satisfied in any thing vnder God And so generally and absolutely denie that the Image of God can bee lost or blotted out These make a difference betweene the Image of God thus restrained to the largnesse and and admirable perfection of the naturall faculties of the soule and the similitude or likenesse of God which appeareth in the qualities and vertues of it making him that possesseth them partaker of the diuine nature which they confesse to be lost Now this similitude is all one with the Image of God in the second consideration set down by Aquinas and therefore in this matter Caluin erreth not but writeth that which is consonant vnto the truth Touching the second part of this imputation it is true that Origen erred thinking hell to be nothing else but horror of conscience But he that looketh in the place in Caluin cited by the Iesuite shall see that he saith no such thing but the cleane contrary So that the Reader shall finde Bellarnne to be constant and stil like himselfe adding one calumniation to another CHAP. 25. Of the heresie of the Peputians making women Priests THe fourth Heresie imputed vnto vs by our adversaries is that of the Peputians who gaue women authoritie to intermeddle with the sacred ministerie of the Church That we doe so likewise they indeavour to proue by misreporting the words of Luther There are two things therefore which Luther saith in the place alleadged by them First that in absolution and remission of sinnes in the supposed Sacrament of Penance a Bishop or ordinary Presbyter may doe as much as the Pope himselfe which Alphonsus à Castro writing against Heresies confesseth to bee true The second that when and where no Presbyter can be found to performe this office a Lay man yea or a woman in this case of necessitie may absolue which our adversaries neede not to thinke so strange seeing themselues giue power to women to baptise in case of necessitie which I thinke is as much a ministeriall acte as to absolue the penitent in such sort as absolution is giuen in the Church of Rome And yet they would thinke themselues wronged if from hence it should bee inferred that they make women Priests and Bishoppes But Bellarmine reporteth the wordes of Luther as if hee should say absolutely that a woman or childe hath as much power and authority from God in these things as any Presbyter or Bishop wherein hee is like himselfe Absolution in the Primitiue Church was the reconciling and restoring of penitents to the peace of the Church and to the Communion of the Sacraments from which during the time of their penitencie they were excluded This in reason none could doe but they to whom the dispensation of the Sacraments was committed and who had power to deny the Sacraments The Popish absolution is supposed to bee a Sacramentall acte Sacramentally taking away sinne and making the party absolued partaker of the remission of it This is a false and erronious conceite LVTHER thinketh it to bee a comfortable pronouncing and assuring of good to the humble penitent and sorrowfull sinner which though ordinarily and ex officio the Minister bee to doe yet may any man doe it with like effect when none of that ranke is or can be present Thus when the matter is well examined it is meerely nothing that Bellarmine can proue against Luther But that which hee addeth touching our late dread Soueraigne ELIZABETH of famous memorie that shee was reported and taken as chiefe Bishop within her dominions of England c. is more then a Cardinall lye and might beseeme the father of lyes better then any meaner professour of that facultie For the Kings and Queenes of England neither doe nor haue power to doe any ministeriall act or act of sacred order as to preach administer Sacraments and the like But that power and authority which we ascribe vnto them is that they may by their princely right take notice of matters of Religion and the exercise of it in their kingdomes That they may and in duty stand bound to see that the true Religion bee professed and God rightly worshipped That God hath giuen them the sword to punish all offenders against the first or second Table yea though they be Priests or Bishops That neither the persons nor the goods of Churchmen are exempted from their power That they holde their Crownes immediatly from God and not from the Romish Antichrist That it was the Lucifer-like pride of Antichrist which appeared in times past in the Popes wheē they shamed not to say that the Kings of England were their villanes vassalls and slaues Thus then the fourth supposed heresie we are charged with proueth to be nothing but a diuelish slander of this shamelesse Iesuite Wee say therefore to silence this slanderer that we all most constantly hold the contrary of that he imputeth vnto vs And that wee thinke there is no more daungerous or presumptuous wicked boldnesse then for any man not called set a part and sanctified therevnto to intermeddle with any part of the sacred ministerie of the Church CHAP 26. Of the supposed heresie of Proclus and the Messalians touching concupiscence in the regenerate THe fift heresie which hee endevoureth to fasten vpon vs is he saith the heresie of Proclus of whom Epiphanius maketh mention But what was the heresie of Proclus Let Bellarmine tell vs for our learning It was sayth he that sin doth alwayes continue and liue in the Regenerate for that concupiscence is truely and properly sin which is not taken away by Baptisme but only allaied stilled and brought as it were into a kind of rest and sleepe by force thereof and the working of faith In this Bellarmine sheweth his intolerable either ignorance or impudence or both For Epiphanius in the place cited by him refuteth the heresie of Origen who denied the resurrection of the bodies of men as thinking such bodily substances which we see are continually subject to alteration here in this world not capable of immortality And that God did put these bodies vpon Adam and Eue after their sin at that time when he is said to haue made them coates of skinnes This Epiphanius refuteth shewing that God who only hath immortality made man though out of the earth yet by the immediate touch of his owne hands that he breathed into him the breath of life for that he meant he should be immortall that man had flesh and blood and a true bodily substance before his fall as is prooued by that of Adam concerning Eue This is now flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone that there was no euill found in the World such as death is in the beginning that man voluntarily sinned against God and therevpon God brought in death that euen as the Schoolemaster vseth correction not for any delight he hath in it but for that thereby he intendeth to bring his Schollers to forsake their negligent and disordered courses and to
blood and the blood without the bodie and so a slaine and a crucified Christ if that naturall concomitance by reason whereof the one of them will not bee absent where the other becommeth present did not hinder their being asunder Thus then they say there is a true reall sacrificing of Christ in that as much as is on the part of the words pronounced and him that pronounceth them Christs bloud is againe powred out and hee consequently slaine This is the conceipt of Gregorius de Valentia and in this sorte hee imagineth Christ is daily newly sacrificed on the altar But besides that it is an impious thing for the priest to endeauour as much as in him lies to slay Christ and to powre out his bloud againe this proueth not a reall sacrificing of Christ but onely an indevour so to doe For his bloud is not powred out neither is hee slaine indeede So that as in the time of the old law if the priest reaching forth his hand to slay the beast that was brought to bee sacrificed had beene so hindred by something interposing it selfe that hee could not slay the same hee had offered no sacrifice but endeavoured onely so to doe so is it here Bellarmine therefore reiecteth this conceipt and hath another of his owne For hee sayth that Christ hath a two fold beeing the one naturall the other sacramentall The Iewes had him present amongst them visibly in his naturall being this beeing they destroyed and so killed and sacrificed him The Romish Priests haue him not so present neither can they destroy his naturall beeing and so kill him but they haue him present in a sacramentall presence and in a sacramentall being this beeing they destroy For consuming the accidents of bread and wine which are there left without substance and with which hee is present they make his presence there to cease and so cause him to loose that beeing which formerly hee there had Thus doe they suppose that they newly sacrifice Christ and destroy him in that being wherein hee is present with them And the Priests eating is not for refection but for consumption that hee may destroy Christ in that beeing wherein hee is present as the fire on the altar was wont to consume and destroy the bodies of those beasts that were put into it But first it is impious to thinke of destroying CHRIST in any sort For though it bee true that in sacrificing of Christ on the altar of the crosse the destroying and killing of him was implyed and this his death was the life of the world yet all that concurred to the killing of him as the Iewes the Roman souldiers Pilate and Iudas sinned damnably and soe had done though they had shed his bloud with an intention and desire that by it the world might be redeemed Soe in like sort let the Romish priestes haue what intention they will it is hellish and damnable once to thinke of the destroying of Christ in any sort And besides if it were lawfull for them so to doe yet all that they doe or can doe is not sufficient to make good a reall sacrificing of CHRIST Because all they doe or can doe is noe destroying of his beeing but onely of his being somewhere that is in the Sacrament For as if the things which were brought to be sacrificed in the time of the Law had beene only remoued out of some place into which they were brought or onely caused to cease to bee where they were and not what they were they could not truly haue beene sayd to haue beene sacrificed no more can it be truly said that Christ is really sacrificed in that the priests consuming the accidents of bread and wine vnder which they supposed him to be make him cease to be there any longer Hauing thus in their erring imaginations framed to themselues a reall sacrificing of Christ they beginne to dispute of the force and efficacie of it affirming that this reall offering and sacrificing of CHRIST by the priest is propitiatorie in that it pacifieth God and procureth and obtaineth grace and the gift of repentance that the sinner may come to the sacrament and so be iustified satisfactorie in that it applyeth the satisfaction of Christ and procureth remission of temporall punishments to them that by faith and repentance are alreadie free from the guilt of eternall condemnation meritorious because it obtaineth that grace whereby wee may merit and impetratory in that it obtaineth for vs and procureth to vs all desired good This force and efficacie they say it hath ex opere operato that is the verie offering and sacrificing of Christ in sort before expressed of it selfe hath force and power to obtaine and procure grace remission of sinnes and the like for all them for whom such offering is made if there bee no hinderance or impediment in themselues And that God hath tyed himselfe by promise to conferre such gifts and worke such effects soe often as the body and bloud of his sonne shall bee thus offered And farther they adde that it conferreth good and remoueth euill not infinitely but in a stinted and limited sort Nor in that limited sort equally in respect of all but in proportionable sort as the intendment of the Church is to apply this sacrifice more or lesse to the procuring of more or lesse And that therefore the benefitte that this sacrifice procureth is in one degree communicated to all faithfull ones liuing and dead in another to such as by the Churches appointment are specially named as the Pope King and Bishoppe or the like in another to them that procure the offering of this sacrifice in another to them that are present and stand by in another to them that minister and attend in another to the priest that sacrificeth and in another to whomsoeuer it pleaseth the priest to impart and communicate the benefitte and effect of this sacrifice For as Gregorius de Valentia alleadgeth out of â— Scotus it is to be thought that the priest that is the minister of this sacrifice may apply to whom hee will not only that which by worth of his personall merit in the religious performing of this seruice hee may deserue but some part also of that effect which this sacrifice hath ex opere operato and that God hath committed vnto him the effect which it hath in this kinde in some degree and sort to bee dispensed by him to whom hee thinketh good in recompence of his seruice And further they resolue that those effects which this sacrifice hath ex opere operato and are by the intendment of the Church communicated in different sort and degree to those diuers sorts of men before specified are equally communicated to each of those sorts according to their seuerall differences whether the sacrifice be offered for more or fewer As they that procure Masse to be said for them whether they bee more or fewer shall haue like effects wrought in them But that portion of this
