it is by him obtruded without any authority or probability His 2. reason is collected of exclusiue speeches as he speaketh vsed in Scriptures Gal 2.16 As we are iustified freely not of the lawe not by the lawe not of workes not of our selues not of the workes of the lawe but by faith all boasting excluded Luke 8.50 only beleeue These distinctions whereby works the law are excluded in the worke of justification include thus much that faith alone doth justifie It doth not so for these exclusiue speeches do not exclude feare hope and charity more then they exclude faith it selfe Which may be called a worke of the lawe aswell as any other vertue being as much required by the lawe as any other But S. Paules meaning in those places is to exclude all such workes as either Iewe or Gentile did or could bragge of as donne of themselues and so thought that by them they deserued to be made Christians For he truly saith that all were concluded in sinne and needed the grace of God which they were to receiue of his free mercy through the merits of Christ and not of any desart of their owne And that to obtayne this grace through Christ it was not needefull nay rather hurtfull to obserue the ceremonies of Moyses lawe as Circumcision the obseruation of any of their feastes or fastes nor any such like worke of the lawe which the Iewes reputed so necessary Againe that all morall workes of the Gentiles could not deserue this grace which workes not proceeding from charity were nothing worth in Gods sight And so all workes both of Iewe and Gentile are excluded from being any meritorious cause of justification and consequently all their boasting of their owne forces their first justification being freely bestowed vpon them Yet all this notwithstanding a certaine vertuous disposition is required in the Iewe and Gentile whereby his soule is prepared to receiue that great grace of justification that say we is faith feare hope loue and repentance that say the Protestants is faith only Wherefore say we as the excluding of workes and boasting exclude not faith no more doe they exclude the rest faith being as well our worke and a worke of the lawe as any of the rest and all the rest being of grace as well as faith and as farre from boasting of as faith it selfe Now that out of S Luke beleeue only is nothing to the purpose For he was bid beleeue the raysing of his daughter to life and not that Christs righteousnes was his and faith alone may be a sufficient disposition to obtayne a myracle but not to obtayne justification of which the question only is Consider now good Reader whether of our interpretations agree better with the circumstances of the text and the judgement of the auncient Fathers The texts see thou in the Testament Take for a taste of the Fathers judgement S. Augustines exposition of those places of S. Paul of one of the chiefest of which thus he speaketh Men not vnderstanding that which the Apostle saith We esteeme a man to be iustified without the lawe De gra lib. aâ—b c 7. thought him to say that faith sufficed a man althoug he liued euill and had no good workes which God forbid that the vessell of election should thinke And againe De predest sanct c 7. Therefore the Apostle saith that a man is iustified by faith and not of workes because saith is first giuen and by it the rest which are properly called workes and in which we liue justlie are by petition obtayned By which it is manifest that S. Paul excluding the workes of the lawe and the workes donne by our owne only forces doth not meane to exclude good workes which proceede from the helpe of Gods grace THAT FAITH ONLY DOTH NOT IVSTIFIE MASTER PERKINS third Argument Very reason may teach vs thus much that no gift in man is apt as a spirituall hand to receiue and apply Christ and his righteousnesse vnto a sinner sauing faith loue hope feare repentance haue their seuerall vses but none of them serue for this ende of apprehending but faith only Amswere Mans reason is but a blinde mistris in matters of faith and he that hath no better an instructor in such high misteries must needs know little But what if that also faile you in this poynt then euery man cannot but see how naked you are of all kinde of probability I say then that reason rather teacheth the contrary For in common sence no man apprehendeth and entreth into the possession of any thing by beleeuing that he hath it For if a man shoulde beleeue that he is rich of honour wise or vertuous Doth he thereby become presently such a one nothing lesse His faith and perswasion is no fitte instrument to apply and drawe these thinges to himselfe as all the worlde sees How then doth reason teach me that by beleeuing Christes righteousnesse to bee mine owne I lay hand on it and make it mine Againe Christs righteousnes