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A02464 Against Ierome Osorius Byshopp of Siluane in Portingall and against his slaunderous inuectiues An aunswere apologeticall: for the necessary defence of the euangelicall doctrine and veritie. First taken in hand by M. Walter Haddon, then undertaken and continued by M. Iohn Foxe, and now Englished by Iames Bell.; Contra Hieron. Osorium, eiusque odiosas infectationes pro evangelicae veritatis necessaria defensione, responsio apologetica. English Haddon, Walter, 1516-1572.; Foxe, John, 1516-1587. aut; Bell, James, fl. 1551-1596. 1581 (1581) STC 12594; ESTC S103608 892,364 1,076

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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
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 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
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
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
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 obediēce but by propagatiō 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 graūted 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 actiōs and workes Ergo Iustification consisteth in good workes and not in fayth onely This Captious Sophistication can no man better aūswere 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 remissiō of sinnes the freé giftes of the holy ghost are ioyned who doth beginne and lay the first foundation of renouatiō sanctificatiō of life And yet is it not therfore true that this renouatiō 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 seperatiō 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 ignoraūt or did deny that sanctifiaction Renouation and such godly actions and vertues which do proceéd from thēce be the proper and peculiar giftes of Christ and must be practized of all godly Christians of very necessity But this is ●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 coūteruaile 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 demaūded 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
sprynges of the comfortable glad tydynges of the Gospell But lysten I pray you to Osorius disputation and wonder a whiles at his deépe insight in Logicke For in matters past recouery sayth he and in most assured confidēce there is no man that wil be enduced to rayse vp his mynde earnestly to any vertuous endeuour You haue here geuen vs a right Rhetoricall position now marke a concludyng determination more then Catholicke Ergo saith he Whereas Luther doth partly dispoile vs of the hope of righteousnesse and partly doth place the the same wholy in the righteousnesse of Christ which hope ought to be proper and peculiar to ech person what doth he herein els then vtterly subuerte and extinguishe all dueties and endeuours of godlynesse in vs Truely I do not deny but that in all maner of enterprises which happen in vsuall and dayly practize well conceauyng hope doth minister wonderfull courage to the mynde of man the whole force and lyuelynes wherof through Desperatiō or distrust is many tymes vtterly daunted But to what purpose is this alledged agaynst Luther Whose teachyng Lessons tende to this onely marke not so much to instruct vs in the rules of good lyfe which is the onely peculiar office of the law as to lead vs to know whether we ought in these good workes of ours to repose our affiaunce or elles to ascribe the same wholy to the freé mercy of GOD through Iesu Christ not bycause godly endeuours and vertuous workes are not prayseworthy but whether our workes be of so great estimation as may satisfie Gods iudgement and deserue eternall lyfe so establishe our consciēces in sauetie This is the grounde and principall point of the controuersie which ought in this place to be decided For as much therfore as there be two kyndes of Desperation as we haue sayd it behoued you Osorius to haue distinguished the same before you had raysed your Battrye agaynst Luther There be some persons which doe vtterly dispayre of forgeuenes of their sinnes and of the mercy of God towardes them As for example the Desperation of Cain Saul Esau Antiochus Iudas Minerius Latomus Sadolete and such others And this kynde of Desperatiō belongeth properly to the vngodly and wicked whiche are altogether estraunged from God and nothyng agreable with Luthers doctrine There is besides this an other kynde of Desperation as in the attempt of any enterprise if a man be wholy discomfited to attaine the Maistrie and can not be the foremost will not yet bee discouraged but wil employ his abilitie as much as in him lieth that he may be the second at the left For the Archer that shooteth somewhat neare the sticke Deserueth his prayse though he hitt not the pricke In lyke manner we all euery one of vs doe marche onwarde paynefully in this warrefarre of Gods law as it were in a runnyng game to trye Maistric wherein albeit was neuer founde man whiche could in this lyfe assure him selfe to attayne the appointed goale yet are we not therewith so throwen downe in conceite as to bee in dispayre of our Saluation Neither ought we so to interprete the law as though through the practise and guidyng thereof onely and by no meanes elles we could obteine euerlastyng lyfe The law hath other purposes and endes to direct vs vnto whiche Osorius might haue learned out of Paule and Augustine and diuers others if he would not wittyngly and wilfully haue bene blynd The first Rule and vse of the Law is to represent vnto vs the inestimable righteousnesse of our creatour after whose Image we are created The next to condemne our vnrighteousnesse and abate our pride The other to bee for a tyme in steéde of a Schoolemaister to lead vs to Christ whiche albeit could not of her selfe geue full righteousnes to that people vnto whom it was deliuered first might neuertheles in the meane space through wholesome seueritie hold them backe and keépe them in feare and restrayne the vnbrideled licentiousnesse of their fleshe in some orderly comlynesse lest-they should runne headlong into all execrable and wicked impietie Truly these seéme to me bee the principall vses of the law the absolute and exact perfection wherof as neuer any man of that race hetherto was able to satisfie though vpholdē altogether with the gracious ayde of God So if you Osorius can remember any one man sithence that tyme the sonne of God onely except that hath throughly performed all and euery part and duetie required by the law I beseéch you name him or if you cā name no one of all the ofspryng of Adā which hath perfectly accomplished the whole law what moueth you so furiously to rage agaynst Luther who teacheth that all our righteousnes is vnperfect But be it that he hath likewise affirmed as the truth is that our righteousnesse is not onely vnperfect but had condemned all our righteousnesse to be more lothsome thē the defilynges of a foule menstruous clothe euen as Esay the Prophet did or what if accordyng to the saying of our Lord Iesus Christ hee had adiudged not onely all our deédes and wordes what soeuer though neuer so precisely handled not in the tyme of the old law onely but after the commyng of Christ also neither of vs alone or the rude vnlettered multitude but euen of the Apostles them selues performed to bee altogether vnauaylable to the purchasing of eternall lyfe yea and that thē selues also were in no better plighte and condition then seruauntes and vnprofitable bondeslaues what a sturre would this Da●●s haue kept But now sithence no man can be ignoraunt of the most manifest sayings of Christ and the Apostles either must Osorius cite these felowes vnto the Chapter house together with the Lutherans or if he do acquyte them he must not from henceforth quarell with Luther in the cause Agayne where the same Lord in the Gospell doth promise a teacher the holy Ghost Which should cōuince the world of sinne and of righteousnesse what shall we thinke that he mente by sendyng this teacher other then that hee purposed to establishe those two thynges especially which Osorius doth seéke chiefly to discredite That is to say that godly hartes beyng enlightened by the inspiration of the holy Ghost may bee instructed to feéle their owne weakenesse that from them selues as frō their owne power they haue no hope of Saluation and that for the attainement thereof nothyng wanteth in Christ Iesu and how that without Christ all that euer we haue is but in dispayred case but in him all thynges rest most safe and assured Out of the one wherof ariseth vnto vs a very cōfortable Desperation out of the other floweth a most holy Affiaunce A Desperation I say not such a one as doth exclude true trust in Iesu Christ but which doth abrogate vayne confidence of our workes onely Neither doe I here meane the confidence whiche doth let louse the reynes to licentious boldnes and vnpunishable libertie but the same
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
in this corruptible body but which consisteth rather in remission of sinnes and which after this lyfe will supporte the neédy and naked weakenesse of our workes be they neuer so feéble agaynst the importable burden of the rigour of the law Of which mercy Augustine maketh mention in this wise Stand not in Iudgemēt with me O Lord exactyng all thyngs which thou hast cōmaunded me For if thou enter into Iudgement with me thou shalt finde me guiltie Therefore I haue more neéde of thy mercy then thy manifest Iudgement Agayne in an other place treatyng of the last Iudgemēt He shall crown theé sayth he in mercy compassiōs This shall come to passe at that dreadfull day whenas the righteous kyng shall sit vpon his throne to render to euery mā according to his workes who then can glory that hee hath a pure and vndefiled hart or dare boast that he is without sinne And therfore it was necessary to make mention there of the compassions and mercy of the Lord. c. And agayne somewhat more playnly where hee describeth what maner of mercy shal be in the day of Iudgement he doth set it forth in this wise This is called mercy sayth he bycause God doth not regarde our deseruynges but his owne goodnesse that thereby forgeuyng vs all our sinnes he might promise vs euerlasting life Hereunto also may be annexed the testimonie of Basile no lesse worthy to bee noted touchyng the mercyfull Iudgement of God towardes his chosen people you shal heare his owne wordes as they are For if the Iudgement of GOD were so rigorous and precise in it selfe to render vnto vs after our worthynesse accordyng to the workes that we haue done what hope were then or what man should bee saued But now he loueth both mercy and Iudgement that is matchyng mercy equall with him selfe to beare chief rule in the regall seate of Iudgement and so bryngeth forth euery man to Iudgement That is to say if Gods Iudgement should proceéde of it selfe precisely and exactly requityng euery of vs accordyng to the deseruynges of our deédes that we haue done what hope should remayne for vs or what one person of mankynde should be saued But now God loueth mercy and Iudgement And reseruyng mercy for him selfe he hath placed her before the Royall Throne of Iustice as chief gouernesse and so citeth euery man vnto Iudgement You seé here mention made of mercy and the grace of God not that grace onely that doth engender in vs good workes but the same rather whiche doth forgeue sinnes and Sinners through the bloud of his sonne in which forgeuenesse consisteth our whole redemption accordyng to the testimonie of Paule the Apostle In whom sayth hee we obteine redemption through his bloud and remission of sinnes through the riches of his grace c. If I neéded in this matter to vse a multitude of witnesses rather thē substaūce of authority it were no hard matter for me to cite for defence of the Cause infinite testimonies out of Ambrose Ierome Gregory Bernarde others But what neéde I protract the time of the Reader in vouching a nūber whenas it is euident enough already I suppose by those sayinges spoken before that our saluation can by no meanes obteine place in Iudgement without the mercy of God and his freé Imputation The first wherof our Sinnes neéde to be couered withall the next euen our best workes shall want of necessitie Whereupon that saying of Bernarde wherof we made mention before as diuers other Sentences of his to the same effect bee very pitthye Not to sinne sayth he is the righteousnesse of God the righteousnesse of man is the freé pardon of God Of which pardon Augustine very litle differring from Bernarde maketh rehearsall in these wordes Thou hast done no good thyng sayth hee yet thy sinnes are forgeuen theé hitherto thou hearest the worke of mercy Marke now for Imputation Thy workes are examined and they are founde all faultie and forthwith concluding addeth If God should require these workes after their deseruynges he should surely