them will loue him more He saith the Pharisee to whom he forgaue most Here is loue expresly set downe as a thankfulnesse following after in respect of a forgiuenesse gone before Christ then in effect inferreth thus Thou hast giuen me smal tokens of thy loue since my entring into thy house but thus and thus hath she shewed her loue What is the cause h August hom 23. O Pharisaee ideo parum diligis quia parum tibi dimitti suspicaris non quia parum dimittitur sed quia parum putas esse quod dimiâ—ttiur O thou Pharisee therefore thou louest little because thou thinkest that little is forgiuen thee not because it is little but because thou thinkest it to be but little But this woman knoweth that much hath bene forgiuen her therefore she loueth much And this exposition is apparently confirmed by the words which Christ addeth To whom a little is forgiuen he doth loue a little which if we will fit to the words going before Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much we must make the meaning of these former words to be this But she loueth much it is a signe therefore that much hath bene forgiuen her In this meaning Ambrose maketh this woman a figure of the Church of the Gentiles i Ambros de Tobia cap. 22 Pluâ— remissum est ecclesiae quia plus debebat sed ipsa plus soluit c. Mentor gratiae eo plura soluit quâ— plura meruissâ—t to which there was more forgiuen because she was indebted more but being mindfull of this grace hath paied so much the more in loue by how much the greater mercy she had obtained And to the same sence doth he expound it k In Luc. cap. 7. writing vpon the place euen as Basil also doth when alluding to that place he saith l Basil exhort ad baptism Plâ—s debenti plus remittitur vt vehementius amet To him that oweth more more is forgiuen that he may loue the more So doth Hierome take it saying m Hieron adu Iouin lib. 2. De duobus debitoribus cui plus dimittitur plus amat Vnde saluator ait c. Of two debters to whom more is forgiuen he loueth more thereupon our Sauiour saith Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much which cannot hang together if loue be taken for an effect of forgiuenesse in the one speech and a cause thereof in the other But now we expect that Maister Bishop so peremptorily reiecting that exposition should giue vs some great reason of the denying of it First saith he Christ saith expresly that it was the cause of the pardon because she had loued much But his learning should teach him that the word because doth not alwaies note an antecedent cause but sometimes a succeeding effect or signe As where our Sauiour Christ saith of the diuell n Iohn 8.44 he abode not in the truth because there is no truth in him he did not meane to say that the cause of his not abiding in the truth was because now there is no truth in him but that hereby as by an effect and signe it appeareth that he abode not in the truth So where he saith o Jbid. cap. 15. v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I haue called you friends because all things that I haue heard of the Father I haue made knowne vnto you he maketh this imparting of all things to them not a cause but a token of accounting them his friends Which being euident and plaine M. Bishops first reason hindereth nothing but that Christes words may well be vnderstood that he nameth the womans loue onely as a signe and token of many sinnes to be forgiuen vnto her And to take it otherwise as he doth ouerthroweth the rule that is deliuered by S. Austine p August epist 120 cap. 30 Ex hoc incipiunt bona opera ex quo iustificamur non quia praecesseruÌ„t iustificamur Good works begin from the time that we are iustified we are not iustified for any good works that go before His second reason is lesse worth and he sheweth therein either his ignorance or his negligence For whereas he argueth out of the Tenses that her loue is expressed by the time past she hath loued much and her forgiuenesse by the time present Many sinnes are forgiuen her importing that the former cannot be the signe and therefore must needes be the cause of that that followeth if he had bene so carefull as to looke into the Greeke text he should haue found that her forgiuenesse of sinnes is expressed also by the time past by the Atticke preter perfect tense 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Many sinnes haue bene forgiuen her because she hath loued much albeit it should not haue noted necessarily a present act but a continuation of the benefit if it had bene expressed in the present tense The exposition therefore alledged being direct and arising simply out of the text it selfe what reason hath M. Bishop to force another which plainly thwarteth that which Christ after saith Thy faith hath saued thee To conclude let him take for his reproofe that which Origen saith q Origen ad Rom. cap. 3. Ex nullo legis opere sed pro sola fide ait ad eam Remittuntur c. For no worke of the law and therefore not for her loue but for faith onely doth Christ say to the woman Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee and againe Thy faith hath saued thee and let him learne to condemne his owne presumption in that he taketh vpon him so rashly to define that which he is not able by reason to make good As for the Ministers they are very simple men if they cannot better approoue their expositions and doctrines then he hath done 22. W. BISHOP Gal. 5.6 2. Reason Neither Circumcision nor prepuce auaileth any thing but faith that worketh by charity Hence Catholikes gather that when the Apostle attributeth iustification to faith he meanes not faith alone but as it is ioyned with charity and other like vertues as are requisite to prepare the soule of man to receiue that coÌ„plete grace of iustification M. Perkins answereth that they are ioyned together But it is faith alone that apprehendeth Christs righteousnesse and maketh it ours It vseth charity as an instrument to performe the duties of the first and second table but it hath no part with faith in the matter of our iustification Reply That it hath the chiefest part and that faith is rather the instrument and handmayd of charity my proofe shall be out of the very text alledged where life and motion is giuen to faith by charity as the Greeke word Energoumene being passiue doth plainly shew that faith is moued led and guided by charity Which S. Iames doth demonstrate most manifestly saying that Euen as the body is dead without the soule so is faith without charity Making charity to be the life and
loued them What merits had Abraham when God called him from l Iosuah 24.2 seruìng other gods and euen at the first gaue him m Gen. 12.1.2 an absolute promise of all that mercy and goodnesse that he shewed him afterwards It was therefore that which the same Moses also saith n Deut. 7 7 8 He set his loue vpon you because he loued you there was nothing to moue him to loue but onely loue To which purpose he saith by the Prophet Malachy o Mal. â— 2 Was not Esau Iacobs brother yet I loued Iacob and hated Esau signifying that there was no cause in Iacob himselfe why God should loue him more then Esau and yet of meere grace and fauour he vouchsafed so to do Here is nothing then to serue M. Bishops turne that one mans merits may steed another because these had no merits to steed themselues but whatsoeuer they were they were of mercie and it was onely mercie whereby God bound himselfe to shew mercie to others for their sakes And well we may wonder but that these are impudent and shamelesse men that they should dare so farre to aduance the righteousnesse of man as to make him able not only to merit and deserue at Gods hands for himselfe but also for other men Wherein their peruersnesse and iniquitie is so much the greater for that they attribute and yeeld that to the spotted and vnperfect workes and righteousnesse of man which they wickedly deny to the immaculate and most perfect merits and righteousnesse of the Sonne of God For they hold it absurd that the righteousnesse and merits of Christ should be imputed and accounted vnto vs and yet they blush not to say that a man may haue merits of his owne sufficient for himselfe and an ouerplus beside to be reckened and imputed vnto others to supply their want The Popes dispensation can apply the merits of one man to another but the faith of Christ cannot apply to vs the merits of Christ The Scripture teacheth the imputation of Christs merits and that they deny it denyeth the imputing of other mens merits and that they affirme against the Scripture Which beside that it teacheth an vnsufficiencie and imperfection in all the workes of men and therefore bereaueth them of all power and abilitie of merit doth also giue vs to vnderstand that p Ezech. 18.20 the righteousnesse of the righteous shall be vpon himselfe and therefore shall not be reckened to another that q Rom. 14.12 euery man shall giue account of himselfe vnto God and therefore shall haue nothing to do with other mens accounts that r Gal 6.5 euery man shall beare his owne burthen and therefore shall not haue his burthen borne by others that the Å¿ Mat. 25.9 wise virgins haue no superfluitie of oyle which they may impart to them that want t Tertull de pudicit Quâ—â— aâ—â—nam mortem suâ soluit â—â—solus Dei filiusâ— sipeccatores quomodo oleum faculae tuae sufficere tiâ—â— miâ—â— poteriâ— Who hath by his death released another mans death saith Tertullian but onely the Sonne of God If thou be a sinner how should the oyle of thy little candle be sufficient both for thee and me He spake it truly in the proposition though he misapplyed it to a wrong conclusion and therefore Leo bishop of Rome saith in like sort that u Leo Epist 81. Acceperunt quipâ—â—â—â—ustâ— non dâ—derunt coronas defâ—râ—â—â—dine fiâ—â—lium exempla 〈…〉 iustâ—â—â—â— c. nec alterâ—â— quisquaÌ„ de◠〈…〉 Domiâ—â—â—â—â—ster Iesus Christus 〈◊〉 in quo oâ—nes crucifixi c. the iust haue receiued crownes they haue giuen none and of the fortitude of the faithfull are growne examples of patience not gifts of righteousnesse neither hath any man by his end payed the debt of another man seeing it is onely our Lord Iesus Christ amongst the sonnes of men in whom all haue bene crucified dead buried and raised againe Farre was he from that blasphemous doctrine which now preuaileth in the Church of Rome that some men haue merits and gifts of righteousnesse whereby to be helpefull to other men But yet M. Bishop telleth vs that they that receiue this helpe must be such as want but some of their owne For we must vnderstand belike that heauen is merited by peecemeale Some merit it quarter part and some the one halfe and some all and some more then all By which meanes it must come to passe that some who haue merits to keepe them from hell and yet not enough to bring them to heauen must hang betwixt heauen and hell vnlesse the Vicar of Rome will do them a fauour out of his treasurie to endow them with the merits of some of the Saints or some of the Saints themselues will vndertake out of their superfluities to make vp that that is wanting vnto them This secret the Diuines of Rhemes vttered that x Rhem. Testam Annot. Mat. 25.8 if we haue not our owne merits we shall not be holpen by other mens deserts at the day of iudgement leauing it to be vnderstood that if we haue merits of our owne we may then looke for the supply thereof in other mens merits Wretched hypocrites impostors and deluders of ignorant men who y Hieron in Esa lib. 6 cap. 14. Cum dies iudâ— cij veâ—dormitionis aduenerit dissoluentur omnes manus quia nullum opus dignum Dei iustitia reperietur non iustificabitur c. when all hands shall faile as Hierome saith because no worke shall be found worthy of the iustice of God and no man liuing shall be iustified in the sight of God yet make men beleeue that some shall haue that superabundance of righteousnesse and merits as that they shall be able to relieue them that want merits of their owne Is this the honor that they do to Christ to thrust him out of place when we haue greatest need of him and to make men trust to the imaginarie merits of sinfull men And what shall not Christ be as ready then to succour vs as the Saints or shall his merits be found vnsufficient to deliuer vs or what should be the cause that we should thus be put ouer one to be helped by another rather then by him that is the helper and Sauiour of vs all But this is the horrible apostasie and darknesse of the Romish Sinagogue which hath made no end of multiplying her fornications wherewith she hath bewitched men and made them to doate vpon strange and monstrous fancies and hidden from them the true knowledge of Iesus Christ by which they should be saued As touching the third instance it shall not here bee neede to say much We affirme that they derogate from the merit of Christs passion and do make him but a Parti-christ in that they denie him to haue made a full and perfect satisfaction for our sins and say that he hath left vs in part to satisfie for the same M. Bishop saith that in
loued of God or no. R. ABBOT To his former inuisible reasons we shall haue now some further testimonies adioyned that make as little for him as his reasons haue done And first he alledgeth a place of Solomon A man doth not know whether he be worthie of hatred or loue but all things are kept vncertaine for the time to come But he knew well that the translation of this place might iustly be excepted against which indeed is very false He saith that one heretike cauilleth against it but neither is he one onely nor an heretike neither doth he cauill but iustly reiecteth it by warrant of the originall text so as that M. Bishops owne friends do translate the words farre otherwise then he alledgeth them The Hebrew word for word according to the Septuagint translated by Hierome is thus a Eccles 9.1 Et quidem charitatem quidem â—â—lium no est cognoscens homo omnia in facie eoruÌ„ Hieron Also loue also hatred a man knoweth not all in the face of them The obscuritie of which words hath caused men very diuersly to conceiue of the true meaning thereof One construction is made by Olympiodorus that b Olimpiod in Eccles ca. 9. Qui adhuc sapit quae hominis sunt neque planè Deo se tradidit nescit discreto rudicio quae dilectione sunt digna quae odio he that yet sauoureth the things of men and hath not sincerely giuen himselfe to God knoweth not what things are worthie to be loued and what to be hated Another exposition he alledgeth taken from the translation of Symmachus c Ibid. Nescit homo si quâ—m nunc maximè odit mutatis vicibus amicum beneficum sit experturus contraque an timeÌ„dum sibi quandoque sit abeo quem nunc amore prosequitur A man knoweth not whether vpon some change he shall find him louing or kind whom he now hateth or shall haue cause to be afraid of him whom he now loueth With least mutation or change we translate the words thus A man knoweth not loue or hatred that is who is loued or hated by all that is before them and then the meaning is plaine that by outward things by the things that are before our face a man knoweth not whether he be beloued or hated of God whereof the reason followeth because all things come alike to all and there is the same condition outwardly to the iust and to the wicked c. And to this effect the translation of Symmachus tendeth though Olympiodorus gathered otherwise thereof d Symmac apud Hieron in Eccl. cap 9 Insuper neque amicitias neque immicitias scit homo sed omnia corarae eis incerta proptereà quod omnibus eueniunt similia iusto iniusto Moreouer a man knoweth not loue or hatred but all things are vncertaine before them because the like things befall to all both to iust and vniust Which translation as Hierome approueth so he confirmeth also the meaning of it saying e Hieron ibid. Quod autem ait Euentus est vnus omnibus iusto impio siue angustiarum siue mortis significat eueÌ„tum idcirco nec charitatem Dei eos in se nosse nec odium Whereas he saith that there is the same condition to all he meaneth it of affliction or of death and that therefore men know not the loue of God or his hatred towards them And thus indeed true it is as M. Bishop citeth out of Hierome that a man cannot esteeme by any outward state whether he be loued or hated of God for neither do the righteous only prosper neither are the wicked only crossed and afflicted but the wicked flourish many times more gloriously then the iust and the hand of God often lieth heauier vpon the iust then vpon the wicked and vngodly and both are subiect to death both are laied in the graue without any appearance or shew of difference betwixt the one the other But this maketh nothing against vs for although by the eye the beleeuer cannot discerne the loue of God towards himselfe yet that hindereth not but that by faith he apprehendeth and embraceth the same And thus S. Bernard excepteth against that place being so translated as M. Bishop readeth it f Bernard in dedic eccles ser 5. Sed de possibilitate iam certâ— de voluntate quid agimus Quis scit si est dignus amore an edio Quis nouit sensum Domini aut quis consiliarius eius fuit Hìc iam planè fidem nobis subuenire necesse est hìc oportet succurrere veritatem vt quod de nobis latet in corde paetris nobis per ipsius spiritum reueletur spiritus eius testificaÌ„s persuadeat spiritut nostro quod filij Dei simus Being sure of Gods ablenesse to saue vs how do we to be assured of his will thereto for who knoweth whether he be worthie of loue or hatred who hath knowne the mind of the Lord or hath bene his counsellor But here faith must helpe vs bere Gods truth must be our succour that that which lieth hidden concerning vs in the heart of God our Father may by his spirit be reuealed vnto vs and his spirit by the testimonie thereof may perswade our spirit that we are the children of God and that by calling and iustifying vs freely by faith Thus though we take the place translated as M. Bishop alledgeth it yet by S. Bernards iudgement it auaileth him nothing because albeit otherwise we cannot know whether we be beloued or hated of God yet by faith and by the spirit of God that secret is reuealed vnto vs that we are the children of God and beloued of him Only that we take that worthinesse of the loue of God to be meant of Gods acceptation and vouchsafing to thinke vs worthie because otherwise the place so translated soundeth a manifest vntruth and contrarie to the Scripture For if we speake simply of worthinesse who doth not know himselfe worthie of hatred what faithfull man doth not say as Daniel said g Dan. 9.7 To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnesse but vnto vs reckoning himselfe for one belongeth confusion of face Dauid saith h Psal 143.2 Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant O Lord for in thy sight no man liuing shall be iustified i 130.3 If thou straitly marke what is done amisse who shall be able to stand It is false then to say that a man knoweth not whether he be worthie of loue or of hatred for he knoweth or should know himselfe worthie to be hated but yet by faith a man beleeueth himselfe in Christ to be beloued though he know that in himselfe he worthily deserueth to be hated And so S. Bernard againe saith of the faithfull k Bernard epist 107. Supra scit 3 A vile worme worthie of euerlasting hatred yet is confidently perswaded that he is beloued because he feeleth himselfe to loue Thus S. Bernard both wayes contrarieth M.
