it is the cause of his owne destruction or if a man would goe vnto a place and knoweth not the way which leadeth thereunto but hauing a conuenient guide to direct him at hand enquireth not the way is not the cause of his going astray to bee imputed vnto himselfe If thou seest a Stranger or blinde man to goe out of the way thou art bound to recall him and direct him aright and to deliuer him from danger much more thy selfe Wherefore that Negligence in not seeking the way of truth and saluation is culpable and damnable neither may you pretend Ignorance For God gaue his diuine precepts to this end Vt homo de Ignorantia excusationem non habeat that Man might not Aug. lib. dâ— Gâ—a lib. arb pretend Ignorance for an excuse But say that a man should fall among two Doctors of contrary profession the one an Orthodoxall Christian the other a Popish Hereticke and bee not able of himselfe to iudge whom he should beleeue would God require at his hands that he should diuine which is the true Faith I answer that in this case he must implore Gods helpe as Augustine saith and earnestly intreat him that he would enlighten his heart and vnderstanding to that part of the contradiction which is true and acceptable vnto him and we may presume that God in his mercy will open vnto him that so knocketh and that if his negligence in seeking after the truth or some other soule Sinne hinder not God will so worke in his heart that hee shall not giue way vnto error for God preserueth them that loue him Extra de spons cap. Iuvents Otherwise if he feare to bee perplexed hee must follow the counsell of the Law Semper in re dubia securior tutior pars est eligenda in euery distresse by scruple or doubt we must cleaue vnto that part which is most secure and safe But the Religion of the Protestants is the most safe for the Soule especially in the fundamentall point of Iustification as their best Diuine after long cauillation confesseth in these words Propter incertitudinem Iustitiae propriae periculum in an is gloriae tutissimum Bellarum lib. 5 de Iustisicat Cap. 7. est fiduciam totam in sola Dei miscricordia benignitate reponere Because of the vncertainty of our owne righteousnesse and the danger of vaine-glory it is the safest way to repose our whole trust in thealone mercy and loue of God The which when he proued to be true by many testimonies of the Fathers he concludeth his Chapter with these words following His accedit ratio manifesta c. And reason confirmeth the former position for saith hee Either a man hath true merits or else he hath not if he hath not he is dangerously deceaued and seduceth himselfe by trusting in false Merits for they are false Riches which hinder the true Riches But if he hath he loseth nothing thereby in not trusting in them but in God only for God knoweth them well and considereth them and will not suffer them to be vnrewarded To this purpose and almost in the same words speaketh Rosfensis in his Booke De fide miserecordâ—a Dei. Ad Axieâ—â—â— 12. But aboue all that we might be vnexcusable God hath assigned vnto vs a certaine remedy to preuent error and heresie whereinto we might be seduced by false teachers and that is Confeience with the holy Scriptures Thus the Berrhaeans daily searched and examined the Scriptures Act. 17. to know whither that which Paul and Sylas preached were true or not Chrysostome expounding these words When yee shall see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place saith That Christians that would be secured of the true faith are commanded to flyeto no other thing then vnto the Scriptures Our Lord said that the Sadduces error sprang from their Ignorance of the Scriptures for which cause St. Ierome would haue vs In lib. 3. in Epla ad I phes cap. 4. reade them diligently that like cunning exchangers we may bee able to discerne good coyne from counterfeit for as another saith They who are conuersant in the Scriptures cannot be deceiued by Tâ—coâ—â— Sup. cap. 15. Luc. any meanes for they are the Lanthorne whereby the thiefe is discryed The abridging hereof from the people hath beene in all ages the cause of ruine of Religion Our Sauiour chargeth the Lawyers that they tooke away the Luk. 17. key of knowledge they would not enter themselues and hindred other who would enter into the kingdome of heauen On which words saith Lyra Similes sunt Doctores Ecclesiae speaking of his owne time Such are the Doctors of the Church who hinder the vnderstanding of the truth which is necessary vnto Sâ—luation with strange and curious words and opinions The Doctors and Teachers in the Romish Sinagogue where Satan dwelleth imitating the aduice of Varro the Heathen Philosopher preach vnto the simple credulous people meere falshoods and shut vp the truth Inter parâ—etes scholarum within the precincts of their Schooles to be disputed of though by their disputations they neuer attaine vnto it Neither will they suffer the people to search any farther or to seeke for the truth least they should forsake their damnable falsehoodâ— And this was an old pollicy of the Pagans whereof saith Lactantius Hinc sida silentia Sacris instituta sunt vt nesciat Lib. 5. de Iustitia cap. 20. populus quid colat Cunning fellowes silenced Men from acquaintance with sacred matters that the multitude should not knowe what they worshiped In what a miserable case are such people who belieue they knowe not what not beeing able to giue a reason why they should be perswaded but flye onely to the Iudgement of their Auncestors that they were wise and hang on the opinions of their seducing teachers that they approue they knowe what is best and consequently bere aue themselues of their sences rob themselues of reason while they giue credit to their errors and thus being wrapped vp in ignorance they know neither themselues nor their Religion But like the poore seduced people in the time of Arrâ—anisme Credunt quod non credunt Hillar ad Constant Intelligunt quod non intelligunt They beleeue without faith they vnderstand without knowledge This is no faith but Folly not effectuall to Saluation but bringing certaine damnation Constat fidem stâ—ltam non prodesse Aug. in quâ—st â—et test quâ—st 43. sed potâ—us obesse It is certaine that foolish faith doth not proffit but rather hurt yet this is the thraldome of the poore people who beleeue this deceiptfull opinion that Minores saluantur in fide Maiorum The ignorant Lay-people are saued Bâ—llâ—rm lib. 1 de Justific cap. 7. by the fâ—ith of their learned Priests bee their faith meere falshood whereof saith the great Cardinall Tâ— per obedientiam c. Thou canst not be deceiued by thy obedience toward thy Prelate whom
