out of the same The spirit of God sendeth him not to a second table of penance to tâ—ke holde thereof that by the power thâ—rof he might be deliuered but remember saith he how thoâ— hast received and hearde and holde fast and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3 3. repent Now no doubt but he had receiued and heard aâ—d therefore was to hold fast that to the peniteÌ„t humble sinner Christs blood is the purgation of all his sins that by the mediatioÌ„ of his death he doth obtaine remission of theÌ„ not only when he is received into favor at the first but even to his liues end being thereby still pâ—eâ—erued in the same grace obtaining the forgiuenesse of hiâ— dayâ—y offences For so S. Iohn setting downe the meanes whereby the faithfull themselues are continually cured of their dailie infirmities If any man sinne saieth hee vvee haue Iesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 5. â—0 our Advocate and hee is the propitiation for our sinnes So the Apostle Saint Paul sheweth that not onely when wee were enemies we were reconciled at the first by the death of Christ and obtained the release of our grosser offences but much more beeing once reconciled and made the children of God by CHRIST wee are still preserued in the same grace and obtaine the forgiuenesse of ouâ—…maller offences by the same meanes The trueth is that none are cured of their sinnes by Christ vvhich continue stil in the same and doe not dayly fight against them vvith dayly repentaunce but yet the physicke is one thing vvhereby the soule is cured and the disposition of the soule another thing vvhereby the soule is prepared that so the physicke may effectually vvorke The preparatiue is one thing and the physicke is another thing the physicke is onely the physicke and nothing else Our Saviour CHRIST is our onely physicke and physition also Repentance after a sort may bee called the preparatiue and the Minister of the vvorde may be to vs in steede of the Apothecarie or as â—he physitions man that is sent to vs vvith the purgation The purgation it selfe is made of none other ingredientes but of the most bitter panges of our Saviours owne passion not of the rootes of our hearty repentaunce neither yet of the fruites of our christian faith that is vvhatsoeuer our sinnes bee and vvhensoeuer they bee committed we obtaine not the forgiuenesse of them by our owne merites nor by the satisfactions of any other but onely by the free and vndeserued mercy of GOD and by the most precious satisfaction of the death of CHRIST All haue sinned saith the Apostle and are deprived of the glory of GOD but are iustified from their sinnes freelye Rom 3. 23. by his grace through the redemption that is in CHRIST IESVS And in trueth otherwise our case were most miserable For in the parable of the debtour the summe of one thousande Mat. 18 24. talents declaring the infinitenesse of our debt doth openly proclaime our insufficiency and inabilitie to discharge the same as also the wordes annexed vvhen he had nothing to pay and I forgaue Psal 130. 3. Iob. 93. Psa 143. 2. thee all thy debt For verily if God should marke what were done amisse vvho vvere able to abide it And if hee shoulde call vs to an accounte vvho vvere able to aunsvvere one for a thousande And therefore our best plea is Enter not into iudgement with thy servants O Lord cal vs not to reckoning put not our billes in suite for we are no way able to make payment we are no way able to make satisfaction Div. 10. That Purgatory is no article of the Christian faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resurâ—…on of â—…sh IF the deliverance of the soules out of Purgatorie had beene an article of the christian faith as it is iudged to be by the church of Rome then it had beene convenient that after mention made of the resurrection of the body out of the custodie of the graue there shoulde haue beene adioyned the deliveraunce of the soule out of the prison of Purgatory the tormentes there being so greate as they say they be the deliverance from thence being as great a blessing at the lest as the raising of the bodies out of their graues should not haue beene altogeather vnremembred especially sinne verie much abounding before the day of the generall resurrection and the Popes pardons nothing so much regarded and his charitie without a fee being not vsual and ordinary Purgatory then must needes be well filled and so the deliverance from thence a great benefite to many Div. 11. That everlasting life is the free gifte of God through CHRIST and noway purchased by the merite of our owne vvorkes 〈◊〉 ever â—…ng IF any thing be bestowed vpon vs by free gift froÌ„ God theÌ„ surely everlasting life is so bestowed as the greatest gift proceeding froÌ„ the most bouÌ„tifull giuer the most excelleÌ„t effect from the most excelleÌ„t cause And why is God else accouÌ„ted a most liberall bountifull free franke and gracious benefactor but that most liberally bountifully frankely and freely he bestovveth vpon his faithfull servantes the most precious crovvne of eternall glory VVhen that bountifulnes saith the Apostle and that loue of GOD our Saviour tovvardes man appeared not by the vvorkes of righteousnes vvhich wee had vvrought but of his ovvne mercie he Tit. 3. 