wils but that they be sweetely drawen mooued and induced to do good August Euchiridion cap. 64. de verb. domini ser. 43. ca. 7. de verb. Apost ser. 13. cap. 11. 12. The answer Here you bring authorities thicke where néede none Who euer expounded this leading of the spirit of forcible constreining men against their wils Bicause your fréewill is denied you would haue your followers to beléeue that we make men blocks and stocks As for you you are so far from being led by the spirit that you haue no sence nor féeling of it and therfore dare not say that you haue the spirit of God And good reason why you should not bicause the holy Ghost hath not wrought in you any change or alteration from your superstitions follies Rom. 9. 11. The text For when they were not yet borne nor had done any good or euill that the purpose of God according to election might stande not of works but of the caller it was said to her That the elder shall serue the yoonger The note S. Hierom q. 10. ad Hedibiam All the Epistle surely to the Romaines needeth interpretation and is enwrapped with so great obscurities to vnderstand it we neede the helpe of the holie Ghost who by the Apostle did dictate these same things but especially this place Howbeit nothing pleaseth vs but that which is Ecclesiasticall that is the sense of the Church The answer Saint Hierome did not vse this spéech to fraie any from reading anie part of the scriptures and inquiring the sense of them For he himselfe séeketh to satisfie the questions propounded and that to a woman whom he scarcely knew That this epistle néedeth interpretation and especially the illumination of that spirit which caused it to be written it hath common with the rest of the Scriptures For the naturall man vnderstandeth not the things of the spirit of God which are spiritually discerned We would be loath to please our selues with any priuate interpretation not receiued nor allowed of the true church of God But you would gladly haue this whole Epistle out of the way and especially this chapter bicause it setteth out plainely Gods frée election and choise without respect or regard had to works either aforegoing or following Which sense though contrarie to the sense of your church Saint Hierome holdeth as the sense of the church then And therefore he concludeth that question that Hedibia should for euer hold her peace from inquiring anie causes of Gods will why he is mercifull to one seuere to another Rom. 9. 22. The text And if God willing to shew wrath and to make his might knowne ⸫ susteined in much patience the vessels wrath apt to destruction c. The note That God is not the cause of any mans reprobation or damnation otherwise then for punishment of his sins he sheweth by that he expecteth all mens amendment with great patience and consequently that they haue also freewill The answer The cause and matter of mans damnation is in himselfe And yet God did prepare the wicked or damned to be vessels of ignominie or dishonor It is wel that you rake so diligently amongst the vngodly and reprobate for your fréewill For they sin frankly and fréely And if you finde it not amongst the slaues of sinne you shall finde it no where But I haue told you and do tell you againe that this fréedome to do euill is the seruitude of sinne and that therefore this fréewill cannot do any thing but sinne Rom. 10. 4. The text For the end of the law is Christ vnto ⸫ iustice to euery one that beleeueth The note The law was not giuen to make a man iust or perfect by it selfe but to bring vs to Christ to be iustified by him The answer If the law were not giuen to make a man iust then how can a man be iustified by his owne works and obedience Againe how then do you holde it possible to be fulfilled by men for no doubt it maketh iust the fulfillers thereof Though you bring all your suttle shifts and euasions togither yet if you holde fast this note your inherent iustice to make a man iust withall shall be iust woorth two strawes Rom. 10. 5. The text For Moyses wrote ⸫ that the iustice which is of the law the man that hath done it shall liue in it The note The iustice of the law of Moyses went no further of it selfe but to saue a man from temporall death and punishment prescribed to the transgressors of the same The answer Were not the ten commandements part of the law of Moses And doth not Christ answer the yoong man that would know by what doing he should haue life euerlasting Kéepe the commandements Did the curse of the law from which Christ deliuered vs extend no further than to temporall punishment Perfect righteousnes bringeth perfect life The law is a perfect rule of righteousnes therefore if it could be fulfilled of vs it should bring vs to perfect eternall life What meaneth Paul by his opposition of those two sentences The iust shall liue by faith And he that doth these things shall liue in them if one and the same life eternall be not promised in both in the one to beléeuers in the other to doers Againe if this your note were true the law of it selfe and in it selfe had béene too weake to iustifie or sanctifie but saint Paul saith not it was too weake in it selfe but it was weakened by the flesh and therefore could not iustifie But as all poperie is patched togither of old and new heresies so this patch was borrowed of the Manicheans Rom. 10. 