worketh eternall rest and peace But how doth this follow Faith is the cause of eternall quiet and resting from our labours in the Kingdome of Heauen Ergo it is the cause of Affiance and Resting vpon Christ here in this life for it is not necessary that that which causeth the one should also cause the other But if in your Conclusion when you say Faith is not a Rest you meane it is not that eternall rest what is that to mee who define not Faith by such a Rest So then your therefore either concluding beside the Question or being inferred vpon no Premisses deserueth of mee no answer at all Yet to take away all scruple let vs see what may be said for it Bellarmine to proue that Affiance is an Effect of Faith De iustif lib. 1. cap. 6. and consequently not Faith alledgeth and vrgeth three passages of Scripture but withall I must tell you that if hee dispute to the purpose hee must meane by Affiance no other then confident Perswasion or Assurance For his aduersaries as himselfe there saith defining Faith by Affiance vnderstand thereby that Speciall Faith whereby euery one applying to himselfe the diuine Promise belieueth or rather confidently trusteth that all his sins are forgiuen him by Christ So that if as he ought hee argue vnto the meaning of his aduersaries hee concludeth not against my Affiance but onely against your Perswasion or Assurance Neuerthelesse let vs examine those places seuerally and particularly The first is that of the Apostle to the Ephesians Eph. 3.12 In whom wee haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence by the Faith of him whence it followeth saith hee if confidence or Affiance be by Faith that Faith is not Affiance but the cause thereof for otherwise the sense would bee we haue entrance with confidence by confidence which is absurd To this I answer first that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Confidence oftentimes signifieth Perswasion or Assurance being deriued of a verbe that signifieth firmely to be Perswaded as where the Apostle saith Rom. 2.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou strongly perswadest thy selfe that thou art a guide of the blind Phil. 1.25 and againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this am I well assured of and therefore it is not necessary here to vnderstand it of my Affiance Secondly grant that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Affiance is meant yet doth it not follow that it is an effect of Iustifying Faith seeing by faith not Iustifying but Historicall Faith may bee vnderstood which is the meanes by which wee grow vnto Affiance Lastly let it be farther yeelded that both by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Affiance and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustifying Faith are meant yet may Affiance this notwithstanding bee that Faith neither will any such absurdity ensue thereon For as when you say wee are assured by Faith you would thinke your selfe wronged if I should inferre thereupon that Faith is not Assurance but the cause thereof or that otherwise the sense would bee wee are assured by assurance so when the Apostle saith in Affiance by Faith why should he not also count himselfe as much abused if you gather from hence that Faith is not Affiance but the cause thereof or that else the speech would be absurd as if hee should say in Affiance by Affiance The reason of all in a word is because this forme of words may import that Affiance is the next and immediate Act of Iustifying Faith The second place is that saying of our Sauiour vnto the woman diseased with an issue of blood Mat. 9.22 Bee confident daughter thy Faith hath saued thee where saith hee Faith is againe in like sort distinguished from Affiance for the woman is moued to conceiue and entertaine Affiance who was already healed by Faith To this I answer that the word which our Sauiour vseth to the woman is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to be bold or couragious whence commeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boldnes courage Exerc. 317.4 which as Iulius Scaliger saith is the motion of Fortitude vnto some worke and is opposed vnto Timerousnesse or Fearefulnesse Neither was it without speciall reason that our Sauiour chose that word rather then any other for finding that vertue proceeded from him and demanding who had touched him Luc. 8.47 the woman seeing that shee could conceale it came vnto him trembling and fell at his feet and declared what shee had done whereupon hee said vnto her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tremble not Daughter nor be dismay'd but cheere vp and bee of good courage for I assure thee thy Faith hath saued thee goe thy way in Peace Now this Boldnesse or courage I confesse is an effect of Faith nay oftentimes an effect of the effect of Faith namely Hope for as Despaire of victory causeth Fearefulnesse and deiection of Spirit so contrariwise Hope of victory maketh a man to bee bold and confident But vnlesse you can proue that this Boldnesse is the same with my Affiance which with all your skill you can neuer doe they being of so different natures you can neuer conclude from hence that Affiance is an effect of Faith The third and last place is that of the same Apostle vnto Timothy They which minister well shall get vnto themselues a good degree and much affiance in the Faith which is in Christ where saith hee 1 Tim. 3.13 Affiance is said to be acquired and gotten by Faith because Faith may bee without such Affiance Whereunto I answer that the word vsed in the originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which no way signifieth Affiance but libertie and freedome of speech whether wee vtter our mind vnto God by prayer as where the Apostle saith Heb. 4.16 Let vs come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with boldnesse and freedome of Speech vnto the Throne of grace or make profession of our Faith before men as where the same Apostle saith Cast not away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your free profession Heb. 10.35 as Beza translateth it And because this libertie and freedome proceedeth from the testimony of a good conscience and assurance of the loue and fauour of God Heb. 3.6 therefore is it sometimes vsed for Assurance as where the Apostle saith Whose house wee are if wee hold fast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that confidence and reioycing of Hope vnto the end meaning by Confidence saith Beza that most worthy effect of Faith whereby wee crye Abba Father Prou. 28.1 and sometimes for that Lion-like boldnesse which Salomon saith alwayes attendeth a good conscience and so doth the same Beza in this present place of Timothy vnderstand it Heb. 3.6 vide annot Tremel ad Heb. 4.16 And hence it is that the Syriacke oftentimes rendreth this word by Retection or Reuelation of the face because a good conscience lifteth vp the head and boldly sheweth the face whereas a guiltie minde hangeth downe the head and as one confounded and ashamed dares
proued against the first that Faith is not a Knowledge or Assurance against the thirteenth that the onely proper Obiect of Faith is the Person of the Mediator and against the foureteenth that the Forme thereof is Affiance and not any such Relation or Certainty The ninth sixteenth and seuenteenth in part I deny the ninth where you make Faith and Knowledge to bee conuertible which I haue proued to haue different natures and Definitions the sixteenth where you affirme Resting vpon Christ to bee an effect of Faith which I haue demonstrated to bee the Forme and proper Act of Faith the seuenteenth where you say that the subiect of Faith is both the Vnderstanding and the Will against which I haue shewed that it is impossible for one and the same Habit to be subiectiuely in two seuerall faculties of the Soule The rest of your Positions sauing the inconuenience of some tearmes and setting a fauourable construction vpon them I acknowledge to bee true and because as the Apostle speaketh I can doe nothing against the truth but for the truth therefore I oppose them not but readily and willingly yeeld and subscribe vnto them But Master Baxter in all this long discourse of Faith hauing spoken so carefully of the Definition of Faith of the vnity of it in kind and difference of it in number and degree of the imperfection sufficiencie efficient principall and instrumentall of the obiect both in generall and speciall of the forme and