entrance of sin precisely by the strength of his naturall faculties to do an act morally good then hee might haue made him selfe good of not good supposing that sometimes in the state of meere nature he had no act of will or at the least he might haue made himselfe of good better without the speciall helpe of God but this consequent must not be admitted for if Adam might thus haue done the good Angels might haue done soe but that is contrary to St Augustine his words are these Si boni Angeli fuerunt prius sine bonâ voluntate eamque in seipsis deo non operante fecerunt ergo meliores à seipsis quam ab illo facti sunt Absit At si non potuerunt seipsos facere meliores quaÌ„ eos ille fecerat quo nemo melius quic quam facit profecto bonam voluntatem quà meliores essent nisi operante adiutorio creatoris habere non possent that is If the good Angells were first without any good motion of will or the goodnesse of the will and afterwards God not working wrought it in themselues then they made themselues better then they were made of him which God forbid wee should euer thinke But if they could not make themselues better then he made them then whom no man can do any thing better truly vnles the helpe of their Creator wrought them to it they could not haue that goodnesse of wil whereby they might become better then they were before That which hee thus proueth touching the state of man before the fall is vndoubtedly true in the state of the fall and therefore all the most pious and iudicious men in euery age haue taught as wee now do that since the fall of Adam there is no power left in any of his posterity before they be renewed by grace to decline sinne or to doe any worke morally good and that may be truly named a worke of vertue And these cannot but farther agree with Ariminensis and vs touching the impotencie of nature before the entrance of sin to do any good act or act of vertue of it selfe without the addition of grace For if grace had not bin giuen in the state of the creation simply to inable to do good but that there had bin a power of doing good in nature without and before the addition of grace then vpon the losse of it there had followed no such impotencie in the present state as these men affirme there did and they that hold the other opinion denie All these affirme that all the posterity of Adam are plunged into such an estate of ignorance by this fall that without speciall illumination of grace they know not sufficiently concerning any thing that is to bee done or committed that it is to be done or committed and wherefore in what sort into such an estate of infirmity impotencie in respect of the will that they cannot will any thing that is to be willed for such cause and in such sort as it is to be willed and withsuch circumstances as are required to make an act to be morally good and truly vertuous St Austine sayth that Adam and Eue so soone as they had sinned were cast headlong into error misery and death that it was most iust they should soe be for what sayth hee is more iust then vt amittat quisque quo bene vti noluit cum sine vlla posset difficultate si vellet id est vt qui sciens rectè non facit aâ—…ittat scire quid rectuÌ„ sit qui rectè facere cum posset noluit amittat posse cuÌ„ velit that euery one should loose that which when with ease he might hee would not vse well that is that he that hauing knowledge doth not right should loose the knowledge of that which is right that he that would not do well when he might should loose the power of doing well when hee would And elsewhere speaking of the first sinne of the Angells and men hee sayth that when they fell Subintrauit ignorantia rerum agendarum concupiscentia noxiarum that is there entred in ignorance of things to bee done and desire of things hurtfull that are to be declined Prosper in his booke in defence of the preachers of grace against Cassian reprehendeth him because he had said in his collation de protectione Dei that Adam gained the knowledge of euill after his fall but lost not the knowledge of good which he had receiued telleth him that both these propositions are vntrue so that hee thinketh that Adam lost the knowledge of good Hugo de sancto Victore saith the first man was indued with a threefold knowledge cognitione scilicet creatoris sui ut cognosceret à quo factus erat cognitione sui ut cognosceret quid factus erat quid sibi faciendum erat deindè cognitione quoque illius quod secum factum erat quid sibi de illo in illo faciendum erat That is he was indued with knowledge of his Creator that he might know of whom he was made with knowledge of himself that he might know what he was made and what he was to doe lastly with knowledge of that which was made together with him what he was to doe with in it For no man is to doubt but that man had perfect knowledge of all those visible things that were made for him with him as much as pertained either to the instruction of his soule or the necessity of bodily vse This knowledge man hath not lost by the fall neither that whereby hee was to prouide things necessarie for the flesh and therefore God was not carefull afterwards to instruct him touching these things by the Scriptures but he was to bee taught that knowledge that concerneth the soule onely when hee was to be restored because he had lost that only by sinning And in the same place hee excellently describeth the knowledge of God that Adam had to haue bin not by hearing only from without as now but by inspiration within not that whereby now beleeuers by faith seeke after God as absent but that whereby by presence of contemplation he was more manifestly seene of him as knowing him And concludeth it is hard to expresse the manner of the diuine knowledge the first man had but that onely this is certaine that being taught visibly by inward inspiration he could no way doubt of his Creator In like sort the same Hugo sheweth most excellently that man hath lost all rectitude of will for whereas there was giuen to man a double desire iusti commodi of that which is just and that which is pleasing the one voluntary the other necessary that by the one he might merite or demerite by the other he might be punished or rewarded for if he had no desire of that is pleasing hee could neither be rewarded by hauing nor punished by being depriued He hath lost the one
ever after restore them againe Hoc est Angelis casus quod hominibus mors saith Damascene The reason why God limited so short a time to them and assigned so long a time to men was because they were spirituall substances all created at once and that in the empyreall heauens and so both in respect of nature condition and place were most readily prepared disposed and fitted for their immediate everlasting glorification so that it was fit there should be set vnto them a short time to make choice of their future state never after to be altered againe to wit till their first deliberate conuersion vnto him or auersion from him But man being created in a naturall body to fill the world with inhabitants by procreation being set in a place farre remooued even in an earthly paradise had a longer time set him before he should be in finall stay or haue his last judgement passe vpon him to wit till death for particular and till the end of the world for generall judgement when the number of mankind shall bee full These are the reasons that mooued Almighty God that spared not the Angels to shew mercie vnto the sonnes of men So that as god in the day of the creation called foorth all both men and Angels from among the rest of his creatures to whom he denied the knowledge enjoying of himselfe that these onely might know feare and worship him in his glorious Temple of the world and be vnto him a selected multitude and holy Church so when there was found amongst these a dangerous Apostasie and departure from him he held of the Angels so many as hee was pleased and suffered them not to decline or goe aside with the rest and raised vp and severed out of the masse of perdition whom hee would among the sonnes of men The Angels now confirmed in grace and those men whom in the multitude of his mercies he deliuereth out of the state of condemnation and reconcileth to himselfe doe make that happie society of blessed ones whom God hath loved with an everlasting loue This society is more properly named the Church of God than the former consisting of men and Angels in the state of that integrity wherein they were created in that they which pertaine to this happie company are called to the participation of eternall happinesse with the calling of a more mighty potent and prevailing grace then the other For whereas they were partakers onely of that grace which gaue them power to attaine vnto and continue in the perfection of all happie good if they would and then In tanta felicitate non peccandi facilitate in so great felicitie and facilitie of not offending left to themselues to doe what they would and to make their choice at their owne perill These are partakers of that grace which winneth infallibly holdeth inseparably and leadeth indeclinably in the wayes of eternall blessednesse CHAP. 4. Of the Church of the Redeemed ALl these aswell Angels that stood by force of grace vpholding them as men restored by renewing mercy haue a most happie fellowship among themselues and therefore make one Church of God yet for that the sonnes of men haue a more full communion and perfect fellowship being all delivered out of the same miseries by the same benefit of gracious mercie Therefore they make that more speciall society which may rightly be named the Church of the redeemed of God This Church began in him in whom sinne beganne euen in Adam the father of all the liuing repenting after his fall and returning to God For we must not thinke that God was without a Church among men at any time but so soone as Adam had offended and was called to giue an account of that he had done hearing that voice of his displeased Lord and Creator Adam where art thou that so he might know in what estate he was by reason of his offence the promise was made vnto him that the seede of the woman should breake the serpents head Yet for that Abel was the first that the Scripture reporteth to haue worshipped God with sacrifice and to haue beene divided from the wicked in whom GOD had no pleasure euen cursed Cain that afterward shed his innocent blood therefore we vsually say the Church or chosē company of the redeemed of the Lord began in Abel who being slaine by Cain God restored his Church again in Seth in whose race and posterity he continued his true worship till Noe. In whose time the wickednesse of men being full hee brought in the flood destroyed the whole world Noe onely and his family excepted whom he made a preacher of righteousnesse to the world before and after the flood and chose from among his children Sem his eldest sonne in whose race hee would continue the pure and sincere knowledge of himselfe and the expectation of that promised seede that should breake the serpents head This Sem was the father of all the sonnes of Heber of whom the people of god were afterwards named Hebrewes who was also as some thinke Melchisedech in whose posterity the true Church continued so that God vouchsafed to be called the God of Sem till the dayes of Abraham in whose time there being a great declining to Idolatry after the flood as there was in the dayes of Noe before the flood so that the defection was found not onely amongst those that descended of Cham and Iaphet but euen among the children of Sem and the sonnes of Heber also of whom Abraham was God called him out from his fathers house and gaue him the promise that he would make his seede as the starres of heaven in number that in his seede all the nations of the world should bee blessed and gaue him the seale of circumcision so that all posterities haue ever honoured him with the name and title of the father of the faithfull This man obtayned a sonne by promise in his old age when Sara his wife was likewise old and it ceased to bee with her after the manner of women and named his name Isaac of whom came Esau and Iacob concerning whom GOD pronounced ere they were yet borne or had done good or euill The Elder shall serue the yonger I haue loued Iacob and hated Esau. Iacob therefore prevailed with God and was named Israel the father of the twelue Patriarches of whom came the twelue Tribes of Israel and that chosen Nation of holy Hebrewes who were also named Iewes of Iudah the Patriarch to whom the Scepter and kingly dignity pertained to whom his fathers sonnes bowed according to the tenour of Iacobs blessing concerning whom the Lord did promise that the Scepter should not depart from Iudah nor a law giuer from betweene his feete till the Shilo were come Great was the honour of this people aboue all the Nations of the World for vnto them were committed the
