handes and by which many miracles were wrought if with filing be could get off any thing For when many that come hither doe craue that blessing that they might haue of that dust which is filed off those chaines the Priest comming with the file◠doth for some presently get off something whereas for other he drawing the file on the chaines a long time nothing at al wil off it Further to a Noble man of France he sent the blessing of S. Peter and a little Crosse within the which was inclosed some such filing of S. Peters chaines Which for a time saith he bound S. Peters necke Lib 2. Epist 72. but shal loose your necke from sinne for euer Some relikes also of S. Laurence Grid-yron were inclosed in the foure corners of that same Crosse That by the helpe of that whereon his body was broiled your minde saith he may be kindled in the loue of God Touching the Images of Saints he not only approueth them to be made but teacheth them to be set in Churches Lib. 7. Epist 119. that they who cannot reade may by beholding of them learne to imitate some of their vertues Moreouer he exhorteth al men to worship them by kneeling before them yet with this caueat that they doe not yeeld them any such adoration as is proper to God What a protectour he was of Purgatory praier for the dead Lib. 7. Epist ad Secundin Lib. 4. Dialog cap. 20. may be seene in these places vvhere he saith that we must beleeue that there is a Purgatory fire to cleanse lighter offences after this life before the day of judgement And proues it both by Christes wordes ¶ Math. 12. vers 32. If any man blaspheme against the holy Ghost it shal not be forgiuen him neither in this world nor in the world to come And out of S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. vers 15. He shal be saued yet so as by fire And in the beginning of the third penitential Psalme expounding these wordes of the Prophet O Lord rebuke me not in thy fury neither chastise me in thy wrath he adjoineth This is as much as if Dauid had said I know that after this life some shal feele the fire of Purgatory others shal receiue the sentence of eternal damnation But because I esteeme that transitory fire of Purgatory to be more intollerable then any tribulation of this life I doe not only wish not to be reproued in the fury of eternal damnation for I feare also to be purged in the wrath of thy transitory correction In this exposition he agreeth vvith S. Augustine vpon the same Psalme euen as he did in the first with the same profound Doctor Lib. 21. de Cinit cap. 24. Et lib. 6. contra Iouintanum cap. 9. Further he teacheth to pray for the soules departed Lib. 4. Dialog cap. 50. And to offer sacrifice for them Ibid. cap. 55. and else where in many places To speake a word of the single and chast life of the Clergie S. Gregory saith None ought to be admitted to the ministry of the Altar Lib. 1. Epist 42. L. 12. In fine In decretis sauing such whose chastity hath beene approued before they were made Ministers Againe If any Priest or Deacon doe marry accursed be he How wel he liked of the vowes and holy profession of Monkes and Nunnes may appeare by that that he himselfe was one of them And he relateth Homil. 11. in Ezechiëlem Hom. 40. in Euangel that there were 3000. Nunnes of name in his time within the walles of Rome whose life was so holy and so much exercised in fasting praiers and teares that he did beleeue had it not beene for them none of the rest had beene able to haue subsisted so many yeares amongst the swordes of the Longobardes He then did not as the Protestants doe thinke religious persons vnprofitable members of the common weale by whose holy liues and deuout praiers he esteemed the Citty to haue beene preserued For the sprinckling of holy Water in Churches erecting of Altars placing thereof Relikes of Saints see Lib. 9. Epist 71. For Pilgrimage to holy places Lib. 4. Epist cap. 44. Homil. 37. in Euang. Lib. 2. Dialog cap. 17. Finally if I would stand to rehearse al that S. Gregory hath vvritten in the defence of the Catholike Roman faith I should make a vvhole volume And this briefe extract out of his owne authentike workes vvil suffice I hope to demonstrate what a jolly patron he was of the Protestants doctrine and vvith vvhat good conscience M. Abbot and his fellowes doe alleage him as a fauourer of their errours which he disproued confuted and condemned so fully and particularly little lesse then a thousand yeares before they vvere hatched and thrust into the world And must it not needes vvorke in al considerate English-mens harts a very vehement inclination to imbrace the now professed Roman religion to see the same point by point professed taught and practised a thousand yeare gone by so wise holy and learned a Bishop vvho was also as I noted before the chosen instrument of God principally to procure our reclaiming from Idolatry and the seruing of false gods vnto the true and sincere faith of IESVS Christ That