Negligent because hee did not warily forelooke But hee that falleth into a pit which hee beholdeth with his eyes Non negligens sed Insanus dicitur is not to be censured negligent but mad But as concerning the multitude of Ecclesiasticall Ministers take this answere An Ape hath all the members of a Man and doth imitate a Man in most things and yet can neuer bee called a Man So Heretickes doe imitate all the true Mysteries of the true Church and yet are not the Church In which sense Augustine writing vpon these wordes of the 54. Psalme according to the Translation of that time In multis erant mecum in many things they were with me saith thus of Heretickes Baptismum habeamus in eo errat mecum c. Wee had Baptisme common in that they were with mee wee did read the Gospell in that they were with mee They did celebrate the Festiuity of Martyrs they were there with mee they did solemnize Easter there were they with mee Sed non omnino mecum but they were not wholly with mee in Scisme they were not with mee in Heresie not with mee in many with mee in few not with mee But in these few wherein they were not with mee there many wherein they were with me were vnprofitable vnto them c. This is it which puffeth vp Heretickes with a false conceipt that they are true Christians because they hold some few points common with the Orthodoxall Professors and confesse Christ in some sort whereas indeede they neither beleeue in Christ nor confesse him but make an Idoll vnto themselues in the forge of their owne imagination which they worship as they please neither doe they hold wholly of Christ and yet they will claime the title of Christians but all in vaine and this is an Ancient practise among them Christum etiam Haeretici sibi habere videntur saith Super. cap. 9. Lucâ— Ambrose Heretickes seeme to themselues to haue Christ for none of them doth deny the Name of Christ But he denyeth Christ who doth not confesse all those poinâ—s which concerne Christ vnum dogmatum si retraxeris retraxisti salutem if thou retract one Article of the faith thou dost renounce thy saluation And S. Iohn confirmeth this saying If any saith Explan 2. hee transgresseth or abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hee hath not God where the Greeke Verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth any violation of the faith in whole or part For this cause were Christians termed Catholiques ex obedientia omnium mandatorum Dei of their obedience to the whole faith of Christ in doctrine and manners Pacian Explan prima ad Sympron Nouâ—tiâ—â— 2. Cor. 2. Hereby the Apostle proued the Corinthians if they were obedient in all things and hee sheweth the occasion of the first comming vp of that name somewhat before saying when after the time of the Apostles Heresies grew vp and that they laboured to rent a sunder and cut in pieces Gods Doue and Queene did not the people whom the Apostles had conuerted require a proper Name which might distinguish the vnity of that vncorrupted people vnlesse the errors of some should diuide the members of that vndefiled Virgin of God and somewhat after hee saith Wherefore our people is distinguished from those that are called Heretickes by the name of Catholicke therefore hee that is a Catholicke the same is obedient vnto the whole faith Hee that is obedient the same is a Christian and so hee is a Catholike Christian and these two must bee inseperable that wee may worthily glory and truely say with this Father Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus verâ— cognomen I â—ud me nuncupat I stud ostendit hoc probor inde sigâ—ificor Christian is my Name Câ—tholicke my Surname the first doth name mee the other doth display mee by the first I am proued by the other I am signified And so Christianitie is tâ—armed Obedience vnto the Rom. 1. 655 â—â—cob faith in all points no doubt for of this it may bâ—e said He that hath offended in one is guilty of all Therefore whosoâ—uer shall through nepharious pride forsake or contumelioâ—sly reiect or prophanely alter any point of the Orthodoxall faith or audaciously adde any thing thereunto are not to be reputed Christians but rather Antichrists for euen as the Adamant which is the most precious of all Stones is of very great esteeme if so bee it bee perfâ—ct sound and whole pure bright and without spot or slaw but if it bee soylâ—d darke or otherwise dâ—formed and bâ—oken is of no regard So the Christian Faith if it bee such as will saue thy Soule must bee whole perfect not contaminated with the impure filthinâ—sse of the leauen of humane Doctrine â—ot diminished violated and cuâ—talled by reiecting the chiefe heads of sound Doctrine or by adding supeâ—fluities or by lopping of necessaries or vsurping strange Inueâ—tions â—or as Augustine saith Lib. câ—â—â— Iulian Pâ—lag cap. 2. speaking of the fundamentall poynts of Faith That if a man should in disputation subâ—ert but one of them totum quod in Christum credimus is auferat necesse est hee