which they are found and so leaue him in a state wherein hee hath nothing in himselfe that can or wil procure him pardon and other which though in themselues considered and neuer remitted they bee worthy of eternall punishment yet do not so farre preuaile as to banish grace the fountaine of remission of all misdoings All sinnes then in themselues considered are mortall a as Gerson doth excellently demonstrate First because euery offence against God may iustly bee punished by him in the strictnesse of his righteous iudgments with eternall death yea with annihilation which appeareth to be most true for that there is no punishment so euill and so much to be avoided as the least sin that may be imagined so that a man should rather choose eternall death yea vtter annihilation than committe the least offence in the world Secondly the least offence that can be imagined remaining eternally in respect of the staine and guilt of it though not in act as do all sinnes vnremitted must bee punished eternally for else there might some sinnefull disorder and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remaine not ordered by diuine iustice But wheresoeuer is eternity of punishment men are repelled from eternall life and happinesse and consequently euery offence that eternally remaineth not remitted excludeth from eternall glorie and happinesse and is rightly iudged a mortall and deadly sinne All sinnes then are mortall in them that are strangers from the life of God because they haue dominion and full command in them or are ioyned withsuch as haue and so leaue no place for grace which might cry vnto God for the remission of them But the elect and chosen seruants of God called according to purpose doe carefully indevour that no sinnes may haue dominion ouer them therefore notwithstanding any degree of sinne they runne into they retaine that grace which can and will procure pardon for all their offences Thus all sinnes in themselues considered and neuer repented of forsaken nor remitted are mortall All sinnes that against the Holy Ghost excepted are veniall ex eventu that is such as may bee and oftentimes are forgiuen through the mercifull goodnes of God though there be nothing in the parties offending while they are in such state of sinne that either can or doth cry for remission The sinnes of the just not done with full consent and therefore not excluding grace the property whereof is to procure the remission of sinnes are said to be veniall because they are such and of such nature as leaue place in that soule wherein they are for grace that may and will procure pardon By that which hath beene said I hope it doth appeare that we teach nothing touching the difference of veniall and mortall sinnes that Bellarmine himselfe can except against and that wee differ very much from the Pelagians who thought that no sinfull defect can stand with grace or a state of acceptation and fauour with God For we reject this their conceit as impious and hereticall doe confesse that all sinnes not done with full consent may stand with grace and so be rightly named veniall CHAP. 33. Of the heresie of Nestorius falsely imputed to Beza and others THe next heresie it pleaseth this heretical Romanist to charge vs with is that of the Nestorians Let vs see how he indeauoureth to fasten this impiety vpon vs. First saith he the Nestorians contemned the Fathers and so doe the Protestants therefore they are Nestorians The consequence of this argument we will not now examine But the Minor proposition is most false For we reverence and honour the Fathers much more then the Romanists doe who pervert corrupt and adulterate their writings but dare not abide the tryall of their doctrines by the indubitate writings of antiquity Secondly saith he the Nestorians affirmed that there were two persons in Christ and so divided the vnity of his Person But the Protestants thinke so likewise Therefore they are Nestorians The assumption we deny and he doth not so much as indeavour to proue it but proceedeth particularly to proue Beza a Nestorian heretique in which hee hath as ill successe as he had in the rest of his slanderous imputations Beza saith he teacheth that there are two hypostaticall vnions in Christ Ergo two hypostases or persons which was the heresie of Nestorius The consequence of this argument is too weak to inforce the intended conclusion For when Beza saith There are two hypostaticall vnions in Christ the one of the body and soule the other of the nature of God and man hee doth not conceiue that the vnion of the body and soule doe in Christ make a distinct humane person or subsistence different from that of the Sonne of God for hee euery-where confesseth that the humane nature of Christ hath no subsistence but that of the Sonne of God communicated to it but hee therefore calleth it an hypostaticall vnion because naturally it doth cause a finite distinct humane person or subsistence and so would haue done here if the nature flowing out of this vnion had not beene assumed by the sonne of God and so prevented and stayed from subsisting in it selfe and personally sustained in the person of the sonne of God This doctrine is so farre from heresie that he may justly be suspected of more then ordinarie malice that will traduce it as hereticall Yet hath Beza to stop the mouthes of such clamorous aduersaries long since corrected and altered this forme of speech which hee had sometimes vsed CHAP. 34. Of the heresies of certaine touching the Sacrament and how our men denie that to bee the body of Christ that is carried about to bee gazed on THe sixteenth heresie imputed to vs is the heresie of certaine who what they were the Iesuite knoweth not nor what their heresie was as it should seeme by his doubtfull and vncertaine manner of speaking of it This vnknowen heresie defended by he knoweth not whom he sayth Caluine Bucer Melancthon and other worthy and renowned Diuines with whom he is no way matchable either in pietie or learning though hee weare a Cardinals hatte doe teach But what monster of heresie is it that these men haue broached Surely that Christs body is not in the Sacrament or sacramentall elements but in reference to the vse appointed by Almighty God nor longer than the Sacrament may serue for our instruction and the working of our spirituall vnion with Christ and that therefore it is not the body of Christ that dogs swine and mice doe eate as the Romanists are wont to blaspheme and that it is not fit to dispute as their impious Sophisters doe of the passage of it into the stomacke belly and draught of vomiting it vp againe and resuming it when it is vomited with infinite other like fooleries which euery modest man loatheth and shameth to heare mentioned Secondly that it is not the body of Christ which the Popish Idolaters carrie about in their pompous solemne and pontificall Processions to be
they desire to be tryed AN APPENDIX WHEREIN IT IS CLEARELY PROVED THAT THE LATINE OR WEST CHVRCH IN WHICH THE POPE TYRANNIZED VV AS AND CONTINVED A TRVEORTHODOXE AND PROTESTANT CHVRCH AND THAT THE DEVISERS AND MAINTAINERS OF ROMISH ERROVRS and superstitious abuses were onely a faction in the same at the time when Luther not without the applause of all good men published his propositions against the prophane abuse of Papall indulgences To the Reader THis Appendix when first published by the Author contained only some briefe quotations vpon seuerall points of difference betweene us and the Papistes showing that the nowe Romish faith was neuer generally receiued in the VVesterne or Latine Church in the dayes of our Fathers no not then when the darke mist of Poperie seemed to haue ouershadowed all things The Author not long before he died intended an inlargment of it in the seuerall particulars but being preuented by death liued not to finish what hee had begun So much as was finished of it comming to my hands I thought my selfe bound in duty not to depriue the world of I haue therefore so farre aduentured to hazard the credit of the Author as to make it publique though something imperfect and wanting that lustre and beauty which it might haue receiued from the last hand of the Author if God had lent him longer life As it is it may serue if for no other vse yet for this as a platforme to shew what might be done in this kind and what the Author intended I make no question but a fauourable Reader will looke on it as wee vse to looke on the foundations of stately buildings the finishing whereof hath beene hindred by some fatall accident the very ruines whereof breede in us astonishment and amazement while we consider not what they are but what they might haue beene The twelue first chapters of this Appendix are enlarged the rest remaine as they were formerly set forth The quotations contained in that part which hath beene added I haue compared and amended if any where they differed from the Originalls whence they were taken and the truth of them I am able to iustifie If the world shall reape any benifit by the worke or if I may be thought by my paines bestowed on it to haue performed that duty wich I owe vnto the memorie of a deare father I haue my desire and so I rest Yours in all due respect NATHANIEL FIELD AN ANSWER TO Mr Brerelyes obiection concerning the Masse publiquelie vsed in all Churches at LVTHERS appearing WHereas to silence our adversaries who neuer cease challenging vs for departing from the faith of our Fathers and the doctrine of the Church wherein they liued and died I affirmed in my 3◠Booke that none of those erroneous positions which at this day they of the Romish faction doe defend and wee impugne were euer constantly receiued in the dayes of our Fathers as the doctrine of that Church wherein they liued and died but onely doubtfully disputed of as things not clearely resolued or broached onely as the priuate fancies and conceipts of particular men and for proofe heereof heeretofore added an Appendix wherein I produced the testimonies of sundry worthy Pastours and guides of the Church in euery age teaching as we doe touching the points now controversed It hath pleased some of the adverse faction to take exceptions to the same my assertion I will first therefore set downe such objections as they haue made and answere the same and then enlarge my former proofes that all that will not be wilfully blinde may see the trueth of that which I affirmed The principall man that shewed himselfe in this kinde is M ◠Brerelie the Author of the booke entitled the Protestant Apologie And after him the author of the answer to Mr D Whites way to the Church M Brerelie in the first tract pag. 139 hath these words It is beyond beleefe and very wonderment that D Field a man otherwise graue and learned should not be abashed by his publique writing so confidently to averre of our so many Christian Catholique Churches dispersed thorough the world at Luthers first appearing that they were all of them the true Protestant Churches of God And that they which then beleeued those damnable errours which the Romanists now defend were a particular faction onely contrary to the confession of so many learned Protestants And in his 2 tract cap. 2. sect 2 pag. 329. hee hath these words In this vndue sort doth Illyricus place in his catalogue of