faith which he taught was planted first amongst vs English-men See the Catholike Apologie out of Protestants as the most learned among the Protestants doe confesse the same hath also euer since vntil of late beene wholy retained of al our most holy Ancestours is it not then a great shame for vs to degenerate so farre and to fal so fondly from it I trust in the mercies and goodnesse of God that we shal once haue grace to perceiue vnderstand and amend it ROBERT ABBOT GREGORY the ninth Bishop of Rome though liuing in later time of great corruption yet by the ancient doctrine of the Catholike Church could say that * Greg. Ep. ad Germ Archi-Episc Cōstat apud Math. Paris in Henrico tertio the not knowing of the Scriptures by the testimony of the truth it selfe is the occasion of errours and therefore that it is expedient for al men to reade or beare the same But now the doctrine of Rome is that it is pernitious for the people to meddle vvith the Scriptures that reading and knowledge thereoff is the breeding of error and heresie and as dogges from holy things so the people must be secluded from the reading and vse of them WILLIAM BISHOP M. ABBOT seemes to be fallen into a dangerous consumption and to draw fast vpon a desperate estate or else he vvould neuer vse such silly salues as this to prolong the life of his forlorne cause From Gregory the first he leapeth ouer the heades of an hundred Popes his Successours and lighteth next vpon Gregory the ninth that liued aboue six hundred yeares after him whom also he citeth not out of his owne workes but from the report of another and when al is done he hath
hundreths al his Majesties Ancestors both English and Britans embraced and maintained the same Catholike Roman faith which we now doe The same might as easily be proued of the Churches of Scotland vvho acknowledge Palladius and Patritius for two of the chiefe founders of the Christian faith in that country vvho both were brought vp at Rome and sent into Scotland by Celestinus Bishop of Rome to instruct the Scots in the doctrine of the church of Rome euen as Augustine vvas from S. Gregory into England From which the Scots Church neuer swarued vntil of late yeares Knoxe Buchanan and such like giddy-headed and fiery spirited fellowes seduced them And M. Abbot most ignorantly or impudently affirmeth it to haue beene 1200 yeares after the incarnation of Christ ere the Popes authority could get any acknowledgment there for in the very same hundreth yeare by him named they vvere so farre off from denying the Popes authority ouer them in causes Ecclesiastical that they did acknowledge him to be also their Protectour in temporal affaires For when King Edward the third would haue giuen them Iohn Balial for their King they answered him Walsingham in vita Edw. Anno 1292. That they would not accept of him for such without the Popes consent who had their country in protection as they then pleaded And M. Abbots argument to the contrary is most friuoulous Alexander the King bade the Popes Legate to enter his country at his peril ergo he did not acknowledge the Popes authority By the like argument one might proue that King Philippe and Queene Mary did not acknowledge the Popes authority for they commanded a Legate of his to stay at Calis and to forbeare entrance into this Realme at his peril The Popes Legates then when they be sent about affaires that doe seeme to the Prince and his Councel prejuditious to the temporal state may be refused without disparagement to the Popes supreme authority in causes Ecclesiastical And the King of Scots had reason to refuse that Cardinal Legate whose special arrand was to collect mony to maintaine the warres of the holy Land vvhich was not to be spared in his country Besides the very entertainement of such a great State so accompanied was reputed as needlesse so ouer costly for that poore country If M. Abbot haue no better stuffe then this to vphold his badde cause he that best knew his owne meaning and designement hath to the life painted out himselfe where he saith They care not indeede what they say or write so that it may carry a magnifical and braue shew to dazel the eies of them that are not wel acquainted with their lewde and naughty dealing ROBERT ABBOT BVT M. Bishop being out of doubt that he should not preuaile in this first part of his sute therefore addeth the second Or if you cannot be wonne so soone to alter that religion in which it hath beene your misfortune to haue beene bredde and brought vp that then in the meane season you wil not so heauily persecute the sincere professours of the other Where you see the presumption of a base and beggerly vassal I forget here that he is a Doctor of diuinity I consider him as a subject thus to vpbraide his Prince vvith misfortune in his breeding and bringing vp whereas his Majesties bringing vp by the singular prouidence of almighty God hath serued to make him high admirable among other