fault I trust is not generall but in some places it is so Well of them I will onely say thus much that they are in such sort dealt withall as themselues are much confirmed in popish heresies they that beare good will to the trueth much discouraged and harty and sincere obedience not to the gospell only but to her Maiestie also is much hindered Atheists As for that godlesse and gracelesse sorte who dare saie not in their heart only but euen with their mouthes also not priuately but also in their meetings and assemblies to their perpetual shame that there is no God although they bee nothing so daungerous as are the Papistes who deceiue vnder a colour of religion and therefore more craftilie such as haue not a loue to the trueth yet are they of all other creatures most to bee detested as beeing more vnthankefull than the beastes themselues and to be counted more vile than the dung of the earth which wee treade vnder our feete seeing they are so iniurious to that good God that hath made them such excellent creatures and doe so by their impiety blemish and defile the excellency of their creation Psal 145.15 For if The eies of all doe waite vppon God who giueth them meate in due season Of all I say euen the beastes and not men only then doe they after their manner confesse that there is a God that feedeth them Psal 147.9 as hee doeth also The beastes and young Rauens that crie And in that all things keepe their course whereunto God appointed them it argueth that they yeelde a soueraignetie to that deuine power that hath created and appointed them to that ende And shall any man indued with reason nay such as call themselues Christians and some of them perchance such as haue receiued of Gods hand more aboundant graces than many other shall such I saie as haue so many causes to knowe and confesse him dare set themselues against him that made them and deny his power Act. 17.28 In him they liue and moue and haue their being and will they not confesse him The creation the preseruation and the administration which hee vseth ouer all thinges doeth prooue him to bee God Yea which waie can we turne our eies but that we must beholde his power Psal 19.1 The heauens declare the glorie of God And the earth also is full of his greatnesse They that goe downe into the sea in shippes Psal 107.23.24 and occupy by great waters They see the workes of the Lorde and his wonders in the deepe In the Scriptures what haue wee but the goodnesse of God the might of God the wisedome of God the iustice of God To shewe that wee cannot bee without him and from him wee cannot hide our selues Much lesse shall that wicked crew stand before him but that his hande shall finde them out And although that accursed company will no doubt deny the Scriptures and count them but as fabulous yet Gods actes and deedes therein contained as also the storie of all times doeth sufficiently testifie vnto the worlde that God is wise mightie good and iust The very heathen men therefore founde him out by his workes and could not but confesse that there must be a God although not seeking to knowe him by his worde they became vaine in their imaginations and conceites of this God But that there is a God they did all see it Shall the Scriptures beare witnesse and his workes testifie of him yea shall the very heathens finde argumentes enough to conuince them and make them confesse him and shall such as are borne and brought vp amongst Christians bee as blinde as beetels in so cleare light and so bring a staine to their profession their country their bloud God forbid that in any christian common wealth there shoulde bee any founde so wicked and witlesse as once to thinke so irreligiously But to speake it and that not in secret but in the hearing of others or to defend it as an opinion that they would haue to be beleeued is so detestable a sinne before God as if it bee suffered will be the vtter ruine of this land Take away the assured persuasion of God out of the heartes of the people and how shal obedience be perfourmed to Magistrates honour to parents seruice to maisters or duty to all superiours for the Lordes sake Let their prophane opinion preuaile and neither shal the godly haue any incouragement to serue in feare neither the wicked any bridle to restraine them from euil These corruptions therefore of a common wealth these enemies to al honest and Christian life ought not to bee suffered to liue amongst men much lesse to enioy any estimation or credit by christian Magistrats Neither can this persuasion once enter into the hearte of any vnlesse they be such as because they woulde liue dissolutelie in all lust and pleasure as the prophet Amos saith Amos. 6.3 Soph. 1.7 Ioel. 2.11 Do put far away the euil day euē that day of the Lord wherof Sophony speaketh and of which day the prophet Ioel saith The day of the Lord is great and very terrible and who can abide it And therfore that they might sinne without al feare of God they would faine perswade themselues that there is no God Or els such as being drunken in their prosperity and aduanced perchaunce far aboue their worth doe thinke as did the wicked men of whom Malachy speaketh Mal. 2.17 that if there were a God of iustice it coulde not bee so well with them and so in their excesse of pride