4. saued vs. And verely the glory of this greate bountifulnes must needes haue beene much dimmed if vvee had attained to salvation by our owne merites and not by the LORDES onely mercy The vvages in deede of sinne is death but everlasting life is the gifte of GOD through IESVS CHRIST our Lorde Rom. 6. 23. For our evill vvorkes are perfectly evill and therefore deserue eternall death but our good workes are not perfectly good and therefore eternall life is the free gift of GOD through CHRIST and not a vvages due to the merite of our vvorkes Othervvise vvhy did the Wiseman say Beholde the righteous are here recompenced vpon earth hovve much more the vvicked and the sinner VVhat doth not the LORD as well loue righteousnes Pro 11. 31. to recompence it as he hateth vnrighteousnesse to punish the same Yes verely but this is heere spoken to this end by the VViseman that vve shoulde vnderstand that the sinner most iustly deserueth this punishment vvhereas the righteous deserueth not the revvard And therefore it is not without cause that iust Iob thus speaketh of himselfe If I haue done evill vvoe vnto mee if I haue done righteously yet vvill I not Iob. 10 15. lifte vp my heade being full of confusion because I see mine affliction And vvhy The evill vvorkes of the best are in an higher degree evill then their good vvorkes are in themselues good and therefore in respect of the one they may be rustly cast dovvne vvith the feare of eternall confusion and vvoe but in
only doth this their doctrine of satisfaction and merites greate wrong vnto our Saviour Christ by disanulling the covenant of life made in him and by defacing of the sufficiency of his death but otherwise also it is most iniurious vnto God and tendeth highly to the dishonour of his sacred maiesty 1. First it maketh him like to a very vniust and hard Land-lord whoe hauing graunted an estate in a bargaine vnto a yonger brother vpon a sufficient fine tendered by the elder yet will not let the yonger enioy it vnlesse he fine for it againe himselfe 2. Secondly it maketh him like to a cruell Creditour who hauing the debt discharged to the vttermost by a frieÌ„d yet casteth the poore debtour himselfe into prison vntill he there also in parte make some satisfaction 3. Thirdly it maketh him like to a mercilesse Iudge who hauing punished an ofâ—ence with condigne punishment yet will haue the offender punished againe as if he delighted in the tormentes of the miserable 4. Fourthly it maketh him lesse mercifull then man who doth remitte to his penitent brother all manner of offence and all manner of revenge also 5. Lastly it â—inistreth matter to the malitious to the satisfying of his malicious humor to the full seeing as GOD doth pardon vs so vve are to deale one vvith an other and therefore if GOD doth so forgiue vs our sinnes in CHRIST as that we must yet still either afflict our selues vvith the rigorous vvorkes of Penance or else bee cast into the extreame tormentes of Purgatorie then we may also so forgiue our brother as that we may yet procure his most greavous punishment Wherefore let all true and faithfull Christians abhorre those aboâ—inations of the whore of Babylon yea let all such as looke for forgiuenes of sinne and eternal life by the covenant of mercy in CHRIST Iesus giue the glory thereof not to themselues or their owne workes but onely to the death of our al-sufficient Redeemer And yet let them haue a most earnest care to shew forth their most holy faith by their godly workes not as if they were part of the satisfaction made for sinne or anie parcell of the price giuen for the purchase of eternall glorie but thereby to testifie their thankefulnes to him who hath paide the whole price for that purchase himselfe and hath made for them a perfect and full satisfaction For true faith is not idle nor deade but a living faith working by loue albeit this mother iustifieth vvithout the Fides iustificat ante partum Roffensis helpe of her daughters yea before their very birth as the truth hath forced an enimie to confesse For workes do follovve the iustified man they go not before our iustification even as good fruits proceede from a tree which is already good declaring and not making the tree good Wherfore if we which by nature are wilde