of her head And as she had true repentance of her former life so no doubt but she had also a firme purpose to leade a new life So that in her conuersion all those vertues met together which we hold to concurre to iustification and among the rest the preheminence worthily is giuen to loue as to the principall disposition She loued our Sauiour as the fountaine of all mercies and goodnesse and therefore accounted her precious ointments best bestowed on him yea and the humblest seruice and most affectionate she could offer him to be all too little and nothing answerable to the inward burning charity which she bare him Which noble affection of hers towards her diuine Redeemer no question was most acceptable vnto him as by his owne word is most manifest for he said That many sinnes were forgiuen her because she loued much But M. Perkins saith that her loue was no cause that moued Christ to pardon her but onely a signe of pardon giuen before which is so contrary to the text that a man not past all shame would blush once to affirme it First Christ saith expresly that it was the cause of the pardon Because she had loued much Secondly that her loue went before is as plainly declared both by mention of the time past Because she hath loued and by the euidence of her fact of washing wiping and anointing his feete for the which saith our Sauiour then already performed Many sinnes are forgiuen her So that here can be no impediment of beleeuing the Catholike Doctrine so clearlie deliuered by the holy Ghost vnlesse one will be so blindly led by our new Maisters that he will beleeue no words of Christ be they neuer so plaine otherwise then it please the Ministers to expound them And this much of the first of those reasons which M. Perkins said were of no moment R. ABBOT I wished thee gentle Reader before to obserue that which here plainly thou seest that by the Romish doctrine there is one faith hope charity before iustification which must prepare a man in iustification to receiue and is the cause for which in iustification he doth receiue another a faith which is the cause why God endueth him with faith a hope which is the cause for which God endueth him with hope a charity which is the cause for which God bestoweth vpon him the gift of charity A strange doctrine and the same for which Pelagius was of old condemned a August epist 46. that vpon our merits the grace of God is bestowed vpon vs. M. Bishop will say that they make no merits of these yet he himselfe knoweth that their schooles do make them merits ex congruo though not ex condigno merits which are of force to moue God and which it is conuenient that God should respect though they do not fully deserue grace And this merit b Bellarm. de iustif lib. 1. cap. 17. Fides suo quodaÌ„ modo meretur remissionem peccatorum iustificat per moduÌ„ dispositionis ac meriti Bellarmine himselfe affirmeth as before was said But let vs know why they account them not properly merits The reason indeede is because they say they are not the effects of any infused grace for they make them intrinsecally the acts onely of mans free will though adioyning the shew of a counterfeit grace which doth as it were put a hand vnder the arme to helpe lift it vp for the acting thereof Yet M. Bishop at randon not knowing what he saith calleth them diuine qualities contrary to the doctrine of his owne schooles For if faith hope and charity before iustification be diuine qualities and essentially the works of grace there can nothing hinder but that they should be as properly meritorious as those infused graces wherein they affirme iustification to consist But now he must vnderstand that the Fathers did not take merit so strictly as that they giue him way to shift off from himselfe the assertion of Pelagius They vnderstood it so largely as that c August epist 105. Si excusatio iusta est quisquis ea vtitur non gratia sed merito liberatur if a man can but plead a iust excuse for his deliuerance he that vseth it is not deliuered by grace but by merit if there be but d Cont. 2. epist Pelag. lib 1. cap. 19. Pro meritis videlicet voluntatis bonae ac sic gratia nö sit gratia sed sit illud c. gratiam Dei secundum merita nostra dari a good will before grace then grace is not grace but is giuen vpon merit And if he will say that they affirme not any good will before grace let him remember that Pelagius affirmed such a preuenting grace as they do but S. Austine professeth to know no grace but iustifying grace as hath bene shewed e Cha. 1. sect 5. before so that if before iustifying grace there be any good will or good worke then the grace of God is not freely giuen but by merit according to the doctrine of Pelagius Yea Bellarmine himselfe confesseth that the f Bellarm. de grat li. arbit lib. 6. cap. 5. Gratiam secundum merita nostra dari intelligum patres cùm aliquid sit proprijs viribus etiamsi nâ—n sit meritum de condigno ratione cuius datur gratia Fathers do vnderstand the grace of God to be giuen by merits when any thing is done by our owne strength in respect whereof grace is giuen though the same be not any merit de condigno of condignity or worth Such are the faith hope and charity that they teach before iustification which therefore as I haue said are denied to be merits de condigno because they proceede from our owne strength Yea say they but not without the helpe of God But so Pelagius also said as we haue shewed in the place before quoted in the question of Free wil and therefore in that they say nothing to free themselues from saying that which the Fathers condemned in Pelagius that according to our merits the grace of God is bestowed vpon vs. And this M. Bishop will proue by the example of the woman who in the Pharisees house washed the feete of Christ of whom our Sauiour saith g Luk. 7.47 Manie sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much She was iustified therefore saith he because of her loue M. Perkins answereth that that because importeth not any impulsiue cause of the forgiuenesse of her sinnes but onely a signe thereof as if Christ had said It is a token that much hath bene forgiuen her because she loueth much But M. Bishop like to bad disposed persons who face the matter most boldly where their cause is woorst saith that this is so contrary to the text that a man not past all shame would blush once to affirme it The text of it owne accord yeeldeth this construction and no other The creditour forgiueth to one fiue hundred talents to the other fifty whether of
casting her with violence into the sea neuer to rise againe And you most noble King in whom God hath turned the period of time which threatned alteration and danger to our state gouernment to the further strength and establishment thereof and hath lifted your throne far aboue the thrones of your royall Progenitors and hath made you in a manner the ballance of the Christian world consider that it is vndoubtedly for some great work that in his prouidence he hath so disposed it and thereto apply those singular ornaments and endowments of the mind wherein you excell all that haue bene before you God hath made your Highnes able to espie and discerne the conicatching deuices of those bastard Catholik seducers we assure our selues that in your self in your royall posteritie it shall be found to the great aduancement of the faith and kingdome of Iesus Christ Wherein that our hope may not be frustrate we most humbly beseech almighty God to put into your Maiesties heart not to be too secure of them who account it a martyrdome to die for the murthering of Christian Princes and in the shedding of your sacred bloud would think themselues to haue gained the one half of their desires content perhaps by instructions for a while to temporize and to make shew of meaning no harme till the memory of their late villany being somewhat ouerblowne they may be the lesse suspected but hauing already giuen to vnderstand what your Maiestie shall looke for at their hands if oportunitie should second their designes The Lord auert and turne that iudgement from vs and n 1. Sam. 25.29 bind your Maiesties soule in the bundle of life with the Lord your God that your eies may long behold that noble Impe of grace the branch of our hope together with the other branches of your royall line growing before the Lord to the further dismay and terror of your enemies and the greater securitie and assurance of the church of Christ As for the seruice which according to your Maiesties commandement I haue here performed albeit it be far from that perfection which the weight of the cause requireth yet I doubt not but it is sufficient to shew on whether part the truth is to be found and to iustifie the proceedings of your Maiesty against the cauillations of wilfull men desperatly shutting their owne eyes that the light of the Gospel may not shine vnto them Whatsoeuer it is it most humbly craueth your Maiesties acceptance and royall protection and fauour whereto with all loyall duty I recommend it and your Highnesse selfe to the protection of the most high God whose cause it is that is defended thereby Your Maiesties most humble and dutifull subiect ROB. ABBOT TO THE CHRISTIAN READER GEntle Reader thou wilt I hope impute it in some part to the condition of the time that I giue thee this answer not altogether so well featured and shaped as thou haply wouldst desire it Though it be a fruite that may seeme to haue bene long in growing yet as the case standeth with me the length of time hath but serued to bring it to his greatnesse and therefore howsoeuer it commeth forth with defiance to the aduersaries yet I confesse it seemeth to me not so throughly digested and seasoned as I would haue wished it to content thee In this defence of Gods truth the things that are specially to be respected against the importunitie and aduantage of our aduersaries are strength and expedition I haue had care as the matter would permit to satisfie thee in both these respects and let my care herein obtaine pardon of thee if I seeme vnto thee to faile in some complements otherwise If thou thinke this my answer needlesse because another man hath already taken paines therein thou must remember that no mans priuate preuention could yeeld me dispensation to be free from doing that which publike authoritie required of me I doubt not but in the reading of either it shal appeare vnto thee what spirit it is wherewith these Romish factors are led in their opposition against vs and that it is not truth and sauing of soules whereto they bend themselues but onely the vpholding of their faction whether by truth or falshood by right or wrong it skilleth not so that that may be performed That thou mayst the better see and iudge of all I haue inserted the whole text of Doctor Bishops booke altogether condemning that falshood and guile which he hath vsed towards M. Perkins and they al vse in their pretence and shew of answering our books in that they neuer set downe the copie of that to which they answer Which policy serueth them to blind the Reader and to gaine libertie to themselues to conceale and dissemble what they list to peruert to vilifie to falsifie and by absurd imputations to calumniate without being controlled As our fidelitie and good conscience of the cause which we handle manifestly appeareth in that we neuer forbeare to publish our aduersaries bookes to the world when we haue adioyned an answer to them so their guilt and guile is manifest by the contrary for that they feare to put forth our bookes with their answers as doubting least the bookes being at hand should bewray and shew the vnsufficiencie of the answers As for Master Perkins booke being loth too much to increase the greatnesse of the volume I haue forborne to put it in the rather for that the substance thereof for the most part may appeare by that that Master Bishop hath set downe and where he faulteth I haue taken occasion in my answer to declare if not the words yet the summe and effect of it the booke it selfe also being easily had by any that is desirous more exactly to compare them The authors conceit for the forme and maner of that work was greatly to be approued and whereas it hath had the liking of very many for the briefe and plaine deliuery of our controuersiall grounds they shall see now that it was not without cause that they caried so good opiniō of it inasmuch as the malice of an enemie out of their many large volumes can find so little matter of waight and substance to say against it I doubt not but it had bene well that in some places he had giuen it some better strength but it is to be considered that as the midwife iudgeth better of the birth then the mother that trauelleth with it and in gaming the stander by sometimes seeth more then he that playeth so it is in writing of bookes that the Reader and examiner seeth sometimes a defect where the busied and intangled minde of the writer obserued none and therefore of welwillers and men indifferent it is to be expected that that which it somewhat vnperfectly deliuered in one place be no impeachment of that which is sufficiently fenced and fortified in another Thou shalt finde it gentle Reader to haue bene so written as that Maister Bishop is faine to vse
workes that we are our owne sauiours but that we apply vnto our selues by good workes that whereby we are made our owne sauiors But if he meane as the Protestants do when they auouch that by faith onely we apply vnto our selues the saluation which is in Christ Iesus that is that this saluation is entirely in the merits of Christ deseruing and purchasing the same for vs and that meerely and immediatly for Christs sake God bestoweth the same vpon vs that we do but onely stretch foorth the hand and that by his gift also to receiue that which freely and of his meere mercy he giueth vnto vs then his meritorious workes are come to nought and he bestoweth a great deale of labour in vaine for the proofe thereof We would gladly see which way he will shift Surely if our good workes do but apply vnto vs the saluation which is in Christ then they cannot be said to merit saluation theÌ„selues For that that applyeth doth not worke the effect of that which it doth apply The hand that applieth the medicine cannot be said it self to worke the cure for if it performe the effect it selfe to what end doth it apply another thing for the same purpose But if our workes do merit saluation themselues then they do more then apply vnto vs the saluation which is in Christ Iesus and we must be said according to the absurditie before mentioned to be thereby our owne sauiours Let the Reader well obserue how he stealeth away in a cloud of ambiguous words which notwithstanding howsoeuer he expound do worke inconuenience to himselfe But by his owne words he giueth answer to the place which he obiecteth of Paule saying to Timothie that c 1. Tim. 4.10 so doing he should both saue himselfe and them that heard him that he did not meane that Timothie should do that for himselfe by vertue whereof he should be saued but onely that he should apply vnto himselfe the saluation which is in Christ Iesus He was to saue them that heard him not by meriting their saluation for them but by preaching vnto them d 1. Cor. 15.2 the Gospell by which they were saued So was he also to saue himselfe by continuing in the same faith and doctrine of the Gospell whereby the way of saluation is set foorth vnto vs. In the same manner S. Peter exhorteth the Iewes who were pricked in their hearts at the hearing of his preaching e Act. 2.10 Saue your selues from this wicked generation namely by receiuing and accepting the message of saluation by Iesus Christ We are said to saue our selues as we are said to feed our selues and to cure our selues We feed our selues not by being food and nourishment to our selues but by receiuing that which is our food We cure our selues not by being a medicine to our selues but by taking and applying to vs that whereby we are cured So we saue our selues onely by embracing Iesus Christ by whom onely we are saued And this we intend when we say that we are saued by