they deny God say who is Lord And although I trust that none amongst vs are com to the depth of that impiety yet because it is too true that many will haue such prophane talke and delight too much therin that some of them such as seeme not little in their own eies if sharpe punishments be not inflicted for such irreligious and wicked speeches themselues will more more be hardened in their euil and others more incouraged to like of their vngodlines Therfore these biles sores of a common wealth are of all christians to be shunned as vnworthy to liue among Gods people of al godly magistrats such are to be restrained not by lawes only but by the sharpest punishments And if magistrates would not doe their duty therin which God forbid yet let al true christians take heede they touch no such pitch Eccle. 13.1 1. Cor. 15.33 Iud. 52. least they be defiled with it nor giue eare to such talke least it corrupt their good manners Yea let them put away such spottes from their feastes for the company is the worse that they are in what account so euer they make of themselues Withal diligence therefore inquiry would be made for detecting and strait order taken for the punishing of such For as al sinnes procure Gods wrath especially if they be borne withal and God in his wrath sendeth his plagues
is as strong as the second and is this Breaking cannot be spoken wel of the bodie and in this place which is broken for you cannot be true of the bread for the bread is not broken for vs therefore it must be vnderstoode of Christs bodie in forme of bread In this argument M. Bellarmine reiecteth their vulgar translation which somtime he and his fellowes doe highly extoll for that saith which shal be deliuered And so doe Chrysostome Ierome Primatius Theophilact yea and Thomas of Aquine also al of them expounding these very words Epist 3 And Cyprian in his second booke of Epistles and so doe our English Remists translate it likewise Al whose translations do sufficiently proue that they espied not any such mysterie in that worde is broken but that they were bolde to deliuer the verie true sence of it shal be deliuered to signifie that the body of Christ should suffer the torments vpon the crosse which S. Paul did expresse by the word of breaking And in that respect doth Thomas of Aquine who woulde faine haue the Eucharist to be a sacrifice say it is a Representatiue sacrifice of Christs passiō 1. Cor. 11. lect 5. by which passion hee gaue his body to death for vs. But whereas Tho. and after him M. Bellarmine would make their Eucharist a representatiue sacrifice read and peruse who so will the words of the institution it will not be found that our Sauiour Christ did offer in his last supper any sacrifice to God but only spoke to the Apostles instructing them in the vse of the sacrament which then he instituted As for that he reasoneth out of the words of S. Luke because he seemeth to speake of the shedding of the cup not of the bloud Matthew and Marke Mat. 26.28 Mar. 14.24 make the matter more plaine and tell vs that the bloud of Christ is shed Doth not this wringing wresting of scriptures to force them from their true and natural sence to serue their turne manifestly argue that it must needs bee a weake tottering building that is raysed vpon so bad foundations and that it is but for want of better proofe that they are faine to scrape togither such poore helps The second argument of M. Bellarmines to proue a sacrifice by the institution is this in effect Christs body bloud are receiued in the Eucharist therefore they cannot but be sacrificed Which argumēt for vs to deny it is sufficient seeing that M. Bellarmine himselfe seemeth to inforce this only against them that confesse a real presence in with vnder the bread and yet deny the sacrifice But whereas Kemnitius requireth in a sacrifice 4. properties wherof he wanteth 3. in the Eucharist M. Bellar. can finde them al. First the persons that should sacrifice are the priests who are willed to sacrifice in these words if ye wil trust Bellar. Do this Who would euer haue gathered thus that had eies to looke vpon the words of the institution You must Doe this ergo you must sacrifice Yea Bellar. seemeth in the beginning almost of this chapter to be half ashamed of this argument and blameth Caluine and Kemnitius because they say that with the papists in that place those words To do is to sacrifice and therfore it needeth no farther answer But for the act of sacrifising it troubleth Bellarmine to finde it out neither knoweth he howe to distinguish betweene that act I meane the sacrifice which Christ offered saith he and other actions in the supper And yet master Bellarmine is sure that such a thing there is there but where to finde it he cannot tell Is this thinke you good dealing for them that should be good guides vnto others to take vppon them to leade men they knowe not whether themselues The words for a sacrament are very plaine but if you would follow with a bloud-hound you can neuer finde a sacrifice out of those wordes As for the testimonies that master Bellarmine alleadgeth out of the fathers they shall haue this answere The Eucharist is in sundry respectes called a sacrifice A sacrifice of the fathers not only because therein we offer the sacrifices of praiers