oliues being ingraffed in Christ are made good oliues and if we which of our selues bringe forth sowre grapes being planted into the true vine yeeld a sweete liquor if we be made good trees and pleasant plantes such as are setled in the caelestiall paradise we owe that wholy to our engraâ—…ing into Christ by a true faith and not in any vvise to the fruites of our faith the vvhich are only requisite and necessary duties vvhich are carefully to be performed of all such as are called to be pertakers of so greate mercies For as in those landes and liuinges vvhich are holden of temporall Lords ther are besides the fines paide for the purchase of the first estates certaine rentes services and other duties vvhich are also to be performed for the quiet and peaceable possessing of the same liuinges and yet he were but a simple tenante that vvoulde imagine those rentes and seruices to be his whole fine or any part or parcell thereof even so the faithfull which haue their estates purchased for them by the death of Christ in the kingdome of heaven must as it vvere pay their rents performe their services submit theÌ„selues to the custoÌ„e of that heavenly mannour and yet they must neither be so proud nor so simple as to thinke that these rentes services and duties are any part or parcell of that fine that was paid for the first purchase of that heavenly inheritance Chap. 13. That the very end and scope of the sacramentes also is to teach the faithfull that remission of sinne and eternall life is obtained onely by faith in Christ VNTO the preaching of the gospell and Bap isme Eucharist doctrine of the new testament vvere adioyned by our Saviour Christ the sacramentes of the newe TestameÌ„t For it pleased our louing and gracious father not only to giue vs eternall life in his onely begotten sonne but also by certaine external rites and ceremonies to take vs as it were by the hand and to put vs into possession thereof If vvee had beene saith Chrysostome spirituall GOD Chrys in Math. hom 83. vvoulde haue giuen vs these thinge nakedly and spiritually but now for that our soules dvvell in bodies hee giueth spirituall thinges vnder visible creatures Visible sacramentes saith another vvere In quaest ve teris testamenti ordained for such as are environed vvith flesh that by the steppes thereof vvee mighte ascende from such thinges as are seene to thinges that are vnderstoode Saint Austine calleth the sacraments Aug. â—ont Faustum Lib. 19. Cap. 16. in generall a visible vvorde as our Saviour calleth the cuppe in particular the nevve Testament in his bloode because as the worde and testament doth teach our eares that the blood of Christ is the purgation of all our sinnes and his body the bread of eternall life even so doe the sacramentes represent the same doctrine visibly to our eies For certaine it is that in the right vse of thâ—se holy mysteries by the reverent receauinug of the bodely creatures God doth ratifie to the faithfull his graunt and donation of spirituall thinges that is of remission of sinnes and of eternall life in CHRIST IESVS and the faithfull in the religiouâ— vse thereof do againe for their part after a sort vow vnto GOD that they will seeke for the same blessinges onely by Christ and not by any other meanes whatsoever VVherefore the members of the church of Rome seeking for remission of sinnes and eternall life not onely by CHRIST but also by their owne merites and satisfactions may worthely be charged not onely as transgressors of the new TestameÌ„t but also as violaters of the holy sacraments and breakers of that solemne and sacred vovve made at thereceauing of these holy mysteries Yea vvhereas in the religious vse of the sacramentes GOD giueth vs CHRIST vvith all his blessinges according vnto the plaine vvordes of the institution of the LORDES supper take yee eate yee this is my body the church of Rome hath turned this tipsie turvy and vvill not so much receaue CHRIST therein as a sacrifice already offered to GOD for them
his owne most free and vndeserved goodnes in Christ he hath bound himselfe by promise to giue them a reward And as for the least sin that is bee it but a desire to The most heavy burden even of the lightest sinne and the great deformity of the least iniquity steale a sticke out of thy neighbours hedge or to eate an apple of the forbidden tree seeing in doing the same either we set God so at naught that we vtterly forget him his holy commandements Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house c. Cursed is he that continueth not in every point of the law to doe it wheras we ought most religiouslie to keepe a constant and continual remembrance thereof Or if we remembring the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of God the heavy curse