13. The text For euerie one ⸫ whosoeuer shall inuocate the name of our Lord shall be saued The note To beleeue in him and to inuocate him is to serue him with all loue and sincere affection All that so do shall doubtlesse be saued and shall neuer be confounded The answer If to inuocate him be to serue him then why teach you men to inuocate others and so consequently to serue others which are but men And thus whilest you are loth to attribute saluation to faith alone but would make it common to works also you cut your owne throtes and shew your selues to all the world to be manifest impostors and deceiuers Rom. 10. 16. The text But all ⸫ do not obey the Gospell The note We see then that it is in a mans freewill to beleeue or not to beleeue to obey or disobey the Gospell or truth preached The answer Your sight is sharpe you can sée far into a mill stone no reasonable man can sée how your consequence followeth All do not obey ergo they haue frée will to obey or not to obey It is like this All papists go not whither they list ergo no papists are in prison or restrained of libertie Rom. 11. 4. The text I haue left me seuen thousand men that haue not bowed their knees to ⸫ Baal The note The heretikes adde
triall you flie And if anie time you make a shew of comming to it then by and by your church must giue credite to your doctrine your church cannot erre your pope cannot erre we must beléeue your doctrine not bicause you can prooue it to haue come from the Apostles but bicause your church and pope haue giuen sentence for it but if you durst abide by your note we would easily shew your doctrin to be erronious 1. Tim. 6. 10. The text For the roote of all euill is couetousnes ⸫ which certaine desiring haue erred from the faith and haue intangled themselues in manie sorrowes The note As in the first chapter the lacke of faith and good conscience so here couetousnes and the desire of these temporall things and in the ende of this chapter presumption and boasting of knowledge are causes of falling from the faith heresie often being the punishment of former sins The answer It is very true that God punisheth sin by sin and that there be many causes for which wicked men are wont to forsake the faith which they do or did somtimes professe The causes in your note assigned lacke of faith and good conscience couetousnes presumption and boasting if all the world be sought from one end to the other there cannot any be founde in whom these causes haue so euidently concurred and wrought as in your most holy fathers of Rome wherein I referre my selfe to the credite of your owne stories 1. Tim. 6. 19. The text Command the rich of this world not to be high minded nor to trust in the vncertainty of riches but in the liuing God who giueth al things aboundantly to enioy to do wel to become rich in good works to giue easelie to communicate to heape vnto themselues a good ⸫ foundation for the time to come that they may apprehend the true life The note Almes deeds and good works laid for a foundation and ground to attaine euerlasting life So say the doctors vpon this place The answer If you had shewed vs what doctors had so spoken we woulde haue shewed you their meaning But we know that neither they nor the apostles ment by the word foundation to put Christ out of his office or place but onlie to oppose against the vncertaintie of riches here the certaintie of promised blessednes in the time to come According to the saieng of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Blessed are the mercifull for they shall obtaine mercy 2. TIMOTHIE ◠Tim. 1. 6. The text For the which cause I admonish thee that thou resuscitate the grace of God which is in thee by imposition of my hands The note Heere againe it is plaine that holy orders giue grace and that euen by and in the externall ceremonie of imposing the bishops hands And it is a maner of speech specially vsed in this Apostle and S. Luke that orders giue grace to the ordered and that to take orders or authoritie to minister sacrament or preach is to be giuen or deliuered to Gods grace Acts. 14. 25. The answer Héere you say that that is plaine which no wise man can sée namely that holy orders giue grace in and by the externall ceremonie of imposing of the bishops hands For if that were so what néeded there be any choise of men furnished with gifts and graces for that purpose sith in the very ordering they should be sufficiently indued with gifts and graces necessarie and néedfull And how fel it out that there were so great a number of popish priests void and destitute of al gifts graces after their ordering when the bishop had conferred and bestowed vpon them all that he could It is euident by the manifold commendations that the Apostle giueth to Timothie as well for his owne studie in the scriptures as also for his bringing vp vnder his mother and grandmother that he was a man furnished with gifts afore Paul and the elders ordered him But bicause the praiers of the church in that his consecrating to the worke of God were not in vaine that blessing and increase of aptnesse and fitnesse which God at their petitions gaue him at that time is called the gift or grace by imposition of hands In the like order it is true that all those which be rightly ordered are deliuered to the grace of God bicause the same God who of his mercifull goodnes afore indued them with gifts made them fit and méete for the worke of his ministerie and mooued his church to call them thereunto afterward by and in the imploieng of their talents to his glorie and the benefit of his church and people increaseth and augmenteth their gifts 2. Tim. 1. 