indued with a sanctifying faith albeit they cannot produce the actions thereof no more then it is an absurditie to say that they are indued with a reasonable soule albeit the effects there of appeare not in them But Bellarmine himselfe happily doubting of the absurditie of these former doctrines in the last instance wil be sure to produce an absurd position indeed which is that God is the author of sinne which yet as he affirmeth is taught by Calvin But this is an impudent and a shamelesse slander refused and refuted also by that worthie seruant of God himselfe Wherefore Bellarmine hereby manifestly declareth that the doctrine of the Romish church whereof he is so stiffe a maintainer is absurd false vntrue therefore not taken out of the word of truth seeing it is not neither indeed cannot bee defended but by false slanders and lies For the law of God shall bee fulfilled without lies seeing wisdome is sufficient to a faithfull mouth Eccl. 34. 8. And verily that all the particular doctrines of the Church of Rome are vnreasonable and absurd and therefore vntrue by Bellarmines owne rule vntrue it may be iustified in them all but at this time I will giue instance only in some of their particular doctrines which concerne the word of God the Sacraments Prayer Faith And first concerning the word of God the Church of Rome absurdly teacheth that it is delivered vnto vs partly in the Scriptures and partly by tradition For if it bee an absurd thing for a wise and provident Father to deliuer his last will and testament partly in writing and partly without it is much more absurd to ascribe any such action vnto the most wise and provident God Secondly if it be an absurd thing for a father to interdict any of his childrē to get a coppie of his last will and testament wherein some great legacy is giuen vnto him and some speciall duties are required at his hands then it is more absurd to avouch that God doth interdict all his children of the Laitie the hauing of the bookes of the old new Testament in the which so great legacies are bequeathed vnto them and so many speciall duties are required at their hands Thirdly if it be an absurd thing that a wise and louing father should make his last will and testament in a language vnknown to his children seeing he maketh it to this end even to make knowne to all and every of them what portion and legacie hee bestoweth vpon them and what dutie hee requireth at their hands then much more absurd is it to avouch that our heavenly father making his wil and testament to the same end would haue the vnderstāding thereof kept close from any of his children vnder the locke key of a strange language Fourthly seeing every wise father hath a speciall care to set downe his mind in his will and testament in plaine and cleere words that so he may take away all iust occasion of discord and dissention among his children it is absurd to imagine that the God of peace and loue would set downe his mind in the bookes of the old and new Testament in darke and obscure tearmes and in phrases of such a doubtfull and ambiguous signification that like a nose of wax they may be bowed as wel this way as that way and so minister occasion of discord and strife which he therein so straightly and severely interdicteth And verily as it is an absurd thing to avouch that the light of the sunne is darke because sore eies cannot well behold it blind cannot apprehend it at al so is it more absurd to avouch that the holy Scripture being a light that proceedeth from Christ the sonne of righteousnes Ap. 12. 1. is darke and obscure because the sore eyes of some mens sicke minds are offended with it and the blind mindes of other that are starke dead in their sins cannot apprehend it at all Fiftly seeing it is an absurd thing to thinke that any person in a manuary craft can become a good Artisan vnlesse he vnderstand the particular rules thereof and the reasons of such workes that are to be wrought thereby it is no lesse absurd to determine with the Church of Rome that a blind and a colliar-like faith can make a true faithfull man and a good intent can make a good worke when the party vnderstandeth not the particular doctrines of faith nor the severall reasons whereby a good worke may bee done rightly acceptably vnto God For is it not absurd as Chrysostome saith that a Physitian a Tanner a Cloth-worker and all other craftsinen shall be able to stand in defence of their arts and a Christian shall not be able to giue a reason of his faith Whereas these arts neglected bring losse only to our temporalties the contempt of the other bringeth damage to our soules Yet saith he such is our madnesse that wee imploy all our thoughts vpon the former and little regard the necessary most strong fortifications of our salvation albeit wee bee commanded to bee ready to giue an answer to every one that should aske vs a reason of our faith also to haue the word of God dwelling in vs most plentifully Chryf hom 16. in Ioh. Sixtly if we thinke it absurd to trust another mans telling in the receipt of mony or another mans eie in the feeding of our horse or another mans tast in the food of our owne bodies It is more absurd to receaue from our teachers the heauenly coine of faith hope loue vpon their bare word or to trust his eies and tast in the food of our