must needes confound the whole faith of Christ Therefore Saint Paule thundereth out an Anathema Impartially against him whosoeuer hee shall be Galat. â— that shall preach any other Gospell then he had preached Licet Nos saith hee Cur non potius sed lâ—cet ego why not I rather then wee he meaneth that though Vincent Lyrin cont Har cap. â—â— Peter though Andrâ—w though Iohn though the whole societie of the Apostles should preach other Doctrine that hee had done let him or thâ—m bee accursed Tremenda districtio here is tâ—rrible sâ—uerity propter adserendam primae fidei tenacitatâ—m neâ— sibi nec â—aeteris Apostolis pepercisse That the first faith may be maintained inuiolated he spareth neither himselelfe nor the rest of his fellow Apostles this is not all but he mounteth vp into Heauen hee dareth the heauenly Angels and good reason to saâ—th that worthy Orthodoxall Bishop of Constantâ—nople Ministrare namque praeceptum Proclus lib. ad Aâ—â—en contrâ— Nesiorium est Angelo non dogma componere Angels are ordained for ministring Spirits not for to frame Articles of Beleefe The end is that such a one shall bee Anathema that is separated segregated excluded from the Communion of God his Christ and his Church he is no member of that â—ody whereof Christ is the head and consequently no Christian And therefore the auncient holy Christian Emperours Theodosius and Valentinian made a Law Ne Câ— de 〈◊〉 Manicb cap. Damnaâ—o Haeretici Christianorum appellatione abundantur sed vt cuius Scelus sunt in deserendo dâ—um Imitati cius vocabulum iure videanter esse sortiti that Heretikes should not abuse the title of Christians by vsurping of it vnto themselues but that they should bee called after his name whose wickednesse they did imitate in forsaking God I coÌ„clude this point with the saying of
myracles doe not proceed from a loue toward God and to the end hee may be glorified in them are vnprofitable how shall those workes which are acted by him who hath no faith bee conducible to procure eternall life You are therefore dangerâ—usly deceiued who presume that God regardeth not what or whether wee beleeue or not misapylying to that purpose which the Apostle Rom. 2. saith To euery man that doth good hee will giue glory and honour and peace to the Jew first and also to the Grecian and that because there is no respect of pâ—rsons with God For how can glory bee to the vnbeleeuers which is not giuen vnto any but vnto those who are iustified for those whom God Rom. 8. hath iustified he hath also glorified Or what honour shall be giuen to Infidels When Saint Peter teacheth that it is not giuen but onely to those that beleeue Or how shall there be peace vnto him who is not Epheâ— 1. redeemed with the blood of Iâ—sus Christ In whome God hath pacifiea the things which are in Heauen and in Earth for he is our peace who hath made of both one But this peace cannot bee possâ—ssed without the faith and loue of Christ for wee being iustified by faith haue peace Rom. 5. with God through our Lord Iesus Christ through whome wee haue entrance by faith into this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God This hope doth not make vs ashamed because the loue of God is powred forth into our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is giuen vnto vs for we haue receiued the spirit of Adoption whereby we crie Abba Father That therefore men may bee made the Sonnes of God they receiue the onely begotten Sonne of God by faith and by his gift they receiue this power from the Lord that they may beleeue in him and appertaine to the number of the Sonnes of God For as many as receiued him to them he gaue power to be made the Sonnes of God euen to those Iohn 1. that beleeue in his name In their hearts hee writeth his Law that is the Law of Ierem. 31. Faith which beeing inspired doth Iustifie This Lawe God doeth write in the hearts of his people not by the Condition of Nature but by the bountie of Grace not by the free will of Man but by the Ministery of the preaching of the Gospell not in stone by the Letter of the Old Testament but in the heart by the Spirit of the liuing God Hee writeth therefore the Law of faith by which God iustifieth the Gentiles that by giuing grace he might renew Nature And for this cause hee diffuseth Loue which is the fulfilling of the Lawe by his Spirit that hee may make men labour to fulfill that which hee commanndeth and he bestoweth the grace of Illumination by the Spirit of faith that therefore faith might worke by loue that which is pleasing vnto God The which as long as it is not in Man whatsoeuer hath remained in man written by the Lawe of Nature without the Law of Faith doeth not possibly saue him that doeth thereafter because God doeth iustifie no man without Faith neither can it purchase saluation vnto the workerâ— because that without faith it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11. Wherefore the Law of Nature by which a man preserneth the bond of humane Societie without faith if it bee fulfilled cannot suffice to saue the Soule as Diues would prooue But that Law by which a man knoweth and loueth God by beleeuing in him not by which a man growen proud doeth challenge vnto himselfe good workes or faith it selfe but by which hee doeth with humble subiection ascribe both his Faith and his Workes vnto God who doeth worke them mercifully in him for this is the nature of true faith so to compose and direct a mans heart That when a man heareth the precepts of God Iddonari sibi quod praecipitur poscat Et cum in fide operatur Fulgent lib. dâ—â—â—carn Christi cap. 27. gratia Dei se â—â—giter adiuvari non ambigat He prayeth vnto God to make him able to doe that which he commandeth and when hee doth good workes as a beleeuer he acknowledgeth that hee is helped wholly to performe them by the grace