I answere If the learned erre not knowing the scriptures the vnlearned are in more danger of errour through the same want Secondly if the want were not noted in all the supplie shoulde not be made and commanded to all but all euen the people are commaunded to search the Scriptures therefore not to search them or to bee ignoraunt of them is a fault in al be they learned or vnlearned Your argumeÌ„t that Christ shoulde speake onely to the Sadduces and of the resurrection because it is added you know not the power of God is alreadie answered for it is a generall fault aswell to bee ignorant of the power of God as not to knowe the Scriptures Therefore as the ignorance of the one is condemned in all so is the ignorance of the other and the remedie for both is found in the exercise and search of the holy scriptures Your similitude of woordes spoken as by my Lorde Chauncellor to the doctors of the Arches is vnlearned for with an example of speach concerning a speciall matter you would ouerthrow that which was spokeÌ„ by Christ of a generall cause But let your example stande As the studie of the ciuill lawe is proper to all Lawyers and therefore their lawe bookes to bee read and studied of all Lawyers so the studie of the spirituall and heauenly Lawe is the profession of all christians and therefore the bookes of that law to be read and studied by all professors of the same because to erre not knowing the Scriptures is a thing common to all men as was declared An example of the lyke had bene nothing for your purpose as if my Lorde Chauncellor should say to some Iesuites Yee runne into daunger of treason not knowing the Law against al those that withdrawe the Queenes subiects from their naturall obedience to her Maiestie this should be a note not only to those Iesuites but to al whatsoeuer they be Iesuites or Seminaries or massepriestes or what persons soeuer y â— they must eyther knowe and keepe the lawe or incurre the punishment therein expressed agaynst the offenders Vse good wordes of your countreymen clowne them not for though they bee simple and not trayned in the studie of good letters yet they haue soules to bee fed with the woord and howsoeuer you prayse the Colliers fayth and would put it in execution they are to take heede they find not Christs word verefied against theÌ„ aswell as against y â— Sadduces Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God In the eyght article the Iesuites are reported to say That the righteous man liueth by fayth he hath it not in Christ but by his owne workes First in this question I am charged with vntrueth for the Iesuites haue no such thing as the Censurer affirmeth For answere in this behalfe I referre you to my author whose wordes being truely reported the charge you laye vpon mee is causelesse and must returne But what is this stil to denie the articles to mayntaine quarell and yet to auowe the doctrine to defende the Iesuites Your owne wordes teache that a mans workes are meritorious in Christ and meanes to make him righteous with the seconde righteousnesse as you call it which is playnely to graunt the doctrine denyed before For although you vsey â— name of Christ in this question yet the Apostle coÌ„cludeth that you impute your saluation not to Christ but to your owne workes I testifie sayeth the Apostle speaking of them that dyd not exclude Christ that if yee bee circumcised Christ doeth nothing profit you teaching thereby that whosoeuer will in any part bee righteous in them selues can haue no righteousnesse in Iesus Christ Therefore there was no cause of your impudent lyes You come next to the place auouched for confutation of this errour If righteousnesse come by our workes it is not nowe grace This sentence you truely conster as alledged by mee to prooue that no man 〈◊〉 can bee ryghteous in this life which you say is both from the purpose and false But if the woordes be ful of proofe to shewe there is no righteousnesse in mans woorkes if it be the manifest doctrine of the Apostle what coulde more fitly conuince the blasphemie derogating from the righteousnesse which is by Christ and arrogating to our owne workes then that place which sheweth there is no righteousnesse in our workes but in Christ alone which is imputed to vs by grace onely Nowe let vs see how false it is This you woulde proue by a distinction of a double righteousnesse the first of being called from infidelitie to gayth in Christ which you say is onely of Gods mercie and nor by any merit of our workes the seconde righteousnesse is of such workes as proceede from men after the former calling if they remayne in grace But if this reede whereupon you leane be broken you must needes confesse the former proofe against you to be both pertinent and true For this purpose it is to be considered that as there was but one blessing shewed to Isaac so there is but one onely righteousnes which is not founde in any person or subiect but in our Sauiour Christ Iesus alone This righteousnesse is accounted and imputed to all those that beleeue as their owne In which imputation it is needefull to consider the proportion betweene y t redeemer his redeemed for it giueth great light to this questiâ— As in Christ there was found no cause of death at al yet hee died onely by imputation of our sin so in vs there is fouÌ„d no cause of life at al yet we shal liue onely by imputation of his righteousnes The like proportion is betweene the couenant in the law and the couenant of faith in Christ for as y â— law admitteth no transgression if a man will liue by it so Christ admitteth no satisfaction or merit to ioyne 〈◊〉 his perfect merits if any man will liue by him that y â— whole woorke of our saluation may be of y e grace of God in Christ Iesus the auâ—thour and fynisher of our fayth But to proue this righteousnesse one there is a place to the Romanes in the which the righteousnesse wherby God saueth the beleeuers is called the righâ—eousnes of God and said to be that which is reuealed in the Gospell This is the righteousnesse of faith as the Apostle proueth out of the Prophet witnessing that the righteous maÌ„ liueth by faith which place proueth there is but one righteousnesse of men not onely because the Apostle speaketh of it as one but in naming it expressely the righteousnesse of God and giuing to this faith both righteousnesse and life For if the righteousnesse of faith be the righteousnesse of God that is such as God accompteth for righteousnesse which may also stand before him and make vs holy in his sight what second righteousnesse can there be or what can it doe before God that is