soules by receauing and approuing all doctrines deliuered by them vnto vs without all examination and triall So S. Chrysostome It is an absurd thing in the receipt of mony not to trust another but to tell it our selues and in matters of farre greater moment to content our selues with another mans bare word especially whereas we haue a most exact ballance squire and rule even the determination of the divine lawes Chryf hom 13. in 2. ep ad Cor. Lastly is it not most absurd that a translation made by some which were not inspired guided therein by the spirit of God should be commanded to be receaued by all as only authenticall to be preferred before the text it selfe set down in the bookes of the Canonicall Scripture penned in the Hebrew Greek tongues by the Prophets Apostles which were immediatly inspired and guided in that very action by the speciall motion of the vnerring spirit of God 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21. Is it not I say absurd that all truth most purely set downe by such notaries as were immediately thereto designed by God should not be so well preserued in their register bookes from all errors and corruptions by divine providence as in the writings of any other which were not immediatly by God designed therevnto For is water more cleere in the streame where it
Moizare that is deliver many doctrines set downe by Moses for that hee had taken them out of him So these Sybille did Prophetizare because they had receaued these prophesies either out of their books or by tradition from the old Patriarks For as Sampson said vnto his guests that were at his wedding when they gaue him the right sense of his riddle which lie had proposed vnto them If yee had not plowed with my heifer yee could not haue found out my riddle Iud. 14. 18. So may wee as truely say that if the heathenish Prophets and Prophetesses had not consulted with our Prophets they could not haue delivered these Oracles The which is evident by this that when they were consulted by their greatest friends concerning events that were presently to come to passe they deliuered their Oracles in doubtfull sentences which might be expounded divers waies for that they were not able to deliver any certaintie thereof As Aio te Aeacides Romanos vincere posse And Craesus halim penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim Whereas our Prophets not only delivered the certaintie of the events of divers battles when they were ready to bee vndertaken as Iud. 4. 9. and 7. 9. 1. Sam. 30. 8. 1. Reg. 20 13. But also many other events many hundred yeares before they fell out As namely the deliverance of the Iewes out of the captivitie of Babylon and the particular king by whom it should bee accomplished even Cyrus king of the Medes Persians Isa 44. 45. The which prophesie as Iosephus reporteth Antiq. Iudaic. l. 11. c. 1. Cyrus reading and perceauing himselfe to be named therein some 200 yeares before he was borne and appointed to such a worke gaue liberty to the Iewes to returne to their-owne country and to build their temple and he gaue them backe the vessels thereof which had beene carried away by the king of Babylon For he vnderstood that the God of the Iewes was the true God because he had foretold such an event a long time before it was to come to passe As it may appeare by his owne words Ez. 1. 2. Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia the Lord God of heauen hath given me all the kingdomes of the earth and hath commanded mee to build him an house in Ierusalem which is in Iudah Who is among you of all his people with whom his God is Let him goe vp to Ierusalem which is in Iudah and build the house of the Lord God of Israell he is the God which is in Ierusalem Here then wee may perceaue by evident reason set downe in the Scriptures that the heathen haue and therefore still may be convinced to acknowledge him to be the true God who hath revealed himselfe in those bookes of the Prophets and Apostles and that those bookes are the authenticall word of the true all seeing and well working God And verily even the most profoundest mysteries of those bookes may bee iustified by evident reason to the heathen themselues to be the doctrines of truth proceeding from the true God as it may appeare by the bookes of these notable lights in the Church of Christ ' D. de Plessis de veritate Christianae religionis Zeged in locis com Keckerm in Syntagm Theolog. Neither must the doctrines of our Christian religion bee by reason evicted against the Gentiles but also against all Schismatiks Heretiks For albeit all these or at the least the most of them acknowledge the holy Scriptures to proceed from God yet seeing this word of God consisteth not in the letters but in the sence not in the reading but in the vnderstanding not in the leaues of the speech wherein it is delivered but in the root of the reason whereon it is grounded and seeing all Schismatikes and Heretikes be the words that are produced against them never so plaine and pregnant yet peruert and corrupt the right sense and meaning of them how can the right sense be iustified against all such persons but by cleere and evident reasons For if one testimonie bee produced to cleere another they will pervert the sense of the one as well as of the other And if the testimonies of the ancient Fathers yea of generall Councels bee alleaged against them either they will pervert the meaning of them aswell as they did the meaning of the Scriptures or else they will flatly refuse to subscribe to their autoritie The truth hereof was fully knowne vnto S. Austin who for his learned confuting of many heretikes was called the Hammer wherewith heretikes were knocked Malleus haereâ—â—corum in the head For hee writing against Maximinus the Arrian l. 3. 