of God But we say farther That hee that doth not beleeue cannot haue any true vertues as wee haue prooued before in part and wee adde besides that as faith without workes is no faith so workes without faith are no workes Saint Ierome saying Sine Christo omnis Virtus in vitio In cap 3. ad Galat. est Without the faith of Christ no vertue is faultlesse yea were they present they could bee of no continuance For if so bee the threatning of Hell the promise of Heauen the exemplary liues of inuumerable Saints and all other meanes which we can vse can hardly among vs who are Christians preseâ—ue mâ—n in vertuous actions what can wee thinke of those who liuing in Infidelitie and are destitute of these furtherances But that they are so farre from being preserued in the practise of vertues that it is not possible but that they should become starke naught and vitious Therefore I conclude That an innocent life and vertuous actions without the faith of Christ cannot suffice to saluation And I doe adde further that good deeds being found in any one who professeth Christ otherwise then the Scripture teacheth and the true Church beleeueth are wholly vnprofitable and no better then the forenamed false vertues of Infidels for Vbi sana fides non est non potest esse Institia 24. q. 1. cap. vbi Sana ex â—ugustinâ— there can bee no true righteousnesse where there is no sound faith Therefore let no man deceiue himselfe by confidence in an innocent and vertuous life if hâ—e die in a damnable and hereticall Religion such as is Popery heare Saint Augustine for a Summary Constituamus aliquem castum continentem Lib. 4. de Baptisâ—â—â— non auarum non Idolis seruientem c. Say there is a man who is chaste continent not couetous no Idolater giuen to Hospitalitie to Almes no mans enemy not contentious patient quiet hating no man envying no man sober thriftie but withall an Heretike Nulli vtique dubium est propter hoc solum quod Haereticus est regnum Dei non possessurum No man doubteth but for this cause onely for that he is an heretike hee shall not inherite the kingdome of God CHAP. 3. Declareth that a good Intention or meaning toward God auaileâ—h not Hereticks to preserue them from damnation without the right knowledge of the true faith where is proued that Negligence and Ignorance in matters of Faith is damnable which ought to bee expelled and preuented by diligent reading and examining of the Scriptures with a detection and conâ—iction of the Popish politicall tyranny in prohibiting the Laity from the reading of the Scrâ—ptures containing also an
Apology for our Ancestors of the Laity who for the most part dyed true Christians vnder the domination of Antichrist as is plainely proued at large and that the estate of the Papists who liue vnder Protestant Princes is damnable vnlesse they renounce Popery THe Second Motiue whereby men are perswaded to persist in their Natiue Religion though false and impious is the pretence of a good Intention They say Whatsoeuer the religion bee whereof they are vnable to iudge yet their meaning toward God in respect of his Seruice is good and God respecteth and accepteth the minde and the Intention which is sufficient to excuse them rather then to entertaine another wherein they may be deceaued also because they are not iudicious to discerne betweene truth and falsehood in matters of faith and subtilties of religion and it is better to obey ignorantly then to change religion doubtfully so they meane well towards God I doe make this answer vnto such sencelesse soules That it is one thing to haue a Good Intention or meaning another thing to haue a right Intention An Error may easily insert it selfe into a Good Intention and so corrupt it and howsoeuer in respect of the End the intention may bee good yet other Circumstances may marre the matter A right Intention is the working of our will whereby it proceedeth by dâ—e meanes vnto a good end From whence it followeth That if the End in it selfe Good â—e not rightly intended neither the End is good nor the Intention right As a worke in it selfe euill is not made good by the good End for which it is intended as if one should steale because hâ—e would relieue the necessitie of the poore contrary to St. Pauls Rom. 3. rule We may not doe euill that Good may come of it So here if the End be Good yet if the meanes be not good the deed must be euill for Error and Ignorance spoyleth the matter as the Lord speaketh Therefore my people are gone into captiuity because they Esay haue no vnderstanding So we may say of Hereticks They are chained by the Deuill with the strong band of Blasphemy because they are without knowledge and vnderstanding of the law This is it which subuerteth Religion when men are blinded in the choyce and discerning the difference betweene Truth and Falshood erring from the right scope to the infinite damage of their Conscience So the Iewes were perswaded that they had done God a singular peece of Seruice when they executed their woluish ferity against the Christians With the like â—ury was Paul enraged against the Christians persecuting them with menaces and threats with a zeale of piety but such as was erronious and not according to knowledge it was not done with iudgement and preconsideration of the cause not by the impulsion of Gods Spirit which God will haue tryed by his word whither it be his or not And hence ariseth so many Errors in choyce of Religion because men are destitute of Gods Spirit which should secure and certiâ—ie our spirits of the Truth There is a way saith Salomon that seemeth right to a man but the issues thereof are the waies of Prouerb 14. death Therefore ignorance of Gods law is the ruine of true Religion for Colere amare quem Ignoras non potes Thou August canst not worship and loue him whom thou dost not know zeale without