and thankes giuings and duties of loue but also and that especially because it is a memoriall of the true sacrifice which Christ offered for vs vpon the crosse Therefore it is not enough for M. Bellar. to bring them in saying that the Eucharist is a sacrifice which we deny not but that it is a sacrifice properly so called which the papists affirme but cannot proue Argument 7 His 7. generall argument needeth no answer for it is so weak that euery child may see the fault of it For out of those wordes Act. 13.2 As they ministred vnto the Lord speaking of Paul Barnabas others ministring seemeth to be or may be taken for sacrifycing ergo it is takē there for sacrifycing saith M. Bellar. Iudas seemed to be a true seruant of Christ but was not Lib. 1. de M◠ssa ca. 13. And the very children doe know that it is no good argumēt to say such a thing may be therfore it is so Argument 8 Rhem. Test De missa li. 1 cap. 14 But in the tenth Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinths which the Papists make their strong bulwarke maister Bellarmine findeth three arguments His first argument is this Euerie altar which in deed is an altar is builded for offering of sacrifices But the Lords table after a sort is an altar therefore it is for offering of sacrifices We will not striue with master Bellarmine much for this point for we will confesse that such sacrifices are offered vpon the altar as maister Bellarmine confesseth the altar to be The Lordes table saith he is a kinde of altar or an altar after a sort So we say that sacrifices after a sort namely spirituall sacrifices are offered thereupon His second reason out of this place is a lowde lie For thus hee saith For the Apostle speaketh plainly that we that are faithfull doe so receyue the bodie and blood of the Lord at the table of the Lord as the Iewes their sacrifices or the Gentiles their meates offered to Idols on their altars or tables And because hee cannot proue this to bee true you must trust him of his owne worde for he bringeth no proofe at all Let the indifferent reader peruse the place and marke his false dealing with it The wordes cited by him begin at the 14. verse of that Chapter and continue vnto the 22. the summe whereof is this as they that consider the place may see As by participating at the Lords table you are made partakers of Christ and ioyned togither amongst your selues in one bodie verse 16 17 so by participating at the table of Idols you are made partakers of them and ioyned in fellowship with the Idolaters But that which he telleth vs is so plaine in these wordes cannot be gathered out of them And this
can doe more than wee neede Because that Christ bid one that said he had kept all the commandements Mat. 19.22 Sell all he had and giue it to the poore I will not presse master Bellarmine here with the iudgement of the fathers who finde this to be a commaundement and therfore not more than neede Confess li. 13. cap. 19. And saint Augustine seeth it to be a law against couetousnes But who so euer will consider of the place maie easilie see that our sauiour Christ did purpose by this commaundement to let him see his owne ignorance of his estate and that he knew not his owne wants Not meaning that it should be a commandement of that he was not by Gods lawe bound to performe but rather a rule whereby he might trie how far he was from keeping the second table of the commaundements and therfore that he might euen condemne himselfe to be much shorter of keeping the first table As for his proofe out of Chrysostome Hom. 8. de poenitentia Manie doe more than they are commanded it is true that Chrysostome saieth so but it is also true that he speaketh of such things as are not simply of themselues good works but indifferent of themselues But the vse or abuse of them doth make them good workes or euill His examples that hee bringeth are of virginitie that it is not commaunded but this master Bellarmine omitteth of purpose because it maketh agaynst their doctrine of vowes neither is it commaunded saieth hee that men should not possesse any thing Yea I knowe that the Scribes and Pharisees did many things that God neuer commaunded as also the Iewes in the time of Esay Esa 1.12 to whom it was sayde Who required these things at your handes And this is also an answere to that which out of Augustine he alledgeth What biddest thou De verbis Apost ser 18. That wee should not bee adultresses Commaundest thou that In louing thee we doe more than thou commaundest For hee also speaketh of keeping virginitie But master Bellarmines antecedent is thus to bee vnderstoode that wee doe mo good workes than God commaundeth or else his argument is to bee denied For we see by experience that the Papists doe an infinite number of things that God neuer commaunded For which as they haue no warrant of God so shall they haue no praise of him And they may doe a thousand such workes and bee neuer a whit nearer keeping Gods lawe but much further off rather For the more that men satisfie themselues with their owne works Mat. 15 23 the lesse care they haue to keepe Gods commaundements as our sauiour Christ teacheth vs. And maister Bellarmines antecedent beeing thus vnderstoode as I haue saide that wee may doe more good workes than God hath commaunded