insufficient witnesses the contrary being knowen to many yet aliue written by men more indifferent of better intelligence touching the storie As Lindan hath thus flaundered his death so you slaunder his life saying that almost thirtie yeeres he liued in al sensualitie and pride If there had beene any materiall argument or some false witnesse at hande you would not haue come in your selfe all alone to be sworne vpon this deposition That which you lay against him of dissention hath somewhat to be graunted For if you call it dissention he did altogether dissent from Papists being open enemies of the Gospell but for Occolampadius Bucer and others although in some poynts they disagreed yet there was among them a singular care of vnitie in the Gospell Whereupon beside the entercourse of many louing and godly letters they set downe articles of agreement subscribing their names for a testimonie of their loue as appeareth especially by an acte of concord agreed vpon at Marburge and after that by another concluded at Wittenberge We might farre most iustly require you with this accusation of dissention among your selues although you are banded together in a consent agaynst the kingdome of Christ but this is from the question although you often fall into it After these prayses of 〈◊〉 Layolas and many folde slaunders against Martin Luther deliuered in the best maner without any proofes against the one or for the other you leaue the matter for the in different reader to iudge The iudgement is soone giuen if your proofes were as manifest as your boldnes in vttering vntrueths A most patient mynde can not brooke a libell so seasoned to itching eares Our corrupt nature is more patient and glad to read a whole booke written with a pleasing grace of scoffes and tauntes against another then a lease written sicly to correct and teach our selues and we are both more skilful to write and more apt to coÌ„ceiue reprothes then any doctrine of importance for the one is home bredde the other must come downe from aboue But notwithstanding all your cunning if the reader stande vpon proofes and not vpon bare speach if he stand vpon witnesses of credit and not vpon these false subdrued witnesses the matter will fall out against Layolas as a superstitious obscure fellow and for Martin Luther as a mâ—n that hath written more then Layolas I thinke euer read that hath taught more then Layolas coulde conceiue that hath suffered for a good conscience more then euer did Layolas vnder his voluntarie whippe who fynally was the meane by the mercie of God to plant more then all the broode of Layolas shall euer be able to hinder in y â— grouth or by their infinite and shamelesse lyes any waies to impeach in worthy estimation The Censurer not satisfied with al these vngodly iniuries against Martin Luther now breaketh out into such wordes of stomacke against M. Caluin saying that the like life or worse is written of him by a French man that liued with him sometimes of the same religion You take the best way throughout all your Censures to bring the men still into suspicion and hatred because you can effect no more against the cause But for Mast Caluin beside so many as yet remaine aliue witnesses of his godly and blamelesse life his writings shal testifie to all ages hereafter that the Lorde raised him vp as a singuler Minister of the Gospel and indued him with such a spirit of wisedome and learning as may worthely kindle greater loue to him in godly meÌ„s heartes then is malice against him in your vncharitable spirites The Lorde is most wise and testifieth his loue in the dispensation of his singular graces So great giftes of true zeale of an vnderstanding heart of a minde not ouercome with any seruice of the Church with any labour for the brethren are reall arguments that as the Lorde did sanctifie and defende him against all the malice of his enemies while he liued even against the fierie dartes of Satan so now though the man be layde vp in peace yet the Lorde will preserue his name in honour vpon the earth and they that would bring shame vpon him it shall light vpon them selues as a iust recompence from him who euermore preserueth his saintes as the apple of his eye Therefore it was no euill chaunce but the Lords good will that hitherto the translation of your libel against him should be suppressed I maruaile how you passed by the storie written against M. Bucer seruing you so wel for this purpose Seeing you haue left it out I wil briefly note it for a proofe of my exceptions taken to Lindan as to a shamelesse lyer against the holy men of God M. Bucer liued to the great good and died amongst vs with the great and publique sorow of manie His life and death is written by M. Carre a man against whom you can take no iust exception who hath these wordes of him He liued so as no man better he died so as no man more blessedly his sickenes was such that no man did set him sorowe he died so that no man did perceiue his departuâ—â— Many are 〈◊〉 aliue that will witnesse as much as M. Carre hath written Yet your great author Lindan is not ashamed to make M. Bucers death as horrible and as monstro 〈…〉 as may bee suspected comparing it with foule wordes and in all horrour to the most shamefull death of 〈…〉 ius that 〈…〉 tique I appeale to them among you if there be any which 〈◊〉 the trueth that they 〈◊〉 reforme them or giu◠〈◊〉 against such manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 us to God and 〈◊〉 who arâ— into 〈◊〉 of their ma 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 in their 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 tionâ— haue 〈◊〉 〈…〉 es to thi 〈…〉 In the fourth 〈◊〉 I am 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the Iesuites 〈◊〉 â—ited out of th◠〈…〉 is it shall hereafteâ— more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if the Censures himselfe reporting most 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 of M. Luther hath â—ot thought his 〈◊〉 discharged if hee report the matter as it is in his owne corrupt authors Hosius Lyndanus and Cochleus howe much more haue I discharged my credit in reporting the Censure of Colen faithfully out of a learned treatise of Don. Gotuisus alleadged for my warrant for I pretended not to cite their wordes out of the Censure of Eolen which I could neuer get but expressely protested to take them out of a treatise concerning this matter the author whereof is quoted in the most bookes and hauing performed this touching the sense faithfully as may appeare by conference I 〈◊〉 in no respect hâ—e charged with â—alsifying howsoeuer to vndermine the trueth and discredit the 〈◊〉 thereof you 〈◊〉 about wordes left out or put in with 〈◊〉 any change of matter But you that challenge meâ— for additions why doe you twise adde the worde Verie to helpe your 〈…〉 l and once misconster mee as if I would haue men know I minded