condemne theé But God doth not geue theé due punishement but graunteth vndeserued mercy Thus much Augustine Euen as though hee would say Our best deédes seéme in none other respect good then as farreforth as they be vpholden by his pardon and freé Imputation who if otherwise should searche all our workes euen to the quicke after the most precise rule of his seuere Iustice hee should surely finde nothing sounde in our best deédes many things lothsome and wicked in our workes all thyngs in vs altogether corrupt and defiled Wherein we do not so aduaunce the mercy of God in his Iudgement as though we would haue all the partes of his Iustice excluded from thence But we doe mitigate rather the frettyng wounde of his Iustice which you do so stiffely mainteyne with your speache applyeng thereunto the sweéte and wholesome playster of his mercyfull Imputatiō For who cā be ignoraūt hereof that God shall Iudge the quicke and the dead with Iustice and equitie And who on the other part is so blind that can not discerne this to bee most false that Osorius mainteineth who rakyng all thynges to amplifie the estimation of pure righteousnes doth so stoutly defende this pointe That all our wordes workes are of such force and value in this Iudgement that of their owne nature they are auaylable towardes the purchase of the euerlastyng inheritaunce or els do procure vs a ready downefall to euerlastyng destruction In deede he speaketh truly in respect of the condemnation of the vnfaithful and vnbeleuyng persons and of them which beyng estraunged from fayth haue not acknowledged Christ in this world and of such as abusing their fayth haue despised Christ and of them also which seékyng to establish their own righteousnesse would not submit thē selues to the righteousnesse of Christ. Neither is it any maruell if God doe execute his Iustice somewhat more sharpely agaynst those persōs whenas their deédes beyng foūde guilty haue no ayde to pleade for them that may stand them in steéde besides Christ. For Christ is nothyng elles but a seuere Iudge to them that are not within the fortresse of Fayth as in effect the Gospell doth denounce vnto vs. Who so hath not beleued the Sonne the wrath of God dwelleth vpon him Iohn 3. But the matter goeth farre otherwise with them that are engraffed in Christ by faith of whom we read in Iohn the same Chap. He that beleueth the sonne hath euerlasting life Wherfore as Christ appeareth not a Redeémer but rather a Iudge to them which without the Castle of Fayth seéke to be rescued by the law so on the contrary part Those that shrowde them selues wholy vnder the assured Target of fayth and protection of the Sonne of God shall not finde Christ a rigorous Iudge but a mercyfull Redeémer The whiche sentence he doth verifie him selfe by his own testimony and
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 vpō workes And that which he readeth in Scriptures shall come to passe accordyng to workes the same forthwith he cōcludeth 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 opē 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 proclamatiō 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 frāticke or madde If those trimme monuments of your gay workes do cleaue as fast to your dayly conuersatiō 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 ●●●●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 moūtaines 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 writtē 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 cōsenteth 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
the whole which onely worketh all in all who thrustyng out workemen to preach the word doth frameth the wills of the hearers that they may beleéue Whereupō I do aūswere to that suttle Argument of Osorius briefly and playnly in this wise Whosoeuer worketh together with an other worketh actiuely and not passiuely onely The Ministers of the Gospell are together workemen with God Ergo The Preachers of the worde when they worke with God do not suffer passiuely onely I aunswere that in the Maior proposition should haue bene added these wordes Per fe inys que ngit That is to say Of him selfe in the things wherein he worketh For the thyng that of his owne power worketh together with an others helpe doth somewhat in deéde in those thynges whiche it doth and is not wrought onely That is true And for the same purpose the Minor proposition must bee denyed for the Freewill of Gods Ministers doth neither worke in Preachyng the word Per se of it selfe except it be holpen by Gods Spirite nor doth proceéde any further euen when it is holpen thē to the outward action of preachyng But as concernyng the inward fruite of preachyng namely nourishment of fayth and the operatiō of conuersion all this action proceédeth from the holy Ghost and not frō Free-will And this seémeth to bee the very meanyng of Luther to witte hauyng respect to those thynges onely wherein Freewill can not challenge to be any meane of effectuall operation either in workyng or in together workyng nor can make any title of clayme therein nor prescribe to bee any partener with the holy Ghost in the worke It remayneth that we arme our selues agaynst the other sutteltie of Osorius which he coyneth out of the Apostles wordes S. Paule writyng to the Phillipians doth counsell them in a certein place to worke euery of them their own saluation with feare and tremblyng I doe heare it and I awayte what this choppelogicke will stampe out hereof Ergo sayth Osorius we are able to worke our Saluation of our owne Freewill I doe aunswere The antecedent is true but the consequent most false and altogether sauoryng of Pelagius errour nor agreable with the antecedent For this word working which the Apostle vseth doth not signifie any such thyng as may vphold the force of Freewill or declare it to be the efficiēt cause of Saluation as though it did depend vpō the dignitie of our workes but is onely a word of exhortation to comfort them to goe foreward diligently and to perseuer carefully in the course of Saluation where they were now settled And withall teacheth them further how they ought to perseuer with feare sayth he and trēblyng to witte exhortyng them to take vnto them the feare of God in humblenesse of mynde which might hold them alwayes conuersaunt in good workes whiles they made hast to attaine the goale of Saluatiō Finally that no man might cauill say that this vertue of perseueraūce did farre surmoūt their weakenes he addeth forthwith callyng them backe as it were to a better hope through cōfidence of greater helpe For it is God sayth he which worketh in you both to will and to worke accordyng to his good pleasure c. If God do worke in vs Osorius both to will and to worke what is it then that Freewill can will or doe Furthermore if life euerlasting be the gift of God not for the workes sake whiche we haue done how shall Saluation be obteined by good workes wherefore you trippe twise in your Argument First whereas you place Saluation in good workes Then whereas you deriue good workes out of mans Freewill as from the sprynghead therof For thus ye conclude If it were not in our own power to witte in our Freewill which both are false and most friuolous And yet after all these manifest trackes of Pelagius playne footesteppes not vnlike that craftie varlet Syrus in Terence whiche cleareth him selfe to his Maister as vnacquainted with the Mariage of his sonne euen so least he should seéme to be defiled with some spotte of Pelagius errour addeth immediately What Are we such as will consent with Pelagius Did we say at any tyme that we were able to worke any godly or prayse worthy worke through our own strength and industry If you will abide by your wordes Osor. you haue so said in deéde For he that doth auow that it is in our own power to worke our saluation what doth hee meane els by these wordes but that we be able of our owne strēgth to worke somewhat worthy cōmendatiō But whether he agreé herein with Pelagius or no let the indifferēt Reader Iudge as seémeth him best But I pray you sir by what meanes do you affirme that to be in our owne handes which you deny agayne to be in our owne power Or how cā ye defend them both but you must neédes make a lye in the one or what slipper deuise will you vse here to couer your lye withall You say that Saluatiō is not obteined by our own strength but through Gods grace workyng within vs. And why then chaufe you so maliciously agaynst Luther Melancthon Bucer and Caluine which affirme the same that you do But a litle earst ye confessed the thyng which ye do now deny Be stedfast therfore and set downe your mynde whereunto you will stand that we may know once where we may finde you If you affirme that all consisteth in our owne handes then do you not agreé with Pelagius but you go farre beyond him If you ascribe all to the grace of God what neédeth any more scoldyng But you will deuide your meanyng perhappes and will allowe to Gods grace such a parte of the worke that Freewill also may occupy some part with all Yet doe ye not vntwyne this meashe notwithstandyng For if you will so cut asunder this shippe which can by no meanes bee vnioynted and will yeld ouer the forepart therof to mās guidyng the powpe to Gods tuition surely S. Paule will gayne say you euery way which yeldeth the whole interest of both aswell the former as the hinder partes to God whether Osori will or no Declaryng That it is God that worketh in vs both to will and to bryng to passe all thyngs accordyng to his good pleasure But you will finde out some meane thyng paraduenture betwixt both whiche you may attribute to Free-will But euen here agayne you shall be driuen backe whereas you may heare Paule pronounce That it is God that geueth the increase so that now not onely the originall of good will but the encrease also of well doyng the accomplishyng proceédyng and successes also flow from out the holy Ghost and not from man If it be so thē will you say that Gods grace doth worke all in all in vs to what purpose serueth the Freewill that is naturally engraffed within vs or beyng holpen by grace how is it sayd to doe
the matter would admitte some other interpretation yet ought Assertiō haue bene compared with Assertion and place with place Finally consideration ought to haue bene had of the entent and meanyng of the writer then also of the first originall scope of his doctrine whereunto it tended and what it emported And if ye would examine vprightly the opinions and assertions of mē accordyng the true touchstone of Gods truth and not sinisterly for eiudge them whether opinion I pray you seémeth in your cōceite most sounde of those which doe aduaunce the Maiestie of Gods grace or of those whiche doe enhaunce the weakenesse of mans nature of those which doe make mens merites workes the effectes of Saluatiō or of those which do ascribe it to Gods freé imputation through Iesu Christ of them which doe determine that righteousnesse commeth by fayth or of them which say it is obteyned by the workes of the law of those whiche spoyle Freewill of all matter to glory vpon or of them which do call mē backe to a true and humble acknowledgement of them selues of those whiche razing out the euerlastyng and vnchaungeable decreé of Gods Predestination doe committe the successes of thynges to happe hazard and blynd chaunce and to freé affectiō of mans will or of them whiche settyng aside all chaunceable euentes of fortune and all power of mans will doe referre all things to the assured gouernaunce of Gods infallible foreknowledge guidyng all thyngs after his own pleasure in most stayed and stable order And yet doth not Luther so roote out all Free-will altogether and all chaunceablenesse of fortune but that he doth admitte the vse of them in some respect to witte in respect of inferiour causes although in respect of hygher causes in those thynges whiche concerne saluation or damnation he beleueth surely that no force of Freewill ne yet any chaunceablenesse of fortune doe preuayle any thyng at all For as much as this is the chief grounde of Luthers doctrine what els may the well affectioned indifferent Reader I pray you cōceaue of this his Assertiō then that which may magnifie the glory of God extoll his omnipotencie may establishe the sauetie of the faythfull dependyng vpon the freé promise of God through fayth not vpō the worthynes of merites through Freewill may terrifie the wicked with a wholesome feare of God may restrayne them frō outrage may comfort vs agaynst death with lyfe that is in God agaynst miserie with grace against infirmitie with strength agaynst destruction with Gods mercy may rayse vp the godly to loue and embrace their God The fruite of all which thyngs as the godly Reader may easily reape by this doctrine let vs seé now on the other side what poyson Osorius doth sucke out of the fame as one that seéth nothyng