1. 14. saith I will not alleage the Councell of Nice to preiudice thee neither shalt thou produce the Councell of Ariminum to preiudice me I will not be bound to yeeld to the autority of the one nor thou to the authority of the other but by the autoritie of the Scriptures as by most indifferent witnesses not proper to either of vs but common to both Let matter with matter cause with cause reason with reason bee compared together let that prevaile which is the stronger and weigh most wherein there is the most weight And verily there is no other meanes to cleere the meaning of all testimonies humane and divine then by the light of cleere arguments and reasons Wherefore seeing that the power of the word of God consisteth in the right sense and meaning thereof which cannot be cleered without the light of reason without the sure apprehension thereof the people of God themselues cannot be edified therefore cleere arguments and reasons must bee produced for the cleering of all doctrines of faith and an holy life by all such teachers as seeke after the edification of the people of God The truth whereof is plainely confirmed by the vsuall practise of all preachers of the word of God Among whoÌ„ it is most ordinary after the doctrines deduced out of their texts to cleere the same with varietie of reasons and then to drawe out the vses there of which are nothing else but particular doctrines by evidence of reason collected and gathered out of the generall And verily the true Christian faith is not an ignorant credulitie but an vnderstanding assent grounded vpon a sure knowledge even such a faith as was in the Apostles themselues the which they were to preach through out the whole world Luk. 1. 77. For of this their faith our Sauiour himselfe testifieth in this very chapter saying I haue giuen them the words which thou gauest mee and they haue receaued them haue knowne surely that I came out from thee and haue beleeued that thou hast sent me v. 8. The truth where of is plainly confirmed by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the words of S. Peter Ioh. 6. 69. Thou hast the wordes of eternall life we beleeue knowe that thou art the very Christ the sonne of the liuing God Neither is this vnderstanding faith proper
and peculiar to the teachers of the truth but to all the godly professors of the same For none come to salvation but by the knowledge of the truth 2. Th. 2. 10. 11. In which place knowledge and faith are ioined together as inseparable companions as Ignorance is set downe as a separatist from faith salvation in the former chapter of the same Epistle Now to knowe a thing is to knowe the reasons thereof Scire est per cau sas scire Wherefore the true Christian faith grounded vpon knowledge doth no otherwise worke in the faithfull a right assent to the severall doctrines of faith then by grounds thereof This truth is manifestly proued throughout the whole body of the sacred Scripture which teacheth that the true Christian faith is a wise and holy not foolish and wicked a seeing and not a blind a cleere and not a darke a manly and not a childish a reasonable and not a brutish perswasion Faith is a wise assent grounded vpon the wise doctrines of the word of God which are able to make vs wise to salvation by faith in Christ 2. Tim. 3. 15. And what is wisdome but a right apprehensiō of truth the reasons thereof by the testimonies of divine humane autors I haue saith Solomō the wise compassed about both I mine heart to knowe and inquire and to search wisdome reason Eccl. 7. 27. by the which manner of annexing the one to the other hee giueth vs to vnderstand that the one ariseth out of the other So Aristole the wisest of all Philosophers Prudence is an habit ioyned with right reason So Tully one of the wisest of all Orators Hee that doth best apprehend truth in every thing the reasons and grounds thereof is worthely to bee esteemed the most prudent and wise of all other Wherefore our Christian faith being a wise apprehension and assent vnto truth must needs apprehend the reasons whereon it is grounded The wisdome of the prudent saith Solomon is to vnderstand his way but the foolishnesse of fooles is deceit Prov. 14. 8. That is wisdome lightning the vnderstanding by meanes of true reason doth sanctifie it with truth as folly darkning it with ignorance leadeth it into errour both in matters of faith and of life and conversation For the foolishnesse of a man perverteth his waie Prov. 19. 3. for folly is the mother of wickednesse Eccl. 7. 27. Wherefore such as bee foolish shall not stand in Gods sight for he hateth all such as worke wickednesse Ps 5. 5. But the wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the firmament Dan. 12. 3. The foolish Virgins could not enter into the marriage because their lamps were gone out Mat. 25. 