to bring 〈…〉 able of myne owne This is to â—all 〈◊〉 to a stâ—â—ight account of that I neuer vndertooke and in nice pointes to take 〈◊〉 of syllables when you can take no iust vantage of wordes and sentences Wherefore to take away from you the only matter of shew in al your Censure I confesse that I doe not deliuer the scriptures in the number of woordes and syllables but in the ful weight of true sense and matter Which practise beside example of the fathers weâ— haue also in Christ and his Apostles This you knowe and yet of an euill purpose you dissemble the matter prouing your selfe thereby to be a manifest cauiller as was declared Therfore I need not bee ashamed to offer my booke in this point to be censured by you or examined by any Neither am I priuie as the Lorde knoweth to any purposed falshoode be it neuer so litle or to any euil practise in allegation of scripture or other writings of any man But you either with shame or without shame in the next sentence vtter w t one breath foure vntruthes For first we haue not all printes to our selues as you say for then you could not so soone haue printed your censure some other bookes Sâ—câ—â—ly our searchers are not so watchfull that nothing can passe our handes as your owne booke wil testifie against it self in this sentence Thirdly we can neither saye nor print what we will but that only which after view and diligent examination hath or should haue â—riuâ—ledge from her Maiesties lawefull authoritie Lastly you would make your reader beleeue that you were beyond Sea when you wrote and sent this shamelesse censure which now is euidently knowen to be otherwise Wherin I note the iudgement of God against you that in o 〈…〉 sentence where you haue falsely charged vs with vttering slaunderous vntrueths you haue your selfe written these foure manifest lies Moreouer that it may appeare who it is in deede that vttereth many manifest and inexcusable vntrueths let it â—â—e also considered what you thinke of the preaching of Gods word in England and what manifest vntrueths you vtter afterward saying that what I my fellowes dare auouche in our sermons speaches and discourses as you cast them we are sure shall neuer come to the examination Daily experience giueth sentence against you in this matter and one of your late bookes repeating certaine articles corruptly gathered out of Sermons made in the countrey the last Sâ—mmer Here also you distouâ—r C 〈…〉 pions veine in charging the Magistrates and learned Bishops as if they were carelesse what docttrine is deliuered vnto the people For my selfe I admitte not your comparison betweene my writings my preachings as if I durst bee bolder to faile in a Sermon then in writing a booke that may be disclosed For to answere also for my godly fellow ministers we preache as before God and Angels and dare as little in their presence presume to preache otherwyse then his worde giueth commission as wee dare to write otherwise before men then the trueth can allowe Nowe followe the XIII articles of doctrine wherewith the enemies of the trueth are charged especially the Iesuites as the chiefe mainteiners thereof And because you offer your selues to bee holden guiltie of al other doctrines whereof you are accused if these articles bee proued against you I woulde haue you stande to your owne condition for my part I accept your conclusion to bee iudged as I haue dealt with the Iesuites in wel reporting or misreporting their doctrine out of mine authour The first article out of the Iesuites blasphemous doctrine hath as â—otuisus reporteth and as you will not deny it is not sinne whatsoeuer is against the word of God The report lieth vpon my authour as I haue sayde yet you charge me with the wordes as guylefully reported as peeced and culled out for my purpose But notwithstanding this charge you presently acquite both mine authour and me graunting the wordes to bee most true in their sense If they be in their sense most true why do you take any exception to my report who onely lay them downe to yeelde what sense you can make Therefore before I wade any further let me aske you a question or two If any one of these XIII poyntes of doctrine bee false why dyd you not playnely denie it If they be all true why dyd you not playnely graunt them why dyd you wrangle making them true and false fast and loose perfect and imperfect at your pleasure Through all your discourse doe you not playnely graunt them and yet to helpe your owne credit and to purchase agaynst mâ—e some note of bad dealing would you not seeme in some fort to denie them But as this pretended deniall of those articles was an iniurie to me so the open mayntenaunce of them agayne was your trustie seruice toward the Iesuites and the couenant of your right hande It was also safe dealing to graunt them because if you woulde deny any one of them in the playne sense wherein it is aduouched yet the aduouchment shoulde bee proued agaynst you by your owne recordes Thus the good reader may see your dealing that so accuse mee that so double and redouble the lie vpon mee for laying downe nothing but knowne groundes of popish doctrine which you coulde not denie and whereof the Iesuites haue lately vndertaken the principall defence To returne to the matter the Censure of Colen was made as you saye agaynst Monhemius Catechisme among other poyntes to condemne him for saying that concupiscense remayning after baptisme is a damnable mortal sinne albeit no consent of heart be giuen vnto the same To auoyde your doubtful speach of damnable mortall sinne and the distinction of mortal and veniall sinne you must vnderstande Monhemius spake not of the sinne vnto death for the wich wee are taught that a man must not pray Otherwise vnderstaâ—diâ—g mortall sinne according to the worde of God and not as you doe without Christ all sinnes are mortall and that one sinne against the holy Ghost excepted in Christ all sinnes venial 〈…〉 which true sense Monhemiâ—s dyd truely affirme that concupiscence is a damâ—able sinne But you deny 〈◊〉 definition to establish your owne Let us therefore examine the grosse faultes which these Ieâ—uites of Colen commit in one definition notwithstanding they were so many and as you say so learned men They teach by your report first that sinne is an action Whatsoeuer they say or Thomas of Aquine in this question you shall finde that iniustice is a sinne and yet no action and that it is a sinne as well not to doe the thing commaunded as to commit the thing which is forbidden which leauing of good offices vndone you knowe is called the sinne of omission and yet no action as you woulde haue it For Andradius distinction in this matter is beside are and to no purpose Also in this place howe