in this Assertiō but horrible wickednes as he fayth shamelesse arrogācie detestable maddnes execrable outrage And now would I fayne heare how he will confirme this proude affirmatiue so vehemētly vttered For sayth he this beyng graunted I doe say that lawes are abolished decrees put to silence sciences rooted out learnyng extinguished peace and trāquillitie disturbed and vtter confusion made of all right and wrong without all order If Osorius require this at our handes that whatsoeuer his lauishe tounge shall rashly roaue at large be coyned for an vnreproueable oracle thē is this matter soone at an end But that world is gone long sithēce Osor. wherin this Pythagoricall Prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was takē for a law We thinke it not now enough to harken to all that a man will speake but to cōsider what vpon what groūde a mā speaketh Well what say you vnto vs at the lēgth Osorius That lawes will decay statutes be put to silence sciences rooted out learnyng extinguished trāquillitie disturbed and right and wrong confounded together Certes you haue heard of this man here many hygh and absurde speaches gentle Reader but heare yet much more absurditie I say furthermore that hereupon doth follow that mā is spoyled of sense bereft of aduise and depriued of reason and driuen to that passe as no difference may seeme to be betwixt him a stone throwen out of a mans hād And yet haue you not heard all Osori crauleth forward still is come now as it seémeth into some mayne playne where he purposeth to make vs a course of his harysh eloquence I say also that the holy cōmaundements of God his preceptes statutes his exhortatiōs and threatnyngs rewardes promised for well doyng and punishmēt threatened for malefactours were all in vayne prescribed to the posterity by Gods word O Heauē O Earth O Sea of Hercules But is there any more yet tush all these be but trifles yet For ouer and besides this ensueth so haynous a fact more horrible then toung can speake or hart cā thinke so vnspeakeably filthy so monstruously straūge that all the rest beyng layd together may in respect of this be accompted scarse worth the speakyng And what is it a Gods name Forsooth that Luther or Melancthon Bucer or Caluine or whosoeuer were the first foūder of this doctrine besides that he doth thereby turne all states and cōmon weales quite vpsidowne he breaketh yet further into such vnmeasurable impiety as that he doth imagine God him selfe the most holy of holy ones our most deare Father to whō no iniquitie can by any meanes be imputed to be the author of all wickednes and cruelty We haue heard a tedious Catalogue of haynous absurdities which as he sayth must needes ensue vpō Luthers doctrine And if it be not true He requireth vs to make him a lyar as that either Luther neuer spake so or els to teach him that Luthers doctrine may well be mainteined As though there were any such pitthe in all this your rayling M. Osorius that might not easily be confuted or any such weakenes in Luther that might not much more easily be defended yea so defended as that neither he may seeme to haue taught the doctrine of Necessitie without good cōsideratiō nor you able to deface the same without great perill of cōmittyng horrible sacriledge I speake now of Necessitie not that Necessitie that is called violēt coactiō but of that which is named of vndoubted assuraūce absolute infallibilitie not that Necessitie which the schoolemen call Consequēti● but which is called Consequētia or ex Hypothesi For Necessitie is neither takē after one onely significatiō amongest the Deuines nor yet amōgest the Logiciās Philosophers wherof of I suppose you be nothyng ignoraunt at the least you ought not be ignoraunt therof surely Therefore they that haue employed their studyes somewhat more carefully about the scannyng of this matter haue defined Necessary after this maner to be such a thyng as can not bee altered a certeine settled and firme vnmoueablenes which can not be chaūged by any meanes from that
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 occasiō 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 Iudgemēt sometymes reuealed in deede and sometymes secret but the same alwayes most righteous For this must be holdē 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 mē 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 mā 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 mā 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 aūswere 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 affectio●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 euē 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 cā easily do the things that be done If we do not firmely beleue this the groūdworke of our faith wherein we do cōfesse that we do beleue in God the Father almighty is in great hassard For God is not called omnipotēt for any other cause in very deede but bycause he is able to do what he will the operatiō of whose Deuine will the will of no creature cā 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 thē 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 Sufferaūce 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 whēce 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
sinne he seémeth not to haue learned this lesson yet out of Augustine that sinne the punishmēt of sinne is all one And therfore mainteynyng one lye by an other doth conclude as wisely that it is not agreable to equitie sithence men are Instrumentes onely God the worker of all thyngs that they should be condemned as malefactours which are onely Instrumentes with as good reason as if the sworde wherewith a man is slayne should be adiudged faultie not the persō that slue the man with the sword Whiche I my selfe would not deny to be agaynst all reason if that matter were as Osor. would applye it But who did euer speake or dreame that men were Instruments onely in doyng wickednesse and that God is the Authour and worker of all mischief These be the wordes of Osorius not Luthers nor Caluines That wicked men are Sawes Instrumentes many tymes in the handes of God for the punishement of sinne this not Luther onely but Esay also doth boldly confesse Go to And will you therfore cōclude that men are nothyng els but instruments and tooles onely very wisely I warraunt you deriuyng your Argument from the propositiō Exponent to the Exclusiue nay rather maliciously wrestyng and peruertyng all thynges from the truth to slaunderous cauillyng August doth sundry tymes witnesse that mens willes are subiect to Gods will and are not able to withstand it For as much as the willes them selues sayth he God doth fashion as him liketh and when him lysteth and that our willes are no further auayleable then as God both willed and foresawe then to bee auayleable Whereby you seé that Gods almighty power doth worke in our willes as in a workeshoppe whē he purposeth to do any thyng that then he doth neither trāspose our willes otherwise or to other purposes then by the seruice of our owne willes And yet doth it not therfore follow the mens willes are nothyng els then Iustrumentes and tooles onely of Gods handyworke as the thyng that of it selfe doth nothyng but as it is carryed and whirled about hither thither without any his own proper motiō through the operation of the agent cause onely Truly Augustine sayth very well We doe not worke by wishinges onely sayth he least hereupon cauillation arise that our will is effectuall to procure to lyue well Bycause GOD doth not worke our saluation in vs as in vnsensible stoanes or in thynges which by nature were created voyde of reason will c. In deéde God doth worke in the willes and harts of men and yet not rollyng or tossyng them as stoanes or driuyng whirlyng them as thynges without lyfe as though in enterprising and attemptyng of thynges the myndes and willes of men were carryed about by any forrein constraint and Deuine coaction without any voluntary motion of the intelligible mynde And therfore Osorius doth hereof friuolously and falsely forge his cankred cauillation and maliciously practizeth to procure this doctrine of Luther to be maligned As though we did deuise man to be lyke vnto a stoane or imagined God to be the onely Authour and worker of mischief bycause we do teach that mens willes are subiect to Gods wil as it were secundary causes Certes if that ● August writeth begraūted for truth That Gods will is the cause of thynges that are done Why should the same be lesse alowable in Luther or not as false in eche respect in Aug. since they both speake one selfe sentence be of one iudgement therein Neither is it therfore a good consequent that Osor doth phantasie The onely will of God to be so the cause of sinne as though mans will did nothyng reproueable for sinnyng or punishable for deseruyng For to this end tendeth the whole cutted conclusion of all Osorius brabblynges But if you haue no skill to know the nature of a distinctiō as yet you must be taught that it is one thyng to permitte a sinne voluntar●ly an other thyng to committe a sinne voluntaryly Wherof the first is proper to God the other is peculiar to men the first may be done without all offence the other can bee done by no meanes without wickednesse Whereas GOD is sayd to will sinne after a certeyne maner the same is sayd to be done accordyng to that will which they call Gods good pleasure neither euill nor without the truth of the Scriptures And yet it followeth not hereupon necessaryly that God is the onely and proper cause of sinne No for this is accompted the onely cause which excludeth all other causes besides it selfe So is that cause called the proper cause which doth respect onely one end yea and that also the last end in respect wherof it is accompted to be the proper cause Whereas therfore sinne is the last end not of Gods will but of mans peruersenesse we do affirme that it is not done in deéde without Gods will but that man is the proper cause therof and not God For if the causes of thynges must be proportioned by their endes surely sinne is not the last end of Gods will in respect that it is euill but in respect that it is the scourge plague of sinne and to speake Paules own wordes The shewyng forth of Gods righteousnesse and the feare of God then which ende nothyng can be more better or more holy And where is now that iniquitie and cruelty of God Osorius which by misconstruyng Luther wickedly maliciously your fruitlesse Logicke taketh no fruite of but which your deuilishe Spirite and slaunderous cursed fury doth corrupt But that I may not seéme to stand to much vpon refutyng this toye lettyng slippe many thynges here in the meane whiles whiche make nothyng to the purpose nor conteyne any other thyng almost in them but vayne hautynesse of speache Tragicall exclamations maddnesse feéuers frensies spittyngs reproches horrible cōtumelies wherwith this vnmanerly Deuine hath most filthely defiled whole papers I will come to those places which carry a certeyne shew of lesse scoldyng and more Scripture After this maner the vermine crawleth foreward But that ye may perceaue how illfauouredly your Doctours haue interpreted those testimonyes of Paule which you haue heaped vp together I thinke it expedient to disclose the meaning of Paule And that this may be done more orderly it behoueth to note diligently to what ende Paule gathered all those reasons together It is well truly This cruell scourgemottō weried throughly with whippyng poore Luther miserably vnmercifully buffetyng him doth now at the length hyde his rod vnder his gowne beginneth to creépe to high desk will teach somewhat and God will out of the Scriptures so that we shall neede nothyng now but a Camell to daunce whiles this Assehead minstrell striketh vppe his drumme And therfore harken in any wise you blinde buzardly Lutherans you caluish Caluinistes you foolish Bucerans sith you be so blockish by nature that of your selues you can cōceaue nothing of
haue sucked this geare rather from Aristotle thē 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 actiōs where choyse is made betwixt two or moe thinges preéminence is graunted to one of thē according to the difference of good and euill like as in cōmon 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 persecutiōs 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 predestinat●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 ●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 Whē 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 vndertakē to iustifie out of the depth of Diuinitie namely that there is nothing in gods eternall electiō but is accōplished 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 mē 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 condēne an innumerable company besides to destruction Moreouer euen in this choyse it selfe when cōsideration 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