faith onely namely that faith only is the instrument whereby we lay hold of Iesus Christ in whose onely merits our saluation wholy and immediatly doth consist Which doctrine of faith wholy aduanceth the glorie of Christ because it referreth all entirely to him not onely for that we confesse that faith is the gift of Christ but also because we teach that it is not by any vertue of faith it selfe by which we are saued but onely by the merit and power of Christ whom we receiue by faith How then doth M. Bishop say that their assertion of our merits doth no more diminish the glory of the merits of Christ then it doth that we say that we are saued by faith onely when as they leaue so much for man to glorie of in himselfe his assenting to grace and working therewith by his owne free will and his well vsing thereof to merit and deserue saluation for himselfe when as we say that we are saued meerely by the merits of Christ and haue nothing in any sort to attribute to our selues and they say that we are not saued meerely by the merits of Christ but the merits of Christ do onely make vs able by free will to deserue our owne saluation But of this as he saith we shall haue further occasion to speake in the question of merits Now here M. Perkins noteth it for a further absurditie of their doctrine of merits that they do not onely make men their owne sauiours but make one man also the sauiour of another whilest that in the want of our owne merits we may be partakers in the merits of the Saints M. Bishop being a man of a wide throate to swallow and of a strong stomacke to digest without any trouble all the filth of the Romish Church sticketh not at the matter but plainely affirmeth that other good mens merits may steed them that want some of their owne and saith that it may be deduced out of an hundred places of Scripture whereas of that hundred there is not so much as one that will yeeld him ground of any such deduction For as for that which he alledgeth out of the first Commaundement that God sheweth mercy vnto thousands in them that loue him and keepe his commandements how he should draw mans merit from thence where God professeth onely his mercie both to the fathers and the children no wise man can easily conceiue It is true that God sometimes in the Scriptures is said for one mans sake to shew mercy to another it is neuer said that it is for one mans merits that he shewes mercy to another but only for his own loue and promise sake Thus do the people of God somtimes make mention of f Deut. 9. â—7 Abraham Isaac Iacob g Psal 132 10. Dauid not as to begge of God for their merits sake but as to vrge God with his couenant and promise that he made vnto these who shewed all that mercy and loue vnto their seed h Deut. 7.8 9.5 because he would keepe the oath which he had sworne vnto their fathers And surely seeing it was onely for his mercies sake that he respected the fathers themselues it is vnlikely that for the fathers merits he shold respect the children i Oecumen in Rom cap. 4. Siquis illum demostrare nitaâ—urper opera dignum fuisse c. Vides quod nihil omninò hâ—beat ne vestigâ—um quâ—dem operum adhuiusmodi beneficia quae ipse à Deo accepit Vnde ergo his dignus habitus est Ex sola side Abraham saith Oecumenius was not by his workes worthy of the benefites of God he had nothing at all not any shew of workes to the benefites that he receiued of God but was accounted worthy thereof by faith onely The cause of all was that which Moses said k Deut. 4.37 He loued thy fathers therefore he chose their seed And what was it for their merits that he
conuerted Gratia Dei erat sola it was onely the grace of God Which words M. Bishop hath fraudulently concealed as being expresly against him and cleering this whole point most manifestly on our part Our conuersion is onely by the grace of God as Austin saith S. Pauls was Free vvill hath no part therein We say as he saith that the will of man being conuerted and renewed by grace doth afterwards apply it selfe to worke with grace and so there is not onely the grace of God nor onely the will of man but the grace of God accompanied with the will of man not as by any proper worke of the will it selfe but by the worke of grace by which it was first conuerted Therefore the same S. Austin elsewhere mentioning those words By the grace of God I am that I am saith thereupon m De praedest grat cap. 11. Haec est prima misericordia quam liberae voluntatis opera consequuntur Sed vt Pauli vocationem bona opera sequerentur quid ait Et gratia eius c. This is the first mercie after which do follow the workes of Free will But that good vvorkes might follow after the calling of the Apostle vvhat doth he say himselfe And his grace vvas not in me in vaine There is no Free vvill then to righteousnesse before a man can say By the grace of God I am that I am Thereby the will is made free and thereby it worketh with grace to bring forth the fruits of all good workes So that Saint Austin leaueth vs this place very strong to prooue that both our conuersion and our working with grace when we are conuerted is altogether and wholy to be attributed vnto grace Hereby the other place is cleered if it were ought worth 8. W. BISHOP The second text is It is God that worketh in vs Phil. 2. v. 13. both to will and to accomplish We grant that it is God but not he alone vvithout vs for in the next vvords before Saint Paul saith Worke your saluation with feare and trembling So that God worketh principally by stirring vs vp by his grace and also helping forward our will to accomplish the worke but so sweetly and conformably to our nature that his vvorking taketh not away but helpeth forward our vvill to concurre vvith him Againe the vvhole may be attributed vnto God considering that the habits of grace infused be from him as sole efficient cause of them our actions indued also vvith grace being onely dispositions and no efficient cause of those habits but this is an high point of schoole Diuinitie verie true but not easily to be conceiued of the vnlearned R. ABBOT S. Austin in expresse termes contradicteth M. Bishop saying a August de grat li. arbit cap 17. vt velimus sine nobis operatur without vs he worketh in vs to will And so S. Bernard also saith that b Bernard de grat lib arbit Creatio in libertatem voluÌ„tatis facta est sine nobis the creating of vs to freedome of will is wrought without vs. Our will is the subiect wherein it is wrought but the efficient cause thereof is onely the grace of God This M. Bishop denieth because the Apostle in the words immediatly before saith Work out your saluation with feare and trembling But the Apostle when he biddeth them to worke biddeth them to do it with feare and trembling And why is that c Aug. in Psal 65. Subiecit causam Deus est enim c. Si ergo Deus operatur in te gratia Dei benè operaris non viribus tuis The Apostle addeth the cause saith S. Austine for it is God that worketh in you to will and to worke of his owne good will If then God worke in thee it is by the grace of God that thou workest well not by thine owne power How peruersly then doth M. Bishop deale that when the Apostle vseth the latter words to expound the former he will take the former words to crosse the latter Men are to be called vpon by exhortation to do good workes but yet they are to know that the effect of exhortation is the worke of grace True saith M. Bishop it is of grace but not of grace onely for Free will also hath a part But S. Austin telleth that d De bono perseueran cap. 6 Tutiores viuimus si totuÌ„ Deo damus non nos illi ex parte nobâ—â— ex parte commuttimus it is more safetie for vs to attribute all wholy to God and not commit our selues partly to God and partly to our selues and e Tertul. aduers Hermog Veritas sic vnum Deum exigit defendendo vt solius sit quicquid ipsins est ita enim ipsius erit si fuerit solius true faith requireth this in the defending of one God that whatsoeuer is his we make it onely his for so shall it be accounted his if it be accounted onely his If God do worke in vs to will let vs acknowledge it to be his onely and none of ours God worketh principally saith M. Bishop by stirring vs vp by his grace and also helping forward our will to accomplish the worke but so sweetly and conformably to our nature that his working taketh not away but helpeth forward our will to concur with him Here is stirring vp the wil and helping forward the will and no more but what the Pelagians confessed as I haue shewed before but why doth he make it so daintie to say as the Apostle saith that God worketh in vs to will He nameth grace which is but a grace if we will but we require the grace which the Apostle teacheth whereby God worketh in vs to will He saith that God doth not take away our will So did Pelagius say f August contr Pelag. Celest lib 1. cap 7. Dicimus eam sine voluntate nostra nequaquam in nobis perficere sanctitatem that God doth not worke holinesse in vs without our will We answer that our will is the subiect wherein God worketh as before was said but it is no part of the efficient cause whereby it is wrought in vs to will The Arausicane Councell determineth g Concil Arausican 2. cap 4 Si quis vt à peccato purgemur voluntatem nostram Deum expectare contendit Non autem vt etiam purgari velimus per sancti Spiritus infu sionem operationem in nobis fieri confitetur resistit Apostolo c. that if any man do maintaine that God expecteth our will that we may be purged from sinne and doth not confesse that by the infusion and operation of the holy Ghost it is also wrought in vs to be willing to be purged he resisteth the Apostle in that he preacheth according to wholesome doctrine that it is God which worketh in vs both to will and to worke of his good will This M. Bishop maintaineth he saith that God offereth grace to that
voluit vt homo non recedat ab eo Cyprian leaueth vs nothing wherein to glorie as our owne that he sheweth that not to depart from God is no otherwise but giuen of God in that he teacheth that it is to be begged of God for he that is not led into temptation doth not depart from God This saith he is not in the strength of Free will as now it is It was in man before his fall but after the fall of man God would not haue it belong saue onely to his grace that we come vnto him neither would he haue it belong saue onely to his grace that we do not depart from him Thus he conceiued and obserued as touching Cyprians meaning out of Cyprians owne words and bereaueth M. Bishop of Cyprians warrant for that which he would father vpon him by some words obscurely vttered in another place c Jbid cap. 6. Tâ—â—â—res viâ—â—â—us si totum Deo damus non autem nos illi ex parte nobu ex parte commutimus Quod vidit iste venerabilâ— Martyr c. Cyprian that worthy Martyr saw well enough saith he that we liue most in safetie when we ascribe all to God and do not commit our selues partly to God and partly to our selues By these three therefore M. Bishop hitherto hath gained nothing but by Cyprian whose words seeme to make most for him he gaineth least of all But now he vrgeth the confession of some of our best learned that all Antiquitie excepting onely S. Austin beleeued and taught Free will To this purpose he alledgeth a place out of the Centuries which he calleth a large long lying historie marry speaking but by roate as children do or as the clowne did of Aristides who giuing his voyce to the banishment of the same Aristides and being asked of him vnknowne d Plutarch Apophiheg whether he knew him against whom he gaue his voyce answered that he knew him not but it was trouble vnto him to heare him tearmed a iust man For so M. Bishop knoweth not the Centuries alas poore man what should he meddle with such great bookes but he hath heard that Protestants were the Authors thereof and that is enough to warrant him to giue his voyce against them But his fellowes know that they haue good cause to speake well of the Authors of those Centuries because by them they haue bin able to say more for themselues then euer they were before so faithfully did those men deale in the compiling of that storie Now they say indeed as he alledgeth from his Author that Clement Alexandrinus doth euery where teach Free will and that not onely the Doctors of that age were in such darknesse but also that it did much increase in the ages following Where taking the matter to be simply as they say and as M. Bishop doth obiect what doth he gaine more by that obiection then the Pelagians did e Prosper Epist ad August Obstinationem suaÌ„ vetustate defendunt A nullo vnquam ecclesiasticorum ita esse intellecta ve nunc sentiuntur affirmant who defended their obstinacie by antiquitie and affirmed that none of all the ecclesiasticall Writers that were before did so expound the Scriptures as Austin did namely against the Free will and merits of man and that examining the opinions of the more auncient Fathers they were found to be in a manner all of one mind against him But this he tooke to be no sufficient argument but freely professeth of his doctrine f Aug. de bono perseuer cap 18. Hoc scâ—onemineÌ„ contra istam PraedestinationeÌ„ c. nisi errando disputare potuisse I know that no man without error could dispute against it He excuseth the ancients that were before him g De Praedest sanct cap. 14. Priusquam ista Haeresis oriretur non habuerunt necessitatem in hac difficili ad soluendum quaestione versari c. vnde factuÌ„ est vt de gratia Dei quid sentirent breuiter quibusdam scriptorum suorum locis transeuntèr attingerent immorarentur vero in eis quae aduersus alios inimicos Ecclesiae disputabant c. frequentationibus aut orationibus simplicitèr apparebat Dei gratia quid valeret Non enim poscerentur à Deo quae praecepit fieri nisi ab illo donaretur vt fierent that before the heresie of the Pelagians began they had not any such need to deale much in that question and therefore what they thought of the grace of God they touched but briefly and by the way in some places of their workes but stood more vpon those things which they handled against other enemies of the Church Yet he saith that by their supplications and prayers it plainely appeared what grace doth because they would not haue asked of God those things which he hath commanded to be done but that they held that the doing thereof is the gift of God h De bono perseuer cap. 23. No oraret Ecclesia vt daritur infidelibus fides nisi Deum crederet auersas aduersas hominuÌ„ ad se conuertere voluntates nec oraret Ecclesia vt perseueraret in fide Christi nisi crederet Dominum sic in potestate habere cor nostrum vt bâ—â—uÌ„ quod non tenemus nisi propria voluntate non tamen teneamus nisi ipsi in â—oâ—is operetur velle that the Church would not haue prayed to God as it alwaies did to giue men repentance faith obedience perseuerance but that it beleeued that God so hath our heart in his power as that he worketh in vs to will the good that we cannot haue without our will He further obserueth that i Ibid cap. 20. Didicimus singulas quasque haereses intulisse Ecclesiae proprias quaestiones cotra quas diâ—igentiùs defenderetur Sâ—riptura diuina quam si nulla talis necessitas cogeret Quid auteÌ„ coegit loca Scripturarum quibus Praedestinatio commendata est copiosiùs enucientius iâ—â—o nostro libere defendi nisi quod Pelagiani dicunt c. all heresies haue brought their seuerall questions into the Church by occasion whereof as touching those points the truth of Scripture was the more diligently defended and that by occasion of the Pelagian heresie the places of Scripture concerning Predestination and grace of God were by his labour more plentifully and plainely defended then they were before And to conclude out of all Antiquitie before him he bringeth onely k Ibid cap 19. foure or fiue testimonies out of Cyprian Ambrose and Gregorie Nazianzene whereby to iustifie what he taught Now by this answer of Austin to the Pelagians M. Bishop and his fellowes must receiue their answer If it were no preiudice to him that the Fathers before him taught otherwise then he did it is no preiudice to vs teaching the same that he taught He professed himselfe l De nat gra cap. 61 to be free in the writings of any such men and that it was