annexed to the transgression of the same yet blesse our selues and promise our selues peace when God menaceth warre and so giue more credit to the suggestions of Satan then to the sacred testimonies and oracles of God harkening to the devil rather then to God and preferring the devil before God seeing herein as much as in vs lieth we robbe God of his truth and iustice of his soveraigne auctority over vs by refusing him to raigne over vs and making choice of the devil to be ruled by him taking after a sort the scepter out of the Lordes hand and the crowne from his head giuing them vnto the Devill if the Lord for this so intollerable an indignity should depriue vs vtterly of his favour and loue and of all his gracious giftes blessinges and deliver vs cleane over vnto the devill to bee partakers with him of al maÌ„ner of curses plagues what should he doe heerein but that in al iustice right is most due vnto vs And how should he herein serve vs also but even according vnto our owne choice For the lesser the commodity or pleasure is for the which wee are so soone perswaded to cast away God and to set his coÌ„mandemeÌ„ts at naught the more manifestly is our vile corruption convicted in that we are so quickly hyred to so wicked a workâ— vpon so base and meane wages And heereof it is that Samuel is bold to cal the traÌ„sgression of Saul in sparing the Gigantum more bellare cum deo best of the sheepe oxen at the earnest motion as it seemeth of the people that to this end to offer sacrifice vnto God rebellion for that therin he did rebel against God ioyne himselfe to that notorious rebell Satan not only so but he further likeneth it to the most odious and abominable sin of Idolatrie and witchcraft And verely as the witch renounceth God giveth her selfe vnto the devil and the Idolater forsaketh the worship and service of God and betaketh himselfe to the service of the Deuill euen so every sinner euen in the smallest and least sinne as much as in himselfe lieth casteth away God and maketh choice of the deuil and therefore if the Lord shoulde vtterly cast him of for the same deliuer him ouer to that cursed serpent to haue his part with him in his torments plagues he should do no other thing therin theÌ„ that which is most iustly deserued And verelie had not our alsufficient Savior made full satisfaction by his most precious bloode for the least as wel as for the greatest of the sinnes of the elect theÌ„selues had not he procured a pardon for the same they woulde haue beene so heauy and burdensome vnto them that they would haue pressed them downe to the bottomlesse pit of hel Neither would their holy life either past or to come haue beene able to haue diâ—charged them of the burden thereof For if one otherwise a very good subiect and of most ciuil and vpright conversation falling into the company of loose and lewd persons by their counsell and perswasion do but ioine with them in one robbery and so commit a trespasse if it bee but against one of the Princes subiects and but against one of the lawes of the common weale it is not his honest life past and the keeping of al the rest of the lawes and the doing good to many of the princes It is a thing worthy to be condeÌ„ned iustly to be grievous to meÌ„ what an offence theÌ„ is it to be grievous vnto God subiects and his duety neuer so well performed before to prince and country nor yet his harty repentance his sincere promise of amendment that can discharge him froÌ„ the same but that law must proceede against him and execution must be done accordingly vnlesse a pardoÌ„ be procured from the prince how much more if one sin against the incomprehensible maiesty of the most glorious deitie by treading vnder foote the least of his commandements shal the seâ—tence of eternal condeÌ„nation proceede against him vnlesse hee obtaine the forgiuenesse thereof by the blood of Christ For if one man sinne against another the 1. Sam. 2. 25 Rom. â— 23. Ezeâ— 10. 20 iudâ—e may iudge it but if one sin against God who shall plead for him The wages of sin saith the Apostle â—… death That soule saith the prophet that sinneth that soule shall die Bas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hier. ep 14 What sin is it saith Basill that any daâ—… cal light I knowe not saith Hierome whether we may cal any sinne light or small the which is done with the contempt of God This then is our doctrine of iustification that our best workes are stained and stand in need of mercy and therefore can neither merite eternal glory nor make satisfaction to God for the least of our sins and that the lightest of our transgressions would haue beene too heauy for vs to beare yea they would haue pressed vs downe to the bottomlesse pit of hel had not our most mercifull Sauiour