he doth that no wrong Thy God he is thy potter what art thou to cōtend with him a weake man with thy most mighty God a lump of clay with the potter for this is the effect of your Argumēt Surely God willeth nothing that he willeth without most iust and righteous reason but in such sort that this very will cannot seeme to proceede from any els where or otherwise be defended in the order of predestination but of works foreseene and of the foreknowne well vsing of good giftes as the schoolemen do say Which saying how false and friuolous it is shal be declared both out of Augustine and more notably out of S. Paule for these are the wordes of Augustine discoursing vpon Esau If so be sayth Augustine that God did therefore predestinate Esau to become vassall to his younger brother because he did foreknowe that he would worke wickednes then did he also predestinate Iacob to become Lord of his elder brother because he did foreknow taht his works would proue good And therfore the saying of the Apostles is false Not of works c. And imediatly after enterlacing many other thinges betweene If you will once graunt quoth he that a man may be chosen or refused for the thing that as yet was not in him but because God did foresee what would be in him it followeth hereupon that he might haue been chosen for the worthines of his workes which God foresaw would be in him though as yet he had done nothing and this saying that they were not yet borne will not preuayle thee at all where it was spoken And the elder shall serue the younger to declare hereby that it was sayde Not of workes because as yet he had wrought nothing at all c. But to let passe August Let vs heare what Paule himselfe speaketh Who debating very largely vpon this poynt of Predestination doth amongst other at the last breake out into this speach touching the same If God willing on the one side to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowen hath with great sufferaunce and lenity borne with the vessels of wrath prepared to destruction and on the other side do make knowne the riches of his glory towardes the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory c. Let vs more exactly ponder the wordes of the Apostle where he sayth that God was willing therein you heare first that God doth will and withall the cause and reason why he willeth ye perceiue expresly set downe afterwardes But he is sayd to will wrath that is to say willing to shew the seueritie of his Iustice Where I pray you or towardes whom what towardes all creatures indifferently Certes this might he haue done according to his Iustice but this would he not do for his mercy sake Towards whom thē Towardes the vessells of wrath prepared vnto destruction Where you heare the name of a Vessell you doe withall conceaue a Potter bycause no vessells are made without the Potter Moreouer where this worde Prepared is annexed thereby forthwith commeth to remembraunce the will of the Potter not the will of the thyng fashioned For it standeth not in the power of the port it selfe to fashion and forme it selfe after it owne will but the fashioning therof resteth in the will and purpose of the Potter For if any sense or feélyng at all were in earthen vessells would any vessell fashion it selfe into a vessell of dishonour if it had power to fashion it selfe by any meanes into a vessell of houour whereupon it followeth consequently that the order and disposition of fashionyng resteth wholy in the will of the Potter and not in the will of the vessell Now therfore as concernyng the will of the Potter left any mā shall thinke that his will is vnaduised nor directed by equitie and reason The Apostle doth forthwith set downe the cause therewith the mouth of the slaunderous backbyter may be stopped To shew sayth he the riches of his glory towardes the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared vnto glory c. He doth not say bycause God foresaw the good workes of the godly and the euill doynges of the wicked that these were therfore ordeyned to dānation those other chosen to saluation but hee sayth that those are prepared to destruction whom he would haue to be vessells of wrath the others to glory And yet this notwtstandyng neither vnaduisedly nor contrary to equitie Wherein if any man be desirous to know the reason or the Iustice of God in his predestination let him heare Augustine herein The whole masse of mankinde was subiect sayth he to one state of perdition rightly deseruyng the scourge of Gods Iustice which whether be executed or pardoned proceedeth not of any vnrighteousnesse in God Now it pleased Gods good will of his mercy to make a choyse of some of these and to relinquish other accordyng to his Iustice. If you require a reason hereof the Apostle doth not hyde it from you To make knowen sayth he the riches of his glory towardes the vesselles of mercy which he hath prepared vnto Glory c. Wherein the principall and first cause of doyng is ioyned together with the last end therof In the meane space many meanes are enterlaced betwixt these two For euen as the will of God doth not otherwise preferre his elect to the honour of glory but as it were through many tribulations so neither doth he execute the seueritie of his Iudgement agaynst the Reprobate by by but by long sufferaūce much lenitie and tolleration of their wickednesse But as the afflictions of the elect is not the cause of their saluation so neither the lenitie and long sufferaunce of the wicked is the principall cause that moueth God to exercize the seueritie of his Iustice agaynst them And therfore are they called Vessells the one sorte vessells of wrath the other vessels of mercy prepared either to destruction or to saluatiō first and before either God did with patience endure the wickednesse of the one or with tribulations exercize the Fayth of the other To conclude therfore in few wordes briefly I come agayne to the Argument that was proposed which albeit he choppeth together without all order of teachyng yet in my conceite a mā may briefly reduce it into this forme For out of these wordes of Paule wherewith God is sayd to haue borne with the vessels of wrath in much lenitie Osorius doth gather his cutted Sillogisine with a wonderfull dexteritie of witte Gods deuine Iustice did scourge none but such as with much lenitie he did beare withall first Neither are any destitute of Gods mercy but such as forsake it beyng offred Finally saluation and the mercy of GOD is extended vnto all persones but vnto such as will not them selues be saued The defence of Iustice consisteth wholy in mercy And onely mercy doth acquite Gods Iustice from all reproche Neither doth any man perishe but beyng condēned
he liue and be conuerted shall now alter his nature and will not the lyfe but the destruction of a Sinner whenas also all things are good that God hath created can he hate the worke of his owne handes yea not onely after he hath created it but also before hee hath made it I am not ignoraunt Osorius of these and such lyke your not absurdities but cauilles rather which you are wont to thrust vpon vs now and then To the which to make a playne and distinct aūswere First the nature of causes it selfe must bee considered Then must a playne distinction of Gods will be opened For when question is made of Gods will the Scripture doth not speake therof alwayes after one maner phrase of speach nor expresse the same euery where after one onely signification Sometymes this name of will is taken in a most large and ample signification for that which Gods decreé hath determined shall come to passe in all matters As in that place of Paule God doth take mercy on whom he will haue mercy and doth indurate whom he will c. And agayne God did what soeuer he would doe in heauen and in earth And in an other place Bycause it seemeth so good in thyne eyes O Father Luke 10. And this will seruyng in eche respect to as many purposes as the foreknowledge and essence of God doth both go before all other meane and secondary causes in order of tyme and of it owne power also doth dispose all thynges good Syr not as though it would enforce them agaynst their willes by any outward coaction but doth so dispose and order thyngs with a certeine secrett power as that through their voluntary and seruiceable yeldyng they atteyne at the last to the same purpose whereunto the will of God did first chiefly foreordeyne and direct them Whereby it commeth to passe that though the will of God of it selfe make no persons euill properly yet that wicked persons notwithstandyng shall accōplish the will of God if not accordyng to the euent and successe properly and absolutely yet by accidentall meanes So that on this wise albeit the destruction of the wicked proceéde from the voluntary corruptiō of man not from Gods will as from the nearest cause yet do not those wicked persons fulfill their wickednes without Gods will For in as much as it is a due scourge and punishment of sinne man is not punished therewith without Gods will Agayne by this word will is signified sometymes that wherewith God by his expresse word doth notifie him selfe to be delighted to be well pleased and which is acceptable in his sight Of whiche sort are all thynges whiche be naturally good and commendable In which significatiō God is sayd not to will wickednes nor to will the death of a sinner And of this will speaketh the Apostle This is the will of God your sanctification And this will the faythfull onely do performe properly and simply We haue spokē now of will we must now create somewhat of the order of causes Wherein this is to be noted aboue all other To witte that the first causes haue alwayes relatiō to the vttmost endes the meane concurraūt endes effectes to the meane middle causes Forasmuch therfore as the will of god that is to say the decreé of God is the originall of all causes we must then seeke out what the last end is which may be answerable to this will now the same is sufficiently discouered by Paul If God sayth he willing on the one side to shew hys wrath and to make his power knowne do with much sufferaunce and lenyty beare with the Vessels of wrathe prepared vnto destruction and on the other side to make knowne the richesse of hys glory towardes the vessels of mercy which he hath prepared to glory c. By which wordes who doth not easely perceaue that the last and principall ende of Gods workmanship doth consist in this not that wicked men should perish but that the Larges of hys heauenly mercy should more mightely increase in the saluation of hys faythfull Now because this could not be brought to passe by any other meanes vnlesse there were some on the contrary part vpon whome the seueritie of Gods Iustice might be exequuted it seémed good therefore to the Almighty Creator of all the creation in this vnspeakeable Workshop of the whole world to dispose his vessels to seuerall vses not all vnto honor nor yet all vnto dishonor but some he made seruiceable instrumentes of hys Iustice other some meéte instruments of hys mercy not that he created his creatures to this effect as to the finall and vtmost end of hys purpose that they should perish but because he had so determined with himselfe in his secret counsell before the foundations of the world not to haue mercy vpon all therefore it could not othertherwise be but that such as should be forsaken of him beyng forsaken and yelded ouer to themselues should fall away of very necessitie For Gods grace withdrawing assistaunce mans imbecillity must withall neédes fall to the ground and Nature being nowe ouerthrowne Gods Iustice coulde not but execute his office punish greuously of very necessitie And hereof cōmeth the destruction of the reprobates persecutors of hys people the efficient cause wherof cōsisteth truely in euery of their own corruption but the cause deficient in the will of God And therefore we ought not to Iudge alyke of the causes of Election and Damnation For although these be certayne brāches of predestination and concurre altogether in one kynde one originall and one end yet do they differ notwithstanding in the maner The fountayne original of them both is the decreé of God and the ende is the glory of God And yet is not Election to lyfe euerlasting of the same sort that reprobation to destruction is For hee hath chosen by making hee doth reiect not by doyng somewhat but rather by forsaking And in the saluation of that Godly that whol cause is so wholy shut vp in God as that besides him no person nor cause can come betwixt that may challenge any interest in the title of Election and Saluacion But that matter goeth otherwise in the destruction of the reprobate for albeit such as perishe are not damned at all without the will of God yet besides this will also that obstinate rebellion of mans will thrusteth it self in wherby they do worthely procure to thē selues deserued Damnation For God doth neyther so cast of those whom he doth cast away as one that did enforce them to commit filthines but forsaketh euery such one and yeldeth him ouer to hys owne guiding Now Freewill beyng nothing els but fraylty and feéble weakenes it selfe vnable to defend the brickle inclination of nature agaynst the monsturous assaultes of vnsatiable lust yeldeth it selfe coward captiue to euery storme of suttle Tētation By meanes whereof