Cum est aliquid concupiscentiae carnalis c. noÌ„ omnimodò ex tota anima diligitur Deus so long as there is any carnall concupiscence God is not loued with all the soule And so long as we liue here there is carnall concupiscence against the law of the minde Therefore so long as we liue here charity is neuer perfect in vs as it ought to be neither can any perfect good worke be effected by vs. M. Bishop minceth and qualifieth the matter that no man hath so perfect charity but that sometimes he doth lesse then he ought to do But the argument prooueth that charity is alwaies vnperfect in this life and therefore not sometimes onely but alwaies a man doth lesse then he ought to do There is alwaies a blot that staineth our charity l Hilar. apud August cont Julian lib. 2. Supra sect 44. by reason whereof we haue nothing in vs cleane nothing innocent as before was cited out of Hilary and therefore it can yeeld no workes that are free from blot and staine But the Reader is here to note the constancie of this man who affirmeth here that no man hath so perfect charity in this life but that sometimes he doth lesse then he ought to do whereas before he hath told vs of a righteousnesse so perfect in this life as that m Sect. 45. it faileth not in any duty which we are bound to performe Thus giddily he runneth to and fro being vncertaine what to say and neuer knowing where he may stand sure Now here he saith that the other saying of Austine Woe to the laudable life of man if it be examined without mercy is spoken in respect of veniall sinnes wheras Austine vseth the words in respect of hell fire which they say is not incident to their veniall sinnes For hauing professed that he he durst not say that after baptisme no word went out of his mothers mouth against Gods commaundement and that Christ saith that if a man say to his brother foole he is guilty of hell fire he addeth these words n Aug. Confess lib. 9. cap. 13. Vae etiam laudabili vitae hominum si remota misericordia discutias eam And woe euen to the commendable life of man if thou set aside mercy in the examining or sifting of it To which purpose he saith also in another place o Idem In Psal 42. Quicunque hic viâ—â—â— quantumlibet iustè viuat vae illi si cuÌ„ illa in iudicium intrauerit Deus Whosoeuer liueth here howsoeuer iustly he liue woe vnto him if God enter into iudgement with him In which sort Arnobius also saith p Arno. in Psal 135. Vae nebis si quod debemus exegerit vae nobis si quod debet reddiderit Woe vnto vs if he require what we owe to him woe vnto vs if he pay what he oweth to vs. These woes are not vttered in respect of Purgatory or any temporall affliction but in respect of the issue of that finall dreadfull iudgement the sentence whereof shall stand for euer Now if they haue learned by the word of God to denounce this woe then woe to M. Bishop that to the contrary defendeth a righteousnesse so perfect in this life as that his righteous man q Sect. 4. needeth not greatly to feare the rigorous sentence of a iust Iudge as who faileth not in any duty that he is bound to performe who can keepe himselfe from all but veniall sinnes which are easily forgiuen r Rhem. Testam Annot. Mat. 10.12 Sext. Proaemaâ— glossa by the Bishops blessing by holy water by knocking the brest by saying a Pater noster by extreame vnction and some other such deuotions madly deuised to that end As touching the other place of Austine it hath bene already shewed that our righteousnesse in this life is vnperfect not onely by comparison but simply in it selfe and according to that that here is required of vs The imperfections of wit and will which M. Bishop speaketh of are so great and so many as that if he did but with a feeling heart and conscience consider the same he would finde that there is small cause in the most perfect of this life to pleade for that perfection that he maintaineth But being a man of a frosen and dead heart and neither knowing others nor himselfe by the name of many light faults he passeth ouer those things which make the most righteous and iust to groane vnder the burden of them and to say with Dauid Å¿ Psal 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone ouer my head and are like a sore burden too heauie for me to beare t Psal 40.12 My sinnes haue taken such hold vpon me that I am not able to looke vp they are moe in number then the haires of my head and my heart hath failed me Tush saith M. Bishop what neede all this adoe all these are but light and veniall faults but hereby we conceiue that neither his will nor his wit haue indeede that perfection that it were fit they should haue His answer to the words of Gregory is ridiculous and childish Gregorie forsooth by our vertue meaneth the vertue that we haue of our owne strength when as Gregorie teacheth that we haue no vertue of our owne strength but onely by the gift of God u Greg. Moral lib. 24. cap. 5. Iustitia nostra dicitur non quae ex nostro nostra est sed quae diuina largitate fit nostra It is called our righteousnesse saith he in another place not which is ours of our owne but which by the gift of God becommeth ours According to this meaning he saith that x Ibid. li. 9 ca. 1. Sanctus vir quia omne virtuâ—is nostrae meritum vitium esse câ—nspexit si ab interno arbitro districté iudicetur rectè subiungit si voluero c. the holy man Iob because he saw all the merit of our vertue to be vice if it be strictly iudged by the internall Iudge did rightly adde If I will contend with him I shall not be able to answer him one for a thousand He applieth his speech to Iobs righteousnesse which he had no cause to imagine that Iob alledged as attained vnto by his own strength And shall we be so mad as to thinke that if Iob had bene perfect by a righteousnesse receiued by the gift of God he would say he could not therefore answer God because he saw all the merit of the vertue that he had by his owne strength to be but vice It is strange to see that these men should be so blinde as not to see the grosse absurdity of these shifts Gregory spake to the instruction of his hearers whom surely he thought not to be worse then the Pharisee but knew that they attributed their vertue and righteousnesse to the gift of God and of that righteousnesse which they confessed to be Gods good gift teacheth them to acknowledge that through our weaknesse
Austin in Psal 102. hath these words o August in Psal 102. Ergo coronat te quia donae suae coronat non merita tua He crowneth thee because he crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits Which is the same in effect with that which M. Bishop putteth in place of it very often repeated by S. Austin either in the same or very neare the same words that God when he crowneth vs p IdeÌ„ epist 105. et in Ioan. trac 5. de grat et lib. arb cap. 6. 7. crowneth his owne gifts not our merits But he answereth hereto very vntruly and deceitfully It is true indeed that S. Austin there speaketh to him that thinketh he hath merits of his owne and of himself that God wil not crowne those because they are onely euill and he giueth not the crowne to euill workes but he crowneth onely his owne gifts because in vs there is no good worke to which onely the crowne is giuen but onely by Gods gift q De grat et lib. arb ca. 6. Prorsus talia cogitanti veriffimèdicitur dona tua coronat Deus non merita tua si tibi teipso non ab illo sunt merita tua Haec enim si talia sunt mala sunt quae autem mala sunt non coronat Deus Si autem bona sunt Dei dona sunt To him that so thinketh sayth he it is rightly said God crowneth his owne gifts not thy merits if thou haue thy merits of thy selfe and not of his gift for if they be such they be euill and God crowneth not those that be euill but if they be good they be the gifts of God Now to those words M. Bishop addeth in the same letter as if it were S. Austins whether by the Printers fault or by his owne lewd falshood he can best tell himself this animaduersion But if we acknowledge our merits to proceed from grace working with vs then may we as truly say that eternall life is the crowne and reward of merits But M. Bishop did S. Austine tell you so Will you so wilfully abuse him and peruert his words and meaning Surely in the beginning of the next Chapter which is but ten lines after the words cited S. Austine saith thus r Jbid. cap. 7. Siergo Dei donae sunt merita tua non Deus coronat merita tua tanquam merita tua sed tanquam dona sua If then thy good merits be Gods gifts God doth not crowne thy merits as thy merits but as his owne gifts In which words he plainely denieth that there is any respect of our merit or that God accounteth vs as hauing merited but that he giueth the crown and reward onely as to his owne gifts which he himselfe hath bestowed vpon vs. How bad a man then is M. Bishop to make S. Austin say that God crowneth our good workes proceeding from his grace as our merits when S. Austin expressely and flatly denieth the same But there is yet some further poison hidden in his words for when he nameth merits proceeding from grace working with vs he diuideth betwixt God and vs that which S. Austin maketh entirely the gift of God The worke is not meerely of the grace of God in vs but of grace working with vs because we also as well as grace are partakers of the worke So then S. Austin must not say that God crowneth his owne gifts not our merits but God crowneth partly his owne gifts and partly our merits because the good workes which he crowneth are partly of his grace and partly also of our owne freewill By this meanes Maister Bishop will hold it very absurd which the same Saint Austine saith in the other place Å¿ Epist 105. Câ—â—â— Deus coronat merita nostra nihil aliud coronat quà m namerae sua When God crowneth our merits he crowneth nothing else but his owne gifts for if he crowne nothing else but his owne gifts if he crowne nothing at all of ours then what part of the câ—owne is it that we can say is merited and deserued by vs His answer to the last words of Austine is excluded by the very words themselues t Aug Psal 14â— Propter â—â—men tuum D â—â—ine viuificabis â—eâ—in tua iustitia non in mea noÌ„ quia ego merut sâ—â— quia tu miseritis Lord for thy names sake thou wilt quicken me in thy righteousnesse not in mine not because I haue deserued it but because thou art mercifull This place he saith appertaineth to the first iustification of a sinner but it seemeth he gaue the answer somewhat too early in the morning before his eyes were well opened for otherwise he might haue seene that these are the words of a man alreadie iustified vttered in the name of the Prophet of God not in the preterperfect tense as of a thing past but in the future tense as of a thing to come Thou shalt or wilt quicken me and therefore cannot be vnderstood of any first iustification The Prophet being alreadie in part reuiued to the life of God prayeth stil to be reuiued and quickened more and more and promiseth to himselfe by assurance of faith through the holy Ghost that God will so do not in my righteousnesse saith he as Austin expresseth it not because I haue deserued it but for his owne names sake for his owne mercies sake giuing to vnderstand that not onely the beginning of the worke of God but also the proceeding thereof is not for any merit of man but by the mercie of him by whom it was first begun And whereas he saith that they confesse that a sinner is called to repentance and reuiued not for any desert of his owne but of Gods meere mercie he doth but blind his Reader with a concealed distinction of merit hauing himselfe u Of Iustification Sect. 21. before taught that his workes of preparation are the cause of the iustification of a sinner as he hath corruptly argued out of the words of Christ Many sinnes are forgiuen her because she hath loued much So that the terme of meere mercie is vsed only colourably and for fashion sake neither doth he acknowledge the meere mercy of God in any sort but as the Pelagian heretickes did in the first offer of his grace 14. W. BISHOP Hauing thus at length answered vnto all that M. Perkins hath alledged against Merits let vs see what can be said for them following as neare as I can M. Perkins order Obiections of Papists so he termeth our reasons First in sundry places of Sâ—ripture promise of reward is made vnto good works Gen. 4. Prou. 11. Eccl. 18. Mat. 5. If thou do well shalt thou not receiue To him that doth well there is a faithful reward Feare not to be iustified vnto death because the reward of God remaineth for euer and When you are reuiled and persecuted for my sake reioyce for great is your reward in heauen and a hundreth such like therfore
blindly proposed by M. Perkins I will confirme the first with such texts of holy Writ as specifie plainly our good workes to be the cause of eternall life Mat. 25. Come vnto me ye blessed of my Father possesse a kingdom prepared for you And why so For when I was hungry ye gaue me meat so forth the like is in the same chapter of the seruants who employed all their talents for their Lord said vnto them Because you haue bene faithfull in few things I will place you ouer many And many such like where good workes done by the parties themselues are expresly said to be the very cause why God rewarded them with the kingdome of heauen Therefore he must needes be holden for a very wrangler that doth seek to peruert such euident speeches and would make the simple beleeue that the cause there formally specified is not to be taken for the cause but doth onely signifie an order of things But if any desire besides the euidence of the text to see how the auncient Fathers take it let him reade S. Augustine In Psal 40. where he thus briefly handleth this text Come ye blessed of my Father receiue what shall we receiue a kingdome for what cause because I was hungrie you gaue me meate c. Of the reall imputation of Christs merits there was no tidings in those daies and that iudicious Doctor found that good works was the cause of receiuing the kingdom of heaueÌ„ R. ABBOT M. Bishop to helpe the former argument addeth some texts of holy writ which specifie plainely as he saith our good workes to be the cause of eternall life To this purpose he alledgeth the words of Christ as touching the last iudgement a Mat. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father possesse or rather b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inherite ye the kingdome prepared for you before the foundations of the world for I was hungry and ye gaue me meate c. Where the very place it selfe disproueth that that he intendeth to proue by it for by that that he saith Inherit ye the kingdome it is plainely gathered which S. Ambrose thence affirmeth c Ambros de abitis Theodosij Tanquam possessionem haereditariam recipimus ea quae promissa sunt â—â—bis We receiue as a possession of inheritance those things that are promised vnto vs. And if we receiue the kingdome by way of inheritance then it is not by merit as hath alreadie bene declared Againe when he saith prepared for you from the foundations of the world euen as S. Paule saith d Eph. 1.4 God hath chosen vs in Christ before the foundations of the world he sheweth that the kingdome was prepared for them that inherite it before they had any works and therfore to reason in the same maner as the Apostle doth e Rom. 9.11 not by workes but by the grace and mercie of him that calleth it is said Come ye blessed inherit the kingdome c. For to say that God f August contra Iulian. Pelag. li. 5 cap 3. Ne fortè ante constitutionem mundi ex operibus praecognitis putarentur electi seâ—utus est adiunxit si autem gratia c. vide Epist. 