no wise of the Morall law Ueryly I would not much sticke with you herein good sir if accordyng to your Logicke it may be lawfull to deriue a conclusion from the part to the whole But what kynde of Argument is this or who instructed you to frame an Argument in this sorte In some places Osorius sporteth bitterly enough vsing his Rhetoricall digressioÌ„s and is sometymes very pleasauntly disposed to play with Haddones Schoolemaister his nose who soeuer hee were that enformed him in the principles of Rhetoricke when hee was young but how much more iust cause might I take here if a man would vse the offered occasioÌ„ to geue the counter scoffe agaynst your own Maister quareller whosoeuer he was whiche nooseled your youth in Logicke and taught you so foolishly and senselesly to make bald ArgumeÌ„ts and to fetche a Conclusion from an vnsufficient numbryng of partes to affirme the whole For this is your disordered order of arguyng in this place Paule once or twise or perhaps speakyng oftentymes of the law hath relation to the Ceremoniall law Ergo wheresoeuer hee maketh any discourse about the law of God there his meanyng tendeth to the same construction eueÌ„ through his whole discourse and in all his Epistles Nay rather if you did vnderstand Paule throughly and would not crookedly wrest his meanyng after your owne grosse sensualitie Ye should easily perceaue that by way of Negatiue hee doth orderly proceéde after the surest maner of arguyng from the whole to the partes and from the vniuersall to the particular For if the vniuersall proposition may iustly be denyed it followeth of necessitie that the particular propositioÌ„s may not be admitted As where he doth say No workes at all of the law do Iustifie ye may duely conclude hereof Ergo neither the Ceremoniall Morall Naturall Politicke Ciuill nor any other law doth worke Iustification And marke here Osorius how much I doe beare with you when as I doe cut of so much of myne owne right vnto you whiche you could neuer bee able by Argument to wynne at my handes For to admit the foundation of your Argument which is otherwise altogether false we will yet for this present tyme graunt it to seéme true as you would your selfe it should bee that when Paule doth reason of the law he doth chiefly meane thereby the Ceremoniall law Yet what a monstruous Argument is this whereby ye trauaile to coÌ„firme the affirmation of one part by the nagation of the other part in this wise Paule doth deny that the Ceremoniall law doth Iustifie the Iewes Ergo the Morall lawe doth Iustifie them Nay rather how much more soundly should you haue reasoned turning your coÌ„clusion backward If the Ceremoniall law which was the principall substauÌ„ce of Moyses law doe not Iustifie Ergo neither any other part of the law doth Iustifie Albeit I will not deny but that in the very swathlyng cloutes of the primitiue Church many doubts arose amongest the Disciples them selues touchyng the reteinyng of Moyses Ceremonies in so much that Peter him selfe durst not be so bold as to receaue Cornelius the Captaine into the felowshyp of the Gospell before he was coÌ„maunded by the heauenly Oracle Neither could the strife about the Ceremoniall law be yet so appeased amongest the brethreÌ„ for the false Apostles and such as were of the Circumcision did stiffely as it were with tooth and nayle defende the obseruaunces of the Ceremoniall law neither would geue their consent that the Gentiles should be receaued into the coÌ„gregation vnlesse they would be Circumcized after Moyses law and endeuoured all that they could to charge the Christians with the yoke of the Ceremoniall law Vntill in a Counsell holden at Ierusalem the holy Ghost did determine that the Gentiles should not be charged with any Iudaicall Traditions except a very fewe onely And it is not to be doubted as Osorius doth say that Paule had much adoe in euery place about this Ceremoniall law yea and dealt ofteÌ„tymes therein not without manifest perill of lyfe Yet all this whiles appeared not so much as one sparckle of dissention or doubtfulnesse nor any one question was raysed amongest the brethren agaynst the Morall law the keépyng whereof was yet adiudged most necessary The controuersie remayned as yet about the Ceremonies customes of Moyses law At the last when this question was decided further enquirie began to be made afterwardes of that part of the law which seémed to challenge chief authoritie and especiall gouernement ouer the consciences of men And euen here through the inestimable benefite of GOD sprang vp vnto vs S. Paule Who first of all did call backe the controuersie of this question from the speciall or particular to the generall or vniuersall disputing not onely of the outward Ceremonies but of the whole doctrine of the Morall law also Whereunto I suppose hee was moued not without great cause For he had an incklyng surely that the very same thyng would ensue thereof which afterwardes came to passe That the Ceremoniall law beyng once made altogether vneffectuall many persons would wrongfully ascribe their freé Iustification purchased with the bloud of Iesus Christ to the workes of the Morall law which thyng as Paule did foreseé in the false Apostles the selfe same wee may easily perceaue now to happen in our Pharisaicall Rabbynes in these our dayes and amongest all other in this our Osorius chiefly at this present wherfore it is not to be doubted but that S. Paule was raysed vp by the speciall prouidence of God euen for this purpose who discoursing throughly vpon the whole law and vpon the effect vse office and end of the law doth fully describe vnto vs how much we ought to attribute to our workes and how much we ought to yelde to the grace of God herein discouereth the very well-sprynges of sounde doctrine finally declareth vnto vs whiche is the false and which is the true righteousnesse in the sight of God and wherein the same doth consist Likewise whereunto it ought not be referred Not to workes sayth he for no man liuyng shal be Iustified by workes Well then if not by workes how then Through Fayth sayth he in Iesu Christ. Yet is not this all that he speaketh But adding thereunto a proofe he yeldeth this reason Bycause if through workes sayth he then is it not now of promise After this maner teacheth Paule both learnedly and playnly But our Osorius practizeth to wype away this negatiue proposition of Paule with a trimme shift as though Paule in all those places where he dischargeth workes from Iustification did meane nothyng els but that no man should repose trust of assured sauetie in the Ceremoniall law onely Uery well then is it reason that he teach vs whereupon we should grounde our Affâ—aunce Veryly in Fayth sayth the Apostle Paule and so in Fayth that if in workes then not in Fayth at all This is truely spoken by the Apostle But
that is able to accomplishe the law as he ought to do Ergo No man linyng is able to attaine the true commendatiō of his righteousnes but in respect of his workes is of necessitie subiect to the Iudgement and curse of God In this Argument doth the whole force pithe of Paules disputatiō cōsiste if I be not deceaued In the Maior first proposition whereof he setteth down before vs the seueritie of Gods Iudgement In the Minor or second proposition he condemneth all men generally as guilty of sinne By the conclusion he allureth and as it were driueth all men to Christ necessaryly By this Argument you may playnely perceaue vnlesse you wil be wilfully blind like a want how you haue piked out not one scrappe so much of all that you haue hitherto raked together to salue the credite of your cause Finally to make shorte with you I referre you to note marke examine and search out all whatsoeuer the Churche doth acknowledge of the sayd Apostles Letters Epistles yea all his sentences Ye shall finde in them all so nothing agreable to this your Assertiō That Paule should attribute righteousnes to workes or promise be meanes therof possession of euerlastyng inheritaunce as that his whole bent and endeuour may seéme to bee in no one thyng els so earnest as in this wherein he trauaileth earnestly to persuade that the promise of God poureth out vpō all them that beleue in Iesu Christ most plentyfull and assured freédome yea such a freédome as is clearely deliuered from all entanglyng of workes So that the same Apostle doth inferre his conclusion on this wise If inheritaunce come by the law then not of promise And in an other place If we bee made heyres through the law then is our fayth made frustrate and the promise of none effect Rome 4. And agayne If righteousnesse come by the lawe then did Christ suffer in vayne Gal. 2. And least that your lying spirite should with sinister interpretation wrest those sentences spoken of the law to the ceremoniall law you may heare the Apostle there treating of that law which was geuē for offendours vntill the promised seéde should come which law should in steéde of a Schoolemaister lead vs as it were by the hād directly to Christ which law did shut vp all vnder sinne as well Iewes as Gentiles that the promise might be geuen vnto the beleuers through fayth in Iesus Christ. All whiche titles of the law can not be construed to haue any apte agreément with the ceremonies of the Iewishe Sinagogue And where are now those workes of the law maister Osorius vnto whom Paule doth promise possession of the kyngdome if you exclude those wherof Luther preacheth Sitheace Paule him selfe doth so wisely and carefully not onely exclude all presumption of mans righteousnesse from the inheritaūce of the kingdome but also rēder a reason wherfore he doth so By what law sayth he by the lawe of workes No ye may not beleue so Osorius And therfore that ye may the better vnderstand how no matter of Confidence at all is left to the consideration of the workes of the law But by the law of fayth sayth S. Paule the same lawe which consisteth in fayth and not in workes That is to say if we beleue the Paraphrast The very same law which requireth nothyng but fayth Now therfore sithence these matters are so throughly debated in the holy Scriptures discouered manifestly by the holy Ghost with what shamelesse face dare Osorius thrust those workes in the doctrine of freé Iustification whiche the Spirite of God doth so openly reiect or with what impudencie dare he affirme that Paule doth promise the right and title of inheritaūce to them whiche worke good deédes Whereas the same Paule mainteynyng the challenge of fayth and not of workes pronoūceth so expressely That God doth accept his fayth for righteousnesse whiche doth not worke but beleueth on him that doth Iustifie the wicked Which two sentences beyng so meérely opposite and contrary eche to other I referre me to the Readers Iudgemēt whether Paule shal be accōpted vnconstaunt or Osorius a false Fabeler But I heare a certeine gruntyng of this Pigge beyng no lesse an enemy to the Crosse of Christ thē to Paule who assoone as he heareth good workes to be banished from the effect of Iustification doth straightway cite vs to the Consistorie as though we did vtterly choake vp all care studious endeuour to liue vertuously and destroy all preceptes and rules of godly conuersation And hereupon conceauyng a vayne errour in his idle braynes he rageth and foameth at the mouth outragiously not much vnlike to Aiax Sometyme called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who beyng swallowed vp of extreme frensie did most foolishly assayle and batter poore seély sheépe in steéde of Agamemnon and other noble Pieres of Greéce But let vs once agayne geue eare to his gay Logicke which being sometyme esteémed the Schoolemystres of Inuētion and displaying the truth this Gentlemā hath made therof an Arte of lying and desceit as thus Luther doth exclude all good workes from the cause of Iustification Ergo Luther doth extinguishe all vertue and abolishe all Morall and Ciuill actions Agayne Luther doth make fayth onely beyng voyde of good workes the cause of Iustification Ergo Luther doth require nothyng in Christians but Fayth Onely I aunswere that this is a Fallax and a Sophisticallye deriued from the proposition that is tearmed in Schooles Secundum quid to Simpliciter Furthermore herein also hee doth bewray his Sophisticall iugglyng whereas by his liedger de mayne he conueyeth away the state of the questiō which concerneth the thynges onely to the circumstaunce of the persons For whereas we agreéyng herein with Luther do enquire the thyng onely which is the instrumentall Cause of our Iustification before God he in his aunswere doth describe vnto vs what maner of life they ought to lead that are already Iustified And bycause it is most requisite that those which are Iustified by the freémercy of God through fayth shall continually exercise thē selues in good workes hereupon he concludeth That Luthers propositiō wherein he affirmeth that fayth onely doth knit vp the knot of our Iustification without all ayde of workes is vtterly false As though Luthers disputation concerned the actions and endeuours of them to whom righteousnesse is geuen and not rather of the cause of Iustification onely or as though he did not as carefully require all faythfull persons to the dayly and cōtinuall practize of godly lyfe as any of all the Byshops of Portingall doe But if you be so vnskilfull Osorius as you seéme to be you must learne that it is one thyng to treate of the persons whiche are made righteous and other thyng of the Cause that doth make them righteous And therfore this is a deceitfull and a friuolous Argument The possession of heauenly kyngdome is promised to them which doe good deedes Ergo
if a Turke or Infidell should pleade before the same Christ his Iudge And why bycause the one is very much holpen by yeldyng his fayth to the promise the other hath none other ayde to trust vnto but the rigour of the law But let vs proceéde that we may come at the last to the pricke that is shot at I vnderstand therfore by these wordes of Christ what shal be betyed of thē at the last that haue liued well that vnto those that are founde such in the Iudgement shall geuen possession of eternall life I heare this well But I would fayne know at the length what the Cause should be why this mercyfull Iudge will vouchsafe to reward those workemen so highly For our controuersie consisteth not in this point that reward is geuen but in this for what Cause reward is geuen Whether of any desert or without all desert whether for the proper worthynesse of the workes them selues whiche you call good or rather for the Fayth of the person from whence those workes doe obteine both to bee called good and to bee esteémed for good You will say that the spring of this together working grace floweth vnto vs out of the founteine of Fayth from whence all abilitie to do good deédes is so aboundant within vs whiche being receiued afterwardes through the bountifulnesse of Christ fruites of holy workes do issue out from vs which do make vs worthy to be Iustified and to place vs in the possession of euerlastyng kyngdome I do aunswere that ye do neither speake as much as ye ought nor that altogether true that ye doe speake For albeit we confesse that all the good whatsoeuer we do proceédeth from the bountyfull gift of God yet this is farre wyde from the marke of our controuersie now in hand neither is this matter in handlyng now to know from whence the fruites of good workes do spryng but after they are come vnto vs the question is how much they do auayle vnto vs whether they them selues through their owne worthynesse do worke our Iustification before God or whether they stand destitute of any other ayde whereby they may be Iustified them selues whether doe ye thinke workes of their owne nature so effectuall as to bee able alone to endure the heauye burden of Gods Iudgement or that the operation of the Fayth of the beleuer rather thē of the worke doth present the persons together with their workes to Gods freé Imputation and so accomplish Iustification But I doe heare a continuall ianglyng of this Portingall Coockoe chatteryng alwayes one maner of laye in myne eares Not fayth but workes sayth hee wayed in the ballaūce of Gods Iudgement do purchase either Saluation or Damnatiō vnto vs. Where finde you this Out of the wordes of Christ And those that haue done well shall goe into euerlasting life but those that haue done euill into euerlasting destruction I aūswere it is most true that the Lord speaketh but most vntrue that Osorius concludeth hereof Christ comprehendyng the fruites of workes together with the whole treé and ioynyng the Causes together with the persons doth encourage them with the hope of eternall lyfe which do yeld their endeuour manfully to their vtterest abilitie to performe the rule of the Gospell not defiuyng what the proportion of their workes doe deserue but declaryng how bountyfully and manifoldly he will require their labours whiche haue suffered any kynde of afflictiō for his names sake Osorius framyng hereof meérely false propositions doth with his crafty conueyaunce wrest force those thynges to the workes them selues onely whiche the Lord doth apply to his faythfull that liue vertuously and so at length turnyng awry that is to say From the Concreto to the Abstractum to vse here the termes of Sophistry seueryng the persons from the thyngs doth conclude disorderly after this maner of false conclusion Faythfull and godly Christians liuing vertuously shal be rewarded with eternall lyfe Ergo Good workes by them selues wayed in the ballaunce of Gods Iudgement doe deserue eternall lyfe What cā be more falsely imagined or more foolishly cōcluded thē this lye In deéde workes are the fruites of Christiā fayth and tokens not causes of Saluation Euen as a treé that bringeth forth fruites if the treé be good it appeareth by the fruites not bycause the fruite maketh the treé good but bycause the treé maketh the fruite good In lyke maner the deédes of the godly haue nothyng in them selues that may enable them to stand vpright in Iudgemēt But if they finde any grace or reward the same may not bee ascribed to their owne merite but partly to Mercy partly to Imputatiō through the sonne that is the Redeémer to Mercy I say which doth forgeue our euill deédes to Imputation whiche accepteth our good workes though they be of them selues neuer so vnperfect as though they were perfect and doth reward them with a crowne of glory so that the glory hereof is not now to be ascribed to men but to God not to righteousnesse but to grace not to workes but to fayth not to Iudgement but to mercy For confirmation wherof if we seéke for authoritie who may require any one a more faythfull witnesse or of more approued authority then the Apostle who beyng sent vnto the Gentiles as to his proper peculiar charge what doth he preach vnto thē Not by the workes which we haue done sayth he but for his mercy sake he hath saued vs If wordes may obteine any credite with you what can bee spoken more playnely if the authoritie of the witnesse may preuayle what more assured testimony can be sought for then Paule that speaketh him selfe But Osorius lacketh not a shift of descante here thinkyng thereby to craze the force of veritie For whereas Paule affirmeth that we are saued for his mercyes sake he doth interprete this saying to be verified after this sort Bycause mercy doth endue vs with abilitie and power to worke that hereof those godly deedes of pietie doe ensue which may make vs vs righteous before God and that hereof likewise it commeth to passe that all whatsoeuer true righteousnesse appeareth in vs doth proceede from the mercy and bountie of God and not from our own nature Such is the doctrine that he scattereth abroad euery where in these bookes in those other also which he hath entituled De Iustitia followyng herein as it seémeth his forerunner Hosius who maskyng in the like maze doth affirme that life euerlastyng is geuē to men so farreforth through the grace of God as it is deliuered to mens merites which do issue out of the mercy and grace of God But Augustine will helpe to vnlose this knot easely so will also all the most famous and auncient interpretours of the Greeke Latine Churche who altogether with one voyce doe so ascribe all our saluatiō to the mercy of God not that which is obteined by doyng good deédes
Iudge them not worthy to be heard in any wise whiche will affirme that God doth chuse whom he will vnto Saluation out of the whole masse of mankynde for none other cause but bycause it so pleaseth hym Pag. 163. First where hath Luther any such Assertion Why do ye not set it downe good Syr and admit that he hath what is it that your carpyng cauillation cā gnaw at here if you interprete it aright For although Luther seéme in your goodly conceipt to be more then a thousand tymes madd whom ye can neuer name without some gall of raylyng speache yet was he neuer hetherto so foolish as to haue a will to spoyle the most wise workes of God of Reason and counsell in any wise There is with God a most perfect stable vnchaungeable knowledge of all the workes of his owne handes but such a knowledge as doth altogether surmount the greatest reach of our nymblest capacities and seémeth rather to be wōdered at then to be searched out by vs. Surely it is farre beyond the Reason that you make vnto vs. For deliberately notyng with my selfe and entring into a very deépe viewe and consideration of the thynges which are spoken of Election of purpose of Gods prouidēce for this word Predestination as scarse fine enough for a Ciceronian you abhorte neither dare ye so much as once to name in all your bookes hereūto all your drifts seéme to tende that ye suppose that Gods Iustice can by no meanes be defended in makyng a differēce betwixt them whom he reserueth to be saued those whom he adiudgeth to be damned but by foreknowledge of those workes which God doth behold shall be in them As though Osorius would seéme to argue with God with such an Argument as this is There must be alwayes with God a stable assured and vpright reason in euery choyse to be made There can be none other iust cause of Reason of Gods Election and Reprobation but in respect of the merite that must follow Ergo To the attainyng the grace of Election some preparation of merite must needes go before First I do aunswere out of Augustine that it is a most pestilent errour to say that the Grace of God is distributed accordyng to merites this is one of the errours of Pelagius Then as touchyng the Maior There is in deéde with God a perfect sounde vnchaungeable Reason of all his workes But by what reason be ordereth his workes may not be subiect to the Iudgement of the claye as Augustine sayth but of the Potter Now I come to the Minor Which we do vtterly deny for where you make a definition of Gods prouidence in chusing or refusing whom he will to be none other then such as dependeth vpon the foreknowledge of workes this is altogether most brutishe and vnreasonable For albeit that preuēting for eknowledge of things which out Deuines doe call foreknowledge is vnseparably knitte together to the will of him that doth Predestinate yet do we not graunt the same to be the cause of Predestination For first as concernyng the cause efficient for as much as the will of God is the very substaunce of God aboue the which there cā be nothyng more highe there can be no efficient cause thereof rendered either before it in limitation of tyme or aboue it in Maiestie but the materiall and finall cause therof may after a sort be assigned The materiall cause about the which it doth exercise her force is mākynde and those thynges which God doth geue vnto men by Predestination namely Vocation Faith Iustification Glorification The finall cause is two maner of wayes either that which forceth him to doyng by the preuentyng will and reason of the first Agent or els that which is produced out of action And bycause there may be many endes of one thyng it may be that there is one end of Predestination an other end of him that is Predestinated and an other of him that doth Predestinate As for exāple As Saluation and life euerlastyng is the end of Predestination the end of him that is Predestinated is to beleue and to lyue well and the end of him that doth Predestinate is his owne glory and the manifestation of his Iustice power and mercy As we do reade in Salomons Prouerbes God doth make all thinges for himselfe and the wicked man also for the euill day And therfore if it be asked whether God do predestinate for the workes sake it may be aunswered with S. Paule that the holy ones are predestinated not for their good workes but to do good workes so that now the respect of workes be vnderstanded not to be the cause efficient of predestination but the effect rather For thus we heare the Apostle speake Euen as God hath chosen vs in hys sonne frō eternitie that we should become holy to the prayse of hys glory c. not because we were or should be holy sayth he but that we should become holy to the prayse of hys glory c. So that no reason of Election may appeare but that which is to be sought for in the freé liberalitie of hym that doth make the Election neyther that any other last end may be conceaued but the prayse of the manifestation of hys heauenly grace So that as without God there is no cause efficient which may enforce predestination so if weé seeke for the very beginninges of eternall predestination we shall perceaue that S. Paule doth reduce them to iiij principall heades chiefly 1. to hys power Where he sayth hath not the Potter power c. 2. to hys purpose or hys good pleasure For so we reade in the Epistle to the Ephesianes where he vseth both these wordes because he hath predestinated vs sayth he according to the good pleasure of hys will c. And immediately after whē we were predestinated sayth he according to hys purpose c. 3. to hys will Rom. 10. he will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden c. 4. to hys mercy or loue Where he sayth Rom. 10. It is neyther of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that taketh mercy Last of all if you demaund further for some reason of Gods Election who shall more liuely expresse the same vnto you then the Apostle Paule writing to the Romaynes on this wise If God sayth he willing on the one side to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne did with much lenity beare with the Vesselles of wrath prepared to destructiō and on the other side to make knowen the riches of hys glory towardes the Vessells of mearcy which he hath prepared to glory c. Unlesse you haue ceased long sithence to be a reasonable man Osorius what more perfect reason can be made vnto you or more manifest of Gods workmanship then this that is here set downe in Paule Whereby you may playnly perceaue that all these councells and workes
and so left not that we should seéke for forgeuenes of Sinnes out of the same but that these outward signes deliuered vnto vs to Eate might putt vs in remembraunce of that euerlasting remission of sinnes which Christ should purchase for vs by the shedding of his precious bloud And for this cause he doth call it the upp in his bloud which shall be shedd for many sayth he into the remission of sinnes not transitory remission I suppose Osorius but into euerlasting forgeuenes of sinnes For other wise if it be a forgeuenes Temporall how will that saying of Ieremy be true And I will make with them an euerlasting couenaunt that I may not remember their sinnes any more If it be an euerlasting Release what neéde we then any further Sacrifices or what shall be sayd of that your holynes of Religion which doth make that thing transitory to vs that God hath vouchsafed for vs to be vnremoueable and to continue beyond all ages To be briefe that we may now knitt vp the matter by that that hath bene spoken before Behold here in few wordes the trueth and substaunce of this Sacrament Iustified with most true and approued Argumēts Whereunto if you will aunswere in your next letters to the Queénes Maiestie at your conuenient leasure you shall do vs a great pleasure 1. The Lord departing from hence did carry away with him out of the earth the substaunce of his body Ergo. He did not leaue the same substaunce behinde him 2. Christ did deliuer vnto vs a Mistery of his body onely Ergo. He did not deliuer his very naturall body 3. Christ did institute a Mistery of his body to be eaten onely Ergo. Not to be sacrificed In the remembraunce of forgeuenes of sinnes onely Ergo. Not a Sacrifice of cleansing and forgeuing of Sinnes 4 Saluation and remission of Sinnes is promised to them onely that beleue in Christ. Ergo not to them that doe sacrifice Christ. 5 Remission of Sinnes is not geuen without shedding of bloud Heb. 9 In the vnbloudy Sacrifice of the Masse there is no effusion of bloud Ergo. In the Sacrifice of the Masse is no Remission of sinnes 6. Saluation and free Remission of Sinnes doth consist of the promise through fayth The Sacrifice of the Masse is not free but meritorious nor cōsisteth of fayth but of merite Meritorious Ergo. The Sacrifice of the Masse is vneffectuall to Saluation and to the Reconciling of God 7. There is no Materiall cause of forgeuenes of Sinnes but the onely shedding of Christes bloud and no formall cause but fayth The vnbloudy Sacrifice of the Masse is neither fayth neither hath in it any effusion of bloud Ergo in the Sacrifice of the Masse there is neither Materiall nor Formall cause of Remission of Sinnes 8. The Sacrifices that doe not cease to be offred for Sinnes doe not satisfie for Sinnes Heb. 10. The oblatiōs of the Lawe can neuer make the receauers thereof perfect for if they could they would neuer haue ceased to be offred c. The Sacrifices of the Altar doe not cease to be offred doth name it a Sacramentall ministration In Clement it is called a representation of the kingly body of Christ. Others doe call it a signe of a true Sacrifice sometymes it is called the Sacrifice of prayer and thankesgeuyng by a certein mysticall figure of speakyng As in a certein place Ambrose doth call our Soules Altares Where writyng of virgines I dare boldly affirme sayth he that your Soules are Altares In the which Christ is dayly offred for the redemption of the body Not bycause our Soules be Altares or that the flesh of Christ is naturally or materially offered of vs but these sayinges are to be taken in the same sence as many other like sayings of the old writers are to be vnderstanded As where Ierome writeth on this wise That which was borne of the Virgine is dayly borne vnto vs Christ is Crucified vnto vs dayly c. After the same maner also doth Augustine speake Then is Christ dayly slayne to euery of vs whē we beleeue in him that he was slayne And the same Augustine in an other place vpon the wordes of the Lord. Christ doth ryse agayne dayly vnto thee And in his 10. booke De Ciuit ate Dei Cap. 5. God is not delighted in the Sacrifices of slayne beastes but of a slayne hart Euen as Chrisostome speaketh likewise In the holy mysteries the death of Christ is executed Besides this also as Gregory de Consecrat Dist. 2. Christ doth dye agayne in this mystery c. And yet is there no man so senselesse to say that Christ is borne euery day or is Crucified ryseth agayne oftentymes or that his death is executed in the mysteries accordyng to the very substaunce thereof But these be figuratiue and vnproper kyndes of speaches wherein is celebrated a certein mysticall execution of those thynges for a Remembraunce so that the thyngs them selues be not present properly which were long sithence finished but are representations by certein applyable resemblaūces of thinges signified onely whereby our fayth may as it were from hād to hand be admonished by the application of these outward signes what was accomplished before spiritually for vs in that most excellent Sacrifice of Christ. Euē as the Natiō of the Hebrues were sometyme fedd with the visible Manna as our bodyes are at this present strenghthened with dayly food of nourishyng sustenaunce which would otherwise perish through want Semblably bycause there can be no saluation for our forlorne nature besides the bloud of Christ Christ is therfore worthely called the bread of our lyfe and the foode of the world whereby the bodies are not fed for a few yeares but the soules are nourished to euerlastyng lyfe And for this cause Christ takyng an occasion of their communication which were cōferryng together of Manna and the eatyng of his flesh not vnaptly alluding to that heauenly banquett in Moyses which dyd refresh the hunger of the body for a tyme did call him selfe bread in deéde and spake the same also truly And why truly bycause he is truly and in deéde the bread and foode of lyfe not onely of this trāsitory and temporall lyfe but of euerlastyng lyfe not this lyfe onely which we doe now enioy in this world but which we shall lyue much more truly in the world to come And for this cause purposing euen then to suffer death for vs he did note vnto vs his body and bloud vnder the names of bread wyne This is my body sayth he This is the cuppe of my bloud Not bycause that bread and that cuppe were chaunged into his body and his bloud naturally substauncially and in deéde but bycause he could not before his death represent vnto vs the force and efficacy of that euerlastyng and spirituall Sacrifice by any more apt similitude or application of any other likenes which might continually preserue the remembraunce of him in