Protestant witnesses Gerson Aquinas and sundry of our Schoolemen all of them vndoubtedly knowne Catholiques and we could giue like farther example of S. Bernard Erasmus Mirandula and sundry other knowne Catholique Writers whom our adversaries in like manner doe vnjustly claime to bee of their Church D Field a prime adversarie and for such was together with the Bishops and Deanes summoned to the conference before his Majestie in Ianuarie 1603 as appeareth by the said conference forbeareth not in these straits to inforce the like vndue and intollerable bold claime to the many Catholiques a particular faction of them onely excepted dispersed thorough the world at and next before Luthers first appearing And in his third Booke of the Church cap. 12. pag. 85 saith nothing is done in the Protestant reformation which Camaracensis Picus Savanarola Gerson and innumerable other worthy guides of Gods Church long before thought 〈◊〉 fit to bee done And pag. 330 Mr Brerelie addeth these wordes D. Feild of the Church l. 3. c. 6. sayth it is most fond friuolous that some demaund where our Church was before Luther began For we say it was where now it is and that it was the knowne apparant Church in the world where all our Fathers liued died And most exceeding boldly hee there farther sayth none of the poynts of false doctrine errour which the Romanists now maintaine we condemne were the doctrines of that Church constantly deliuered or generally receiued but doubtfully broached and factiously defended by some certaine only And booke the third cap. 8. pag. 76 he proceedeth yet farther with like incredible boldnesse saying we must farther beleeue that all the Churches in the world wherein our Fathers liued died were the true Churches of God that they that taught the errours the Romanists now defend against vs were a faction only as they that denied the resurrection vrged circumcision despised the Apostles of Christ were in the Churches of Corinth Galatia Who can without amazement and wonder behold this incredible boldnesse For was not the Masse wherein are comprehended so many cheife points of our Religion the publique liturgie solemnly celebrated in all Churches at Luthers first appearing Was then the externall face of religion any other then our now professed Catholique faith Was Protestancie then so much as in beeing No marvaile then if our aduersaries doubt not to make vndue and pretended claime to the auncient Fathers seeing they blush
that the Church of God taught as wee do that concupiscence in it owne nature is a sinne making guilty of grieuous punishment that when it is weakned and ceaseth to be so potent as formerly it was yet it ceaseth not to be of the same kind that formerly it was as Gregorius Ariminensis sheweth and therefore seeing it was before a sin it is still in some sort a sin that God hating it before he hateth it still we also are to hate it by all meanes to seeke to weaken and destroy it Cassander sayth that a very worthy and famous diuine affirmeth that it is sin in the regenerate though it be not imputed And he addeth that the difference between them that say it is sin and them that say it was sin properly made guilty of condemnation but now being weake ned the guilt taken away it is not properly sinne is a meere logomachia And therefore in the conference at Wormes the colloquutors agreed touching this point the forme of their agreement is this We confesse with vnanimous consent that all that come of Adam according to the ordinary course are borne in originall sinne and vnder the wrath of God Originall sinne is the priuation and want of originall righteousnes ioyned with concupiscence We agree also that the guilt of originall sinne is remitted in baptisme together with all other sinnes by the merit of Christs passion But we thinke that concupiscence a vice or fault of nature an infirmity and disease remaineth taught soe to thinke not only by the apostolicall scriptures but by experience also And touching this disease wee agree that that which is materiall in originall sinne remaineth in the regenerate that which is formall being taken away by baptisme And wee call that the materiall part of originall sinne that tooke beginning from sin that inclineth vnto sinne and repugneth against the law of God as Paul also calleth it and in this sort it is briefely sayd in the Schooles that the materiall part of originall sinne remaineth in the baptized and that the formall is taken away By the formall part of sinne they vnderstand the priuation or want of those diuine graces that should cause the knowledge loue and feare of God the inordinate inclination to loue ourselues and finite things so as not to regard God and the consequent guilt of condemnation accompanying such priuation and inordinate inclination by the materiall part they vnderstand not concupiscence as it is in strength captiuating all to the sinister loue of our selues and things finite but as weakened it still solliciteth to evill but so that easily it may be resisted if wee make right vse of the grace that God hath giuen vs this remainder of concupiscence is euill inclineth to euill God hateth it and we must hate it c. And therefore it is most absurd that the councell of Trent hath that God hateth nothing in the regenerate and the reason they giue is very weake that therefore he hateth nothing in them because there is no condemnation vnto them for many things may be disliked in them that shall not be condemned It remaineth that wee speake concerning first motions Bonauentura describeth first motions to be the motions of sensuality according to the impulsion of concupiscence impetuously tending to the fruition of a delectable creature First motions saith hee are either primò primi or secundò primi primò primi sunt naturales secundò primi sunt sensualitatis primò primi sequuntur naturalium qualitatum actionem secundò primi imaginationem these first motions hee pronounceth to be sinne for three causes First because they moue to that which they should not and to that which is vnlawfull Secondly because they are in a sort voluntary though not in themselues yet in that they are not hindred by the will or in respect of precedent apprehension Thirdly they are sinne in respect of delight annexed for when the soule is ioyned by delight to the creature it is darkned and made worse as when it is ioyned to God it is inlightened and bettered These sayth he are veniall sinnes because the will hath not a compleate dominion ouer these motions of sensuality as ouer those acts that proceed from the command of the wil but yet it might haue hindered them therefore they are veniall sins so they continue so long as they stay proceed not so farre as to haue the willes consent but if they proceede so farre as that the will consenteth to take delight therein though not to proceede to action it is a mortall sinne This is the opinion of Bonauenture a cardinall and a canonized Saint and with him agree sundry others soe that in this point the Church formerly taught as wee do now CHAP. 9. Of the distinction of veniall and mortall sinne BEllarmine saith that the Romanists with one consent do teach that some sinnes in their owne nature no respect had to predestination or reprobation to the state of men regenerate or not regenerate are mortall other veniall and that the former make men vnworthy of the fauour of God and guilty of eternall condemnation the other onely subiect them to temporall punishments and fatherly chastisements But wee knowe the Church of God beleeued otherwise For first Gerson proueth that euery offence against God may iustly be punished by him in the strictnesse of his righteous iudgment with eternall death yea with vtter annihilation because there is no punishment so euill and so much to be auoyded as the least sinne that may be imagined So that a man should rather choose eternall death yea vtter annihilation then committe the least offence in the world Secondly he proueth the same because all diuines do agree that wheresoeuer there is eternity of sinne there must be eternity of punishment now where there is no remission there sinne must of necessity remaine for euer for though sinne soone cease in respect of the act yet euery sinne remaineth after the act is past in respect of the staine and guilt till it be remitted whence it followeth that euery sinne in it owne nature and without grace to remitte it remaineth eternally and deserueth eternity of punishment and is mortall Wee say therefore that some sinnes are mortall and some veniall not because some deserue eternity of punishment and others do not for all deserue eternity of punishment and shall eternally be punished if they remaine without grace and vnremitted eternally but because some sins either in respect of the matter wherein men do offend or ex imperfectione actus in that they are not committed with full consent exclude not grace the roote of remission and pardon out of the soule of him that committeth them whereas other either in respect of the matter wherein they are conuersant or the full consent wherewith they are committed cannot stand with grace Soe that contrary to Bellarmines position no sin is veniall in it owne nature without respect had to the
him in the way of vertue and well-doing so amongst the children the elder should help the yonger the stronger and more excellent the weaker and more meane none could be fitter to assist him in the Kingly and Priestly office while he liued and to succeed him in the same when he died then the first-borne the beginning of strength the excellencie of dignity and the excellencie of power And heereupon we shall finde that from the beginning the first borne excelled the rest in three things For first he was Lord ouer his brethren according to that of Isaac blessing Iacob the yonger in steed of the elder and thereby preferring him to the dignity of the first-borne Be Lord ouer thy brethren and let thy mothers children bow downe vnto thee Secondly he had a double portion thirdly he was holy vnto God which dignity as it belonged formerly euen frō the beginning to the first-borne as being most worthy excellent so was it confirmed when God striking all the first borne in Egypt spared the first born of the Israelites This praeeminence of the first borne continued the eldest euer succeeding in the Kingly and Priestly office vnlesse for impiety or cause best knowen to God he were reiected by him till the time that Israel came out of Aegypt and the Church of God became nationall For then according to the tenor of Iacobs blessing these priuiledges were diuided Iudah had the Scepter Leui the Priesthood and Ioseph the double portion in that two of his Sonnes Ephraim and Manasses became Patriarches and Heads of tribes and had equall inheritance in the land of promise with the sonnes of Iacob So that in the societies of faithfull and holy ones from the first man that God made till Aaron was sanctified to bee a Priest vnto God in steed of the first borne the eldest alwayes vnlesse for impiety or other cause best knowen to God hee were reiected by him had the Kingly and Priestly direction of the rest So when Cain the eldest Sonne of Adam and first that was borne of a woman to whom the dignity of the first borne did pertaine was for his impiety reiected from that honour and Abel who by fayth offered a better sacrifice then hee was slaine by him God raysed vp Seth who being taught by Adam his father touching the Creation the fall the punishments of sinne and the promised Sauiour assisted him while hee lived in guiding the people and Church of God and succeeded him in the same gouernment after his death In like sorte Enosh assisted and succeeded Seth and dying left that honour to Kenan Kenan to Mahalaleel Mahalaleel to Iered Iered suruiuing Enoch his son whom God translated left it to Methusalem Methusalem to Lamech the father of Noe in whose time the children of God that is the posterity of Seth marying with the daughters of men that is such as came of wicked Cain highly displeased almighty God who therevpon appoynted him to bee a preacher of repentance vnto them whom when they contemned and despised hee brought in the floud and destroyed both them and all the inhabitants of the world Noe and his family onely excepted Noe gouerned the Church before and after the floud and left the same office and dignity to Sem his eldest sonne saying Blessed bee the God of Sem and let Canaan be his servant The Lord perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem. Sem begat Arphaxad