end both Subordinate and Highest finally of the Effects Subiects and adiuncts thereof in all this long discourse I say how is it that wee heare not so much as a word of Iustification which notwithstanding is the immediate and proper Effect of Faith Immediate because it is the first fruite and benefit that springeth of it and commeth before Adoption and Sanctification proper because it is the Act of Faith onely and not of any other Grace which iustifies a man before God Whether it were of negligence or of policy that you haue omitted so materiall and necessary a point I cannot say If of negligence it deserues a seuere chastisement if of policy it was I think you foresaw what a dangerous consequence would follow thereupon For if you had placed Iustification as needs you must haue done if you had mentioned it among the Effects of Faith the Reader possibly might haue reasoned thus If iustification be an Effect of Faith and so follow after Faith then cannot Assurance of Iustification bee Faith because it is an effect of Iustification and followes after for it is necessary that a man bee iustified before hee can bee assured that hee is iustified And thus you had cast away your whole pot of broth 2 King 4.39 if you had not warily kept this Coloquintida out of it But vpon what ground soeuer you haue forborne to speake of this point I will by your leaue supply this defect and in a word or two shew you in what sense I affirme that Affiance iustifies and deny it of Assurance for in some sort Assurance also may bee said to iustifie Iustification is a law-tearme and is opposed vnto Condemnation As therefore Condemnation is the sentence of a iudge pronouncing a man to be guilty and deliuering him ouer to bee punished so is Iustification also the sentence of a iudge but absoluing and acquitting a man both from crime and punishment Now there are three barres at which all men are arraigned and three Iudges who at their seuerall barres either iustify vs or condemne vs that is to say the barre of God the barre of Conscience and the barre of Men. If wee bee condemned at all these barres and by all these Iudges wee are of all creatures the most miserable if wee bee absolued at them all and by them all of all men wee be the most blessed Againe if Men acquit vs what booteth it if our owne Conscience condemne vs and if our Conscience acquit vs what auaileth it if God condemne vs for who can deliuer the prey out of the pawes of that Lion On the contrary side if men condemne vs it mattereth not so as our Conscience doe absolue vs and if our Conscience also doe condemne vs yet happy are we if God absolue vs for God is greater then our Conscience What that is 1 Ioh. 3.20 for which sentence of Condemnation passeth vpon vs at any of these bars there is no question for it is well knowne to bee sinne sinne I say which is so indeed or at least is so in appearance For although nothing appeare vnto God otherwise then it is so that there can bee no error in his iudgement yet our owne consciences and other men may easily bee deceiued and mistaken and so without cause oftentimes pronounce sentence of Condemnation What then is that by which wee are iustifyed and absolued from our sins and the punishment of death due vnto them Surely that which is contrary vnto sinne euen Righteousnesse What Righteousnesse Phil. 3.9 for as the Apostle distinguisheth there is a Righteousnesse which is of the law and there is a righteousnesse which is of Faith by the former shall no flesh liuing bee iustified by the latter euery one that Belieueth is iustified God iustifieth vs at his barre when hee seeth our Faith that by firme Affiance wee rest and rely our selues vpon Christ to bee our Mediator accepting him to bee our Prophet Priest and King for then according vnto promise doth hee accept the Passiue obedience of Christ to satisfy for our sinnes past and imputeth vnto vs his Actiue obedience to supply the want of that perfect legall righteousnesse which should be in vs. Our Conscience iustifies vs at his barre when it is perswaded that God hath already iustified vs for as long as it is perswaded that God condemneth it cannot acquit vs. If the perswasion of the Conscience be built vpon a sandy and deceitfull foundation it is rather vaine presumption then true assurance and the iudgement that it giueth is erronious but if it bee grounded vpon infallible euidence euen the testimony of the Spirit of God Rom. 8.16 witnessing with our spirits that wee are the sons of God then is the Assurance sound and certaine and the sentence pronounced thereupon iust and rightfull Phil. 4.7 whence presently ariseth in our soules such vnconceiuable peace as passeth all vnderstanding and such durable ioy as nothing can take from vs. Finally Men iustify vs at their barre also Ioh. 16.22 Mat. 5.16 when our light so shineth before them that they see our good works which are the fruits of Faith and a good Conscience and thereby are moued to glorify our Heauenly Father as being perswaded in the iudgement of Charity that they are indeed as they seeme to bee euen iustified before God and borne againe of water and the Holy Ghost This iudgement because it is built vpon probability onely and not vpon certainty for who knowes whether the outward appearance come from
define it a Rest of the Will vpon Christ and his merits for Iustification and consequently Saluation In which Definition 1 That the Obiect of it is the Person or Personall merit of Christ the whole tenor of Scripture proues which runs thus Hee that beleeueth in mee shall not perish Ioh. 3.16 Ioh. 14.1 Ioh. 1.12 and Yee belieue also in me and As many as receiued him to them hee gaue power to bee the Sonnes of God that is to them that belieued in his Name and in six hundred places besides But if thou wilt be further informed see M. Foxe in the booke before quoted 2 That the Act of it is Fiducia Affiance I report me to all the words vsed in the originall of the old Testament as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to retire vnto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to deuolue or Roll vpon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to trust or put confidence in and all the rest and to the forme of words vsed in the new as Credere in Sperare in to beleeue and hope in or vpon 3 That it is Subiectiuely in the Will appeares by the Act for Fiducia Affiance without controuersie is in the Will as also by the Obiect Christ which implies not a Knowledge but Fiducia or Rest Ob. Fiducia Affiance is Spes roborata a confirmed Hope therefore if you make Faith to be Fiducia Affiance you make it likewise to be hope and vnskilfully confound two distinct vertues Ans I denie Fiducia Affiance to bee Hope although the Prince of Schoolemen Thomas of Watering and his followers haue heretofore taught it For 1 Hope looks to the End which is Saluation Affiance to the meanes which is Christs personall merit 2 The Act of Hope is expectare to looke out for the Act of Affiance is tuniti to leane on or rest vpon 3 Hope is of things that are future but Affiance of that which is present So yet Faith is Fiducia Affiance which I further confirme by S. Augustins authority Credere est amare In Ioh. 7. tract 29. amando in Deum tendere To belieue is to loue and by louing to moue vnto God expounding Amare by Confidere Loue by Affiance according to that Fathers vsuall phrase in his Tractates vpon Iohn Ob. Faith may be both Notitia Fiducia Knowledge and Affiance and so both in the Will and in the Understanding Ans It cannot bee because it is impossible for one and the same Habit to bee Subiectiuely in two seuerall Faculties of so different natures Indeed Bonauenture saith Hope is in both being Certi expectatio In 3. Scut citante Kemnit loco de iustif a certaine expectation Expectation being in the will certitude in the Vnderstanding But I answer that Certainty is the ground of diuine Hope but no part of the nature thereof as knowledge of a thing to be loue-worthy is the ground of loue for Ignoti nulla cupido no desire of that which is vnknowne but not of the nature of it and therefore as you cannot place Loue both in the Mind and Will no more may you Hope or Faith Ob. If Faith bee Fiducia Affiance then the wicked may haue it for Balaam desired the death of the righteous Num. 23.10 Mat. 13.20.21 and some receiue the Word with ioy belieuing but for a time Ans There is a double Affiance the one is sleight and superficiall and grounded on