Princes and he hath learned thereby to be indeede a King by casting off the yoke of bondage vvhereby sundry other Princes are enthralled to a beast Yea and by his bringing vp is so wel able to defend the religion he professeth that M. Bishop must stand before him like a dumbe Asse able to say nothing but only to repeate their old cuckowes song The Church the Church The Fathers the Fathers albeit he can make nothing good neither by Church nor Fathers But his sute is that his Majesty vvil leaue off so heauily to persecute them complaining before he haue cause and intreating his Majesty to leaue off before he hath begunne And doth he like a dissembling hypocrite talke of heauy persecution only for an easie imprisonmēt and amersement of goodes vvhen they in most barbarous and cruel sort by infinite vexations and torments by rackes and strappadoes by fire and sword haue spilt and destroied the bloud and liues of so many thousandes of ours only for the profession of the Gospel of Christ but no otherwise doe they complaine of persecution then did of old the Donatists and runnegate Circumcellions And vve say of them as S. Augustine did of the others They suffer persecution Sed pro fatuitate pro vanitate but it is for their foolery Prouerb 22. vers 25. it is for vanity Foolishnesse is bound in the hart of a child saith Salomon but the rodde of correction shal driue it away from him Indeede they doe for the most part play the children it is but their wil or rather vvilfulnesse for which they suffer they can giue no reason why they doe so but what ignorance affordeth them They must follow the Church they wil doe as their fathers and fore-fathers haue done it is fit that a childes stomacke be subdued vvith a rodde and necessary that some course be taken for the subduing and reforming of their wil. WILLIAM BISHOP M. ABBOT concludeth this his clowdy and vvindy Section with a storme of railing calling me in it dumbe Asse dissembling Hipocrite base and beggarly Vassal This last name he giueth me because I shewe my selfe sorry for that it vvas his Majesties misfortune to be bredde and brought vp in the Protestants religion great cause you see vvas giuen him to burst out into so rude and bitter wordes But to qualify this clownish tricke he addeth the excuse of a country Coridon rather indeede accusing then excusing himselfe for why did he forget that I was a Doctor in diuinity or how did he forget it that euen then so wel remembred it He would not forsooth respect it here but by a metaphysical abstraction consider me only as a subject wherein he discouereth a double folly for first who seeth not that any man of neuer so great vvorship or honour may in like sort be called a base vassal if his dignity and degree be excepted Might not M. Abbot himselfe if one should forget his calling and learning be stiled in like manner a base beggarly vassal vvherefore this figure of his may rather be tearmed rustical then rethorical And had he not also forgotten himselfe to be a Doctor in diuinity yea a man of ordinary ciuility he would not haue plaied the part of a furnish and foule-mouthed butterwench by falling into such rude tearmes of scurrillity His second ouer-sight is more queasie and dangerous for if I be a base vassal in that I am a subject then is my Soueraignes honour called in question for none be base in that they are subjects vnlesse their Soueraignes be so meane and obscure
haue to euery place picked by M. Abbot out of S. Paul in fauour of their religion opposed another out of the same Epistle that speaketh more plainly against them for vs I vvil here out of the aboundance of testimonies vvhich the same S. Paul vvhom the simple Protestants take to be wholy for them beareth to our doctrine set downe some store euen in defence of those very points vvhich M. Abbot hath made special choise off to object against vs. To beginne with the first there is plaine testimony that we are justified before God by vvorkes vvhich I cited before Rom. 2. v 13. With God the doers of the law shal be justified There is much for freewil witnesse this Ibid 6. vers 12. 13. Let not sinne therefore raigne in your mortal body that you obey the concupiscence thereof but neither doe you exhibite your members instruments of iniquitty vnto sinne but exhibite your selues to God of dead men aliue and your members instruments of justice to God for sinne shal not haue dominion ouer you for you are not vnder the law but vnder grace See how the Apostle maketh it in the power and vvil of euery man indued with Gods grace either to doe wel or to doe euil and that sinne hath no such dominion ouer them but that they may doe wel if they wil concurre with Gods grace Item that it is not grace which doth al but a man must worke with grace and exhibite the powers of his soule as instruments towardes the producing of good workes vvhich is flatly our doctrine of freewil And before we depart from this matter of justification as M. Abbot doth very quickly you shal heare more of it out of the same Apostle he teacheth expresly that a man in the state of grace may fulfil the law in these wordes Ibid. cap. 8. vers 3. For that which was impossible to the law in that it was weakned by flesh God sending his Sonne in the similitude of the flesh of sinne euen of sinne damned sinne in the flesh that the justfication of the law might be fulfilled in vs who walke not according to the flesh but according to the spirit Which is seconded in the thirtenth chapter where he concludeth Ibid. vers 9. 