according to their owne opinion is not receiued into vs at all but is ours only by Gods imputation what neede we then faith as a spirituall hand to receiue it If they say as M. PERKINS doth that faith is as it were a condition required in vs which when God seeth in vs he presently imputeth Christs righteousnesse to vs and maketh it ours Then will I be bolde to say that any other vertue is as proper as faith to haue Christ applyed vnto vs there being no other aptnesse requisite in the condition it selfe but only the will and ordinance of God then euery thing that it shal please him to appoynt is alike apt and so M. PERKINS had small reason to say that faith was the only apt instrument to apply to vs Christs righteousnesse Moreouer true diuine reason teacheth me that both hope and charity doe much more apply vnto Christians all Christes merits and make them doe then faith For what faith assureth me of in
abuse of man REPLIE To begin with his latter words because I must stand vpon the former Is the Scripture falsely tearmed matter of strife because it is not so of his owne nature why then is CHRIST truely called the stone of offence or no to them that beleeue not S. PETER sayeth Yes * 1. Pet. 2. No sayeth M. P. because that commeth not of Christ but of themselues But good Sir Christ is truely tearmed a stone of offence and the Scripture matter of strife albeit there be no cause in them of those faults but because it so falleth out by the malice of men The question is not wherefore it is so called but whether it be so called or no truely That which truely is may bee so called truely But the Scripture truely is matter of great contention euery obstinate Heretike vnderstanding them according to his owne fantasie and therefore may truely be so tearmed although it bee not the cause of contention in it selfe but written to take away all contention But to the capitall matter these three rules gathered out of Saint AVGVSTINE be good directions whereby sober and sound wits may much profite in studie of diuinitie if they neglect not other ordinarie helpes of good instructiors and learned Comentaries But to affirme that euerie Christian may by these meanes be inabled to iudge which is the true sense of any doubtfull or hard text is extreame rashnesse and meere folly S. AVGVSTINE himselfe well conuersant in these rules indued with a most happie wit and yet much bettered with the excellent knowledge of all the liberall Sciences yet he hauing most diligently studied the Holie Scriptures for more than thirtie yeares with the helpe also of the best Comentaries he could get and counsell of the most excusit yet he ingeniouslie confesseth That there were more places of Scripture that after all his studie he vnderstood not then which he did vnderstand * Ep. 119. cap. 21. And shall euery simple man furnished only with M. P. his three rules of not twise three lynes be able to dissolue any difficultie in them whatsoeuer Why doe the Lutherans to omit all former Heretiks vnderstand them in one sort the Caluenists after an other The Anabaptists a third way and so of other sects And in our owne Countrey how commeth it to passe that the Protestants finde one thing in the holy Scriptures the Puritans almost the cleane contrarie Why I say is there so great bitter and endlesse contention among brothers of the same spirit about the sense and meaning of Gods word If euery one might by the aide of those triuiall notes readily disclose all difficulties and assuredly boult out the certaine trueth of them It cannot be but most euident to men of any iudgement that the Scripture it selfe can neuer end any doubtful controuersie without there be admitted some certaine Iudge to declare what is the true meaning of it And it cannot but redound to the dishonour of our blessed Sauiour to say that he hath left a matter of such importance at randome and hath not prouided for his seruants an assured meane to attaine to the true vnderstanding of it If in matters of Temporal justice it should be permitted to euery contentious smatterer in the Lawe to expound and conster the groundes of the Lawe and statutes as it should seeme fittest in his wisedome and not be bounde to stande to the sentence and declaration of the Iudge what iniquitie should not be Lawe or when should there be any ende of any hard matter one Lawyer defending one part an other the other One counseller assuring on his certaine knowledge one partie to haue the right an other as certainely auerring not that but the contrarie to be Law both alleadging for their warrant some texts of Law What end and pacification of the parties could be deuised vnlesse the decision of the controuersie be committed vnto the definitiue sentence of some who should declare whether counsellor had argued justly and according