Arphaxad Sale Sale Heber Heber Phaleg Phaleg Rehu Rehu Serug Serug Nachor Nachor Thare Thare Abraham and Abraham Isaac All these onely Heber and Isaac excepted he suruiued so that dying he left the right of his office dignity to Isaac Heber hauing corrupted his wayes This Sem the Iewes thinke to haue beene Melchizedek that met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the Kings that brought out bread and wine to refresh his wearied troupes and blessed him in the name of the Lord as being a Priest of the high God Thus then Sem gouerned the Church in his time and dying in part left his honour to Isaac soiourning as a stranger in Canaan Isaac to Iacob Iacob to Iudah and his sonnes who liuing in Aegypt in bondage with the rest of their brethren could not freely exercise the Kingly and Priestly office nor performe the things pertayning therevnto So that none of these succeeded Sem in the fulnesse as well of Kingly as Priestly power CHAP. 3. Of the diuision of the preeminences of the first borne amongst the sonnes of Iacob when they came out of Aegypt and the Church of God became Nationall BVt when it pleased Almighty God who chose vnto himselfe the posteritie of Israel and sonnes of Iacob as his peculiar portion and inheritance aboue all the nations of the world to bring them with a mighty hand and out stretched arme out of the land of Aegypt and the house of bondage to the land which he promised to their fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob to make of them a mighty people then the former kinde of gouernment which was domesticall not so well fitting a people as a houshold he setled another in steed of the first borne which formerly in each family and kindred was both a King and Priest he chose the tribe of Iudah to sway the scepter and to be a lawgiuer to the rest of of his people and the tribe of Leui to attend his Tabernacle and seruice and out of all the families of that tribe tooke Aaron and his sonnes to serue in the Priests office appointing the rest to meaner seruices about the Sanctuary or to bee assistants to the Priests and rulers in the gouernment of the people CHAP 4. Of the separation of Aaron and his sonnes from the rest of the sonnes of Leui to serue in the Priests office and of the head or chiefe of that company THE Priests the sonnes of Aaron whom God separated from the rest of their brethren the sonnes of Leui were of two sorts For there was an high Prieste and there were others of an inferiour condition Touching the high Priest foure things are to obserued First his consecration Secondly the things that were required in him that was to be consecrated to so sacred a function Thirdly his imployment and Fourthly his attire The consecration of the high Priest was seauen daies in performing in this sort 1. He that was to be consecrated was brought before the Altar 2. Then he was washed with water and clothed with those sacred garments which God had prescribed holy oyle was poured on his heade sacrifice was offered on the Altar for his sanctification and his garments were sprinkled with the blood of it The things that were required in him that was to serue in the high Priests office were these Hee might not be defectiue nor deformed in body His wife must be a virgin not a widdow not one that had beene diuorced nor that had beene infamous
Originall importeth no such thing as he endeauoureth to proue But to take away all doubt touchâ—…ng the words of Peter there is a decree of the Tridentine Councell that the Romanists in all their disputations readings and sermons shall vse the Vulgar translation and no way dare to refuse the authority of it vnder any pretence whatsoeuer Now in the ordinarie readings of the Vulgar Translation the words of the Apostle doe lie in this sort Christ dyed for sinners the iust for the vniust that hee might offer vs to God mortified in the flesh but quickened in the Spirit in which Spirit he went and preached c. So that according to this reading the Apostle speaketh not of Christs quickening but of our quickning in the Spirit which cannot be vnderstood of the humane Soule of Christ but of the Spirit of sanctification whence it followeth that Christ going to preach in that Spirit by the force whereof we are quickned made aliue from the death of sin went in his eternall spirit of Deity not in his humane Soule But saith Bellarmine it cannot be sayd properly but Metaphorically onely that Christ did goe in his eternall Spirit of Deitie to preach to the old world Suppose it to be so Is it so strange a thing that such locall motions should be Metaphorically attributed vnto God that we should therevpon deny the going of Christ to preach to haue beene in his eternall Spirit of Deitie Doe wee not often reade in Scripture of Gods comming downe to see what thinges are done on earth But it is hard to vnderstand by Spirits in prison the soules of men shut vp in the prisons of their bodies and in the darke dungeons of ignorance and impiety as Augustine doth and therefore we must not follow his interpretation Surely it is true that it is something hard to vnderstand these words of the Apostle as S. Augustine doth and therefore we rather follow the interpretation of Andradius before mentioned who expoundeth the words of the Apostle so as Augustine doth saue that he thinketh that they to whom Christ preached in his eternall Spirit in the daies of Noe are named spirits in prison not for that they were so when hee preached to them but when Peter wrote of them Thus wee see the Cardinall hath not yet greatly weakned any of Augustines reasons One reason more S. Augustine hath so forcible and strong to confirme the interpretation hee followeth that I thinke the Iesuite will hardly be able to say much against it If the Apostle saith S. Augustine had meant to describe the descending of Christ in his humane soule to deliuer the Patriarches hee would not haue expressed his meaning by saying Hee went and preached to the spirits in prison sometimes disobedient in the daies of Noe. For to say aâ—… Bellarmine doth that Christ went and preached onely to the good spirits in Limbus but that the Apostle describing the same nameth the disobedient in the dayes of Noe lest it might bee thought that they all perished is friuolous seeing there was no reason why the Apostle in describing the descending of Christ into Limbus should bee so carefull to let all men know that they did not all perish that contemned the preaching of Noe and besides if the Apostle had meant any such thing hee would haue added that howsoeuer these men were disobedient for a time yet they did afterwards repent obeying the voyce of God speaking by the mouth of Noe. If any man shall aske as Bellarmine doth why Peter should mention Christs preaching in his eternall Spirit to them in the dayes of Noe more then to them in the dayes of Abraham or Moses the answere is easie for therefore doth hee mention them rather then any other because they that liued before the floud were men of another world are named the old world it was the greatest mutation of the world that euer was before or since that followed vpon the refusall of Christs preaching by the mouth of Noe who was the same then that he is now the same yesterday to day for euer That which the Cardinall hath in the conclusion that the Fathers generally beleeued that Christ descended into Hell wee thinke to be most true but that the soules of all the iust were in Hell till the resurrection of Christ and then deliuered thence is not the opinion of the Fathers For Augustine clearly denieth that the spirits of the just dying before Christ were in Hell till the comming of Christ touching the rest of them some thought that the Spirits of the just are shall bee in a place of sequestration separate from the presence of God till the generall resurrection so that according to their opinion Christ by descending into Hell did not deliuer them from thence of which opinion wee finde Irenaeus Tertullian some others to haue beene Some there were that thought that Christ deliuered out of the lowest Hell such as beleeued in him when hee came thither and some that hee went not to Hell to deliuer any from thence but to preserue keepe such from going thither as otherwise should haue gone thither if by vertue of his descending they had not beene preserued from falling into that hideous deuouring gulfe So that though it were euer most certainly resolued that Christ descended into Hell to triumph ouer the prince of darkenesse to fasten condemnation to the Diuell and his Angells and to preserue all beleeuers and faithfull ones from falling into the pit of destruction yet as it appeareth by Augustines Epistle to Euodius there was no certaine resolution amongst the Ancient whether Christ deliuered any or all or whom he deliuered if any when he went into Hell CHAP. 20. Of the Merite of Christ of his not meriting for himselfe and his meriting for vs. HAuing spoken sufficiently of the sufferings of Christ and his descending into Hell it remaineth that in the next place wee come to speake of his merite where we must obserue three things First whether he might or did merite Secondly whether he merited for himselfe Thirdly how and in what sort he merited for vs. The first of these questions is moued because Christ being in termino and comprehensor that is in possession of all desired blessednes and seeing God face to face euen while he liued heere may seeme to haue beene extra statum merendi that is in such a state and condition wherein there is no place for merite and so not to haue merited to merit being proper to them that are viatores that is men journeying towardes the possession of Heauen-happines not yet attained Wherefore for the clearing of this point the Diuines doe note that Christ in his humane nature in the dayes of his flesh was both Viator and Comprehensor in termino and extra terminum that is both a man journeying toward heauen-happinesse one that had already attained it being already come to the vttermost
Ambrose vpon Luke that the words of Almighty God which we read in Hieremie are to be vnderstood of a temporall kingdome and the words of the Angell of a spirituall and eternall kingdome That Christ was not a temporall King by right of election hee proueth by that of Christ himselfe when he saith O man who hath made me a judge or a diuider among you And by that of S. Iohn where he saith that When Christ knew they meant to come take him make him a King he fled againe himselfe alone into a mountaine So that he neither was chosen nor would haue accepted of any such choise That by right of conquest and victory hee was not a temporall King it appeareth in that his warre was not with mortall Kings to depriue them of their kingdomes but with the prince of darkenesse according to that of the Apostle To this purpose did the Sonne of God appeare that he might dissolue the workes of the Diuell And that againe Now is the Prince of this world cast out And that of Saint Paule who speaking of Christ sayth That spoyling principalities and powers hee made a shew of them openly triumphing ouer them in himselfe So that his warrefare was not by carnall weapons to get himselfe an earthly kingdome but by spirituall weapons mightie through God to get a spirituall kingdome that hee might reigne in the hearts of men by faith and grace where Sathan reigned before by infidelity disobedience and sinne Lastly that he was no temporall king by any speciall gift of God his Father it is euident out of his owne words when he saith My kingdome is not hence For as the Fathers note vpon these words Christ meant by so saying to put Pilate out of doubt that he affected no temporall kingdome And therefore the sence of his words must needes be this I am a King but not in such sort as Caesar and Herod My kingdome is not of this world that is The supports of it are not things of this world it doth not consist in honour riches and power of this world This thing the Cardinall farther proueth to be true because he came to minister and not to be ministred vnto to be judged and not to judge and by his whole course of conuersation shewed the same neuer taking vpon him to do any kingly act For whereas hee cast out the buyers and sellers out of the Temple it rather pertained to the Priestes office then the kings according to that which wee read in the old Testament that the Priest draue the king himselfe out of the Temple when disorderly he presumed to do things not pertaining to him and yet he did it not by any Priestly or kingly authority