if commeth to passe that mans life beyng left voyde of the help of God as a ship destitute of a Pylot tossed to and fro with outragious wyndes and waues of the Sea which of her self she cannot withstand doth easily driue it self vpon the Rocke of damnation and rendes in peéces hauing none other guyde but it self But the estate of the Electe is after an other sorte for whom GOD hath chosen those doth he not yeald ouer to their owne conduct but stirreth them forward with the force of hys secret good will and doth drawe thē vnto hym self doth so draw them that beyng called they must neédes obay moreouer he doth so call thē that heé doth forwith Iustifie them that are called and doth so Iustifie them with his freé and bountifull mercy that he doth at that length glorifie thē whom he hath Iustified In all wh Action of Saluation Gods Grace doth so accomplish all and euery part thereof as that nothing at all is left for mans will to glory vpon but very much paraduenture that may ouerthrow it Wherupō the Apostle very aptly sayth that it is neither of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that taketh mercy On the contrary part I meane in the shipwrack of damnation mans wayward peruersnes beyng left vnto it self doth therin throughly play all her partes so that there is nothing now wherew t it may iustly accuse God neyther is there any man condemned but he that through hys own default doth purchase to himself damnation In which damnation too things offer themselues in the meane tyme to be considered not onely what he suffereth which hath deserued to be punished but what he hath deserued which suffereth and how righteouslye hee suffereth in the one whereof mans offence is declared in the other Gods Iustice is discernable The first whereof the deuines do call the euill of the offence thother the euill of the punishment Paule calleth it the reward of Sinne therefore whereas a man doth commit euill and is punished for that euill let hym thank hymself for it But whereas he is righteously punished herein let him not murmure against God as though he were the Author of euill for that which is righteously done can not be vnorderly done Although the punishment seéme euill to him that suffereth that he would not suffer yet he is himself the Author of that punishment bicause he did that which he ought not to haue done Moreouer neyther is that thing forthwith euill in the sight of God that appeareth euill to mans iudgement these thinges therefore are to be wayed by the circumstances of the ende For euen as the cloudy ouerspreading of the darckened night doth not diminish any part of the cleare day light but rather beautifie the lightsome clearenes of the bright sunneshine euen so where the persequutors of the Church do dash sometyme on a Rock are drowned although it be euil to thē that perish properly and of it own nature yet in that they dash on the Rock and perish in respecte of Gods ordinaunce and in respect of the end wherevnto all thinges are directed it is not euill in the sight of God but tourneth to good rather and to the setting forth and beautifiing of hys glory So Augustine not vnfitly It is good sayth heé that euills be neyther is there any inconuenience in this that Euills may not happen without Gods will which yet are performed contrary to his will That is to say agaynst that rule and ordinaunce which hymselfe doth allow and commaund To conclude Albeit the Saluation of the elect and the destruction of the reprobate doe proceéde both from one originall namely from the secret counsell of almighty God yet this same decreé neuerthelesse doth not expresse it selfe after one maner at all tymes if you haue regarde to the maner of the operatiō For the cause of Saluation of such as are saued is so wholy shutte vppe in the closett of Gods mercy that God onely and alone is the whole and onely efficient cause therof so that the same cā by no meanes be ascribed to any other But the damnation of the reprobate albeit can not escape the knowledge of the secrete purpose of God bycause no one thyng be it of neuer so small value can be done without his will yet if we seéke the true and efficient cause therof whereunto may it be more properly imputed then to Sinne and to the Deuill the father of Sinne But for as much as God doth compell no man to committe wickednesse but rather yeldeth them ouer whom he forsaketh to their owne lustes hereupon doth it consequētly follow that the first seédes of originall corruptiō beyng destitute of the grace of God suckyng vppe more deadly poyson of ragyng lust by the contagious motions of it owne naturall will cleane contrary to Gods will is become by that meanes the cause and procurour of his owne destruction The cause deficient wherof as I vouched before out of Augustine is onely in God but the cause efficient cōsisteth no where els then in man onely These premisses considered and duely examined I returne to the Question that was proposed Whether God by his bare decree did create his Creatures to destruction and made them vessels of wrath Whether we will not graunt that the promise of God was vniuersall Whether we may imagine such a will in GOD as will not haue all to be saued and come to the knowledge of the truth I doe aunswere Gods promise is without all controuersie generall and is extended generally to all mankynde yet with this Prouiso All whosoeuer do beleue or shall beleue in the sonne of God And there is no dought but that his will doth agreably condiscende with his promise at all tymes and in eche respect very readyly bent inclinable and fauourable towardes the saluation of all ingenerall so that those All be vnderstād with the same Prouiso to witte all that are engraffed in Christ Iesu by fayth Agayne as vnder the name of this vniuersall subiect All to speake with Augustine not euery particuler of all the generalities but the generalities of euery particuler is comprehēded for els as All haue not the true fayth so neither is the promise made vnto thē all who do not beleue in the Sonne nor is there any will in God to saue them but to cast them of rather But as concerning Creation if the end therof besought for I doe aunswere that God did create man vnto righteousnesse For we were created to good workes accordyng to the testimonie of Paule That we should walke in them But man abusing the freédome of his owne will contrary to the will of God to witte contrary to the rule of righteousnesse fallyng quite away from righteousnesse into vnrighteousnesse did at the length through the same vnrighteousnesse throwe him selfe headlong downe into vnrecouerable destructiō What them Shall
a whiles Let vs heare Augustine hereupon and make him as it were Iudge of the cause For where question is made Whether God did call all men indifferently by a generall inspiration to fayth and Saluatiō Augustine doth make this aunswere For as much as vocation or callyng is taken two maner of wayes to witte internall and externall true it is sayth he that all men are indifferently called after the maner of that externall calling but all are not as indifferently drawen by this internall vocation And if the cause be sought for why all are not drawen indifferently but that to some it is geuen to others some not geuen He maketh this aunswere Some there be that will say quoth he it is the will of man But we say it is the Grace and Predestination of God But God doth require mē to beleue I confesse sayth he yet is fayth neuerthelesse the gift of God For he that doth require faith doth promise withall that he will bring to passe that they shall performe that which he commaundeth c. And agayne If it be demaunded whether mercy be therefore geuen to man bycause he beleueth or that mercy were therfore bestowed vpon him bycause he should become beleuyng to this questiō he maketh the very aunswere of the Apostles I haue obteined mercy bycause I should be faythfull He doth not say bycause I was faythfull c. And this much hetherto out of Augustine Let vs now come to Pighius And bycause we are happened vpon this place to discourse vpon to witte the equall dispensatiō of Gods mercy It shall not be amisse to consider briefly his opinion herein agreéyng with Osorius altogether For these be the speaches of Pighius God doth offer him selfe sayth he an equall and indifferent father to all persons he ouerspreadeth all mē generally with the one selfe same gladsome beames of mercy and clemency without any difference Now if some through this lenitie become tractable and other some hereby made more indurate this discrepaunce proceédeth frō the corruption of mē There is no vnequallitie of distribution of lenitie and mercy in God For proofe whereof takyng a Similitude out of the Epistle to the Hebrues the iiij Chap. For as not euery land watered with like bountyfulnesse of the heauenly dew doth yeld lyke fruite to the husbandman but one land yeldeth forth corne an other thornes brambles the one wherof is blessed of God the other accursed euen no lesse ioyously doth the mercy of God shyne indifferently with generall and equall largesse and bountie towardes all vniuersally which beyng set wyde open to all alike doth deny it selfe to none but such as will refuse it them selues But some turne to amēdemēt of life through this mercy others some do abuse this mercy to more outragious licentiousnes of sumyng And agayne fetchyng a similitude frō the heate of the Sunne Whereas the Sunne yeldeth one selfe same heate we doe seé that through the same the earth is made more stiffe and hard and the waxe softened and made more plyable Hereupō Pighius gathereth That what soeuer difference is betwixt the good and the reprobate the same wholy to issue out of the corruption of men and not out of the will of God But our Expositours haue sufficiently aunswered this slipper deuise that this Assertion of Pighius and of his mate Osorius that Gods mercy is powred alike into all men is vtterly false and absurde where they do affirme that God maketh no choyse in the dispensation of his Grace that there is great difference betwixt the godly the vngodly in deéde that there is great difference betwixt the good bad we do not deny But where they doe ascribe the principall motion and efficient cause hereof in mans will onely and not in God onely they are altogether deceaued For as concernyng the common nature of mā truly in this we may with more certeintie determine equabilitie of condition in mankynd as that they reteine one semblable condition and qualitie of freé choyse for as much as all beyng created out of one lumpe are alike all poysoned alike with one kynde of infectiō as men that be altogether vnable of them selues to doe any thyng auayleable to Saluation And for as much as this imbecillitie doth infect all mākynde alike as with a generall pestilence It appeareth therfore euidently that this difference standeth not so much vpon the determination of their will or at least if it stand vppon their will yet that it doth not proceéde first from mans will but from the callyng of God whiche offereth it selfe not alike to euery one nor after one maner to all ingenerall but doth diuersly drawe some after one sort and some after an other For as I sayd before The Scriptures haue set downe a double maner of callyng the one wherof is generall and outward The other is inward accordyng to purpose to witte the callyng of them whose willes the holy Ghost doth enspire and enlighten with an inward effectuallnesse But this Similitude of the Clay and Waxe is ridiculous and worthy to be laughed at Bycause that this distinction can not be appliable to Freewill after the fall of Adam For of the whole ofspryng of Adam not some be plyable as Waxe nor some lumpish as hard earth For where God doth fashion vessels of one kynde of Clay as Paule sayth some vnto honour some vnto dishonour no mā is so madd to affirme that the Clay is the cause of this difference but the Potter rather Moreouer to as small purpose serueth that place to the Hebrues which treateth not of Grace Freewill but of the word of God and men whom he doth exhort by way of demonstratiō and cōparison of frutefull grounde to receaue the word of God fruitefull and professe the same with effect The same also is to be vnderstanded of that Parable of the good ground yeldyng to the husbandman plenty and aboundaunce of fruite mentioned in the Gospell But how may these be applyed to Freewill or what will Pighius coyne hereof If Gods word take roote in none but such as be good what auayleth this sentence to establish the doctrine of Freewill For the question is not here whether they onely be good which receaue the word of eternall lyfe effectually But this is the pointe that must be touched From whence men receaue habilitie to be made good of the nymblenesse of their owne will or of the callyng of God And therfore that Parable serueth to no purpose in this case as beyng applied for none other end but to signifie the dispensation and disposition of Gods holy word which in a maner may aptly be compared to seede wh though the husbandman do sow vpon euery ground indifferētly yet it yealdeth forth fruite but in a fewe yea in those also that be good groundes But hauing now rent in sunder these slender and trifling cob webbes The aduersaries notwithstanding be neuer a deale the