to the true meaning of the Lawe none at all but bloudy debate and perpetuall conflict each persuing to get or keepe by force of armes that which his learned counsell auouched to be his owne To auoyde then such garboyles and intestiue contention there was neuer yet any Law-maker so simple but appoynted some gouernour and Iudge who should see the due obseruation of his Lawes and determine all doubts that might arise about the letter and exposition of the Law who is therefore called the quicke and liuely lawe and shall we Christians thinke that our diuine Law-maker who in wisdome care and prouidence surmounted all others more than the heauens do the earth hath left his golden lawes at randome to be interpreted as it should seeme best vnto euerie one pretending some hidden knowledge from we know not what spirit no no It cannot be once imagined without too too great derogation vnto the soueraigne prudence of the Sonne of God In the Olde Testament which was but a state of bondage and as it were an introduction to the Newe yet was there one appoynted vnto whome they were commanded to repaire for the resolution of all doubtfull cases concerning the Lawe yea and bound were they vnder paine of death to stande to his determination and shall wee bee so simple as to suffer our selues to bee perswaded that in the glorious state of the Gospell plotted and framed by the wisdome of God himselfe worse order should bee taken for this high poynte of the true vnderstanding of the Holy Gospel it self being the life and soule of all the rest Giue mee leaue gentle Reader to stay some-what longer in this matter because there is nothing of more importance and it is not handled any where else in all this Booke Considder then with your selfe that our Coelestiall Law-maker gaue his Lawe not written in Inke and Paper but in the hearts of his moste faithfull subjectes endowīng them with the blessed spirite of trueth * Ierem. 31 2 Cor 3. and with a moste diligent care of instructing others * Ioh. 16. that all their posteritie might learne of them all the poynts of Christian doctrine and giue credit to them aswell for the written as vnwritten worde and more for the true meaning of the worde than for the word it selfe These and their true successors be liuely Oracles of the true and liuing God then must wee consult in all doubtfull questions of Religion and submit our selues wholy to their decree S. PAVL that vessell of election may serue vs for a singuler modell and patterne of the whole who hauing receiued the true knowledge of the Gospel frō God yet went vp to Ierusalem with BARNABY to conferre with the chiefe Apostles the Gospel which he preached least perhaps he might runne in vaine and had runne as in expresse wordes he witnesseth himselfe * Gal. 2 Vpon which fact and words of S. PAVL the auncient Fathers do gather that the faithful would not haue
so that God giueth it not vnto all yet doth he certainely giue it to some for otherwise they cannot keepe their Vowes but to the dishonour of God and to their owne damnation should breake them And wee onely teach that some such who haue Vowed chastitie could keepe it so that the argument is verie childish and too too weake to lead any wise man away from the holy and auncient Doctrine of the Church But to the further confirmation of this poynt let vs heare what the holy Fathers teach touching the possibilitie of this Vowe TERTVLLIAN neere the ende expounding these wordes * Lib. de monog Hee that can take let him take * Mat 19. Choose sayeth hee that which is good if thou saye thou canst not it is because thou wilt not for that thou mightest if thou wouldest he doth declare who hath left both to thy choyse ORIGEN vpon the same place * Mat 19. Hee that will take this worde that is set downe of chastitie let him praye for it beleeuing him that saide aske and it shall bee giuen you and hee shall receiue it which doeth plainelie confute Maist Perk. Who sayeth that although wee aske neuer so much wee can not obtayne this gift with ORIGEN agreeth Sainct IEROM vpon the same place who sayeth It is giuen vnto them vvho haue requested it who haue desired it and trauayled that they might receiue it The same Song chanteth GREGORIE NAZIANZ which is of three kindes of Eunuchs * Orat. 3 1. Saint CHRYSOSTOME sayeth it is possible to all them who make choyse of it and further addeth that our Sauiour CHRIST himselfe doeth prooue it there after this sorte Thinke with thy selfe if thou haddest bene by nature an Eunuch or by the malice of men made one what wouldest thou then haue done when thou shouldest both haue bene depriued of that pleasure and yet not haue had any recompence for thy paine Therefore thanke GOD because thou shalt haue a great rewarde and a glyttering Crowne if thou liue so as they must doe