13. The text Haue thou a forme of sound words which thou hast heard of me in faith and in ⸫ the loue in Christ Iesus The note Faith and loue coupled commonly togither in this Apostles writing The answer Paul so speaketh of them bicause faith and loue be companions inseparable But such mates as you are bend themselues to vncouple these to the end they might haue some probable shew of matter to prate withall against iustification by onely faith 2. Tim. 1. 16. The text Our Lord giue mercie to the house of Onesiphorus bicause he hath often refreshed me and hath ⸫ not beene ashamed of my chaine The note What an happie and meritorious thing it is to releeue the afflicted for religion and not to be ashamed of their disgrace yrons or what miserie so euer The answer Put meritorious into your purse and vnderstand true religion and then we agrée to your note 2. Tim. 2. 10. The text Therefore ⸫ I sustaine all things for the elect that they also may obtaine the saluation which is in Christ Iesus with heauenly glorie The note Marke heere that the elect though sure of their saluation yet are saued by the means of their preachers and teachers as also by their owne endeuor The answer Marke héere the force and might of truth which hath héere wrested this confession of truth from you that the elect are sure of their saluation to which the whole course of your doctrine is opposite The ministerie of the word and mens owne endeuors to attaine the knowledge of the truth we acknowledge to be meanes appointed of God to saue those which be his 1. Tim. 2. 16. The text But profane and vaine speeches auoid The note See the annotation before 1. Timoth. 6. verse 20. The answer We haue séene your note and do sée that both your reasons and authorities there stand very well against your selues But I refer the answer of it to the answer of all your annotations 1. Tim. 2. 25. The text But the seruant of our Lord must not wrangle but be mild towards all men apt to teach patient with modestie admonishing them that resist the truth least sometime ⸫ God giue them repentance to know the truth The note Conuersion from sinne and heresie is the gift of God and of his speciall grace yet
and raigne ouer actuall transgressors but also ouer infants and babes skant borne Rom. 6. 〈◊〉 The text For ⸫ we are buried together with him by baptisme into death that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glorie of the father so we also may walke in newnesse of life The note Remission of sinne new life sanctification and iustification are giuen by baptisme bicause it resembleth in vs and applieth to vs Christs death and resurrection and ingraffeth vs into him The answer And whie doo you not say that these are giuen vs by baptisme ex opere operato for that I know is your meaning And otherwise we do know that God doeth trulie exhibite his promised graces to beléeuing receiuers Rom. 6. 17. The text But thankes be to God that you were the seruants of sinne but ⸫ haue obeied from the hart vnto that forme of doctrine into the which you haue bene deliuered The note Heere againe is signified that our discharge from the bondage of sinne is by the Christian faith and by obedience to the whole doctrine of Christes religion in that the Apostle attributeth this their deliuerance from sinne to their humble receiuing of the Catholike faith The answer Here is signified that sanctification and hartie obedience to the catholike doctrine 〈◊〉 consequents of iustification by faith and so of our fréedome from sinne But that their humble receiuing and obeieng that doctrine is the cause of their deliuerance from sin is your dreame and neither the apostles spéech nor meaning Rom. 6. 19. The text For as you haue exhibited your members to serue vncleannes and iniquitie vnto iniquitie so now exhibite your members to serue ⸫ iustice vnto sanctification The note He signifieth that as when they were subiect to sinne by continual and often working wickednes they encreased in iniquitie that so also nowe being iustified they may and should by externall works of iustice encrease their iustice and sanctification The answer Under the ambiguous name of iustice you séeke to confounde iustification and sanctification to the end you may giue the better colour to your inherent righteousnes Therefore to auoide your fraude I distinctly answere that as iniquitie is increased by continuance in euill works so sanctitie begun in the children of God is augmented and encreased by all maner of holie exercises Rom. ◠2. The text For the woman that is vnder a husband ⸫ her husband liuing is bounde to the law but if her husband be dead she is loosed from the law of hir husband The note Nothing but death dissolueth the band betwixt man and wife though for fornication one may depart from an others companie Therefore to marrie againe is adulterie during the life of the partie separated The answer That death dissolueth the bande of matrimonie is in this place manifest but that nothing but death dissolueth it that is your addition and hath no iust or good ground If you woulde vouchsafe to giue vs a definition of the band of matrimonie the matter would quickly be made manifest and plaine In the meane space your conclusion which is that it is adultery to marrie againe during the life of the parfie separated followeth after your woonted maner that is like a stragler Rom. 7. 