Will then may it be auoydeable Augustine maketh aunswere That sinne is not of Nature simply but of Nature corrupted and of will depraued wherevpon ensueth vnauoydeable Necessitie to dwell in sinne vntill a Release be sealed and deliuered from the Grace of GOD through Iesus Christ our Lord. And therefore that man may be acquited of this Necessitie he is to be called vpon vnto whom the Psalmist cryeth out Set me at libertie O Lord from my Necessities c God doth neyther forbid nor commaund any thing in vayne He shoulde prohibite in vayne if the thynges that are contayned in the Lawe might not be eschued or fulfilled by vs. Ergo We be of power to accomplishe or to eschew the things which God doth commaund or prohibite Augustine doth aunswere The whole Lawe which is comprehended in these two commaundementes in not coueting and in louing To do good and to eschew euill doth com̄maund things that ought to be done in deede and forbiddeth the contrary nor so much because that we are of power and abilitie to accomplishe the same of our selues but because when as man feeleth hys owne disabilitie and weakenes to performe them he shoulde not swell nor be pufft vppe with pryde but beyng weryed and faynt in his trauaile should seeke for relief at Christs handes and so the law holding him in a couenable feare should in stead of a schoolemaister leade to the loue of Christ. God doth commaund nothing but that which is in our power to performe God doth commaund spirituall thinges chiefly Ergo Thinges that be most spirituall are in our power The Maior were true if the will were sound or such as was at the first in the first man Adam before the fall whiche was of power to enforce her selfe wholy to the keeping of the lawe nowe sithence all the powers of the soule are weakened and vneffectuall altogether to do any good we must seek for abilitie that may satisfy the law in heauen and not in our selues If man were not of power to be obedient God shoulde enstruct and exhort in vayne In vayne I confesse if he should vse none other meanes but externall preceptes to lead to the true profiting in Godlines But as now sithence he maketh hys doctrine effectuall through the inspiration of the holy Ghost it is farre of that his dotrine should be fruitlesse God commaundeth nothing that is out of our power True it is if you meane of that power not which is engraffed in our naturall corruptiō but that power wh God doth geue to hys holy ones peculiarly from aboue In the conuersione of a sinner God himselfe doth not by hys own will cōuert him alone but doth allure and exhort hym that he may cōuert hymself for in much lenity patient suffering he doth not punish hym but graūteth space place of repentance prouokīg solliciting pricking him forward to repentaunce vseth many occasions exhortations and corrections And therefore it is our part to be conuerted and to tourne agayne and hys office to receaue the sinner that retourneth and to quicken him The collusion and fallax of thys reason is in the insufficient nombring of partes or deriued from the cause insufficient for albeit God do work all these in the conuersion of a sinner yet doth he not vse these externall meanes onely but ministreth also in the meane space the motione of the harte withall and the inspiration of a secret renouation In the regeneration and conuersion of man euery of vs haue of our selues sufficiently to be obedient to the calling It is in euery man I confesse but not of euery man but proceédeth frō an other who calleth inwardly before that man doth outwardly obey The Tridentine Fathers doe obiect that man may refuse to geue hys consent and to reiect grace when it is offred That is true in deede and to true Neyther doth any man Imagine that Grace is so thrust vppon man in hys conuersion as though he shoulde be constrayned to receaue it whether hee would or no which neyther he can refuse though he will But this is the meaning hereof That the holyghost with hys secret effectuall operation doth so enlighten the hartes of hys elect that the Grace which he graunteth of hys owne liberalitie shal be receaued that the will cannot choose but receaue it with an harty desire and earnest willingnesse yea most ioyfully and gladly But if it happen that grace be forsaken that proceadeth from the corruption of our own fleshe and our naturall faultines naturally engraffed within vs. Agayne it is also in our power to geue our consent In vs in deede but not of our selues as Augustine reporteth who sayth that grace doth not finde good will in vs but doth make them to be good c. And in an other place Who ronneth to the Lord for Grace but whose foot steppes are directed thereunto by the Lord And therefore to craue the assistaunce of Grace is the very beginning of Grace God hath set before all men indifferently a ctrteine generall grace and promise and a free desire of choyse that all men may conceaue it that will We do not deny that we haue altogether a generall grace of God that calleth vs to eternall saluation But this must be confessed withall that Grace to embrace the thinges whereunto we are called is not graunted to all ingenerall without exception but distributed by a certayne peculiar Election and Predestination of God to some whereby it commeth to passe that it is not in euery mans power the will to refuse or take hold fast of this grace so generally offered but in their power vnto whom it is geuen for to take or refuse Grace offered is not in our own power Otherwise what place were left for Gods Election before the foundation of the world were layde If our will were a a rule of hys Election or the cause and beginning of our saluation And therefore this their cauillation that God doth receaue them that will be receaued and doth reiect them that will not be receaued is vntrue It had bene more agreable with reason to beginne rather at the Grace of God then at our owne will and it had bene more conuenient to haue sayd that the Grace of God is graunted vs to the end we may will those thinges that he commaundeth vs and that such as forsake it are worthely reiected in deede but in that that they are forsaken cōmeth hereof because they are not first holpen that they may be able to receaue If all the worke of our conuersione be in God onely that our endeuour auayle nothing thereunto what remayneth then for vs but that we must become no better then stocks and stoanes There is none of vs that affirmeth that men do nothing towardes their conuersion This is it that we do affirme that men when they be conuerted do consent to the worde
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
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
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
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 vpō payne of Remission of your Sinnes that of the goodes that God hath geuē you ye enlarge boūtifully your charitable deuotion vnto thē c. For these wordes were euery where scattered abroad by Maisters of Hospitalles Which what is it els thē to set vp a commō 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 Christiā Congregatiōs 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 cāker 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 witho●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 questiō now whether Pardoners may be abridged of their bold presumptiō but the question cōcerneth Pardons thē 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 thē 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 frō 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 childrē beyng borne were by the same Canon excluded frō the Congregatiō 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 frō the heretique Nouatus was receaued into the Cōgregatiō 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 Penitētiaries 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 Coūcell 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 penaūce and Canonicall satisfactions exercised in the olde Church To the end it may more fullye appeare by what meanes those auncient ordinaunces of publique penaūce 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 offēces only But your Popes Cōfessioners 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 opiniō of the congregatiō in
fayne learne whether you thinke it stand more with reason that we should beleue you or beleue Saynt Paul If we shall credit S. Paul What aunswere then will you make to him that shall frame out of Saynt Paul an argument to ouerthrow the whole force and estimacion of your Purgatory on this wise Fe. Christ needeth no Purgatoriall Expiation Ri Christ is our Righteousnes out of S. Paul So. Ergo. Our Righteousnes needeth not any Purgatoriall Expiation Be well aduised now Osorius and consult with that your companion of Angren throughly If you doe not know that Christ is our righteousnes lett Paul teach you but if you confesse him to be so what degreés and increasings of purifying and clensing may you vaunt in those persons vnto whom Christ doth both impute and apply his owne righteousnes also not vnto them that doe satisfie for it but to them that doe beleue in him And thus much hitherto to that place cited out of S. Marke There remaineth yet a sentence or two of S. Peter that will serue to no small purpose for the maintenaunce of the creditt of Purgatory The first whereof is playne enough by these words of Peter written in the 4. Chapyter of his first Epistle If the iust man sayth he shall scarsely be saued what shall become of the wicked and vniust poynting iwis with the finger as it were and noting that by this difficultye of being saued saluation is not obtayned otherwise then by trauayles and labours and paynes endured before Surely this will no man deny vnto you as I suppose that such as will skratch for heauē by force must vndertake no small trauayles and labors For that crowne of glory is not atteined but by many tribulations and they that purpose to lyue godly in Christ Iesu sayth Paul must needes suffer persecution Goe to now what will this clouter patch together out of this at the last Marke now I pray you a wounderfull downishe conclusion meéte for such a clowting botcher Peter doth treat of the trauailes and affictiōs wherewith the holy ones are exercised before they attayne to be crowned in glory Ergo. Such as departed hence not washt clene enough in this lyfe must be new skowred in the Popes Purgatory Shall I laugh or shall I aunswere truely I cann not tell which I were best to doe Peter in deéde doth treate of the trauayle and tribulatious of the holy ones I confesse it to be true What afflictions I pray you good Syr If you meane the afflictions wherewith the holy ones are ouerladen and pressed downe in this myserable lyfe you say true If you meane other tormentes to be suffered after this lyfe your conclusion is false And least I may seéme to contend agaynst Osorius after Osorius accustomed guise with brabbling wordes and no matter at all and to maintayne my cause with taunting and snatching and not with sound argumentes I will vse for my proofe the most manifest testimony of the Scriptures whereby I will make it good without all gaynesaying that the speéch of Peter in this whole Epistle ought not in any wise be stretched to the paynes of Purgatory Peter doth in all this Epistle treate of those afflictions properly wherewith the faythfull are persequuted of the vnbeleuers for the testimony of Christ and for righteousnes sake as in the 3. Chap. If you suffer any thing for righteousnes sake you are blessed And in the 4. Chap. Least as straungers you be stryken downe and confounded with that tryall through fyer which is layd vpon you to proue you And agayne in the same Chap. If you suffer rebuke for the name of Christ you are blessed c. In Purgatory no paynes are layd vpon soules for Righteousnes sake but for wickednes and that not by men but by spirits Ergo. This place of Peter cann by no meanes be wrested to serue to establishe any paynes