for no other but a madde and frantike dreame and yet perforce must vse it because hee knew no better shift therefore he thought good to colour it the best he could by curtolling the wordes alleaged naming only imputation of righteousnesse whereas the Apostle nameth imputation of righteousnesse without workes But let him take the wordes as the Apostle setteth them downe and then giue vs his answere and we shall apparantly see him to be a most impudent man making no conscience of that he saith but studying only to blinde the Reader from seeing that truth which he himselfe knoweth not how with any probable shew to contradict Yet he telleth vs for conclusion that there is only a bare sound of wordes for the Protestants the true substance of the text making wholly for the Papists So then the sound of the wordes by his confession is for vs but inasmuch as the wordes are very plaine and cleare how may we be informed that the true substance and meaning of them is wholly for the Papists when as they containe in shew a flat contradiction to the doctrine of the Papists Wee see here the vse of that caueat which the Rhemists haue giuen to their Reader aduertising him o Rhem. Testam ArgumeÌ„t of the Epistles in generall to assure himselfe that if any thing in Pauls Epistles sound to him contrary to the doctrine of their Catholike Church he faileth of the right sense By this meanes if Saint Paul say it is white yet we must not thinke that he meaneth it to be white if it please their Church to call it blacke And therefore though here he speake of imputation of righteousnesse without works and bring testimony of ancient Scripture for confirmation thereof yet he must not be taken to meane that there is any such or any other but the imputation of the righteousnesse of workes because there is no other approued by the Roman Church Well may we thinke the iudgement of God to be fearefull vpon them who are so blinde as to be led with such fopperies and grosse deceipts CHAP. X. That eternall life is meerely and wholly the gift of God and cannot be purchased by merit or desert ANSWERE TO THE EPISTLE PAul teacheth that eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ c. to Hee telleth vs againe and againe c. W. BISHOP IN the same place you had a large solution of this obiection but he that hath made a couenant with hell will not looke vpon that which might helpe him to heauen We teach with the Apostle and with his faithfull interpreter Saint Augustine That eternall life is the gift of God both originally because we must receiue grace by the free gift of God before we can doe any thing that doth deserue the ioyes of heauen and also principally the whole vertue and value of our merits doe proceede of the dignity of Gods grace in vs which doth eleuate and giue such worth to our workes that they thereby deserue life euerlasting Notwithstanding if we take not hold on Gods grace when it is freely offered vs and doe not concurre with it to the effecting of good workes we shall neuer be saued and this our working with the grace of God deserues heauen both which are prouedly this sentence of the same Apostle God will render to euery man according to Rom. 2. vers 6. 7. 8. his workes to them truly that according to patience in good workes seeke glory and honour and incorruption life eternall to them that are of contention and that obey not the truth but giue credit to iniquity wrath and indignation where you may see in expresse termes eternall life to be rendered and repaid for good workes to such men as diligently seeke to doe them and to others who refuse to obey the truth and rather choose to beleeue lies and to liue wickedly eternall death and damnation R. ABBOT WHether M. Bishop or I may bee thought more likely to flatter himselfe in an opinion of hauing made a couenant with hell I leaue it to be esteemed by the whole processe of this worke and the God of heauen shall make it one day more fully to appeare Against his solution of the obiection here propounded he knoweth well that I a Of Merits sect 8. haue returned a replication which sheweth the same to be infirme and vaine and seeing he can fortifie it no further the bare repeating of it is no other but womanish and idle talking The Apostle telleth vs that b Rom. 6. 23. eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free grace or gift of God through Iâ—su Christ our Lord. We teach saith M. Bishop that eternall life is the gift of God originally and principally Thus by his shifting termes of originally and principally he limiteth the Apostles wordes and deludeth a maine Theoreme and Canon of Christian faith leauing it to be vnderstood that though eternall life be originally and principally the gift of God yet totally and absolutely it is not so Which iâ— it be true it must necessarily follow that as the Apostle saith truly that eternall life is the gift of God because in part it iâ— so so a man may truly say against the Apostle that eternall life is not the free gift of God because in part and in some sort it is not so And if no man may dare in this wise to gainsay the Apostle then wee must acknowledge that which Origen saith that c Origen in Rom. 4. Stipendia inquit peccati mors Et non addidâ—â— similitèr vt dicâ— et stâ—pendia aâ—â—â— iustitiae vita aterna sed ait Gratia autem Deâ— vâ—â—a aetâ—rna vt stâ—pend â—m quod vtique debiâ—o mercedi similé est retributionem poenâ— esse docâ—â—â—t mortis vâ—tam verâ— aternam soli gratiae consignareâ— the Apostle hauing said that the stipend of sinne is death did not adde in the like sort that the stipend of righteousnesse is eternall life but eternall life is the grace of God that he might teach that the retribution of punishment and death is a stipend which is like to a debt or wages but might assigne life eternall to grace only And thus the Apostle himselfe teacheth vs to conceiue when he saith d Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace then it is not of workes otherwise grace is no grace For e August coÌ„t Pelag. Celest lib. 2. c 24. Gratia Dei non eriâ— gratâ—â— vllâ— modo nisigratâ—ita fuerâ—t omni modo grace saith Austin shall not be grace in any respect except it be free in euery respect f Idem Epist 120. c. 19. Haec est gratia quae gratis datur non meritâ—s operantis sed miseratione donantis That is grace saith he which is freely giuen not for the merits of the worker but by the mercy of the giuer Thus Hierome saith g Hieron Epist ad Demâ—trâ—ad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non opâ—ruâ— retributio sed donamis est
vpon the Rocke If then the Rocke bee the Roman Church and other Churches in the beginning were builded vpon it it must needes follow that the gates of hell should neuer haue preuailed against other Churches But they will not denie but that the gates of hell haue preuailed against other Churches Therefore the Rocke is not the Roman Church neither were other Churches in the beginning builded vpon it If he will haue the meaning to be that the gates of hell shall not preuaile against other Churches so long as they continue builded vpon the Roman Church he teacheth vs an exposition against himselfe that so long as the Roman Church continueth builded vpon the Rocke which is Christ Iesus so long the gates of hell shall not preuaile against it but no assurance haue we that it shall alwaies continue so builded vpon the Rocke But hee saith further that the Bishop of Rome liâ—â—ally succeedeth vnto S. Peter Be it so and so did Caiaphas succeede lineally to Aaron yet did Caiaphas giue sentence against Christ Their owne law saith g Non sunt omnes filij Sanctorum qui teâ—ent loca Sanctorum sed qui exercent opera â—orum All are not the children of Saints that hold the places of Saints but they that practise the workes of Saints Yea but Christ prayed for Peter h Luke 22. 32. that his faith might not faile He did so but I aske then with Austin i Aug. quaest vet noui testam 75. Pro Petro rogabat pro lacobo Ioanne non râ—gabat vt câ—teros taceam Manifestum est in Petro omnes â—â—tinâ—ri â— râ—gans enim pro Petro pro omnibus râ—gassâ— dignoscitur Did he pray for Peter and did he not pray for Iames and Iohn to say nothing of the rest It is manifest that in Peter they are all contained and praying for Peter he is knowen to pray for them all Of them all hee prayeth k Iohn 17. 11. 25. Holy Father keepe them in thy name I pray thee to keepe them from euill And what is the meanes whereby they are kept Euen the same that St. Peter expresseth when hee saith l 1. Pet. 1. 5. Yee are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation If through faith then Christ in praying to the Father to keeâ—â— them is consequently vnderstood to pray that their faith may not faile through which they are kept Yea St. Austin maketh it common to all the elect that m August de corrept grat cap. 12. Pro his ergò interpellante Christo ne deficiat fides eoruÌ„ sine dubio noÌ„ deficiet vsque in finem ac per hoc perseuerabit vsque in finem Christ prayeth for them that their faith may not falle and that by vertue of this prayer it doth neuer faile finally but perseuereth to the end If then Peter in this prayer haue no priuiledge aboue other then can nothing in this behalfe be deriued to other by priuiledge from him Albeit let it be admitted that Christ here meant a singular fauour to Peter what shall that be to the Pope What Art hath M. Bishop whereby to deriue the effect of Christs prayer from Peter to their Popes from an holy Apostle to a ranke and succession of men amongst whom there haue beene so many Atheists Infidels Idolaters Heretikes so many incarnate Diuels and hatefull Monsters of mankind This is a matter of great weight and we require some good authority and proofe for it that what Christ prayed for the Apostle Peter the same he hath prayed for the Pope also But in the proofe of this he faileth wholy neither can he any way perswade it vnlesse he meete with either simple or well-willing creditors who will bee content for payment to take counters in steede of gold And yet I would further aske him what faith it was whereof Christ prayed in the behalfe of Peter that the same might not faile Surely by St. Austins application formerly mentioned it appeareth that it was meant of that faith which is n T it 1. 