10. loue to be the fulnesse of the law hauing before said that he who loueth his neighbour fulfilleth the law And as for that certainty of saluation vvhich many Protestants bragge off the Apostle doth vvholy dispossesse them of it first in the place before cited vvhere he willeth Rom. 11. vers 20. them that stand right in the true faith to beware that they fal not and assureth them that they shal fal as others had done before them if they did not diligently looke vnto it Else vvhere he aduiseth vs Philip. 2. vers 12. with feare and trembling to worke our saluation Marke how two points of the Protestant doctrine be wounded in one sentence and two of ours confirmed both that vve must worke our saluation it comes not then by only faith and that with feare and trembling we are not then assured of it before hand by the certainty of faith which excludeth al feare and doubt of it Now that we ought to haue a firme hope of saluation S. Paul teacheth vs Rom. 5. v. 2. We haue accesse through faith in to this his grace wherein we stand and glory in the hope of the Sonnes of God Also Ibid. 8. v. 24. For by hope we are saued Item vve giue thankes to God c. Colloss 1. v. 5. for the hope that is laid vp for you in heauen With whom S. Peter consorteth 1. Pet. 1. vers 3. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord IESVS Christ who according to his great mercy hath regenerated you into a liuely hope vnto an incorruptible crowne c. laid vp in heauen Not to prosecute al the particular points of justification which haue euery one good ground in the Apostle S. Paul as in that question may be seene the very faith whereby Abraham was and we are justified is no such kind of faith as the Protestants claime to be justified by that is by an apprehension and drawing of Christs righteousnesse to themselues but that faith vvhereby we beleeue al thinges to be true which God hath reuealed as S. Paul declareth in the fourth to the Romans where he reporteth Rom. 4. v. 19. Abraham to haue beene justified by beleeuing that God according to his promise would giue him a Sonne and make him the Father of many nations so that finally there is not a word in S. Paul vvhich in his owne meaning maketh for any one peece of the Protestants justification but heapes of testimonies for euery branch of justification as we beleeue it Now I come to the other points named by M. Abbot There is nothing saith he in S. Paul for the merit of single life But he is greatly mistaken for the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 7. vers 32.33 34. That the care of the single and vnmarried is to please God and their study to thinke vpon those thinges that appertaine vnto God and how they may be holy both in body and in spirit vvhich must needes be more acceptable in Gods sight then to be carping for this world and caring how to please their yoke-mate To this we adde Monkish vowes of which if he were worthy to be a good Abbot he vvould speake more respectiuely somwhat S. Paul hath of the vow of chastity which is one of their principal vowes for he auoucheth 1. Tim. 5. vers 12. certaine widowes worthy of damnation because they broke the same former vow of chastity And S. Paul himselfe Act. 18. vers 18. shoare his head in Cenchris because he had a vow vvhich was the vow of a Nazarite not much vnlike for the time though much inferiour vnto the vow of religious persons see of that vow the sixt Chapter of the booke of Numbers There is nothing saith M. Abbot in S. Paul of praier for the dead vvhich is not true for he teacheth that some of the faithful who haue 1. Cor. 3. v. 13 built vpon the right foundation hay stubble and such like trash shal notwithstanding at the day of our Lord be saued yet so as through fire Which the ancient * SS Aug. in ps 37. Hier. l. 2. cōt Iouin 13. Ambros in hūc locū Gregor in psal 3. poenit entialē Doctors doe take to be the fire of Purgatory Now if many vvhiles the drosse of their vvorkes be purged doe lie in fire it wil easily follow thereof that euery good soule who hath any Christian compassion in him vvil pray for the release of their Christian brother out of those torments I come now to Images and Relikes of vvhich he affirmeth that S Paul saith nothing vvhere was the good-mans memory vvhen he wrote this or remembring the matter vvel enough was he so