knowledge is a vehement coursâ— in the wrong way wherein the faster thou dost runne the farther thou goest astray out of the way And as the Father saith Melior vel claudus in via quam cursor praeter viam It is better to halt in the way Serm. 15. de verb. Apâ—li then to runne swiftly out of the way Though thou fire Iron neuer so hot in the Fornace yet it will receiue no forme without the Hammer right iudgement must guide the zeale of thy will for the Will is blinde and must be Directed by the vnderstanding Wherefore the Intention is not made good by the Eâ—d which it propoundeth but as the Schooleman saith it must haue Pedem Bonauent Sup. 2. Sent. Dist 41. Affectus oculum Intellectus the foot of Affection and the Eye of vnderstanding the one in respect of the End the other in respect of the Meanes to be vsed to attaine to this End And either of these must haue his Director the vnderstanding must haue Faith the affection Charity Whereupon saith Bernard Two things concurre to the singlenesse of the eye Loue and Truth The one will be Lumen illustrans Lib. de praecept dispens A light to shine and shew him the way the other will be Virtus adiuvans a power to strengthen and further him for there are two things necessarie for him that will attaine to his iourniâ—s end First a light by which he may See Secondly right footing for want of the first the Blinde looseth his way for want of the Second the Lame doth not attaine to his journies end Briefly as Bernard saith How can the Eye of the Intention be single with Ignorance of the Truth Yea though a man loue God Ibid. and doe euill Ignorantly but he that wanteth neither good hath a true single eye Amorem boni cognitionem veri The loue of that which is good the knowledge of the truth if one faile the whole doth faile for Bonum ex causa Integra causatur malum ex particularibus consurgit defectibus Good is perfected by a compleat Scholaâ—â— ex Dioâ—is de diu nom caâ— 4. cause but Euill followeth vpon the defect of a particuler Hereupon Gerson saith that in the description of a Right Intention these two words Debitum Debito modo must be taken Coniunctim Indiuisibly together But in the description of a peruerse or corrupt Intention these two opposite words Indebitum Indebito modo may be taken Diuisum Apart Seeing either of them apart is sufficient to cause a corrupt Intention for more points are Necessary to the constitution of vertue then of vice yea the defect of one of those points which concurre to the constitâ—â—ion of vertue is the change to vice for to make a good Intention is requisite an intâ—grity in the End propounded and the meanes vsed But thou wilt say my good Meaning proceedeth from my faith and how can I be deâ—â—iued therein Say it proceeded of faith But that faith is false or râ—ther it is no faith at all because false faith is not faith for these words of the Apostle Whatsoeâ—er is not of Faith is sinne be spoken of true not of false faith â—om 13. Therefore it is not of true faith that wee beleeâ—e that to beâ— Good which is Euill for it is false and therefore a Sinne. Whither therefore thou dost thinke falshood to bee Truth or Truth to be falshood either is a sinne for neither commeth of faith therefore that thou may est not be deceaued in thy well meaning thou must haue
Charitatem in Intentione Loue in thy Intention and Veritatem in Electione Truth in the choyce of thy Bâ—ru Religion For if thou doest loue God and yet doest not serue him according to the Truth of his word thou hast the zeale of God but not according to knowledge therefore thou art not excused by doing that which thou doest beleeue ought to be done for thy beleefe being euill yea being no faith indeed but a light rash Credulity maketh thy purposes like that wicked ones prayer to be turned into sinne and the deuill doth deceaue thee by making thee conceipt it to be faith for as Pirats at Sea are wont in the darke time of the night to set vp lights in places full of sandy shelues and hidden Rockes thereby to allure Passengers vnder hope of attaining to an hauen of Safetie to shipwraâ—ke and destruction Such is this light of false faith kindled by the Spirits of the Ayre not whereby they may saue the poore Sailers on the Sea of this world and the flouds of this wretched life but by which they may sinke them into the bottomlesse pit of hell and damnation In this respect St. Paul saith that Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light Therefore we that waâ—t on the floods of this life must not beleeue euery light vnlesse we fall among Heresies which ruinate the soule while we purpose to reach the true Church which is the pillar and ground of Truth So in matters of Faith and case of Religion a man may intend the true worship of God and yet commit Idolatry as you Papists doâ— in your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or worshipping of the Sacramentall Bread which is meere Idolatry therefore Bonauentura saith â—â—p 3. Seâ—t dist 9. that a man may be deceaued in his worship Nisi fiat secundum directionem regulam fidei If it be not done according to the direction and rule of Faith for one may De facto adore the diuell transformed into an Angell of light intending it vnto God Neither may his ignorance excuse him for he hath a treble helpe assigned him to preuent error First the prediction of the Scripture saying Many shall come in my Name Math. 24. Secondly prayer vnto God for inward illumination Thirdly suspention of his Credulity For we must not beleeue 1 Ioh. 4. euery spirit but try the Spirits which are of God otherwise if he be an Idolater he may be iustly taxed for worshipping hee knoweth Ioh. 4. not what In vaine doe we beleeue to attaine to the end of our Hope if so be we are ignorant of the right way which leadeth thereunto how much greater is our danger