whereof as many their notable lessons did aboundantly declare so aboue all other who can wonder enough at that heauenly voyce of Scipio the Romayne surnamed Affricanus being an Ethnicke whereof Marcus Cicero doth make relatiō in his Treatize called the dreame of Scipio Writing on this wise There is sayth he a certayne sure and determined place reserued in heauē for all such as do preserue ayd aduaunce their natiue coūtrey where they shall liue in euerlasting felicity for euer and euer There is nothing more acceptable to that high and mighty God that guideth and ruleth all the world amongest all the actions of men then counsailes corporations and societies of men lincked and knitt together with orders and lawes which are called Citties c. If we regard the iudgement of the flesh what sentence cann be spoken more plausible or more notable in the singler commendation of vertue then this was which doth assure the good deseruinges and mutuall amities of men ech towardes other exercised here of eternall and infallible rest and ioyes in heauen Go to And what is it els almost that this diuinitye of Osorius doth trayne vs vnto then to teach the very same that Scipio the Romaine did namely That there is no passable way to the attaynmēt of the blessed felycyty of eternall lyfe then that whych is atchyeued by godly actions wyth an absolute integryty of excellent life Pag. 32. But heauenly Philosophy doth direct vs a farre more neare way The heauenly Scholemaister doth out of heauen display abroad and chalke vs out a speédier way and an easier iourney towardes heauen teaching vs in the Gospell on this wise I am sayth he the way the trueth and the life Neither will Osorius deny this to be true I know in word but in deéd what doth he els then deny it For to admitt him his saying that there is no passable way to heauen but which is purchased with absolute perfection of life what may we winne hereof els but that this way to heauē be not Christ but the speciall prerogatiue of our owne purchase So that by this reasō if our owne industry do satisfy all thinges what neéd is there of Christ thē or to what vse will his death and passion auayle yes forsooth to this purpose you will say that by the merite of his passiō he may purchase for vs the grace and gift of sanctification regeneration wherewith being once endued hereof fortwith springeth that excellency of absolute perfection and other ornamentes of charity and vertues which will make vs an easy passage into the kingdome of heauen What then doe you so depaynt vs out the whole office and power of Christ in this one onely action namely that he shall powre out vpō vs new qualityes godly actions by the Deuine operation of the holy ghost what doth he not redeéme vs also doth he not iustify vs and reconcile vs yes What els you will say Doth he iustify all men without exception or the faythfull onely if he doe iustify them onely that do beleue I do demaūd further what the cause is why they be iustified Is it for their faythe 's sake or for their workes sake If it be for their faythe 's sake I aske againe whether for faith onely or faith ioyned with good workes I do here expect some oracle frō you for an aūswere hereunto If you finde that there is no hope of any thing to be iustified by wtout fayth then must you neédes alter your foundation that you grounded vpon before to witt That there is no passable way to heauen but whych is atchyued wyth godly actions of thys lyfe Pag. 32. And that it is onely righteousnesse that doth obtayne the fauour of God to Mankynde Pag. 142. And in an other place That fayth onely is onely rashnesse Pag. 74. What shall fayth therefore be quite banished away No but you will couple her with some copemate that neither Fayth without the company of good workes nor workes without the cōpany of Fayth may be able to procure righteousnes But this knott will the aucthoritie of the Scriptures easily cracke in peéces for if Fayth onely doe not aduaunce the faythfull to saluation except it be coupled with excellēt integritie of life why did not Christ thē couple them together whē he spake simply Hè that beleeueth in me hath euerlasting life Why did not Peter couple them together when he doth preach Remission of Sinnes vnto all as many as doe beleeue in his name prouyng the same by the Testimonies of the Prophetes Act. 10. why did not Paule couple them together Actes 16. where he instructeth the Gaylor in Fayth Beleeue sayth he in the Lord Iesus and thou and all thy houshold shal be saued Many Sentences might be vouched purportyng the same in effect but it shall suffice to haue noted these fewe for breuities sake The History of the Galathians is notably knowen who beyng seduced by the false Apostles did not simply reuolt frō Christ nor did simply abandone their Fayth in Christ but endeuoured to couple the good workes of the beleéuers together with Fayth in the Article of Iustification before God for the attaynemēt of lyfe euerlastyng On which behalfe how sternely and sharpely the Apostle did reproue them his owne Epistle beareth sufficient Testimony But here commeth a Reply by and by out of the same Epistle where writyng to the Galathians he doth treate vpon such a fayth as doth worke by loue Upon this place Osorius agreéyng with the Tridentine Councell doth builde an vnseparable coniūction of Fayth and Charitie together so that Fayth without Charitie as an vnshapen and vnformed Image is altogether vneffectuall to the absolute fullnes and perfect accomplishment of righteousnes But that Charitie which they call a righteousnesse cleauyng fast within vs is so vnable to be seuered a sunder from the worke of Iustification that they dare boldly pronoūce that it is the onely formall cause of our Iustification To satisfie this place of S. Paule here is an easie and a Resolute aunswere For in the same Epistle the Apostle doth endeuour by all meanes possible to call backe agayne his Galathians to the onely righteousnesse of Fayth from whence they were backslyden and withall bycause they should not be seduced with a vayne persuasion of counterfaict Fayth he doth discouer vnto them what kynde of Fayth it is which he doth meane Not the fayth that is idle and dead without workes but which doth worke by Fayth sayth he And in this respect it is most true that Fayth is not alone But what maner of concludyng an Argument is this Liuely Fayth is not alone without Charitie Ergo Not Fayth onely but coupled with Charitie doth Iustifie The Argument that is deriued from thynges setterer by nature to thynges coupled by nature concludyng from that which is Secundum quid ad Simpliciter is worthely reiected in the Logicians Schoole and is called a meére
Sophistication If all thyngs that goe commonly after a certein maner together be done together must be coupled applyed to one and the selfe same operationÌ„ by this Reason it must come to passe that he that hath feéte eyes and eares and haue them not by them selues alone therefore he shal be supposed to goe not vpon his feéte onely but to walke vpon his eyes and to seé with his eares For the matter goeth none otherwise in Fayth Hope and Charitie which threé heauenly Iewelles albeit be instilled into vs by the freé liberalitie of God with Remission of Sinnes and cleaue fast within one subiect yet euery of them are distinguished by their seuerall properties and functions notwithstandyng As for Example If a question be demaunded what thyng it is that doth Iustifie vs in the sight of God and obteine vs euerlastyng lyfe I doe aunswere that it is Fayth yea and Fayth onely If you demaunde by what meanes I do aunswere through Iesus Christ the Mediatour Agayne if you aske what kynde of Fayth that is I do aunswere not an idle nor a dead Fayth but a liuely Fayth and a workyng Fayth If you will demaunde further by what markes you may be able to discerne a true Fayth from a false Fayth S. Paule will make aunswere vnto you The true Fayth is that which worketh by Charitie If you will demaunde further yet what this Fayth worketh I doe aunswere accordyng to the seuerall properties thereof two maner of wayes namely Fayth worketh Saluation thorough Christ and it worketh obedience of the law by Charitie what absolute obedience I doe not thinke so What then vnperfect obedience But such a Fayth must neédes be insufficient to the full measure of absolute righteousnesse and perfect felicity And where is now that excellent integritie of lyfe which doth purchase vs a way into the kyngdome of heauen where is the effectualnesse of Charitie auayleable to eternall lyfe where is that solemne Decreé of that Tridentine CouÌ„cell which doth ascribe the onely begynnyng of our Iustification to Fayth but maketh the Formall cause thereof onely Charitie as a certein new kynde of obedience which they call a righteousnesse cleauyng fast within vs whereby we are not onely accompted righteous but be both truely called righteous and be also truely righteous in the sight of God Annexing thereunto a very dreadfull and terrible curse If any man dare presume to say that man is iustified either by the onely Imputation of Christes Righteousnesse or by onely Remission of Sinnes excludyng Grace and Charitie which is poured forth into their hartes by the holy Ghost and cleaueth fast within them or if any man will presume to say that the Grace whereby we be Iustified is the onely fauour and mercy of God Lett him stand accursed And agayne in the Cannon followyng If any man dare presume to say that Iustifiyng Fayth is nothyng els then a CoÌ„fidence of Gods mercy forgeuyng Sinnes for Christes sake or to be that onely affiauÌ„ce whereby we be Iustified lett hym be holden accursed Behold here learned Reader a notable Decreé of this Councell which when these graue Fathers did coyne may any man dought but that the Maister of the Familie was a sleépe when the enuious maÌ„ did scatter abroad darnell emongest his wheate They doe discourse and determine vpon Iustification but none otherwise then as they might argue in Aristotles schoole about naturall causes or powers of the soule For how much more nycely could Aristotle him selfe the Prince of the Peripateticall Schoole dispute if he hadd accoÌ„panyed them and debatyng this cause together with that Ghostly Councell then Osorius and the Tridentine Deuines did Philosophically dispute of the formall cause of Iustification which consideration of doctrine if must be holden for an infallible foundation then lett vs be bold and blush not to roote out withall the whole natiue and essentiall substaunce of all mysticall Diuinitie and lett vs raâ—e out the very foundations of all our Religion For if the state of our Saluation be come to this passe that it must be established by merites not by freé Imputation onely where then is that righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of Fayth the force and power whereof is so highely and often aduaunced by Paule what shall become of the difference betwixt the law and the Gospell which if be not obserued very diligently we shall wander and straggle blindely in the course of the Scriptures none otherwise then as wantes and rearemyce at the bright beames of the cleare Sunne Moreouer what shall become of that Antithesis of Paule betwixt the righteousnesse of the law and Fayth betwixt grace and merite what shall become of all that excluding of glorious boastyng vpon workes where is that Fayth Imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse Moreouer how shall this saying of Paule agreé with these Tridentine Lawgeuers to witte Not to him that worketh but vnto him that beleeueth on him that doth Iustifie the wicked Sinner Fayth is imputed for righteousnesse Moreouer what shall become of those exceptiue exclusiue senteÌ„ces of S. Paule wherein all the consideration of our Saluation beyng taken away from confidence in workes is ascribed wholy to Imputation Finally what shall become of all those sweét and most amiable promises of God if according to the rule of this doctrine we shal be excluded from our assurednesse of Saluation and Gods freé imputation We do heare the Lord promising in the Gospell When you haue lifted vpp the Sonne of man on high I will draw all things vnto my selfe And how cann this be true if all assurednesse must be attributed to merites according to the TrideÌ„tines Not so simply to merits say they but we do couple Grace therewith which grace because is not receiued but through the merites of Christ herefore there it commeth to passe that the merite of Christ is so farr forth effectuall to vs in the worke of our saluation as God doth powre into vs the measure of his grace to worke well O notable Deuines But goe to that I may the better aunswere them may I be so bold to demaund a question or two touching Abraham whose workes if we behold what thing coulde be more holy If we respect the vprightnes of his life what was more excellent if we regard the grace of his sanctificatioÌ„ and renouacioÌ„ where was it euer more pleÌ„tifull in any man And now lett vs heare the iudgement of S. Paule concerning all those so manifold and wonderfull workes For if Abraham haue anye thing whereupon he may glory sayth he he hath it in respect of meÌ„ but not of God What where the most excellent workes of Abraham are nothing worth shall our most filthy workes be auayleables Lett vs haue recourse to the first creation of mankinde and lett vs call to remembraunce the auncient age of our first Parent Adam who alone tasting of the forbidden fruite did he
not withall difile all his posterity with that one onely morsell And by what reason I pray you surely not by way of participation of his offence but by way of propagation vnto the posterity In this Tipe of Adam lett vs behold the thing signified aunswereable to the Type And by Adam lett vs consider Christ who onely alone being found obedient did by this his owne onely obedience purchase life euerlasting for all his posteritye not by any partaking of his obedieÌ„ce but by propagatioÌ„ in the posterity onely namely by faith onely which faith doth onely and alone begett vs vnto Christ. Take an other Argument of the same doctrine out of an other Type Euen as in olde time to the Israelites was externall health of body geuen by the beholding of the brasen Serpent so likewise to vs is grauÌ„ted internall health of soule through Iesu Christ. The Israelites were healed by the onely view of their eies Ergo We are iustified also by fayth in Christ onely Hereunto may be annexed an other Argument as forcible as any of the rest taken out of Saynct Paule whereunto what aunswere Osorius will make I would wish him to be very well aduised We are made the righteousnes of God through Christ by the very same reason whereby Christ was made sinne for vs. But Christ was not made sinne but by Imputation onely Ergo Neither are we made righteous in the sight of God but by Imputation onely Hytherto in the behalfe of righteousnes of fayth out of S. Paule to the Roma Now let vs encounter Saynct Paule with an argument of the Romanists which they do knitt together for the mayntenaunce of righteousnesse by workes arguing in this maner forsooth ¶ Osorius Argument out of the Tridentine councell There is no iustification without the sanctification and renouation of the inward man Sanctification and Renouation consisteth in holy actioÌ„s and workes Ergo Iustification consisteth in good workes and not in fayth onely This Captious Sophistication can no man better auÌ„swere then Augustine Good workes do not goe before in the worke of iustification but followe iustification If workes doe followe how doe they goe together then If workes must be ioyned together with fayth how are they reported in Augustine to follow Now therefore to aunswere the Argument If the Maior be taken in this sence that an vnauoydable necessity of coupling and conioyning new obedience must neédes be required in the worke of iustification as the very cause thereof so that there be no hope for the vngodly man to be iustified but by his owne merite and innocency of life then is the Maior false But if good workes be sayd to be required as the fruites of iustification not the cause of iustification the Maior is true And it is not to be doughted but that with remissioÌ„ of sinnes the freé giftes of the holy ghost are ioyned who doth beginne and lay the first foundation of renouatioÌ„ sanctificatioÌ„ of life And yet is it not therfore true that this renouatioÌ„ is the thing for that which the vngodly man is to receiue remission of sinnes and to be adopted into euerlasting life Moreouer whereas the Tridentine Fathers doe add further that Iustification is not the onely Remission of sinns but the sanctification and Renouation of the inward man To speake their owne wordes through the voluntary receauing of grace and Gods giftes c. By what testimony of the Scripture will they proue this to be true Surely if sinne be the onely thing which did scatter abroad death into the world which alone doth procure the vengeaunce of God and make seperatioÌ„ betwixt God and men which alone doth make vs guilty of eternall damnation which alone forced Christ to suffer death vpon the crosse Now I beseéch you tell me for the loue of Christ what thing is iustification els but a continuall skourging and suppressing of sinne Euen as the life and the health of the body is nothing els but an excluding of death and Sickenesse Euen so sinne the reward wherof is death being vtterly extinct through remission what remayneth els but life and sinne being vtterly blotted out what remayneth els but iustification Howbeit neither doe we alleadge this on this wise as though \ we were ignorauÌ„t or did deny that sanctifiaction Renouation and such godly actions and vertues which do proceéd from theÌ„ce be the proper and peculiar giftes of Christ and must be practized of all godly Christians of very necessity But this is â—ot the state of the question properly for the state of the question here doth not consist vpon the direction and gouernement of this present life but of the life to come of the cause thereof not whether vertuous and godly actions of Christian piety ought to be exercised in this life but when they be accomplished whether they be of such valoure in the sight of God as to be able of themselues to deserue saluation and reconcile God vnto mankinde and whether vertues or the good workes of them which be regenerate be of such efficacy as may stand vpright and couÌ„teruaile the rigorous curse of the law agaynst the iudgement of god to preserue vs from damnation and whether in extreame terrours of conscience man may vndoubtedly and without feare rest assured vpon workes when that dreadfull question shal be demauÌ„ded to become the Sonnes of the liuing God and to deserue the euerlasting inheritaunce of our Father In that which you seé two maner of questions Osorius in the one whereof we doe easily agreé with you In the other not we onelye do gaynesay you but the whole authority of Gods Testament doth determine agaynst you whereby we be taught that man is not iustified by workes but by fayth in Iesu Christ. Rom. 3. And that we whiles we seéke to be iustified by him are not founde righteous are not found already endued with excellent integrity but are found vngodly sinners so that in this life which we lead in this flesh we liue none otherwise then through fayth in the sonne of God who loued vs and deliuered himselfe to death for vs. Gala. 2. Let vs note the wordes of the Apostle himselfe of being found sinners we liue by fayth howe cann Osorius make it good that we be righteous but if we be found righteous howe doth Paule iustify vs to be sinners but onely because whom this life doth make guilty of death the same is released by faith of the Sonne of God not whom he doth finde righteous but whom he doth make righteous not by liuing vprightly but by not imputation of sinne Neither is this therefore false that a godly carefullnesse of liuyng vertuously is required in the faythfull which may exclude presumption of sinnyng but it must be considered after what maner it is required If you suppose it be requisite to the necessitie of obedience you say truely but if you thinke it to be
newe What was the chiefe cause and meanes of the Restoring the trueth of the Gospell The Arte of Imprinting was a singuler gift of God The yeare of Antichrist 666. Osori pag. 212. 213. Osorius exhortation to Queene Elizabeth Osor. pag. 211. Pestiferous Councell The Troiane horse Osori pag. 214. In matters of Religion it is more meete to deale with mens cōsciences rather then with Princes only Osor. quarrell for the Popes Chayre Osori pag. 214. Osori pag. 214. A slaunderous cauillation agaynst Haddon Why Oso bookes treating of Religion haue no force to perswade The constācye of Queene Elizabeth in defending Christian Religion Osor. pag. 214. Osorius reproch against the Lutherans The wonderful prouidence of God in the preseruation of Elizabeth our Queene The tēpest of Queene Maries persecution Apoca. 18. Horace ser. lib. 2. satir. 3 The circumcision of the crowne amōgest the Papistes Osor. pag. 215. Osor. pag. 216. The knowledge of the Scriptures doth apperteigne to all men indifferently 1. Tim. 5. Osor. doth build Memphyticall Steeples In fewe wordes much matter In many wordes nothing at all Osor. wrytinges discussed A recapitulation of all Osorius Epistle to the Queene What doth want in Osorius bookes Osori pag. 216. Osori but a greene souldiour God doth auenge him of the persecution of his Gospell Pag. 216. English Papistes Osori pag. 216. Osori pag. 117. Ausonius Tit. 3. Osori pag. 217. Osorius Epistle to Queene Elizabeth how full it is of slaunderous reproches Osori pag. 217. Antithesis a figure whereby one contrary is ioyned for an other A Comparison betwixt Haddon and Osorius Osor. pag. 217. Osor. charity for our sauety Cicero in his 1. Booke of duetyes Psal. 140. Osori carefull of our sauety The way to saluatiō after Osorius Rule Osor. diuinity is Philosophicall Cicero in the dreame of Scipio Iohn 14. Faith is not coupled with Charitie in the Article of Iustificatiō Iohn 6. Actes 10. Actes 16. Galath The Triden tyne Counsayle Ses. 6. Cap. 7. The fallax from the Diuision to the Coniunction Onely faith worketh Iustificatiō but is not alone In what respectes Fayth hope and Charitie be coupled What fayth doth worke through loue A new kynde of obediēce but vnperfect The formall cause of Iustification accordyng to the Tridentynes The Councell of Trident Canō 11. Canon 12. Math. 13. Rom. 4. How much the merite of Christes death and passion may auayle vnto vs according to the Tridentyne Councell An Argument agaynst the Trydentines deriued from Abraham An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from the Type of Adam An Argumēt agaynst the Tridentines deriued from the Type of the Brasen Serpent An Argumēt against the Tridentines deriued from S. Paule 2. Cor. 5. An Argument of the Tridentine Councell agaynst righteousnesse of fayth An Aunswere out of Augustin◠New obedience is not the cause but the fruite of Iustification The Assertion of the Tridentines confuted It is proued that Iustification in the sight of God is nothing els then the Remission of Sinnes agaynst the Tridentines The state of the questiō Two kindes of questions Rom. 3. Galath 2. To lyue Through fayth When good workes be necessary Wherefore fayth onely doth iustify Fayth worketh by loue but not as effectuall to eternall life Apoca. 3. A Collect. for the kingdome of England Onely Christ is to be called vpon as a Mediatour The death of the body the soule swallowed by Christ onely The Conquest ouer the Empire of Sathan 2. Thes. 2. The Childe of Perditiō Apoc. 18. Apocal. 14. Be not light of beliefe Osor. lib. 2. de iustitia Pag. 31. Thou onely art holy
like equitie and patience of minde to admitte our confutation thereof into your presence whereby eche partie beyng discouered according to truth your highnes may more certeinly determine of the cause There is a notable Law and an othe established in the Iudgementes of the auncient Athenians To heare with both eares that indifferent eares should be open to eche partie But what maner of custome is vsed now a dayes in this perplexitie and coÌ„bate of opinions where Byshops armed with the aucthoritie of Princes doe stand raunged in mayne battell agaynst the manifest veritie and doe so bende the whole coÌ„sent of their fayth to the one partie that all libertie once to mutter is vtterly cutte of from the other partie But here may some contrary doubtfullnes paradueÌ„ture trouble your Royall thought not so much proceedyng from your gracious nature as whyspered into your godly eares by the subtill and slaunderous practizes of glaueryng glosers who vnder the counterfaict vysour of this glorious couÌ„terfaict Church haue wonderfully bewitched the eyes and eares of many noble personadges vnder preteÌ„ce of succeeding course of many yeares do make glorious bragges that this new-fangled Church wherein the Romish Byshopp in enthronized is the onely Catholicke Church and the supremacy thereof to be onely obeyed alleadgyng the same Church to be the Empresse and gouernesse of all other Churches and which of right ought to be esteemed aboue all Kinges Emperours as ouer the which Christ hath substituted the Byshopp of Rome his sole Vicar and Vicegerent earth and therfore that all degrees ought and may safely submitt themselues to the aucthoritie and determination of that Churche as which beyng continually vpholden by the power and blessing of the holy Ghost was neuer seene hitherto to haue erred ne yet could by any meanes swarue one title from the right lyne and knowen trade of the true fayth taught in holy Scriptures And that all other persons whatsoeuer sequestering theÌ„selues froÌ„ the prescript Rules and Cannons of that Churche cann not chuse but runne headlong into wandryng errours amazed blindenes and extreme maddnes Wherefore those Lutheranes and Hugonoughtes are worthely to be expelled from the vnitie of that Church and deseruedly adiudged to fier and fagottes as most dampnable heretiques not worthy of any fauorable protection no not their writinges so much as to be touched with any maÌ„s handes bycause they dare presmouÌ„te once to quacke agaynst the supremacy of that Angelicke Ierarchy As touchyng which slaunderous surmises albeit nothyng cann be more falsely and shamefully imagined then those Sorcerous enchauÌ„tementes it is wonder how much this poysoned Dolldreanche hath betyppledd the sences of many great personadges and hath so long preuailed in great admiration with sundry estates through the onely ignoraunce of learnyng and ouermuch credulitie of godly Princes vntill of late by the incomprehensible prouidence of Almightie God the worthy Arte of Emprintyng was erected by meanes whereof good Letters and Bookes came to the Marte and Printers shoppes discouered the foggy and darkened cloudes of this olde mothe eaten barbarousnes Hereby it came to passe that the tedious deepe doungeons of lothesome ignoraunce beyng surprised with a certein new and cleare dawnyng day of purer doctrine as also of all other liberall Sciences beganne to shyne abroade nor will leaue I trust to ouerspread his brighte glisteryng beames dayly more and more vntill with the inaccessible brightenes thereof it do either thoroughly vanquishe the whole kyngdome of darkenes or at the least chauÌ„ge the same into some better countenaunce And to the ende we may conceaue assured hope of good successe herein two thynges do minister vnto vs especiall comfort Wherof the one consisteth in the mearcy of the Lord the other remayneth in your handes that be Kynges and Princes next vnder the God being the Lordes watchmen For the first we haue an infallible Argument which cann neuer deceaue the assured testimony of Iesus Christ who hath prophecied in his holy Scriptures that the same shal be brought to passe the greater part whereof we haue allready experimented to be accomplished in these our dayes That the Lord with the breath of his mouth shall confounde the pride of the Beast so arrogantly vaunting him selfe in his holy Temple For the next That other is of no small force I meane your vigilant wisedomes and singuler godlynes which causeth vs to coÌ„ceaue well of you that are Princes whom the Lord of his infinite mearcy hath ordeyned to exercize chief rule and gouernemeÌ„t next vnder him vpon the face of the earth especially whenas him selfe hath pronounced out of his owne mouth in the Reuelation of Saint Iohn That he will lende his helpyng handes hereunto saying And the tenne hornes sayth he which thou didst see vpon the Beast are those â—enne Kinges which shall abhorre the Babylonicall Strampett and shall make her desolate and naked and shall deuoure her fleshe and burne her Carkasse in flames of fire for the Lord hath inspired into their hartes to bring this to passe euen as it hath pleased him Apocal. 17. Wherfore awake you noble Princes and Christian Captaines march on in Gods name Atchieue an exployte worthy your noble Race and be no longer trayned with the trayterous sleightes of subtill sycophaÌ„tes but pursue with the power the godly guidyng of the Lord of hostes Emongest whom I most humbly call vpon your highnes most singuler Paterne of Princely Royaltie not to the ende to teaze you to exercize cruelty agaynst that viperous generation Onely my petition is that for the loue you beare to Iesus Christ and your owne soules health ye vouchsafe to deliuer simple innocentes from the bloudy iawes of those rauenyng Wolues and horrible blouddsuckers That enterchaunge of thynges beyng made the true and pure word of God may be heard what it teacheth And that ye lett lowse the reynes of their licentious insolency no longer so that they do not hereafter abuse you as the Iewes did handle our Lord Iesu Christ whose faceÌ„ when they had blindefolded they beate his body with whippes There hath bene to many broyles allreády emongest vs Christians to much Christian bloud hath bene spilte to much crueltie and horror hath bene exequuted whiles you in the meane space in whose power rested the staye of this outrage either wincked at their bootchery or at the least left poore innocentes succourlesse in their slaughter houses How long shall this Romishe Nymrod vaunt in his throne how long shall he make a scorne of your patience most excellent Princes when will your Royall hartes and noble courage daunte his pride when will you resume into your handes the whole sword of Iustice the better part whereof the Romishe Russian hath bereft you when will you surcease to be bondeslaues vnto them whom the mighty God hath made vassalles to your lawfull RegimeÌ„t how long will ye suffer your mouthes to be mooseled and your eyes muffeled with such blynde errours contrary to the manifest light of the Gospell If
a matter It is very manifest you say for one of you doth sacrifice to lust an other to frensie an other to the paunche an other to slauÌ„deryng Cursed be thou thou Chapplein of the deuill Thy sect doth publickly worshyp a peéce of bread insteade of a golden Calfe and lyeth grouelyng on the grounde before a God made of bread your solemnities be ló Bacchus ló Venus You are defiled and contaminated with all kynde of wickednesse you do most abhominably mainteine slewes and Brothelhouses and yet in the meane whiles will translate your Idols vnto vs. But ye caÌ„ not Osorius Printe and painte and do what ye list ye caÌ„ not bring that to passe All the world almost is so well acquainted with your horrible filthy lyfe that a boye of seuen yeares of age can point with his finger at the places the persons and the whole course of your abhominations But where as you adde further that there is one fayth of Luther an other fayth of Bucer an other of Zuinglius and an other of Caluine This is your old quarell alwayes hacked vpon but neuer proued These worthy persons and graue Fathers of the Churche were alwayes of one fayth and of most agreable constaÌ„cy to the ouerthrow of your erreonious deuises In some pointes they did varie but in the substaunce of fayth they were of one mynde The like blemish happened to Augustine Ierome and Cyprian men very famous for their learnyng vertue in Origine TertulliaÌ„ were somewhat greater blottes whose fayth notwithstandyng as farre forth as is agreable with the Scriptures is not discredited by our Deuines ne yet by your owne Maistershyp if a maÌ„ may be so bold to tell you as also what I thinke you shall perhaps know hereafter in those your huge Uolumes entituled De Iusticia wherin you are of a cleane contrary opinioÌ„ to that learned man August in the thiefest part of all not in any small matter but in the Treatise of righteousnes it selfe wherein is conteined the foundation of our fayth and herein ye wrangle so bitterly so obstinately and so ouerthwartly that Cardinall Poole did wonderfully reprehend your arrogancy herein and thereunto replyed with most godly wordes That the abilitie of man could not bee to much embaced and the power of God could not be to much aduaunced But sith you can presume so much vpon your selfe as with such proude boldnesse to attempt the ouerthrow of so notable a father in the principall point of our Religion We neéde not marueile that ye can not forbeare vs if we varie in small matters of no value for amongest them truely was no litle controuersie in matters of great importaunce if they might haue had vpright iudges and learned vnlike to this our Osorius The functioÌ„ of the Apostles was equall their Iurisdiction in all respect one whereby it commeth to passe that amongest them no one may be in hyghest authoritie and this haue we partly approued before by the examples of Paul Peter and Iames and the same also haue I made so manifest in this Booke where I treated of the Monarchie of the Romish Prelate That you haue now no startyng hole to hyde your head in You say that it is euident in the writynges of Clement of Euaristus Lucius Marcellus and Pius that they were of opinion alwayes that the supremacie of the vniuersaâ—l Churche of Christendome was attributed to the Romishe See You rehearse vnto them Irenaeus Augustine and other holy auncient Fathers Afterwardes you vouche the whole Register of Antiquitie What impudencie is this What vntollerable arrogancie nay rather what retchiesse negligence and singular foolishnesse is this you doe recken vp many Byshops of Rome by name and yet alledge no one sillable so much out of their writinges to establish this prerogatiue of this Romish See no more do you cite out of Augustine and Irenaeus any one title for the maintenauÌ„ce of this your Ierarchie Lastly you make mention of all the auncient antiquitie yet vouch no one worde out of all that great number of yeares whereby that may appeare to bee true whereof you make so stoute a warraunt by your bare affirmatiue Is this to be accoumpted a Deuine Do ye defende the Romishe Seé no better Haue you no better a Target to couer this your holy and Emperour-like power Belike ye come vnto vs a new Pithagoras would haue the old Poesie in vre agayne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But we yeld not so much Osorius we receaue not your affirmatiue neither can you wryng any thyng out of our hands in the coÌ„ference of matters apperteinyng to fayth more then that you shal be able to Iustifie by good and sounde Argumentes We follow not your sayth as the which we haue tasted to bee almost in all thynges most detestable Wherfore if you meane to wynne any credite herein Let this be a watchword for you that ye must vnfold agayne all that lumpe of confused disputation and abandone those vnmeasurable raylinges forsake those clamorous exclamations renounce that vnaduised rashnesse of bare affirmatiues and argue with probable reasons iustifie with approued Argumentes and make good proofe by expresse sentences of holy Scriptures auÌ„cient Fathers But you are well furnished with Fathers forsooth for in your Bedroll ye haue lapped together not onely the old fathers but vnfold also vnto vs a certeine new Schoole of Fathers That is to say Ecckius Coclaeus Rossensis Pighius Auaunte with all these sworne bondslaues of your Monarchie whereof part were common dronkardes some lechers some traytours the remembrance of whom is odious as yet and notoriously infamous for sundry their notable crimes Or if ye will neédes allowe of these dregges of the Church beyng in deéde the sworne humble vassals of the Romish Seé Yeld me this much agayne my request to peruse the writynges of Bucer Melancthon Zuinglius Oecolampadius Peter Martyr Caluin and Beza men most excellent in conuersation of life and of singular learning And ye shall seé the contagious botches of your Papacie so raked abroad and ransackt by them that ye will neuer hereafter take any regard to any such scabbed Iades if you be wise You seeme to marueile much that I beyng a CiuiliaÌ„ and exercized in pleadyng temporall causes would spend my tyme to knowe your mysteries Truly you are herein somewhat to inquisitiue Osorius For albeit I do professe the Ciuill Law yet am I a Christian and desire to be edified in the law of the Lord And if you will haue this much graunted vnto you to apply your selfe to the knowledge of the tounges to be addict wholy to the study of eloquence to raunge in the bookes of Philosopers and will notwithstanding be accompted a ruler of the Roast in Diuinitie as in the speciall peculiar of your own profession looke not so coye vpon vs poore Ciuilians I pray you bycause we geue our endeuour to learne the Statutes of Christian Religion and are desirous to bathe