no other foundation then a generall apprehension that it is good to bee saued by Christ but leaue not their former course and embrace a new the other is setled and grounded hauing these precedents 1 A particular knowledge of our sinfull estate examined by the rule of Gods Word 2 An apprehension of Gods wrath and eternall death deserued by sinne 3 Vnfained sorrow for sinne with resolution of new life 4 A knowledge of Christ and here 1 Of his sufficiencie 2 His louing inuitation of all to rest on him for Iustification and Saluation These foure things going before if by the operation of Gods spirit shall afterward follow a rest vpon Iesus Christ for Iustification Saluation I pronounce this Rest to bee that Act which doth iustify before God So that these three Faiths shall bee as the three Propositions of a Categoricke Syllogisme Faith of Story being the Maior Faith of Person or Personall merit being the Assumption and Faith of Promises being the Conclusion on this wise De Whosoeuer shall as formerly is declared rest vpon the merits of Christ for his Iustification and Saluation he shall be iustified and saued This the Scripture affirmeth and to acknowledge the truth thereof is Historicall Faith ri But I doe so rest vpon Christ This the Conscience priuy to the sincerity of the heart assumeth which act of Resting I tearme Iustifying Faith j. Therefore I am iustified shall be saued And this is the Faith of Promise concluded of the former premisses and is the Assurance before mentioned To draw to a Conclusion concerning these three Faiths I adde farther that to the Faith of Story many doe not aspire namely such Paynims and Gentiles to whom God hath not vouchsafed the Ministery of the Word and meanes of knowledge yet many Reprobates doe liuing within the compasse and territory of the Church and remaine for all that vniustified Vnto the Faith of Person and that Affiance which I call sleight and superficiall many likewise of the vessels of wrath doe attaine but cannot goe one step farther whereas all and euery of the Elect rest on Christ in the second manner and vpon the precedents before specified and are thereby iustified Vnto the Faith of promise though the children of God may come and most do come yet some doubtlesse partly through the strength of flesh and mixture of infidelity with their Faith partly through the force and violence of temptation doe not nor dare not inferre the Conclusion and yet may be iustified Lastly and finally whereas Faith is distinguished into 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 full Faith and little Faith I take it that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not to bee restrained to Faith of Promise onely but that both are common to all three so that a weake assent vnto the story is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong assent is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a strong Affiance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a weake Affiance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bold and confident inference of the Conclusion is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fearefull and timerous inference is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But yet neither of them in the first doth iustifie although one of them of necessity must goe before Iustification nor yet in the third although 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may and ought to follow but in the second the least dramme of Affiance though it bee but as a graine of mustard-seed doth iustifie as perfectly as the greatest quantity because it receiues all Christ who is not capable of magis and minus more and
in the life to come Faith ceaseth and then they liue by vision not by Faith But I forbeare farther to examine either these or the rest of your arguments partly because wee agree both in the generall Conclusions Demonax apud Plut. Apopâ—h and partly lest I proue as wise as he who while his fellow was milking a ram-goat held a siue vnder to receiue the milke N. B. But you say the German Church holdeth it I deny it neither can you be able to shew it and therefore it is a great sinne thus to traduce the fame of so honorable Personages Three and those no small lights in the Church of God I will shew which hold the contrary and so leaue you to the Spirit of God who worke in you conuersion In Postill maior in Sex-ages in Euang Luc. 8. de Semine Luther in the place before saith Veri auditores sunt qui Verbum Dei perpetuò retinent fructum adferunt They bee true belieuers which hold fast alwayes the Word of God which none can doe without Faith and bring forth fruite Brentius speaking of time-seruers saith that they did neuer truly belieue In idem Euang In ad Eph. c. 1. Bucer calleth that Faith which may be lost imaginem fidei simulatam credulitotem an image of faith and counterfait credulity Now you haue heard these great Fathers of Germany against you with what face can you accuse so indefinitely the Brethren of Germany of so notable an error But I will stay your leisure to produce those German-Brethren I. D. My leisure shall you not long stay for That many doe not perseuere but fall from grace both Scripture and experience teacheth saith Kemnitius Exam. parte 1. de Iustil They that are most elected may become Reprobates and therfore vtterly fall away saith D. Andreas Colloq Mompelg quaest de Bapt. De gratiâ vniuersali p. 26. Ib. p. 30. Dauid was elected faith Hemingâ—â—s yet indeed lost the spirit and was made guilty of eternall wrath vntill hee againe repented And againe As often as a sinner saith hee although neuer so enormious repenteth of a vessell of dishonor and wrath he is made a vessell of honour and mercy as on the contrary side whosoeuer is a vessell of honour and mercy when willingly and wittingly hee fals into sinne hee wasts his conscience and loosing Faith becomes a vessell of wrath and dishonor The Century-writers Cent. 1. l. 2. ca. 4. p. 275. l. 1. c. 4. p. 120. That Faith once conceiued may be lost and shaken out it is plaine by sundry examples and by the sayings of Christ and that Faith may bee lost the Apostles both by their sayings and examples doe demonstrate Finally the whole Church of Saxonie Harm conf incon Sax. art 10. It is manifest that some that are regenerate doe grieue and shake off the Holy Ghost and are againe reiected of God and made subiect to the wrath of God and eternall punishment Read Zanchie in his Miscellanies and there shall you find how much trouble that that worthy man sustained in Germany among other things for gainsaying this point For indeed this is one speciall Article wherein wee and the Lutherans for them I vnderstand by Brethren of Germany doe disagree and the ignorance thereof argues that you are little or nothing at all acquainted with the controuersies that are betwixt vs and them But you haue great Fathers of Germany against mee and can shew three no small lights in Gods Church which hold the contrary euen Luther Brentius and Bucer First Luther was no Lutheran and not holding all those errors which those who are called of his name defend is not to bee reckoned among them yet thus saith hee In artic smal cald It is necessary to teach and know that when the Saints fall into manifest sinnes as Dauid did then Faith and the Holy Ghost are lost Brentius indeed was a rigid Lutheran and therefore it is likly hee held as the rest of his fellowes doe for certainty I haue none hauing not his writings by mee Neither doth the passage you alledge out of him euince the contrary for as Excutifidians giue me leaue so to call them distinguish they that haue true Faith in the trunesse of essence or existence may yet as they say want true Faith in the trunesse of permanence or perseuerance As for Bucer hee fals not within the compasse of those whom I meane by the Brethren of Germany for hee was none of those whom they call Lutherans In Miscell And yet as hee is alledged by Zanchie and others for the Perpetuity of Faith so is hee vouched also by the contrary side for falling away from grace as where hee saith They who sinne against conscience by no meanes haue a true and liuely Faith In Colloq Ratisb pag. 247. But suppose these three were such Brethren as wee speake of yet what are they to Kemnitius D. Andreas Hemingius Illyricus Wigandus Mathaeus Iudex Basilius Faber the whole Church of Saxony and generally all Lutherans who all hold as I haue affirmed And therfore I do not as