if running a Contrarie or By-way we will not be reclaimed but goe forward therein presumptuously notwithstanding admonition and direction of cunning guides whom we despise Which is as much as if a man who is drunke should thinke himselfe to be sober and doe all as a drunken man doth and yet thinkes himselfe to be sober and would be so accounted by other Such are they who being ignorant of the Truth haue a seeming shew or shadow of the same and doe euill as if it were good and runne on to destruction as if it were to saluation yea and binde themselues by their supposed knowledge to persist in their ignorance and error reiecting the meanes of Reformation saying with the wicked We will none of the knowledge of thy wayes Iob. â—1 O bloody deuotion sprouting from that Hel-bred Ate which made the Heathen to sacrifice their sonnes and daughters to the deuill and causeth the like in you that are deuoted vassals to the Pope in respect of your soules and your children also who may truly cry out against you Parentes sensimus pâ—rricidas wee haue 〈◊〉 found our Parents the murtherers of our Soules for preuention whereof St. Iohn as I haue said would haue vs try the spirits whither they be of God if through negligence to examine and finde out the truth thou art deceiued the fault is in thy selfe for as Chrysostome saith They cannot excuse themselues from condemnation Hoâ—â—il Sâ—p Math. who had meanes to finde the truth if they had a desire to seek after it for if the truth be the saluation and life of them that know it Mâ—gis debet quaeri quam quaerere It ought rather to be sought for by other then that it should seeke after vs. And surely Negligence in learning the Grounds of Christian Faith is the chiefe cause that suffereth Man to fall into error when men are carelesse to seeke after Gods helpe therefore they are worthily depriued thereof is not he worthy to haue his house darke that shutteth vp the doores thereof and the windowes against the bright beames of the Sunâ—e which would enlighten it Such persons must know that faith is not Naturall but proceedeth â—phes from the Election of Gods goodnesse and is Donum Dei the Gift of God for were it Naturall all men would hold the selfe-same Faith nor should there be so great dissention about it as we see at this day therefore it is to be sought of God and therefore as the Sunne is not to be seene but by his owne light So the Sunne of Righteousnesse whereby the day spring from an high hath visited vs is not to be seene but by the light of Godâ— grace But because many are rebellious against this light therefore they are wilfully blinde Another cause is Auersion of the vnderstanding from those things which are to be beleeued and from those which might induce them to beleeue them and conuersion vnto Error for as hee that hath his eyes turned from those obiects which he should behold and turned vnto other in that Auersion cannot see what hee should Such are those who embrace false opinions and damnable Sects with such contumacy that they will not vouchsafe to thinke or heare of the contrary and stand out with so great an hatred against those who hold the truth that they will not so much as giue care to their Arguments but resist the holy Ghost who speaketh by their mouth of which sort of men Salomon spake truly A foole hath no delight in vnderstanding vnlesse thou doest sooth him in the conceipts of his owne heart as the vâ—lgar translation Prouerb 18. hath it For as Vigilius saith Mans minde being before poysoned with Lib. 1. contra Eutichen flaâ—â—â— sub Jâ—it the error of false opinion is growne obstinate against the entertainment of the truth nor will yeeld to any testimony bee it neuer so Authenticall for it had rather maintaine a false conceite wherewith it is once infected then renounce it though it bee reputed with neuer so good authority Therefore St. Paul holdeth such Incorigible and not to be deâ—lt withall who after the first and second admonition persist obstmate Tit. 3. and censureth them condemned euen by the verdict of their owne conscience He that seeth an imminent danger and runneth vpon
yet were not without sinne no more are the Papists In the person of whom Paul speaketh saying I knowe nothing 1 Cor. â— by my selfe and yet am I not thereby iustified Neither is it to any purpose that they say My Conscience doth not iudge mee to bee culpable but contrarily doth iudge me to be in the right way for I say this iudgement is erroneous and therefore is condemned by the highest Iudge and if their conscience be their chiefe booke wherein they learne that which they will retaine without instability they must know that they are bound to correct the Booke of their Conscience if it be corrupted by comparing it and correcting it by the true Booke of the Generation of Iesus Christ which is the word of God The neglect whereof is the chiefe cause of the retardation from conuersion of our Pseudo-Catholiques who hauing studied their whole time in the false and vncorrected booke of their owne conscience wherein they finde nothing but falsehoods yet refuse to trie and examine their Religion by the word of God but make ignorance their deuotion like those Hereticks called Gnosimachi Damascen lib. dâ— 100. hâ—râ—s 88. Who prohibiting all knowledge in Christianity taught That they who sought after knowledge in the holy Scriptures Suparfluum quid faciunt tooke in hand a needlesse labour for they said that God required nothing but good deedes of Christians and that therefore it is best for Christians to walke plainely and not to search after the knowledge of any articles of Religion But if you doe obiect that it is dangerous for you being an ignorant Layman to looke into the Mysteries of Faith whereof you are not able to iudge but that it is more safe for you to beleeue in generall