10. That is they made profession of the word of God which is a lanthorne to our feet and a light to our paths without the vnderstanding thereof For what is the word not vnderstood but a lampe without oile or a candle without light But the wise that had oile in their lamps that is rightly vnderstood the doctrines of Gods word were admitted into the marriage For they that truely knowe God shall bee Visio iustificans Visio glorificans knowne of him and they that now see him with the eye that iustifieth shall hereafter see him with the eye that glorifieth But they that knowe not God shall not be knowne of God 2. Thess 1. 8. Hos 4. 6. Prov. 1 22. And all such as see him not with the eye of faith shall never see him with the eye of glory Prov. 29. Fooles mad men may be Saints with foolish and mad Mahomet but the children of wisdome Mat. 11. 19 are the chil dren of the most wise God such as haue their minds and affections sanctified by wisdome are his Saints in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Coll. 2. 3. Now if faith be a wise assent then it is not blind and darke but eyefull and cleere I saw saith Solomon the wise that there is more profit in wisdome thē in folly as the light is more excellent then darknesse Eccl. 2. 13. for a wise mans eyes are in his head but a foole walketh in darknesse Wisdome and faith are the sight of the eye of the mind and truth rightly apprehended and assented vnto is the light that leadeth in the' right way Morio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vnto God Ps 43. 3. But a foole vnbeleeuer is a blind and a darke man 2. Pet. 1. 9. For infidelitie and folly is the blindnesse of the mind and where these lead the will and affections there is a wandring from God seeing he that walketh in darknesse woteth not whether hee goeth Ioh. 12. 35. and there is a falling into the pit of all errors and sinnes seeing where the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch Wherefore blessed are their eies who seeing see and doe perceaue hearing heare and doe vnderstand and so are converted so are saved Mat. 13. 16. And blessed are all not some but all beleeuers because they all behold as in a myrror the glory of God with open face are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of God 2. Cor. 3 18. Neither doth our wise Christian faith bring onely sight and light to all that beleeue but also a behauiour fit for men indued with sound and right reason and de liuereth them from childishnesse brutishnesse also It is the propertie of a child to doe childishly When I was a child saith the Apostle I spake as a child I vnderstood as a child but when I was a man I put away childishnesse Non qu◠eundū sed quo itur 1. Cor. 13. 11. So it is a propertie of a brute beast to goe not whether they should goe but whether others goe But the faithfull should not be children in vnderstanding but of a ripe age 1. Cor. 14. 20. Neither should they bee like the horse and mule in whom there is no vnderstanding Ps 32. 9. For children are childish and are led with such motiues as most prevaile with the affections and brute beasts are brutish and follow sense but the wise Christian beleeuer will take especially notice of such inducements as soundly informe the vnderstanding and are powerfull to rule direct the affections and senses in a right course Now by all these properties and effects of a true Christian faith it is evident that whosoever desireth to attaine therevnto must labour to vnderstand the severall reasons whereon the severall doctrines of faith are grounded that so he may bee enabled thereby to stand vpon the iust defence of his owne faith Thus much is Bellarmine himselfe forced to confesse in that hee maketh sanctity of doctrine which is the wisdome and reasonablenesse thereof to be a note of the true Church and of the right faith professed therein vpō that ground taketh exception against our
doctrine and chargeth it to be vnreasonable and absurd and so vnholy therefore not the doctrine of the true Church and of the right faith professed therein For the proofe whereof he giueth instance in fiue points And first he beginneth with iustification by faith and against the truth thereof maketh this weake and childish Sophisme If faith saith he iustifieth and assureth the faithful of his iustification then either it findeth him iust before he beleeueth or maketh him iust after he beleeueth But this division is insufficient and should be made in this maner If faith iustifieth either it is before or when or after it is giuen But faith iustifieth both when and after it is given and doth never find any man iust before he hath obtained a right faith And so the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. 30. Whom he predestinated saith the Apostle them be called viz. effectually by giuing to them a true faith and whom he called them he iustified viz. at that present instant of time For saith doth presently ingraff the beleeuer into Christ so giueth him present interest in his sufferings and righteousnesse and there by doth presently iustifie him Wherefore in this first instance reason faileth in this sophisticall confuter and not in the doctrine which he would confute His secoÌ„d instance is this If faith giueth assurance of the pardon of sinne then it suffereth him not to say that petition of the Lords Prayer forgiue vs our sinnes seeing it is an absurd thing to pray for that whereof he hath good assurance that he hath it already But God giueth forgiuenesse of sinnes but to such as in their dayly prayers make confession of them vnto him and faithfully pray for the forgiuenesse of them I said saith David Ps 32. 