Onely fayth doth not Iustifie This conclusion is altogether false and the subteltie therof transposed frō that which is not the Cause to ȳe which ought to be the Cause In deéde the inheritaunce of heauē is geuen to them which doe good deédes but not in respect of those good deédes whiche they doe But there is a certeine other thyng whiche doth both Iustifie the persons the good workes of the persons also That is to say which doth make the persons and the workes good also And therfore you do confounde those thyngs very vnskilfully which ought of necessity haue bene distinguished If you will make this the grounde of the question to enquire of what behauiour those persons ought to be whiche are called to the inheritage of euerlastyng lyfe Luther will neuer deny but that they ought to be such as must be conuersaūt in this world godly holy vnblameable as much as may be possible But if the state of the question tende to this end to shew what maner of thyng amongest all the good giftes of God that one thyng is in vs whiche doth procure our Iustification in the sight of God Luther will boldly pronounce that is Fayth Onely yea and approue the same with inuincible testimonies of Gods scriptures Neither will Osorius deny it without great reproch of errour Afterwardes he proceédeth to his accustomed trade of lyeng Workes do follow fayth as the Lutherans say not bycause they prepare a way to saluation for they shall not of them selues be cyted to iudgement but bycause they are deriued from faith as by a certeine way of procreation for as the tree bryngeth forth fruite by force of nature so doth fayth of necessity engender good workes which both propositions are false Or els Osorius doth lye for that wanted to make vp the periode But go to let vs seé what those two false propositions be which the Lutheranes do teach The first is that workes do prepare no way for vs to obteine Saluatiō bycause of them selues they shall neuer be cited to Iudgemēt The second is That workes do follow fayth of necessitie none otherwise then as fruite by force of nature is engendred of the treé Upon these he hath geuen sentence that they are both false But what reason alledgeth hee thereto Forsooth bycause workes sayth he do either procure vnto vs Saluation or Damnatiō vndoubtedly And yet Osorius ceaseth not to keépe his old wōt to lye And hereof no mā ought to be in doubt but that our deedes shal be throughly examined apart by thē selues by Gods sharpe Iudgemēt Yea say you so Osorius What shall they stād apart by thē selues what naked vnclothed of all succour of Christ of the promise of mercy Go to what shal be come of fayth thē Shall she stād ◠the meanes whiles with her finger in a hole like a Mome in a corner vnprofitablye whiles mercy being banished mēs deéds shal by thē selues be arrained before gods iudgemēt seate If this be true why do we not rase scrape cleane out of all bookes that saying of S. Paule Not thorough the workes of righteousnesse which we haue done but according to the greatnes of his mercy hath he saued vs For if saluatiō be yet to be measured by the law of workes to be wayed after that Standard of Iudgemēt what place thē remayneth for fayth or for mercy And by what meanes is that hādwrityng of the law blotted out by the Crosse and bloudsheadyng of Iesu Christ if as yet we be holden fast yoaked vnder the curse of the law and not deliuered by grace for what doth the law elles if we dare beleue S. Paul but engēder wrath and procure to be accursed not bycause the law is of it selfe vneffectual if it might be accomplished but bycause we are all vnprofitable seruauntes vnable to performe the law And for your part doe ye thinke any mans workes to be of such valew as beyng throughly examined after the vttermost exaction of Gods Iustice can either endure the immeasurable horrour of Gods wrathfull indignatiō or by any meanes escape it Surely Dauid that godly Kyng and great Prophet perceauyng that there was no mortall creature but was ouerpaised and pressed downe with this heauy burden and weight of Iudgement beseécheth of God nothyng more earnestly then that he would not way his seruaūt in the ballaūce of his Iudgement And therfore in an other place he addeth If thou examine our iniquities Lord who abyde it Of this mynde was he euen then when he was a most trusty seruaunt of God As for Osorius I know not whose seruaunt he is neither am I hereof any thyng Inquisitiue but what Lord soeuer he serue I doe not a litle marueile at this in what place of heauen this Gentlemā shall stand whenas his wordes deédes yea all his thoughtes when so many his lyes slaūders errours blasphemies reprochfull speaches furies impieties whiche as it were to discharge his gorge he hath belched out in his bookes without measure or end shall come forth into brightnesse of Iudgement and shal be seuerely measured by the playne and streight squyer of Gods exact Iustice But let vs now ponder by the rules of the Scriptures the pretie reasons taken out of the same whereupon hee buildeth his defence And first of all that sentence offereth it selfe vouched out of the mysticall Psalmes where the holy Ghost doth witnesse that God will render to euery man accordyng to his workes This sentence I suppose is to be foūde in the 62. Psalme for Osorius had no leysure to note the place And I know not whether him selfe euer cited the same out of the very founteines them selues or rather scraped it out of the mustie Ambry of Hosius sinisterly applyed by him there and so this Marchaunt would wrest the same crookedly to fitte his owne drift After this S. Paule is vouched of a witnesse but no place noted where the Apostle doth affirme that all men generally and euery of vs particularely shal be summoned to Iudgement where euery one shall render accompt of the life that he hath lead and receaue reward accordyngly You shall finde this in the second Chap. to the Romaines Hereunto is annexed an other testimony of the same Paule All shall appeare and be arraygned before the Iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receaue reward according to the deserte of his life and euery mans peculiar worke may bewayed and measured in the iust and vpright ballaūce of seuere Iudgement Where is this Osorius Thou must seéke for it Reader The place is extaūt in the second to the Corinth the v. Chap. Here withall is also coupled that faying of Christ with like vncited place They that haue done well sayth he shall come forth into resurrection of life but they that haue done euill to the resurrection of death He had many other places to this effect besides these saith he
if he lifted to prosecute euery of theÌ„ but bycause they were beyond number the maÌ„ beyng otherwise occupied in other studies pardy seémeth well enough furnished with these few whiche he hath piked out of Hosius if I be not deceaued and so thought good to rehearse no more Well now Let vs seé what peéce of worke hee meaneth to frame out of these places of Scriptures so raked together and whereunto to he bendeth his force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of Christ. This is true Euery person shal be clothed agayne with his own body Those that haue done well shal be crowned with immortall felicitie and those that haue done euill shal be throwen into euerlastyng torments This is also vndoubtedly true Agayne the most iust and vpright Iudge shal be present which shall reward euery one accordyng to his workes and deseruynges I heare it and confesseâ—t to be true For who is ignoraunt hereof But what hereof at length what will Osorius Logicke conclude vpon this Ergo not fayth but workes sayth he doe iustifie which shall purchase for vs Saluation or Damnation But this ilfauored shapen consequent which you haue most falsely deriued from true thynges and confessed we doe vtterly deny vnto you and not we onely but the holy Scripture doth deny coÌ„demne all holy write doth reiect the whole fayth of the Euangelistes and doctrine of the Apostle and all the promises of God with generall consent do crye out agaynst hisse at it If out of these places of Scripture you would haue framed an Argument a right and accordyng to the true meanyng of the holy Ghost ye should more aptly haue concluded in this wise For as much therfore as there remayneth for euery of vs such a Iudgement wherein euery one must yeld an accoumpt of his lyfe speÌ„t there is no cause why any maÌ„ should flatter and beguile him selfe with a vayne promise that his wicked deédes or wordes shall escape vnpunished after this lyfe but rather that euery man so behaue him selfe in this transitory world that neither his good workes may appeare without fayth nor his faith want testimony of good workes Truely this conclusion would haue bene preached to them the number of whom is infinite not onely amongest the Papistes but also euen amongest the professours of the Gospel who professing the name fayth of Christ liue notwithstandyng so dissolutely as they bryng the name and doctrine of Christ into open obloquy And as though it sufficed them to professe Christes most sacred Religion in wordes onely or as though there should be no Iudgement at all to come make no accompt of their callyng but are caryed headlong agaynst equitie conscience into the gulfe of all licentious filthyues to the great dishonour of almightye God and the manifest ruine of their owne Saluation Surely I am of opinion if you had directed your conclusion in this maner agaynst those persons and others lyke vnto them which do so wilfully rash and throw them selues carelessely into manifest abhominations without all respect of equitie and conscience the consequent would more aptly haue bene applyed and of more force We shall all be summoned before the Iudgement seate of the hygh Iudge where accoumpt shal be made of the whole course of our lyfe Ergo who that wil be carefull for his Saluation let him haue especial regard to the vttermost of his abilitie that his life be agreable to his professioÌ„ and stand assured as much as in him lyeth in the testimony of a good conscience knit together with a true fayth voyde of all hypocrisie For otherwise we doe heare what the truth it selfe speaketh And those that haue done euill shall goe into the resurrection of Iudgement We shall likewise heare what Paule sayth Euen for these thynges sayth he the wrath of God doth come vpon the children of disobedience But to what purpose Osorius is this alledged agaynst the Iustification of fayth in them who hauyng receaued the fayth of Christ doe ioyne withall fruites of obedience as companions if not altogether pure and absolutely perfect yet do yeld their endeuour and abilitie at the least such as it is after the small proportion and measure of their weakenesse This trauaile endeuour though it be farre distaunt from that exact requireth perfection of the law is yet neuertheles accepted in place of most full and absolute Iustification in the sight of God who doth supply the want of our workes with his owne freé Imputation for the fayth sake in his sonne onely whiche is not Imputed for righteousnesse to them that do worke but to them that do beleue in him For what although the horrible rebellion of the vngodly whiche walke not after the spirite but after the fleshe doe procure vnto them selues most iust Iudgement of condeÌ„nation yet shall this saying stand alwayes inuiolable notwithstandyng and remayne assured for euer The righteous shall liue by fayth And he that beleueth in me shall not dye for euer Iohn 11. But yet that promise say you doth abyde most euident and vnuanquishable whiche doth promise resurrection of lyfe to them that do liue godly and good deédes Goe to and what conclude ye hereof Ergo Faith onely doth not iustifie vs say you Nay rather neither Faith Onely nor fayth any way els taken doth Iustifie a man or auayle any thyng at all to Iustification if workes accordyng to your interpretation bee examined by them selues by the waightes and ballauÌ„ces of Gods Iudgement shall make full satisfaction But ye conceaue amisse of the matter Osorius and therfore your coÌ„clusion is as ilfauoredly shapen Doe ye expect a reason Forsooth bycause you fayle in the rule Topicke whereby we are taught to apply true proper Causes to true effectes And therfore your consequent is faultie and a Sophisticall cautell deriued from that which is not the cause to that which is the proper cause Let vs discusse the very order of your wordes And they which haue done well What they shall come sayth he into the resurrection of life c. First of all ye perceaue that the workes alone are not treated of simply but the persons that doe the workes Surely in Iudiciall Courtes is no small obseruation vsed chiefly of the difference betwixt the circumstaunces of the Causes and circumstaunces of the persons As when a Seruaunt shall commit the very same which a Sonne shall doe although the factes be of all partes equall yet I suppose that the Sonne shall finde more mercy in his cause of his Father being Iudge then the seruaunt of his Maister being Iudge especially where the Iudge is not constreined to yeld Iudgement by any coaction or expresse rigour of Statute and Law but is at libertie to vse consideration of the trespasse accordyng to his own discretion EueÌ„ so neither do I thinke it all one if a Christian maÌ„ I say a true Christian man shall mainteine his cause before Christ his Redeémer as
promise where prophecyeng of the tyme of his commyng of Iudgement When you shall see the beginning of those thinges sayth Christ looke vp and lift vp your heades and so proceédyng yeldeth therof this Reason Bycause then your redemption draweth nye Marke well Osorius he doth not say your Iudgement but your redemption draweth nye And why did he choose to put his Disciples in remembrauÌ„ce of their redemption rather keépyng the name of Iudgement in silence Ueryly bycause there is so no IudgemeÌ„t of condeÌ„nation to them which are of the fayth of Christ Iesu as thereis no redeÌ„ptioÌ„ for them who without the fayth of Christ Iesu do wholy yeld their seruice to the world and to the fleshe Whereupon we may heare him agayne debatyng the same matter touching the freédome of Iudgement in the v. of Iohn Whosoeuer heareth my voyce and beleeueth on him whiche hath sent me shall not come into Iudgement but hath already passed from death to life And in an other place turnyng his speache to his Disciples whenas hee could promise them no reward of more excelleÌ„cie And you sayth he shall sit together vpoÌ„ seates Iudging the xy tribes of Israell Luke 22. What neéde I rehearse Paule writyng to the Corinthians Doe ye not know sayth he that the Saintes shall Iudge the world And raysing vs vp beyond the reache of earthly thynges to the excellencie of Aungels Doe ye not know that we shall Iudge the Aungels 1. Cor. 1. What then will you say shall we not all come into Iudgement shall we not all be arraigned before the Royall seate of the Maistie Yes Osori we shall all come to Iudgement But Augustine will discouer vnto you a DistinctioÌ„ of this Iudgement That the one part therof shall concerne Damnation the other sequestration whereby the Goates shal be seuered from the Lambes but the Lambes not condemned with the Goates And therfore I do firmely beleue that we shall come all vnto Iudgement but my assured hope and Affiaunce is that the elect shall not come into Iudgement of condeÌ„nation I know that all shall yeld accoumpt but this Awdite shal be so easie and so voyde of all feare vnto them which are engraffed into Christ as on the other side it will be most rigorous dreadfull to them which shall come forth into Iudgement with out Christ and the weddyng Garment And why so veryly bycause whom Fayth doth clothe with her Roabes the same doth Christ so shield defende and saue harmelesse with his innocentie agaynst all bytternes of tempestuous IudgemeÌ„t as though they should neuer appeare before any Iudge at all but passe presently from death to life And this truely euen this same innocencie of Christ is that pure righteousnesse of Christians which the Father doth none otherwise Impute vnto vs that beleue in his Sonne then he did once Impute to the same his Sonne all our sinnes when he suffred his Passion for sinners And he sayth the Prophet did beare vpon his backe all our Iniquities Esay 53. On the contrary part such as refusing this ankerhold of Christ and trustyng to their own tackle will hazard the sauetie of their soules before the seuere Iustice of God otherwise then clothed with this weddyng Garment must neédes suffer shipwracke of their soules voyde of all hope to recouer the hauen of perfect felicitie so beyng turned ouer to the furniture of their own store must neédes be bulged through and ouerpaâ—sed at â—ast with the buroeÌ„ of Iustice whiche they could neuer reach vnto in this life And hereof ariseth all that difference betwixt them which are ioyned to Christ and the rascall rable of Infidels For although in this iust Iudgement a reckonyng shal be made of all the deédes of all men before God and likewise reward decreede vndoubtedly accordyng to euery maÌ„s deseruynges yet the order of this Iudgement shall farre otherwise proceéde with the faythfull theÌ„ with the Reprobate For such as will challenge their Saluation as due vnto them for obseruyng the righteousnesse of the law thorough their owne workes and not through fayth and ImputatioÌ„ of Christ Those meÌ„ surely shal be rewarded according to the deserte of their own workes vnder this coÌ„dition That whosoeuer haue accomplished the rule of the law with that absolute perfection that he ought to haue done shall lyue accordyng to the decreé of the law But if he haue fayled one tittle in performaance lesse then the law required what may he hope for els then accordyng to the sentence of the law which holdeth all men fast chayned vnder euerlasting malediction that haue not continually in all the course of their lyfe perseuered vpright and vnblameable of all partes therof That no blemish be it neuer so litle may be founde in the breache of any one iote of the law whiche may procure most heauy matter of vtter condeÌ„nation vnto him And euen here most manifestly appeareth the Iustice of God for hee that of him selfe is altogether vnable to atteyne perfect righteousnesse and will likewise wilfully refuse the same beyng offered vnto him by another if he suffer punishement for his owne vnrighteousnes hath no cause to accuse the law of iniustice but must referre his plague to his owne infidelitie On the other part Those that departing hence with fayth repentaunce I speake here of sinners which are truly penitent in Christ do so prepare them selues as men reposing all their whole righteousnesse in the onely innocency of Christ and not in their workes shall neither bee impeached for their sinnes whiche Christ hath healed with his woundes And yet if they haue done any good worke they shal be rewarded with the inheritauÌ„ce of eternall lyfe not for the worthynesse of the workes but bycause of his freé Imputation he doth vouchsafe those weake workes bee they neuer so barren and naked worthy to obteine the promised inheritaunce not bycause they haue deserued it but bycause hym selfe hath promised it I suppose these manifold and manifest sayings hitherto are sufficient enough to declare the truth and discouer the falshoode of all this quarell of Osorius nay rather to shewe how many sondry faultes he hath couched vp into one coÌ„clusion how many errours he hath clouted together and into how many absurdities hee hath tombled him selfe headlong For endeuouryng to proue agaynst the Lutheranes That there is none other way to attayne true righteousnesse then by liuyng vertuously he seémeth to pretende a colour of a certeine few sentences pyked out of the Scripture such as him selfe scarsely vnderstandeth or hath ilfauouredly disguised to make a shewe in his maske and makyng no distinction meane whiles betwixte the persons and the thynges disposing nothyng in his due place and order but choppyng and shufflyng all thynges together in a certeine confused hotchpotte as it were in the old vnformed Chaos though they be as farre distauÌ„t as heauen and earth iumbleth them together without all discretion confoundyng the law
with the Gospell the persons with the thynges them selues righteousnesse of fayth with righteousnesse of workes neither noteth which are the naturall causes of the thynges nor which are the proper effectes of the causes but disguiseth the causes vnder title of effectes and effectes likewise misturneth into causes For where as workes are properly the effectes of fayth neither are of their owne nature good nor can be esteémed for good but through Iustification goyng before yet our Osorius frameth his discourse as though the chief and especiall bullwarke of all our righteousnesse were built wholy vpoÌ„ workes And that which he readeth in Scriptures shall come to passe accordyng to workes the same forthwith he coÌ„cludeth to be done for the workes sake as though heauen were now a due reward for our trauaile and labours not the gift of grace as though they do worke might clayme it as due dette for their workes sake and were not rather promised to them that beleue for the Sonne the Redeémer his sake But we haue discoursed enough vpon this matter it remaineth that we pursue the tracke of the rest of his disputation And bycause we haue spoken sufficiently as I suppose of the one of those two propositions which he calleth false and whereof hee hath accused Luther to be the Authour Let vs now fyritte out the other and seé what vermine it is and how it is able to defende it selfe First of all whereas Luther hath noted this saying to be the chief piller and foundation of Christian doctrine That no man ought to ascribe the meane of his Saluation in any thyng els then in the onely fayth of Iesus Christ afterwardes he proceédeth to the other pointe That the fruites of good workes are engendred and doe issue from this fayth euen as the fruite is engendred of the roote of a good treé and that workes doe follow fayth of necessitie none otherwise then as a fertile treé budding out first his greéne leafe and beautifull blossome doth at the last by course and force of nature bryng forth fruite The sentence Osorius iudgeth to be haynous in no wise sufferable and yet in the meane tyme denyeth not but that good workes do follow fayth But he cryeth out with an opeÌ„ mouth this to be false that good workes doe follow Luthers fayth But it is well yet that we heare in the meane whiles that good workes are engendred out of Fayth but in no wise out of Luthers fayth I would therfore learne of you Osorius out of whose Fayth good workes doe proceéde Forsooth my fayth sayth hee is not Luthers nor Haddones fayth if he bee Luther Scholer herein Come hither Osorius a good fellowshyp that I may stroke the smoath shauelyng of yours a whiles Truely I can not choose but all to beloue you and beleue you also when you speake the truth for I I suppose that the Oracle of Apollo can bee no more true then this Oracle is that workes doe follow your fayth as you say They follow in deéde apasse in great clusters And bycause ye vouchsafe not your selfe to expresse vnto vs what kynde of workes those are it shall not greéue me to do so much in your behalf And yet what neéde I make proclamatioÌ„ of them whenas your owne bookes do so aboundauntly and manifestly vtter the same as that no man can be so blynd or deafe but he must neédes seé heare them What art thou desirous Reader to haue described vnto theé as it were in a painted Table what blossoms this pregnaunt fayth of Osorius doth shewe forth Peruse his writynges and his bookes especially those Inuectiues compiled agaynst Luther Haddon Was euer man in this world that hath heaped together so many lyes vpon lyes hath compacted so many blasphemies and slaunders hath vttered so many errours hath euer by writyng or practize imagined expressed vomited out so many tauntes reproches madde wordes vanities cursinges bragges follies and Thrasonicall crakes so much rascallike scoldyng mockes doggishe snarllyng as this beast hath brayed out in this one booke wherein you shall neuer finde Luther once named but coupled together with some title of reproche as outragious fraÌ„ticke or madde If those trimme monuments of your gay workes do cleaue as fast to your dayly conuersatioÌ„ as they are ryfe to be founde euery where in your bookes and the testimonies of your witte I Appeale to the iudgement of the indifferent Reader what consideration may bee had of that your fayth which whelpeth out vnto vs such a monstruous lytter For if a good â—â—â—â—growyng vpon a sounde roote do not commonly bryng forth fruites vnlike to the stocke And if children doe vsually represent their progenitours in byrth in some lineamentes of personage resemblaunce of maners or other applyable feature of Nature for the Gleade as the Prouerbe is doth not hatche forth Piggeons it must surely follow of necessitie that either your workes whereof you vaunt your crest do by no meanes follow your fayth or els we must neédes adiudge you a man scarse of any fayth at all And therefore to aunswere briefly to those glorious vauntes whiche you make touching workes that follow your faith and not Luthers fayth if you meane those workes which I haue rehearsed I will gladly agreé with you but if your meanyng tende to good workes truly your owne writynges will without any other witnes condemne you for a great lyar But go ye to Let vs allow this vnto you which you require to be graunted that is to say That your Fayth doth necessaryly drawe after it good deédes as the Southeast wynde doth draw along the cloudes yet what should be thestoppell in the meane space to barre good deédes from Luthers or Haddones fayth more then from yours Bycause say you fayth commeth by hearyng and hearyng by the word of God I do acknowledge this a very Catholicke maxime a sentence meéte for a true Christian. But I wonder what monster these mouÌ„taines will bryng forth at the last But Luthers fayth commeth not of hearyng for hee doth not heare the wordes of Christ. What wordes I pray you and where are they writteÌ„ Forsooth where Christ as he sayth doth promise euerlastyng life to them that Repente and doth man ace hell and destruction to them that are impenitent Where is this Seéke it Reader And bycause Luther doth not heare those wordes of Christ. Ergo his fayth commeth not by hearyng and therefore yeldeth no fruites of good workes but starke bryers brambles onely Go to And what doth your fayth in the meane space Osorius Let vs heare what grapes it produceth But my fayth sayth he that is to say the faith of holy Church whenas it coÌ„senteth to the wordes of Christ And whenas also Christ hym selfe doth threaten destruction to the impenitent sinners this fayth therfore wherewith I doe beleue these wordes of Christ causeth me to be repentaunt What do I heare Osorus why what neédeth repentaunce
but by the Mediatour the Sonne through whom righteousnesse is Imputed not purchased by workes neither to him that worketh saith hee but to him that beleeueth in Christ that Iustifieth the wicked And yet you seémyng not to bee so much as acquainted with this righteousnes by Imputation as that ye dare not once name this worde Imputation doe notwithstandyng stand so much in your owne conceite as though Christ at his commyng should finde all fayth in Osorius but no fayth at all in Luther If a man might be so bold with you it were no vneasie matter to pike out diuers other sentences out of Scripture whiche would quickly cracke the credite of your fayth As where the Apostle writyng vnto Timothe doth so manifestly Prophecie That it should come come to passe before the end of the world That many should departe from the faith beleeuing lyeng Spirites and doctrines of Deuilles forbidding Marriadge and the eating of meates which the Lord hath prepared to be receaued with thankes geuing These doctrines of Deuils for as much as the lying spirite of Osorius doth so stoutely mainteine bende all his force to vphold in this latter age of the world as besides him no man more obstinately what may be thoughe els but that either he is departed from the fayth or that the Apostle is an open lyar Agayne Where the same Apostle writeth touchyng Antichrist paintyng him out in his colours as it were so liuely expressing him to the apparasit view of the world his Throne his wickednesse his iuggling his lyes his pride his immesurable arrogancie vauntyng him selfe beyond all hautynesse of mans Nature What may a man Iudge of these sentences the meanyng of the whiche can by no meanes possible be applyed to any thyng els thē to the Romish Sée 2. Thess. 2. Agayne in the Reuelatiō of S. Iohn where the same Antichrist is set in open stage hauing the shape and countenaunce of a meeke Lambe whiche vnder the visour of false hornes should resemble the true Lambe and restore the Image of the wounded beast to lyfe and speache Whiche place of Scripture bycause can not be wrested any other wayes then to that Romishe Ierarchie whiche bendyng to ruine at the first was restored by that great Archeprelate of Rome yet in this most apparaunt Text of Scripture if Osorius faith he demaūded whether it may be applyable to the Bishop of Rome we shall finde him as farre dissentyng from the purpose of this Prophecie as if he were demaunded the way to Canterbury he might aunswere a poake full of Plummes We haue hitherto sufficiently enough declared I suppose that Osorius for all his bragges is voyde of all ayde to defende his Fayth And so for this tyme I will commit the cēfure of those gay workes which flowe so plentyfully out of that glorious Fayth to that Iudge which shall display the hidden corners of darkenesse and to the consideration of them who by the view of his bookes haue skill to discerne a Lyon by his pawes or rather an Asse by his lolieeares Now remayneth at length to discouer briefly that which he barketh agaynst Luthers fayth Now let vs see Luthers fayth sayth hee whether it can bryng forth any liuely fruite It cā not by any meanes c. Lye on yet more a Gods name First of all bycause hee teacheth that all workes appeare they neuer so godly are desiled with sinne Nay rather but that you were by nature of so corrupt a Iudgement that ye can not frame your selfe so much as to speake the truth you would neuer haue patched this lye amōgest the ragges of your leasings Luthers disputation cōcerning faith good workes tendeth to nothyng els but that which the Scriptures euery where the sacred spirite of truth and S. Paule inspired with the holy Ghost doe by all meanes and reasons confirme which we all ought of very duetie to embrace For Luther endeuouryng to make euidēt the doctrine of Iustification comparyng our good workes with the lawe of God is enforced to confesse the very truth of the matter that is to say That there is nothing so holy in workes but beyng of it owne nature in some respect vncleane and defiled must néedes be vnsauorie in the sight of God if without Christ it bee racked with exact scrutyne of Gods seuere Iudgement And hereof quarell is pyked forthwith agaynst Luther as though he should affirme that whatsoeuer workes the very regenerated engraffed in Christ them selues did worke were nothyng els but méere sinnes and wickednesse And bycause he doth abbridge good workes in that part onely wherein they be falsely adiudged to be of valew to Iustifie before God Osorius doth argue agaynst him in this wise as though he did vtterly roote out of mans lyfe all Ciuill and Morall vertues and vertuous conuersation Wherein a mā can not easilye determine whether he doth shewe him selfe more iniurious to Luther or bewray rather his owne blockish grosenesse No man euer taught more soundly no man more highly commended good workes then Luther did beyng separated a part from the doctrine of Iustification And whereas he doth extenuate the force of workes in the treatize of Iustification he doth not therein so altogether derogate from workes as rather frendly aduertize them whiche through vayne Confidence of workes doe challenge to them selues righteousnesse in the sight of God and do depende so much vpon the deseruynges of workes as though there were none other foūteine from whence our Saluation might be deriued Luther therfore vsing Argumēt agaynst those persons doth boldly auow that all our workes are defiled yet not simply but in respect of their application beyng considered without the fayth of the Mediatour Whiche beyng most truely spoken by Luther is as sinisterly wrested by Osorius as though he had spoken it simply that there is no good or commendable thyng in workes nothyng in them acceptable to God though neuer so duetyfully or vertuously performed And for this cause hee concludeth at last as with an vnuanquishable Argument That by no meanes possible Luthers fayth could bryng forth any frutefull workes like as that barren figge tree growyng neare vnto the high way whereupon grewe nothyng but leaues But this is Osorius his owne conclusion not Luthers a Sophisticall cauill concludyng falsely If S. Paule doubted nothing at all to esteeme all thinges sinnefull which were done without faith Rom. 4. If it were lawfull for Augustine to write in this wise Thy workes are examined sayth he and are foūde all defiled Why doth he rage so furiously agaynst Luther bycause he doth professe that the déedes which we call good are in none other respect to be daémed for good thē as they bee valued by the fayth of the Mediatour The consideration of this doctrine as is of it selfe most assured so doth it not tende to that end that Osorius imagineth to discourage godly myndes from vertuous endeuour Rather well disposed