you say traduce their fame nor accuse them wrongfully of error they themselues haue diuulged and published it to the whole world in their books And so my Assumption that they haue not Assurance remaineth hitherto in his full strength and vertue N. B. You conclude vpon the premisses thus Therefore or at leastwise probably this is not iustifying Faith Dispute you positiuely and conclude probably Alas Master Downe doe you preach after this manner at Cambridge to deliuer definitions by Sophistrie when you should speake verè truly It seemeth when you said so you were not perswaded that your doctrine was true but determined contingently and probably with fine words to ensnare poore silly hearers For when you say Therefore or at leastwise probably you doubted of the Truth thereof Surely this is not to goe recto pectore with an vpright conscience in Gods cause Ammian Marc. l. 17. Plutar. in collect But I hope wee shall take heed of you when you preach next seeing you meane to tell vs the truth but only a probable tale 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A wise man will eschew your snares Ep. ad Bosphor Bis enim ad eundem lapidem impingere stulto conuenit saith Gregorius Theologus It is the property of fooles to stumble twice at one stone I. D. Why Sir is it vnlawfull to conclude otherwise then Apodictically or is it Sophistrie to vse Dialecticall Syllogismes in matters of Diuinity Certainly then much to blame are all those Logicians who handle Topicall Syllogismes whose matter is contingent other where then among the Elenchs and foully ouerseene are all writers both sacred and profane ancient and moderne who oftentimes dispute probably knowing that although Demonstration only doe force and constraine yet Probability doth very much bend and incline the minde Saint Augustin did not so lightly esteeme of Probable
the inward holynesse or hollownesse of the heart but onely the heart it selfe and God which made it May therefore bee erronious and though proceeding from Charity yet in the meane season swaruing from verity If then when Men iustify vs our owne Consciences tell vs that they pronounce a wrong sentence and absolue the guilty the comfort that growes vnto vs thereby is no better then a cup of cold water is vnto a man sicke of a burning feuer or then the Sardonian laughter which makes the face seeme to grin while the deadly poison is searching through euery veine and seazing vpon the very heart But if wee bee well assured that the sentence is iust and true and that they are not deceiued therein although it bee not the end wee aymed at nor the Crowne wee looked for yet is it a sweet and amiable companion of holy life publickely testifying vnto our great comfort that God hath been glorified by vs our profession honoured and others inuited if not gained vnto Christ And thus much haue I thought good in regard of your silence to speake I hope not impertinently at least wise not vnprofitably of Iustification the summe whereof is that Affiance iustifies before God Assurance before Consience works before Men. So that I doe not simply deny either that Assurance is Faith for in my Treatise I acknowledge that the Scripture sometime calleth it Faith or that it iustifieth for I confesse it iustifieth at the barre of Conscience onely I deny it to bee that Faith which iustifies before God affirming that Faith to bee no other then Affiance N. B. Thus Master Downe you haue what you haue so much so earnestly so bitterly and contumeliously wrested from mee in writing sith that you haue refused to defend your Doctrine preached here by Disputation I. D. Indeed Master Baxter when I vnderstood by the aduertisements of sundry my good friends in Bristoll that you had not onely drawne vp an Answer against me full of reprochfull and disgracefull speeches but had also dispersed it abroad into the hands of diuers Burgesses of that City thereby to discredit both mee and the Doctrine which I preached among them without vouchsafing after a whole twelue months space to send mee a copie thereof according vnto promise true it is that as soone as the next oportunity was affoarded mee I could not forbeare to chalenge you for this vnchristian and vnschollerly dealing and to let you know the iust indignation and disdaine I conceiued thereat Besides that once did I neuer either by word or writing sollicit you in this matter and then earnest perhaps and vehement I might bee in expostulating with you but Bitter and Contumelious I am sure I was not and for proofe thereof I referre mee vnto the testimonie of those who were then present with vs. But whether earnest and vehement or Bitter and Contumelious Answer from you by no meanes could I wrest any And that now I haue obtained a Copie thereof thanks vnto those my good friends who neuer left following vpon the sent of the Foxe vntill they surprized him for me and not vnto you who desired and laboured nothing more then to keep it from mee Of all men you liked not it should light into my hands and yet of all men me it most concerned and vnto mee was onely promised And so after the Parthian manner you fight flying and as Caesar said of the Scythians make it more difficult to finde you then to foile you Well yet I refused you say to defend the Doctrine I preached by disputation First the course which formerly we had agreed and resolued vpon was Writing and therefore I saw no reason why I should yeeld to haue the cause remoued from a higher vnto an inferiour Court from Writing vnto Disputation For as a late learned writer saith Writings are more solid peaceable Dan. Chamier Ep. ad Egnat Armand and certaine then is present speech for more solid must those things needs bee which are meditated then which are suddenly spoken more peaceable then those things which are done in the tumult and while the minds of the Disputants are with present vehemence inflamed more certaine for writings remaine and words are winged and fly away and writings easily conuince the impudence of them that would corrupt them which speaking cannot so well doe And although in quicke writing there bee without question more aduisednesse then in present speaking yet doth Saint Hierome excuse his hasty commentary vpon Saint Mathews Gospell Proaem comment in Math. promising a more absolute worke that you may know saith hee What ods there is betweene the boldnesse of sudden enditing and the diligence of well-studied writing Secondly as the Apostle Saint Paul answered the Serieants that were sent vnto him from the gouernours of Philippi Act. 16.37 After that they haue beaten vs openly vncondemned which are Romans they haue cast vs into Prison and now would they put vs out priuily Nay verily but let them come and bring vs out so say I vnto you after you haue in a more publicke manner traduced and wronged mee scattering through the whole City a most slanderous inuectiue and libell against mee doe you thinke now by a priuate and chamber-disputation to content mee Nay verily this plaister is too narrow for the wound and open wrong requires open satisfaction Lastly howsoeuer you pretend that you set not pen to paper vntill I had refused your chalenge of disputation the Reader may bee pleased to vnderstand that it is cleane contrary And therefore as I cannot but impute your deniall to impart vnto mee what in writing you had opposed against mee to the distrust you had either in your cause or in your owne sufficiency so now hauing scribled away so much precious time and sacrificed so much paper to Cloacina that suddenly you apprehend a disputation I assure my selfe it was but a sleight deuised vpon the present to shift mee off and to rid your selfe from me whose residence you knew to bee elsewhere and who at that time was to take vp a nights lodging with you Or if you meant sincerely and vnfainedly doublesse it was confidence you had either in the boldnesse of your forehead vncapable of the purple tincture of modesty or in the vnskilfulnes of those who were like to be our Auditors Moderators who as I take it haue more skill in Marchandize and trafficking then in Demonstration or Dialecticall Syllogismes For otherwise wee had beene vpon equall ground in either of the Vniuersities I suppose you would haue beene better aduised ere you had made that challenge vnto mee N. B. I pray God it may worke in you a willing mind to embrace Peace and Brotherly loue without the which wee can neuer see God Bristol Iuly 27. 1602. I. D. It is impossible that vnto a man of vnderstanding any benefit or profit should accrew by reprehension vnlesse it may appeare vnto him by some euident remonstrance that that which is