6. I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the iniquitie of my sin Therefore shall every one that is godly make his prayer vn to thee in the time when thou maist be found That is seeing God is sound of all them that seeke him in truth granteth mercy and pardon of sinne to all that humbly and faithfully seeke for pardon in Christ Therefore every one that is godly will in his daily prayers sue seeke for the forgiuenesse of his sinnes in Christ that so he may obtaine the assurance thereof What Had not that man assurance of the pardon of his sinnes to whoÌ„ Christ said man thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Luk. 5. 20. And did this man absurdly if he said the Lords praier Had not the Apostles themselues assurance of the pardon of their owne sinnes which were to preach and to proclaime the pardon of all sinnes to all beleeuers And did they cease to pray yea to pray after that manner as Christ commanded them to pray forgiue vs our sinnes Matt. 9. 9. What doth the holy father the Pope who in his plenary pardons and indulgences or all his Friers and Priests who in the sacrament of penance giue assurance of the pardon of all sinnes to such as confesse theÌ„ are contrite and sorrowfull for them doe they I say forbid the saying of the Lords prayer and the asking therein of the pardon of their sinnes Surely the holy Father himselfe and all the principall persons of his Church are absurd men or else it is no absurditie to assure the faithfull of the full forgiuenes of all their sins and yet to will them to pray daily for the same The Cardinals third instance is the Anabaptists hold faith to be an assurance of Gods loue who yet can haue no assurance thereof therefore saith is not the assurance of Gods loue As if heretikes and reprobates might not hold some right opinions in matters of faith But the Anabaptists say that they themselues haue an assurance of Gods loue and are accepted of him And what of that Did not the Laodiceans say that they were rich and increased with goods and wanted nothing Ap. 3. 17. And yet it was nothing so So some mad men will say that they are Lords of such and such Mannours vea Soveraignes of such and such kingdomes and yet they may be strake beggars Now the Anabaptists as all other heretikes are after a sort mad men and baue lost a sound mind and therefore they may thinke that they haue faith and the assurance of Gods loue when they haue it not indeed The evidences wherein divers men doe seeke for the assurance of Gods loue are diverse The Pharises had such an high conceit of their owne workes that they did thinke themselues iust thereby and accepted with God as being such in their owne proud opinions as did demerit no lesse at Gods hand So many that haue intended the vâ—â—er overthrowe of Prince and people hauing receaued absolution from their Priests and a pardon from the Pope haue iudged themselues to haue had all their sinnes pardoned and themselues greatly beloued of God So the Anabaptists deeming and dreaming their owne fancies to bee the immediate revelations of the spirit of God may happely presume hereof that they are right deare vnto God and such as may bee fully perswaded of his loue But the faithfull to whom God by his word and sacraments doth so reveale his covenant of mercy in Christ Iesus that thereby they are effectually called and brought vnto God to trust in this his vnspeakable goodnesse and to place their chiefe happinesse therein and to loue God for the same aboue all things whatsoever here by are rightly assured that they are in Gods loue and are effectually called to the estate of grace to obtaine salvation in Christ Iesus Wherefore albeit the assurance of the Anabaptists and of all other of the like ranke may be false and vaine for that it is built vpon a sandy false ground yet the assurance of the faithfull is most firme and certaine for that it is founded vpon a rocke Fourthly Bellarmine chargeth Luther with an absurd position for that he avoucheth that children being baptised may haue faith Why doth not our Saviour himselfe testifie that some at the first houre of the day of their life are called to worke in the Lords vineyard Mat. 20. 1. and therefore indued with a sanctified faith which worketh by loue And doth not the Scripture also in plaine words and not in parables teach that some are sanctified froÌ„ their mothers womb and therefore not only indued with an holy faith but also with all other graces of sanctification Ier. 1. 5. Why doth not Bellarmine himselfe thinke that infants descending from faithfull parents being baptised and dying before they come to yeares of discreation are Gods children and heires of his kingdome Now how are they Gods children vnlesse they are reformed to his image in righteousnesse and true holinesse there fore indued with a true faith which is a principall part of true holinesse and the very root whereout all other graces sprout and growe Wherefore it is no absurdity to thinke that children may be