deadly 4. Of what thynges Free-will taketh his denomination 1. From necessitie or coaction whiche is called the Freedome of nature This Freedome the scholemen do attribute to meÌ„ in all states But this necessitie must bee distinguished proportioned by his principall causes whereof Some be called internall As be the thynges whiche are moued of their own nature and of inwarde operation And those Are either simply and absolutely necessary as God and his holynesse and as those thynges which bâ—yng chauÌ„ged emply contradiction whereof the one partie mâ—st needes bee true the other needes false as foure is not an equall noÌ„ber foure three are not senâ— in noÌ„ber and this is called Geometricall Necessitie which alteration nature doâ—h not admitte and this Necessitie perteyneth nothyng to Luthers Disputation of Freewill Or be noâ— simply and absolutely necessary but after the common course of nature as â—â—er doth burne of Necessitie The Sinne is alwayes moued and other such lyke beyng naturall thynges whiche yet are not of such Necessitie but may bee â—indered by God and so cease from operation Some haue externall begynnynges and of these there is two maner of Necessities Either violent Whiche is called the Necessitie of externall coaction as whâ—â— thynges are constreyned to moue or to do contrary to their nature as stones and heauie thyngs as the schole men call Necessitie in respect of the consequence not of the consequence or it Sensu Diuiso and not in Sensu Composito and froÌ„ this Necessitie the freedome of mans will is vtterly exeÌ„pted Or stable and infallible by reason of the consequence not of the consequent or in Sensu Composito not in Sensu Diuiso This Necessitie of the consequence not of the consequent is to be vnderstanded when a thyng may bee true in respect of the necessary affâ—â—tie of proposition from proposition although the thyng concluded be not necessary of it selfe or true in Sensu Composito which otherwise is false in Sensu Diuiso or false in Sensu Composito which otherwise is true in Sensu Diuiso as if a man say that white may bee blacke by distinction of contrary tymes it may bee true but ioynyng the tymes and in Sensu Composito it can not be true 2. From sinne or from bondage of sinne whiche is called freedome of Grace And this freedome is attributed to them onely which are made free by Grace Wherein if they meane of the imputation of Sinne it is true but if they meane of actuall Sinne it is false 3. From miserie which is called the freedome of Glory and this freedome had free will in the state of innoceÌ„cie once and shall haue the same much more perfect hereafter in the state of glory 5. How much Freewill is empayred in man through sinne It is wouÌ„ded in her naturall qualities to witte in Reason in vnderstaÌ„dyng in memory witte c. Dispoyled altogether in thynges as bee heauenly and apperteynyng to God And this much well agreeth with the doctrine of Luther Lombard Lib. 2. Dist. 25. Sithence we haue now layd this foundation for our better furniture to be able to make aunswere We will now addresse our selues to our aduersaries Argumentes Wherein although he obserue no course nor forme of coÌ„mon DisputatioÌ„ let vs yet helpe his lame Logicke as well as we may And first of all touchyng the ouerthrow of Lawes wherewith bycause it lyketh Maister Osorius to vrge this point chiefly before the rest let vs geue our attentiue eares to his wordes and marke well how cunnyngly he argueth But I say sayth he that by this doctrine of Luther whereby he doth teach that things are directed to their end by Necessitie that Lawes are subuerted Decrees put to silence and right and wrong confouÌ„ded together And why doth he not adde this much more also that whole common weales are ouerthrowen Well go to I do heare very well what you say Osorius But I haue not heard yet any substaunciall ArgumeÌ„t whereby you proue this that you say to be true Certes there be at this present within Christendome many NatioÌ„s many Prouinces many Kyngdomes many Dukedomes many Cities and common weales that fauour Luthers doctrine Wherein I appeale to your owne conscience speake it if you can haue you euer heard amongest all these I say not of any one commoÌ„ wealth or Citie but of any one litle Uillage or Ciuill familie that hath bene any one iote defrauded of the benefite of their Lawes or become lesse prouident for the coÌ„mon quyet of their countrey by followyng Luthers doctrine Although we haue not yet receaued froÌ„ Spayne and Portingall into our common wealth your bloudy lawes of Inquisition embrued with Chriscian bloud and do suppose also that no discrete common wealth will euer receaue them Yet through Gods inestimable prouidence we bee not destitute of politique Lawes nor of honest sciences nor of vigilaunt Counsellours Wherein albeit our grosse capacities may seéme vnworthy to bee compared to the fine and pregnaunt wittes of Portingall yet howsoeuer they seéme we are by their direction sufficiently enough instructed to discerne betwixt the limittes of right wrong not to confounde theÌ„ neither haue we euer confounded theÌ„ as farre as I know what maner of hotchpot you make of them in Portingall I know not For as much therefore as common experience teachyng the contrary doth most manifestly conuince you of open lyeng with what face dare you so boldly affirme that through this doctrine of Luther Lawes are subuerted Counsels put to silence and confusion and disorder of right and wrong to haue entred in Whereof you neuer saw any proofe ne yet can tell a dreame so much of any attempt practized in any common wealth And therfore I marueile what kynde of lesing you will coyne at length to make this cauillation of yours to carry some shew of truth I suppose veryly that beyng disfurnished of proofe and recordes and founde an open lyer in matter so euident you will shrowde your selfe vnder some close couert of Pelagius To witte That where the vse of the law consisteth of two pointes principally that is to say in aduancyng vertue and in punishyng vyce hereupon Osorius will frame an Argument after this maner and forme Lawes are ordeined in vayne vnlesse there be habilitie to performe them But there is no habilitie to performe by the doctrine of Necessitie which Luther do threache Ergo Lawes are ordeined in vayne by Luthers doctrine of Necessitie I do aunswere the Maior proposition were true if this bondage or Necessitie which doth preiudice habilitie were naturall and not of it owne faultynesse that is to say If we had bene created without this habilitie by nature and had not throwen our selues into this inextricable Laberinthe of yelding through our owne default But as now hauyng heaped vpon our selues this Necessitie of sinnyng voluntaryly by our owne purchase and hauyng made Necessitie as Augustine sayth of a penall offence for good cause therefore lawes are of
neuer receaued grace as men who through their own Freewill haue made frustrate the Grace of God once receaued by their owne wickednesse But if they be not regenerate yet is that damnable originall sinne worthely punished that will through anguish of punishment may conceaue desire to be regenerate if at least the man that is so chastized be the child of promise That God by outward vsing this meane of scourge vexation and chastizement may by secret inspiration fashion and frame the will to obedience c. And thus much hetherto coÌ„cernyng lawes and ordinauÌ„ces for rewardyng vertue and punishyng vyce in Ciuill gouernement There followeth now an other absurditie to witte where he sayth that by Luthers doctrine man is altogether dispoyled of vnderstandyng depriued of Iudgement bereft of reason and driueÌ„ to that extremitie as to be no better then a naturall stoane throwen out of a mans hand Osorius Argument Whosoeuer do attribute the orderyng of all thynges to absolute Necessitie exemptyng freedome from will doe spoyle men of their vnderstandyng depriue them of Iudgement and bereue them of reason and do traÌ„fforme them into brute beastes and stoanes Luthers doctrine doth bynde mens actions and willes to Necessitie Ergo Luthers doctrine doth dispoyle meÌ„ of their senses and turneth them into stoanes I deny the Maior of this Argument In the Minor I distinguish this word Necessitie Lastly the Argument is altogether vicious and that for two causes Either bycause Osorius thinketh That no Necessitie at all byndeth thynges to be directed by the eternall prouidence and ordinaunce of God or els he supposeth this Necessitie to he such as must neédes exclude all freédome of will Both which are false And first touchyng Necessitie Luther other auÌ„cient writers do learnedly affirme That the actions of mans lyfe are not subiect to fortune but herein they do acknowledge the prouidence of God which they assigne to be the onely and principall gouernesse and guide of maÌ„s lyfe as which directeth maÌ„s purposes boweth and bendeth his will and ordereth all the enterprises thereof Moreouer they teach the same prouidence to be such as whiche is not whirled about through blynd and sudden motions wherein no place is left to the happenynges of fortune nor such a prouidence as must neédes depend vpon inferiour causes or vpon a necessary couplyng together of causes wherein destiny is excluded nor such a prouidence as is vnaduisedly vncerteinly tossed to fro accordyng to the wandryng chaunces of fortune wherein fortune chaunce is taken away but such a prouidence as consisteth in a certeine assured stedfast permanent order workyng so in the meane whiles by inferiour and mixte causes neuerthelesse not as though it were tyed to those causes with any such necessary bonde of couplyng that it may not possibly doe otherwise by her owne absolute and most freé motione neither as though those causes could not possibly doe otherwise but must of Necessitie follow the direction of the same prouidence whereunto they be subiect Whereby it commeth to passe that Freewill beyng occupyed in these meane causes neither ceaseth to be altogether freé as being forced by no forreine constraint but guided by her owne accord nor yet remayneth so absolutely freé but that it is constrayned whether she wil or no to yeld to the direction of Gods prouidence voluntaryly notwithstandyng not coactly Wherupon amongest the learned this Necessitie is called Necessitas immutabilitatis aut certitudâ—nis whiche though doe not vrge thynges with violent coaction yet for as much as nothyng is in al the creation of nature of so small substance as can be without the coÌ„passe of Gods knowledge therfore albeit many things seéme accordyng to our capacities to be done by chaunce yet in respect of Gods prouidence if wee duely consider the originall and principall cause of thynges that are done wee shall finde nothing done but which could not but be done of very Necessitie I make hast to the other absurdities to witte to Osorius his most friuolous brabblynges For in this sorte he crawleth from mans lawes and ciuill gouernement to Gods lawes arguyng as it were in this sort If will be nothing auayleable to good lyfe nor of it selfe can do nothyng but Sinne then are Gods lawes commaunded in vayne in vayne also are exhortatioÌ„s and aduertisementes ministred in vayne are blessinges and cursinges set downe in the Scriptures But no man wil say that these are coÌ„mauÌ„ded in the Scriptures in vayne Ergo this doctrine of Luther is false execrable whereby he leaueth none other habilitie to Freewill but onely to sinne whereby he bindeth all things to necessity This Maior must bee denyed beyng nothyng els but a most manifest cauillation to witte tendyng to this effect as though God commaunded vs to doe nothyng but that we might of our owne selues performe whereunto Augustine aunswereth in this wise O man in the commaundemeÌ„t learne what thou oughtest to doe in the punishment learne thy weakenesse through thyne owne default In the prayer learne from whence thou mayest obteyne c. By the law of commaundyng and forebyddyng therefore accordyng to Augustine we come to the knowledge of our Sinne and infirmitie not of our owne strength power yet is not the law therfore coÌ„maunded in vayne For to vs that aske in the Sonnes name and acknowledge our infirmitie is Grace promised which worketh in vs both to will and to doe accordyng as the same Augustine doth recorde in the same place Let vs remember that hee doth say make vnto your selues a new hart and nâ—w Spirite who hath sayd I will geue you a new hart and I will geue you a new Spirite How is it then that he that sayth make vnto your selues a new hart fayth also I will geue you a new hart Why doth he commaunde if him selfe will geue Why doth he geue if maÌ„ be the worker but bycause he geueth the thyng that he commaundeth and helpeth him whom hee hath commaunded that hee may do it For through grace it commeth to passe that man is endued with a good will which was before of an euill will c. Therfore by this Argument of Augustine appeareth that this word of admonition exhortation or of rebukyng vsed in the Scriptures is as it were a certeine meane or instrument which the holy Ghost doth vse in conuertyng the will of such as are not yet regenerate and in beautifying the first issues of his good giftes in such as are regenerate that they may grow to a more rypenesse through Repentaunce through Fayth and through Prayer And by what wrest of Logicke doth Osorius gather habilitie of Freewill out of the holy ordinauÌ„ces seyng Augustine doth in so many places so directly gayne say him but especially in his 2. booke agaynst the two Epistles of Pelagius writyng in this wise I can see nothyng in the whole Scriptures geuen by God in commauÌ„dement to man to proue that
and absolutely And yet neither may this be denyed in any wise that of the generall masse of all the creation any one thyng caÌ„ be without the coÌ„passe of Gods Deuine foreknowledge or done without his will albeit we must neédes confesse with Augustine that many thyngs are done agaynst his will Now therefore encombred as it were betwixt these two whirlepooles how shall we say that he doth either will Sinne which he doth forbyd and punish or that he doth not will sinne whenas nothyng can be done God not beyng wittyng and willyng thereunto Surely as touchyng Sinne God ought not to be named the Authour of Sinne properly Neither as Ambrose truely writeth can iniquitie issue from thence whence floweth all righteousnesse And yet can not God be excluded from the direction rule of Sinne altogether vnlesse we may thinke that somethyng may chauÌ„ce in mans lyfe which the almighty eye of God either seéth not or that his will willeth not If he do not seé it where is then his eternall foreknowledge if the thynges which he seéth be done without his knowledge and will where is his euerlastyng omnipotencie which worketh all in all and wherewith he is sayd to doe all thinges that he will in heaueÌ„ and in earth What shall we say then If God will not haue Sinne why is sinne committed so woÌ„derfully ouerflowyng If he will haue sinne how may it be defeÌ„ded that he is righteous for after this sorte reasoneth Osorius as though the righteousness of God could not be excusable if God may be supposed either to will Sinne or to be any cause or procurour of Sinne. Albeit this drift of Osori whereby he coÌ„cludeth that God willeth not sinne bycause hee is righteous may be in some respect yelded vnto so that it haue relation to the same will of God which hath discouered it selfe vnto vs in his expresse law which will the Schoolemen tearme VoluntateÌ„ sigui or if he argue on this wise God is righteous Ergo He is not a Sinner God is righteousnesse it selfe Ergo He can not sinne This Argument would hold well enough But this other Argument can not be good to say God is righteous and the founteine of all righteousnes Ergo God can not will Sinne in any others without preiudice to his owne righteousnesse As though God could not will Sinne in some respect not sinnefully with that most secrete and vnsearcheable will wherewith he orderâ—in and sweetely disposeth all thynges in heauen and in earth not empayring in the meane space any ioate of his own righteousnes at all Nay rather what if euen for the selfe same cause bycause he is righteous some kynde of actions do sometymes burst out whiche beyng committed of men in respect of mans nature are Sinne but in respect of God are not Sinne but punishementes of Sinne powred fromout his most iust Iudgement for it is not the least office of Iustice to punish sinne by sinne nor is it by and by necessary to Iudge alyke of the causes them selues whenas one selfe same action doth proceéde froÌ„ diuerse causes vnlesse the causes be altogether correspondent in action When the Magistrate doth execute the offendour he is both the cause of his death and doth willyngly cause him to be executed not bycause he delighteth in his death but enduced onely by necessitie of doyng Iustice he doth in that respect both rightfully and necessaryly minister Iustice. But if a priuate maÌ„ or a RussiaÌ„ should willyngly put a maÌ„ to death he should be deémed a murtherer When the parent doth chastize his vnthriftie child with the rodde he doth the same rightfully yea if he dyd it not he should Sinne. But if the brother should beate his brother or the seruaunt his felow seruaunt the same could not but be culpable Wherfore in all maner of actions regarde must be had not onely what is done but how it is done so must the ende and causes also bee considered whiche being in nomber many tymes many diuers not all of one nature do neuerthelesse concurre For it may be as it doth oftentimes come to passe that in causes beyng coÌ„currauÌ„t in one actioÌ„ may be great diuersitie So that one selfe same cause may be in one kynde of actioÌ„ wicked and in another actioÌ„ meére righteousnesse It may so come to passe that a man at a tyme may committe robbery or fall into some other haynous wickednesse where if you seéke for the very cause of executyng that action you may rightly impute it to the frayltie of mans nature If you seéke the procuryng cause that draue him to consent no doubt it was his wicked thought and corrupt mynde which is altogether replenished with sinne neither is it to be doubted but that Sinne is engendred out of the corrupt will of maÌ„ without the which as Anselme doth witnesse no wicked action is committed Whereby appeareth at the length that because no vncleannesse can be founde in the will of God therfore his most sacred nature can by no meanes be defiled with Sinne. But if you be desirous to learne from whence this corruption and euillnesse of the mynde imaginatioÌ„ doth proceéde Caluine him selfe whom you accuse very greéuously shall aunswere you in his owne behalfe This corruption of mynde sayth he commeth partly by the procurement of Sathan partly by the frayltie of nature which man did defile by his owne voluntary fall Whereupon he sayth when the cause of euill is sought for we ought not to seéke it els where then in our selues but the whole blame therof we must lay vpon our selues You will say then and how then will these wordes of Caluine agree with Luthers doctrine seing Luther maketh God the Authour both of good and euill and Caluine maketh man the cause of euill Nay rather by what meanes can you forge vnto vs such a crafty deuise of iarryng in so vniforme an agreement of IudgemeÌ„t betwixt Luther and Caluine Caluine supposeth that the cause of euill ought not to be sought for els where then in man Luther teacheth that no righteousnesse ought to be sought for els where then in God onely And where be these felowes now which either go about to make man excusable or God culpable of vnrighteousnes by any meanes for to this effect teÌ„deth the whole force of Osor. brablyng agaynst Luther as though God could not will sinne by any meanes but that the glory of his Iustice should by and by be blemished And bycause mans will imaginyng or doyng wickedly at any tyme can not imagine or do euill without Sinne therefore Osorius dreameth forthwith that it fareth in lyke maner in Gods will which is most vntrue For nothyng withstandeth at all but that many causes of semblable affections may concurre oftentymes all which nothwithstandyng may not altogether powre out semblable force of operatioÌ„ after one and semblable sorte And therfore this is no good Argument God accordyng to his secrete
punishement befalleth him sithence that first corruption bee suffreth it righteously and deseruedly For God is sayd to harden his hart whom hee will not mollifie so is hee sayd also to reiect him whom hee will not call and to blynd them whom he will not enlighten For whom hee hath Predestinate them hath he called c. 2. Moreouer after this withdrawyng of Grace this also followeth thereupon That God doth righteously minister occasioÌ„ of sinnyng in the wicked and reprobate and maruelously enclineth the hartes of men not onely to good but also to euill If we may beleue the testimony of Augustine Who in his booke De Libero Arbit Grat. alledgyng certeine testimonies out of the Apostle Where it is sayd that God gaue them vp to vyle affections Rom. 1. And agayne hee deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate mynde And in an other place Therfore God doth send them strong delusion that they should beleeue lyes By these and such lyke testimonies of Sacred Scriptures appeareth sufficiently that God doth worke in the hartes of men to bende encline and bow their willes whereunto him listeth either to good accordyng to the riches of his mercy or to wickednesse accordyng to their owne desertes to witte by his IudgemeÌ„t sometymes reuealed in deede and sometymes secret but the same alwayes most righteous For this must be holdeÌ„ for certeine and vnshaken in our myndes That there is no iniquitie with God And for this cause when ye read in holy writte that meÌ„ are deceaued or amazed or hardened in hart doubt hereof nothyng at all but that their sinnefull deseruyngs were such before as that they did well deserue the punishment that followeth c. The premisses considered and for as much as God doth vse the peruersenes of men will they nill they to these purposes endes whereunto he hath decreéd them may any maÌ„ be doubtfull hereof but that God ought not by any meanes be excluded from the disposing of sinnes 3. Besides this also whereas the holy Ghost misdoubteth not to speake in the Scriptures after this vsuall phrase of speach to witte That God doth harden mens hartes doth deliuer vp into reprobate myndes doth dazell with blyndnesse doth make eares deafe doth lead into error and such like How shall we say that sinnes doe happen now without God Albeit neither doe we say that God is therefore properly and simply the cause of wickednesse whenas we are of our selues more then enough the true naturall cause of wickednesse Be it therfore that the will of maÌ„ is the cause of sinne but seyng this will must of Necessitie be subiect to the will of God and be directed by the same surely it may not be lawfull to exclude God from the direction and disposition of sinnes If Osorius shall thinke him selfe not yet fully satisfied with this auÌ„swere he may be resolued agayne if he will with this That the whole cause of sinne is resiaunt in man him selfe and in his corrupt will but the cause wherfore sinne doth become sinne must be ascribed to Gods good ordinaunce in the one wherof is sinne and the punishment for sinne as Augustine maketh mention Out of the other affections be ordeyned that such affectioâ—s as be may be wicked which affections notwithstandyng are not in the guidyng cause it selfe but are by hym guided to some good purpose end of which doctrine let vs heare what August doth him selfe testifie professe It is out of all controuersie sayth he That God doth well euen in suffering all things whatsoeuer yea euen in the thynges that be wickedly done for eueÌ„ those he suffereth to be done not without his most iust Iudgement now whatsoeuer is iust the same is good surely Therfore albeit the thynges that are wicked in this respect that they are wicked be not good yet that not onely good be but euill also is neuertheles good For if it were not good that wickednes should be surely the almightie goodnes it selfe would by no meanes permitte it to be done who without doubt can as easely not permit the thynges that he will not as he caÌ„ easily do the things that be done If we do not firmely beleue this the grouÌ„dworke of our faith wherein we do coÌ„fesse that we do beleue in God the Father almighty is in great hassard For God is not called omnipoteÌ„t for any other cause in very deede but bycause he is able to do what he will the operatioÌ„ of whose Deuine will the will of no creature caÌ„ hinder or preiudice by any meanes at all c. This much Augustine And bycause I will not be tedious I argue vpon Augustines wordes in this wise Euery good thyng doth proceede from God as from the Authour and guider therof But it is good that wickednesse be Ergo God is the Author and directer that wickednesse commeth to passe But here some Iulian of Pelagius sect with him our Portingall Prelate Osorius will brawle and cauill That those deédes of wickednesse are committed through the sufferaunce of God forsakyng them and not by his omnipotent power workyng in theÌ„ meanyng hereby I am sure That God doth permit wicked thynges to be done in deéde but by his power forceth no man to doe wickedly Agaynst such persones Augustine doth mightly oppose hym selfe euen to their teéche prouyng those thynges to be done by Gods power rather then by his SufferauÌ„ce and for more credite voucheth a place of S. Paule Who knittyng those two together to witte Sufferaunce and Power writeth after this maner What and if God willyng to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen did suffer with long patience the vessels of his wrath prepared to destruction c. Rom. 9. Afterwardes produceth many examples reasons taken out here and there of the Propheticall Scriptures to make good his Assertion Achab was Deliued ouer to geue credite to the lyeng mouthes of the false Prophetes First in that he beleéued a lye you perceaue that he sinned Moreouer in that he was geuen ouer not without cause you conceaue the punishment of sinne I demaund of you now by whom hee was geuen ouer you will aunswere of Sathan neither will I deny it though it seéme rather that he was deceaued by him then deliuered ouer But goe to Who did send Sathan but he which sayd Go forth and doe so vnlesse Osorius do suppose that to send forth and to suffer be all one which besides him no man els will say I suppose By like Iudgement of God Roboam is sayd to be driuen to harken to sinister Counsell bycause he should refuse the counsell of the Elders And from wheÌ„ce came this I pray you but from him of whom it is written in holy writte For it was the ordinance of the Lord that he might performe his saying which he speake by the mouth of his Prophet 1. Kynges 15.12 The lyke must iudged of Amasias who had not fallen into that perill if he
haue sucked this geare rather from Aristotle theÌ„ out of Christes Testament who teacheth in his 3. booke of Ethickes that Election which he calleth vnderstandyng Appetite is euer occupyed about good or euill And because in humaine actioÌ„s where choyse is made betwixt two or moe thinges preéminence is graunted to one of theÌ„ according to the difference of good and euill like as in coÌ„mon musters the Souldier that is most valiaunt in Maioralities and Baylywicks the richest Citizen in choyse of wyues the most beautifull in schooles of learning the most expert in sciences are vsually more esteémed and preferred formost the same surmyseth our Osorius to be betide with the Election of God and hys sacred decrees But here a distinction ought to haue bene made betwixt Gods choyse and mans choyse and the causes thereof likewise ought to be distinguished And therefore in this place especially Osorius doth notably bewray his singuler ignoraunce disputing of those thinges whiche lyke an vnskilfull Sophister he can neyther rightly deuide nor duely define But here perhaps some question will be moued whereas God and nature do nothing without cause what other cause els could there be here if God did not make choyse of the faythfull and of the Reprobates accordyng to the proportion of their workes foreseéne before But this reason can no man discusse better then Paule himselfe who after many his blasphemous persecutioÌ„s of Christ obtayning mercy at the length and yealding the reason of this great mercy doth franckly confesse that it was the onely clemency of God not any workes foreseéne in him before to the end that he might be a president to others of Gods mercy stretched out towardes them which would beleéue To be short if the naturall cause must be throughly searched out which are the very foundacion of Gods predestinatâ—on the Apostle Paule doth knit them vp altogether into iiij chiefe places first GODS POWER hath not the potter power of the clay 2. GODS PVRPOSE or GODS GOOD PLEASVRE for he doth vse both these speaches 3. GODS WILL. He will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and will harden whom he listeth 4. GODS MERCY OR LOVE It is not of hym that willeth nor of him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. So that you seé playnely that here is no mention made of works at all but that there be other much more weightie causes which will deliuer God cleare of all Rashnesse and vnaduizednes though foreseéne workes haue neuer anye place in the counsell of God I come now to the other argumentes of Osor. For after this sort doth this lumpish logician cauill agaynst Haddon that beautifull blossome of Bucer out of the 2. of Tim. 2. If any man purge himselfe from these he shall be a vessel of honor vnto the Lorde that is to say predestinated vnto honour and sanctified Euery man is of power of his own Freewill to purge him selfe Ergo Euery man is of power of his owne Freewill to be predestinate and made a vessell to honour The Maior must be vnderstanded that Paule treated not of the cause of predestination but of the execution and effect of predestination Neyther doth the wordes of the Apostle tend to this end to expresse the cause of predestination but to admonish vs by the effecte of predestination how weé ought to esteéme of the worthines and vnworthiness of persons in the congregation according to the saying of Christ by the fruites you shall know them c. Then the Minor is false for that which they inferre vpon these wordes of Paule as though it were in the power of our owne will to make our selues vessels of honour is not well concluded for it lyeth not in the will of the doer but of the caller not in the clay but in the potter who is of power to fashion the â—lay whereunto him listeth into a vessell of honor or of dishonor Furthermore neyther is our abilitie to be decyded by any hypotheticall proposition no more then if a man would conclude vp on thys hipotheticall proposition If you doe this or that or if you beleeue you shall bee saued Ergo to do this or that or to beleue we are of our selues sufficient inough And why then doth the Scriptures vse thys phrase of speech that men purge themselues if we haue no power of our own selues to purge our selues forsooth because God doth worke in men not as in stockes and stoanes whiche are not moued of any their own feéling or will WheÌ„ God worketh in men he doth so temper their mindes and willes whom himself doth regenerate that they willingly vndertake whatsoeuer they are commaunded After this mauner therefore are they sayde to to purge themselues by this very will not whiche is proper and peculiar to their owne nature but whiche is poured into them by grace And by this meanes at the length such as are regenerate are made afterwardes Gods together workemen and of their own accord leade a vertuous and holy life Finally God in his Scriptures commaundeth to purge our selues when notwithstanding it is he alone that purgeth So doth he commaund the people of Israell by the mouth of his Prophet Moses to sanctifie themselues whereas hee witnesseth of himselfe in an other place that it was he that doth sanctifie the people So also hee commaundeth vs to beleéue when as notwithstanding Fayth is the gift of God and not our owne nor is the cause of our predestination but the effect But let vs proceéde farther to your challenge Osor. wh challenge you haue vndertakeÌ„ to iustifie out of the depth of Diuinitie namely that there is nothing in gods eternall electioÌ„ but is accoÌ„plished vpon certeine conditions of reason and iudgement And yee suppose that the reason of Election is not to be sought els where but from the foreseene workes of the faythfull and reprobate And that if wee graunt not this that then ye think that our assertion of predestination cannot be iustified but that many thinges will ensue thereupon not onely erroneously false but also absurde to bee spoken incredible to be beleued First because Gods iustice cannot be acquired of iust reproche of parcialitie nor his mercy which is retched to all meÌ„ indifferently cleared of vnrighteous dealing You crye out afterwardes that it is both agaynst right reason that he should saue a very few in number and condeÌ„ne an innumerable company besides to destruction Moreouer euen in this choyse it selfe when coÌ„sideration is had why he should chuse these and why he should reiect the others the thyng it selfe doth seeme not to bee cleare of speciall acceptyng of persons nor of a certeyne extreme crueltie c. All which with others the lyke sithence be but weake sproughtes budding out of the sauadge woodbyne of the aduersary not issues of the true stocke will be so much the more easily cut of with the Razour and