105. prepared the kingdome for them vpon foresight of their workes is the heresie of the Pelagians long agone condemned It must needes be therefore that it was prepared for them without respect of works and that their workes are alledged not as the proper cause fot which the kingdome is giuen vnto theÌ„ but as signes and tokens that they are they for whom it is prepared euen as before we heard out of S. Bernard that g Bernard de grat lib arb Occultae praedestinationis indicia futurae foelicitatis praesagia via regni noâ— causa regnandi they are tokens of our predestination foretokens of our future happinesse the way to the kingdome not the cause of our obtaining it No more can be argued out of the other place Reward we find there but Merit we find none neither can the one of these be euicted by the other It onely sheweth how God graceth his faithfull seruants by assigning vnto them vnder the name of reward that which indeed he otherwise freely bestoweth vpon them A most cleare example whereof we ha◠〈◊〉 our father Abraham to whome God made at first an absolute promise that he would h Gen. 12.2.3 make of him a great nation and would blesse him and in him all nations of the earth should be blessed and yet afterwards vpon the triall that he made of him for the offering of his sonne Isaac taketh occasion to renew the promise as if he would do it for his obedience therein i Cap. 22.16 Because thou hast done this thing and hast not spared thine onely sonne therefore will I surely blesse thee and I will multiply thy seede after thee c. and in thee shall all nations of the earth be blessed because thou hast obeied my voice The blessing was assured to Abraham infallibly by the former absolute promise of God k Prosper de vocat gent. lib. 1. cap. 3. Sine conditio ne promisit sine lege dâ—nauit without any caution or condition as Prosper well saith but he would haue Abraham to take knowledge by occasion of that that he had done that the promise before freely made should inuiolably without any impeachment stand good vnto him Euen so God from our works taketh occasion of the renewing of his promises thereto for our assurance tieth the performance therof vnder the name of reward when as the true cause of all is his mercy in Iesus Christ by whom onely it is that the worke is accepted in his sight Now if God vouchsafe to honour vs let not vs thereby take occasion to dishonour him or chalenge proudly to our merits that for which we should sing praise onely to his mercy Neither do we herein wrangle or peruert the Scripture but finding by the Scripture that God hath chosen and called vs l Ephe. 1.6 that we should be to the praise of the glory of his grace m Aug. cont Pelag Celest lib. 2. cap. 24. NoÌ„ enim Dei gratia gratia erit vllo modo nisi fuerit gratuita omni modo which is not grace in any sort except it be free in euery sort we endeuour that this glory may be yeelded entirely vnto God and that to this end it may alwaies be acknowledged that n Rom. 6.23 eternal life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Now whereas he alledgeth S. Austin to his purpose he abuseth S. Austin as he is wont to do who questioneth not any cause in the place by him cited but vsing the words Come ye blessed of my Father receiue ye a Kingdome goeth on hereupon to demaund not as Maister Bishop saith For what cause but o Aug. in Psal 49. Quid percipite Regnum Pro quare
adde a supply of humane satisfaction ergo they make it no satisfaction at all Answ This is a substantiall argument to raise the cry vpon which hath both propositions false The first is childish for he that satisfieth for halfe his debts or for any part of theÌ„ makes some satisfaction which satisfaction is vnperfect yet cannot be called no satisfaction at al as euery child may see His second is as vntrue mans satisfaction is not to supply the want of Christs satisfaction but to apply it to vs as M. Perkins saith his faith doth to them and to fulfill his will and ordinance God doth in baptisme for Christs sake pardon both all sins and taketh fully away all paine due to sinne so that he who dieth in that state goeth presently to heauen But if we do afterward vngratefully forsake God and coÌ„trary to our promise transgresse against his commandements then lo the order of his diuine iustice requires that we be not so easily receiued againe into his fauor but he vpon our repentance pardoning the sin and the eternall punishment due vnto it through Christ doth exact of euery man a temporall satisfaction answerable vnto the fault committed not to supply Christs satisfaction which was of infinite value and might more easily haue taken away this temporall punishment then it doth the eternall but that by the smart and griefe of this punishment the man may be feared from sinning and be made more carefull to auoyd sinne and also by this meanes be made members conformable to Christ our head that suffering with him we may raigne with him And therefore he hauing satisfied for the eternall punishment which we are not able to do doth lay the temporall paine vpon our shoulders that according vnto the Apostle Gal. 6. Euery man do beare his owne burden R. ABBOT M. Bishop well knew that M. Perkins speech importeth no contradiction because in the one he intendeth that euery man is to make satisfaction for his sins either by himselfe or by a Mediator and in the other denieth that any man maketh this satisfaction or any part thereof by himself Though the phrase were not so easie of our making satisfaction when he meant it by another yet his meaning was very plaine There must be a satisfaction yeelded to the iustice of God which is done onely in Iesus Christ a Rom. 3.25 whom God himselfe hath set foorth to be an attonement or reconciliation through faith in his bloud Here is therefore no broken rubbish but a sure foundation laid and the building setled vpon it standeth firme and fast the wind wherwith M. Bishop hath blown against it being only his owne breath And because b 1. Cor. 3.11 there is no other foundation to be laid but only that which he hath laid which is Iesus Christ therefore not like a blind man but vpon good discernement and sight he hath made the outcry that the Papists laying another foundatioÌ„ in the merits and satisfactions of men do erre in the very foundation and life of Christian faith To shew this he argueth in this sort A satisfaction that is made imperfect either directly or by consequent is no satisfaction at all But the Papists make Christs satisfaction imperfect in that they adde a supply of humane satisfactions therefore they make Christs satisfaction no satisfaction at all A substantial argument saith M. Bishop well if it be not so we expect that M. Bishop make it appeare to vs by a very substantiall answer He telleth vs that both the propositions are false yea the first saith he is childish but well we wot that he hath giuen vs a very childish reason why he so saith He that satisfieth for halfe his debts or any part thereof saith he makes some satisfaction But we tell him that therein he fondly misapplyeth the name of satisfaction which is a word of perfection and therfore cannot be rightly vsed of that that is vnperfect It importeth the doing of that that is sufficient and enough to giue full contentment to the party to whom it is done and fully to quit the offence and wrong that is done vnto him Therefore no man but M. Bishop is so mad as to say that by the tender of a penny a man offereth a satisfaction when the debt or damage is an hundred pounds Yea and howsoeuer the name of satisfaction may be abused in party-payment for matters of meere debt yet he should remember that in their schooles it is resolued that because Satisfaction as here it is spoken of is c Thom. Aquin. Supplement q. 14. art 1. c. Cùm per satisfactioneÌ„ tolli debeat offensa praecedentis peccati offensae autem ablatio sit amicitiae diuinae restitutio quaeper quoduis peccatuÌ„ impeditur sieri non potest vt homo de vno peccato satisfaciat alto retento Vide in corpâ—art the taking away of displeasure and offence and the taking away of offence is the restitution of friendship and loue and there cannot be restitution of friendship and loue so long as any impediment therof coÌ„tinueth therfore there can be no satisfaction for one sin that is for one part of a mans debt so long as there is a remainder of another M. Bishop might very well conceiue that God receiueth not recompence of his wrongs by pence and halfpence nor doth account the sacrifice of a sheep to be some satisfaction towards the sauing of a soule But it is the 2. proposition that specially concernes the point To that he answereth that mans satisfaction is not to supply the want of Christs satisfaction Where we see it to be with them as Tertullian mentioneth of the Valentinian heretickes d Tertullian aduers Valent. Nihil magis curant quà m occultare quod praedicant si tamen praeditant qui occuliant c. Negant quicquid agnoscum They care for nothing more then to hide that which they preach if at least they preach who conceale and hide they deny it howsoeuer they well know it They do indeed make the satisfaction of Christ vnperfect our satisfactions to be the supply of his want but yet because that soundeth odiously they will not haue it knowne or taken that they do so Yet M. Perkins brought proofe thereof out of one of their great Schoolemen Gabriel Biel who plainly saith that although the passion of Christ be the principall merit for which is conferred grace and the opening of the kingdome and glory yet it is neuer the alone and totall meritorious cause It is manifest saith he because alwaies with the merit of Christ there concurreth some worke as the merit of congruitie or condignitie of him that receiueth grace or glorie if he be of yeares and haue the vse of reason or of some other for him if he want reason Here it is expresly affirmed that the passion of Christ is not a totall meritorious cause and if it be not a totall cause then it wanteth a supply that that is
Court and Church of Rome and I do almost perswade my selfe that M. Bishop in his owne conscience is perswaded that it is so I doubt not but he would tell a prety tale in this behalfe concerning their masters the Iesuites but that now his tongue is tyed vp and he must say no more he hath bene taught what it is to tell vs tales out of their schoole 17. W. BISHOP Lastly he saith that almes-deeds cannot be workes of satisfaction for sinnes for when we giue them as we ought we do but our duty and we may as well say that a man by paying one debt may discharge another as to say by doing his duty he may satisfie Gods iustice for the punishment of his sinnes A man might suppose that this man were pretily well seene in Carolo Buffone that thus ruffleth in graue matters with his simple Similes That almes-deeds redeeme our sins purge vs from them and make all things cleane vnto vs hath bene already proued out of holy Scriptures I will ioyne thereunto this one testimony of that holy Martyr S. Cypriā Our frailty could not tell what to do Serm. de opere eleemos vnlesse the goodnesse of God by teaching vs the workes of iustice and mercy had shewed vs a certaine way of preseruing our saluation which is that with alms-deeds we might wash cleane away the filth of sinnes which we had contracted after Baptisme The holy Ghost speaketh in the Scripture and saith Sinnes are purged by almes-deeds and faith Now to M. Perkins Simile We deny that a man is bound to giue all the almes that he can we are bound to giue that which we may well spare when there is great want but almes which is a part of satisfactiō is not giuen out of our superfluitie but spared from our necessarie vses and is many times bestowed when there is no such great need vpon building Schooles Colledges Hospitals and Chappels And this may serue to answer M. Perkins Similes against these three works of satisfaction If any man desire to know why we make speciall reckoning of these three works it is principally for two causes First we being to satisfie must performe it with such things as be our owne which be of three sorts either they belong to our soule or to our bodie or to our externall goods The goods of our mind we offer to God by prayer by fasting and other reasonable bodily discipline we exhibite vnto him a liuing hoast Rom 12.1 holy and pleasing God By almesdeeds we make him an agreeable present of our goods Secondly all sinne as S. Iohn teacheth 1. Epist 2. may be reduced into three principall heads The concupiscence of the flesh that is lechery which is cooled by fasting and such like afflicting of the body Concupiscence of the eyes couetousnesse which is purged and chased away by almesdeeds and pride of life which is suppressed by humble prayer and often meditation of our owne miseries R. ABBOT Simple similes saith M. Bishop Now he may be taken for a very simple man who to answer simple similes is forced to vse such simple shifts We may wonder at the blindnesse of these arrogant and presumptuous hypocrites who thus stand vpon their terms with God of doing more for him then they are bound to do more then by dutie they owe vnto him Euery man of common ordinary pietie and deuotion confesseth that whatsoeuer we are or whatsoeuer we haue either within vs or without vs we owe all to God a Act. 17.28 In him we liue and moue and haue our being Of his bountie we receiue and by his mercie we enioy whatsoeuer we enioy So litle interest haue we in any thing in his sight as that at his commaundement we are to leaue whatsoeuer we haue In all the gifts therefore which we giue in his name and for his sake we are to say and to acknowledge Tua ex tuis tibi offerimus Of thine owne we offer vnto thee that which is thine owne and nothing but thine owne And although God haue not determined vnto euery man all particular vses of those benefites wherewith he hath endowed them yet he hath taught euery man to remember himselfe to be the Lords steward for that portiō which he hath and that to him he shal giue account of the disposing of it He hath giuē euery man leaue to vse the same according to the state and calling whereunto he is called and for the lawfull vpholding and increasing of it and accordingly to haue respect of those that are his b 1. Tim. 5.8 for whom he that careth not to prouide hath denied the faith and is worse then an infidel but yet so as that he otherwise also c Tit. 3.14 learne to do good works for necessary vses that he be not vnfruitfull that as he is a member of the body of Christ so he employ that which he hath as occasiō requireth to the publike benefit and vse of the same body And this is one part of the thankes that we ow vnto almightie God not to think much when there is cause to bestow some part of that which we haue to the honor seruice of him at whose hands we haue receiued all Which he that neglecteth to do and turneth all to priuate vse and to the building of his owne house bringeth vpon himselfe the iudgement denounced by the Prophet and commonly verified before our eyes d Habac. 2.9.10 He that coueteth an euil couetousnes to himselfe that he may set his neast on high to escape frō the power of euill consulteth shame to his owne house Now seeing all that we haue is Gods and we can no way sufficiently recompence the mercy that he hath shewed in bestowing the same vpon vs what extreme madnesse is it to imagine that thereout we can yeeld him a iust and worthy price of redemption and satisfactiō for our sins Spare we neuer so much from our necessary vses and giue we neuer so much as it were out of our owne bellies yet our consciences should tell vs that it is not the thousandth part of that which God hath deserued of vs and shall we be so witlesse as to thinke that that wee doe may be a sufficient recompence for the wrongs that we haue done vnto him It is worthy to be noted which the Apostle teacheth vs that e 2. Cor. 8.1.3 to be willing beyond our power to minister to the Saints is a grace of God bestowed vpon vs. It is the fruite of Gods loue towards vs to carry this minde towards those that are his What strange men then are they who of that which is the effect of Gods loue and mercie towards vs will make a matter of our merite and desert towards God In a word M. Bishops answer is a most idle dreame and because we can do nothing but what we owe to God and all infinitely too little to shew foorth our thankfulnesse towards him we must say as M.