is false For in that it is not a good worke if it bee besides Gods worde And this is all that hee sayeth in that place for the woorkes of Supererrogation Thus we see this rich doctrine hath a poore proofe But if there were nothing to conuince the wickednesse of that doctrine but this one thing that they will seeme to mende that rule of perfection that God hath made and take vpon them to prescribe more perfect rules than God hath set downe it argueth in them too prophane sawcinesse But thus much by the way of this kind of worke For my purpose is not to make of it any seueral discourse because that if it bee prooued that wee cannot iustifie our selues by our workes De iustif lib. 5. ca. 5. it will followe that wee can much lesse helpe others Nowe master Bellarmine finding this weapon too sharpe this place to strong agaynst their merits would faine wrest it out of our hands And first he telleth vs that saint Ambrose willeth vs to knowe what wee are of our selues Wee must knowe the grace but not bee ignorant of our nature saieth saint Ambrose It is true he writeth so and that vpon iust occasion For the very beginning of that sentence is Peferre not thy self because thou art called a sonne and then followeth thou must confesse the grace and not forget thy nature As if he should say thinke no wrong that thou art called an vnprofitable seruant seeing thou art called a sonne Thou art a sonne by grace because God hath chosen thee but if a man looke on thy worke it is not woorth praysing But what is this to answere the argument Nothing at all Maister Bellarmine perchance thinketh that if he bring in the fathers as witnesses they will speake as hee woulde haue them Yet not Ambrose onely but also Augustine and Chrysostome Li. 8. in Luc. de verbis Apost ser de humilitate 18. in Oziam in the places by him cited and Theophilact vpon these wordes doe teach that Christ would not haue vs proude of our good workes that it is our dutie alwayes to worke and as Ambrose saieth We owe him our seruice therefore let vs not boast of our worke But as Theophilact sayth If anie thing bee giuen vs let vs be glad of it hee that giueth it oweth vs nothing But the seruant oweth to his master the keeping of all that he commandeth So all this still strengtheneth my argument that all that we can do it is but our duetie and therefore no merite And although in respect of our election we may iustly reioyce that wee are Gods deare children yet when we looke vpon our selues wee must needes confesse vs to bee vnprofitable and vnperfect Secondly the repugnancie betweene grace and merite set downe by saint Paul Merit and grace ouerthrowe one another Rom. 11.6 is a strong argument against iustification by workes If it be of grace it is no more of workes or else were grace no more grace or if it bee of workes it is no more grace or else were worke no more worke Wherein we see how plainly the Apostle opposeth the one against the other that we cannot be said to bee iustistied by grace if we may attribute anie part of our iustification to workes Neither will their common answer serue that saint Paul speaketh of the first mercie that God sheweth vs as that we are called to be Christian men or women by grace without our workes but that hereby hee excludeth not the workes that afterwardes we do from merite For seeing our aduersaries must needs confesse that after our first calling yea and continually so long as we liue we must acknowledge that but by grace wee cannot bee saued this grace which themselues dare not but confesse taketh away merit so that if grace bee free and without workes in our first iustification it can neuer stand with workes in the rest of our life The mistrust of their workes For still must this bee true if it bee of grace it is not then of workes if of workes then not of grace Thirdly the great mistrust which I see themselues doe put in this their doctrine
defineth that old heresies must not bee confuted by such arguments but onely such as are newly sprung vp And yet the Papists whose religion is almost nothing but a sinke of such old and vnsauourie heresies crie still to be tried by their vniuersalitie and antiquitie and the iudgements of men flat contrarie to Vincentius his rules And this triall he will not haue to be vsed but in great questions of fayth but they make it a proofe for their most foolish toyes So that although they readily call him in because hee nameth Antiquitie vniuersalitie and consent vnto the which they woulde faine seeme to make claime yet they will I trust from hencefoorth rather stoppe his mouth than suffer him to speake because his witnesse is their ouerthrowe Let vs therefore keepe that faythfully which is once deliuered vnto vs which to chaunge is to marre it to put to it or take from it is to corrupt it Let vs holde I say that fayth which is alwayes olde and alwayes one knowing that whatsoeuer we holde besides it it is not newe onely but euen starke naught also An exhortation to Christian Magistrates for to defend this truth CHAP. 33. THus hitherto haue I stood in defence of christian truth against popish falsehood indeuouring according to my simple talent and slender skill not only to admonish you of the baggage drosse which they bring vnto vs in steed of fine gold what filthie