childishlie doe you cast in an exception of euill men and such like that they are agaynst the lawe of God confounding and huddling in deede The question is altogether of the corruption transgression and sinne which man câ—mitteth and you runne to beasts and to the sinne of deuils where in it is good to note that as you speake not to the question so your speach is not true For euill men as they are the creatures of GOD are not against the Lawe but the euill in men not the deuils but the corruption and euill in them not euill lawes as they commande but y t euil in lawes as it is either commanded or executed You must put a difference betweene the creatures and ordinances of God which are all good as they were created and ordeined and the same as they are nowe by themselues corrupted and made abominable To that you say these things are not properly sinnes for that they are no actions I answere If nothing be sin but that which is an action what Censure will you giue vpon Gods iudgement against Hely for not vsing discipline toward his sonnes What sentence will you pronounce for those watchmen that sound not the trumpet when they see the enemie comming Here is no euill action done but a good action left vndone y t is a sin and hath receiued the punishmeÌ„t of sinne It followeth in the Iesuites definition Sinne is an humane or reasonable action I would not say sinne is an humane or reasonable but a beastly or vnreasonable action of a man indued with reason Yet in the Censurers iudgement if a madde man or a foole kil a man it is properly no sinne but these effects of sinne these great inâ—irmities of folly and madnes shall excuse murder adulteriâ— and other like enormities Lastly you say in the definitioÌ„ of sinne it must be added that it is a voluntarie action done wittingly Al these additions are additions in deede and lay open notable corruptions in your doctrine For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne be it against thy will or w t thy will bee it an action or no action be it reasonable as you speake or against reason If this part of their definitioÌ„ were true theÌ„ original sin should he no sin because you cannot make it an action done willingly or wittingly Moreouer touching manslaughter done vnwillingly or vnwittingly and to one that is not hated it may be answered that hee that hath so killed a man must flee to the citie of refuge if he be found from the bounds and liberties thereof then the anenger of bloud may kill him Also he cannot depart from the Citie of refuge till the death of the high Priest whose death seemeth herein in some sort to prefigure the forgiuenes of his sinne in the death of Christ the great high Priest Lastly Howlets booke acknowledgeth a sin of ignorance against Christ the wisedome of the Father and hee maketh willing sinne and wittingly committed to come neere the sinne against the holy Ghost Thus betweene your doctrine and his it will fall out that some sinnes are no sinnes and againe that all sinnes are done wittingly and therefore are in some sort against the holy Ghost not easely remitted Which doctrine condemneth all veniall sinne and leaueth no place for indulgences and Pardons for al sinne is wittingly and willingly done sayth the Censure and all such sinnes are against the conscience and therfore damnable saith Howlets author This is the harmonie and consent of your doctrine to mitigate the sorowes of a weake conscience w t many discordes placed in an euil concord As for your example that Iacob sinned not in lying with Lea because he knewe it not it is to make no sinne of a double sinne for Iacob sinned in iudgement not knowing what he did and so sinned as vpon the like ignorance for want of regarde hee might easily haue committed the fowlest incest Also it cannot bee proued that the bed was altogether vndefiled To conclude therefore howsoeuer you alledge Austen to approue your definition it is no way so large as sinne and therefore a most vnlearned definition You prouide for some way to escape by these your last woordes And this is to bee vnderstoode of actual sinne properly betweene properly and vnproperly betweene actuall and not actuall you thinke to finde a defence because the wordes may be diuersly taken But if euery thing repugnant to the lawe of God bee sinne in deede though not actuall the question is graunted and nothing left to you but a warre of woordes against the trueth The contrary doctrine followeth The transgression of the lawe is sinne Howe tauntingly how scornefully doth y â— masker play his part Hee woulde make his reader beleeue I haue made a vowe not to deale plainly in any one thing and that I can not alleadge one litle senteÌ„ce without falsifying I prayse the Lorde it is farre from me to make any such vowe or to haue any such vngodly purpose 〈◊〉 〈…〉 approue my coÌ„science eueÌ„ to my enemies That you may haue a proofe heâ—â—of this very place out of S. Ioh. which you so wâ—der at shal be a witnes being in sense truly fitly aleaged to proue it sin whatsoeuer is against or beside y t law of God For as siâ— is the transgression of the law so again the transgression of the Lawe is sinne these two are conuerted as the â—â—finition and the thing defined and as the termes which are mutually verified one of another To giue you an example whereof we say The Gospeâ— is the power of God to saluation againe The power of God to saluation is the Gospel As for the 〈◊〉 let the same Aposties words be ma 〈…〉 〈◊〉 the fourth chapter where he sayth God is a Spirit yet the woordes lye thus in the Greeke text a Spirit is God wherefore let not a transposition seeme 〈◊〉 to you when you see it bringeth no 〈◊〉 but a true sense â—either accus◠〈…〉 when there is no fraude 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of trueth To make some shewâ— of your faâ—â—â— accusation you lay downe a falâ—â— example for a man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are not termes generally verified one of another being one the generall and conteyning more the other the speciall and hauing lesse If you had brought an example of the like it would haue followed wel without any shewe of fraude For as Euery reasonable creature is a man so againe Euery man is a reasonable creature They that are exercised but a litle in the knowledge of these propositions may easily see your erroâ—r or purposed deceit in the example and your false accusation in the matter But after a false example let vs see a false conclusion you conclude saying So these words as Saint Iohn 〈…〉 eth theÌ„ are most true Euery sinne is iniquitie or transgression of the lawe But as I vtter theâ— you say they are false to witte that euery iniquitie or