implicatus vt vix excusari possit quin sit in his sicut pâ—pulus sic sacerdos Then began mischiefes to be multiplied vpon the earth for there arose amongst men discords deceits trecheries treasons so as that they betrayed one another to death and destruction Spoyling and preying one vpon another destructions and wastings of countries burnings seditions warres and rapines whether in the streets or in places of robberies were iustified so as that now euery man is guilty of periurie and wrapped in these foresaid wicked acts and it cannot be excused but that as the people is in these things so is the Priest Platina the Popes Secretarie breaketh out in passion thus d Platin. de vit Pontif. in Marcellino Quid futurum nostrae aetati arbitramur qua vitia nostra eo creuere vt vix apud Deum misericor diae locum nobis reliquerint Qu vitae sit auaritia SacerdotuÌ„ quanta libido vndique conquisita quanta anabitio pompa quanta superbia desidia quaÌ„ta ignoratio tum sâ—â—psius tum doctrinae Christianae quà m paerua religio simulatae potiús quà m vera quà m corrupti mores vel in prophanis hominibus quos seculares vocant detestandi nihil attinet dicere cum ipsi ita apertè polam peccent acsi inde laudem quaererent What do we thinke shall befall in this our age wherin vices are grown to that that they haue scant left any place of mercy with God How great the couetousnesse of Priests is especially of them that are in place of gouernement how great their licentiousnesse affected euery way their ambition and pompe their pride and slouth their want of knowledge both of themselues and of the doctrine of Christ how little deuotion and that more counterfeited then true how corrupt their manners are to be detested euen in profane and secular men it skilleth not to say any thing for that they sinne so apparently and openly as if they sought to be commended for it And in another place thus e Idem in Stephano 3. Nunc adeò refrixit pietas religio non dico nudis pedibus sed caligati cothurnati vix supplicare dignantur Non flentinter eundum vel dum sacrificatur sed rident quidem impudenter de his etiam loquor quos purpura insigniores facit Non hymnos canunt id enim seruile videtur sed â—ocos fabulas ad risum concitandum inter senarrant Quo quis dicactor est petulantior eò maiorem in tam corruptis maribus laudem merciur Seueros graues viros reformidat hic noster clerus Now is pietie and deuotion waxen so cold as that I say not bare-footed nay hosed and booted they scant vouchsafe to pray They weepe not as they go or when they are at the sacrifice but they laugh and that impudently I speake euen of them whom their purple garments grace aboue other men they sing not the Hymnes for that seemeth a base matter but they tell one another tests and tales to make each other laugh The more prating and sawcie a man is the more is he thought in this corruption of manners worthy to be commended our Clergie brooketh not staied and graue men f In Gregor 4. Adeo in omnem luxum libidinem sese effundit Ecclesiasticus ordo The ecclesiasticall state hath giuen it selfe ouer to all luxurie and wanton lust Mathew of Paris said of the time wherein he liued g Mat. Paris in Henr. 3. anno 125â— Qui his temporibus malus non est optimus reputatur Jniquus cùm laedere cessat prodesse iudicatur In these times he that is not a bad man is thought to be very good the iust man when he forbeareth to hurt is deemed to do good Yea and Machiauell one of the fathers of the Romish generation yet did not doubt to say further that h Machiauel disput de rep l. 1. cap. 12. NusquaÌ„ minùs vel pietatis vel religionis est quà m in ijs hominibus qui viciniores Romae habitant no where was there lesse pietie or religion then in those that dwelt neerest to Rome I do here but point at some few things that come next to hand but he that would discourse this matter as it deserueth and would gather the flowers of Romish conuersation out of their owne stories or set forth the sanctified behauiours that are to be seene at Rome at Venice in Italy Spaine Portugall Fraunce amongst this Catholike generation yea or discouer the prety trickes of many of our Catholikes here at home should make it cleare enough that M. Bishop doth but play the hypocrites part in offering to i Mat. 7 3. plucke a mote out of his brothers eie and not seeing the great beame that is in his owne eie it would appeare that he hath small cause to bragge of the fruites of their doctrine of Pardons and satisfactions k Marsil Patau de sens pacis part 2. cap. 26. Veniae promissio perniciosa insana doctrina seductio animarum à Christianis omnibus contemnenda cauenda A madde and pernicious doctrine as Marsilius Patauinus called it long agoe the beguiling of soules worthy to be despised and fit to be taken heede of of all Christian men by which the Germanes complained l Cent grauam German art 3. Profligata Christi pietas extincta quando quilibet pro modo pretij quod in merces illas expendit peccandi impunitatem sibi pollicetur Hinc stupra incestus adulteria periuria homicidia furta rapinae foenora toâ—a malorum semel originem traxerunt Quod enim malorum amplius iam horrebunt mortales quando sibi peccandi licentiam impunitatem nedum in hac vita sed post obitum aere licet immodico comparari posse persuasum habet that the religion of Christ was abandoned extinguished with them for that euery man for a summe of mony bestowed vpon pardons promised to himselfe a liberty to sinne without any punishment Hence whoredomes say they incests adulteries periuries murthers thefts robberies vsurie and the whole sinke of mischiefes haue had their beginning For what will men feare any longer when they be perswaded that for mony thogh it be much not in this life only but after death also they may get a licence and impunity of sinne And indeede it is true which Hierome saith that m Hieron in Mat. 19. Faciliùs sacculus contemnitur quà m voluptas men more easily set light by their mony then they do by their pleasure n Cyprian lib 2. epist 2 Quod redinâ—â— potest non timetur neither doth any feare that which he may redeeme or buy out for mony as Cyprian speaketh Therefore when they perswaded men that they might satisfie for their sinnes and that almes was the most speciall worke of satisfaction and did supply the want of other satisfactions as before was said they that were
of both difficult and doubtfull texts of Scripture traditions are most necessary M. Perkins his answer is that there is no such need of them but in doubtfull places the Scripture it self is the best glosse if there be obserued first the analogie of faith which is the summe of religion gathered out of the clearest places secondly the circumstance of the place and the nature and signification of the words thirdly the conference of place with place and concludeth that the Scripture is falsly termed the matter of strife it being not so of it selfe but by the abuse of man Reply To begin with his latter words because I must stand vpon the former Is the Scripture falsly termed matter of strife because it is not so of his own nature why then is Christ truly called the stone of offence or no to them that beleeue not S. Peter sayth Yes No sayth M. Perkins 1 Pet. â— because that cometh not of Christ but of themselues But good Sir Christ is truly termed a stone of offence and the Scripture matter of strife albeit there be no cause in them of those faults but because it so falleth out by the malice of men The question is not wherefore it is so called but whether it be so called or no truly that which truly is may be so called truly But the Scripture truly is matter of great contention euery obstinate heretike vnderstanding them according to his owne fantasie and therefore may truly be so termed although it be not the cause of contention in it selfe but written to take away all contention But to the capitall matter these three rules gathered out of Saint Augustine be good directions whereby sober and sound wits may much profit in study of Diuinitie if they neglect not other ordinary helpes of good instructions and learned commentaries but to affirme that euery Christian may by these meanes be enabled to iudge which is the true sence of any doubtfull or hard text is extreme rashnesse and meere folly S. Augustine himselfe wel conuersant in those rules endued with a most happie wit and yet much bettered with the excellent knowledge of all the liberall Sciences yet he hauing most diligently studied the holy Scriptures for more than thirtie yeares with the helpe also of the best commentaries he could get and counsell of the most exquisite yet he ingeniously confesseth That there were more places of Scripture that after all his study he vnderstood not then which he did vnderstand * Epist 119. cap. 21. And shall euery simple man furnished onely with M. Perkins his three rules of not twise three lines be able to dissolue any difficultie in them whatsoeuer Why do the Lutherans to omit all former heretikes vnderstand in one sort the Caluinists after another the Anabaptists a third way and so of other sects And in our owne country how commeth it to passe that the Protestants find one thing in the holy Scriptures the Puritans almost the cleane contrary Why I say is there so great bitter and endlesse contention among brothers of the same spirit about the meaning of Gods word If euery one might by the ayd of those triuial notes readily disclose all difficulties and assuredly boult out the certaine truth of them It cannot be but most euident to men of any iudgement that the Scripture it selfe can neuer end any doubtfull controuersie without there be admitted some certain Iudge to declare what is the true meaning of it And it cannot but redound to the dishonor of our blessed Sauior to say that he hath left a matter of such importance at randon and hath not prouided for his seruants an assured meane to attaine to the true vnderstanding of it If in matters of temporall iustice it should be permitted to euery contentious smatterer in the Law to expound and conster the grounds of the law and statutes as it should seeme fittest in his wisedome and not be bound to stand to the sentence and declaration of the Iudge what iniquitie should not be law or when should there be any end of any hard mater one Lawyer defending one part another the other one counseller assuring on his certaine knowledge one party to haue the right another as certainly auerring not that but the contrary to be law both alledging for their warrant some texts of Law What end and pacification of the parties could be deuised vnlesse the decision of the controuersie be committed vnto the definitiue sentence of some who should declare whether counsellor had argued iustly and according to the true meaning of the Law none at all but bloudy debate perpetuall conflict each pursuing to get or keepe by force of armes that which his learned counsell auouched to be his owne To auoid then such garboiles and intestine contention there was neuer yet any Law-maker so simple but appointed some gouernour and Iudge who should see the due obseruation of his Lawes determine all doubts that might arise about the letter and exposition of the Law who is therefore called the quicke and liuely law and shall we Christians thinke that our diuine Law-maker who in wisedome care and prouidence surmounted all others more than the heauens do the earth hath left his golden lawes at randon to be interpreted as it should seeme best vnto euery one pretending some hidden knowledge from we know not what spirit no no it cannot be once imagined without too too great derogation vnto the soueraigne prudence of the Sonne of God In the old Testament which was but a state of bondage as it were an introduction to the new yet was there one appointed vnto whom they were commanded to repaire for the resolution of all doubtfull cases concerning the Law yea and bound were they vnder paine of death to stand to his determination and shall we be so simple as to suffer our selues to be perswaded that in the glorious state of the Gospell plotted and framed by the wisedom of God himselfe worse order should be taken for this high point of the true vnderstanding of the holy Gospel it selfe being the life and soule of all the rest R. ABBOT It is truly said by Thomas Aquinas that a Thom. Aquin. sum p. 1. q. 39. art 4. c. In proprietatibus locutionum non tantum attendenda est res significata sed etiam modus significandi in propriety of speeches we are not only to regard the thing signified but also the manner of signification A speech may be true yet true only in some manner of signification which therefore in propriety of speech is not true because the thing properly of it selfe is not that that the speech importeth it to be Christ saith M. Bishop is truly called the rocke of offence Be it so yet it is true only in some manner of signification in which it is that the Scripture so calleth him in proprietie of speech it is not true because Christ of himselfe and properly is not so He becommeth so