care of prouiding for wife children doth wholy extinguish or greatly diminish their good house-keeping and prouiding for the poore as the lamentable experience of our very time doth sufficiently instruct vs. What if some Popes or other Clergy-men haue beene too forward to satisfie the greedy couetousnesse of their carnal friends that is their owne fault contrary to the prouident order and law of the Church and if the corrupt nature of man be so inclinable to fauor them that be next in bloud to them was it not right vvisely ordained by our Church that Clergy-men should haue no wiues and children for that men naturally doe loue them most dearely and vse al meanes to prouide for them But how carelesly herein doe the Protestants carry themselues vvho doe encourage and as it were push their Clergy-men forward to haue wiues and children vvho being thereby clogged with the cares of this world bidde adieu to al courteous and plentiful hospitality and leaue the poore to shift as they can for themselues for they haue more then enough to doe to prouide for their owne wiues and children The second lie is shuffled into the parenthesis taken out of Platina to vvit That vnder the name of nephewes commonly goe their bastards vvhich is not in his authour but a most malitious slander deuised of his owne head and auouched without any testimony and therefore to be contemned The third is in that he maketh Platina to affirme it to be a common thing with the Popes which he only noteth for a special fault in some few Is this man worthy thinke you the sacred title of a Diuine or of the common name of an honest man vvho doth in manner nothing else but sow lies together and that sometimes so thicke that for euery line neere hand there is onelie or other vvas his meaning trow you to giue instruction to the ignorant and satisfaction to the learned as often he vaunteth or rather to blinde the simple and to feede the vaine folly of the ouer credulous Protestant Prouerb 10. Qui nititur mendacijs saith the vvise man hic pascit ventos Idem insequitur aues volantes He that relieth on lies doth feede the windes that is may please vaine and light heades He doth also follow birdes flying in the aire that is doth feede the humour of hawty wauering and vnsettled spirits but can neuer giue contentment or satisfaction to any graue modest and discreet man who doth flie from a crafty and subtle liar as from the very off-spring of that Serpent which with lying deceiued our first mother Eue. But goe on vvith your lies seing it wil be no otherwise ROBERT ABBOT THE Emperours of Rome Theodosius and Valens according vnto the doctrine of the ancient Church of Rome Petri Crinit de honest disciplina lib. 9. cap. 9. Vpon care of preseruing the religion of the high God did forbidde the making grauing or painting of the Crucifix and commanded it vpon penalty to be abolished wheresoeuer it was found But now not the making â—nly but also the vvorshipping of the Crucifix is a matter of high religion in the same Church of Rome WILLIAM BISHOP VERITAS non quaerit latebras Truth is not ashamed of her selfe nor coueteth to hide her head in corners vvhen shee may with safety be suffered to shew her face publikely That decree of the Christian Emperour Theodosius is extant and to be seene in the very corps of the ciuil law vvhat needed then M. Abbot to runne vnto a late obscure authour called Petrus Crinitus Peter with the long haire to seeke that which is of so good record in so famous a volume thinke you that it is without some mistery that he being thirsty would leaue the fresh fountaine and runne to drinke of the dirty puddle Latet anguis in herbae There is a padde in the straw A strange longing he had to finde out some cauil against any part of the doctrine of the Church of Rome and because that could not be by the true and ful report of the Catholike Emperours decrees he would needs fly to some broken relation of he cared not whom to blinde his vnwary reader vvithal The decree then as it vvas made by the Emperour and standeth Authentikely in the Code maketh much for the honour of the Crosse for he commanded That the signe of the Crosse should not be ingrauen Lib. 1. Codi tit leg Cùm sit nobis or painted on the pauement Ne sacrum signum pedibus calcaretur that the holy signe of the Crosse might not be trodden vnder feete Which said decree of Theodosius the elder the Emperour Tyberius the second one of his Godly successours vnderstanding wel vvhen he espied a Crosse cut in marble lying on the ground he commanded it to be lifted vp saying Paul Diaconus lib. 18. Rerum Romanarum We ought to blesse our fore-head and breast with the Crosse of our Lord and we treade it vnder our feete In what high estimation the signe of the Crosse was vvith that most bright mirrour of Emperors Constantine the great and how gloriously it was placed in their Diademes Pallaces and publike places no man can be ignorant that is acquainted with their Hystories And somwhat I haue said