of Purgatory ¶ An other Argument Peter doth treate of those afflictions which doe beginne at the house of God and doe fall vpon the Apostles themselues 1. Peter Chap. 4. For it is tyme that Iudgemēt beginne at the house of God If it beginne at vs first what shall be the end of them which will not obey the Gospell But the torment of Purgatory fyer doth not fall vpon the Apostles Ergo the place of Peter cann in no wise be made appliable to serue for Purgatory I am constrayned gentle Reader to Combate hand to hand with Logicall conclusions agaynst this iangling cauiller because els we should haue no end of Chattering as also because he complayneth many tymes in his bookes that he is not confuted with any Reasons so that now he hath a Nutt to crack if he cann or els if he cann not that he cease hereafter to complayne without a cause And this much hitherto now of the first place of Peter Lett vs come downe to the other place The same Peter in the same Epistle To teache vs that there is no way foreclosed for the dead to come to Saluation doth say That Christ did preache the glad tydinges to the soules that were in prison We do so not deny that the dead haue no passable way to Saluation that withall we cōfesse with Paule that the liuyng shall not go before the dead in this iourney And where as you annex immediately out of S. Peter That Christ goyng in the power of his spirite did preach the glad tydinges of peace to the soules that were shutt vpp in prison There yet is no controuersie betwixt vs here at all And to what end at the last shall all this matter inferred confessed tende I pray you forsooth out of this flynte must the fier of Purgatory be stricken with this cutted gadd of steéle I suppose The glad tydynges of peace were brought to the soules of the vnbeleuers that were shutt fast in prison Ergo There were soules of vnbeleuers in Purgatory then A trimme Deuine truely and a profounde patron of Purgatory I warrant you Wherfore Goe ye to O ye Ghostly Confessours and worthypfull Massemongers O ye holy company of Monckes and Nunnes O ye honorable Cardinalles Catholicke Byshops and your sacred Synode of Fraunciscane Friers goodly brotherhoode of blacke powdred lyers finally all ye generation of cowled fraternities smoath and sweéte shauelyngs All you I say all you holy orders generall speciall I do call vpō and humbly beseéch you in the very bowels of those Seraphicall Sainctes S. Frauncisce S. Bruno and S. Benedict that you apply all your deuour and diligēce that ye can possible with mumblyng vpp of Masses Sacrifices Liturgies Prayers Uigilles Nocturnes Completories Diriges and Trentalles pray ye knocke ye ringe spryng holy water sing Masses for the quicke and the dead finde out some way bryng to passe that this treasure of this holy mother Church may amplifie and encrease dayly more and more through your most holy merites and whole mountaines of
you are so malapert to write to Kyngs and Queénes If in your next Letters addressed to Queéne Elizabeth at your conuenient leysure you will vouchsafe to teach vs by some euidēt and infallible testimonies of Scripture how we may be throughly certified of that which you take here for confessed to witt That Prayers powred forth for the redemption and saluation of the soules that be afflicted in Purgatory be not vnprofitable but effectuall and auaylable I for my part that haue read the whole Bible ouer can not as yet light vpon any substaunciall or likely matter enough to moue nor cōceaue any cause why either such as be alyue now should dreadd any Bullbeares of Purgatory or that such as are departed hence in the Fayth of Iesu Christ should stand in any neéde of any pettyhelpes of Supplications or Prayers For as touchyng the saluation of soules whereupon Osorius doth discourse so largely I am fully resolued that the same is singularly and absolutely safe and shielded in Iesu Christ wholy doth not in any respect depend vpō any force of our prayers Neither will Osorius deny the same I suppose Yet he supposeth that the Temporall payne must be entreated for And bycause this payne must be endured in the scaldyng house of Purgatory therfore the Supplications Prayers of the Church are worthely employed to the ease of those tormentes I do aunswere if the soules of the faythfull be afflicted with any kynde of punishment in Purgatory surely those paynes are either the very scourges and whippes of Gods Iudgement or els must chaunce vnto them besides the Iudgement of God If besides Gods Iudgemēt then are they wrōgfully punished but if the dead by the iust Iudgemēt of God be tormented after this lyfe then is the promise of Christ false Which doth affirme that they shall not come vnto Iudgement but shall passe sayth he from death to life And agayne My Father doth frō hence forth Iudge no man And what say you to the promise made to the theéfe on the Crosse This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise So also were that sentence of Paule no lesse false We are no more vnder the Law but vnder Grace For what Grace is there where Iudgement ouerruleth What then you will say shall we accompt the Prayers for the deadd vsually powred forth by the Church to be altogether fruitelesse First I do veryly thinke that ye ought not abuse the name of the Church to your abhominable superstitiōs The true Church of Christ must be esteémed by the word of God and his good pleasure and not measured by mens traditions Neither is it conueniēt to colour all such Bastard trinckettes as are crept into the Church by fraude vnder the title and badge of the true Churche But we must make good triall by the touchstone of Gods word of the meanes whereby they challenge an interest in the Church Now to graunt you this much that Supplications for the deadd were ordeyned in some places by Traditiō of certein old Fathers yet this maketh nothyng at all to the purpose to establish your plattforme of Purgatory There be publique Liturgies fathered vpon Chrisostome and Basile caried abroad after this maner and forme We do offer vnto thee this reasonable offring for them that sleape in the Fayth for the auncient Fathers Elders Patriarches Prophetes Apostles Preachers Euangelistes Martyrs and Confessours c. But chiefly for our most holy and immaculate Lady the perpetuall Virgine Marie blessed aboue all other wemen c. Not much vnlyke vnto the same is it reported of Cyprian We doe Sacrifice sayth he for the Martyrs c. And yet I suppose no man is so wittlesse to say that the Martyrs Confessours Apostles Patriarches together with the holy Uirgine be either in Purgatory or do stand in neéde of the Prayers of thē that be aliue Whereupō we read in Augustine on this wise To pray for a Martyr is adiudged very iniurious c. What shall be sayd to this where the Papish Churches do vse to pray after a solemne maner in their Masses for the dead on this wise that God would vouchesafe to deliuer them out of hell from out the deepe lake and from out the Lions lawes by wh wordes appeareth manifestly that Purgatory is not vnderstāded here but those vnquēchable flames of hell it selfe Whereby you may perceaue perfectly that the Prayers of the Church be no sure foundations to ground Purgatory vpon for that they be no more powred forth for them which are in Purgatory then they be for others in some other place In like maner fareth with Sacrifices wherein your Diuinitie raungeth very much at randon as if it were strayed and runnyng in some wildernes a woll gatheryng For whereas the true Church of Christ doth acknowledge none other satisfactory Sacrifice but that onely one Sacrifice of the Sonne of God once accomplished for all You do spende to much breath vpon vs and many tymes altogether in vayne about your satisfactory offerynges and Sacrifices of Christ Paule and many others offred vpp for the dead Paule say you as often as he aduentured his lyfe for the preseruation of the state of the Church euen so often did he offer Sacrifice for the Saluation of the dead But then most honorably aboue all other when he suffered him selfe to be spoyled of life for the glory of Christ and the Saluatiō of all men Did Paule suffer death for the Saluation of all men is this your reason and your maner of speach Osorius doe ye vse to preach to your flocke after this sort in Syluaine as your bookes do preach abroad to the world to witte that men shall beleéue that Paule did dye for the Saluation of all men Shall we iudge that you were sober or well in your wittes when you wrate this did euer man besides you write after this maner or did euer man bearyng the face of a Deuine speake this or would any reasonable mā euer vtter any such rudenes Awake for shame and gather your wittes once agayne vnto you if you can For if Paule did dye for the Saluatiō of the dead as you say what els do you leaue for Christ to do more shall he also be in the beadroll emongest those All for whose health and Saluatiō Paule most honorably dyed a most notable death wherein do you not heare Paule him selfe cryeng out agaynst you with open mouth Was Paule Crucified for you were you Baptized in the name of Paule And agayne What is Paule what is Apollo but Ministers by whom you beleeued c. And agayne He that plāteth and he that watereth is nothing But God that doth geue the increase c. After the same sence we read in S. Peter There is none other name geuen vnto men vnder heauen wherein they must be saued And how then by the satisfactory offeringes of Paule and many others as you say is ayde obteined for them that be
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
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
men not to the worshipping of the liuing God but to the inuocation of dead soules and adoration of Reliques not vnto fayth but vnto workes not vnto freé forgeuenesse but vnto Pardons not vnto grace but vnto workes not vnto the promises of God but to mens satisfactions not vnto heauen but vnto Purgatory which doth allure vs not to the spyrite but vnto the hungry letter to ceremonies to written Traditions and vnwritten verityes to the bare naked elemēts of this world to bodyly exercises which of theyr owne nature do prenayle litle or nothing at all If this be not the very naturall power and state of all your Religion almost confound me if you can but if you cannot with honesty denye it where is then that glorious bragg so often craked vpon of the first principles of your Traditions which how gaylye are liked and blazed abroad by you let other mē like as they list Surely I am of this opinion that there be no surer groundworkes of our Religion nor better layd then such as the Apostles and Prophettes haue established vnto the which if you will but call vs we will yelde gladly and ioyne with you But you doe meane some other principles and foūdations I suppose not such as were builded vpp by the Apostles and Prophets but such as haue bene inuented by Mounkes Fryers and Noonnes whose orders and institutions you iustify to be most holy and godly and haue determined with your selfe that all thinges which are swarued from thence ought to be called home agayne to the holynesse of these sacred orders howsoeuer some particuler Mounckes doe abuse theyr profession yet you do stoutly auerre that the first institutiō of the profession and foundation of their orders doth persist as at the first and ought not by any meanes be dissolued This is well But what if I be able to iustify the contrary to witt that the very first foundations of those Mounckeryes as they were erected by the first founders thereof be wicked damnable and to be detested of all christians Now I beseéch your syr Byshopp for the honor of your sacred Myter if any man doe direct you to any other redeémer then vnto Christ the sonne of God or will allure you to seéke for any other redemption then in the most precious blood of Iesus Christ Doe ye thinke such a fellow in any respect tolerable I do not beleue it Goe to then let vs take a view now of the originall causes and principles vpō the which were groūded the first foundations of Mounckeryes I will speake onely of our owne Mounckeries here in England as much as I know by experience When the first foundations of Mounckeries beganne to be erected in this Realme which was in the tyme of a certeyn Mounck called Austine whēas Ethelbert reigned king of kent in the yeare 605. We will declare euen out of his owne letters patentes the very cause that moued him chiefly to build an Abbay at Douer for the order of Benedictines And these be the very wordes of his owne charter I Ethelbert established in the kingdome of my father and enioying the crowne and dignity of my father by the permission of God in peacible tranquillity emōgest other churches that I haue builded by the persuatiō councell of our holy father Austen haue erected from the very foundation a Church to the most blessed Prince of the Apostles S. Peter and to