as the Church doth though you doe not know any of the particulars I say vnto you with the Father you are deceaued in your opinion for Tutior est Affectus vera quaerendi quam Incognita procognitis praesumendâ— The desire to seeke the Truth is more safe then that a man should presume oâ— things vnknowne insteed of things which hee is bound to know And farther I say with the golden Father If thou wouldest Hoâ—il 44. â—ap 23. Nath. go vnto any place vnto which thou diddest not know the right way to gaine some great necessary commodity thou wouldest not neglect thy iourney because of thy ignorance of thy way but thou wouldest enquire after cunning guides and learne the direct path of them So if thou wilt learne the way to heauen thou must pray vnto God thou must reade the Scriptures thou must enquire of those Priests who are the Porters vnto the Scriptures But if thou wilfully refuse this meanes thy case is desperate because thou louest darkenesse more then light for as he that plucketh out his owne eyes can neuer recouer his sight so he that hateth the knowne truth Ex malitia cannot possibly repent for the Spirit of truth is the light of our soule but if our eye be euill the whole body must needes be darke If thou sayest thou doest not hate the truth but art not able to discerne it I answer this argueth naturall blindenesse of thy soule for the light discouereth the differencâ—s of obiects vnto him that can see which is wholy vnprofitable vnto the blinde pray therefore vnto God that hee would bring thee out of that darkenesse of Aegypt and that he would open thine eyes that thou mayest behold the wonderfull things of his Lawes and that hee would giue thee a wise and vnderstanding heart Then shouldest thou behold the slauery of Aegypt and tyrannie of Pharaoh which in that time of palpable darkenesse thou couldest not Exod. 10. Prou. 2. see But when wisedome entereth into thine heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way and from the man that speaketh froward things that is Antichrist and from them that leauâ— the wayes of righteousnesse to walke in the wayes of darkenesse CHAP. 5. Answereth Obiections made from the diuine Philanthropy or loue of God vnto mankinde who say they will not condemne vnto euerlasting death such infinite multitudes of people who die in infidelity and Heresie and saue but only a fewe true beleeuing Christians where is plainely proued also that very few in respect of those who are to beâ— damned shall be saued ANother Reason which is the last and of greatest moment is a certaine blinde kinde of pitty whereby such persons become impious against God and while they thinke otherwise of God then the truth is they offend against the Truth and this is drawne from the Diuine Philanthropy or loue of God vnto man they demand how Gods mercy should elect so few vnto Saluation and forsake so many vnto damnation especially seeing he is more prone to saue then to condemne or that his Mercy is not lesse to take pitty and to pardon then his Iustice to reuenge and punish They say it standeth not with the goodnesse of God to be cruell against his creatures and that hee should suffer any of those whom he hath made to perish And thus while they thinke They honour his goodnesse they offend his Truth From whence they conclude that the immensity of Gods mercy and goodnesse is such that he will saue euery man in his owne faith law sect or religion if so be he beleeue the same to be good and pleasing vnto God They argue farther That it is a great presumption to suppose that a fewe Christians should thinke themselues only to be saued the whole remaining multitude of euill Christians which farre exceede the good in number beside Iewes Saracens and Pagans being cast off to destruction Doth it stand with Gods Maiestie who is Lord of heauen and earth to haue moe slaues then freemen more adiudged to torments then faithfull Subiects Why should the mercifull God create so great a multitude of those to be damned and not rather saue them I would haue these men to know that Qui puis fuit vt non existentia crearet Iustus est vt errantia et Hugo de Sancto Vict. lib. 1. de Sacram. part 8. cap. 5. delinquentia Indiceâ— As God is mercifull in creating those who before had no being So hee is iust to punish them that eâ—re and offend against him It is certaine that hee created them out of the riches of his goodnesse and bestowed many great guifts on them freely But hee neuer punished any without their most iust desert Whence it appeareth that the Iustice of God is the efficient cause of their damnation but their owne euill deserts are as it were the materiall and meritorious cause of their perdition But that there are so many damned and so few which are and shall be saued is caused partly by the Iustice of God partly through want of disposition in Man to receiue and entertaine Gods mercy Therefore whereas some doe reason
Profecto qui veritatem pro pecunia negant Deum pro pecunia vendunt Surely they who denie the truth for money doe sell GOD for â—oâ—l cap. Abâ—â—t money If a man should through infirmity deny the truth as did Peter vpon such repentance hee might receiue pardon though God doth sildome graunt repentance vnto such wretches But if any one shall with Iudas and Balaam be seduced by couâ—tousnesse to betray the truth let him expect no other reward then befell those vnhappy Caitiues Vaevictis Woe vnto them that are ouercome by riches which perish who through feare shall deny the truth Timendo mortem carâ—iâ— tuae mortem dabis animae tuae by fearing thy flesh thou slayest August thy soule In which case our Sauiour commandeth his Disciples not to feare those who can kill the body vpon which words Chrysostâ—â—â— thus excellently reasoâ—eth Ne forte propter â—imorâ—m mortis non libere dicatis quod audistis least happily for Homil. 