but after the manner of Prophets by a kind of diuine zeale like that wherewith Phinchees was moued to kill the adulterer and adulteresse and Elias to slay the Prophets of Baal This most true opinion of the Cardinall that Christ was no temporall king is farther confirmed in that such a kind of kingdome had not beene necessary Nay it had beene an hinderance to the worke he had in hand which was to perswade to the contempt of glorie honour riches pleasures and all such other earthly things wherewith the Kings of the earth abound and by suffering death to ouercome him that had the power of death and to reconcile the world vnto God And besides in that all the places where any mention is made of the kingdome of Christ are necessarily vnderstood of a spirituall and eternall kingdome So in the Psalme I am apointed of him a King to preach his commandement And againe in the booke of Daniel In their dayes shall God raise vp a kingdome which shall not be destroyed for euer And of his kingdome there shall be no end Whereas the kingdomes of men continue but for a time and therefore if Christ had beene a King in such sort while he was vpon the earth as men are he had ceased to be so when hee left the earth And then it could not haue beene true that of his kingdome there should be none end Nay seeing the kingdome of the Iewes was possessed by the Romanes at or immediately after the time of the departure of Christ out of the world and afterwards by the Saracens and Turkes how could that of Daniel haue beene fulfilled that his kingdome shall not be giuen to another people if his kingdome had beene like the kingdomes of men So it is true that Christ came into the world to be a king and that GOD gaue him the seate of Dauid his father But this kingdome was diuine spirituall eternall and proper vnto him in that hee was the Sonne of God and in that he was God and Man But a temporall kingdome such as the sonnes of men haue he had not And heereupon Saint Augustine bringeth in Christ speaking in this sort Audite Iudaej Gentes audi circumcisio audi praeputium audite omnia regnae terrena non impedio dominationem vestram in hoc mundo c. that is Heare O Iewes and Gentiles heare circumcision and vncircumcision heare all ye kingdomes of the earth I hinder not your dominion and rule in this world because my kingdome is not of this world Feare not therefore with that most vaine and causelesse feare wherewith Herod feared and slew so many innocent babes being cruell rather out of feare then anger and so forward shewing that the Kingdome of Christ is meerely spirituall and such as no way prejudiceth the kingdomes of men Which the Glosse confirmeth noting that Christ while hee was yet to liue longer in this world when the multitudes came to make him a King refused it but that when hee was ready to suffer he no way reproued but willingly accepted the hymnes of them that receiued him in triumphant manner and welcommed him to Hierusalem honouring him as a King because hee was a King not hauing a temporall and earthly kingdome but an heauenly Whereunto Leo agreeth shewing that Herod when hee heard a Prince was borne to the Iewes feared a successour but that his feare was vaine and causelesse saying O caeca stultae aemulationis impietas quae perturbandum putas divinum tuo furore consilium Dominus mundi temporale non quaerit regnumqui praestat aeternum that is Oblinde impietie of foolish emulation which thinkest to trouble and hinder the Counsels of God by thy furie The Lord of the World who giueth an eternall Kingdome came not into the World to seeke a temporall kingdome And Fulgentius accordeth with him saying The golde which the Sages offered to Christ shewed him to bee a King but not such a King as will haue his Image and superscription in the coyne but such an one as seeketh his image in the sonnes of men Whence it followeth he was no temporall or mundane King seeing they haue their images and superscriptions in their
their places onely debarring them from further promotion and prescribing that the Decree of Syricius shall take place in time to come and that such as knowe of it and disobey it shall bee remoued from their places The first Councell of Turon holden in the yeare foure hundred foure score and two sought to remitte something of the seuerity of some particular Councels wherein the Bishoppes directed by the prohibition of Syricius and Innocentius had gone too farre The words of the Councell are these Though our Fathers out of the authoritie committed to them decreed that what Priest or Deacon soeuer should bee found to begette children of their wiues should bee put from the communion of the Lord yet wee moderating this extreame seuerity and by a more equall constitution mollifying and mitigating that which was too hard haue decreed That a Priest or Deacon continuing in Matrimoniall society with his wife and not ceasing from the procreation of children shall not bee lifted vp to any higher degree nor offer sacrifice vnto God nor minister to the people but let this be enough for them that they are not put from the Communion Thus wee see that within a short time after the publishing of these Decrees the Bishoppes were forced out of due consideration to remit something of that seuerity that some other set on by Syricius and Innocentius had vsed till at length the execution of these Decrees was in a manner wholy neglected as vnprofitable and too heauy a burthen for the Ministers of the Church to beare Whereupon we shall finde that in all the Prouinces of the West the Presbyters and Deacons of the Church were married at that time that Hildebrand climed vp into the Papall Chaire and had beene long before Priests in those times saith Auentinus had wiues publickly as all other Christians and begate sonues and daughters of them as it appeareth by the instruments of donations made to Churches and Abbaies wherein these Priests wiues together with their husbands are brought as witnesses and are stiled by the name of Presbyterissae Yea so generall and so well setled was the mariage of Cleargy-men in those times that when Hildebrand beganne to restraine and forbid it the whole Nation of Cleargie-men rose vp against him called him Monster and enemy of man-kinde and pronounced him to bee Antichrist And such was the resistance against this rash and inconsiderate attempt of the Pope that hee could by no meanes prevaile though hee caused so great confusions tumults and disorders in the Christian worlde as the like had neuer beene seene in any of the bloudy persecutions that were in the time of the Primitiue Church and was forced to confesse a little before his death that hee had caused grieuous scandals in the Christian world The circumstances of the whole narration found in the Historians are these So soone as the Decree of Hildebrand was published presently the whole faction of Cleargy-men was enraged against him crying out that hee was an hereticke and a man damnably erring in his judgement who forgetting the speach of our Lord that saith All men receiue not this word Let him that can receiue it receiue it and of the Apostle who saith Let him that cannot containe marry for it is better to marry then to burne would by violent inforcement constraine men to liue after the manner of Angells and while hee denyed and sought to restraine the ordinary accustomed course of nature loosed the reines and gaue free liberty to whoredome and vncleannesse protesting that if hee should goe forward to vrge the execution of this his Decree they were resolued rather to forsake the Ministery then their marriage And that then hee before whom men did stincke should see whence Angels are to be had to vndertake the gouernment of the Church and people of God Notwithstanding all this resistance and these earnest protestations Hildebrand went forward vrged the matter and reproued the Bishops as carelesse and negligent The Arch-bishop of Mentz fearing the Popes displeasure and yet considering that it would bee no easie matter to alter a custome so strongly and by so long tract of time confirmed proceeded moderately in those parts where he had to doe giuing those of the Cleargy halfe a yeares respite to aduise themselues praying and beseeching them to resolue to doe that willingly which of necessity they must doe But after the time expired which hee had giuen vnto them hee called a Synode and was earnest with them that without all further delay or excuse they would presently either abiure their marriage or put themselues from seruing any longer at the Altar They on the contrary side alleadged many reasons to perswade him not to vrge them to any such extremities and when they found that neither intreaty and humble petition nor weight of reason would prevaile but that though professing himselfe vnwilling thus to vrge them yet he was forced so to doe by the Popes mandate and that therefore hee must haue no deniall but that they must yeelde they went out of the Councell-house as if it had beene to deliberate and resolued among themselues either never to returne or otherwise so to returne as to pull him out of his chaire before hee should pronounce so cursed a sentence against them and to take away his life from him that so his vnhappie end might be a warning to all posterities that no succeeding Bishoppe might euer dare to attempt so to wrong and dishonour the Priestly degree and order The Arch-bishop by the meanes of some that wished well vnto him vnderstanding of this conspiracy to preuent the tumult which hee saw to bee vnauoydable if hee did not speedily giue them some satisfaction and contentment sent vnto them besought them to bee quiet and to returne into the Synode and promised that as soone as any opportunity should bee offered hee would doe his best endeauour to perswade the Pope to desist from these courses These things were done in the yeare 1074. The yeare following the Arch-bishoppe againe vrged by the Pope called another Councell at Mentz to which the Popes Legate came bringing his letters and mandates and requiring him to vrge them presently to yeeld and if they should refuse so to doe to punish them with the losse of their degree and order which thing when hee was about to doe presently all the Cleargy-men which sate round about rose vp and so refuted and reiected that hee said with words and by the violent moving shaking of their hands and gesture of their whole bodies shewed themselues to bee so moued against him as that hee feared euer to goe out of the Synode aliue and so at last ouercome with the difficulty of this atttempt hee resolued to desist from medling with this matter any more which hee had so often to no purpose taken in hand and to leaue it wholly to the Pope to doe what hee would These were the vaine attempts of the Romanistes for the restrayning of