4. The text Therefore my brethren ⸫ you also are made dead to the law by the bodie of Christ that you may be an other mans who is risen again from the dead that we may fructify to god The note Being now baptized and dead to sinne and engraffed in Christs mystical body you are discharged of the law of Moyses are free in Christ. The answer If you vnderstand this our death to the law and so consequentlie our discharge from it not absolutely but as it is the strength of sinne then I allow and like of your note Rom. 7. 6. The text But now we are loosed from the law of death wherein we were deteined in so much we serue in ⸫ newnes of spirit and not in oldnes of the letter The note By baptisme we haue not Christs iustice imputed to vs but an inward newnes of spirit giuen vs and resident in vs. The answer How prooue you your negatiue Why haue we not both Do not they which are baptized put on Christ If they put on Christ are they not adorned and beautified with his righteousnes imputed to them Or doth God giue Christ to them and not the benefits of Christ togither with him Nay this newnes of spirit giuen vs and resident in vs is a necessarie consequent of the former imputed to vs by faith But you would faine exclude the former to leaue place alone for your inherent iustice Rom. 7. 8. The text But ⸫ occasion being taken sinne by the commandement wrought in me all concupiscence For without the law sinne was dead The note Sinne or concupiscence which was a sleepe before was wakened by prohibition the law not being the cause thereof nor giuing occasion therunto but occasion being taken by our corrupt nature to resist that which was commanded The answer The corrupt nature of man is prone to doo that which is forbidden no maruel then though occasion of sinning be taken from whence it is not giuen But your blindnes is maruellous that you can not sée this corruption of nature to be aswell sin as the cause of sinne in all men Rom. 8. 4. The text For that which was impossible to the law in that it was weakened by the flesh God sending his sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne euen of sin condemned sinne in the flesh that the ⸫ iustification of the law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit The note This conuinceth against the churches aduersaries that the law that is Gods commandements may be kept and that the keeping thereof is iustice and that in Christian men that is fulfilled by Christs grace which by the force of the law could neuer be fulfilled The answer Who are so blinde as they which will not sée The text and circumstances thereof are plaine that whereas it is impossible for any to be iustified by obseruing or kéeping the law for that it was of no strength or as you translate it to weake for that by reason of the flesh God hath prouided a remedie for that in his Christ who being sent in our nature hath fulfilled the law for vs which benefite of his is made ours by grace of imputation and so the iustification of the law fulfilled in vs. This conuinceth that the law may be kept not by others but by Christ and that the kéeping thereof is iustice and our iustice but inherent in Christ and ours by imputation and grace and therefore is not saide to be fulfilled of vs but in vs. Rom. 8. 14. The text For whosoeuer ⸫ are by the spirit of God they are the sons of God The note He meaneth not that the children of God be violently compelled against their
to you for your selues haue learned of God to loue one another The note All catholike christians make one fraternitie The answer Howsoeuer they differ in time or place whether they be dead or aliue and wheresoeuer they be scattered vpon the face of the earth 1. Thes. 4. 11 The text But we desire you brethren that you ⸫ abound more c. The note Christian men ought to proceed and profite continually in good works and iustification The answer If you had said sanctitie or sanctification your note had béene right but you are so gréedie and egerly bent vpon your inherent iustice that you care not what you confound for in the text there is no word of iustification 1. Thes. 4. 15. The text For this we saie to you in the word of our Lord that ⸫ we which liue which are remaining in the aduent of our Lord shal not preuent them that haue slept The note He speaketh in the person those which shal be aliue when our Sauiour returneth to iudgement The answer It is verie true and the cause why he so speaketh is to teach all men so to liue as if they were continually in present expectation of the comming of our Lord Sauior Christ to iudgement 1. Thes. 5. 