25. iâ— Math. feare of death you should not vtter that freely which you haue heard nor boldly preach vnto all men that which you heard in secret for as it is shewed by these words He onely is not a Traytor to the truth who transgressing against the truth doth speake a lye openly in stead of the truth But hee also who doth not vtter the truth freely which hee ought to vtter freely or doth not defend the truth freely which he ought to defend freely Such a one is a Traytor vnto the truth for as the Priest is bound to preach freely that truth which he heard of God So the Lay-man is bound faithfully to defend that truth which he hath heard of the Priests proued out of the Scriptures which if hee neglecteth to performe hee betrayeth the trueth for with the heart wee beleeue vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth wee confesse vnto Saluation And I doe adde this that euery dissembler in Religion is an offence vnto man and woe be vnto that man by whom the offence commeth in this kinde The Apostle saith wee must abstaine from all appearance of euill And it is the duty of euery good man so to order his actions that they breed no scandall to those who are without or to those who are apt to fall away But they who communicate with any Sect in the Sacraments of their Religion by that very action seeme to confirme their Religion and to draw other thereunto as much as in them lyeth whereas they should rather cry out against all heresie and seeke to bring them to the truth and thou by thy hypocrisie makest them to persist more obstinately in their errors and consequently thou art no Christian Heare what that holy Orthodoxall Bishop of Alexandria saith in his Epistle vnto the Clergy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. Concil Nic. part 1. apâ—d Cyzicen It is fit that we who are Christians should auoid all those who speak against Christ and hate him as the â—nemies of God corrupter of soules and not to say so much as God speed vnto such kinde of men as St. Iohn hath coÌ„manded vs vnlest we should in so doing coÌ„municate with them in their sins yea by so doing we should coÌ„firme them therein for they will say Why should wee forsake that Religion which the Protestants embrace with vs Whereas we are obliged to labour for their reformation and to winne them vnto the truth which happily may be effected when they shall behold vs to detest their sacred solemnities and to despise them as prophane trisles and then though they should not consent vnto our truth yet they may be ashamed of their owne falshood Some there are whose Religion consisteth herein that they doe not contradict the faith which is established be it neuer so false blasphemous and are slexible to all formes that are imposed on them because they haue not layde any foundation of the truth in themselues and this is the cause why they are so apt with Leonâ—das Mutari pro temporum ratione to change with the time Plutarch in Lacon The holy Ghost termeth such persons luke-warme whom hee speweth out of his mouth who with the Parasite in the Poet Apocalvps 3. Cry At s Aio Negas Nego play Protestant with one and Papist with another Saint Paul calleth them Men-pleasers Terent. which cannot please Christ. Galat 1. These make Religion a matter of indifference and hold the Academicks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be the best wisedome especially when in an Interregnum Religion hangeth Inter malleum et Incudeâ—â— as they say vpon the pleasure of the Prince and his Peeres as yet vnknowne to the party whether truth or falshood shall preuaile the losse of whose fauour they will not aduenture for conscience sake But let these wretches consider their iust censure by St. Augustine There are some saith he that are Christians for this cause only that they may thereby purchase the fauour of those Libâ— de Catechis â—ud cap. 17. persons of whom they expect temporall riches or because thâ—y will not offend those whom they doe feare Sed istireprobâ— suâ—t but such as are Râ—probates But whereunto may I liken this vaine generation They are like vnto the Reare-mouse in the Fabler which are most base and odious creatures It is doubtfull whether they be Gressible or volatle of whom it is recoâ—ded That disâ—â—rd being betweeâ—e the flying creatures and the â—ouâ—e footed beasts and the day of Battaile assigned The Rearemouse absented himselfe thereon of policie to obserue on what side the victory would betide that hee might ioyne with the Conquerour The Battaile being finished and many slaine and wounded on both parts the foure-footed beasts met with the Reare-mouse and cried out to apprehend him and to slay their Enemie The Rearemouse answered what say you my friends I am of your side and he shewed them his feete and so escaped And in like manner meeting with the Birds hee shewed them his wings and escaped accordingly Let these Ancipites temporum palpatores as Cyprian speaketh These doubtfull Lib. 2. Exempla 2. ad Donas Time-seruers and Dalliers in sundry Religions behold their basenesse in this creature and let them know that Facti sunt vespertiliones neque in muribus plane neque in volucribus sunt Varro in Agâ—thone They are become Monsters in Religion seeing they are of any and consequently of no Religion But let them know withall That God is not like vnto man that he will be mocked though mans eyes may be blinded his iudgement deceiued There is but one God one faith one truth and one Religion which is to be performed in Spirit and in truth Ephes 4. Ioh. 4. and such God requireth And all men are either members of Christ and such beleeue in heart and confesse with the mouth his Gospell or the members of Satan and such either openly impugne or secretly dissemble the Doctrine of the Gospel Betweene these two there is