S. Paule Doctour of the Gentiles and haue endeuoured to enriche the same with large Reuenewes and landes and haue caused there to be assembled Mounckes which do feare God Therefore entending to amplifie and to enlarge the same Church to the proportiō of a iust heighth being in perfect minde and sownde iudgement I haue geuen vnto the same church by the consent of Ealbalde my sonne and other my deare counsellors a Towne called Cistelett for the redemption of my soule in hope to attayne euerlasting reward for the same c. I do not accuse the well disposed king worthy of singuler prayse but I doe vtterlye condemne Austen the Mouncke that wicked counsellor and instrument of that doctrine Uerely if redemption of soules be purchased by buylding of Abbyes then dyed Christ in vayne and the promise is made voyde and of none effect finally what remayneth for vs by this reason but that weé haue as many redeémers as we haue Mouncks You haue heard of Ethelbert the father now harken likewise of Ealbalde hys Sonne I Ealbalde placed in my Fathers kyngdome followyng my Fathers steppes who of a valiaūt courage did build Churches of God at the earnest entreaty of Father Austen and enriched them with diuers dignities doe freély and willyngly geue and graunt a certein part of my kyngdome called Northburne to the behoofe of the Monckes of the Monastery of Peter Paule at Douer in the honour of almighty God and his holy Apostles and of S. Augustine for the Redemption of my Fathers soule myne owne soule and my predecessours soules c. I Ethelrede kyng of Mercia do graunt this Charter for the redemption of my soule and to be prayed for by the seruauntes of God the Moūckes of Malmesbury The same Charter was confirmed by kyng Berthewalde for the Saluation of his soule as his Letters Patētes do declare and for the Remission of the Sinnes that he hadd committed What shall I speake of the rest of Osricke kyng of Mercya of Oswy kyng of Northumberland of Whitrede Cissa kyng of Southsex Ethelrede Prince of Mercia Ina Renulphe Offa Alurede Athelstane Edgar William of Normandy Henry the first Stephen kyng Iohn and Edward by whom whereas many Monasteries haue bene erected euen from the first foundations and endowed with large possessions and reuenewes if we behold the originall Charters of the first founders we shall finde that they were erected for none other cause nor vnder any other Title but for the Redemptiō of soules for saluation of soules and to vse their owne wordes for the remedy and remission of sinnes For myne owne soule and all my predecessours soules for my fathers soule and mothers soule for the soule of my wife and all Christian soules for the Remission of sinnes for the prosperous estate of our kyngdome the subiectes of our Realme To the honour of the blessed Uirgine Mary for reward of eternall felicitie c. For all these titles are extaunt in the auncient Charters of the kinges grauntes After the same maner did Elfride wife to the Earle Ethelwolde builde an Abbay at Malmesbury for the death of her husband whereof she was her selfe a Procurour for the Remission of that wicked acte into the which afterwardes she made her selfe a perpetuall Recluse for euerlastyng penaūce Moreouer kyng Edgar which murthered the sayd Ethelwolde for the loue of his wife for satisfactiō of his offence and for the preseruation of his subiectes is reported to haue builded so many Abbayes as there be weékes in the yeare
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 cā 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 euē for this cause that valiaūt 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 potiōs 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 inferiours● Princes for the preseruation of their health do obay the direc●●●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 seruaūt 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 coūtenaunce 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 discretiō of byndyng and excōmunicatyng 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 dispositiō of particular matters that are incidēt to the Ministery they do say vntruly for as much as there is no Ciuile potentate vnto whō is not cōmitted the order gouernement of all members of the cōmon 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 exāples 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 ●s do prescribe ceremonies for the Tabernacle which doe fetche backe agayne the Arke of the couenaūt 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 aunciēt 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 engrauē 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 car●asses to tortures then suffer thē 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 noūber within this Realme you will say that the Prince must vse force force them to fagotte that will not obay Is this the coūsell 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 war●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 vpō confidence of his Rhetoricke doth dreame vpō 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 lēgth 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 cōspiracies of treacherous traytours by inuincible Argumentes and Reasons clearer then the Sunne in mydday when I shall paynte out vnto her view euē 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
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 operation̄ 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 Coūcell 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 Cōfidence of Gods mercy forgeuyng Sinnes for Christes sake or to be that onely affiaūce 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 mā 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 accōpanyed 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 ra●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 sentēces 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 Tridētines 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 sanctificatiō and renouaciō where was it euer more plētifull 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 mē 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
Argument Aunswere Aristot. Ethic Lib. 3. Cap. 3. The Fallax from that whiche is not the cause to the cause 4. Causes of Election or Predest by Paule Rom 9. Ephe. 1. Rom. 9. Osor. 2. argument The argument pag. 153. Aunswere The Aduersaries obiect resolued Leuit. 20. Numer 11. Marc. 1. The reason of the aduersaries touching the mercy and iustice of God and the cause of the same expounded and confuted The respect of merites are directly against Gods free power Pag. 156. 157. Osori Obiection Aunswere August de nat grat Cap. 5. Math. 12. Rom. 3. Arguments Both the propositiōs of the arguments are denyed All the defence of Gods iustice doth consist in hys will Aug. de Trinit lib. 3. Obiectiō of a Sclaunderer The argument of the Aduersary Maior Minor Conclusion An Aunswere out of S. Paule The Apostle doth aunswere two manner of waies Rom. 9. The similitude of the Potter Rom. 9. S. Paules Argument against foreseene workes The aunswere of this Proctour and others The confutatiō of the aduersaries aunswere Rom. 9. August de Praedest grat Cap. 7. Electiō depēdeth not vpon fayth in our workes but fayth and workes depende vpon Election The stinolous cauillation of Osorius hys ouerthrow Rom. 11. Rom. 9. Rom. 11. Aug. depredest grat Cap. 7. Osorius taken tardy as Enemy to Grace Osori pag. 257. The summe of Christian doctrine doth consist in foure thynges chiefly Electiō and Predestination Vocation Conuersiō Iustificatiō and lyfe euerlastyng Glory of immortalitie Osori doth couer an Enemy of Grace vnder a glorious praysing of vertue Rom. 9. Osori pag. 157. August ad simplicia Lib. 1. Quest. 2. The meanyng of Paule opened by Augustine The defēce of Gods Iustice consisteth not in any thing els thē in the onely mercy of God according to Osorius Esau. Iacob The hardenyng of Pharao Osorius Pag. 158. The confutation of Osori Obiection The chief meanes wherewith Gods Iustice may be defended Rom. 9. An other exception of Osorius confuted Osorius pag. 158. The reason of Osorius touchyng the cause order of predestination Aug. ad simplici lib. 1. quest 2. Rom. 9. The words of Paul expounded August ad simplici Lib. 1. Quaest. 2. In Predest the first cause must be coupled with the last end Osori pag. 158. 159. 160. The aunswere to Osorius cōclusion Pag. 161. Osori pag. 161. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The office of a Iudge of a creatour farre diuerse Rom. 9. Osori pag. 161. The Argument of Osori out of S. Paule The aunswere with an explication of S. Paule Osori Cauill vpō the wordes of Paule Fashioned The will purpose of God the first cause Election Predestination Creation Calling accordyng to his purpose Vocation accordyng to purpose Fayth Iustificatiō The Glory of God the last end Pag. 161. Osori Obiection pag. 161. Aunswere Aunswere Whether vessels of honour be made of wickednes onely as of the first cause Pharaoes Reiection proceeded not of his Rebellion but his Rebellion rather of his reiection A double consideration of the Vessels of wrath Rom. 9. Cauilles of the aduersaries An answere to Osorius Cauils Gods will taken two manner of wayes Psal. 113. Luke 10. Gods will is the beginning and rule of all thinges How wicked men do the will of God I. Thessa. 4. The order and processe of causes Rom. 9. The place of Paule to the Rom 9. expounded The cause effecient The cause deficient How the causes of Election and damnation do differr agree betwixt them selues How Gods will doth behaue it self in the Elect. The damnation of the wicked ought not to be imputed to God In the damnacion of the wicked two thinges are to be cōsidered Malum culpae Malum poenae How the damnation of thē that perish thorow their owne default tourneth to good in the sight of God Aug. Enchi Cap. 95. Aug. Enchi Cap. 100. How the efficient cause of saluation and damnation do differre The efficient cause The deficiēt Cause out of Aug. lib. de Ciuit. dei 12. Cap. 6.9.7 Question Answere The promise of God is generall with a promise Singuli generum Gunera singulorum The end of Creation to Godward The prouidēce of god ought not to be accused in the destruction of the Reprobates How Gods sufferaunce dealeth in mens actions or life Whether Gods sufferaunce or hys will beare more rule in mans lyfe A dubble obiection The originall of sinne is to be ascribed vnto the Creature not vnto the Creatour God dyd not create man to the ende he should perish Frō whēce the cause of damnation sprang at the first The Obiections confuted The cause of eche mās dānation is within him selfe Infidelitie proceedeth rather of ignoraunce thē of will Fayth being the gift of God springeth not frō mans will 1 Peter 2. 2. Thessa. 1. Actes 13. 1. Cor. 2. Esay 6.9 Math. 20. Luke 8. 1. Pet. 2. Two things to be considered in Gods mercy Whether Gods mercy be generall to all indifferently and how it is generall Grace of Vocation Grace of Election Fayth and Saluation take their originall from Grace rather then from our owne will An Aunswere to the place of Chrisostome The secret will of his good pleasure vnreuealed i. Beneplaciti The expresse will of God reuealed i. Voluntas Signi Vocation taken two maner of wayes accordyng to Augustine● August ad Simplici Pighius touchyng the equalitie of Gods Grace towardes all Pighius similitude taken out of the Epistle to the Hebrues The Reason of Pighius and Osor. is cōfeted Whether it be of God or of man that the good and the euill do differre An answere Pighi similitude The place out of the Epist. to the Hebrues An other Reason of the aduersary leading to absurdity An acceptiō of persones The aduersaries obiections are mett withall That those that are not chosen doe not come how mans will gods predestination do seuerally work Selfe power or libertie to liue after her own will Aug. contra 2. Epist. pela lib. 1. Cap 3. Aug. de predest 1. sancti Cap. 3. Mans will is neuer so free but that it is alwaies coupled with Necessitie The strēgth of Orignall sinne Gods predestination both elder in tyme and in power surmonnting all mās will The obiections of the Aduersaries The aunswere Aug. ad bonifacium lib. 1. Cap. 19. De lib. arb Cap. 2. 17. Aug. de correp grat Cap. 1. epist. 107. ad victalem Wherein effectuall Grace doth consiste Aug. de gra libe arbit Cap. 5. Aug. contra 2. Epist. pela lib. 1. Cap. 18. Osori pag. 162. The complaynt of Osorius agaynst Luther touchyng the subuersion of Ciuill societie The Tyrannicall state of the Pope somewhat troubled by Luther The Pope The Cardinalls Mytred Byshoppes Droues of Monckes Friers The Wolfe doth accuse the Lambe for troublyng the water Gene. 26. The seat of the beast in the Apocali Apoc. 16. 2. Thessa. 2. Amos. 7. 3. Kyngs It is declared by exāples what and how
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