Cauiller did oppose agaynst him selfe Is there any vnrighteousnesse with God why doth he yet complayne of man who is able to resiste his will It may appeare most euidētly that Paule was fully resolued there that as well Election as reiection did depend altogether vpon the very will of God without all mans deseruynges For otherwise there had bene no place to make this Obiection For if they onely should be chosen that did deserue and they likewise should be onely cast away which did not deserue what reasonable man might murmure at this when Gods Iustice rewardyng euery man accordyng to his deseruynges did now leaue no cause to moue man to be offended nor gaue any stumblyng blocke to the Apostle to enter in this kynde of Obiection But let vs now draw neare to the aunswere of the Apostle it selfe which seémeth to me to be two maner of wayes The one in respect of the person whereby he stoppeth the mouth of the murmurer O man what art thou that pleadest against God The other in respect of the thyng whereby he doth expresse the very cause it selfe perswadyng it by a certeine similitude of the Potter and the clay For as the Potter in makyng his vessels doth not regard any desert on the clayes behalfe Euen to Gods purpose in the gouernement of his Election is at libertie and freé from all respect of workes and is directed by the onely will of the maker And for this cause Paule doth make this comparison betwixt this Election of Grace and the power of the Potter Doth the thyng formed sayth Paule say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus hath not the Potter power ouer the claye to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and an other to dishonour And yet GOD hath much more power ouer men then the Potter ouer the clay In deéde the Potter hath power to fashion his vessels as him listeth If God were not able to doe the lyke with his creatures then were the Potter of more power then God For the Potter is able to fashion his vessels yea to breake them and fashion them a new after his own will And shall God then be bounde to our merites and regulate his Election by the measure of our deseruynges Take this Argument if it may please you The power that the Potter hath ouer his vessels the same power hath God ouer men The Potter is of power to make vesseles to honour or to dishonour as him listeth nor is bounde to any worthynesse of the Claye Ergo God is of power to dispose his creatures after the bountie of mercy or measure of his Iustice as him listeth without all regard of deserte in his Creatures To this Argument the aduersaries make this aunswere that they do not take away power from God and that they are not able so to do neyther did euer meane anye such thinge but that onely power which he putt of from himselfe And albeit there is nothing that his omnipotēt power cānot bring to passe yet would he neuerthelesse be no more able then was be seéming to his Iustice. And because it is horrible to condemne anye man without deserte by the same reason it standeth not with equitie to defraude good workes of their due rewarde And therefore it behoueth Gods Iustice to yelde this of Necessitie that whom God would haue to be saued the same he should haue chosen for their good workes foreseéne before and the Reprobates hee should destroy for their wickednesse for otherwise if heé had no consideration of workes his Iustice could not be constant and vnchaungeable And therefore this Trifler doth conclude vpon the premisses That the Lutheranes assertion is false that in the worke of Election and Reiection choyse or respecte of workes is meerely opposite and cōtrary to the libertie and power of God c. But this obiectiō is to be encountred withall on this wise That it is one thing to treate of Election and an other thing to treate of Gods iudgement As concerning Gods iudgement it is true that no man is damned vnlesse heé haue deserued it through wickednes of sinne and that no man is saued vnlesse same cause be found in him which may be imputed vnto him for saluation But it is not so in Election and Predestination which is accomplished by Gods Freewill without all respecte eyther of former workes or workes to come afterwardes Or els what meaneth the Apostle by speaking of gods freé Election when he sayth Not of works but of him that calleth Whereupon let vs heare what Augustine wryteth Saying this not of Workes sayth hee but of him that calleth was spoken touching that the Elder shal be in subiection to the Yonger For he doth not say of works past but when he spake generally of workes in that place hys meaning was as well of workes already done as of workes that were to be done to witte workes past which were none at all and workes to come whiche as yet were not c. Workes therefore haue both their place and tyme but in Election they haue neyther place nor tyme neither is there any thyng effectuall in Election besides the onely will of God which neither hangeth vpon Fayth nor vpon Workes ne yet vppon promises but Workes Fayth promises yea and all other thinges whatsoeuer do depend vpon Election Neyther is Gods Election proportioned after the qualitie or quantitie of our workes but our workes rather directed by his Electiō none otherwise then as the effectes do depēd vpon the cause not contrariwise the cause vpon the effectes And yet in the meane tyme God is not vnrighteous Neither doth GOD therfore offend in Iustice distributiue if he haue mercy on whom hee will haue mercy or if hee doe harden whom he will harden And why so because hee oweth nothing to any man for whereas all men are borne by nature the children of wrath altogether why might not God according to the purpose of hys will haue mercy on whom he will haue mercy and agayne cast them awaye whom him listed leauing them to their naturall filthe and corruption to witte not hauing any compassion vpon them Wherby all men may throughly perceaue as well the reprobate what the cause is that they are rightfully condēned as the elect also how much they be indebted to God for this his so vnmeasurable mearcye These matters beyng so cleare your foolish consequent then whereby you wrestle so much for the vpholding of works against the Election of Grace as though if God did not work Electiō for the merite sake of the workes foreseéne that then his Iustice could not possible beé acquited nor defēded frōiust accusation of slaunder is vtterly fonde faynte and not worth a rush for if it were true then is not Election of Grace but of workes yea Paule spake foolishlishly also saying that the remnant are saued according to the Election of Grace and according to the purpose
no vnrighteousnes with God and likewise it must be firmely beleued that God hath mercy on whom he will haue mercy and on whoÌ„ he will not haue mercy theÌ„ he hardeneth That is to say on whom he listeth he will not take mercy whereupon whether he geaue any thing or require that is dew vnto hym neyther he of whom he requireth it can well complayne of hys vniust dealing nor he to whom he geueth ought to be ouer proud and boast of hys giftes for the one neither rendereth any more then is due and the other hath nothyng but that which he hath receaued If God had commaunded vs to do the thinges that hym selfe saw were impossible for vs to do he might seeme worthely to be accused of vnrighteousnesse This obiection were perhaps to some purpose vnlesse the scriptures had prouided a Triacle for this malady namely Fayth in hys Sonne in whom when we do beleéue endeuoring in the meane whiles as much as lieth in vs we do then fulfill the whole Law of workes That is to say we do attayne full absolute righteousnes as well as if we had fulfilled the whole beyng endued wiâ—h righteousnes now albeit not properly our owne yet enioying hym notwithstanding whiche of God was made our righteousnesse by Fayth Whereupon Luther in hys booke of Christian liberty hath written very excellently That which is impossible for theé to bring to passe in the whole works of the Law sayth he which are in number many thou shalt easily accomplish with small labour Namely by Fayth Because God the Father hath placed all thinges in Fayth so that whosoeuer is indued with this Fayth may possesse all thinges and he that is voyde of this Fayth may possesse nothing at all After this maner the promises of God doe geue that which the commauÌ„dements do exact they do finish that which the law commauÌ„deth so that now he onely alone is he that may coÌ„mauÌ„d and he onely and alone is he that may bryng to passe c. To what end are ordinauÌ„ces to liue well prescribed why are threatninges added to the stifnecked and rebellious if men were not able to liue well why is a freedome of choyse set out vnto vs to enter into whether way we will if we can not be able to holde the right way who is so madde to commaund a blinde man to keepe the right path or who will commaund that man that is so fast bound as beyng vnable to moue hys arme but vnto the left side to reache hym a a thing on the right side whiche is not possible for hym to doe Augustine will aunswere That which man is not able to atteine to by nature vnto the same may he yet attayne by grace he doth meane there of liuyng commendably not of liuyng perfectly which was neuer as yet graunted to any one person in this life no though he were aided by grace but to Iesu Christ alone But ye will demaund agayne to what end then was the law published and naturall choyse set out vnto vs if that choyce be not free to make choyse of these thinges that are set forth to our Election I do aunswere That this complaynt of Nature might beé not altogether impertinent if he that gaue the lawes had created the same Nature such as we haue at this present But now whereas he did at the beginning create Nature vpright and vnspotted God according to the selfe same Nature did publishe hys law vnto men whiche shoulde be holy and vndefiled Neither could he do otherwise whose commaundemeÌ„ts if we be not able now in this corruption of Nature to accomplish with due obedience there is no cause why the fault thereof should be imputed to GOD who can neyther will nor commaund any thing but that which is most righteous but we our selues and our first parentes Authors of this disobedience and the Deuill the couÌ„sellor are to be blamed therfore God caÌ„ not be vnlike himselfe If we become vnlike to our selues whose fault is it ours or his Furthermore touching the obiection of the blind and the maÌ„ that was bound hereunto I do aunswere That the similitude is not in all respectes correspondent for this cause For if God had blynded man at the first or had chayned hym fast with such Roopes of Necessitie and afterwardes had commaunded hym whom he made blynde to keepe the right pathe or him whom he had first bounde fast to reach afterwardes ouer to the right hand this were perhappes not altogether from the purpose that is cauilled but now for as much as the cause of this blyndnes was procured by man him selfe and not sent by God he is not to be blamed that geueth necessary counsell to speake as Augustine doth but he that hath entangled him selfe into such a Necessitie out of the whiche he can by no meanes vntwyne him selfe agayne A righteous and wise Law geuer doth neuer proclayme such Statutes the performaunce whereof will exceede the abilitie and capacitie of his subiectes God is the most righteous and most wise Law geuer Ergo God in publishyng his law did prescribe nothyng beyond the capacitie and abilitie of his owne Creatures I do aunswere vnto the Maior two maner of wayes First That the same is true in deéde in those lawes whiche were established of the Lawgeuer to this onely ende that the subiectes should exactly performe the same But albeit GOD did desire this thyng chiefly that all men should precisely and throughly obserue his Ordinaunces yet besides this consideration there are many other endes and causes 1. That the Iudgement and wrath of God agaynst Sinne should be made manifest 2. That we might be more easily brought to the acknowledgemeÌ„t of our Sinnes and weakenesse 3. Thyrdly that vnderstandyng our weakenes the more we feéle our selues more heauyly oppressed with this burden the more sharpely we should be prouoked as with the Schoolemaisters rodde to fleé vnto Christ who is the end of the law 4. That by this Schoolyng as it were we may learne what way we ought to take that if it be not geuen vs at the least to atteyne the full and absolute obedience of the law yet that begynnyng to be obedient we may profitte as much as we may Secundaryly we do confesse that the Maior is true in respect of those lawes for the due obseruation of the which there is no cause to the coÌ„trary either by the Lawgeuer or in nature it selfe but such as appeareth rather in the Subiectes Whose onely fault and disorderous licentiousnes procureth the breach therof As for example If a Prince do sende foorth an Ambassadour in all respectes whole sounde and well enstructed to whom afterwardes he geueth in commaundement to put some matter in execution which he might very easily bryng to passe vnlesse through his owne default and disorder he made him selfe lame halte or vnable to execute the commaundement of his Prince Now if this Ambassadour
of God do loue do wish and earnestly desire to be saued But yet we do call these the effectes not the causes of mercy who beyng now made the Uessells of mercy could neuerthelesse not haue bene able of thēselues to bryng to passe that they should haue attayned the first primitiue Election of God August sayth that men are worthely cast away for sinne Ergo On the contrary if men are reiected for their sinnes why should they not aswell be predestinate for their good workes Augustine doth not meane here that reprobation that is cōtrary to predestination but vnder this reprobation he doth vnderstand the last end effect of Reprobation namely damnatiō And in this sence it is true that men are dāned for their sinnes not forsaken as they are neyther predestinate for their good works Luther and Caluine doth deny that it is in mans power before grace receaued to seeke and desire it But Augustine affirmeth the contrary Nay rather what is more common in Augustines mouth then these speaches Couldest thou be conuerted vnlesse thou were called Did not he that called thee back agayne bring to passe that thou shouldest be cōuerted And agayn do not presume vpō thy cōuersion for vnlesse he had called the back agayne thou couldest not haue bene conuerted And in an other place God doth not onely make willing of the vnwilling but maketh also obedient of such as are stifnecked and stubborne The doctours of the popish faction although deny not that nature is very much corrupted in originall sinne yet yeald they not thys much that man can do nothyng els but sinne Neyther that any thing els is taken away from Nature besides the supernaturall gift onely whereby Nature might haue bene made more perfect if it had not fallen And therefore that Nature was beautified with those supernaturall giftes of the which she is now spoiled the naturall power and abilitie of will remayning in her force notwithstanding This is most vntrue whereas Nature and will it selfe not by alteration of Substaunce but by accesse of sinne and disposition is so depraued and reuolted from God so weakened and spoyled through it own operation as that it may be not conuerted but by the onely grace of God hauing of her self no part in thys work but as farre forth as it is preuented by God Whereupon Augustine doth witnes That will doth not goe before but is handmayd to well doyng Wherefore the same Nature and substaunce of will remayneth still not chaunged into a new shape by Gods creation but defiled with the corruption and filthe of Nature The same affections also do remayne that were before in respect of their substaūce but in respect of their disposition they be so putrified and stincking that nothing can be found in them now that bringeth not with it some matter of filthines Who soeuer is holpen he doth worke somewhat together with hym that helpeth hym and suffereth not him self to be applyed meerely passiuely Will beyng not renued is holpen of Grace Ergo Freewill euen sithence the first creation seemeth to bring much to passe and not to be altogether applyed passiuely In the Maior proposition should haue bene added perse by it selfe For what soeuer worketh by it selfe hauing the help of an other is not altogether plyed passiuely but with this exception the Minor must be denyed for freedome of choyse when as it selfe neuer preuenteth grace following her but is altogether holpen of Grace goyng before according to the testimony of Augustine what can it bryng to passe at all of it selfe Or if it can do any thing at all by it selfe that whiche it is able to doe it doth in morall good thinges externall and ciuill exercises certes to deserue eternall lyfe to purchase the fauour of God Saluation Iustification and the euerlasting kingdome Freéwill is altogether vneffectuall but is a meere sufferer onely nor hath any thing but that which it hath receaued and is altogether vnprofitable yea when it hath done all that it can possibly do And this is it that Luther seemeth to stand vpon Let hym be accursed that will say that God commaundeth thynges impossible Melancton doth aunswere what soeuer were the occasion of this saying surely those wh vouch the same so busily vrge it seéme voyde of vnderstanding in the causes why the law of God was geuen worldly wisedome supposeth that lawes are published onely because they should be obserued But the Lawe of the Lord was ordayned for this cause chiefly that the Iudgement and wrath of God should be layd open agaynst sinne that it should conuince vs of wickednes and increase the horror therof that wickednes might be restrayned from to much licensiousnes that putting vs in remēbraunce of our own weakenes frayltie it should in steed of a schoole master enstruct vs to Christ as it is declared before And there was no lye found in their mouthes Apoc. 14. to this August maketh aunswere aduertising vs how man may be in this sorte sayd to be true of hys worde through the grace and truth of God who otherwise of hym selfe without all doubt is a lyer As is that saying You were sometymes darcknesse but now are ye light in the Lord when he spake of darcknesse he added not in the Lord but when he spake of light he annexed by and by in the Lord. But Osorius will vrge agaynst vs here Ergo Nature beyng holpen through grace sayth he may eschew all lying and sinning To aunswere hereunto agayne out of Augustine he that will speake so let hym be well aduised how he deale with the Lords prayer where we say Lord forgeue vs our Trespasses which we needed not to say except I be not deceaued If our consents neuer yelded to false speaking nor to the lust of the flesh Neyther would the Apostle Iames haue sayd We are trespassers all in many thinges for that man doth not offend but he whom flattering lust hath allured to consent contrary to the rule of righteousnes Thus much Augustine Out of the wordes of Ieremy If I speake of any Nation that I may destroy them and they do repent them c. And if I say the word that I may plant them and they tourn away from me c. vpon this the Romanistes do build as followeth Euen as men behaue themselues such shall the potters vessels be afterwardes Ergo it is false that the Lutheranes teach that the regard of worke doth fight agaynst Freedome and the power of God in chusing or refusing The Prophet doth treate here properly of the punishment rewardes which do follow mens workes at the last Iudgemēt and not of the maner of eternall Electiō which doth preceéde all our workes either goyng before as August reporteth which were none at all or comming after which were not as yet If the aduersaries of Luther shall wrest these words of the Prophet to the cause of Electiō as though
done by him we beleue assuredly is done either to expresse his power or to make his glory discernable or to commend his Iustice or els to discouer the wonderfull riches of his mercy Wherfore when Luther doth affirme that with GOD all thynges are done by an absolute Necessitie whether they come by destiny chaunce or any fortune at all why should not it be as lawfull for him to speake so as for Osorius to speake in the lyke phrase and in lyke titles of words That God is of Necessitie the best the most iust and the most wisest But I heare the sounde of an Argument from the Popish Diatriba They say that they abridge not God of his power no nor that they can do it neither would at any tyme otherwise then as him selfe hath abridged it Although there be nothyng but that the omnipotency of God can bryng to passe yet would he haue nothyng lawfull for him selfe to do that might be contrary to his Iustice. And bycause it is an horrible matter that any man should be damned without euill deseruynges and that it is not reason that good workes should be defrauded of their due reward therfore it must needes follow accordyng to the rule of Iustice that God should chuse thē whom he would haue to be saued for the good workes whiche he did forsee to be in them and condemne the other lykewise for their euill doynges For otherwise if he doe not regarde the workes then were not his Iustice constaunt and permanent This Obiection must be ouertaken after this maner It is one thyng to treate of Gods Election and an other thyng to treate of his Iudgement As concernyng the Iudgement of God it is euident that no man is damned vnlesse he haue deserued it for his wickednesse and that no man is saued vnlesse some matter be founde in him whereunto his saluation may be imputed It is farre otherwise in Election and Predestination which is accomplished accordyng to Gods Freé determination and coūsell without all respect of workes either goyng before or commyng after Or els how can that saying of the Apostle be true Not of workes but of him that calleth c. meanyng thereby the Free Election of GOD Whereupon let vs heare Augustine very aptly discoursing in his booke De Praedestin Grat. It is sayd not of workes but of him that calleth The elder shall serue the younger He doth not say of workes done before but when the Apostle spake generally not of workes here he would that men should vnderstand it both of workes done and already past and workes not as yet done that is to say workes past which were none at all and workes to be done which as yet were not done c. Workes therfore haue both their tyme and their place Certes in Electiō they haue neither tyme nor place Neither is any thyng here of any value but the onely will of God which neither dependeth vpon fayth nor vpon workes nor vpō the promises but workes fayth and the promises and whatsoeuer els doe all depend vppon it For neither are our deédes vnto him a rule to direct his Election by but our deédes are directed by his Election as the effectes do consequētly depend vpon the causes and not the causes vpō the effectes Neither doth God worke vnrighteously in the meane tyme in this if he take mercy on whō he will take mercy or if he harden whō he will harden And why so For sooth bycause he is indebted to no man For sithence we are all in generall euen from our mothers wombes ouerwhelmed drowned in this puddle of originall sinne he may accordyng to his good pleasure haue mercy on whom it pleaseth him and againe passe ouer whom soeuer hym lysteth and leaue them to them selues that is to say not take mercy vppon them Whereupon all men may easily perceaue aswell the Reprobates what it is whereof they may iustly accuse thē selues as also they that are chosen how much they are indebted to God for his great and exceédyng mercy Euen as if one man kill an other with a sworde no man doth therfore accuse the sword but he rather is knowen to be in faulte which did abuse the sword to murther with as good reason for asmuch as men are nothyng els but as instrumentes of wickednesse onely in Gods hand they that yeld of Necessitie are not so much in fault as he rather deserueth to be blamed that caused them to do wickedly If so be that men whom God hath created after his owne Image were such kynde of Instrumentes whiche lyke vnto a sword or sawe were driuen not of them selues and without any motion or consent of their owne or if God were such a Royster or hackster that would delight in the slaughter of men the similitude were not altogether to be mislyked Now to graunt vnto them that the wills of men are directed and are subiect to a stronger power then they are able to resiste yet do they not suffer onely as Instruments brutish and senselesse doing nothyng them selues in the meane whiles Men are drawen in deéde but with their owne wills as Augustine maketh mention Neither is any man euill but he that will him selfe And if man will be of his owne accord euill who ought to be blamed therfore but him selfe For where shall we say that sinne is but where a will is founde to committe Sinne But Osorius ceaseth not as yet frō his chatteryng They that doe affirme that God hath seuered out of all the vniuersall masse of mākynde some whō he would prepare to euerlastyng glory and some others whom he would appoint to euerlastyng destruction not for any other cause but bycause it so pleaseth him doe plucke Gods prouidence vppe by the rootes The Lutheranes do alledge none other reason of Gods Predestination besides his will onely Ergo The Lutheranes do foredoe and plucke the prouidence of Cod vppe by the rootes I beseéche you Osorius if as yet you haue not cast away all feélyng of an honest and sober Deuine vtterly returne to your selfe at the length In deéde say you so Do they foredoe Gods prouidence which say it is so for none other cause but bycause it pleaseth him c. What kynde of Argument doe I heare from you Cā God be pleased to do any thyng that is not most correspōdent to reason or cā any Reason be of all partes so absolutely perfect that can disagreé frō the chief and principall patterne of his will or do you seéme a reasonable man that doe talke so fondly But I beseéche you Syr. For as much as the will of God whether soeuer it bende and encline it selfe is nothyng els but a most perfect Reason of it selfe and of all partes most absolute and without blemishe and for as much also as Reason it selfe is nothyng els then the very rule of Gods will nay rather for as much as the will of God is the very essence
your stoughtnes herein But because I neuer chaunced to see anye such Gospelles I do earnestly desire you O holy father for the loue ye beare to S. Fraunces to S. Bruno Finally for the loue of that fifth and euerlasting Gospell which the Dominick Fryers not long sithence beganne at Paris in the yeare of our Lord 1256. in the tyme of Pope Alexander the iiij That your holines will not be squeimish to acquaynte me what maner of gospells those be of Luther Melanchton Bucer Caluine c. whereof you make mencion If you can shewe none such it remayneth therefore that we hang vppe this accusation also vpon the file of your other staūderous lyes so long vntill in your next false inuectiues you acquite you of this cryme We haue heard touching the Gospelles Let vs now seé the fayth of hys Church Which he vaunteth franckly not to be of many coates but one Vniforme not lately risen vp and ioyned with vayne confidence but deliuered from the Apostles themselues not depraued with any peeuish interpretation or corruption of madde or franrick usage Go to and what if in like phrase of speeche I make euident that Luthers fayth was one and vniforme yea the same that all the Catholicke fathers of the primitiue churche did professe not start vppe yesterday or for a few dayes agoe not grounding vpō any variblenes nor toste to and fro by any vnsteadfast assurance but proclaymed by the Apostles themselues and wholly cleared from all madnesse and outrage What if I shall shewe playnely that all these quallities be in Luthers fayth what shall remayne then but that Osorius shall become a Lutherane whether he will or no if it be one vniforme fayth that he so much esteémeth or if he hold a contrary fayth then must he needes proue an open lyar But Osorius will not credite my wordes which I shall speake touching Luther and why then shall I creditte Osor speaking for his owne fayth namely sithe he voucheth nothing in proofe but bare wordes But if the truth thereof shall be decyded not with wordes but with substanciall matter by howe many euident demonstrations shall I be able to Iustifie that there is nothing in Luthers fayth but is agreable with the truth and the Auncient age of the primitiue Church in euery poynt And that in Osorius fayth be many thinges whiche do not onely vary cleane frō thē both but are also manifestly repugnaunt and contrary to them both But let vs drawe neere to the matter The fayth that you professe is vniforme you say If by this generall word Fayth you meane the Articles of the common Creéde forasmuch as there is no Churche of the Lutheranes but doth professe the same as well as you I seé no cause here why you should challenge a more speciall prerogatiue in vniformitie in this poynt then the Lutheranes And I would to God the Fayth of your Church would stay it self with the Lutheranes vpon those Articles onely where doughtles is matter sufficient enough for our saluation But now how many by hangers do you couple to this vniforme common Creéd how many new straunge stragglers bussardly blynde and vnknowne Raggmalles to the Auncient fathers And so couple them together as thinges most necessary to mans Saluation and for these also keepe a greater coyle then for the very articles of the Creéde Wherof we shall treate more at large in place fitt for it by Gods grace And therefore whereas you say that you obserue one vniformitie of fayth I would first learne what poynts you do ground this vniformitie vpon For although I may not deny but that in certayne Decrees and Decretalles is a certeine consent and agreément of conspiring doctrine such a one as it is yet if a mā will thoroughly sist many of thē wherein Luther doth dissent frō you he shall easily perceaue that Luth. hath not so much swarued from your vniformitie as your fayth is raunged altogether out of the right pathe of the true Christian fayth from the doctrine of both Testamentes from the Apostles and Prophetts yea and from the footsteppes of the Fayth of your owne predecessors of Rome whereby appeareth euidently that this fayth which you so gloriously vaunt is not auncient but new fangled not deliuered from the Apostles but patched together with mens Tradicious not grounded vpon any certaynty but full of vayneglorious braggery finally not vniforme but of many shapes and vtterly a Bastard vnlike the true vniformitie of Fayth Such as procure to themselues so many hyreling aduocates patrones and intercessours in heauen besides the onely Sonne of God Such as do worhip God otherwise then in spirite and truth with alters superalters Images Pictures Signes Formes and Shapes grauen in wood and in marble Such as before God do hunt after true righteousnes by other meanes and merytes then by onely fayth in the Sonne of God or do apply to themselues the effectuall grace of his great liberalitie otherwise then by this only Fayth Such as do promise Remission of Sinnes by any other meanes to themselues or to others but through the onely bloudshed of the Immaculate Lambe Such as with the price of pardons do sel that to others which Christ gaue freely Such as do dayly sacrifice him for the quick and the dead who by one onely oblation once for all did make attonement for all things in heauen and in earth such as make to thēselues a way passable to the kingdome of God life euerlasting by any other meanes and wayes to witte thorough the merites of Saintes through vowes Masses orders and Rules and through straightnes of profession by the merite of holy orders humble confessions mens absolutions and satisfactions through building of Abbyes and such other trumpery barganing as it were with God for merite meritorious and not for the onely death of Christ crucified for vs Such as do thrust into Churches other Sacramentes then Christ dyd euer Institute and commaund to be kept Such as robbe that lay people of one part of the sacrament contrary to the ordinaunce of the church and in the other part leaue nothing but that which can be no where els then in heauen and which if were present naturally ought not to be ministred as meate according to the veritie of the scriptures All these I say and an infinite table more of the same hiewe cleane contrary to the scriptures Such as do retayne in fayth mayntayne in vse clogge consciences withall and proclayme to be obserued in their Temples how dare they be so shamelesse to vaunt an obseruing of one vniforme Fayth agreéing with the Prophettes and Apostles vndefiled and cleare from all spotte of Noueltie or wrinckle of deformytie Wherfore you must either cōuince all these patcheries to be falsly burdened vpon your Church as I haue rehearsed them or els you must needes confesse that your fayth is neyther vniform nor Auncient nor sprong vppe with the Apostles nor yet consonaut to sound
measure without end raging vpon the bodyes vpon the goodes vpon all ages indifferently young and olde men women and children and all sexe and degrees of people yea of them also which doe confesse and professe the same Christ the eternall Sonne of God whō they do why do they broyle moyle and turmoyle all thinges with such cankred Ranckor with such furious outrage with so many dead corpses pilladge polladge as that all peacible tranquillitie beyng now vtterly taken away from out of al Christian natiōs there is no part thereof be it neuer so small which is not eyther crusht downe with more cruell and sauadge persecution then any Turke would haue vsed or at least that had not rather lyue vnder the Tyranny of the Turk then vnder the Iurisdiction of such a church What can it possibly enter into anye mans thought that these are the fruites of the holyghost or are guyded to the leading and conduct of our most meeke Sauiour Iesu Christ If you haue grounded such an indefesible confidēce vpon the truth of your cause if you stand so defensible by the protection of the holyghost agaynst all assaultes and attemptes of heretiques why then with a safe conscience and vndaunted courage do ye not committe your cause to the Lord the protector of the same and rest your selues assured vnder his sauegard following herein the good and godly councell of Gamaliell If the doctrine sayth he be not of God it will easely shiner in peeces though all the world seeke to vphold it Now this so great slaughter bootchery so great horror of Sauadge brutishe crueltie so execrable Phalarisme and Tyrāny from whatsoeuer authour it raungeth so rudely it sauoreth nothyng at all of the sweéte and amyable countenaunce of the holy Ghost surely nor of the naturall lenitie and humilitie of the Euangelicall doctrine But which he addeth last of all is of all the rest most magnificēt and Triumphaunt promising assuredly of the euerlastyng victory of his Churche that it shall remayne inuincible for euer For euen thus he speaketh wherein he seémeth in my conceite to differre very litle from that foolishe reioysing of a people mentioned in the Apocalipse who worshyppyng that same very Romishe Beast vndoughtedly did ascribe vnto her that vnuanquishable power of continuaunce euen by a like phrase of speach Who is like to the Beast say they and who is able to fight agaynst her And this much hitherto of the fayth the Church of Rome It ensueth next in order that we heare henceforth of the great Uicare of Christ somewhat and of the high and chief gouernour of the Church Bycause sayth he by the Gospell and testimony of Martyrs and the fayth and agreement of all holy Fathers Is there any more yet Finally we haue knowe the same by experience and proofe of thynges c. Goe to And what is it that you did know good Syrs That it could not possibly be that the Churche should be one vnlesse it haue one chief head the same highe Vicare of Christ. It is well and what doe ye conclude vpon this strong Reason at the last Forsooth that for this cause we yelde most humble obedience to the Byshop of Rome who is Christes Vicare vpō the earth c. Good GOD what doe I heare Osorius haue you pyked such a kynde of doctrine out of the Gospell and the Recordes of the Martyrs that there must neédes be one Churche on the earth wherein also of necessitie much be such a head as must beare chief principallitie rule and superioritie ouer all the rest In deéde if you meane this of Christ I am wholy on your side For he in very truth is the onely husbād of his onely spouse and Prince of Princes and the very head of all thynges without exception he onely is the highest and greatest of all But whereas you prouide two Princes for the Churche at one tyme together as it were an office committed vnto two persons wherof the one may supply the place of the other as though the other might in the meane tyme lye vpon one side doing nothyng I pray you good honest men did you euer learne this rule in the Scriptures Nay rather doth not the Gospell of Christ whereas it cōmaundeth all men to obedience and subiection prescribe that the Ministers of the Church aboue all others chiefly should cast away all Souereigntie and Lordlynes and should be contented with pouertie in so much that amongest the Apostles them selues it would admitte to superioritie Moreouer doth not Christ him selfe also throughout the whole Euangelistes very earnestly stirre vppe his Ministers to follow his example who was him selfe so farre of from desiryng any superioritie as that he refused the same vehemētly when it was offered would he thinke you Osori like well of such brabbling as we make now a dayes amongest our selues for Lordshyps and dignities And can you so boldly now take vpon you to be Proctour for this high Monarchy to be established in your Church cōtrary to the example of Christ defendyng the title therof by the Gospell and the Recordes of Martyrs contrary to the example of Christ him selfe and the prescript rules of his Gospell and yet in the meane tyme not vouch so much as one text out of the Gospell or the Histories of the Martyrs to make your party good Although I am not ignoraunt altogether that you haue certeine Sentences and wordes in the Gospell which by wringyng wrestyng you doe accustome to force to your purpose whether the Gospell will or no yet for as much as Haddon hath sufficiently enough aūswered those places in the first booke sith also nothyng can be superadded hereto that hath not already bene spoken it shal be but neédelesse to rubbe that gall my more But what he meaneth by Martyrs or what kinde of Martyrs he vnderstandeth I can not well perceaue If his meanyng respect those first auncient Martyrs of the Primitiue Church surely we haue ouer fewe monumentes of them left vnto vs yet none at all makyng ought for that Romishe Sinagogue But if you conceaue of the Martyrs of this later age in our dayes I am well assured that not onely the monumentes but the very bloud of thē also doth long sithence cry vnto the heauēs for vengeance against that vnconquerable Ierarchy of yours I speake here of true Martyrs And as to the Fayth and agreément of holy men vnlesse ye ioyne also hereunto a perpetuall consent of places and tymes generally and the truth also withall ye shall no more preiudice our cause then if you tell me of the consent and agreément of the Iewes cryeng out agaynst Christ Crucifige Crucifige And therfore in my conceipt your shall doe farre better if in steéde of this consent of men whereupō you bragge so lustely ye follow the counsell of Augustine Let not this be heard amongest vs sayth he This say I this say you but thus sayth