are falne asleepe in the sleepe of death is an Apostolicall tradition and so proued by the rule of Saint Augustine and that other added by mee as likewise prayer made respectiuely to the passage hence and enterance into the other World and hereof there is no controuersie betweene vs and our Aduersaries But prayer to ease mittigate suspend or wholy take away the paines of any of them that are in hell or to deliuer men out of the supposed Purgatorie of Papists hath no proofe from either of these rules as shall appeare by that which followeth and therefore this poore nouice hath not yet learned his lesson aright nor knoweth what it is he is to proue But if he will be content to be enformed by me the thing he must proue if he desire to gratifie his new masters to maintaine the Romish cause is that all the Fathers or the most famous amongst them from the beginning of Christianity did in the seuerall Ages wherein they lived teach men to pray for the deliuerance of their friends and brethren out of the paines of purgatory which if hee will vndertake to doe hee must bring some better proofes then such as are taken from the mutuall dependance and coniunction of Purgatory and prayer for the dead which yet principally hee seemeth to vrge For many Catholicke Christians whom this Gentleman must not condemne made prayers for such as they neuer deemed to bee in Purgatory Neither did the ancient Catholicke Church as he fondly imagineth in her prayers and oblations for the dead intend to releeue soules temporally afflicted in a penall estate but in her generall intention whatsoeuer priuate conceites particular men had desired onely the resurrection publicke acquitall and perfect consummation and blessednesse of the departed and respectiuely to the passage hence and entrance into the other world the vtter deletion and full remission of their sinnes the perfect purging out of sinne being in or immediately vpon the dissolution in the last instant of this life and the first of the next and not while the soule and body remaine conioyned This is strongly proued because the most auncient amongst the Fathers make but two sortes of men dying and departing out of this world the one sinners the other righteous the one prophane the other holy so Dionysius in his Hierarchie so Epiphanius against Aerius so Ambrose in his booke De bono mortis and Cyrill of Hierusalem in his Catechisme all of them teach that the soules of the Iust are in a joyfull happie and good estate and present with God in an excellent sort immediatly vpon their dissolution ◅nimā departure hence Obdormitio sanctorum saith Dionysius est in laetitia spe immobili quia peruenerunt ad finem certaminum norunt se totos percepturos Christi-formem requiem that is The falling a sleepe of the holy ones is in ioy gladnesse and immoueable hope because they are come to the end of their combates and againe they know they shall altogether bee partakers of the rest of Christ beeing come to the end and bound of this life so that they are filled with holy ioy and gladnesse and with great delight and pleasure enter the way of the most happy regeneration Wherevpon the friends and kinsmen of any faithfull man departed when they carry him to his bedde of rest pronounce him blessed as indeede hee is hauing obtayned the wished end of victory and send forth Hymnes of gratulation to GOD that hath made him a conquerour and praying that they also may be admitted into the like rest carry him to the Bishoppe to be crowned with garlandes who prayseth the departed as beeing in a most happy condition and amongst other the party presently dead as beeing a companion of Saints and partaker of like happinesse with them After this his body is layde vp with other already fallen a sleepe in the Lord comfortable places of Scripture are read touching the resurrection and blessed hope of the iust and the Bishoppe prayeth GGD to forgiue vnto him all his sinnes committed through humane infirmitie and to place him in the land of the liuing in the bosomes of Abraham Isaac and Iacob Thus doth Dionysius teach that the soules of all faithfull ones are at rest with GOD immediatly vpon their departure hence and yet sheweth that the Bishoppe was wont to pray for the departed at the time hee was brought to his bed of rest which thinges seeming not well to agree together hee demaundeth what good the prayer of the Bishoppe doth the dead seeing euery one shall receiue the rewardes of the things he did in this life whether good or bad and prayers haue no force to put any man after death into any other estate then that hee is worthy of when he dieth Whereunto he answereth that by desiring wishing that good to the departed which GOD hath promised and of his mercy vndoubtedly will doe vnto them he accompanieth them to the presence of GOD and the place of rest which hee hath appointed for them solemnely convaying them thither with his desires and as hauing the power of binding and loosing and discerning betweene the holy and prophane separateth in a sort by the solemne good wishes hee sendeth after them such as GOD hath adjudged to eternall happinesse from other not partakers of like pretious hope with them admitting the one as deare vnto GOD by way of declaration and convoy into their resting place and rejecting the other So that the prayers Dionysius speaketh of were made respectiuely to the departure hence and first enterance into the other world were nothing else but an accōpanying of the faithfull departed to the Throne of God with desire of that vtter deletion of sinne and full remission of the same which is not to bee found but in the dissolution of soule and body and in the first enterance into the other world but of any relieuing men temporally afflicted in a penall estate after this life hee neuer dreamed Irenaeus is of opinion that the soules of the faithfull goe into a certaine invisible place and are there stayed till the Resurrection but of Purgatory as Erasmus noteth hee maketh no mention Iustine Martyr teacheth that after the departure out of the body there is presently a separation made betweene the soules of the just and the vnjust and that they are carryed into places worthy of them and fitte for them that is to say the soules of the just into Paradise where they enjoy the company of Angels and Archangels as also the sight of our Saviour IESVS CHRIST but those of the vnjust and wicked into infernall places Tertullian sayth There is a place whether the soules of good and euill men are carryed and where they haue a kinde of fore-judging and discerning of that which shall be adjudged to them in the last judgement And againe hee sayth That euery soule immediatly vpon the departure hence is in this appointed invisible place hauing
what is yet wanting to the faithfull departed or to such as are aliue at the suite supplication of the holy Patriarches Prophets Apostles c. For seeing it is confessed by vs that the Saints in heauen doe pray for vs in a generality we may desire of God the graunting of such things as we or others need not only vpon our own suite but much more for that there are so many supplyants to him for vs not in earth alone but in heauen also though without sence or knowledge of our particular wantes So that there is nothing found in Chrysostome either touching prayer for the dead or invocation of Saints that maketh any thing for the confirmation of popish errours For neither doth Chrysostome in that Liturgie pray for the ease of men in Purgatorie neither doth he inuocate any Saint but calleth vpon God onely though not without hope of being heard the rather for that not onely the faithfull on earth but the Saints in heauen also make petition for him But Master Higgons asketh why I concealed these things To whom I answere that I did not conceale any of them For howsoeuer citing some other parts of Chrysostomes Liturgie to another purpose I had no reason to bring in these passages being altogether impertinent to my purpose and the matter in hand yet in other places I haue shewed at large the ancient practise in all these things and therefore this seduced runnagate whom Sathan the tempter hath beguiled had no reason to compare me to the Tempter leauing out certaine wordes in the text he alleadged vnto Christ. §. 5. IN the next place he obiecteth to vs the heresie of Aerius condemned by Augustine amongst many other impious heresies and Augustines conclusion that whosoeuer maintaineth any of the hereticall opinions condemned by him is no Catholicke Christian and telleth vs that this censure toucheth vs very neere but that I demeane my selfe plausibly and artificially to avoid the pressure of that difficultie which is too heauy for me to beare Whereunto I briefly answer that I demeane not my self artificially to avoid the force of any trueth which I esteeme value aboue all treasures in the world but in all sincerity vnfold those thinges which Papists seeke to wrap vp in perplexed and intricate disputes to the entangling of the Readers For I shew that the naming of the names of the departed the offering of the sacrifice of praise for them the praying for their resurrection publike acquitall perfect consummation and blisse in the day of Christ yea the praying for their deliuerance from the hand of hel the mouth of the Lyon the vtter deletion remissioÌ„ of their sins respectiuely to their passage hence first entrance into the other world are not disliked by vs and that thus far the general intention of the Church extended but that to pray for the deliuerance of meÌ„ out of hel or for the mitigation or suspension of the punishments that are in hel was but the priuat deuotioÌ„ of some particular men doubtfully eroneously extending the publicke prayers of the Church farther then they were meant and intended by her and that in this particular they fell from the trueth which if M. Theophilus Higgons shall deny justifie such kind of prayers for the dead we will be bold to call him by his new name Theomisus But he is desirous to know of me or any other without lies obscurities and circuitions whether Cyrill of Hierusalem concurring absolutely with the Papists in this point of prayer for the dead and Augustine agreeing with him fell away from the truth or not That he professeth himselfe an enemy to lies obscurities and circuitions the best sanctuaries of their euill cause I greatly maruell feare that if he giue ouer the aduantage which he and his companions are wont to make thereof this his first booke will be his last But in that he saith Cyrill of Hierusalem concurreth absolutely with the Papists in the matter of prayer for the dead and Augustine with him hee doth as beseemeth him for he vttereth lies and vntruthes which before vnaduisedly he condemned For first it is most certaine that Cyrill maketh but two sortes of men departing out of this life sinners righteous and that he thinketh as Chrysostome also doth and after them Damascene many other that wicked and sinfull men in hell may find some ease be relieued by the prayers of the liuing but of Purgatory he speaketh not Touching Augustine he dissenteth altogether from this opinion of Chrysostome Cyrill and Damascene thinketh that the prayers of the Church for such as excelled in goodnes are thanksgiuings to God for such as died impenitently in grieuous sins comforts of the liuing but no helpes of the dead for those that were neithâ—… exceeding good nor exceeding euill propitiations and meanes to obtaine fauour and remission But whether they of this middle sort be in any penall estate after death or whether by the mercy of God and working of his grace the prayers of the liuing accompanying them they bee freed from sinne and the punishment of it in the first entrance into the other world he resolueth nothing and therfore there was no cause why this good man reflecting as he saith vpon my assertion should bee amazed to behold such a repugnancie betweene these things to wit Augustine ran doubtingly into the opinion of Purgatorie and yet he affirmeth there is no doubt but that some sinnes are remitted in the other world and tâ—…at some soules may be relieued by prayer For in the iudgement of wiser men then Mastâ—…r Higgons these thinges imply no contradiction and therefore the Grecians admit the latter of them and yet deny Purgatory Yea in their Apologie touching Purgatory they say if there be remission of sinnes after this life there is no enduring of the punishments due to sin it being one thing to haue remission of a sin or fault and another to suffer the extremity of punishment it deserueth That there is therefore remission of sinnes of a middle sort of men after this life in the entrance into the other world Augustine made no doubt and to that purpose he alleadged the saying of Christ concerning the sinne that is neither remitted in this world nor the other from thence to inferre that some sinnes are remitted after this life But whether there be any Purgatory-punishments after this life or not hee was euer doubtfull as appeareth by sundry places in his workes where he saith Perhaps there is some such thing it is not incredible that there is some such thing and whether there be or not it may be found out or it may be hid neither will it follow that because he maketh three estates of men dying whereof some are so good that wee haue rather cause to giue God thankes for them then to pray others so ill that they cannot be relieued and a third sort that need our