Tertul. Apol. cap. 16. Solem credunt Deum nostrum c. Inde suspicio quod innotuerit nos ad Orientis regionem precari prayed to or towards the East thought they worshipped the Sunne and gaue out that they made the Sunne their God The Christians worshipped Christ onely in bending themselues towards the East and so the faithfull Iewes in bending or bowing towards the Arke intended the worship of God onely and therefore a senslesse part it is to alledge those wordes of the Prophet for the defence of the worship of Popish idols And if they would proue the worshipping of any thing thereby or the praying at or before any thing it should be the worshipping and praying before that that was prefigured by the Temple and the Arke The Temple one way was a figure of heauen as before was shewed wherein Gdd doth dwell and hath n Dan. 7.10 thousand thousands of Angels standing before him and tenne thousand thousands ministring vnto him M. Bishop then should by his course of interpretation conclude from the Prophets words that we should worship heauen But he should rather conceiue that as we worship and pray towards heauen but yet do not worship heauen or pray to heauen so did they also worship and pray towards the Temple and the Arke but did not worship or pray to them Another way the Temple was a figure of the Church of Christ and of euery faithfull man o 1. Cor. 3.16 Know ye not saith the Apostle that ye are the Temple of God and againe p 2. Cor. 6.16 ye are the Temple of the liuing God The Arke whereat and whereby he is present with vs and dwelleth in vs is the faith of Iesus Christ our q Rom. 3.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 propitiatorie and mercy-seate and by his presence the Angels also attend vpon vs r Heb. 1.14 being ministring spirits sent foorth for their sakes that shall be heires of saluation Now therefore M. Bishop shold rather proue by the Prophets words our kneeling in our prayers before a faithfull man or worshipping a faithfull man then our kneeling before an Image or worshipping an Image and if it be absurd thereby to affirme the worshipping of a liuing man in whom God dwelleth much more the worshipping of a dead and senslesse blocke which hath no fellowship with God Yea and if by those words it were warranted to set vp the images of dead men and to worship them what was the cause that the Iewes conceiued not so much Why were they without that heauenly shew as M. Bishop in the height of his earthly wisedome calleth it If they neuer conceiued it neuer practised it what shall we but take them for cousiners and deceiuers who offer this violence to the Scriptures and most impudently wrest theÌ„ to the maintenance of that filthinesse and abhomination which expresly they condemne But yet Master Bishop telleth vs that it is otherwise very euident that the Israelites worshipped the Arke And how I pray you First none but the high Priest might come into the place where it was Well and what then It was carried before the campe with great solemnitie to search out a resting place for the whole hoast True and what more When they were to fight against the Philistines they had great confidence in the presence of the Arke There was great cause why they should so carrying themselues respectfully towards God because it was the token that God had giuen them of his presence amongst them let vs heare the rest Fiftie thousand of the Bethsamites were slaine for seeing the Arke It is true indeed that for looking into the Arke so many of theÌ„ were slaine is there any thing yet behind Oza was by God smitten to death for touching the Arke Well and what of all this Doth not all this conuince in what reuerence the Arke was had euen by Gods owne testimonie As if to proue M. Bishop to be a profound Clearke a man should say He hath learned a little Rhetoricke and lesse Logicke and is per saltum a Doctor of Diuinity and per inopiam a Priest and doth not all this conuince that he hath some learning Witlesse cauiller is there any thing in all those allegations that importeth the worshipping of the Arke Nay marke gentle Reader that whereas he propoundeth to prooue that the Arke was worshipped he maketh his conclusion that the Arke was had in great reuerence But they had the temple also in great reuerence and the altars and the offerings and al things that by the law were coÌ„manded to be holy and will he thereof inferre that all these were to be worshipped They were to haue the Priests in great reuerence and specially the high Priest and shall we therefore say that they worshipped the Priests What is this reuerence but a religious respect and care of the sacred and due vsage of holy things according to their kind Thus are we to haue our Churches in reuerence with those vtensils and implements that belong to them that they be had and vsed with that decencie and seemelinesse as fitteth to things that serue for holy ministrations As for Hierome M. Bishop wholy abuseth falsifieth his words for he saith nothing at all of worshipping the Arke for the Cherubims and pictures of Angels that were erected at the ends of it this is a very wilfull and impudent forgerie but he saith that Å¿ Hieron ad Marcel vt cont nâ—gret Bethleem Venerabantur quondam Iudaei Sancta sanctoruÌ„ quia ibi erant Cherubim propitiatorium arca testameÌ„ti Manna virga Aaron altare aureum the Iewes of old reuerenced the Sancta sanctorum because there were the Cherubims and the mercy-seate and the Arke of the TestameÌ„t and Manna and Aarons rod and the golden altar He knew well that if he had reported Hieroms words aright they would not sound for his purpose but to frame them to his turne he changeth the reuerencing of the holy place because of the Cherubims and the Arke into worshipping the Arke because of the Cherubims as if worship were performed properly to the Cherubims whereas * Origen contra Cels lib. 5. Coelestes Angelos nemo adorat qui se legi Mosis subdedit by the lawe of Moses as Origen saith no worship was done to the Angels themselues and much lesse to the Cherubims which represented the Angels The word venerari which Hierome vseth albeit it be often vsed for worship and seruice done to God yet is of so large signification as that it is yeelded to all those things to which we yeeld any reuerend and dutifull respect So doth t August de doctr Christ li. 3. cap. 9. Sicuti est baptismi Sacramentum celebratio corporis sanguinis Domini Quae vnusquisque imbutus agnoscit vt ea noÌ„ carnali seruitute sed spirituali potius libertate veneretur Saint Austine vse the word of the reuerence that we vse to the Sacraments not onely the
their imagined God by a liuing calfe k Ruffin hist lib. 2. cap. 23. Apin feruâ—t cuÌ„ famis teÌ„pore fru nenta apud AlexandriaÌ„ defecissent ex proprio affaetim ciuibus ali menta praebuisse Quo defuncto in honorem eius instituerunt MeÌ„pâ—â—s templum in quo bos quaesi indicium optimi agricolae nutritur c. King Apis in a time of great dearth and famine greatly relieued the Egyptians and specially the citie of Alexandria whom being dead they for that cause honoured as a God for reasons diuersly coniectured naming him Serapis For the worshipping of him they made speciall choise of a calfe or bullock as fittest for memoriall of the benefite for which they honoured him because men are specially sustained and fed by the labour of the Oxe The Israelites at that time in more miraculous manner receiued the like benefit at the hands of their God He fed them with Manna from heauen when they had no meanes at all to prouide themselues bread Aaron therefore being required to make them Gods being vndoubtedly more intelligent then either to impute their deliuerance to the God of the Egyptians or to thinke God to be like a calfe yea and not being ignorant of the construction which the Egyptians made of their Calfe made a golden calfe onely as a signe and memoriall of the God by whom they were nourished and fed whence according to M. Bishops rule they might by interpretation and collection arise to the remembrance and conceipt of God Hauing then made the Calfe he saith These are thy Gods O Israel which brought thee out of the land of Egypt in no sort referring them to the God of the Egyptians but remembring them thereby of their owne God who by Moses brought them out of the land of Egypt Which he doth by that rule which M. Perkins mentioned out of S. Austine that l Aug. ad Simplic lib. 2. q 3. Solent imagines earum reruÌ„ nominibus appellaâ—i quarum imagines sunt Images are wont to be called by the names of those things whereof they are images For the rest I referre thee gentle Reader to that that is said before As for that which he saith that the Egyptians tooke their God to haue the shape of a blacke Calfe with white spots if some other man had said it I should haue said that he had spoken like a Calfe He quoteth S. Austine for witnesse of it but S. Austine saith no such thing He saith that m Aug. de ciuit Dei li. 18. ca. 5. Apis being king of the Argiues came into Egypt and dying there became Serapis the greatest of all the Gods of the Egyptians He noteth out of Varro that he was called Serapis of the coffin wherein he was buried being worshipped in his coffin before any temple was built for him the coffin being in Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which being added by way of composition to Apis made Serapis and by change of a letter was turned to Serapis He saith that it was decreed that no man vpon paine of death should say that he was a man and that in all temples where Isis and he were worshipped there stoode an image at the dore which had the finger laied to the mouth as requiring silence that no man should say that they were men who were there worshipped He addeth that n Ille bos quem mirabili vanitate decepta Aegyptus in honoreÌ„ eius delicijs affluentibus alebat c. ApuÌ„ vocabatur the Egyptians daintily kept and fed the bullocke in the honour of Apis or Serapis but that they tooke Serapis their God to be like a blacke calfe with white spots neither he nor Tully nor any other euer imagined till Maister Bishop by a mischance lighted vpon it in a dreame 20. W. BISHOP But now before we end this question I must let you vnderstand what worthy men they were that first began to wage battell against images they were the Iewes in their Talmud Ord. 2. tract 1. dist 2. See Synod 7. act 5. A barbarous Persian Xenias as witnesseth Nicephorus Lib. 16. cap. 27. Then Mahomet the great God of the Turkes Alcoran ca. 15. 17. with such like infidelds sorcerers and the scum of the earth See Card. Bellarmine de Imag. lib. 2. cap. 6. I will with one or two testimonies of the auncientest Fathers finish this controuersie Lactant. In car de pass Christ Kneele downe and adore the venerable wood of the Crosse Hierom in vita Paulae She adored prostrate before the Crosse as if she had seene Christ hanging on it Basil against Iulian cited act 2. Synod 7. I honour the history of the Images and do properly worship them Finally in the 7. generall Councell holden 900. yeares past they are condemned of heresie that deny the vse and worshipping of holy Images R. ABBOT Maister Bishop in this worthy conclusion will tell vs what worthy men they were that first began to wage battell against Images and first nameth vnto vs the Iewes in their Talmud But hee sheweth himselfe a very simple man to goe about to perswade vs that the Iewes in their Talmud were the first oppugners of the worshipping of Images vnlesse hee had shewed vs withall that their forefathers before the Talmud had entertained and practised the same It was but a thing mistaken by him they were the Iewes indeede that were the auncient oppugners of Images but those Iewes were Moses and the godly Kings of Iudah Asa Hezechias Iosias and such other together with the Prophets of God who denounce the wrathfull vengeance of God against this filthy and abhominable pollution of the true worship of God If those faithfull people of God had worshipped Images M. Bishop had had somewhat to say of the Iewes later detesting and abandoning of them but because there is no example found of any godly man that euer did so or so taught we thereby vnderstand that what the Iewes do or haue done in that behalfe they haue done it by obseruing constantly so farre forth the doctrine and practise of their godly fathers The Turkes also do that which they do in respect of Gods commandement They acknowledge the law of the tenne commandements to be of God and finding the worshipping of Images to be therein condemned they accordingly detest it And in this respect Poperie hath lien as a stumbling blocke in the way both of Turkes and Iewes and hath caused them to fall into the greater hatred and despite of the name and faith of Christ and set a barre against them to keepe them froÌ„ entring into the Church of Christ They know that the worshipping of Images is condemned of God and therefore seeing the profession of the name of Christ to be ioined to worshipping of Images they haue wholy deemed the same to be sacriledge enmitie against God and haue shunned it accordingly This scandall God hath in part reuenged already by deliuering those Easterne Churches where this idolatry was first
obit Theodos Ambrose by c Hieronym in chronico Hierome by d Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 26. Socrates by e Theodoret. lib. 1. cap. 32. Theodoret by f Sozomen lib. 2. cap. 32. Sozomen who all declare that Constantine was baptized at Nicomedia amidst many Bishops there and that newly before his death which was g So it is by the computation of Funccius but Sozomen hist lib. 1. cap. 16. saith that Iulius the second after Syluester was Bishop of Rome at the time of the Nicene Councell which being so Syluester must be dead at least thirtteene yeares before Constantine was baptized seuen yeares at least after the death of Syluester with this leud tale I say Adrian maketh his onset for Images then proceedeth to the contaminating and prophaning of the Scriptures alledging that God made man according to his Image as if thereupon it should concerne vs to make images and worshippe them that Noe and Abraham set vp altars vnto God that Iacob erected a stone and powred oile vpoÌ„ it called it Gods house that the same Iacob worshipped vpon the top of his rod as if worshipping of Images were to be prooued by examples of hauing no Images to worship that Moses made the brasen serpent and the Cherubims and h Si IsraeliticuÌ„ populum per inspectionem oenei serpentis seruatuÌ„ à sua peste credimus Christi verò Dei et seruatoris nostri omniumque sanctorum figuras contemplantes et venerantes dubitamus nos seruari if saith he the people of Israel were saued from their plague by looking vpon the brasen serpent doe we doubt but that we are saued beholding and worshipping the Images of Christ and of all the Saints as if there were the like reason of that which God in one kinde for speciall cause commaundeth and that which in another kinde man of his owne head fondly presumeth without God For further proofes he citeth out of the Psalmes i Psal 95. vulga Confession and beauty are before him k Psal 25.8 Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house and the place of the tabernacle of thy glory l Psal 26.13 My face hath sought after thee thy face Lord will I seeke m Psal 44.14 The rich of the people shall make their supplication before thy face n Psal 4.7 O Lord the light of thy countenance is sealed vpon vs. Can we hold him for other then a graue and reuerend Prelate that could dispute so substantially so wisely so learnedly for the worshipping of Images May not we be taken for blinde buzzards that cannot see the same sufficiently prooued and warranted by these texts or rather are we not to take him for a lewde cosiner and peruerter of Gods word who would thus detort and wrest the Scriptures to that whereto they giue no semblance of approbation or liking As he dealeth with the Scriptures so doth he with the Fathers He alledgeth amongst others one place vnder the name of Basil in which the words are which M. Bishop here citeth which yet is certaine to haue bene written by another a long time after the death of Basil AmoÌ„gst other words there are these o Confiteâ—r deinde sanctam Mariam quae secundum carnem illum peperit hanc Deipara vocans I confesse holy Mary who brought forth Christ according to the flesh calling her Deiparam the mother of God which there is no maÌ„ so blind but seeth that they are purposely set down against the NestoriaÌ„ heresie and that without doubt after the time of the Ephesine couÌ„cel when that name of Deipara was first publikely auouched to the churches vse which was holden about 50. years after Basils time Yea and it was yet long after that also before these words were written inasmuch as there is affirmed the worshipping of images whereas there is no example of the worshipping of images then to be found in any Church throughout the whole world Some other of the Fathers he handleth in the same sort citing them all either falsly or impertinently whilest either he impureth to them that which they neuer wrote or impudently forceth to the gracing of the worshipping of images that which they spake onely of the historicall and ciuill vse Yet vpon these silly grounds the Councell proceedeth and they professe their beleefe to be p Constant iuxta teuorem literaruÌ„ quae ab Adrianâ— c. missae sunt hominibus consentio c. câ— hac fide ad tribunal Christi proficiscar c. Elias perfectò eas adorans qui verò secus consitentur eos anathematizâ— according to the tenour of Adrians letters perfectly worshipping images saith Elias Cretensis and I pronounce anathema to them that professe otherwise yea q Staurat Imagines recipio amplector honore velut arrbaboneÌ„ existentes mea salutis secùs autem sentientes anathematize I receiue embrace and honour them saith Stauratius the Bishop of Chalcedon as being the earnest of my saluation and I accurse them that thinke otherwise See here the worthy companie of M. Bishops learned men much respecting what the grounds and proofes were that they would conclude vpon In the third action after the receiuing of some other penitents they reade the communicatorie letters of Tharasius lately before chosen Patriarch of Constantinople to the Patriarchs and Bishops of Antioch and Hierusalem and their answers to him wherein they signifie their consent to the worshipping of images For proofe they care not it is enough to say they professe it and the rest of that act is nothing but voyces of approbation of that which they say In the fourth action they fall roundly to their businesse and bring foorth their proofes such as they haue and happie is he that can bring foorth a place that but speaketh of an image that is argument good enough for the worshipping of them First because they would haue it knowne that they had a Bible amongst them they bring it foorth and there they reade some few places out of Exodus Numbers and Ezechiel concerning the making of Cherubims to which they adde the place to the Hebrewes mentioning r Heb. 9.5 the Cherubims of glorie ouershadowing the mercie-seate Hereupon Tharasius giueth this worthie obseruation Å¿ Animaduertamus viri sacerdotes quia vetus Scriptura diuina habuit Symbola ex haec assumpsit noua Cherubim gloriae obumbrantia propitiatorium Sancta Synodus dixit Rectè domine itae est veritas Let vs marke that because the old Testament had diuine signes the new hath from thence taken the Cherubims of glorie couering the mercie-seate the whole Synod answering Verie right so the truth is indeed A companie of very wise men that could not see that the new Testament no otherwise speaketh of the Cherubins then as of a matter pertaining to the old and therefore what should hence be gathered for auouching images in the new Tharasius goeth yet further t Si vetus