water they would haue vs to drinke for pure wine but also in the ballance of truth to trie what stuffe it is wherewith they seeke to comend the same vnto vs. And although the due acknowledging of mine own manifold wants weaknesse did discourage me a long time to enter into these lists yet the redinesse that I see in manie to take hold of the shadow of truth neglecting in the meane time the bodie of the same and on the other side the simplicitie of others to discerne betweene light and darkenes good and euill to stay the first and to helpe the latter sort I haue thought good at one view to set before thine eyes gentle reader that truth that we teach that thou mayest know howe they haue slaundered it and that falshoode which they maintaine with some touch of their chiefe arguments that thine owne selfe although ignorant and vnlearned may haue some triall of their corrupt doctrines Nowe the especiall cause that moued me to take vpon mee this enterprise God is my witnesse is that dutie that I and such as I am doe owe to the defence of the trueth by worde or writing or any such meanes whereby wee are bound to occupie vntill our Lord and master come the talent that he hath committed vnto vs to his most gaine and glorie Neither can I satisfie my self that I haue throughly performed my dutie when I haue set downe what is truth and what is falsehoode vnlesse I indeuour also to stirre vp all Christian magistrates to the defence thereof to their vttermost power in singlenesse of heart whom for that cause God hath set in high roomes and to whom God hath committed that great charge and at whose hands hee shall call for a strait account for that dutie Psa 10.11.12 Be wise therefore now O kings be learned ye that are Iudges of the earth Serue the Lord in feare and reioyce in trembling Kisse the sonne least he be angrie And if you will knowe how princes may nay howe princes must serue the Lord in feare Saint Augustine teacheth it Epist 50 In forbidding and punishing with religious seueritie those things which are done against Gods commandment So that this seruice of the Lord consisteth of two points First in making of good lawes for the maintenance of the truth and abolishing of idolatrie Secondly in punishing such as offend against the same with a religious seuerity This then is the first thing that is required in all godly Magistrates euen from the prince that sitteth vpon the throne vnto the meanest that beareth office in the common wealth but especially of thē that haue the soueraigne authoritie that they haue a watchfull eie and a continuall care to consider and finde out what things they are whereby either the glory of God is most hindred and his seruice prophaned or sin is within their common wealthes ◠r seuerall charges occasioned and maintained Which when they espie they must seeke by godly lawes and ordinances to prouide some speedie remedie for the same For when I affirme that princes magistrates must make decrees for the truth against idolatrie and superstition my meaning is not to enter into that question against the papists whether ciuill magistrates may meddle with matters of religion or not although euen the truth therof also by the way may appeare but because I speake to such as acknowledge and confesse this to be their dutie and haue giuen notable testimonie of their perswasion therein my desire and indeuour is to stir them vp that nether they will be vnmindful thereof but alwaies and earnestly thinke of it neither vnwilling thereto but readily and diligently performe it Esa 44.28 For this cause God calleth princes sometime sheepheards so was Cyrus to teach them that they ought to be as watchfull and painful for the good of their people as is the shepheard for the good of his flocke yea they must be watchemen ouer their people and take great heed that through their fault the people perish not for if they doe it will also turne to their owne destruction De pastoribus cap. 9. For as saint Augustine saieth Their negligence shall slay them Their negligence I say wherby they are slacke in performing their dutie They are also called heads ouer their people not onely because they should haue eies alwaies to prie and spie for the eies are in the head what danger may fall vpon the people and find meanes to auoid it but also because they should in all carefull and christian discretion guide and direct them that are vnder them And because it is true that saint Paul saith Rom. 13.4 He is the minister of God for the wealth of the people and that he beareth not the sworde for nought but for to take vengeance of them that doe euill It is most necessarie that he prouide such lawes as may tend to those endes and set downe such decrees as my bridle disobedient vngodly persons that they who faine would 1. Tim. 2.2 may the more quietly liue in honestie and godlines Such is that law or statute that Asa king of Iudah made when he sawe how readie his people were to fall to Idolatrie and superstition and had taken away the altars of the straunge gods and broken downe their images and high places 2. Chro. 14.3 4. He commaunded Iudah to seeke the Lord God of their fathers and to do according to the law the cōmandement Wherin it seemeth vnto me that their case and ours is verie like therefore we cannot