the very same more peremptorily namely that Gregory by this saying and some other found in him doth vtterly ouerthow that Purgatory which hee is thought to teach And if hee will bee pleased to peruse the Schoole-men hee shall finde in Alexander of Ales that the best of them thought Gregorie to bee of opinion as they also were that all sinne in respect of the staine or fault is purged out in death some interpreting his wordes where hee speaketh of remission of sinnes after this life of that remission which is in the last instant of this life and the first of the next and â—…her â—…herwise And therefore Master Higgons might well haue spared his taxation of me and omitted his marginall note that many such tricks were found by the Bishoppe of Eureux in the writings of the Lord Plessis Mornay For in all that which I haue written touching this point there is not so much as the least shadow of any ill dealing and for that worthy Gentleman against whom that Bishoppe soâ—…ght aduantage by cauilling against some parts of his allegations it will bee found that hee hath more sincerely handled the controuersies of religion then euer any Romanist did That if any mistaking be found in him there are many moe and more materiall in farre lesse compasse in the writings of Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe and that in his anatomy of the Masse the booke excepted against by the Bishoppe of Eureux hee hath in such sort cutte in sunder the sinewes not onely of the Masse but of the whole masse of Romish religion that all the rabble of Romanists will neuer bee able orderly to answere that whole booke howsoeuer it is easie to cavill against some parts of any thing neuer so well written But to returne to the matter in hand whatsoeuer wee thinke of Gregory of whom I say onely that hee seemeth to agree vnto the opinion of those Diuines who thinke all sinnefulnesse to be purged out of the soules of men dying in the state of grace in the moment of dissolution it is certaine that exceeding many of best esteeme in the Romane Church informer times were of that opinion and the same is proued by vnanswerable reasons Whence it will follow ineuitably that there remaineth no punishment to bee suffered after death by men dying in the state of grace For they are propositions of Saint Bernard that all the world cannot except against that when all sinne shall bee wholly taken out of the way no effect of it shall remaine that the cause beeing altogether remoued the effect shall bee no more and that all punishment shall hee as farre from the outward man as all fault shall bee from the inward Now that all sinfulnesse is purged out in the very dissolution of soule and body is confirmed as I said by vnaunswerable reasons for seeing the remaines of naturall concupiscence the pronenesse to euill difficultie to doe good and contrarietie betweene the better and meaner faculties of the soule are wholly taken out of the soules of all them that die in the state of grace in the moment of dissolution euen in the iudgement of our aduersaries themselues there being nothing in the fault or staine of sinne but the acte desire purpose which cannot remaine where concupiscence the fountaine thereof is dried vp or the habituall liking and affecting of such things as were formerly desired purposed or done ill which cannot be found in a soule out of which all naturall concupiscence inclining to the desiring of things inordinately is wholly taken away and it selfe turned to the entire desiring of God alone and nothing but in and for him as is euery soule out of which concupiscence inclining to affect finite things inordinately is wholly taken away It is more then euident that all sinnefulnesse is wholly taken out of the soule of each good man in the very moment of his death dissolution and departure hence See then the absurditie of Romish Religion the soule of a good man in the moment of death is wholly freed from all sinnefulnesse there is nothing found in it that displeaseth God charitie and grace making those in whom it is acceptable to GOD is perfect in it and yet it must bee punished to satisfie the iustice of GOD because it was sometimes sinnefull Truely Ieuer thought whereas there are two things in sinne the fault deformity or staine and the punishment that Christ who is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world by the working of his sanctifying grace purgeth out the one and by vertue of his satisfactory sufferings freeth such as he purgeth from the impuritie of sinne from the punishment due vnto it and that in proportionable sort he purgeth out the one and by vertue of his satisfactory sufferings freeth vs from the other So that when sinne is onely so purged out that it is no more predominant there remaineth no condemnation but yet some punishment as in the case of Dauid and when it is wholly taken away there remaineth no punishment at all which whosoeuer contradicteth is iniurious to the sufferings of Christ the Iustice of God who will not require one debt to be twise paid For it is most certain that Christ suffered the punishments not only of those sins that men commit in the time of ignorance 〈◊〉 and the state of Nature before Baptisme and Regeneration but of all sinnes and that the reason why notwithstanding godlesse men are subiect to all kindes of punishments as before is because they doe not become one with CHRIST nor are made partakers of his sanctifying Spirit purging out the sinfulnesse that is in them that they might enjoy the benefite of his satisfaction as likewise the reason why good men such as Daâ—…id turning to God by repentance are still subject to some punishments in this life notwithstanding their vnion with CHRIST is because they are not so fully conjoyned to CHRIST and made partakers of his Spirit as to be purged from all sinne For if they were they should be freed from all punishment by his sufferings he hauing suffered for all them that become one with him all that the Iustice of God requireth This is that heresie of the Papists which I speake of namely that to satisfie Gods Iustice the soules of men dying in the state of grace must suffer punishments answereable to the sinnes they some-times committed though now pure from all sinne This conceipt neuer any of the Auncient had howsoeuer some of them supposed that sinfull men in hell may be eased or deliuered thence and some other as Augustine such as followed him in the Latine Church were doubtfull whether some impuritie might not remaine to be purged out of the soules of men dying in the state of grace by afflictions and chastisements after this life And therefore it is vntrue that M Higgons saith This imputation of heresie cleaueth as fast to the Fathers whom we pretend to honour and reuerence as to
hee hath these words The Scripture meeting with the complaints of men which they doc or may make for that the Iust which went before seeme to bee defrauded of the reward due vnto them for a long time euen till the day of Iudgement wonderfully saith that the day of Iudgment is like vnto a ring or crowne wherein as there is no slacknesse of the last so is there no swiftnesse of the first for the day of crowning is expected by all that within it they that are ouercome may be ashamed and they that are conquerours may attaine the palme of victory and after some other things inserted he addeth that so long as the fulnesse of time is expected the soules expect their due reward though neither the one sort be without all sence of euill nor the other of good Thus if it had pleased M. Higgons to look into Ambrose himselfe not to the opinion of Senensis to which I referre not the Reader as he vntruly saith I doe but to the words of Ambrose cited by him hee might haue found that I dealt faithfully and sincerely in this matter and so haue spared a great number of reproachfull termes he now bestoweth very liberally on me Some man happily will say that elsewhere Ambrose seemeth to place the soules of Iust men in Heauen before the Resurrection and that this place de bono mortis is to be interpreted by them Wherevnto I answere that places where things are but spoken of in passage and not purposely are rather to be interpreted by those wherein they are purposely handled then otherwise and therefore this place de bono mortis wherein he goeth about to describe at large the state of the dead must bee a rule to interprete other places by The most pregnant proofe that is brought to the contrary out of his indubitate workes is out of his Fpistle to the Thessalonians where speaking of Acholius of whose death he had lately heard he fayth Hee is now an inhabitant of the higher world a possessor of the eternall city of Hierusalem that is in Heauen that hee seeth there the vnmeasurable measure of that City the pure gold the pretious stone perpetuall light without any sunne and these things truely were well knowne to him before but now seeing face to face hee sayth as wee haue heard so haue wee seene in the City of the Lord of hoastes in the Citty of our God and out of the last of his Epistles where speaking of certaine Martyrs hee sayth their soules are in Heautn their bodies on Earth but the answere hereunto for the reconciling of the seeming contradictions of Ambrose is easie for in the former place De bono mortis hee sheweth that hee thinketh that the soules of the Iust by seauen seuerall degrees as it were by the space of seauen dayes are ledde along to take a view of the things they shall enioy after the judgement and that afterwardes they are gathered into their habitations there to enioy the benefite of their quiet congregating or gathering together seauen dayes liberty they haue to see the former things and then they are gathered into their habitations The seuen degrees by which they are led those seuen dayes are 1 the consideration of their victory which they haue obtained ouer the flesh and other like enemies 2 The quiet they find in themselues from these perturbations and tormentings of conscience which the wicked are subiect vnto Thirdly the Diuine testimonie which they haue in themselues that they haue kept the Law making them not to feare the vncertaine euent of the future iudgement Fourthly their beginning to discerne their rest and future glory Fifthly triumphant ioy in that they are come out of the prison of a corruptible body into light and liberty and to possesse the inheritance promised to them 6. The brightnesse of their countenances beginning to shine as the sunne 7. Their confident hastning to see the face and countenance of God Hauing beene thus led along they are brought into their habitations where they comfort themselues in the fore-sight of that which shall be and rest peaceably guarded by the Angels in a place as he describeth it aboue the earth and places of dead bodies and yet below the highest heauen the place of perfit happinesse And so Acholius might be said by Ambrose to bee an inhabitant of the higher places and to see the glory of the Hierusalem that is aboue and yet not bee in the highest heauen But he saith Acholius is a possessor of that eternall Citty and that the Martyrs bodies are on earth and their soules in heaven therefore he thought the spirits of the iust to be in the highest heauen before the resurrection This consequence I feare will hardly bee made good for Bernard who is confessed to haue holden the opinion which I impute to Ambrose maketh three estates of soules the first in Tabernaculis the second in Atriis and the third in Domo interiori That is the first in Tents or Tabernacles while they remaine in the corruptible bodies of men that are in the warfare of Christ in the world the second in the outward Courtes of the Lords house and the third in the inner roomes of the house of God so sorting these thinges that both the latter states of soules of men may bee said and thought to bee in a sort in heauen and to haue possession of the eternall Ierusalem that is in Heauen and yet but one of them bee in the highest heauen where the perfection of the happy vision of God is to which purpose it is that Saint Augustine saith after this life thou shalt not be there where the Saintes shall be to whom it shall bee said come yee blessed of my father receiue the Kingdome which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world but thou maist bee where the proud rich man in the middest of torments saw a farre off the poore man sometimes full of vlcers resting in that rest thou shalt securely expect the day of iudgement Heere hee denyeth directly the soules of the iust to bee in heauen where they shall bee after the resurrection generall iudgement In his Confessions he saith Now Nebridius liueth in the bosome of Abraham whatsoeuer that it is that is signifyed by that bosome there liueth my Nebridius my sweete friend Heere wee see hee is doubtfull what the bosome of Abraham is Vpon Genesis he doubteth whether the soules of the iust bee in the third heauen or not which peremptorily in the place before cited hee denyed Neither doth hee speake thus doubtfully touching the place only but touching the state of happinesse also for in his Retractations thus he writeth That maketh vs most happy whereof the Apostle speaketh saying then shall I see him face to face and then shall I know as I am knowne they that haue found this are to bee said to be in the possession of blessednesse but who these