not already accomplished by that first righteousnesse Moreouer if this righteousnesse bee that which the Gospell teacheth and not the Gospell only but as the same Apostle writeth afterward which is testified by the law and the Prophets wheÌ„ce haue you brought vs a second righteousnesse that neither the Lawe nor the Prophets nor the Gospell haue reueiled vnto vs The vanitie of this your deuise may further appeare if we coÌ„sider the iustice of God which can not allowe for righteous any thing but y t which is absolutely perfect and holy in all respects as the Lawe is most perfect most holy Wherfore both the satisfaction for â—ur sinne committed must be such as mâ—y fully endure whatsoeuer the Lawe hath threatened for sin and the obedience so exact and precise as it faile not in any poynt But this righteousnesse is but one and is in none but in our sauiour Christ none other being able to make that ful satisfactioÌ„ for sinne nor perfectly to keepe the Lawe but he alone therefore there can â—ee but one righteousnesse which is in Christ Iesus accompted vnto those which beleeue in him according to the Gospell The holy Apostles teach that after men be conuerted from infidelitie to faith they stande righteous and liue in the sight of God not by meanes of their woorkes but by this faith whereby they beleeued Abrahams example maketh this good who after he was called from idolatrie to the seruice of God is said to haue beleeued and that his faith was reckoned to him for righteousnesse not his workes first or last least hee might haue wherein to reioyce and not in God The Apostle to the Galathians maketh this euident We knowing saith he that a man is not iustified by the works of the Law but by the faith of Iesus Christ we also haue beleeued in Iesus Christ that we may bee iustified by the faith of Christ and not by workes of the Law because by the works of the Lawe no flesh shalbe iustified In which words the Apostle plainely maketh saluation an effect of faith and not of any workes which we do after wee haue beleeued Our sauiour Christ confirmeth this in diuers places as in Ioh He that beleeueth in him that hath sent me hath euerlasting life shal not come into condeÌ„natioÌ„ but is already passed from death to life He that beleeueth in the sonne hath life euerlasting An other place to the Galathians maketh all this yet more manifest where the Apostle speaking of himselfe long after his conuersion saith That I nowe liue I liue by the faith of him that loued me and gaue him selfe for me By these proofes it is euident that there is but one onely righteousnesse for which men are accompted righteous before him which is the righteousnes of faith To this may be added that the only righteousnes of God is that which giueth all the glorie of our saluation to God only in Christ Iesus and shutteth out all vaunting and boasting of man but the second righteousnes which you imagine doth not so but Ieaueth somewhat for man to glory of therefore it is no righteousnes taught by the Apostle Lastly this also is against your second righteousnes that our workes done by faith yet are not perfect and therefore cannot make vs righteous before God These reasons may suffice in this great question of our saluation briefly to conuince the blasphemie of your deuise inuented of Satan to deceiue those that seeking saluation more or lesse by their owne workes faile of that righteousnesse which is by faith onely in GOD through Christ Iesus our Lorde Nowe seeing the folly of this absurd distinction of a first and of a second righteousnesse is euidently coÌ„uicted it is also worthy of consideration how this Censurer that taketh vpon him so iustly to deuide and giue euery thing his owne doeth here notwithstanding huddle and confound righteousnesse with regeneration and iustification with sanctification For that which hee calleth the second righteousnesse is that which the Scripture calleth the New man the fruits of the Spirit or regeneratioÌ„ Furder also where he saith The first righteousnesse is of Gods mercie only and no way of our workes or by any merit of the same it is to be noted that hee is constrayned to acknowledge a righteâ—usnesse by faith onely without any deâ—â—â—â— of workes whereupon it â—hould be obserued that the Censureâ— him selfe seemeth tâ— be ashamed of y e merit of coÌ„gruence as the Schoolemen terme it while he so â—â—atly fully affirmeth our calling to bee onely of Gods grace without any merit of ours Now to returne to his Censure againe he addeth in the end a Censure vpon the allegation of the text vouched out of the Romanes for the disproofe of the former blasphemous opinion This he blameth as impertinent and vntrue impertinent because in his construction it is against the righteousnesse of good workes before our calling and not generally against the righteousnesse of all good workes wherein hee seemeth not to haue regarded the reason of the Apostle which is taken from the nature of grace and workes so contrarie that the one can neuer nor in any wise stande with the other Therefore the argument is strong to proue that our saluation cannot â—e both deserued and also freely giueÌ„ Nâ—â—ther doth this argument holde in election onely but whatsoeuer is of grace as â—â—â—â—tion iustification sanctification glory all these are in no 〈◊〉 or part of works Thus the place is so forcible to the purpose it was alledged for that the Censurer is not able â—o escape the sentence therof He complaineth lastly of wordes added which are but to cleare the sense and taken out of the second to the Galathians where to like effect the Apostle faith If righteousnesse be by the lawe Christ dyed without cause Thus hauing satisfied all the Censurers pretensed doubtes and conuicted him of errour in the blasphemous doctrine of a second righteousnesse I may worthely leaue the Iesuice to his voluntary Whip for reformation of his iudgement otherwise if he wil not learne to giue al the honour and causes of saluation to God in Christ but will in establishing his owne righteousnesse abandon the righteousnesse of God by fayth which must stand altogether of it selfe then in so teaching he wil drawe vpon him selfe other Whippes euen Scorpiâ—ns whose sting abide for euer For auoyding hereof I pray God if it may make for his glory that you Iesuites may receiue the loue of the trueth that you maye seeke finde saluation in the merites of Christ alone to life euerlasting The ninth report of â—esuiâ—eâ— doctrine is Men doe surely hope that euerlasting life shalbe giuen them but they doe not beleeue it now hope often faileth â—â—herwise it were no hope This 〈…〉 cle 〈◊〉 coâ—fessed without any coâ—â—radiction that the wicked seruant may be iudged by his owne mouth But