succoured vs herein by removing them also graciously from vs and by laying them vpon his owne shoulders And if this doctrine provoke to sin I know not what can revoke from the same But now let vs proceede to that other part of the slaunder wherewith all the enemies of the gospel do charge the profession thereof euen with the great penury and want of al good workes For not only the Rhemists do take from vs for the most part the sheepes cloathing that is the very outwarde shew of good workes but also the composer of the VVard word vpon occasion of some civil behaviour acknowledged to be in some of our Recusants taketh vpon him with the prowd Pharisie not only to advance himselfe and his farre aboue vs base and vile Publicanes but also he woulde haue the worlde beleeue that if question were betweene them and vs of good works our chiefest captaines would straight waies relinquish the field not bee so bold as to strike one stroke But this is but one of their Thrasonical brags For I doubt not but a meane souldier fighting vnder the ensigne of the
workes but of his meere mercy grace and favour And so our Saviour himselfe teacheth vs in the parable of the husbandman that went and sent labourers into Math. 20. 1. his vineyard whereof some vvere hired at the beginning some at the middle and some at the end of the day and yet each of them receaued the same wages the same hire Vpon occasioÌ„ of which parable Saint Ambrose saith that such as were hired at the latter end Amb de vocat Genâ— l 1. c. 5 of the day do represent vnto vs those which are called to the Lords service at the end and vpshotte of their liues whom he hath chosen without works and vpon whome he doth rather powre forth the riches of his grace then yeelde a rewarde vnto their labours that they also who haue laboured swette the whole day and continued their whole life in the service of God and yet receaue but their penny with the other may thereby vnderstand that they also rather receiue a gift of grace then wages oâ— hâ—râ— due to their workes For there is but one waâ— to liâ—e for all thâ—… are saued and therefore if any of the faithfull be saued by meere merâ—y 〈…〉 without the merite of their owne workes then no dâ—ubt but all are saued after the same manner And verely it would goe verie harde even with the best if they should be put to wâ—…e the gâ—rlande of glory by theâ—… owne worthines before they should weaâ—e iâ— Loose it in deede we could easily and that in the sâ—…te of our greatest innocency and perfection but recover it againe we never could but onely by the meanes of our powerfull Redeemer VVhen Fabitu Maximus had wonne the city Tarentum which Cicero dâ— senecâ—…te Salinator before had lost being forced by the enemy to hide his head in the castle Salinator mette him and saide vnto him By my helpâ— Fabiâ—… thou hast wonne Tarentum True quoth Fabius smiling For if thou hadst not lost it I could not haue recovered it and even so may it be replied to the proude and vaine glorious Papists that are not ashamed to boast that by the meanes and merite of their owne workes Christ hath restored to them againe the kingdome of heâ—ven that in verie deede vnlesse we by our own workes had lost the same he should haue had no neede to haue recovered it A certaine noble mans sonne as it is reported comming to his father for maintenance was sent by him to demise certaine landes to such whose estates were now expired who comming to the place appointed and sitting in court demised to each one his estate for a penny Now might these men iustly boast of the fruite of their penny or of the kindenes of that noble gentleman who lette them renewe their coppies for so small a sine Surely he hâ—d beene a verie vngratefull tenante that would haue done so and altogether vnworthy of so great a favour VVe had all in Adam forfeited our estates in the kingdome of heauen whatsoever the best of vs can giue towardes the renewing of the same it is but as a penny to a good coppy-hold Seeing then our most gratious God hath so tenderly loued vs that he hath giuen vs his onely begotten sonne who hath purchased it againe for vs by his owne death and so hath renewed againe our estates therein wilwilling vs that we should earnestly endeavour to shew our selues dutifull and thankefull vnto him that hath beene so mercifull and gracious to vs telling vs also againe and againe that this our labour shall not be in vaine in the LORD and that it shall not be lost which we employ in his service but that he will crown it with eternall glory shall we nowe ascribe this crowne of glorye to our simple endevours vvhich vve employ in his service or to his infinite and endles goodnes vvho hath purchased it for vs vvith his ovvne blood Verely he vvere too too vnthankfull a vvretch vvho vvoulde ascribe it to the merite of his owne vvorkes and not to the meere mercy of his gracious redeemer The Apostle Saint Paul who if any had to glorie in the merite of his owne vvorkes yet disclaymeth them all in the matter of salvation saying GOD forbid that I shoulde glorie in any thing saue in the crosse of â—ESUS CHRIST For hee Gal. 6. 