man would much more will God performe his Word and Couenant although the seale be not set thereunto But if it may bee had there is Necessitas praecepti a necessity laid by Gods commandement vpon all those that are Filij praecepti the Sonnes of the commandement Those Sonnes all men are when they are grown to be Adulti and therefore if then they neglect to be baptized they deserue for their contempt to bee cut off and to bee eternally condemned But Infants while such are none of these Sonnes as being both vncapable of the precept and vnable to offer themselues vnto the Sacrament whence followeth that the commandement taketh hold onely of the Parents and those that haue the care of them So that although the Child dying vnbaptized may bee free from danger yet those that neglect to present him vnto Baptisme shall bee damned for breach of Gods commandement Leâ— Parents therefore by all meanes bee carefull to performe this duty and if by reason of weakenesse or some other impediment it cannot bee done publickely rather then left vndone let it bee done priuatly Wise men and amongst the rest M. Caluin would haue it so yea the Church of England requireth it prescribing a forme of Priuate Baptisme in case of necessity and commanding that what is priuatly done be by the Minister publickely made knowne in the Congregation An order heretofore too much neglected God grant henceforward it may be better obserued Finally and lastly seeing euery one that is Adultus must of necessity haue a Faith of his owne first it is the duty of Parents by all meanes to worke Faith in their Children when they are capable thereof that as they haue beene instruments to traduce Originall sinne vnto them to their perdition so they may againe repaire in them the image of God to their eternall saluation Secondly let euery one looke to himselfe and see that hee haue Faith for it is in vaine to trust to the Faith of another The righteousnesse of Christ indeed is a cloke large enough to couer the sinnes of all men but the Faith of another man is little enough for himselfe I cannot couer my nakednesse with it They were but foolish virgins that said Giue vs of your oile for our lamps are out and fitly were they answered by the wise virgins Wee feare there will not bee enough for vs and you but goe yee rather to them that sell and buy for your selues Let Papists blaspheme and say they can supererogate and more then satisfy for their sinnes and that one man may for a price buy out of the Popes treasury the Surplus of another mans merits yet am I sure the oile of another mans lampe will not serue my turne nor procure mee fauour to enter with the bridegroome God grant me therefore wisdome euen while it is called to day to get mee oile in my owne lampe NOT CONSENT OF FATHERS BVT SCRIPTVRE THE GROVND OF FAITH Written by the occasion of a conference had with Mr. Bayly by the late Reuerend and Learned Diuine Master Iohn Downe Bachelour of Diuinity and sometimes Fellow of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge OXFORD Printed by IOHN LICHFIELD for EDWARD FORREST Anno Domini M.DC.XXXV NOT CONSENT OF FATHERS BVT SCRIPTVRE THE GROVND OF FAITH LOVING and Reuerend M. Bayly I acknowledge my selfe much endebted vnto you both for my kind entertainment and the peaceable Conference I had with you Would you but vouchsafe to visit my poore Cottage I should readily endeauour to satisfy some part of the debt if not with like entertainment yet with equall welcome The residue I know not how better to discharge then by pursuing my first intention that is by labouring to reduce you backe into the bosome of that Church out of which with such danger to your soule scandall to the brethren and vnkindnesse to her you haue withdrawne your selfe And to this end might I haue obtained from you in writing as at our parting I entreated what those speciall Motiues were which had wrought in you this sudden change I would haue strained my selfe by writing also to haue giuen them the best satisfaction But seeing for reasons best knowne to your selfe and into which I list not further to inquire you held it not fit as then to yeeld so farre vnto mee I haue thought good for the present to reflect vpon some passages of our Conference specially that ground whereon you then stood so much and vpon which you plainely professed that you would aduenture your Faith It may please you therefore to remember that being demaunded a reason of your departure you pretended that in reading the ancient Fathers you had met with sundry Bugbeares which so scared and affrighted you that vnlesse you would resist the light of Conscience and hazard your eternall saluation you could not chuse but bee swayed by them Whereunto it being replied that happily those Bugbeares were but Scarcrowes and that you should haue taken a safer and surer course if you had resolued your Faith into Scriptures nothing being sufficient to beare vp so weighty a peece but onely diuine testimony your answer was that vpon Scripture you relyed howbeit because it is obscure and subiect to manifold constructions vpon Scripture vnderstood according to the interpretation and doctrine of the Fathers nothing doubting but that as long as you held the Faith of them whom wee verily belieue to bee saued your selfe could neuer perish through misbeliefe In which answer howsoeuer in word you seeme to attribute some force and vertue to the Scriptures yet in truth you doe but cancell them and make them of none effect For if the Scriptures lie rather in the Sense then in the Letter and the Sense by reason of the darknesse and ambiguity of them bee not to bee found in themselues but elsewhere out of them in the writings of the Fathers it followeth clearely that in your account Paul and Peter and Iames and Iohn and the other Pen-men of holy writ are no better then Cyphers vnlesse Cyrill and Ambrose and Hierome and Augustin and the rest of that ranke as digit numbers vouchsafe to adde some value and signification vnto them So that now by your fauor this must bee my taske briefly and plainely to demonstrate that hauing remoued your Faith from the authority of Scripture vpon the exposition of the Fathers you haue built quite beside the rocke and layd your foundation vpon the sand But take this protestation first that wee neither disesteeme nor despise the Fathers as by Priests and Iesuites wee are ordinarily slandered but contrarywise with all duty wee rise vp to their gray haires and reuerence their venerable antiquity Withall wee acknowledge that they were in their times excellent ornaments and lights of the Church endued not onely with singular knowledge in the mystery of Faith but also with admirable sanctity and vprightnesse of life Whereby in all their combats and bickerins with Hereticks they maintained the truth of God so wisely and couragiously
a true Body like vnto ours but that Body which you fancy to be in the Eucharist is not like vnto our bodies For in this Body there is no distance of one part from another as of eye from eye and head from feet neither hath it any dimensiue quantity and is all both in Heauen and here on earth in the Sacrament at once yet not in the middle region betweene nor separated from himselfe but nothing of this can bee affirmed of our bodies or of any other organicall body And if you say that you conceiue of Christs Body in the Sacrament as of a glorified Body the plaine Scripture is against you that when Christ spake these words This is my Body his Body was yet vncrucified and vnglorified Your exposition therefore crossing the Analogy cannot possibly bee good As for ours thus we shew it The text plainely saith that our blessed Sauiour in his last supper tooke Bread blessed it brake it and gaue it vnto his disciples saying This is my Body What This bread But this Proposition This Bread is my Body literally and properly is not true therefore is it figuratiuely to be vnderstood How so Thus. I looke into plaine Scripture and there I find that as the Euangelists call it Bread before Consecration so Saint Paul cals it Bread after Consecration 1. Cor. 11.26 Ib. v. 27. Ib. v. 28. As often saith he as yee shall eat this Bread and Whosoeuer shall eat this Bread vnworthily and Let a man examine himselfe and so eat of this Bread Whence I conclude that the Bread is not