the â—â—uching of the places for â—ontrarie dâ—â—trine is â—ensured for vnlearned huddling vp and confounding hope and faith as one thing which note of the Censure I may truely say came from no deepe knowledge A litle iudgement might haue serued your Censureship to discerne that the two places were not alledged to proue or disproue any thing of faith the ful certeinâ—ie wherof is proued against you by the certeinâ—iâ— of hope but to ouerthrowe that which the Iesuites say in the latter parte of the sentence against which these places serue plainely and expressely For what may more cleareâ—y proue against the Iesuites doctrine that hope neuer faileth then the Apostles wordes calling 〈◊〉 The ancre of the soule Where by he nâ—â—eth our fâ—eedoâ—e from danger in all stormes of â—entations â—idding out the time of this life wi 〈…〉 any 〈◊〉 oâ— feare and without any 〈…〉 touching 〈◊〉 〈…〉 heauen To shewe the force of this assurance the Apostle vseth very significatiue words calling it a sure and stable ancre and yet to make it so full that no feare or doubt may remayne he addeth that it entreth into the inwarde of the Vaile whereunto Christ is entred meaning thereby the heauens Which importeth as much as if hee shoulde say we that haue cast this Ancre aboue in heauen are so much more safe then they whose Ancre is cast downe into the Sea as the holde wee haue taken in heauen by the Ancre of hope is surer Yea the very Rockes shal sooner faile theÌ„ our hold settling vpon the strength truth of gods promise which are al Yea AmeÌ„ in Christ Iesus This our shoote Ancre of hope hath taken holde of the mercy seate of God and of the throne of grace which except some storme be able to remoue wee are in most ioyfull and stedfast safetie The like is promised by y e other place out of y e fifth to the Romanes for if hope maketh not ashamed and shame commeth when a man faileth of that be hoped for then hope can not faile The Apostle maketh this more strong by that which foiloweth as a reason The loue of God is abouÌ„danly shead out into our hearts by the holy Ghost which is giueÌ„ vnto vs. By which reason it appeareth except the holy Ghost hath giuen vs a wrong testimonie of the loue of God the hope which we haue conceiued thereby cannot deceiue vs. Thus you see these places so truely and fitly alledged that al your falsely named learning will not be able truely to answere the allegation of them which notwithstanding it pleaseth you to call vnlearned But let vs see what you call learning forsooth the doctrine of Iesuites touching the doubtfulnes and feare which is in hope that is true learned and cleare This is as the prophet complaineth to call good badde and sweete sower whereunto you know what belongeth For aunswere to these two places of hope the Iesuiteâ— doctrine is declared at large the effect of all standing in two pointes the first concerning faith the other of hope Of faith they teach that no man may beleeue that he in particular shalbe saued without a particular reuelatioÌ„ from God A faithlesse doctrine of faith and therefore not to bee lightly passed ouer You seeme to proue it by reasons one drawen from y t obiect of faith which is the word written or tradition whereof neither as you say doeth testifie mens saluation in particular the seconde taken from the vncertaintie of the things beleeued which as the Censurer supposeth doe depende vpon such conditions as possibly may not be perfourmed Both these great points for want of scripture he setteth foorth by examples as minding rather to perswade then to proue The first is of the answerer the seconde of the possibilitie to be damned as did fall out in Iudas and may fall out a more fearefull case then I woulde put of him had bee not put it of him selfe in the Censurer him selfe Nowe let vs consider what great learning the Iesuices haue in this their opinioÌ„ of faith as the Censureâ— doth report them To iudge that without particular reuelation by name no man can be sure of his saluation is expressely against that the woorde of God â—eacheth in this great question Therefore howe leraneâ— soeuer the Iesuites make them selues yet in deede as the Apostle speaketh of the wise Gentiles they become starke fooles not knowing true wisedome out of the worde but bastard wisedome by their foolish distinctions The Censurers worde of Tradition must bee reserued for a fitter place Touching the promise of the Gospell it is general whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued the Censurer confesseth it This generall promise hath place and is certainely verefied in euery particular y t beleeueth Euery sensible maÌ„ without further learning may easely iudge in this doctrine whatsoeuer is true in y e general must needes be true in euery particular Nowe if it be vndoubtedly true that euery beleeuer shalbe saued it must needes bee also that Simeon and Lazarus beleeuing in Christ shalbe saued Therefore what needeth any speciall reuelation in the worde for that which is sufficiently comprehended vnder the generall what neede is there by name to saye from maÌ„ to man by name Lazarus shalbe saued Citus shalbe saued and 〈…〉 we shall be saued and so infinitely Or shall we say that God in respect of persons doth particularly assure some of their certaine saluation leauing all the rest to be tossed and caried vp and downe with feare and hope as a ship in the sea caried hither and thither with contrary winds Moreouer the very place cited by the Censurer as a particular reuelation was not particular but generall to all the disciples that beleeued by vertue of a more generall couenant made to all that beleeue whatsoeuer For to examine that place neerer all the disciples and all the Apostles had not their names written in the booke of life for Iudas was excepted And here by the waye the Censurers ouersight must bee noted that draweth the place of Luke as speciall and particular to the Apostles being spoken of the seuentie disciples He wanted special knowledge herein when hee so boldly made it an argument of the Apostles speciall reuelation Of the most certayne and sure foundations of our particular fayth and hope the Apostle writeth in the eight to the Romanes saying that nothing was able to take from him the loue which God beareth to him in Christ Iesus which hee setteth out by naming such things as are most like and mightie to strike a feare and doubt into his heart as oppression anguish persecution famine nakednesse and finally death it selfe nay he addeth agayne that neyther lyfe nor death nor Angels nor things present nor thinges to come nor height nor depth that is what so euer is in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath or in the parâ—â— vnder the earth finally that no creature is able to