thereof already in the question of Images therefore I doe here omit to speake any more of a matter so euident I might here by the way blame M. Abbot not only for his deceitful dealing but also because he forgetteth vvhereabout he goes for his drift here is to teach that S. Peter and S. Paules successours the Bishops of Rome did of old teach another doctrine then these of later yeares doe now of vvhich number of Bishops Theodosius the Emperour was none but many such faults as this I let passe vvittingly or else I should neuer make an end And vvhereas he addeth That these Emperours did forbidde the making of the Crosse according vnto the doctrine of the ancient Church of Rome Obserue first that it is so said only without any proof and besides it is auouched very impudently as being flat repugnant vnto the knowne and notorious practise of Constantine the great their late and most famous predecessour Now to the next ROBERT ABBOT Greg. lib. 9. Moral ca. 1. 14. GREGORY Bishop of Rome taught That al the merit of our vertue al our righteousnesse is but vice and vnrighteousnesse if it be stricktly examined it needeth therefore praier after righteousnesse saith he that whereas being sifted it would quaile it may by the only mercy of the Iudge stand for good Bernard in Annot. 1. De lib. Arbit Grat. In fine Trident. sess 6 cap. 16. Yea and Bernard by the same doctrine of the Church of Rome saith That mens merits are not such as that eternal life is due vnto them of right or that God should doe wrong if he did not giue the same they are the way to the Kingdome saith he but not the cause of obtaining the
in another place It is certaine that we may keepe Gods Commandements if we wil. Againe Grace is giuen vs not because we did good workes before but that we may be able to doe them De Spirit Liter ca. 10. that is as he expoundeth himselfe Non quia legem impleuimus sed vt legem implere possimus Not because we did before we receiued grace fulfil the law but that we may be able afterward to fulfil the law Can any thing be more manifest then that according vnto S. Augustines opinion a man indued with Gods grace may keepe al his Commandements and fulfil the law The very same doth S. Hierome confesse in that very Treatise cited by M. Abbot adding this reason We confesse that God giueth vs Commandements possible to be fulfilled least God should be authour of injustice if be exacted of vs to doe that which cannot be done so that the present Church of Rome doth herein follow S. Augustine and S. Hierome a noble paire of most learned Patrones of the ancient Church of Rome And doth nothing lesse then agree with Pelagius in his errours about that matter which were two The first That without the helpe of Gods grace a man may keepe al Gods Commandements The second That a man could keepe al the Commandements so perfectly that be needed neuer to sinne so much as venially Which two erronious branches of Pelagius doctrine we doe condemne as roundly as did the most holy Fathers and consequently that a man comming to yeares of discretion is anamarticos without sinne for if the justest man aliue say that he is without sinne that is some venial sinne he is euen thereby made a liar as S. Iohn witnesseth and therefore a sinner Al this Pelagian doctrine the present Church of Rome doth as wel reproue as did the former Marry to affirme as M. Abbot doth that Pelagius was of old cōdemned for affirming children to be made without sinne by baptisme is sauing your reuerence a starke lie confronted and confuted by S. Augustine in formal tearmes these be his wordes De Peccatis Meritis Remissione lib. 10. ca. 9. They that is the Pelagians wil not beleeue that baptisme doth cleanse Infants from original sinne vvhat a notable tale then was it to say that the Pelagians vvere therefore accounted Heretikes because they held men by baptisme to become vvithout sinne vvhen they flatly denied baptisme to cleanse them from sinne That which I said of the state of man newly baptised that there was no sinne left in him is S. Augustines and S. Hieromes doctrine word for word thus saith S. Augustine * Cont. duas Epist Pelag. lib. 3. cap. 3. Baptisme doth wash away al sinnes vtterly al of deedes wordes and thoughts whether they were originally contracted or afterward committed either of ignorance or wittingly The same he repeateth treating of the Creede De Simbol ad Catech. lib. 3. cap. 10. Omnia prorsus delicta delet sanctum baptisma originalia propria dicta facta cogitata cognita incognita omnia dimittuntur vvhich he doth inculcate in many places I wil cite but one more which containeth also an explication of that other Pelagian proposition how a good Christian may be without sinne these be his wordes L. cōt Iulian. ca. 13 15. Cōt duas Epist Pelag. lib. 10. c. 14. Multi baptisati fideles sunt sine crimine sine peccato autem in hac vita neminem dixerim c. Many of the faithful baptised are without crime that is