14. knewe that GOD had made him vnto vs vvisedome righteousnes 1. Cor. 1. 30 sanctification and redemption that hee vvhich glorieth should glory in the LORD He knevve that there vvas no other foâ—dation of his salvation to bee laide then Iesus CHRIST and him 1 Cor. 3. 11. crucified and that there vvas no other name giuen vnder heaven vvhereby vvee might bee saued but onely the name of our blessed Act. 4. 12. Saviour Not the name of our owne or other mens workes oâ— Masses Dirigesses Pardons or the like seeing if it might haue beene vvrought by any such meanes CHRIST had died in vaine he might then haue spared all his paines and avoided Gal. 2. 21. all those most grievous torments vvhich hee endured for mans redemption Especially if it be true vvich they teach that the good vvorkes of the regenerate if not in themselues yet in respect of the spirite vvhose fruites they are are of infinite price satisfactorie for sinne vvhich is infinitely heinous and aunsvvereable to the ioyes of the kingedome of heaven then it had beene sufficient for our Saviour CHRIST to haue bestovved his spirite vpon the faithfull by vvhose infinite purity their vvorkes being sanctified they might haue beene thus enabled to saue themselues and so his ovvne death had beene but superfluous for the vvorking out of mans salvation But if it bee a most heinous impietie to avouch Christes death to be superfluous and that he died in vaine then let vs all which looke for any benefite by his death ascribe the glorie of eternall life onely to him vvho is therefore called Ioh. 6 35. Apoc. 22. 2 1 Ioh. 5. 20. Col. 33. the bread of life the tree of life autor of life yea life it selfe for that our life resteth onely in him that is our onely iust title to eternall life Take hold then of CHRIST take hold of life reach forth thine hand to any other thing and thou reachest it to vanitie and takest holde as it vvere of thornes and of fire Looke not for life but vvhere it dwelleth Our life is hidde in CHRIST vvith GOD death reigneth in the vvhole vvorlde beside and leadeth every creature to the bondage of corruption If thou looke vp into heaven vvithout this reconciler there vvill appeare nothing but displeasure and vvrath if thou cast dovvne thine eyes vppon the earth there thou shalt see nothinge but fearefull confusion If thou call to Abraham hee knovveth thee not if to the wise virgines their oile is not sufficient for themselues and for thee also if to Saint Paule hee vvas not crucified for thee if to the most
iustification it selfe is free and dependeth not at all on workes 16. Sixtenethly they teach that the Saintes are not Mediators of Redemption and yet that the vvorkes of supererogation done by the saintes are both satisfactory for the sinnes of other and also meritorious of eternall glory which are the proper workes of the Mediatour of Redemption 17. Seventenethly they say that it is blasphemous against the dignity of Christes blood which hee shed for our sinnes to avouch that hee suffeâ—ed also in soule for the vvhole raunsoming of our soules and for the full satisfying of the most absolute and perfect iustice of GOD as if one of CHRISTES sufferinges did derogate from the other But it is no blasphemye against the dignity of CHRISTES sufferinges vvith them to teach that our ovvne soules must either suffer for our sinnes the most extreme paines of purgatory or endure here the sharpe rigour of their popish penance or else procure trentals of Masses togeather with the sufferings of the saintes to be bestowed vpon vs by the Popes indulgences and pardons 18. Eightenethly they teach that imputatiue righteousnes is a vaine and a frivolous fancy and yet the imputation of the surplussage of the merites of the saintes is not vaine but a greate gaine vnto them yea it is a verie sound and profitable doctrine if not to the cooling of mens soules yet to the warming of the Popes kitchine 19. Ninetenethly the fire of purgatory is sometimes so greavous with our Romanistes belike when they vvould haue their Masses and pardons well paide for to deliver poore soules out of the same that our fire is but a painted fire vnto it and that the tormentes thereof differ nothing from hellish tormentes but onely in continuance and yet sometimes with them againe it is as it were a place Rhem. in Apoc c. 14. of rest 20. Lastly our Rhemistes teach that sinne be the pleasure thereof Rhem. in c 8. ep ad