vvithout any revvarde yet sayeth hee thou mayest doe it more easelie safelie and pleasantlie both because thou art fortifyed with hope of recompence and also comforted with a vertuous conscience Wee will wrappe vp this poynte with Saint AVGVSTINE who directlie confuteth M. Perk. by many reasons and examples Lib. 2. De adulterinis coniug cap. 12. Et de bono viduit cap. 20. And vpon the Psalme an hundreth thirtie seauen he yeeldeth an other reason why God will more reallie assist them saying Hee that exhorteth thee to Vowe vvill helpe thee to fulfill it All which heauenly Doctrine because it is spirituallie judged as the Apostle speaketh the Carnall man cannot vnderstande And therefore M. P. being perswaded that few can liue chastly except they marrie avoucheth that this Vowe doeth bring foorth innumerable abhominations in the Worlde Not the hundreth parte so manie as the fleshlie Heretikes imagine and out of flying and lying tales reporte and bruite abroade Naie I dare affirme that let the authenticall Recordes of our Realme bee well perused and you shall finde more lewde filthie Lecherie to haue bene practised by Ministers and their Wiues this last age than was in a thousand yeare before by all the Catholike Priestes and Religious persons of the Land This may serue for a reproofe of al that M. P. objecteth against the Vowe of chastity afterward the man would somwhat reason the matter by shewing howe hee condemneth not chastitie yet sayeth that Marriage is better than it in two respects If IOVINIAN was reputed by the learnedst an holiest Fathers a Christian Epicure and a Monster because he durst make marriage equall with Virginitie What shall this man be who sayeth it is better His reasons are so childish that by the like you may prooue durt to be better then gold wherefore I will not stand vpon them He neuerthelesse afterwarde concludeth that one may purpose constantly with himselfe to leade a single life but so as he may change vpon occasion and this to be a councell of expedience but not of perfection Lastly that if any hauing the gifte of continencie doe Vowe and afterwarde Marrie the gift remayning they haue sinned which is flat against his owne second rule which prohibites vs to leese our libertie and to make any thing vnlawfull in conscience which Christian religion leaueth at libertie Now libertie supposeth M. P. his default who was accustomed to rehearse although many times vntowardly yet lightly alwaies some reasons for the Catholike partie which in this question he hath whollie omitted I wil briefely prooue by an argument or two that it is both lawful verie commendable for men and women of ripe yeeres and consideration hauing wel tryed their own aptnesse to Vow virginitie if by good inspirations they be thereunto inwardly called My first reason is this that which is more pleasant and grateful vnto God may verie well be Vowed to him but Virginitie is more acceptable to God than Marriage The first proposition is manifest and hath no other exception against it but that which before is confuted to wit if we be able to performe it The second is denyed by them which we prooue in expresse tearmes out of S. PAVL * 1. Cor. 7. He that ioyneth his Virgin doth well but he that ioyneth her not doth better and againe of Widdowes * Esa 56. They shall be more happie by S. PAVLS iudgement if they remaine vnmarried This may be confirmed out of ESAY Where God promiseth the Eunuch that holdeth greatly of the thing that pleaseth him that he will giue him in his houshold and within his walles a better heritage and name than if they had bene called sonnes and daughters I will saith God giue them an euerlasting name And also out of the booke of Wisdome * Cap. 3. Blessed is the Eunuch which hath wrought no vnrighteosnesse c. For vnto him shall be giuen the speciall gift of faith and the most acceptable portion in our Lords Temple for glorious is the fruit of God Which is also plainely taught in the Reuelations * Reuelat. 14. Where it is said that no man could sing that song but 14400 and the cause is set downe These be they which haue not bene defiled with women for they are Virgins To these latter places M. P. answereth pag. 241. that to the Eunuch is promised a greater rewarde but not because of his chastitie but because he keepeth the Lords Saboth and couenant But this is saide vnaduisedlie for to all others that keepe Gods commandements shall be giuen a heauenly reward but why shall they haue a better heritage and more acceptable portion than others but because of their speciall prerogatiue of chastitie M. P. then answereth otherwise here that the single life is better and more happie because it is freer from common cares of this life and yeeldeth vs more bodelie ease and libertie to serue God But 1200. yeares agoe