without mortal sinne but I wil say no man to be without sinne to wit venial how much soeuer the Pelagians doe rage against vs for so saying not that anything of sinne doth remaine which is not forgiuen in baptisme but because in vs remaining in the frailty of this life there ceasseth not to be committed some-thing that is daily to be pardoned to them that pray faithfully and doe the workes of mercy In this one sentence of S. Augustine there is declared first that al manner of sinne is wholy pardoned in baptisme and that therefore a man newly baptised is as free from al sinne as were our first parents in Paradise as I said Secondly that though many of the better sort of the baptised doe continue without mortal sinne yet none at al without some kind of sinne the blessed Virgin MARY only excepted De Natur. Grat. cap. 36. Of whom saith S. Augustine for the honour of our Lord I wil haue no question when the matter of sinne is handled S. Hierome is as cleare for the vertue and efficacy of baptisme as in many other places so specially in his Epistle to Oceanus vvherein he proueth by many texts of holy writ That al manner of sinne is drowned in the water of baptisme Hieron in Epistol ad Oceanum not one being left to swimme out aliue And doth cal it the heresie of Cain To hold the woundes of our sinnes to be so venimous and incurable that the medicine of Christ in baptisme cannot heale them Thus much out of learned Antiquity to shew how ignorant M. Abbot is therein who thought that he had hit me home and giuen me some great blow vvhen he produced these my wordes M. Bishop in plaine tearmes telleth vs that there is no more sinne left in the newly baptised man then was in Adam in the state of innocency vvhereas you now see that the best learned among the auncient Fathers had 1200. yeares before maintained the same doctrine against the Pelagian Heretikes Concerning the Sacrament of Penance we in deede teach the very same touching the ful and absolute purgation from sinne and the eternal punishment due to the same which euery true penitent making his humble confession doth obtaine by the absolution of his ghostly Father which is no late inuention of ours but we learned it out of these our Sauiours owne vvordes Iob. 20. vers 23. Whose sinnes you forgiue on earth they shal be forgiuen in heauen Al antiquity hauing vnderstood thereby that Christ gaue to his Apostles as Pastors of his Church ful power to pardon sinnes and by them vnto al other Pastors that should lawfully succeede them vntil the worldes end This matter I haue handled in a Question by it selfe to which I referre the reader that desireth to heare more of it in particular As M. Abbot reserues the Pelagian doctrine of Free-wil and Satisfaction to their due place so doe I where it shal appeare that therein the now Church of Rome doth no more approue those points then it doth these which he hath here touched but that therein he is as fouly deceiued and goes about to deceiue others as here he hath done And if one D octor Bignee hath beene so much ouerseene as to commend a fauourer of the Pelagian heresie let it be inquired of the learned what thanke the present Roman Church doth yeeld him for his labour for I haue heard that it hath laid a
censure and touch of reproach vpon the same his worke called Bibliotheca Patrum Lastly concerning the doctrine of Predestination I reade not that the Pelagians were called in question about it nor yet for Satisfaction vvherefore M. Abbot must first out of some good Authors shew their errours therein before he goe about to slander vs vvith the imitation of them but as I am vvel assured of the later so I thinke he wil not in hast performe the former ROBERT ABBOT I Omit many other matters that might here be added perswading my selfe that I said enough to trouble M. Bishop in the prouing of that that he hath so propounded that the principal pillars of the Church of Rome in her most flourishing estate taught in al points of religion the same doctrine that now shee holdeth c. only for conclusion let me aske him what Bishop of Rome there was for the space of a thousand yeares that practised or taught that concerning Pardons which is now practised and taught in the Church of Rome that the Bishop of Rome hath any authority to giue such libels of pardon or that it is in him to giue faculties and authority to others to graunt the like vvith reseruation of special causes to himselfe or that he can for saying such and such praiers or for doing this or that release a man from Purgatory for so many hundred or thousand yeares vvhat Bishop of Rome was there that did proclaime a Iubilee vvith promise that al that would come to Rome to visit the Churches that yeare should haue ful and perfect forgiuenesse of al their sinnes or that did charge the Angels as did Clement the sixt that vvhosoeuer should die in his journey thitherward they should bring his soule into the glory of Paradise Balaeus