because we account not Cyprians writings as canonicall but consider them by the Canonicall Scriptures and what therein agreeth to the authoritie of holy Scripture we receiue it with his praise but what agreeth not by his leaue we refuse it Albeit because we find Cyprian elsewhere acknowledging in the name of all the faithfull that p Cyprian de orat Dom. Ipsum habemus apud PatreÌ„ AduocatuÌ„ pro peccatis nostris we haue Christ with the Father to be the Aduocate for our sinnes thereby confessing the effect of Christs redemption to be extended to the whole course of our life we dare not conceiue howsoeuer his words be very harsh that his meaning was so bad as thereby it may seeme to be And to iustifie himself to conceiue no otherwise but that the washing and cleansing of vs from our sinnes amidst all our almes and deuotions consisteth not in that which we do but in the bloud of Christ he saith in another place c Idem ser de ablut pedum Clementissime magister quoties ego doctrinae tuae transgressus sum regulas quoties edicta tua Domine sancte contempsi cùm diceres mihi Reuertere non sum reuersus cùm minareris non timâ—â— cùm bonus esses lenis exasperans fui Vltra septuagies septies in coelum coram te peccaui Quis tot sordes abluet quiâ— abradet stercora coÌ„globata Quicquid dicat Petrus necesse est vt ipse nos abluas neque enim lauare nos possumus sed in omnibus quae agimus indulgentiae tuae lauacro indigemus c. Apud te fons vitae est et miserationum quae à seculo sunâ— profunditas infinita abluisti nos baptismo lauasti sanguine tuo semper lauas quotidiana peccata donando O mercifull Lord how often haue I transgressed the rules of thy doctrine how often O holy Lord haue I despised thy commaundements and when thou saidst vnto me Returne I haue not returned when thou threatnedst I feared not when thou wast good and gentle I haue prouoked thee beyond seuentie times seuen times I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Who shall wash away so much filth who shall take away the mucke that is thus growne together Let Peter say what he will in refusing to be washed we haue need that thou wash vs for we cannot wash our selues but in all things that we do we stand in need of the washing of thy pardon and mercie With thee is the well of life and the infinit depth of mercies which haue bene from euerlasting thou hast washed vs in baptisme thou hast washed vs in thy bloud thou alwayes washest vs by forgiuing our daily sinnes By these words he giueth plainly to vnderstand that he did not think the washing and cleansing of vs to consist in the merit of our almes but in the forgiuenesse of our sins He confesseth that in all that we do we stand in need of pardon and therefore cannot be imagined to thinke that any thing that we do is a satisfaction for our sinnes In the other words therefore we must conceiue his purpose to be onely to note and set forth the acts and affections of them who truly and faithfully seeke remission of their sins by the mercie of God in the bloud of Iesus Christ albeit being instant and earnest as men are wont to be to presse that that he had in hand he runneth into inconuenient phrases and speeches which otherwise stand not with the rule of Christian saith Those workes of mercie and compassion towards our brethren are the true fruites and effects the consequents and companions of that contrite and broken heart that repentance and faith to which God hath made the promise of his mercy and therfore because in the doing thereof we find mercy he so speaketh thereof as if by the works themselues we obtained that mercie when yet it is not for the workes sake that God accepteth vs but for Christs sake whom by our workes we shew that we vnfainedly seeke and do truly beleeue in him And as for the place of Scripture which he alledgeth though by error of the scribe perhaps it be that there is noted in the margent the fourth of Tobie yet these words not being found in Tobie and the words that are in Tobie being cited afterwards he therein alludeth vndoubtedly to a saying of Solomon in the Prouerbes but forcing the text and putting in almes and faith in steed of mercy and truth Which words of Solomon if a whining aduersary by instance and importunitie will vrge vpon vs to expound of the mercie and truth of man it must be read and construed according to the same meaning which is already expressed d Prou. 16.6 In mercie and truth iniquitie shall be forgiuen that is where mercy and truth are there is forgiuenesse of sinnes as to note the conditions of the persons whose sins are forgiuen not the thing by vertue whereof they are forgiuen But we haue no warrant of any other Scripture in any other meaning to tie it to our mercie and truth and therefore must vnderstand it of the mercie and truth of God of which the Prophet Dauid speaketh when hauing signified the forgiuenesse of the sinnes of Gods people and the nearnesse of his saluation to them that feare him he addeth for the cause thereof e Psal 85.10 Mercie and truth are met together Of which also the Euangelist S. Iohn saith f Iohn 1.17 Grace and truth that is mercie and truth come by Iesus Christ Thus then by mercie and truth iniquitie is forgiuen not by any merite or worke of ours not by any satisfaction that we can make but by the mercie of God truly performing the promise that he hath made of the remission of sinnes by the bloud of Iesus Christ As for the booke of Tobie noted as I said in the margent and from whence Cyprian afterwards alledgeth other words of almes deliuering from death and purging all sinne it is not of sufficient authoritie to proue vnto vs any matter of faith the auncient Church testifying of it and the rest of the same sort as Hierome and Ruffinus haue recorded that g Hieron prolog galeat Igitur sapientia Solomonis Jesu filij Sirach liber Iudith Tobias non sunt in Canone Sic Ruffin in expos Symb. they are not canonicall and S. Austine affirming that h August deciuit Dei lib. 17. ca. 20. Aduersus contradictâ—resnoÌ„ tanta firmitate proferuntur qua scripta non sunt in Canoâ—e Iudaeâ—rum the writings which are not in the Canon of the Iewes as none are but what they had written in their owne tongue are not with so great authoritie alledged in matters of question and contradiction Albeit we will not disauow those words in that meaning as I haue before expressed that almesdeeds deliuer from death and purge vs from sinne as arguments for proofe that we are deliuered from death and
purged from sin not as causes effecting and working the same purgation or if we will vse the name of causes as causes to our apprehension knowledge not as causes of the essence and being of the thing But take all these speeches how we wil it shall appeare God willing in the next sectiō that they make nothing at al for M. Bishop and that they are impudently wrested to that purpose for which he alledgeth them In the meane time for the conclusion of this section he telleth vs a reason why they make speciall reckoning of these three workes for satisfaction but the ground of his reason fully ouerthroweth all the assertion thereof Being to satisfie saith he we must performe it with such things as be our owne But say we we haue nothing of our owne but whatsoeuer we haue is his i Rom. 11.36 of whom and through whom and for whom are all things Therefore as before hath bin concluded we cannot satisfie at all Whether they be goods of the mind or of the bodie or externall goods we owe all vnto him and we do but pay him with his owne His applying of the words of the Apostle to fasting is absurd Reasonable bodily discipline saith he whereas the Apostle by k Rom. 12.1 reasonable seruice meaneth that that is mentall and spirituall and thereby agreeable to God who is l Iohn 4.24 a spirit and will be worshipped in spirit and truth not any m 1. Tim. 4.8 bodily exercise which profiteth little as the same Apostle speaketh So the other words of a liuing sacrifice holy and acceptable to God are misapplied to a particular act of fasting hauing a generall reference to the whole course of a Christian life and conuersation I omit the rest of his words as idle 18. W. BISHOP But now to knit vp this question let vs heare briefly what the best learned and purest antiquitie hath taught of this satisfaction done by man and because M. Perkins began with Tertullian omitting his auncients let vs first heare what he saith of it in his booke of penance How foolish is it saith he not to fulfill our penance and yet to expect pardon of our sinnes this is not to tender the price and yet to put out a hand for the reward for God hath decreed to set the pardon at this price he proposeth impunitie to be redeemed with this recompence of penance His equall in standing and better in learning Origen thus discourseth See our good Lord tempering mercie with seueritie Hom. 3. in lib. Judic and weighing the measure of the punishment in a iust and merciful ballance he deliuereth not vp a sinner for euer But looke how long time thou knowest thy self to haue offended so long do thou humble thy selfe to God and satisfie him in the confession of penance That glorious Martyr and most learned Archbishop S. Cyprian is wonderful vehement against them that would not haue seuere penance done by such as fell in persecution Lib. 1. ep 3. saying That such indiscreet men labour tooth and naile that satisfaction be not done to God highly offended against them Lib. 3. ep 14. And saith further That he who withdraweth our brethren from these workes of satisfaction doth miserably deceiue them causing them that might do true penance and satisfie God their mercifull Father with their prayer and workes to perish dayly and to be more and more seduced to their further damnation Orat. in illa verba attende tibi Idem Ambr. ad virg lap cap. 8. S. Basil sath Look to thy selfe that according to the proportion of thy fault thou mayst hence also borrow some help of recouering thy health Is it a great and grieuous offence it hath then need of much confession bitter teares a sharpe combat of watching and vncessant and continued fasting if the offence were light and more tollerable yet let the penance be equall vnto it Orat in sanct lum S. Gregory Nazianzē saith It is as great an euil to pardon without some punishment as to punish without all pitie For as that doth loose the bridle to all licentiousnesse so this doth straine it too much Jdem de paup amor By compassion on the poore and faith sinnes are purged therefore let vs be clensed by this compassion let vs scoure out the spots and filth of our soules with this egregious herb that makes it white some as wool others as snow according to the proportion of euery mans compassion and almes De Helia Ieiun S. Ambrose saith We haue many helpes whereby we may redeeme our sinnes hast thou mony redeeme thy sinne not that our Lord is to be bought and sold but thou thy self art sold by thy sins redeeme thy selfe with thy workes redeeme thee with thy money And Epist. 82. how could we be saued vnlesse we washed away our sinnes by fasting S. Hierome maketh Paula a blessed matron say My face is to be disfigured which against the commaundement of God I painted my bodie is to be afflicted that hath taken so great pleasure my often laughter is to be recompenced with continuall weeping my silkes and soft clothing is to be changed into rough haire Reade another Epistle of his to the same Eustochium Ad Eustoch de obitu Paulae about the preseruing of her virginitie and see what penance himselfe did being a most vertuous yong man S. Augustine saith He that is truly penitent Epist. 54. looks to nothing else then that he leaues not vnpunished the sinne which he committed For by that meanes not sparing our selues he whose high and iust iudgement no contemptuous person can escape doth spare vs. And he sheweth how that a penitent sinner doth come to the Priest and receiue of him the measure of his satisfaction Lib. 50. hom Hom. 50. cap. 11. Cap. 15. And saith directly against our Protestants position That it is not sufficient to amend our manners and to depart from the euill which we haue committed vnlesse we do also satisfie God for those things which we had done S. Gregory saith That sins are not onely to be confessed Lib. 6. in 1. Reg. but to be blotted out with the austeritie of penance I will close vp these testimonies with this sentence of our learned countriman venerable Bede Delight saith he or desire to sinne Jn Psal 1. when we do satisfaction is lightly purged by almesdeeds and such like but consent is not rubbed out without great penance now custome of sinning is not taken away but by a iust and heauie satisfaction R. ABBOT Here M. Bishop knitteth vp the question but he knitteth it gentle Reader with a bow-knot if thou haue but skill to pull the right string thou shalt presently loose all that he hath knit Aske him and let him tell thee the true state of the question here disputed and thou canst presently discerne that of these so many testimonies by him alledged there is none not so much as