changed but remaineth still Bread Then I consider further that our Sauiour now institutes a Sacrament and that in Sacramentall actions Sacramentall phrases are vsuall and the outward signe is called by the name of the thing signified as in the old Testament Gen. 7.10 Circumcision is called the Couenant and the Lambe the Passeouer and in the new Ex. 12.11 the Cup is called the new Testament or couenant Whereupon I inferre there being no reason to the contrary Luc. 22.20 that these words in like manner are to bee interpreted This is my Body that is This Bread is Sacramentally my Body or the Sacramentall signe of my Body And thus you see by clearing this one passage how other darker places also may receiue light from those that are plainer You will say this is to build vpon Consequences wherein it is possible to bee deceiued Whereunto I answer three things first that whatsoeuer may bee deduced out of the Word of God by euident Consequence is certaine euen by the certainty of Faith Bell. de Iust l. 3. c. 8. and this your owne greatest clarks doe grant Secondly to banish Consequences from Diuinity is to banish the vse of right reason and discourse also and that religion must needs bee driuen to narrow shifts which cannot subsist vnlesse men turne fooles or beasts Thirdly the necessity of a Consequence doth not any way depend vpon the person of him that inferreth it but onely vpon the mutuall relation and strait coniunction betweene the premisses and it so that by him who desires to bee satisfied in the truth not the person of him that deduceth it but the Consequence it selfe is to bee looked too whether it bee rightly deduced or no. But who shall iudge that will you say Indeed if you stand resolued vtterly to renounce all the helps and directions both of reason and art nor will yeeld to any Consequence of Scripture how cleere and euident soeuer but will only rely on the mouth and sentence of your humane externall Iudge I confesse I am at Dulkarnon to vse Chaucers phrase and you are past my skill infallibly to perswade you But if as wee haue shewed nor Scripture nor Fathers acknowledge such a Iudge if all whatsoeuer is necessary to saluation bee so plainely laid downe in Scripture as a man of meane capacity may vnderstand it if what is more obscurely deliuered in one place is more plainely expressed in another if God haue appointed that out of the plainer places wee should with study and industrie picke the meaning of those that are harder if hee haue promised that those that aske shall haue those that seeke shall find and to those that knocke it shall bee opened if finally though wee misse the true meaning of those harder places yet firmely adhering vnto the plainer wee are safe and out of danger then certainely the readiest and surest way to to interpret Scripture is by Scripture and there is no other way to determine controuersies and to satisfy the conscience but onely this If any notwithstanding this list still to bee contentious 1. Cor. 11. Wee saith S. Paul haue no such custome nor the Churches of God The rule it selfe is infallible and al-sufficient if wee either through ignorance cannot or through negligence doe not vse it as we ought the fault is not in God but in our selues neither doth hee faile in his prouidence but wee in our dutie Performe wee our duty obediently and hee will performe his promise faithfully In necessaries hee will neuer faile if in other things all be not of one mind yet let vs still proceed by the same rule and instruct one another in the spirit of meeknesse and God will reueale that also in due time And now M. Bayly you haue what I intended for the present it remaines that you peruse it attentiuely The summe is The Fathers may be Ministers by whom you belieue but their Consent is no ground of Faith Your externall humane Iudge is but a Chimera of mans braine and not an Officer of Gods making The onely al-sufficient infallible outward rule of Faith is Scripture in the plainer places which places also must interpret the difficulter Besides this albeit there may be a iurisdiction in the Church to order and controll the outer man yet to satisfy the Conscience and inner man there is no authority but this Which things being so let me entreat you and that in the bowels of Iesus Christ to remember from whence you are fallen and to cast about yet againe and by this rule to examine your new Faith It is not necessary for a man to be an Euclid or some cunning Mathematician to trie by a straight rule whether a line be straight or no. But you are a Scholler and a Minister and should bee able skilfully to apply the rule your selfe To trust anothers application of it for you and that in the point of saluation is not Christian modestie but meere childishnesse and foolish credulity Remember what Lactantius saith It behoueth a man Div. Instit l. 2. c. 8. specially in that thing wherein the state of our life consisteth to trust himselfe and to rely vpon his own iudgement and vnderstanding for finding out examining the truth rather then belieuing anothers errors to be deceiued as if himselfe were void of reason God hath giuen to all men some portion of wisedome whereby
your platforme and I am sure all orthodoxall Churches haue euer beene gouerned by the same officers that ours is Whence it followeth that if for want of such a Politie and such Officers as you dreame of we haue in England no true Church neither hath there beene for certaine hundred of yeares aboue a thousand any true Church through the whole world Which how it can agree with the word of God affirming that of his kingdome there shall be none end I cannot conceiue For by your reckoning the kingdome of Christ ceased soone after the departure of the Apostles and suffered an interruption of about fourteen hundred yeares vntill Browne and Barrow began to play the Schismatickes The second Proposition I acknowledge also to be true but withall denie that we haue set ouer our selues any Antichristian or forraigne Officers For as we haue aboue both sayd and shewed Archbishops Bishops Priests are of diuine institution and now I further adde that they were first bred in the kingdome of Christ and not taken from any other kingdome your assertion to the contrary without due proofe argues that you build to your selfe castles in the aire and haue no ground for your presumption Your fift argument followeth 5. Because the Church being Christs spouse kingdome and body must haue his Ministrie set and kept in it and no other And if no man can make a finger or the least member of a naturall humane body or adde any other limme thereto without deformity then God hath created and can much lesse giue life to any such counterfait member of his owne making how is it possible that he can set vp another Ministrie 1. Cor. 12.12.20 27.28 The argument is thus to bee formed The Ministrie of Christ and no other is to be set ouer and kept in the Church The Ministrie of Archbishops Bishops and Priests is not Christs Ergo it is not to be set ouer nor kept in the Church The Maior I grant confessing that no office may bee allowed in the Church but that which is from Christ eyther immediately or mediatly that is from those vnto whose wisdome and discretion hee hath delegated some part of his authority to order many things in the Church For as the Church may not alter that Ministry which Christ hath setled to continue for euer so may shee by vertue of her delegate authority ordaine such offices as are not forbidden and tend to edification And being so ordeined they are though not immediatly yet mediately from Christ Neither yet doth the Church so doing presume to make as you say either a finger or any other member or limme that is essentiall vnto the body much lesse to giue life thereunto but onely to prouide a gloue as it were for the finger or a sute of apparell for the body the better to preserue it in life The Minor that the Ministrie of Archbishops Bishops and Priests is not of Christ I deny affirming the cleane contrary that they are those Pastors and Angels authorized and allowed by Christ in his word It is the greatest vanity and idlenesse that can bee in disputing onely with boldnesse to affirme that which is denied and neuer to endeauour the proofe thereof which yet is your solemne fault almost in euery argument Your sixt reason 6 Because Christians are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. 