onely begynnyng And that the pope of Rome onely if we may beleéue the Popes Parasites must now be Lord of Lordes and Kyng of Kynges to whoÌ„ is due the fulnes of all power more then Princely authoritie ouer all maner of subiectes All which beyng so vndoughtedly true ratified with the generall consent of all Historiographers that no man can be able to deny it I beseéch you Osorius by your beautyfull foreheaded if you haue not rubbed all shamefastnes away from it where is shame become where is fayth where is Catholicke obedience so many tymes bragged vpon by you wherewith you affirme boldly that you do not refuse the commauÌ„dement of any lawfull authoritie for the coÌ„futation of which wordes of yours what shall I say vnto you so much as the liues of them whoÌ„ you defend most do most of all bewray you to be a great lyar though I held my peace Chronicles and Hystories are full of examples complainyng of no one thyng more greéuously then of a certeine singular continuall and vnappeasable rebellion of this your holy order agaynst the lawfull Magistrates Call to remembraunce Osorius how discretly and humbly Pope Iohn the 12. of that name behaued him selfe who conspiryng first with Berengarius the 3. afterwardes agayne with his sonne most trayterously supported their treachery agaynst Otto the first beyng the lawfull Magistrate And how afterwardes beyng sommonned to the Councell by the Emperour he disobeyed his lawfull commaundement and refused to come And for that cause beyng deposed from his Ecclesiasticall function by the generall consent of the whole Councell did not yet so geue ouer his trayterous practizes agaynst the lawfull Maiesty Anno. 963. It would make a great Uolume to gather together all the seditions and contentions one after other that happened betwixt the Emperoures the Popes afterwardes I will here there touche and runne ouer some as many as shall suffice for the present purpose And first of all What shall I speake of Gregory the 7. of whom I can neuer speake sufficiently enough Who after that he had contrary to the auncient Decreés and receaued custome of the Elders wrested wroong out of the handes of the Emperour Henry the 4. all right of chusing the Pope of disposing the promotions of the Church of callyng Councels not satisfied as yet with this horrible treason agaynst the Imperiall Maiestie Rusheth moreouer most furiously like a brute sauadge Tyger agaynst the Emperour his own person thundereth out excommunications agaynst him dispencing with his subiectes for their Oathe of allegiance which they had sworne vnto him what shall I say that this most arrogaunt Mastigo would scarse after threé dayes admit to come within the walles of Canusium the Emperour him selfe with his Empresse and young Sonne threé dayes I say submittyng them selues bare-footed and barelegged in frost and snow at the gates of the Citie And yet beyng not herewith contented did notwithstanding not absolute him from his fault which was none at all without doing a whole yeares penauÌ„ce Besides all this the greédy Cormoraunt beyng not yet with all these reprochefull iniuries fully gorged became so monstruously madd as to prouoke by all meanes possible Rodolphe Duke of Sueâ—ia to driue him out of his Empire in the yeare 1074. Not long after this Gregory succeéded Vrbane 2. Pascalis wherof the one did teaze Conrade sonne heyre of the same Emperour by his first wife to wage warre agaynst his naturall Father the other after that Conrade was slayne enlured Henry the 5. his other sonne vnto like outrage agaynst his own Father the Emperour In the yeare 1300. O miraculous and Catholicke reuerence towardes the higher powers to speake nothyng in the meane tyme of the warres that Pascalis mainteyned agaynst Ptolome and Stephen Cursus a Romane Citizen of great power and agayne how the same Pope prouoked Anselme Archb. of Canterbury to pricke proudely and insolently agaynst Henry 1. Kyng of England After the death of the Emperour Henry the 4. succeéded in the Empire HeÌ„ry the 5. who beyng no more courteously entreated of Pascalis and Gelasius 2. and of Albert Arch. of Meniz through whose deadly practizes and infinite seditioÌ„s the Emperour beyng throughly worne out was driueÌ„ at the last to that extremitie that maugre his hart he must agreé to the Popes commaundement yeld to his will stand to his courtesie and deliueryng ouer the preéminence of the Imperiall scepter was coÌ„strained of necessitie to thrust his necke into the yoake of the Ponrificall tyranny 1122. By meanes of which submission and yeldyng of Henry 5. it is scarse credible to be spoken how monstruously these holy Fathers raysed their crestes what outragious atteÌ„ptes they practized afterwardes whereby they might bryng to passe to haue the Empire vtterly troden vnder their feéte which them selues had miserably wasted and taken out of the Emperours handes before and withall how they might reteigne vnto them selues the authoritie of the keyes of the whole Church wherof they had vnlawfully likewise dispoyled the Emperour preteÌ„ding an authoritie from aboue geuen vnto them by Christ him selfe whereby they were made Lordes my Iudges of all Churches Byshops Pastours Kyngs finally Lordes of whole ChristeÌ„dome in all causes aswell Ecclesiasticall as Temporall WhereupoÌ„ they enforced the Byshoppes to purchase their Election at the popes handestand to these keyes they annexed freé and absolute power to ordeyne dispence with and to coyne new lawes the breach and violatyng of the which must be taken for as haynous offence as if they had Sinned agaynst the holy Ghost according to the Decreé of Demasus For euen so they spake of them selues besides this also they armed them selues with those terrible gunneshottes of Excommunications of Decreés enioynyng of penaunce and cursinges and withall did rake vnto them selues a certeyne Heauenly power out of the very Heauens and exercized the same vpon the earth so that from thence forth no humane creature might be so hardy as once to mutter agaynst this new vpstart Peacocke whereupon the Decretalles of Gratian had bestowed no small plumes of gay glitteryng feathers euen now hatched and peépyng abroad at the first to establish an absolute monarchy power by the Decreés Councels of Byshops of let purpose as it were to ouerthrowe the Maiesty Imperiall Now these holy Fathers beyng thus throughly garded with this munition and engynes hauyng also subdued the highest power of the world do begyn to bende their force agaynst the Inferiour powers Potentates And first Innocent 2. choppes away at one blow the auncient order dignitie of Senatours of Rome and doth besiege Rogerius in the Castell of Gallucius in the yeare 1130. How execrable the insolency was of Alexander 3. the Cardinalles agaynst Fridericke Barbarossa agaynst whom beyng their liege Lord most worthy Emperour besides horrible thuÌ„derâ—rakes of curses they raysed all Italy and the Venetians is
doth lye in all his Bookes Hereof therefore canne not be denyed but that he writeth Bookes Or els how could he lye in his bookes if he wrote no bookes at all And yet neither did Luther in that Article affirme symply that the righteous man doth sinne in euery good worke But annexing thereunto an exception conditionall he doth qualifye the sharpenesse of the proposition expounding himselfe with the testimonies of Gregory and Augustine on this wise If God proceed in his iudgement sayth he straightly without all consideration of mercy Meaning hereby not that God should take good workes from righteous men but should despoyle works of that perfection which of it selfe were able to counteruayle the cleare iudgement of God so that the perfection of our righteousnes consist not now in doing well but in acknoledgement of our owne Imperfection and humble confessing the same For this do we heare Augustine speake Vertue sayth he wherewith man is now endued is so farre forth called perfect as the true and humble acknowledgement of mans owne imperfection ioyned with an vnfayned confession of the same doth make it to be accepted for perfect Now what poyson lurketh here I beseéch you worshippfull Syr Unlesse perhappes you thinke thus that because God doth not commaund impossibilities for this cause they that be regenerated may in this life accomplish the law of God fully and absolutely and that your selfe be of the number of them which in this life abcomplish all righteousnes throughly If you thinke thus of your selfe what better aūswere shal I make you then the same which Constantine the great did on a time nippingly to Acesius a Nouatian who denyed that such as were fallen could rise agayne by repentaunce Set vppe your Ladders quoth he and clymbe you vppe to heauen alone Acesius Furthermore where you are wont to obiect in this place impossibilitie of performing the law surely this doth not so much empaire Luthers assertion nor helpe your presumptuousnes sithence Augustine doth aunswere you sufficiently in Luthers behalfe All the cōmaūdemēts of God saith he are thē reputed to haue bene performed when whatsoeuer is left vndone is pardoned And in his booke de perfectione iustitiae debating this question whether the commaundements of God were possible to be kept he doth deny that they be possible to be kept But he affirmeth that neither in this life they be possible to be kept nor to keep them commeth of nature but of the heauenly grace But hereof hath sufficiently bene spoken already before so that it shall not beé needfull to do the thing that is done already It remayneth next now that we enter into the discourse of the holy ceremonyes decreés and ordinaunces of the Church because he complayneth for the suppressing of these also wherein what iust cause he hath to complayne shall hereby apeare If we consider duly and aright the auncient ordinaunces and determinations of the primitiue Church Amongest which auncient ordinaūces of the Church I suppose this was establshed That no man should be abridged from freédome to marry and from eating all kinde of meates fish or flesh as euery man foūd himselfe best disposed It was an auncient ordinaunce also that aswell the lay people as priestes without exception should communicate vnder both kindes the bread and the wine And that nothing should be redde in the Churches besides the scriptures Moreouer that the Scriptures should be read openly to all persons generally in their mother toūg that euery man myght vnderstād it The auncient ordinaūces of the church did neuer admit any more sacramentes then two nor widdowes vnder threéscore yeéres old nor vouchsafed any that were but newly entred into the profession to beare any rule in the congregation nor any els but such as were knowne both godly and prayseworthy aswell for the soundnesse of theyr doctrine as for the continuall course of their liues It was an especiall prouiso of the auntient discipline that no one person should haue any more Cures the◠one nor should receiue out of any Church any greater contribution then should seéme sufficient for necessaryes onely and not to mayntayne prodigality and lust It was also an auncient custome amongst the elders that the newly professed should be applied to reading of lessones and singinge onely And the Priestes in the meane time should apply preaching of the word Amongest other aūciēt ordinaūces that Canon of the counsell of Nyce seémeth worthy to be placed here which prouided that the ouersight of all other churches should beé committed to threé or foure patriarches equally in such wise as that no preheminence of superiority should be amongst them but all to be equall in dignity Adde vnto this the generall discipline of the church which did not hang vpon one mans sleéue onely but was exercised indifferently in all places agaynst all notorions offences without respect of persons Now therefore where Osorius complayneth that the ordinaunces of the auntient and primitiue Church are taken away abolished herein he doth not amisse So do many godly personages more beside Osorius complayne very bitterly of the same But in the meane space I do maruaile much what monstruous deuise this Byshoppe coyneth agaynst vs who neither liketh with the abolishing of the auncient customes of the primitiue Church nor can in any respect disgest those men which do endeuour and desire onely to haue a generall reformation For to saye the trueth whereunto tendeth all the endeuour of those men whome Osorius here wringeth vpon so sharpely but that those auntient decreés and ordinaunces wherewith the Church of Christ was endued at the first might recouer agayne theyr former dignity from which they haue bene lamentably reiected If they could bring this to passe by any meanes nothing coulde please them better But if their harty desires attayne not wished Successe no men are more to be blamed for it Osorius then you your selues who vnder a deceauable and craftie vysor of antiquity practize earnestly and busily alwayes that no Monumēt of auncient antiquitie may remaine but haue forged vs a certeine new face of an vpstart Church with certeine straunge and newfangled Decreés and Decretalles which the true and auncient antiquitie if were alyue agayne would neuer acknowledge otherwise then as misbegotten Bastardes But to proceéde this Rhetoricall amplificatiō waxeth more hotte yet in more choler Moreouer neither contēted sayth he with the lamentable desolatiō of these thynges ye haue dispoyled mā of all freedome of will and haue bounde fast with a certeine fatall and vnauoydable Necessitie all the actoins and imaginations of men be they good and godly or be the perillous and pernitious cōtrary to Nature Reason and the law of God c. Touchyng the freédome of mans will and that fatall necessitie as Osorius tearmeth it bycause aunswere sufficient is made already before It shall be neédelesse to protract the Reader with a new repetition of matters spoken already To be brief and
discrete man admitt any such person to be Iudge And yet I stand not so much vpon a Iudge herein This one thing doe I wishe onely that with the obiections of our aduersaryes our aunsweres may be heard with indifferency And I assure you if I could preuayle with wishing I would desire nothing more hartely then that the renowned king of Portingall Sebastian a prince of excellent Maiesty sith I suppose verely that the arbitriment detreminatiō iudgement of this cause doth concerne Christian Princes chiefly would vouchsafe of his singular clemēcy according to the aunciēt Lawes of Athens to geue eare indifferently to both cause and to lend his princely eares but euen a litle whiles not vnto me but to the cause it selfe whereof I shall entreate I would not doubt his highnes being iudge but that I would easely iustify that all whatsoeuer the Catholickes doe alledge at this day for their antiquitye are but bare bragges And that with vs remaineth nothing wherein they may iustly condemne vs of Nouelty And in this behalfe I can not wonder enough what came into Osorius minde to exact of vs a warrant of our Nouelty seing that of his owne Antiquitye he can yeald vs no manner of warrant at all But let vs harken a while to those notable reasons of our aduersaryes wherewith they doe defend their Antiquitye which being throughly confuted we will presently proceéde to the argumentes which they doe obiect agaynst our new masters of this new Gospell as they terme it There is a principle in the ciuill Lawe The lawes sayth they are fauorable to the party in possession in a title of prescription Yf prescription of fifty yeares doe cleane cut of all chalenge what shall be sayd then of them which affirme their continued possession in doctrine a thousand yeares and more By the same prescription of time say they the priestes of the old lawe did chalenge vnto themselues a lawfull right to sit in Moyses chayre Ergo Mans lawe doth adiudge no man a wrōgfull dissensor being able to prescribe fifty yeares possession Aunswere The priestes of the old lawe doe chalenge a right to sitt in Moyses chaire in respect of the continued prescription of time I doe confesse this to be true in deede And yet this prescription notwithstanding the Lord did call the very same priestes theéues and murtherers Agayne touching their allegation of the wrongfull disseisor by lawe and prescription of time I doe aunswere In the ciuill lawe this is true in deéd but not so in Gods lawe And yet there is also a rule in the ciuill lawe A wrōgfull disseisor shall not ohtayne though he prescribe neuer so long continuance of possession Agayne An ordinaunce begunne wickedly at the first is not sayd to be allowable for prescriptiō of tyme. But as concerning Gods lawe there be many notable testimonies of most worthy personages which disproue the same for an vntrueth Namely emongest all others the saying of Augustine chiefly The veritye being discouered custome must geue place to trueth let no man preferre custome before reason and trueth because reason and trueth doe alwayes exclude custome And Gregory Yf you pretend custome sayth he you must note what the Lord sayth I am the way the trueth and the lyfe He doth not say I am custome doughtles euery custome though neuer so auncient though neuer so generall must geue place to the trueth Emongest whome also heare what Cyprian doth say If Christ onely must be harkened vnto sayth he we may not regard what any other did thinke conuenient to be done before our time but what Christ hath done first who is aboue all other For we ought not to followe the custome of men but the trueth of God for as much as the Lord spake by the month of his Prophet Esay and sayd They worshippe me in vayne teaching the doctrines and tradicions of men Moreouer whereas themselues knowe this rule to be infallible that no custome shall prescribe agaynst the prince how much rather ought it be sayd no time or custome shall prescribe agaynst God Otherwise what shall we say of Antichrist which because he hath possessed his Seé more then an hundreth yeares shall he therfore not be accounted for Antichrist for his title of prescription Hitherto therefore the reasons wherewith the Catholickes do maintayne their Antiquitye are declared It remaineth now that we purge our selues of the cryme of Nouelty fasly obbraydid agaynst vs by Osorius especially sith Osorius doth vrge vs so earnestly thereunto wherein I would gladly conferre with that indifferent and vpright reader whome earst I spake of or with any other Catholicke man who hath any sparke of sound and vpright iudgement And I would enquire of him first his iudgement vpon this poynt of doctrine whereas we beleue and professe that our nature euen from our first creation is so vtterly lost and forlorne that in our selues remaineth no helpe at all to rise agayne without Christ agayne that Christ the sonne of God taking our nature vpon him hath made so perfect satisfaction for our sinnes that there remayneth nothing wherein his deseruings haue not sufficiently enough satisfied for all generall yea for the sinnes of the whole world Moreouer that these his merites are so by wonderfull dispensation spread abroad with ouerflowing plenty vppon all mankinde through the singuler and inestimable benefitte and mercy of God that a freé passage is made wide open for all miserable wretches penitent sinners being endued with fayth to haue freé accesse vnto Christ and so layd open as that freély through fayth without all merites of ours without all the works of the lawe they be pardoned and accepted vpon this poynt I say I would fayne heare the opinion of the godly and Catholicke Reader whether this Assertiō hane any maner of Nouelty in it which hath not proceéded from Christ himselfe from Saynt Paule frō the holy Ghost and from the sacred word of God I thinke no man will say so What meaneth this That where the same scripture doth teach vs to repose all our affyaunce not in workes but in Christ onely grounding our selues in the meane space assuredly vpon the infallible promise of God whereof we haue no mistrust but that he which promised freely the same will performe most faithfully not for any our sake but for hys Sonnes sake onely in whom we do beleue so that now there be no reason els of any our righteousnesse in the sight of God then through fayth onely Let the Godly and vpright Reader iudge here agayne with me what Nouelty or Sacriledge is in this manner of Doctrine If according to the authority of Tertullian that thing ought to be preferred that was first diliuered I will aske again of any indifferēt Reader whether this custome were receyued in the Church first namely that we should acknowledge one onely Aduocate and Mediator of God and men the man Christ Iesus Or
full mouth so much The olde Cannons that are called the Canons of the Apostles doe with wonderfull seueritye manace and threaten them who frequenting the Church hearing the preachings doe sequester themselues from receauing the Communion On this wise did Pope Calixt who would doe nothing without the Censures ecclesiasticall exhort and perswade all men to communicate publiquely together wheresoeuer the supper of the Lorde was ministred The wordes of Ierome be in each respect no lesse euident The Supper of the Lord sayth he ought to be generall to all because Christ himselfe did equally distribute the Sacrament to all his disciples that were present And how doth this geare agreé with the celebrating of your priuate Masses The same Canons prouided that the Byshop should be deposed which would ioyne a ciuill office with a spirituall fūction The same also did Pope Clement detest as horrible haynousnes And what doth the Pope then meane by that newe power of both swordes is it because he will be armed to fight a new combate with the Dragon that fought agaynst the Aungel Michaell Many yeares sithence did the Councell of Carthage forbid that nothing should be read in the Churche but the Canonicall Scriptures Which Scriptures Iustiniā the Emperour commaunded to be vttered with a lowd audible voyce that the people might gather some fruite thereby If Antiquitie of time or authoritye of Councels could haue obtayned any creditt amongest the Romanistes the olde councell Elibertine did decreé that nothing should be paynted in the Church that might be an occasion to moue the people to worshippyng So did also Epiphanius that aūcient Father accoūt it for an intollerable sacriledge yf any man would be so hardy as to set vp in Churches of Christians any kinde of Image yea though it were the Image of Christ himselfe The Auncient Fathers were no lesse godly zelous then zelously studious to perswade enduce the people to the Readyng of holy Scriptures and to the buying of Bookes of the same that emongest themselues euery one in his seuerall familye wyues with their husbands children with their parentes the plowgh man at the plowe the weauers in their Loomes women and maydens spinning and carding might debate of the holy Scriptures and sing some sonets and songes of the same as Origen Chrisostome and Ierome do testifie It was not tollerable in the time of Augustine that A Moūck should idely cōsume his time in slouth and sluggishnes or should vnder visor and pretence of holynes lyue vpon an other mans trencher but by the sweate of his owne browes such a one also Appollonius also doth lyken to a theéfe There was an auncient custome of this Land instituted from the auncient fathers that no person should appeale to the Pope for any cause without the kings leaue at what time our kings yelded to the popes no submission at all Whereupon when Anselme did deliuer the Popes letters to the king What haue we to do sayd the king with the Popes letters we will not breake the lawes of our kingdome Whosoeuer shall presume to infring the Custome of our Realme the some is a traytor to our Crowne and dignitye he that doth take away our Crowne from vs is an enemy and Traytor to our owne person There was an ordinaunce sometime within the Realme no lesse profitable then auncient That if any man did possesse two Benefices at one time bearing charge of sowle especially the same should be depriued from both And this ordinaunce continued so long in force vntill the Pope with his medley of dispensation innouating all thinges and turning all thinges vpsydowne after his owne lust and pleasure did leaue nothing in Churches that had any smatch of Antiquitye And no maruell though he were so malapertly sawcy with the Lawes of our Realme when as in the last Councell holden at Trydent skarcely 24. yeares sithence by publique authoritye and consent of the whole Councell an Edict was established that no person should enioy two benefices at once this Cannon notwithstanding there is so litle regard of authoritye of that Councell emongest these Prelates that a mā may easily seé now a dayes many Monasteries two Byshopprickes yea sometimes threé or fowre swallowed vp into one paunch all at one tyme. The same may be verified of the Coūcels of Cōstance and Basile Where though many matters were determined vpon wickedly enough this decreé notwithstanding was published being good and profitable for the Church That generall Councells assembled together by lawfull Sommons were and ought to be esteémed better and higher in authoritye then the Pope And yet this decreé sone razed out by the power of the Pope how quickly was it dispatcht so farforth doth nothyng delight these fine heads of Rome that whether it be old or new nothyng can please them but that which is for their owne toothe Wherein I would wishe that Osorius would marke diligently this one thing sithence this Seé doth conuey her lawfull discent not frō any decreés of mē but frō christ himselfe as he affirmeth what doe these Fathers of the Coūcell of Constance and Basile meane by this decreé Wherein they commaunded that the Romishe Seé should be gouerned by the generall Councells Now what may be spoken or imagined of the Prouisiones Reseruations yearely penciōs Pardons Priuiledges Exemptions Dispensations Graces Preuentions Expectatiues Palles Uisitations and other lyke snares and trappes of that Romishe Seé what shall we number these trinketts also emongest thother sacred Reliques receaued in that Apostolique age aboue xv hundreth yeare sithence I come now more neare vnto those partes of Religiō wherin all the glory and vaunte of your Antiquitye triumpheth chiefly And first that doctrine of Trāsubstantiatiō your onely Goddesse and chiefe vpholder of that your popish kingdome From whence did it issue and who was the author of it before Pope Innocent 3. in the Councell of Lateran not many yeares ago At what tyme the consecrated hoste was commaunded to cast away all her nature of Bread or at least before Nicholas 2. and his Successor Hildebrand in a Councell holden at Rome at what Councell Berengarius was forced to Recant And why were not Pope Gelasius Theodoret Augustine Tertullian Origen Eusebius and with them also the whole Greéke Churche cited to Recant For the same error of Berengarius Why was not the Church of Moskouites compelled to abiure which from thence euen to this day doe minister the Communion with bread broken and distributed in deéde but not consecrated into the body of the Lord To passe ouer other Churches why was not all this Church of Saxons in our kingdome condemned for hereticall which maintayned the same cause that Berengarius did as of late hath bene declared by certeine auncient Recordes lately found out emongest vs in the Saxons tongue Although this opinion of consecrated bread beganne to sparckes◠abroad not many yeares agoe after the Councell of Nice the second
For this is almost the whole strength substaunce of their defence And I am not ignoraunt how plausibly this probable shew glittereth in the eyes of vnskilfull and vnlettered people For so do Philosophers define Probabilitie to be such as seémeth probable either to all men or many or at the least to wise personages But in heauenly thyngs ought a farre other maner of cōsideration be had For if we grounde our selues vpon many we are taught by Christ himselfe That many are called but few are chosen And agayne in an other place That his flocke is a very litle flocke And afterwardes he demaundeth If when the Sonne of mā shall come whether he shall finde any Faith vpō the earth Neither are those thyngs alwayes best wt delight many Agayne if we shall depend vpon the Iudgemēt of the wise we heare likewise the same Lord him selfe geuing thākes vnto his Father that he had hiddē those thinges frō the prudent and wise of this world and reuealed them to litle ones And agayne we read in Paul The wisedome of this world is very foolishnes with God And therfore where as they would haue the Church to be placed on high apparaūt to the view of all the world truly they Iudge not amysse herein namely if they meane of the preaching of the word And yet this is no good Argumēt notwithstādyng that euery Citie vaūced on highest hill shall be forthwith esteémed the true church of God or els what shall be sayd to that famous great City mētioned in the Apocalips Which was foreprophecied should be built not vpon the Toppe of on hill onely but vpon seuen hills Or what shall we Iudge of that exceédyng wondering and worshyppyng of so many Nations so reuerētly hūbled to that Beast whose marcke it is sayd that small and great young and old riche and poore freemen and bondmen yea and those in noumber not a fewe but vniuersally all shall be marked withall in their right handes and in their foreheades Uerely if common sence and consent of people do make a Church where was euer a greater consent or more well likyng and greater admiration of fautours and frendes But they say that the cōsent cōmunitie of their Church is vniuersall Catholick which may not erre by any meanes Now let vs seé how they proue it The Apostle say they in his Epistles did greatly cōmēde the fayth of the Romaine Church This is true Peter also did both consecrate the same to be a See and instruct it in the Fayth I am in dought of this But what hereof After the Apostles tyme many of the Apostles Disciples say they learned Doctours and holy Martyrs Ignatius Irenaeus Cyprian Tertulliā Augustine and all that auncient age of graue Fathers did alwayes most gloriously esteeme of this Church Is there any more yet In the tyme of Basile Nazienzene Chrisostome the Church of Rome was not onely had in highest estimation but also was diuers tymes sought vnto for counsell and ayde neither will I deny this to be true couple herewith if you will that whē other Churches were tossed and turmoyled euery where with Schismes and rent in sunder with seditious factions no one Church besides stoode so long in so quiet a calme not assaulted with any such contētious sectes or variable opiniōs which did not a litle aduaunce the estimation of the Church and gate it no small authoritie Go to and what shal be concluded at the last out of all this For sooth The Church of Rome whiles it reteigned the sounde doctrine and simplicitie of the Fayth was commended of the holy Fathers by the name of a Catholicke and an Apostolicke Church Ergo The Church of Rome is the head and Metropolitane Church of all other Churches which hath neuer hetherto swarued from the true tracke of the truth nor shall euer erre vnder the which all other Churches must be subiect of very necessitie the cōmaundement wherof is an haynous obstinacie to disobey From the which to depart is manifest Schisme agaynst the which to resist and stand is playne heresie all the cōmaundements whereof to sweare obedience vnto is the surest way of sauety moreouer also a very necessary Article of eternall Saluation You do seé I suppose the whole force and subtiltie of your Catholicke cutted Enthymeme Whereof if you will seé a right proportion it is this The Church of Rome was allowed of the holy Apostles or the most auncient Fathers and all the most approued Doctours of the Church for Catholicke and Apostolicke But our Church is the Church of Rome Ergo Our Church is approued for Catholicke and Apostolicke by the consent of all the godly First we aunswere to the Maior proposition The auncient primitiue Church of Rome was approued by the famous cōsent of the learned for Catholicke and Apostolicke Peraduenture it was so yet was not this Church of Rome accompted so alone nor yet to this end so accompted bycause it should be the vniuersall Church of all other Churches For this will forthwith be gayne sayd by the Councels of Nice Mileuitane and by Pope Gregory and all the learned Deuines of that age vntill the cōmyng of Boniface 3. Moreouer neither was it for that cause so famously commended with so great consent bycause it was the Church of Rome but bycause it was a Christian Church Neither for any prerogatiue of the place though Peter sate there a thousand tymes For euen this also will an aūcient Pope Gregory deny as appeareth euidently by the Decreés Neither the places nor the dignities do make vs more acceptable to our Creatour but either our good deedes doe couple vs vnto him or our euill deedes do exclude vs frō him Moreouer not bycause it can prescribe an ordinary Succession of Byshops For Ierome also will not admit this They be not children of holy ones forthwith sayth he that occupie the possessiō of the holy ones but they that practize the workes of the holy ones But bycause with the Succession of Byshops they did ioyne agreable profession in true Religion bycause they did apply them selues to imitate the Fayth Religion and order of worshyppyng instituted by the Apostles bycause they did not varry frō well ordered Churches in any part of sounde doctrine For this cause I say namely for their sincere vnstayned Fayth and constaunt vprightenes of Religion not defiled with filthy stenche of erroneous doctrine the Church of Rome obteined of the auncient godly Fathers to haue a place amongest the Catholicke Apostolicke Churches But what is this O ye Apostolicke Princes to this your Romish Church in the state that it is now in the disorderous order whereof as it is at this day reuelyng with Cardinalles riotyng in Court glorified with this title of Uniuersall head garnished with tripple Crowne garded with the double sword magnified with Patriarches and innumerable other titles of dignitie armed with Abbottes mounted with Mounkes saluted