Rom. never so shorte deserueth damnation because it is an aversion from God and proceedeth from the Devill the which thing is true in every sinne and therefore every sinne damnable mortall And yet these men themselues maintaine their olde distincttion of sinnes veniall and of sinnes mortall VVherefore seing that the doctrine of the church of Rome Rhem. in Mat. cap. 5. containeth such contradiction and contradictions cannot be both true it is evident that the spirite of truth is not so annexed to Peters chaire but that the church of Rome may erre as well as other churches planted by the same Apostles yea hereby came in that greate apostasie and falling away from the faith foretold by the Apostle when the greater number of those that professed themselues Christians especially in these westerne partes of the vvorlde did so highlie conceaue of the Bishoppe of Rome as that they tooke him to bee that invincible rocke vpon the vvhich the church vvas builte and against the vvhich hell gates should never prevaile VVhereas he being to vveake to stay himselfe vpright and to withstand so mightie and povverfull enimies vvas lesse able to holde vp the huge building of the vniversall church and to guarde and defende it from so daungerous foes But failing himselfe and falling vnder his owne burden he was the occasion of ruine to all such as did â—…g ep lib. â—…ist 32. stay themselues and rest vpon him And so had Gregory a Bishoppe of Rome signified before to Mauritius the Emperour at what time he endevoured to make the patriarke of Constantinople vniversall Bishoppe and head of the whole church that if there were but one head onely the ruine of that head would be the ruine of the church and that if any should arrogate to himselfe that name in the church the vniversall church must needes come to ruine vvhen hee vvhich is named Vniversall did fall Div. 7 That by our spirituall vnion vvith CHRIST hee and his righteousnes is made ours and so surely imputed vnto vs that wee become thereby righteous before GOD and not by the righteousnes of any of the saintes GReat is the prerogatiue and dignity of all such as are admitted vnto the society of Christes church and are receiued 〈◊〉 comâ—…ion of â—…tes 〈◊〉 1. 3. 〈◊〉 3. 28. 〈◊〉 5. 30. 〈◊〉 2. 16. â—…or 1. 30 into the fellowship of his faithfull Congregation For the church hath fellowship with God and is espoused to Christ made one with him eveÌ„ flesh of his flesh bone of his bone in so much that she iustly layeth claime vnto him saying my beloued is mine I am his as being spiritually maried vnto him and hauing interest in him and all his blessinges By which vnion and communion it came to passe that Christ being one with his church became a debtor in her place paied that which he never tooke being innocent in himselfe was made guilty for her and being most pure in himselfe was made sinne for her and bare her iniquities on his â—or 5 2◠〈◊〉 2 22 〈◊〉 3. 18 〈◊〉 3. 9. owne body vpon the tree that shee likewise being poore of her selfe might in him be made rich and being naked of her selfe might be cloathed with his innocency and being destitute in her selfe of perfect righteousnes might be made the righteousnes of God in him and so become perfectly righteous For as CHRIST by imputation was made sinne for vs and suffered death not for his owne but for our iniquityes even so by imputation are we made righteous in him and so become partakers of eternall glory Novve the faithfull are not after such a manner linked togeather they are not espoused each to other as Christ and his church the Apostle Saint Peter coulde not vnite the church so nearely to himselfe by his spirite that his death and sufferinges might be accepted as done for her redemption And yet see the blindenes of the shameles vvhore of Babylon It is a strange paradoxe vvith her that vvee shoulde be made righteous by the righteousnes of CHRIST imputed vnto vs by the mercie of GOD and applied vnto vs by a true faith but it standeth vvith good reason that vve may bee made righteous by the righteousnes of the saintes imputed vnto vs by the Popes savour and applied vnto vs by his Indulgences and Pardons Div. 8. That GOD onely hath autoritie to forgiue sinne as it is sinne and a transgression of his ovvne lavve THE hurt that cometh to a private man by sinne a private man may release aâ— the prince may pardon that damage The forgiuenesse of sinnes that cometh thereby to the common weale But sinne as it is properly sinne and a breach of the law of God and so a great dishonour to him and a most greavous iniury vnto his dâ—…ine Maiesty so it is only an offence against god against thee only haue â—sinned therfore may only be forâ—…en by him as he himselfe also Psal 51. 4. testifieth It is I it is I that doth 〈…〉