1. the faith of Gods elect that iustifying and sauing faith whereby Peter should rise againe from his fall and should resist thenceforth the temptations of Satan and stand stedfast thereby vnto eternall life But M. Bishop will not deny but that many Popes there haue beene in whom this faith hath failed or rather in whom it neuer was many who haue beene reprobates and cast awaies and their end euerlasting death Of Sixtus the fift namely Bellarmine being asked what hee thought after his death answered as Watson in his Quodlibets reporteth o Wats Quodlibet Quantum capio quantum sapio quantum intelligo descendit ad infernum Qui sine poenitentia viâ—it sine poenitentia moritur proculdubio descendit ad infernum So farre as I can conceiue or vnderstand he is gone downe to hell he that liueth and dieth without repentance goeth vndoubtedly to hell In him therefore and maâ—â— other such like the prayer of Christ did not take effect and therefore certaine it is that it did not appertaine vnto them If M. Bishop will needs vnderstand it that Christ praied for Peter that he might be free from errour in iudgement of faith then not to question whether Peter thenceforth committed any errour in iudgment it must needs be that the Pope cannot be subiect to errour in that behalfe But they themselues confesse that the Pope as a priuate man may erre that hee may be an Heretike and defend heresie only in his Consistoriall sentence and Pontificall decree hee cannot erre Was this then the intent of Christs prayer in the behalfe of Peter that howsoeuer he might otherwise be an Hypocrite or an Heretike yet when he should set himselfe down in his chaire to define any matter hee should bee like Balaam to blesse where hee meaneth to curse and like Caiaphas to prophesie without vnderstanding what he saith I dare appeale to M. Bishop himselfe if he be sober that this was not Christs meaning in respect of Peter If it were not thus meant of Peter and it can bee no otherwise deriued to the Pope but as it was meant of Peter then it must follow that because it can in no other meaning be fitted to the Pope therefore it can haue no reference to the Pope at all If hee bee so absurd as to say that it was so meant of Peter I will not stand to disproue a drunken mans dreame I only require proofe of that hee saith But because hee can deduce nothing out of the word of God he will make some flourish with some few sentences of the ancient Fathers And first hee beginneth with Ireneus who going in hand to auouch the true doctrine of faith by the testimony of the Churches which had receiued the same from the Apostles for auoâ—ding tediousnesse bringeth in steede of many other the Church of Rome being a very great and very ancient Church and knowen to all
the soule going from the body he shall hold it with him for euer without any change that neither being exalted it can come downe to punishment nor being drowned in eternall punishments can thence forth rise to any remedy of saluation If after death there be no deliuerance if there be no change but as the Angell either good or badde receiueth the soule out of the body so it continueth for euer either exalted to ioy or drowned in punishment then there can be no Purgatory then there can be nothing but either heauen or hell where they that come shall abide for euer Hee citeth for this the same wordes of Salomon that we doe and of which Olympiodorus a writer of the same time saith k Olympiodor in Ecclesi asâ— cap. 11. In quocunque loco seu illustri seu tene 〈◊〉 depreâ—edatur â—omo cum moritur mâ—ode gradu atque ordine poriâ—â—net in aeternum nam vel requieseâ—â— in lumine foelicitatis aeterae cum iustis Christo Domino vel in tenebris cruciatur cum iniquis huius mundi principâ— Diabolo In whatsoeuer place either lightsome or darke a man is taken when he dyeth in the same degree and order he abideth for euer for either he resteth in the light of eternall felicity with the iust and with Christ our Lord or else he is tormented in darkenesse with the wicked and with the Prince of this world the Diuell But Gregory againe writeth an Epistle to his friend Aregius a Bishop to comfort him concerning the death of some belonging to him wherin it is worthy to be obserued how consonantly he carrieth himselfe to the doctrine of the Scriptures Amongst other wordes wee reade these