3.16.17 2. Cor. 6.16 2. Thes 2.4 Col. 2.18 Act. 20.17.28 and their consciences wrought vpon by Ministrie in the Church and therefore may not be defiled by the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops c. whom the Holy Ghost neuer made Ouerseers The argument in forme stands thus Those offices that defile the Temples of the Holy Ghost and consciences of men may not bee set ouer nor retained in the Church But the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops and Priests defiles the Temples of the Holy Ghost and consciences of men Ergo the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops and Priests may not bee set ouer nor retained in the Church The Maior wee readily yeeld you but how proue you the Minor that these Officers defile the Conscience Forsooth because the Holy Ghost hath not made them Ouerseers And how proue you this againe Because the Pastors of Ephesus were made such Ouerseers An Herculean argument I promise you For what letteth but that hee that made the Pastors of Ephesus Ouerseers hath made the Pastors of England Ouerseers also Alas alas that vpon such friuolous and toying reasons so dangerous and offensiue Schismes should be made And take heed how you quench or grieue the Spirit of God who if you haue in you any measure of knowledge or sparke of grace hath wrought it in you by our Ministrie For preaching which is the ordinary meanes to beget faith I suppose you haue not had elsewhere and it is no lesse then blasphemie to call the working of Gods Spirit by his Holy Word vpon the soules of men the defiling of the Conscience The seuenth argument 7 Because Christ alone is the Head of the Church in whom all fulnesse of power dwelleth Eph. 1.22.23.4.11.16 Col. 1.18.19.2.8.9.10.18.19.1 Cor. 12.4.5.6.12.27.28 1. Tim. 3. 5.8.6.13.14 Rev. 11.13.18.8.14.8.17 18. 19. and from whom alone the Church receiueth her life and power so as none may bee subiect to any power or head in Religion saue onely to him And therefore no Ministers or Officers in the Church are to bee set vp or retained who deriue not their power and functions from Christ which the former doe not and therefore they are not c. but to bee abandoned as enemies of Christs soueraigne authority and making their hearers and submitters to them guilty of high treason against our Lord Christ Iesus It is true there is but one Head of the Church from whom shee receiueth life and Power yet are there also vnder Christ gouernors in the Church who by vertue of that power which they haue receiued from him may ordaine many things touching the well gouernment thereof and to submit our selues thereunto is not to bee subiect to another power or head but to the ordinance of Christ himselfe But it is false that Bishops deriue not their power and function from Christ as we haue already manifestly proued If you haue any thing to the contrary I hope wee shall heare of it another time for hitherto you haue onely said but shewed nothing As for those words that Bishops are to bee abandoned as enemies of Christs soueraigne authority c. they sauour more of passion then reason and deserue rather to bee pitied then answered The eigth argument 1. Cor. 18.27.28 Eph. 4.11.12.13 8 Because God onely must haue this preeminence to dispose the members euery one of them in the body of the Church at his owne pleasure so as either it must bee shewed that God hath placed the Hierarchie of Arch-bishops Bishops Priests or they are not to bee set vp or retained or approued We haue satisfyed you in this already if happily you will bee
and where and will bee sure that it bee both true in regard of substance and pertinent in regard of circumstance For as a word oportunely spoken is Prou. 25.11 as Salomon saith Like an aple of gold with pictures of siluer so a word vttered vnseasonably and out of due place are like Iewels and goldrings sticking in the noses and lips of the barbarous Indians and rather deforming then becomming them Thirdly it is another tricke of yours in matters vnnecessary and of no moment to bee as loud as Stentor but in things that very much presse you and call for satisfaction to bee as mute as one possessed with a dumbe spirit For example in answer to my threefold distinction of Faith I tell you say you iustifying Faith comprehends your three nice distinctions but whereas I proue the contrary because it is impossible for one and the same habit to be subiectiuely in seuerall faculties to this you say not so much as gry Againe whereas in my third argument I assume that assurance in nature comes after iustification you deny it but the proofe I bring for it because the truth of a Proposition is in nature before the knowledge of it and that therefore Iustification goes before assurance you passe ouer very slily and say not one word vnto it Furthermore whereas I frame this obiection against my selfe By the knowledge of himselfe shall my righteous seruant iustify many Ergo Faith is a knowledge and this Affiance may bee in the wicked Ergo Faith is not Affiance you can bee well content to borrow them from mee and to dart backe as it were my owne arguments against mee but close vp your eyes not daring to behold the answers wherewith I assoiled them Gen. 29.17 as if you had beene a tender-eyed Leah and had met with an Obiect ouer-bright for you It may be you learned this policy of Antony Cicl l. 2. de orat who held it the safest and surest course for an Oratour when hee meeteth with a knotty peece and is vnprouided of a fit wedge for it to passe it ouer with silence and say nothing But if as Cato defineth and Quintilian largely maintaineth an Oratour bee a good man skilfull to speake in causes Instit Orator l. 12. c. 1. I assure you hee will much disdaine such base and dishonest shifting as no way fitting with his owne goodnesse or becomming the defence of a good cause And howsoeuer in a continued Oration because the mind can hardly so diuide it selfe as at once to reflect vpon what is already spoken and to attend what is presently said and bee imminent and instant vpon what followeth to bee sayd many things may soone bee forgotten and scape vnobserued by the Anditors yet may not the like bee hoped for in a written tract specially when it shall fall into the hand of an aduersary for hauing leasure and time inough to peruse it ouer againe and againe hee will bee sure to sift and examine euery sentence and syllable with such curiosity that such palpable omissions as these cannot possibly passe vnheeded by him But your trust was that this writing of yours being entrusted vnto a few of your friends onely should neuer come to bee so seuerely scanned by me Otherwise had you had but the least dramme of wit or shame either you would neuer haue set pen to paper knowing how vnable you were to answer or you would not thus haue playd the Abce-boy and when you met with a hard word which you could not read thinke it enough to skip it ouer Fourthly as if the old Comedy or Cartrailing were againe reuiued and allowed you lode mee euery foot with most bitter reproches and contumelious tearmes Xenoph. Sympos And as cunning Cockmasters distrusting the weaknesse of their Cocks feed them with garlicke that yet they may annoy their aduersaries with the rancknesse of their breath so you seeing by pure strength of reason you were very vnlikely to preuaile against mee you thought yet with the stincking breath of slanderous and opprobrious speeches to molest and trouble mee For I pray you are not these the principall flowers of your Rhetoricke Quirks Elenchs Sophismes Crafty lies silly Sermon Monsters Antipistos you are no Constable Incke-horne-tearmes Itching-eares Fanaticall spirits Selfe-loue Contention Hypocrisie Desire of nouelties Niceties Falsities Vnlearned Ridiculous Blasphemous Hominis acumen your arguments sauour mightily of Popery your sacke is full of spiders you haue a minde to doe mischiefe Intolerable impudence you incurre fearefull iudgement you grieue Gods Spirit captious cauils Pure Bellarmine Pure Papist and six hundred other like phrases wherewith euery page yea line almost is farced and stuffed so that a man may sooner rid Augias stable then your Answer of them Certainly the fountaine cannot be sweet whose streames are so vnsauoury and the stomacke must needs bee full of many rotten and corrupt humours that sendeth forth such a pestilent and noisome breath But it seemes by the date of your writing it was towards dog-dayes when you endited it and you hoped to preuent a burning feuer or some such dangerous sicknesse by