were not partaker of the spoyle did not onely winke at them but authorize them also by her owne Bulles so to do Agayne when these felowes Tecelius Wympine were gone to what purpose was Cardinall Caietane posted abroad in the yeare 1518 who in in the Councell of Augusta might reuiue the same opinions agayne and force Luther who had already confuted these abuses by open Disputation to recante And how will Osorius his defence now hang together with these practizes of his Pope denying vtterly that these Pardones were neuer scattered abroad by the consent of that holy mother Churche If it be true that the Church did not so what did that forme of Commission vsually geuen from the Seé of Rome emporte the tenour whereof was this He that soweth niggardly shall reape sparely but he that soweth bountyfull shall reape aboundauntly vnto life euerlastyng And agayne what meaneth this We do exhorte you all generally in the Lord do enioyne you vpoÌ„ payne of Remission of your Sinnes that of the goodes that God hath geueÌ„ you ye enlarge bouÌ„tifully your charitable deuotion vnto theÌ„ c. For these wordes were euery where scattered abroad by Maisters of Hospitalles Which what is it els theÌ„ to set vp a commoÌ„ Marte and moneybancke of remission of sinnes which is due to Fayth not to workes and which the Scripture willeth by all meanes possible to be freé and what is it els then as Chrisostome sayth to turne the forme of worshippyng and prayer into an occasion of wicked buyeng and sellyng But Osorius will cite vs forthwith to the Tridentine Councell wherein these Markettes of Pardons were after a sort mitigated with a certeine quallification Uery well But how much better had the Fathers of that Councell prouided if they had vtterly abrogated not the Markettes of Pardons onely but the very Pardons them selues out of all ChristiaÌ„ CongregatioÌ„s Regions But these Fathers now fosteryng continually this frettyng Fistula within the Bowels of the Christian common weale thinke they haue besturred them selues gayly if they foreseé not that the caÌ„ker may be throughly cured and kept from crawlyng any farther but that it be suppressed aloft and so suffred to creépe more closely below that is to say that men may freély now and withoâ—t money plunge their soules into hell But what is this to the purpose whether Pardons be put to sale or not put to sale For this is not in questioÌ„ now whether Pardoners may be abridged of their bold presumptioÌ„ but the question coÌ„cerneth Pardons theÌ„ selues not whether they ought to be sold but whether they may be tollerable how freé soeuer they be whether it be consonaunt to Christian Fayth or lawfull by the authoritie of the Scriptures for the Pope of Rome to make any kynde of choppyng and chaungyng with mens peltyng Pardons for the redeémyng of mens Sinnes I speake of those Pardons that are now in vse not such as were deliuered by the auncient Fathers For the Church had alwayes her Consistories and Iudiciall Courtes wherein for notorious offences certeine publique chastisement was ministred the Greékes called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we call theÌ„ Canonicall Satisfactions The rigour of the Church did vse many tymes to quallifie or acquite by releases pardons as occasion did serue accordyng to the qualitie of tymes places persons offences As if a man had reuolted froÌ„ the Fayth of Christ wtout any cause which kinde of backsliding was not thought worthy to be receaued to mercy in the primitiue Church yet afterwardes some courtesie was extended vnto such as repented them of the same and shewed them selues hartly sorrowfull for the same and such were enioyned to penaunce by the space of 12. yeares as appeareth by the 11. Canon of the Nicene Councell Wemen that either would procure vntymely birthes before they were borne or would murther their childreÌ„ beyng borne were by the same Canon excluded froÌ„ the CongregatioÌ„ for euer After this ensued the 21. Canon of the Councell of Antycira Which moderatyng the auncient censure with lenitie did prescribe vnto such wemen tenne yeares penaunce If a man had committed manslaughter by chauncemedley the same accordyng to the auncient Canon was enioyned seuen yeares penaunce which afterwardes thorough gentler mitigation of the same Councell was abridged to fiue yeares penaunce by the 22. Canon At the Councell of Agathe was a Canon made which was in noumber the 37. speakyng on this wise The auncient Fathers did enioyne a greuous payne vpon such as forsooke their Fayth whom we abridgyng the noumber of yeares doe enioyne onely two yeares penaunce We read in Eusebius that a certeine Bysh. returnyng with teares to the Church froÌ„ the heretique Nouatus was receaued into the CoÌ„gregatioÌ„ the whole Congregation makyng earnest Supplication for him contrary to the order of the Canons Cyprian reporteth that the Martyrs of his tyme consideryng the earnest amendement of lyfe in certeine PeniteÌ„tiaries and perceauyng the tyme of their penaunce limited vnto them by the Church to draw neare to an end obteined by their earnest petitions made to the Elders of the Church that they releasing some part of their penaunce might receaue them into the Congregation agayne as reconciled notwithstanding their satisfactions beyng not fully accomplished And the Reason of this Pardon doth the 5. Canon of the CouÌ„cell of Antycira declare A Byshop sayth the Canon ought to haue this prerogatiue as that he may vpon consideration of the demeanour of Penitenciaries become somewhat more tractable and either quallifie the rigour of the penaunce or aggrauate the censure as he shall thinke conuenient and as necessitie shall require So also in the Nicine Councell the 5. Canon Let them stand excommunicate sayth the Canon vntill either the Congregation or the Byshop shall thinke it conuenient to mitigate the tyme of their penaunce Thus much I thought not amisse by the way to note brieflye of the maner of publique penauÌ„ce and Canonicall satisfactions exercised in the olde Church To the end it may more fullye appeare by what meanes those auncient ordinaunces of publique penauÌ„ce did first decay and were abolished in the Popes church and how by litle and litle certayne new Satisfactions were crept in thrust in place For albeit this name of Satisfactions be of some auncienty yet were Satisfactions exercised farre otherwise in the auncient Church then they are now in dayly practise in the Popes Church For in the Primitiue Church such satisfactions were enioyned as publicke penaunce for publicke offeÌ„ces only But your Popes CoÌ„fessioners do enioyne satisfactory penaunces for certayne priuate and secret sinnes The first sort were neuer ministred but in presence of the congregation onely to serue for outward Discipline onely and not to redeéme the wrath of God for their sins by way of satisfiyng and the cause why they were called Satisfactions was because they did satisfy the opinioÌ„ of the congregatioÌ„ in
conuey ouer by tradicion to the Posteritye afterwardes neither is any question made here whether Christ after he had taken bread and the cupp did say that it was his body and his bloud but whether the bread which the Priest doth offer in his Masse be really and substantially and in trueth of nature the body of Christ which himselfe hath appoynted and ordeyned to be offred in his Church by thapostles and their successors as Priestes of the new Testament for a dayly expiation of sinnes This foule absurdity whereas we and the whole consent of the Scripture doe vtterly deny you ought to haue deliuered cleare from inconuenience which as yet you haue not done out of Irene Although he doe make mention of a new oblation of a new Testament yet this doth not argue notwithstanding that either Christ should be supposed to offer him selfe at his last supper or that the Priest should be imagined to make a dayly Sacrifice in his Masse for sinnes w̄t the selfe same body wherein he suffered his Passion once vpon the Crosse for the sinnes of the world In deéde Irene doth tearme it by the name of an oblation And it is true so is it also many tymes called of many of the auncient Fathers Neither doe we mislyke the word nor yet doe abbridge the ecclesiasticall writers from libertye to frequent their Metaphors and hyperbolicall speéches as lyketh them best Howbeit the Scripture doth not acknowledge any such wordes Neuerthelesse sith it pleaseth them to accustome themselues with such speéches lett them vse this name of oblation a gods name and call this an oblation which we doe call the Eucharist we contend not about words it is the matter it selfe that we stand vpon The auncient Fathers because they seé a Communion instituted in rembraunce of the Lordes Sacrifice doe call it by the name of a Sacrifice by the same reason wherby they doe vsually ascribe vnto signes the names and effectes of the thinges signified These Catholickes on the contrary side doe cry out and exclame that he is an Heretique that will dare to say that the Sacrifice of the Masse is a bare memoriall of the Sacrifice of Christ accomplished vpon the Crosse. Neither thinke this to be sufficient that it be reputed as a memoriall but besides this bare memoriall they proceéde yet to his outrage that they endowe it also with the very power and effectuallnesse of the Lords Sacrifice so that whereas the passion of Christ is the onely meritorious cause of our redemption yet will they shamefully attribute the whole efficacye and operatiō of that inestimable benefitt to the Masse and in that respect they dare presumptuously commaund it to be called a sacrifice not a Sacramentall or a memoriall sacrifice but an Expiatory Propietatory sacrifice that I may be so bold to speake their owne tearmes And allthough they doe not deny that all our whole perfection doth proceéde frō the onely oblatiō of Christ Yet because this perfection is not made so absolutely perfect by the vertue and grace of Baptisme but that after our regeneration by grace we slippe and fail many tymes into many offensiue bypathes in this transitorye lyfe they doe affirme that this Sacrifice of the Church was prouided for a medicine to solue all those soares amperinges out of the fleshe as a restoratiue not onely to them that receaue it but very medictable for the quick for the dead also as though forsooth the merites of Christes bloud could not heale our woūdes without this minglemangle of these Satisfactory druggs How trymly this iugglyng doctrine doth agreé with the naturall proportioned squarier of the Scriptures let others Iudge as they liste I for my part that do now then exercise my tyme in the conference readyng of Scriptures auncient writers do verily iudge that these notorious Maximes can not by any meanes be of any importaunce except we plucke vppe our fayth by the rootes and banish cleane away the very sinowes and marrow of the sacred Scriptures For whereas the whole doctrine of Christes Gospell hath established all the treasure and riches of Gods promises yea Christ him selfe wholy withall his deseruyngs in fayth onely what shall remayne thē for this Sacrifice but that it represent vnto vs a memory remembraunce of the Lordes death onely and for this cause taketh the denomination of an oblation by the testimony of Irene and others The holy and sacred monumentes of aunciēt Doctours be full of Testimonies which do playnly declare that the Euchariste is not an oblation properly but is called an Oblation in respect that it is a memoriall of Christes oblation performed once vpon the Crosse. Furthermore as concernyng the application that it is ministred not by any other outward Instrument them by the preachyng of the Gospell of Christ and the dispensation of his Sacramentes and that the benefitt thereof is receaued by none other meane then by force of fayth onely Now therefore let vs first heare Irene as it were expoūdyng him selfe We doe offer vnto God sayth he the first fruites of his creatures with thankesgeuing He declareth that out of those first fruites of Gods creatures the substaūce therof was taken which was cōsecrated into the body bloud of Christ. And in this respect he doth call the whole action of the Minister an oblation And agayne emongest other thynges treatyng of the oblation of the new Testament he willeth vs also to offer a gift at the Altar cōtinually and dayly Therfore sayth he there is an Altar in heauen and thither must our prayers and oblations be directed c. First if the Church doe offer vnto God a gift of his owne creature I suppose now that ye Catholicke children will not affirme that the Chruch doth offer the Sonne of God then Moreouer if our Altar be in heauē as Irene did truly say to what purpose shall these Altares stand in the Church whenas we are taught to direct the Sacrifices of our supplicatiōs to the Altar not these stony Altares in the Churches but to that heauenly Altar that is in heauen Moreouer what shall we say to Ambrose who treatyng of Uirginitie was not afrayed to call the Uirgines hartes by the name of Altares in the which Christ was dayly offred And hereunto accordeth the Iudgemēt of Chrisostome The gift of the Gospell sayth he doth ascend on high without bloud without smoake without an Altar and without other the like c. So also Ierome Euery faythfull person hath an Altar within him selfe which is fayth Augustine likewise The Sacrifice of the new Testament is when we do offer cleane and pure Altares of our hartes in the presence of Gods maiestie And the second Councell of Nyce We Christians do scarsely know what is an Altar and what is an oblation Agreable to the Testimonies before recited is the notable and playne Testimonie of Eusebius We do sacrifice sayth he and do
Queéne despising those franticke furies of broylyng Bulles and crauyne curses would banish this proud Tarquine from out their kyngdomes territories Which if they did it were not to be doughted but that the publique tranquillitie of all Christian Nations would enioy a farre more ioyfull countenaunce of freédome and concorde And yet I speake not this to the end that I would haue godly Prelates dispossessed from their dignitie or would wish their authoritie empayred the value of a rush S. Paule doth not in vayne admonish vs to yeld double honour to Byshops and Rulers of the Church but with this prouiso annexed to witte if they rule well if they do labour mightely in doctrine and preachyng But what prerogatiue can the Romish Byshop clayme from hence more then any other particular Byshop The Pope hath his owne Prouince lett him guide that as well as he caÌ„ lett him not encroche vpon others nor hawke for hawtyer Titles of honour then beseémeth his function The Ecclesiasticall dignitie is a ministery not an Empyre a charge and a burden rather then a Lordlynes or superioritie wherein he that will presume to rule the roaste ouer others must looke aduisedly to him selfe first that he gouerne well that he labour mightely in the word doctrine If the Byshops and Priestes be not negligent and retchelesse in their owne dutyes they shall neuer be defrauded of their due honour and dutyfull obedience nor euer were denyed therof For eueÌ„ for this cause that valiauÌ„t kyng of England Constantine that noble Emperour Theodosius that famous Ludouicke Pius the French kyng and other like Princes did esteéme highely of good and godly Christian Ministers and obeyed them which instructed them in the word of God did enure them selfes to their godly exhortations as the Emperour Valentinian doth report euen as to wholesome potioÌ„s and medicinable restoratiues Euen so Theodosius beyng excluded from partakyng the holy Communion by Ambrose did most modestly obay The same Theodosius also beyng determined to exercize cruell reuenge against the Thessalonians and beyng counsayled by Ambrose that in geuyng sentence vpon lyfe and death he would take breath pause by the space of xxx dayes least in rage and fury he should accomplish that whereof he might afterwardes repent him did willyngly and obediently submitt him selfe to the graue exhortation of the godly Father Semblably many other notable Potentates also in many great and weighty matters did humbly yeld to the sweéte persuations of such as were farre their inferioursâ— Princes for the preseruation of their health do obay the direcâ—â—â—n of their Phisitions In the lawes positiue they be guided and ledd by the conduct of the Lawyers And yet for all this such subiectes do not cease to be subiectes still neither refuse their due obedience to their liege Lordes and Gouernours It happeneth oftentymes that the maister will be aduised by his seruauÌ„t and the husband guided by the discretion of the wife yet ceaseth not therefore the Maister to be Maister nor the Husband to be head ouer his Wife As in all well ordered common weales be Maior alties Bayliwickes and many degreés of Officers which doe seuerally employ their functions for the preseruation of common societie yet must there be one onely soueraigne emongest them of some greater couÌ„tenaunce who by his wisedome and authoritie may guide the inferiour Magistrates and bridle the insolency of the rude multitude But the Catholickes doe deny that the Catholicke Church ought to be subiect to this authority If vnder the name of Church they do comprehend the ordinaunces and ceremonies wherewith the Church is administred they do speake truly In deéde the word of God the Articles of doctrine and of fayth the administration of the Sacramentes and the discretioÌ„ of byndyng and excoÌ„municatyng is not attempered by the regiment and commaundement of Princes nor doth the Ciuile Magistrate entermedle with the administration of any of these thyngs But if they meane the personages of men who are exercized in this holy function or the charge dispositioÌ„ of particular matters that are incideÌ„t to the Ministery they do say vntruly for as much as there is no Ciuile potentate vnto whoÌ„ is not coÌ„mitted the order gouernement of all members of the coÌ„mon weale indifferently as well Ministers Preachers of the word as all other inferiour Magistrates Subiectes Otherwise the doctrine of Paule were in vayne Let euery soule submit it selfe to the higher power the truth whereof is to be Iustified by the most approued exaÌ„ples of both the old and new Testamentes If we begyn at Moyses who supplyed the office of a Ciuile Magistrate and from him descend to all the Ages of our owne Emperours Potentates Emongest all which Magistrates we shall finde none but hath receaued by Gods commaundement the gouernement of Ecclesiasticall persones aswell as of Ciuile Magistrates as inferiour Subiectes It would require a long discourse to treate throughly of all the names and gouernementes of Emperours and Ciuile Potentates To make a brief rehearsall of the chiefest First in the old Testament how many examples are extaunt of such Princes â—s do prescribe ceremonies for the Tabernacle which doe fetche backe agayne the Arke of the couenauÌ„t which make holy Sonettes and Psalmes Rule ouer Priestes builde Churches moreouer do cleanse them agayne after they were defiled do ouerthrow Temples Altares reforme abuses which also sometymes doe pronounce exhortations to the people touchyng the worshyppyng of God do aduertise the Priestes of their dutyes and ordeyne lawes for them to guide their lyues by which appoint Orders and obseruations in the Church which doe kill wicked Prophetes yea and many tymes also doe prophecy in their owne persones In the new Testament lykewise how many examples are to be seéne in the recordes of the best ages of kinges and Monarches who within their owne Territories and dominions haue ordayned godly and learned Byshoypes to rule ouer prouinces and haue deposed such as haue bene vnworthye haue suppressed the riott and insolencye of Priestes who haue not onely Sommoned Synodes and Councells of Byshops but do sitt emongest them geue sentence with them yea prescribe orders vnto them which they shall obay are presidents ouer their Councells doe depose hereticall Byshoppes which geue iudgement vpon matters of Religion which doe sett downe articles pronounce sentence disanull the opinions of heretiques and ratifie the Doctrine of the Catholicke fayth If the most auncieÌ„t and most Christian kinges Emperors did not entermeddle heretofore in all these causes the report of Historyes is false If our kinges and Queénes doe the lyke at this present what cause hath Osorius to frett and fume If the charge of Religion and Religious persons doe not pertayne to the ciuill pollicye in any respect surely Constantine did not behaue himselfe discretely who in his owne person decyded the causes and controuersies of Byshopps which did appeale to his Maiestye entermedled his authoritye in
nor vndertaken of any ranckor or malice nor supported with earthly treasure but to haue bene furthered and encreased by the speciall prouidence of almighty God Neither is it to be doubted if it had bene a pollicy of man onely and not rather the speciall appoyntment of the heauenly Father but that it could neuer haue bene able to haue endured and proceéded in so prosperous a course agaynst your so great and vnmeasurable Tyranny and agaynst so many conspyring confederates of factious furies Which onely successe if the Testimonies of holy scripture can not otherwise preuayle with you and the conduct of Gods mercy which guideth the stearne together with the prophecies and foreshewings which were apparauntly pronounced before the comming of Luther whereof many tokens sent from aboue are mentioned in the Chronicles of the Abbot of vsperge and in the booke entituled Staurosticon Iohannis Frauncisci and Picus Mirandula might haue bene good presidentes vnto you Osorius to instruct you that this Gospell is not the Gospell of Luther of Zuinglius of Bucer nor of Caluine ne yet of men as you prattle and lye but the Gospell of God and that the preachers were not raised vpp by Sathan as your impiety doth blaspheme but sent from an other founder namely the very same who in S. Iohns Reuelation is called by this name the word of God vpon whose Garment and vpon whose thigh is written King of kings and Lord of Lordes Out of whose mouth issueth a sharpe two edged sword agaynst the which neither all the confederate coūcels of the wicked nor Hell gates themselues shal be able to preuayle But to proceéde of the selfe same stampe is that slaunderous cauillation which this Scourgeluther hath coupled in Rancke Of the continuaunce of thirty yeares of title of prescription of the fiue yeares prosperous Reigne of Queene Elizabeth of the grayheadded auncienty of our doctrine and Religiō Wherein it pleased the hoareheadded Syre of his seémely modesty to trifle most apishly of purpose to represent vnto vs as I suppose that old toothlesse Witch of whom is made mention in a certain Greéke Poett Loe what a dust the old Trotte rayseth with her tayle when she daunceth For what if Uerity Trueth which is called the daughter of time being discouered with a farre more excellent lightsonnesse in these our dayes doe beginne to florish more fresh greéne in a certayn largesse of ouerflowing plenty by the inestimable benefite of God shall it therefore be accompted a newe doctrine in your sight because it is cloathed with flesh colors or because it buddeth out blossomes a fresh and is restored to the auncient beauty will you therefore call it new-hatcht neuer heard of before as though it were neuer seéne nor heard of before thirty yeares sithēce what shall we say of Christ who after three dayes lying in graue returned agayne to life frō out his Tombe was not he therfore the same Christ wh he was before his death We read in the Apocalips of two Prophetes whose bodyes being throwen out into the streétes did reuiue and came to life agayne after theé dayes and a halfe And after iij. dayes and a halfe sayth he the breath of life was breathed into thē by God c. The meanyng whereof cann not be extended any wayes to any thyng els but vnto the doctrine of the Gospell And what if the doctryne of the Gospell of Christ be nowe risen agayne into the open world out of the doungeon of darckenesse and deépe drowned blindenesse wherein it hath bene so long suppressed by you is it not therefore the same Gospell that it was alwayes before What did not Iohn Husse Ierome of Prage and the greater part of all Boheme embrace the same Gospell before Luther was borne was not the same order of Doctrine professed in England many yeares before our dayes in the time of Wiclef Swinderbee Brute and others also and in other places likewise amōgest others namely the Valdenses Albingenses with the Grecians Italians Moskouites in Asye in Affricke and in Europe Betengarius Bertrame Peter de Aliaco Iohn Scotus Peter Iohannes William de sancto amore Robert the frenchman whom the hott zealous Pope raked out of his graue and consumed with fire foure hundred yeares agoe Niemus Ioachimus Sauanarola Veselus many others in their time before theyr time with whose goare the bloudy slaughterhowse of the Tyrannous Pope was throughly embrued Did not all these worshipp the same Christ then that we doe professe at this present did they not confesse the same fayth and the same Articles of the Creéde that we do now professe Barnard in his dyscourse of the freé iustification by fayth did he not teach the same doctrine then that Luther hath vttered in writing Augustine disputyng vpon fayth and grace agaynst freé will doth he not treat vpon the same matter that Zuinglius and Caluine doe treat vpon now Of the vse of Sacramentes we haue extaunt with vs long treatises written in the Saxon toung many hundred yeares before those thirty yeares that you speake of witnesses and professours of the same doctrine and fayth which we Englishmen do acknowledge at this present If this be the cause that doth enduce you to thinke that we are entred vpon a new Gospell because we dare shake frō our shoulders the yoake of subiectiō vsurped by the Papisticall Seé the same did long before our dayes Robert Gostred a mā notably learned and famous who beyng Byshop of Lincolne and commaunded by speciall letters from Innocētius the Pope to enduct a certein boy a kinsman of his owne into a Benefice within the Byshopricke of Lincolne being unlearned and unskillfull of the Language did openly resist him and withall did most sharpely inueigh agaynst the Popes detestable prouisions as they call them But why doe I alledge examples of men for the ratifying of the continuaunce of Christes Gospell◠the creditt whereof doth neither depend vpon the maintenaunce of man nor is streighted within any prescription of tyme howsoeuer humaine actions tosse to an fro and neuer persist in any one setled state certes the Gospell of Christ if it be the Gospel of Christ in deede can not be any new or straunge thing nor can haue any other originall or author but Christ himselfe the very sonne of God But whereas in those latter dayes the tongues and mouthes of godly preachers being stopt and shutt vp through terror and Tyranny of the Pope not daring to manifest themselues in the open congregation be now sett at libertye by the boūtifull mercy of God and restored to their auncient Freédome shall we therefore accuse the Gospell of innouation or shall we rather embrace this great liberalitye of God with thankfulnes of mindes and geue our dutifull attendaunce vpon the trueth wherefore whereas this Portingall Parrot prateth so much of xxx or xl yeares limitation herein he behaueth himselfe very iniuriously He perceaueth now a new face
that either he recreate his spirites with some other exercize or cease here after do abuse our Gracious Queéne Elizabeth specially with such kinde of trumpery wherein to tell you the truth Osorius you haue lost your labor and cost for you preuayle no whitt thereby as you seé What successe you may haue hereafter we committ vnto the Lord Certes hetherto as yet you may putt all your winninges in your eyes and seé neuer a shine the lesse as the proofe it selfe doth declare And be it say you that I preuayle nothyng herein yet wanted not sufficient testimony of a well wishyng mynde which ought not be vnthankefully taken emongest gratefull and honest personages Of your good meanyng what shall I say which how ready and inclinable it is I do easily perceaue but to what effect I beseéch you For to what other end shall we Iudge it so ready but to procure our most gracious Queéne then whose nature nothyng can be more disposed to lenitie and gentlenes to be sett on fire none otherwise then as it were some flamyng firebrand contrary to the naturall disposition engraueÌ„ within her royall brest by the finger of God to seéke the spoyle of her natiue Countrey with cruelty tormentes and destruction of her subiectes by fier and fagottes like vnto the furious persecutions and madde outrage executed in the tyme of her sister Queéne Mary For what better successe could haue bene hoped for out of those wicked mischieuous counsell of yours for lett vs suppose and imagine in our conceiptes which yet her most excellent Maiestie could neuer haue suffred to haue entred in her thought that you might haue preuailed and obteined your purpose or at least as much as you hoped for what then Could you conceaue in your mynde that the matter had bene accomplished forthwith assoone as you had entred into the Castell of fauour as though her Maiestie alone be the onely enemy to the Pope within this her dominion Beleéue not so O Solon and hereof assure your selfe that there is within this litle Island a greater nomber by many thousandes more then any man would Iudge that will rather yeld their carâ—asses to tortures then suffer theÌ„ selues to be defiled with the marke of that Beast And what thinke you will become then of the rest of the multitude whose consciences are not yet fully settled of whom there is an infinite nouÌ„ber within this Realme you will say that the Prince must vse force force them to fagotte that will not obay Is this the couÌ„sell you geue to a Queéne Herein forsooth we poore wretched Englishmen are very much beholdyng vnto your sweéte Fatherhood for your gentle reward But what if fayth will not be forced yea what if it can not be brought to yeld what if her highnes it selfe be not Queéne ouer consciences nor any worldly creature els for fayth wil be enstructed can not constrayned I say also moreouer it can not be vanquished by death but euen then rather it triumpheth most And although it may lose lyfe in this world yet will it neuer yeld to earthly creature but to God and his truth Wherefore in as much as this your whole discourse which you prosecute so earnestly is of this condition that it doth no more concerne any Christian Prince whatsoeuer then the subiectes of his Realme for what is more agreable with the maners of the people then Fayth and Religion If you haue determined with your selfe to bestow any further trauaile in the like cause by word or by writyng I iudge it best and withall do aduise you that you trouble not her Maiesty from henceforth with any such matter but proclayme forth your challenge agaynst the Byshops rather agaynst the Doctours and Deuines finally agaynst the subiectes of England and the consciences of the people whom if you be able to enduce with force of firme doctrine and pytthe of substaunciall Arguments to the direction of their consciences you shall shewe your selfe herein a very honest man But then must you frame vs some other kynde of bookes and other maner of letters For the bookes that we haue hitherto receaued from you are such kinde of ware as neither delighte the Queénes grace nor like well the subiectes For this cause therefore my good Lord Ierome I do the more willingly aduize you not to cease wrytyng henceforth Nay rather write on a Gods name paynte on deuise on and coyne on as much as ye list I will not lett you For so long shall it be lawfull for you to haue will to endite vntill at the last it will not onely repente you of the losse of your labour but withall make you ashamed of so much good tyme so wickedly employed And therefore take me not as though I would wishe you to surcease from writyng to throwe away your penne but rather I wish you to write and to endyte vntill you be hoarse withall Hereof neuerthelesse I warâ—e you before that vnlesse you mainteyne the quarrell that you haue vndertaken with better furniture you shall both come to late as I sayd and lose your labour also For what doe you thinke to gayne in this cause of Religion wherein if you hadd none other aduersary yet the Lord him selfe doth warre agaynst you with the very breathe of his mouth the whole Scriptures fight agaynst you and the authoritie of auncient Fathers haue bent their force to ouerthrow you Your purpose was to pleade for the Popes proper Chayre But he is quite abandonned not out of our Churches onely but much further banished out of mens consciences nor can possibly by mans pollicy be restored to the possession of Christian consciences in despight of Gods word It is the Lord who hath by his deuine Inspiration cast a darkened cloud ouer this proude Prelates Chayre which all Portingall can not bryng to light agayne though it lighten all the Tapers torches and waxe lightes in Portingall when the Sunne is at the highest But Osorius vpoÌ„ confidence of his Rhetoricke doth dreame vpoÌ„ some dry Sommer nothyng mistrustyng his Tackle as it seémeth which shal be more stronger then any Cable or Anker but that he shall be able to enduce our most Souereigne Lady Elizabeth to like well with his Request at the leÌ„gth maugre the bearde of thousand Haddones for after this maner writyng agaynst Haddon he sayth What sayth he doe you suppose that her witte is so rude and so vnciuill when I shall haue discouered the practizes and coÌ„spiracies of treacherous traytours by inuincible Argumentes and Reasons clearer then the Sunne in mydday when I shall paynte out vnto her view eueÌ„ before her eyes the mischieuous filthynes and wickednesse of this new fangled Religion when by manifest proofe I shall make euident the foolish and illfauored scatteryng Reasons of these heretiques wherewith they attempt the maintenaunce of their cause that she will rather allowe of that most pestilent opinion coupled with vnauoydeable perill of her