l Gregor lib. 7. indict 2. Epist 111. Indecens est de illis taedio afflictionis addâ—ci quos credendum est ad veram vitam moriendo perue nisse HabeÌ„t for sitan illi iustam longi doloris excusationem qui vitam alteram nesciunt qui de hoc seculo ad mâ—lius transitiâ— esse non confidunt nos autem qui nouimus qui hoc credimus docemus coÌ„tristarinimium de obâ—â—ntibus no debemus ne quod apud alios tenet pietatis speciem hoc magis nobis in culpa sit Nam dissidetâ—c quodamodâ— genus est cotra hoc quod quisque pradicat torqueri moestitia dicente Apostolo Nolumus autem vos ignorare fratres c. Hac itaque ratione perspecta studendum nobis est vt sicut dixâ—mus de mortâ—â—â— non esslâ—gamur sed affectuÌ„ viuentibus impendamus quibus pictas ad 〈◊〉 sit ad sâ—uct◠〈◊〉 It is vndecent for vs to giue our selues to long affliction of sorrow for them whom wee are to beleeue to haue come by death vnto the true life They haue haply iust excuse of long sorrow who know not any other life who doe not beleeue the passage from this world to be to a better world but wee who know who beleeue and teach this are not to be too heauy for the dead least that which with others carryeth a shew of piety be to vs rather a matter of blame For it is in a manner a kinde of distrâ—st to be tormented with heauinesse contrary to that which he himselfe doth teach Hereof he citeth the wordes of Saint Paul to the Thestalonians which I haue before set downe and then addeth This therefore seeing we know wee are to haue care as I haue said not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow our affection vpon the liuing to whom our piety or denotion may be profitable and our loue may yeeld fruit Surely he leaueth no place for Purgatory that teacheth to beleeue that the faithfull in death doe attaine vnto true life and that their passage from this world is to a better neither doth he acknowledge any vse of Prayers of Masses and Trentals and other Offices and Obsequies for the dead who saith that our deuotion and loue yeeldeth no fruit or profit to them He would not haue bidden Aregius not to be afflicted for the dead but to bestow his affection vpon the liuing if hee had thought the dead to be in a Purgatory where they should and might be releeued by the deuotions of the liuing Thus he beleeued and taught where he taught aduisedly according to the Scriptures and thus wee beleeue accordingly and what hee casually taught otherwise wee reckon it for wood and straw and stubble which hee built vpon the true foundation which now the day-light of the Gospell hath reueiled and the fire of Gods word consumeth though hee himselfe by the faith of the said foundation hath attained peace And this wee hold to be the only true application of the Apostles wordes and most fitting to the processe of the text the Apostle making himselfe a builder by his preaching laying Christ for the foundation of his doctrine and therefore consequently vnderstanding gold siluer pearles wood hay stubble to be the rest of the doctrine that is preached concerning Christ either true signified by gold and siluer and pearles or false signified by wood and hay and stubble So did Tertullian of old vnderstand it m Tertul. coÌ„t Marc. l. 5. Super quod prout quisque superstruxerit dignam scilicet vel indignam doctrinam opus â—ius per ignem probabitur merces â—iâ—s per ignem rependetur As euery man saith he buildeth vpon the foundation doctrine worthy or vnworthy his worke shall be tryed by fire his reward shall be repaied him by fire In the like sort doth Ambrose expound it n Ambros in 1. Cor. 3. Tria genera posuit praeclara in mundo in quibus bonam doctrinam significauit c. Tria alia genera posuit sedfriuola In his corrupta vana doctrina designata di nâ—scitur He setteth downe three kinds of things that are excellent in the world gold siluer pearles by which he signifieth good doctrine three other things he setteth downe which are but base wood hay stubble and by these corrupt and vaine doctrine is designed Now if by these things doctrine bee designed then the fire whereby triall must be made of these things must be vnderstood accordingly That cannot be of the Popish Purgatory fire for it cannot in this sense bee fitted to Purgatory fire which the Apostle saith Euery mans worke shall be made manifest for the day shall declareâ— because it shall bee reueiled by fire for it is not declared or manifested by Purgatory fire whether doctrine bee true or false sith it selfe is so obscure and darke as that no man knoweth where it is Is it made manifest to vs by Purgatory fire whether ours or the Popish doctrine bee the more true Nay but by the word of God this triall is made and thereby it appeareth what is truth and what is falshood what is right and what is wrong and the truth as the gold and siluer is approued and iustified thereby but errour and false doctrine as wood and