discharging your stomacke of so much filthy choler It had been no hard matter to haue come euen with you in the same kind and to vexe you with requiting like for like saue onely that I considered not so much what you deserue as what best becomes him who pleads the cause of truth For truth should bee maintained with the spirit of truth and sobernesse Herodot Polyhimn It is the nature indeed of reprochfull speeches as Syagrius the Spartan said to stirre prouoke a man vnto wrath yet ought it not so to preuaile vpon a wise man as to moue him inordinately or vndecently to reply Enuy may haue taught you to speake euill and a good conscience hath taught mee to contemne euill speeches you will needs bee lord of your tongue and I will bee as much lord of my eares And yet if sometimes I sprinckle a little salt vpon you or to fret away some of your ranke flesh apply smarting corrosiues vnto you Publ. Mim you must remember it is the intemperance of the Patient that makes the Physician cruell and according to the old saying they that rashly speake what they should not must sometime for punishment heare what they would not Fiftly and lastly it is your fashion not so much to care what you say as how loudly you cry hoping I thinke that as C. Marius sometime said Valer. Max. l. 5. c. 2. that Lawes could not bee heard in time of warre because of the clattering of armour so neither should the voice of truth bee heard in this dispute by reason of your vociferation and clamorousnesse For thus you come vpon mee How dare you deale thus That you dare bee so bold with what face can you accuse I tell you there is but one faith I tell you it is ridiculous and blasphemous I tell you Faith is a knowledge I
tell you the promise is not conditionall O hominis acumen argumentum lepidum O yee noble Schollers Wo vnto you You cannot escape Gods hand Quite contrary is this to your knowledge and conscience Goe dispute with Iesus Christ and tell him his Father deliuereth a blasphemous absurdity All Fathers all Writers old and new Greeke and Latin for 1600. yeeres besides many other such peremptory and confident speeches Instit Orator l 6. c. 5. Quintilian thought it scarce worthy to bee remembred in his Institutions that his Orator bee not turbulent and tumultuous as are they who are vnlettered and therefore I maruell how you who would bee counted as wise as Thales could forget your selfe so much as to imitate base barristers and pettifoggers Saue only Declam 18. as the same Quintilian saith it was necessary to auouch with as much contention of voice as might bee that which otherwise you could not proue that what affirmation it could not haue from truth it might receiue from your manner of speaking But Vanity saith Saint Augustin De ciuit Dei l. 5. c. 27. is wonderfull talkatiue yet is not therefore so powerfull as verity for if shee list shee can also bee lowder then verity For the shallower the brooke the more the murmure and the emptier the caske the greater the sound And therefore I would wish the Reader not to bee terrified with Torrents Enar. in Ps 57. as Saint Augustin speaketh whose waters make a noise for a time but presently will cease and cannot long continue For doubtlesse if they of the hot and dry countreyes of Tema and Sabaea repaire hither in hope to satisfy and quench their thirst Iob. 6.19.20 they shall as Iob saith returne confounded and ashamed because their brother hath deceiued them as a brooke and as the rising of riuers which suddenly are dryed vp and faile out of their places Iudg. 16.17 These Master Baxter are the Topicall places whence all your arguments are deduced and if I may so say the fiue locks wherein your chiefest strength lyeth What impressions they may haue made in the minds of simple people I cannot tell Plaut Paen. Hor. l. 1. Ep. 7. Perhaps they that cannot discerne betweene Conicall and true gold will bee content to receiue Lupins insteed of currant money and sounding words for sound proofes And indeed it is the manner of the vnskilfull vulgar though reiected and refused as most incompetent yet to beare themselues as iudges in euery cause how weighty soeuer and without taking any knowledge at all of the right issue to pronounce him ouercome that holds his peace and him to haue answered that hath not held his peace the controuersie to bee doubtfull or undecidable if both parties haue sayd alike much whither side speakes with more reason neither doe they attend and if they doe yet can they not vnderstand And because Vanity De ciuit Dei l. 5. c. 27. as wee haue obserued out of Saint Augustin is euermore talkatiue then verity and hee seemeth vnto them to haue spoken best who hath said most therefore doe they for the most part giue sentence against the truth for vaine talking But howsoeuer simple and ignorant people may iudge sure I am they that are wise and learned will esteeme the course you haue taken rather preiudiciall then any way auaileable vnto your cause For should a man as Iob saith Iob. 13.7 talke deceitfully for Gods cause or is the strength of truth so empaired that shee can no longer stand but by such wrie and sinister meanes Nay verily but shee is still of so noble and hautie a nature that shee scorneth to haue her conquests empeached by so base and dishonorable succors Deprauing of the aduersaries words and meaning impertinent digressions dissembling of his reasons and answers vnchristian reuelling and reproaching and tumultuous hoobubs and outcries are the vsuall weapons of those who resolue to fight in vnrighteous quarels But truth being pure and simple will not and standing firme vpon her owne base needs not and because falshood hath no subsistence but only by her cannot bee assisted and supported by such vniust and fraudulent policies Although therefore as I haue said these meanes may bee forcible inough to seduce and beguile simple people yet they that are wise and iudicious know that naked truth neuer comes disguised either in a Wolues or Foxes case but prudently discerning and separating betwixt passionate speeches and found reasons Rhetoricall flourishes and Logicall demonstrations vnnecessary circumstances and substantiall matter iudge alwayes of controuersies not by what is confidently said and affirmed but by what is reasonable alledged and proued And whosoeuer thou bee Christian Reader that art in this sort affected and qualified Deut. 33.8 Exod. 28.30 Mal. 2.7 especially if thou bee the man of Gods mercies vpon whose heart the Lords Vrim and Thummim are set whose lips preserue knowledge and at whose mouth the Law is to bee sought because thou art the Angell of the Lord of Hosts to thee and to thy vpright and vnpartiall censure doe I most humbly submit my selfe and my whole proceedings in this cause If thou approue Ps 141.5 it shall the more confirme and settle mee in the truth if thou reproue it shall not breake my head but bee vnto mee a most soueraigne and pretious ointment Iudge therefore betweene vs both indifferently and freely and the Lord giue thee a right iudgement in all things 2 Tim. 2.7 And thus Master Baxter haue you at length my whole and entire Apologie not importunately and violently wrested from mee as you say your Answer was from you but voluntarily of mine owne accord endited for the information and satisfaction of those who earnestly expect the issue of this combat Whereby the prudent and discreet Reader and I hope your selfe also may perceiue how small cause you had so vnseasonably to sing your Paean in your Prologue and to trumpet out victory before you were entred in the lists If for all this as yet you rest vnsatisfied the fault is your owne and not mine Eurip. for I cannot as Euripides saith fill him that is not staunch powring wise sayings into a man that is not wise And yet it may bee your Conscience and inward man are fully satisfied although ambition and vaine glory cause you to dissemble it If without all paraphrase and circumlocution I call a spade a spade and giue the right name vnto euery thing I beseech you beare a little with the ingenuity of my nature Plut. Apophth wee Macedonians are somewhat rude And yet I would haue you know that it is not so much your ignorance as your insolency which I inueigh against For Yuo Viliomar in Rob. Tit. as a late learned Humanist writeth There is no mortall man but is in some degree tainted with ignorance and this contagion haue wee drawne from mortality it selfe for man when hee erreth erreth because hee is a man