in Clem. sexto which of them did take vpon him to Canonize a Saint vvho euer beleeued or taught as it is now receiued in the Church of Rome that the Bishops blessing is the forgiuenesse of venial sinnes Sextus in proem in glossa Rhem. Test in Math. 10. vers 12. Other innouations I wil passe ouer to further occasion but concerning these matters in this place I would pray M. Bishop to let vs be satisfied how the principal pillars of the Church of Rome haue in al points taught the same that the Church of Rome teacheth now The truth is that as the name of Theseus shippe continued a long time vvhen as it was so altered by putting in of new plankes and boordes as that it had nothing left of that that was in it when it was first built by Theseus so the Church of Rome stil continueth her name and would be taken to be the same albeit by chopping and changing shee is come to that passe that shee hath in a manner nothing left of that doctrine for vvhich shee vvas first called the Church of Rome But M. Bishop taketh vpon him to proue the contrary let vs now examine what his proofes are WILLIAM BISHOP YOV doe wisely to omit many other matters that you might haue added if they be like vnto these vvhich you haue already put downe for they are proued to be nothing else in manner but falsifications of the ancient Fathers vvritinges or fond illations of your owne bolstered out with a huge and shamelesse troupe of vntruthes the more one omitteth of such baggage and paultry stuffe the more it maketh for his credit Wherefore if M. Abbot had let al this alone no doubt but he should haue saued much of his reputation which by such vnchristian like and vnhonest dealing he is like to leese with the indifferent juditious reader If he perswade himselfe that he hath put me to some paines and trouble to trace out the vntruth of his allegations he is not deceiued for he produceth them so corruptly with such additions substractions misconstructions and euil applications that euery place he cites must needes be turned vnto in the Authours owne workes before a man can repose any trust in him or shal know what answere to make I pray you good Sir if there be any sparke of Christian sincerity left in you let this admonition serue to intreate you not to put your aduersary or reader to such trouble any more Either for loue of the truth or for feare of Gods judgements and rebuke of honest men forbeare to misreport your Authours If it be a shame to bely the Deuil vvhat impudency and impiety is it to bely most reuerend holy and learned Doctors and which much increaseth that hainous crime thereby to blinde Christian people and to draw them along with him to the bottomelesse pit of hel It hath I willingly confesse more troubled me to spend my spare time in discouering vntruthes and dishonest shifts trickes then it should haue done to haue bestowed it in substantial arguing and in round debating of questions in controuersie with short and sound arguments But I hope by this the vpright reader hath seene that M. Abbot was so farre off from troubling me to proue The principal pillars of the Roman Church in her most flourishing estate to haue taught the same doctrine that the present Church of Rome no teacheth that he hath rather furthered it by ministring vnto me so fit an occasion yea omitting others which I could choose my self for my better aduantage I haue not refused to verifie and make good the present doctrine of that Church euen by the testimony of those very authours of vvhich M. Abbot himselfe made choise as of men that spake most against it If then by their verdict who are thought by our aduersaries to be most estranged from vs our cause is confirmed and proued to be most just and veritable vvho is so carelesse of his owne saluation that had rather follow a lying Master leading to perdition then to imbrace so manifest a truth drawing towardes saluation May I not here justly exclaime with the holy King and Prophet and say Psalm 4. O yee Sonnes of men how long wil you be so heauy harted why are you so farre in loue with vanity and seeke after leasing he that is the true light Iohan. 1. who doth illuminate euery man that commeth into this world of his infinite goodnesse and mercy lighten your vnderstanding and incline your harts that you may perceiue and receiue that ingrafted word that truth of Christ preached by his Apostles approued by the most honourable Senate of the ancient Fathers beleeued al the world ouer that hath also continued euer since inuiolably vvhich only and none other can saue your soules Now for a conclusion and vpshot of this matter M. Abbot would faine know What Bishop of Rome for a thousand yeares after Christ had authority to giue any such libel of pardons as are now giuen or that could graunt to others any such faculty with reseruation of special causes to himselfe c. I answere if these be the greatest difficulties that with-hold him from approuing the doctrine