the argument doeth not necessarily followe For many are in heauen that haue liued in errour because the rich mercie of God doth aswell pardon errour to him that repenteth as other iniquities No man will take this for a good argument one â—f the two that were crucified with Christ is nowe in heauen therfore he was no thiefe therefore he liued not in error yet such altogether is the fifth motiue that moued Xilander to go to Rome in hope perhappes to be a Saint 6 To the sixt reason which maketh the Papistes reuerent in their wordes and the other syde rayling blasphemous and dishonest in their speaches and writinges I answere with Salomons woordes he that iustifieth the wicked and he that coudemueth the innocent are both an abhomination before the Lorde This reason is repeated in the next and is there further answered 7 The seuenth reason hath nothing in prayse of the Papistes as the former had but is altogether a repetition of that which was said against the godly as railing and misreporting their aduersaries Wherein for proofe against this slaunder I appeale to the places of the Censure alleaged against Martin Luther and charging him with most foule opinions such as after his conuersion he neuer mainteined in worde or deede which his practise prooued while he yet liued and his writings doe testifie now after his death Doctor Watson also may make a triall of this matter against you who in a sermon before Queene Marie charged no small men as he saith but our great bishops to say that euery man and woman might at the Lordes table take bread and blesse it which he calleth tonsecration and speake the woordes of the institution aswell as the minister Notwithstanding here I am to aduertise the reader that Papistes misreport theÌ„ selues now saying and at an other time denying the same as appeared in many of the XIII articles by y â— Censurers own practise For when the Iesuites are truely charged he will not graunt that which is truely auouched against them but changing the question will seeme to say lesse then they teach For one example they are charged to commit idolatrie in worshipping images the Censurer will seeme to denie this saying they giue no worship to the image but to God this distinction is not good and further more the assertion is false For it hath been prooued that they giue worship to the very image of Christ and which is more that they giue y â— greatest worship of Christ him selfe to his picture Therefore al men are to consider this both for our defence to auoyde the errour that may come by their deceites For in the fielde where they stand in feare of the aduersarie and in their perswasions when they would win a proselyte the pretended Catholiques will not lie open but cloke a great part of their shamefull doctrine which is their subtiltie to drawe away disciples and to leaue lesse aduantage to their enemies Therefore to a man not acquainted with their double dealing wee may seeme to report them otherwise then they holde in disputation when notwithstanding we report them no other wise then they openly teache in their kingdome and publishe in their writings Wherefore I may conclude that this reason was grouÌ„ded vpon a manifest vntruth Xilander iudged of Iudas by the kisse not by the treason 8 Lastly for a reason we are falsely charged to esteeme all our auncesters damned to breake their willes and conuert to prophane vses that which they gaue to mainteine idle Monkes and Friers and to redeeme them by masses out of purgatory Whatsoeuer he thought in him selfe or imagined in others wee thinke not our ancesters damned but leaue iudgement to the Lorde to whom the iudgement of life and death doth belong not searching out his secret couÌ„sels which are vnsearchable As for the ornameÌ„ts which they bestowed not vpon the seruice of God to the instruction of their soules by the preaching and ministerie of the Gospell but vpon the great harlot and to the inlargement of her kingdome they are brought home agayne to better vses and I thinke many of your best friendes will holde and enioy them as better bestowed Your seconde man commeth ready furnished to your hande out of the former booke of Lindan But because you promise not to deliuer the same reasons that were touched before let vs see how faithfully you keepe art and promise Flaschius first reason is the same that Xilanders seuenth where they say we report the papists to teach that they teach not Also his thirde is but a particular of that which the other man did generally auouch in y â— sixt against y e godly as vsing dishonest speach To speake of them particularly Flaschius his first reason is that your Catholiques teach cleane contrary to that which we report of them We report them to teach that the Pope is supreame head of the Church doe they teach the cleane contrary we charge them to ascribe some merit to workes do they teach cleane contrary Againe we charge them that they auowe transubstantiation do they teach no such thing Wee moreouer chalenge them for giuing worshippe to images do they teach the contrary doctrine wee accuse them for denying the sufficiencie of scriptures do they make them sufficient I might bring infinite such examples but these may be sufficieÌ„t to shew how Flaschius stuÌ„bled at his first going out at the gace 2 The second reason is drawen from Luthers mind in writing against y t Romish Church of enâ—y as the ruÌ„nagate doth suppose How is this prooued out of any place quoted for a shewe of proofe Agayne if it were proued that enuie made M. Luther write against Popery how doth the runnagates reason followe The preacher preacheth of enuie therfore his doctrine is to be forsaken The Phisition vseth his arte for couetousnes therfore his couÌ„sel is to be despised If Flaschius had learned what the place of S. Paul ment where he saith he was glad reioyced that Christ was preached eyther vpon enuie or contention eyther for fashion sake or in synceritie howsoeuer it might haue bin a counterpoyson against y â— disease of this second imaginatioÌ„ 3 His third reason against M. Luther for great dishonestie scurrilitie of speach in his writings is another â—launder in effect all one w t the seconde and there answered You say this bad fellowe was a â—reacher surely theÌ„ he came in by a wrong way went out by a right dore y t neuer had any sound knowledge of the trueth or if he had any he first put back a good coÌ„science theÌ„ made shippe wracke of faith knowledge 4 Fourthly it is but â—lauÌ„derously laid to our charge y t we do easily reiect any booke or peece of Scripture for we admit as the word of God all y â— bookes partes conteyned in y t auncient autenticall Canon of y â— Iewes with our aduersaries all the new Testament