an infallible assuraunce of Saluation and eternall lyfe there cā be nothyng more false and more damnable for as much as the same is not obteyned by our owne merites and deseruynges but is freély geauen to the vnworthy and vndeserued and is thē also geauen whenas we are founde Sinners so that in this whole worke the mercy of the Lord doth beare the whole and full prayse and palme not our workes which do but folow Gods reconciliation as fruites and not make attonement with God None otherwise then as Osorius whenas he doth Consecrate when he doth geaue orders when he doth weare his Myter he doth not all these to the ende he would be made a Byshopp but bycause he was made a Byshopp before therefore he doth execute the duties apperteignyng to a Byshopp And as the Seruauntes of noble men are knowen by their seuerall Badges but do not weare noble mēs badges bycause they shall become those noble mēs seruauntes In semblable wise Christian Fayth albeit it worke allwayes by loue and doth shew a speciall demonstration of pure and true Fayth doth not therefore procure Saluation bycause it worketh but bycause it doth beleéue in Christ Iesu who beyng able alone to geaue that absolute integritie which is required for this cause therefore onely Fayth in Christ Iesu doth obteyne our Saluation not our perfection and integritie So that all the whole felicitie of our happy lyfe doth not proceéde from any efficacy or force of our owne worke but by consideration of the Obiect onely which is receaued thorough Fayth Neither are the endeuours and actions of loue charitie and pietie excluded in this course of transitory obedience as I haue often declared before as though by this meanes they should be of any lesse necessitie not to accompany or not to attend vpon Fayth Agayne neither are workes so ioyned with Fayth as though they should exclude Fayth from her dignitie and her proper operation nor enfeéble or abase the wonderfull riches of the grace of God which is in Christ Iesu nor that they should extinguish the Glory of Christes Crosse nor dispoyle afflicted consciences of their heauenly cōsolation nor should destroy the synceritie of sounde doctrine which the Apostles haue left vnto vs which for as much as ascribeth the whole estate of our Saluatiō to no one thyng els then to the onely freé liberalitie and mercy of Christ Iesu I doe appeale to the secrett Iudgementes of all the godly whether the opinion of them be better which doe establish their sauetie in Fayth onely or of Osorius which doth measure all our assuraunce and confidence of Saluation by the onely Rule of our owne righteousnes and who doth affirme that Fayth onely is onely rash temeritie Truely if the Spirite of the Lord could not disgest those Laodiceans which beyng droūken with vayne persuasion of their owne righteousnesse hadd not any feélyng or perseueraunce of their owne vgly deformitie and filthy barraynesse It may easily be coniectured what we may determine of the hawty spirite of this Portingall Deuine and of all his Diuinitie Wherefore in that you seéme so inwardly carefull for our sauety Osorius as herein your honest inclination of gentle courtesie towardes vs may not vnthankefully be neglected of vs altogether Euen so we also in requitall of our good will towardes you do earnestly exhort and hartely desire you that either you will vouchsafe to instruct vs in the true doctrine of Saluation more wholesomely and purely hereafter or els that you reteigne still with your selfe this your safety which you do wish vnto vs if you can wishe vs no better and enioy the same to your great comfort as much and as long as you will for euer and euer world without end Amen ¶ Lett vs pray OSorius I do hartely pray and beseech the hygh and eternall Lord Iesu Christ for the loue of his most precious bloud which was shedd for the Saluation of all mankynde for his woundes for his bitter passion for his death wherewith he dyd vanquish death for his victory wherein he triumphed ouer the kyngdome of Sathā that he would vouchsafe to enlighten with the bright beames of his coūtenaunce and deliuer frō all errours this kyngdome which was once a Receptacle of all vertue Religiō wisedome and Iustice disquieted now by the wicked practises of naughty packes woulde also vouchsafe to reclayme it to the Fayth and vniforme consent of most sacred Religiō into the aūcient boundes of the Churche defend the same with the assistaūce of his holy Spirite that whereas we are now disagreeyng in opinions we may be conformed together at the length in vnitie of one Fayth and one vniforme mynde of most vndoughted Religion and may attayne together that euerlastyng glory to the vnspeakeable ioy and Reioysing of all the holy Citizens in heauen At the Feast of Easter Alleluya Alleluya In recompence of this your solemne collect Right Reuerend Father what remayneth at the length but that we all and euery of vs doe with one mouth one spirite and one voyce sing as lowd as we can vnto you Amen which being but one word wanting onely to the knitting vpp of the prayer I doe not a little maruaile why was forgotten of you vnlesse perhappes because it was skarse a good Latyne word and neuer foūd in the bookes of Cicero therefore it was vnworthy to be inserted in this place as not meéte for your fine phrase of Ciceroes Eloquence Neuerthelesse it is right well yet that making intercession for vs poore outcast Englishmen you skippe ouer all other pelting and petty mediatours and aduocates and haue thought good to call vpon the helpe of the most mightye mercyfull Lord Iesus Christ without calling for or inuocating the helpe of any other Gods Which deuise how well will agreé with the rest of your discourse I can not well conceaue for you seéme to pray one way and to dispute an other way quite contrary You doe pray as a Lutherane but you dispute as a Papist What a contradiction is this I pray you where the Pyper playeth the hornepype and you daunce the Antyck For if this be true as we are taught by your example that we ought to fleé for succour to Christe onely as the most chiefe and highest Soueraigne and in him onely alone to repose all our whole shoote ancker of prayer inuocation without praying to all other perry Saincts what neéde we then of any other Sollicitours Patrones and Aduocates But if the estate of our necessitye be such as may not want their ayde and assistaunce how chaunceth it that renouncing the necessary helpes of pettygodds and pettygoodesses intercession is made here onely vnto Christ Afterwardes you doe proceade in your whott zealous prayer doe make intercessiō For his bloods sake that was shed for the saluation of all mankynde for his woundes sake for his most bitter passion sake for his death sake wherewith he vanquished
Cap. 13. August de grat Christi contra Pellag Lib. Cap. 20. Luther de seruo Arb. Cap. 48.47 ObiectioÌ„ of the Defendours of Freewill taken out of the booke of Hyperaspistes Aunswere Iohn 8. In that men are called holy and wise must be referred not to their deseruyngs but to grace wholy Aug. Epist. 89. ad Hillarium August de serm Dom. in monte Lib. 2. An Argument out of the wordes of August to Hyllary In what sense Aug calleth will Freewill Will seemeth rather to bee termed voluntary theÌ„ free The Confession of Auspurgh Caluinus contra Alb. Phâ—gium Lib. 5. August de bono perseuer prosper Cap. 12 andâ— 21. A comparison of Luthers AssertioÌ„s and the Papistes The fruite and coÌ„moditie of Luthers doctrine Osorius Pag. 151. The man hath spoke Ibidem Osori Pag. 152. The manifold consideration of Necessitie What is Necessary Two beginnynges of Neccessitie Necessitie of CoactioÌ„ Pag. 151. The shamelesse and lyeng cauill of Osorius Osori Argument Aunswere Necessitie of sinnyng is not to be imputed to God but to our selues An other Argument of Osorius Aunswere Freedome taken two wayes Necessitie to be taken two maner of wayes The Necessitie that Luther teacheth doth take awaye fortune and chaunce but taketh not awaye freedome from will Freedome is taken away by coaction not by Necessitie Osori Argument Pag. 151. The CoÌ„futation Origene against Celsus 2. booke Our actioÌ„s must be guded by approued reason and not vncerteine certeinetie An other suttle Sophisme of Osorius is opened Pag. 151. The ObiectioÌ„ of Celestine the Pelagian agaynst Augustine Aug. Aunswere Obiection Aunswere August vpoÌ„ the wordes of the Apostle theâ— 2. Sermon August Epistle to Sixtus Celestius the Pelagian against Augustine August de Corrâ—pt grat Cap. 6. Osor. cauill Pag. 151. Aunswere Osori double errour All thyngs are subiect to Gods prouidence Chaunceable thingesâ— Destiny fortune chauÌ„ce be excluded from beyng the causes of actions The order of superiour and inferiour causes Freewill is neither altogether boÌ„d nor altogether free Necessitie vnchangeable and of certeintie In respect of Gods prouidence all thynges are done of Necessitie and not by chaunce Obiection An Argument taken froÌ„ the preceptes and exhortatioÌ„s of Gods law Pag. 15â— Aunswere August de gratia libero arbit Cap. 16. August agaynst the 2. Epistles of Pelagius Cap. 10. Why the Commaundements of the law were ordeined out of S. Paule Rom. 3.5 Mans infirmitie doth not take away the Necessitie of the law The Necessitie of certeintie doth not diminishe mans endeuour The foreknowledge of GOD doth not take away freedome from man Osorius Pag. 152. Aunswere Of the truth of Gods Predestination and foreknowledge How thynges may be tearmed chaunceable Luther falsely accused to make GOD the Authour of wickedness Luthers assertion defended agaynst the cauill of Osorius An admonitioÌ„ to the Readers August Enchirid 100. To be the cause of Sinne properly ought not to be imputed to God Ambrose of the callyng of the Gentiles the second booke the last Chapter CoÌ„mittyng of sinne can neither be without the knowledge of God nor without his will altogether by what reason Will to be distinguished in God Osor. Drift It is no repugnancie to Gods righteousnes to will sinne in some respect without sinne There is many tymes great diuersitie in causes of oneselfe same action Anselm de casu Diabo li. Cap. 19. Caluine agaynst Pighi Lib. 5. Luthers Caluines doctrine true and agreable touchyng the cause of Sinne. Gods will is not to be measured by the affection of maÌ„s will wherein Osorius doth erre Aug. Lib. 3. de Trinit The will of God higher then all other causes An Obiection out of the Psalm Aunswere Agaynst Gods will without Gods will August agaynst Iâ—liaÌ„ the Pelag. Lib. 5. Cap. 3. Gods will taken two maner of wayes The secrete will of God that is vsually called his good pleasure Gods will discouered in his word is termed Voluntas Signi God is not cause of euill accordyng to his will reuealed by hiâ— word Gods will can not be exempt altogether from the orderyng of causes MaÌ„ 's destruction commeth of himselfe yet not without Gods prouidence Certayne actions in respect of man may be sinnes in respect of God may be righteous God is the cause not the cause of sinnes in sundry respectes August de Praedest grat Cap. 4 How blynding and hardning is to be taken with God Aug. de lib. Arb. grat Cap. 21. 2. Thessa. 2. The true cause of sinne is properly in man not in God August Enchirid Cap. 95. An Argument out of August August against Iulyan the Pelagi 5. book Cap. 3. 1. Kinges Cap. 12. 1. Kings 12. 2. parillipo Cap. 25. 1. Paralipo 12. 2. Paralipo 24. Esay 63. Ezech. 14. Iob. 1. Iob. 1. The meanes of Gods prouidence is notified by example Not to striue agaynst Luther but to warre agaynst God hymselfe Cicereos discourse agaynst Gods prouidence is detestable Cicero de natur deor lib. 2. August de Ciuitat dei 5. Booke Cap. 9. Aug. de Ciuitat dei lib. 5. Cap. 9. Aug. in the same booke and Chap. A suttle Sophisme practizyng to persuade meere absurdities An execrable conclusion The suttletie of the Sophisme is disclosed August de Ciuit. Dei Lib. 5. Cap. 9. Luther doth neither teache euery Necessitie absolutely nor take away freedome from all men August de Natur. Grat. Cap. 22. Osorius pag. 152. An answere to the false diuinitie of Osorius Aug. de Correp grat cap. 14. August de Ciuitat dei lib. 5. Cap. 9. Aug. de peccatis meritis lib. 2. Cap. 5. Oso Cauiâ— August in hys treatise vpon Gen. agaynst Manichaeus lib. 1. Cap. 2. How causes are called onely and proper causes Rom. 3. Pag. 154. Paules meanyng expouÌ„ded accordyng to Osorius Rom. 9. Rom. 10. Rom. 11. The disposicion of Paules discourse of predestination and election after the interpretation of the faithful Osorius pag. 152. Examples of Isaac and Iacob Ismael and Esau. Rom. 9. The example of Pharao All reward of merites excluded Osorius Pag. 155. Maior Minor ConclusioÌ„ Election what signifieth after Osorius logick August Ephes. 1. The ordina-Glose vpon the 1. chap. to the Ephe. Whether Gods Election doe depend vpoÌ„ our actions to come Pag. 256. How Osor. doth define the purpose of God Pag. 156. The cause and reason of Election according to Osor. and the new pelagianes The crafty cauillation of Osorius Pag. 156. Aunswere Rom. 11. Rom. 9. Workes foreseene are not they which are done but whiche are to be done accordyng to the schoolemeÌ„ Workes foreseene are in no respect the cause of Gods election The second Reason The third Reason The fourth Reason The fift reason The sixth Reason The seueÌ„th reason Ezech. 1.16 Corinth 1. August ad Simplicianum The eight Reason the 9. Reason Aug. retract lib. 1. cap. 19. The 10. reason Aug. contra Iulia. pelag lib. 5. cap. 3. August ad Simplici Lib. 1. Quaest. 2. Osori
not to be marueâ—led that Monckeries were so soone ouerthrowen as that they stode so long Of the holynesse of ceremonies with Osorius Luke Iohn Collos. 2. Galat. 4. Mens traditioÌ„s ceremonies are not altogether sequestred from a Christian mans lyfe How great a perill is in ceremonies Christian RelligioÌ„ almost wholy turned into ceremonies Images Crosses Altars throweÌ„ downe Ezechiah Iosiah Iozaphat Gedeon Epiphanius in an Epistle to Iohn Byshopp of Ierusalem Phillippicus Leo Isaurick CoÌ„stantine Leo 4. Greeke Emperours agaynst Images Images banished by the couÌ„cels of ConstaÌ„tinople Elibertine and francksord Out of the councell of ConstaÌ„tinople Ex Elibertino coâ—cil can 36. Lactant. instit book 2. cap. 19. ChrisostoÌ„e Amphilochius Theodore Byshopp of Ancira Portraictes Eusebius Bysh. of Pamphil. The reasoÌ„s of Bysh. alleadged in the counsell of Constantinople Deut. 20. 2. Cor. 6. A figure called contraposition betwixt the decrees of God and the Popes Math. 10. 1. Iohn 5. Out of the Decrees of the Trydentine counsel 9. Sesio Iere. 10. Abacuâ— 3. The wicked and preposterous iudgements of the Papists in worshipping of Images Osor. pag. 178. Osorius slaunder agaynst Luther touching contrition and good workes condeÌ„ned is confuted Articul 31. How this sentence that the Righteous man doth offend in euery good worke is to be taken Gregory vpon Ioh. 9. August in his 3. booke of confess cap. 7. August to Boniface 3. book ca. 7. The words of Constantine to Acesius Aug. in his 1. booke de perfectione iustitiae Aug. in his booke of the perfection of righteousnes Of the auntient ordinaunces of the Church The ordinaunces of the primitiue church taken away now by our Catholicks The complaynt of abolishing the auntieÌ„t ordinaunces of the Church appliable to none so much as to the Papists By what meanes the Romanistes haue altered al thinges in the Church Osorius pag. 178. Osor. pag. 180. An aunswere in the behalfe of the Lutheranes liues agaynst slauÌ„deryng It is one thyng to iudge of maners an other thing to iudge of doctrine Dogges in the pallace of Rome Osori pag. 180.181 The popes blynd Decrees caÌ„ not away with the light of the Gospell The cauill of Osorius agaynst the lyues of Lutherans Osori rayseth all his slaunders of hearesay The fruites of the Gospell beyng restoared Doctrine ought not to be iudged after the qualities of mens manners Osorius malice agaynst the Lutherans Many are vntruely termed Lutherans that be no Lutherans Mauy counterfets lurke in the Church vnder presence of the Gospell The approued integritye of the-ProtestaÌ„ts The lyfe of Cranmer Archb. of Cant. The marriage of CraÌ„mer defended The name of a Concubine more holy with the Papistes then the name of a wife Nichol. Ridley Byshop of London Ferrar Bish. of Saynt Dauids Iohn Hooper Bish. of Worcest Glocester Famous men martyrred vnder Queene Mary Tho. Bilney Ioh. Bradford The liues of those which were burnt in Queene Maries raigne Erasmus testimony coÌ„cerning Luther See Osorius in his 1. booke 69. Roffensis of the doctrine of Luther Luthers doctrine not other then all other true Christians The Fallax of the consequent An Argument rightly deduced froÌ„ Signes Doctrine not to be applyed to maners but maners to doctrine Osorius pag. 181. 182. Of prescription of Antiquitye Osorius doth accuse the reformed Churches of Noueltye The reformed Churches now a dayes doe not vary froÌ„ the Apostles institution in doctrine Maner of lyfe thought neuer so disorderous maketh not an heretique The cause that enflameth Osor. agaynst the Lutheranes is not the life but the state of their doctrine The foundation of the questioÌ„ is not of maners but of the principles and grouÌ„des of Religion The condition agreed vpoÌ„ concerneth the triall of antiquitie The papists exception agaynst the obscurenes of the scriptures Of an vnpier in Ecclesiasticall causes A Request to the excellent king of Portingall The Antiquity of the Romish Religion couÌ„terfaite The false accusation of Noueltie agaynst the Lutherans The law of PrescriptioÌ„ Distinct. 8. August Gregory Custome Antiquitye PrescriptioÌ„ Cyprian distinc 8. No custome may prescribe agaynst the king much lesse anye Custome may prescribe agaynst god A defence agaynst the accusation of Nouelty falsly charged vpon the reformed Churches by Osorius Of the merites of Christ. Of true coÌ„fidence Tertulian touching prescription agaynst Heretiques Exod. 20. Of inuocation worshipping c. Of Sacraments Out of Iustine Of the freedome of Mariage Heb. 13. 1. Timo. 4. The mother tongue in Churches The Communion vnder both kindes Of Images Of rightâ— and Ceremonies Of the power of free-will Of iustifiyng fayth Rom. 3. Galat. Galat. How fayth onely doth iustifie and whom Luther Caluine MelancthoÌ„ Musculus Bullinger P. Martyr Hul. Zuinglius Occolampadius Iohn Iuell Gualter Rodolfe Theodore Beza The Lutherans acquited from all reprehention of Noueltye An olde quarrell of the Catholicks touching Noueltye Of the supremacy titles of the Pope The titles of the Romaine pope Math. 23. The outragious dignitie of the pope Chrisost. ad Romanos homil 23. Gregory The supremacy was first graunted by Phocas to Boniface The fulnes of power beganne in the tyme of Hildebrand Pope Cardinalls The election of the Pope translated from the Emperour and the people of Rome vnto the Cardinalls Of the Masse and her appurtenaunces The vse of Corpes in the Church Priuate Masses The Communion of the laye people abbridged froÌ„ thrice to once in a yeare by Clement 3 Vnleauened bread One part of the CoÌ„munion taken away from the lay people Corpus Christi day Of Image Of transubstantion of Eleuation of carying abroad of the Sacrament Of marriage of priestes and choyse of meates Of the Popes decrees and decretals Extrauaga de Maiorit obed cap. vnam De maior it obedientia cap. Solitae Of MouÌ„cks Fryers Three vows of MouÌ„kerye Sixe wings of Seraphin Aemilius in his 5. booke Carthusianes Castersianes Templars Premonstratenses Gilbertines Dominicanes Franciscans Eremites Augustines Carmelites Nuns of S. Clares order Out of the Councell of Lateran Innocent 3. Cap. 13. Minorites Augustine anes Crossebeabeares Whippers Iesuites In the Romish Churche are many things new altogether nothing auncient sauoring of thapostolique Antiquitye The carnall presence of Christ no where but in heauen The carnall presence of Christ one of the Popish doctrine How the Papistes dp doe differ from the Apostles in the ministring of the communioÌ„ Priuate Masse Hebr. 9. 8 10. 1. Tim. â— The true doctrine of traÌ„substantion iuuented by the paâ—istes TransubstaÌ„tiation was neuer knowen to the Apostles Many thou sandes of Martyrs lost theyr liues for this TransubstaÌ„tiatioÌ„ The Churche of the Pope a Murtherer The papist caÌ„ reÌ„der no iust cause of spâ—llyng so much Christian bloud It is one thing to reuerence the SacrameÌ„ts an other thyng to turne Christ into a Sacrament The words of Christ. This is my body Christs wordes bespirit and lyfe Christ is called by sondry names in the Scriptures Christ is called bread in the Gospell By what similitude the
had harckened to Ioas the kyng of Israell now what shall we alleadge to be the cause why he did not harken to the good counsell of Ioas Here will Osorius runne backe againe after his wounted maner to Freewill or to Sathan the mouyng cause And this is true in deéde in respect of the second and instrumentall causes But Gods sacred Oracles beyng accustomed to searche out the souereigne and principall cause of thyngs do rayse them selues higher and do aunswere that this was wrought by God him selfe who dyd not onely suffer hym but of his determinate counsell directed him also thereunto bycause hee would auenge him selfe of the kyng for his abhominable Idolatry When Dauid caused the people to be nombred I know that Sathan is sayd to prouoke hym thereunto as we read in the Chronicles But let vs marke what the Scripture speaketh els where And the wrath of the Lord being kindeled agaynst Israell he stirred vp Dauid to nomber his people 2. Sam. 24. And nothyng withstandeth truely but that both may bee true Neither is it agaynst cōueniēcie of reason as Augustine truly witnesseth that one selfe wickednesse may be a punishement scourge of sinne vpō the wicked by the malicious practize of the Deuill by Gods iust Iudgemēt also seyng it skilleth not whether God bryng it to passe by his own power or by the seruice of Sathan Esay the Prophet cryeth out in his Prophecie O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardened our hartes from thy feare And in Ezechiell GOD speaketh by the mouth of his Prophet And if the Prophet bee deceaued I the Lord haue deceaued him Let vs consider Iob hym selfe the most singular paterne of perfect patiēce whom beyng turmoyled with infinite engynes of Sathans Temptatiōs all men will confesse to be plagued by the horrible malice of Sathan True it is will you say and with Gods sufferaūce withall Be it so But I demaunde further who made the first motiō of Iob whē God sayd on this wise Hast thou considered my seruaunt Iob And wherefore did God make this motion first But that it may appeare that the Enemy is not permitted onely but made a Minister also to make triall of mans patience Furthermore after that he was robbed spoyled of all his goodes and Cattels and throwen into extreme pouertie I would fayne learne who stale those goodes from hym That dyd the Caldeans Sabees will Osorius say I am sure which is true in deéde Yet Iob doth not so acknowledge it But liftyng hym selfe vp higher and entryng into a more deépe consideration of that souereigne prouidēce which ordereth and disposeth the seruice of all the workes of his creation at his owne pleasure professeth earnestly that none els dispoyled him of his goodes but he that gaue them The Lord gaue sayth he and the Lord hath taken blessed be the name of the Lord. c. But that wōderfull force and vnmeasurable power of Gods wisedome and prouidence disposing all thynges accordyng to his euerlastyng purpose with outstretched cōpasse spreadyng it selfe farre wyde abroad throughout all degreées successes of thynges is not discouered vnto vs by any one thyng more notably discernable thē in the death of his sonne Iesus Christ in that most innocent Passion of all other the most innocent death I say of our Sauiour Iesu Christ In the whiche as there were many causes goyng before and the same also not a litle differyng eche from other yet amongest them all was there none but was not onely ioyned with Gods sufferaunce but was long before also foreordeyned by his will decreéd by his wisedome yea ordered almost by his owne hand For otherwise in what sense is he called The Lambe slayne frō the beginning of the world whenas they were not yet created that should kill him and when as yet were no sinnes committed by mankynde whiche might procure Gods wrath If God from the furthest end of eternitie in his euerlastyng foreappointed wisedome and determination had decreéd vpō nothyng that should cause those thyngs to come to passe afterwardes through vnauoydeable Necessitie Out of those matters heretofore debated and argued two thyngs may you note Osorius wherof the one concerneth Luthers doctrine and is true the other toucheth your suggestions and is false For as to the first wherein Luther doth discourse vpon Necessitie agaynst the mainteynours of chaūce and fortune cā no more be denyed by you then Gods prouidence in gouernement of the present tyme and foreknowledge of thynges to come can be any wayes deceaueable On the other side where as you do with so gorgeous colours glorious titles blaze forth the beautie of mans Freewill ioynyng in league herein with the old Philosophers auncient Maisters of ignoraunce and especially Cicero bendyng your whole force to ouerthrowe the doctrine of necessitie what els doth your whole practize herein thē the same which August did long sithence worthely reprehēd in Cicero To witte Whiles you striue so much to make vs free you practize nothyng els but to make vs horrible blasphemours and withall endeuour to vndermyne the vnpenetrable Castell of Gods foreknowledge For who is able to foretell thynges to come which he neuer knew or preuente the assured certeintie of successes of thyngs without the vtter subuersion of the infallible prouidence of Gods foreknowledge Wherfore I would wishe you to be well aduised Osorius least whiles you thinke to molest Luther with your outragious barkyng for affirmyng an infallible Necessitie flowyng from aboue from out the founteine of Deuine operation in direction of thyngs ye fall your selfe headlong at the last in this cōbersome gulfe to be adiudged not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but playnly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and beyng not able to endure the doctrine of Necessitie ye entangle your selfe vnto such an inextricable maze of impietie as that ye shal be thought to practise the abādonyng of the vndeceueable certeintie of Gods most Sacred Scriptures out of heauen after the example of that your fine Cicero whiles ye affect Cicero to much in the nymblenesse of your stile For what els can be gathered out of that detestable discourse of Cicero as August calleth it or out of this execrable opiniō of Osor if he will be the man he seémes for How can those things be auoyded which God doth know shall come to passe most assuredly but that Necessitie must be graunted by the doctrine of prouidence or Necessitie beyng excluded Gods prouidence also be rent asunder withall For after this maner doth Cicero dispute in his bookes De natura Deorum If thynges to come saith he be foreknowen then it must neédes followe that euery thyng must proceéde in his due order but for as much as nothyng is done without some cause therfore must a due order and knittyng together of causes be graunted of Necessitie Whereupō must neédes ensue that all thynges that are done are performed
by vnauoydeable Necessitie If this be graunted sayth he all Ciuill societie is rooted out Lawes are established in vayne correction praysing dispraysing good counsell are ministred in vayne neither anye ordinaunce deuised for the aduauncement of vertue and punishement of vyce serueth to any purpose at all Now bycause these haynous and daungerous absurdities are not tollerable in any weale publique Therfore sayth Augustine this man will not yeld that there should be any foreknowledge of thyngs to come So that by this meanes he forceth the Reader into these inconueniences to chuse one of these two either that mans will is of some force or els that thynges must be determined vpon before of Necessitie beyng of opinion that they can not be both at one tyme together but that if the one be allowed the other must needes be abolished If we leane vnto Gods foreknowledge and prouidēce then must Freewill haue no place on the other side if we mainteyne Freewill then foreknowledge of thyngs to come must be banished So the whiles Cicero beyng otherwise a man of wōderful experience as August sayth endeuoureth to make vs freé doth bring vs wtin the cōpasse of sacrilege as horrible robbers of Gods foreknowledge and beyng ignoraunt him selfe how to vnite this freédome and foreknowledge together rather suffreth God to be despoyled of his wisedome then men to be left destitute of Freewill which errour Augustine doth worthely reproue in him For it is not therfore a good consequent bycause the well orderyng dispositiō of all causes is in the hands of God that mans Freewill therfore is made fruitelesse altogether for that our willes them selues being the very causes of humaine actions are not exempt frō that well disposed order of causes which is alwayes vnchaungeable with God and directed by his prouidence And therfore he that with his wisedome doth cōprehend the causes of al thyngs the same also in the very causes them selues could not be ignoraunt of our willes which he did foreknow should be the causes of al our doyngs Go to now Let vs compare with this blynd Philosophy of Cicero the Diuinitie of Osorius in all respectes as bussard-lyke For as Cicero doth vphold the freédome of mans will by the ouerthrow of Gods prouidence and predestination and contrarywise by the ouerthrow of mans Freewill doth gather and establish the certeintie of Gods prouidence supposing that they can not stand both together In lyke maner our Osorius imaginyng with him selfe such a perpetuall and vnappeasable disagreément betwixt Necessitie in orderyng of causes and mans Freewill that by no meanes they may argreé together what doth he meane els thē pursuyng the platteforme that Cicero before him had builded in the couplyng of causes but to come to this issue at the length either to establish the doctrine of Necessitie with Luther or agreéyng with Cicero vtterly to roote out the foreknowledge and prouidēce of God for if to chuse be the propertie of will then are not all thynges done of Necessitie accordyng to Osorius opinion Agayne if not of Necessitie then is there no perpetuall orderyng of causes after Ciceroes suppositiō If there be no perpetuall order of causes neither is there any perpetuall order of thynges by the foreknowledge of God which can not come to passe but by the operation of causes precedent If the perpetuall orderyng of thynges be not in the foreknowledge of God thē all thyngs atteyne not the successes wherunto they were ordeyned Agayne if thyngs atteyne not the successes whereunto they were ordeyned then is there in God no foreknowledge of thynges to come Let vs cōpare now the first of this suttle Sophisme with the last The choise of mans will is free Ergo There is in God no foreknowledge of thynges to come Let Osorius aduise him selfe well what aunswere he make to this Argument If he hold of Ciceroes opinion what remayneth but hee must neédes condemne vs of Sacrilege as Cicero doth whiles he endeuoureth to make vs freé But I know hee wil not hold with this in any case and in very deéde Ciceroes Argument ought not to be allowed for that he doth not discende directly in this Argument frō proper causes to proper effectes For whereas Freewill is mainteyned in the one propositiō this is no cause wherefore it should be denyed that thynges are done by Necessitie As also this is not a good consequent lykewise bycause Necessitie is taught to consiste in an vnchaūgeable orderyng of causes and in Gods foreknowledge that therfore nothyng remayneth effectual in our Freewill And why so bycause agreéyng herein with Augustine we doe confesse both to witte Aswell that God doth know all thynges before they be done and that for this cause the thynges foreknowen are done of Necessitie And that we also do willyngly worke whatsoeuer we know and feéle to be done by vs not without our owne consentes But you will Reply That Luther contrary to Augustines doctrine both leaue mans lyfe altogether destitute of Freewill tyeng all our actions fast bounde in the chaynes of vnauoydeable Necessitie I do aunswere As Luther doth not defend euery absolute and vnaduoydeable Necessitie but that whiche we spake of before of the consequence No more doth he take away all freédome from will neither from all men but that freédome onely which is set contrary and opposite to spirituall bondage no nor yet doth he exempt all men from that freédome but such onely as are not regenerate with better Grace in Christ Iesu. For whosoeuer will inueste such persons with freédome is an vtter enemy to Grace And no lesse false also is all that whatsoeuer this coūterfaite Deuine doth now groūde him selfe vpon and hath more then an hundred tymes vrged touchyng this opinion of Necessitie For in this wise he brauleth agaynst Luther and Caluine If the thyngs that we doe are done of meere Necessitie and decreed vpon from the furthest end of eternitie Surely whatsoeuer wickednesse we do committe as not lead by our owne voluntary motion but drawen by perpetuall constraynte is not to bee adiudged for Sinne. Which triflyng Sophisme we haue vtterly crusht in peéces before by the authoritie of Augustine Neither came euer into the myndes of Luther or Caluine to mainteyne any such Necessitie which by any cōpulsary externall coaction should enforce will to committe wickednesse vnwillyngly For no man sinneth but he that sinneth voluntaryly Albeit none of our actions are destitute of a certeyne perpetuall directiō of the almighty Lord and Gouernour yea though neither the sinnes them selues can not altogether escape the prouident will and foreknowledge of God Yet is not the peruerse frowardnesse of the wicked any thyng the lesse excusable but that they ought to receaue cōdigne punishment accordyng to their wicked deseruynges for whosoeuer hath voluntaryly offended deserueth to be punished And therfore herein Osorius friuolous Diuinitie doth not a litle bewray her nakednesse that whereas debatyng about the matter of