8. The text But we that are of the day are sober hauing on the breast-plate of faith and ⸫ charitie an helmet the hop of saluation The note A Christian mans whole armour is not faith onely but all the three vertues heere named The answer And who but papists teach otherwise As for crosse and holiwater and such like there is no mention of them and yet these be the chéefe armour and weapons which our papists teach 1. Thes. 5. 17. The text ◠Praie without intermission The note To desire eternall life of him that onlie can giue it is to praie without intermission but bicause that desire is often by worldly cares cooled certaine houres and times of vocall praier were appointed See S. August e p. 121. ad Probam The answer You are not long in one minde One time to praie continually is to praie certaine times euerie daie an other time to pray continually is to aske life euerlasting at his hand that can onlie giue it And so it is what please you to make of it but this later enterpretation as I thinke dropped out of your pen ere you were aware For if God onlie can giue eternall life why do you request it of others As for appointed times to praie being a good meanes to stir vp our coldnes and negligence therein we both vse and like of 2. Thessalonians 2. Thes. 1. 5. The text So that we our selues also glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations which you sustaine for an example of the iust iudgement of God that ⸫ you may be counted worthy of the kingdome of God for the which also you suffer The note Note that by constant and patient suffering of afflictions for Christ men are worthy so the Greeke signifieth as the aduersaries them selues translate verse 11. of the croune of the kingdome of heauen and so doe merite and deserue the same See annot Luke 20. 35. And the Apostle heeresaieth that it is Gods iustice no lesse to repaie glory to the afflicted then to render punishment to them that afflict bicause of their contrarie desertes or merits The answer If you did not racke making worthie in English beyond the meaning of the spirit of God then to be made worthie of God to be counted worthie were all one for they whom God accounteth worthie are worthie indéed But yet it followeth not that they which are made worthie do deserue or merit the kingdome of God and the crowne of glorie by their inherent righteousnes which is the thing which both you would should prooue Your reason from the iustice of God followeth not Gods iustice indéede requireth that glorie be giuen or as you say repaied to the afflicted for his sake aswell as punishment to their afflicters not for the cause which you assigne but chieflie for his word and promise sake hauing promised that they which suffer with Christ shall also reigne with him and then also bicause it is iust that he put a difference betwéene the estates of those whome hée hath made so farre to differ your annotation or rather marginal note is answered before 2. Thess. 1. 10. The text When he shall come to be ⸫ glorified in his saints and to be made maruellous in all them that haue beleeued bicause our testimonie concerning you was credited in that day The note Christ shall be glorified in his Saints that is by the great and vnspeakeable honour and exaltation of them he shalbe honoured as now he is the honour which the Church doeth to them not diminishing Christs glorie as the aduersaries foolishlie pretend but exceedinglie augmenting the same The answer Bicause it is a glorie to Christ to aduance and exalt his saints in glorie doeth it follow therefore that it is lawfull for your church to giue to saints that which Christ giueth them not or that it is not sacriledge to rob Christ of al things due to him and to giue them to men be they neuer so holie We are not against anie lawfull aduancement of saints but against such as neither they can haue nor yet can stand with the glorie of our Christ. 2. Thess. 2. 3. The text Let no man seduce you by anie meanes for vnlesse there come a reuolt first and the man of sinne be reueiled the sonne of perdition which is an aduersarie and is ⸫ extolled aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he sitteth in the temple of God shewing him selfe as though he were God The note How then can the Pope by Antichrist as the heretikes fondlie blaspheme who is farre from being exalted aboue God that he praieth most humblie not onelie to Christ but also to his blessed mother and all his saints The answer The proud presumptuous prerogatiues giuen to the Pope and accepted of him doeth verie well declare this exalting of him selfe which particularlie héere to recite were too long Other men as the most Reuerend father in God Master Iuel Bishop of Salisburie and master Fore in our mother tongue for the benefit of the poore people of England haue in this matter taken great paines to whom also I referre my reader But if there were no more but that which you note as an argument proofe of his humilitie it is sufficient and inough to conuince him of Antichristian pride he that taketh vpon him to be wiser then God exalteth him selfe aboue God he that will make his praiers to anie other then God taketh vpon him to be wiser then God Ergo he that maketh his praiers to anie other but God exalteth him selfe aboue God The maior as I take it is cleare and manifest and néede no proofe The minor is