neither doe we vse or suffer the least corruption of y t Scripture knowing what a curse is pronouÌ„ced against such blasphemous audaâ—ity But you haue added the Apocrypha bookes although they neither agree in some pointes with y â— scripture nor yet one with another as hath bene declared Touching Fathers and Councils it is too foule an accusation to charge vs y â— wee esteeme no more of them theÌ„ of y â— Turkes Alcoran Flaschiâ—s appeareth to be some corrupt hypocrite who measured other men by y â— vanity wickednes of his own heart So farre doe wee honour the councils as they can well aske or doe deserue honour For that I may bee suffered to repeate with the Censurer we receiue from them ioyfully and with reuerence whatsoeuer they deliuer vnto vs with sufficient warrant out of the worde of God acknowledging them not only to haue brought great profit to the church in their time but also to their posteritie This honour we giue not to the deuilish Alcaron what the Apostata did or will do I can not report 5 The fifth reason is a slauÌ„der against y â— truth blasphemously cast out against it and the professers thereof It is that our newe opinions as Flaschius our enemies wil needes call them are olde heresies condeÌ„ned by name in the primitiue Church Whereunto I answere that if Saunders most traiterous booke quoted for proofe in the margent or Lindane with his roule of heresies or the runnagate by any good trial can proue that either we pull olde heresies out of the graue or breed newe that should be buried though it be no good reason why Sebastian should flie to them yet wee will grauÌ„t it a full sufficieÌ„t reasoÌ„ why he should take the wings of the morning flie from vs. But if this runnagate in the malice and error of his heart hath spoken good of euil and euill of good if he haue forsaken darknes for light and light for darknes then he hath escaped a blessing and made haste to finde a curse 6. 7. The next two reasons are of y â— same forge with all the rest they prooue nothing but the malice and blindnes of your conuert The sixt chargeth Luther with contrarietie of doctrine the seuenth with a speache of intollerable inâ—quitie against faith in God But his godly writings doe sufficiently iustifie him against these open slaunder 〈…〉 as was declared before against y â— Censurers like slauÌ„derous reports Out of his large volumes of talke at tables wee know not so much what Luther said or vpon what causes as what those men remeÌ„bred or added which did collect the bookes 8 The last reason of Flaschius was cunningly chosen out to make a fit conclusion of your tauÌ„ting and slaunderous Censure hauing nothing but the venim of the aspe that laie vnder the runnagates tongue It standeth vpon many points shuffeled together as that we are partiall that we exaggerate euery litle fault in our aduersaries and liue our selues most vitiously in fornication and chaunge of wiues according to Luthers doctrine the proofe whereof is alledged in one preacher vpon the runnagates credit with other thinges that this shamelesse man is ashamed to vtter What an heape of reproches is this without any proofe Against this I haue proued that M. Luther taught no libertie offornicatioÌ„ but the contrarie as appeareth at large by many his learned and godly treatises Alsâ— the knowne doctrine and discipline of our Church free vs froÌ„ the slaunder who seeke a sharper punishment for such enormities then your petie penaunce If Flaschius euer met with a mate like him selfe that would haue made a match w t him in chaunging of wiues he was to blame except the most fault was in himselfe that he did not bring it before the Magistrate vpon complaint and proofes it woulde haue appeared that y â— religion suffereth no such wickednesse to goe unpunished This may be a particular slaunder like the rest but if it were true in Flaschius and one of his companions both fitte to haue bene thrust out of the Church before eyther departed what is this to all These are your two false witnesses wel able to discredit euen a true matter comming from their report as they themselues are discredited by the testimonies they haue giuen in agaynst the Gospell being reportes so full of manifest reproch and vntrueth It is verie like they omitted the true reason of their departure Perhappes they went out because they woulde not or coulde not any longer abide within as it fell out with Demas and Alexander Nowe for a recompence of your two runnagates the present example not of a straunger unknowen but of one home borne toucheth the quicke He in your faces rendered good reasons of his conuersion from among them where wickednesse of life and abhomination of doctrine striue which may cal downe the greatest vengeaunce But this needeth not my repetition and I labour not to presse you with examples or corruptions of men it is beside the question we haue in hande My prayer and labour is for the defence of his trueth from the which we receiue life and are to striue for it vnto death The Lord requireth this seruice at our hands he will at his good time blesse it with manifolde blessings the fruit whereof it may be some of vs shal not see but our posteritie shal behold it notwithstanding all the wisedome and power and counsell of man to the contrary For the Lord hath reuealed the man of sin by the preaching of the worde hath shaken his chaire with a mightie arme hee wil not withdraw his hand til he hath vtterly coÌ„sumed Antichrist with the spirit of his mouth abolished him w t the brightnesse of his comming In the meane time his little â—locke may bee somewhat scattered for a time of trial but they shal be gathered together againe increased to shewe the Lords power and mercie they may sâ—w 〈◊〉 teares but they shal reape with gladnesse This is the hardest account the godly can make But it may be that the Lord will himselfe correct vs in mercy and not deliuer vs into the hands of our enemies to be punished by them It may be the mother of Sisera shall looke out at the window and cry out at the casement why is his chariot so long a coÌ„ming why tary the wheeles of his charet So let thine enemies perish O Lorde but let them that loue thee and thy trueth continue as the Sunne when he riseth in his might and as Oliue plants in the house of God that flourish for euer Amen FINIS Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker Printer to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie 2. Pet. 2. 1. Iohn 4. 24. 1. Iohn 4. 1. 2. Cor. 2. 5. 1. Iohn 4. 2. Heb. 7. 27. 9. 12. 26. 28. 10. 10. Iames 2. 1. Ephe. 4. 1â— Rom. 1. 18. 2. Tim. 2. 9. D. Watson M. Peoknam The