then by and by in a maner with the same breath you ouerthrow it again finding in our selues dispositions and preparations thereunto which if it be true then how is it fréelie and méerlie by his grace when that grace is by our selues preuented But this faith and works preparatorie procéed out of grace also I maruell what grace you meane is it not the same that Pelagius deceiued the Bishops withall in his subscription If it be not that I know not what to make of it For to shunne pelagianisme and yet to maintaine your heresie of merits you make your doctrine an hoch poch and a mingle mangle and by no means will yéeld your selues in such order guiltie before God as that he may haue the whole glorie of your instification Rom. 4. 5. The text But to him that worketh not yet beleeueth in him that iustifieth the impious his faith is ⸫ reputed to iustice according to the purpose of the grace of God The note The word reputed doeth not diminish the truth of the iustice as though it were reputed for iustice being not iustice indeed but signifieth that as it was in it selfe so God esteemed and reputed it as the same Greeke word must needs be taken verse 4. next going before and 1. Corinth 4. 1. and els where The answer If the faith of Abraham were iustice in déede and in it selfe and could abide the rigour of Gods examination then this imputation or reputation were to it as to a due dette How then holdeth the Apostles opposition of faith to works of dette to grace Or how commeth it imputed or reputed of grace It is no fauour to repute that to man which is trulie and reallie in him It is one thing simplie to repute it is another thing of fauour to repute so that your labour about the signification of the word is but méere wrangling and cauilling Besides if Abraham had iustice reallie and trulie in him selfe whether it were by faith or works how can he be excluded from glorieng when he may chalenge of God his iustification as his due dette Lastlie this iustice of Abraham being the same that Dauid describeth in an happie blessed or iustified man how is it inherent in the man when it consisteth in pardon remission and couering of sinne But you doo nothing els but whet your wits to obscure and darken the glorie of the grace of God Rom. ◠〈◊〉 The text And he receiued the ⸫ signe of circumcision a seale of the iustice of faith that is in prepuce that he might be the father of all that beleeue by the prepuce that vnto them also it may be reputed to iustice The note Our Sacraments of the new law giue ex opere operato that grace and iustice of faith which here is commended whereas circumcision was but a signe and marke of the same The answer Liars are not to be beléeued though they sweare much lesse you when you bring but your bare word for other proofe héere is none Circumcision is a seale of the iustice of faith Ergo our Sacraments of the new law giue grace ex opere operato or els circumcision was but a signe or marke of grace These are strange maners of concluding and farre fetched Rom. 5. â— The text By whom also we haue accesse through faith in this grace wherein we stand and glorie ⸫ in the hope of the glorie of the sonnes of God The note Christian men do not vaunt them selues of the certaintie of their saluation but glorie in the hope thereof onlie which hope is here insinuated to be giuen in our iustification and is afterward to be confirmed by probation in tribulation The answer It is wonderfull that you are not ashamed to cut off all assured comforts from christian men It were a vaine glorious vaunting in déede if this certaintie staied vpon anie matter in vs but when it resteth vpon the goodnesse of God and his gracious promises it were a péece of infidelitie not to glorie and reioice in it We will consider therefore the effects and fruits of faith in beléeuers as the Apostle setteth them downe in this place First iustification then the sweete and inward féeling of our reconciliation and attonement with God which he calleth peace toward God Thirdlie our constant standing and perseuering in this grace and fauour into the which we are receiued Fourthlie the ioy and reioicing that this bréedeth through the assured hope and expectation that we shalbe partakers of the glorie of the children of God which ioy through hope assured is so great in them that haue a continuall eie to the glory set before them that no trouble nor tribulation can abridge or breake it off but that our hope and expectation is still more and more confirmed and assured But you to ouerthrow all this make hope a doubtfull and vncertaine expectation of the things which God hath promised and so call the truth of God into doubt Rom. 5. 6. The text For whie did Christ when we as yet were ⸫ weake according to the time die for the impious The note The heretikes falselie translate of no strength to take away all free will No. Testam 1580. The answer Rather then you will loose fréewill you will contend for sinners wicked men and enemies of God and in them there must be a greater force of frée will then in Paul for Paul was not able of himselfe to thinke a good thought yet these are not so weake but that there is some strength and abilitie left in them For the Gréeke word here signifieth weaknesse and doeth it not so in the 1. Corinths 15. verse 43. It is sowen in weakenesse being spoken of the dead bodie of a man And I pray you tell me did anie strength remaine in dead carcasses and is not the case alike with the wicked and vngodlie are not they dead in sinne or by sinne Rom. 5. 19. The text For as by the disobedience of one man manie were made sinners so also by the obedience of one manie ⸫ shall be made iust The note Here we maie see against the heretikes that they which be borne of Christ and iustified by him be made and constâ—â—â—ted iust indeed and not by imputation onlie as all that be horne of Adam be vniust and sinners in truth and not by imputation The answer By the obedience of one manie shall be made iust Is this obedience in vs or imputed vnto vs If it be in vs then it is the obedience of many but the text is manifest that this obedience resteth in the person of one that is of Christ and by grace it is imputed vnto vs and made ours You do but beguile the simple and such as are not able to espie your fraud with the contrarie part of the Antithesis For Adams onlie transgression was sufficient to make al his posteritie sinners subiect to the iust sentence of condemnation And therefore death the reward of sinne did not only rage
wise man will wander after such vncertaine steps as they lead him in Hierome taketh this place to be paradise and Hierome taketh this place not to be paradise in this place by you quoted and if your owne authour be not constant what shall we thinke of the rest Augustine can not tell whether the bosome of Abraham be paradise or hell but in reasoning the case he deliuereth thrée reasons why it should not be hell first bicause hell is named in the text in the death of the rich man and not named in the death or rest of Lazarus Secondlie bicause it is hard to finde the name of hell in scriptures taken in good part for a place of ioy and rest so that if the scriptures had said that Christ had gone into Abrahams bosome after death and had not told of the loosing of the sorrowes of death he would haue marueiled that any durst haue béene so bold as to haue affirmed that he discended into hel Thirdlie the great and wonderfull distance héere mentioned betwixt hell and Abrahams bosome it were too long and not agréeing with the breuitie which I haue hitherto vsed to rippe vp the disagréeing iudgements of the fathers whether Abrahams bosome be parcell of heauen or hell or whether it be aboue vs or beneath vs for so alwaies it is when men are vncertainlie caried after the vanitie of their owne minde and conceite they wot not whither them selues How much better had it béene for them and you to hold fast that which saint Augustine calleth the faith of the Catholikes namelie that the kingdome of heauen is a place of ioy for the faithfull and hell a place of punishment for infidels and apostataes and that a third place either for rest or punishment is vnknowne and no where found in scriptures These two places are héere liuelie described for the rich man went to hell a place of torments but Lazarus was caried into Abrahams bosome a place of ioy and rest Heauen is called Abrahams bosome bicause that God gaue him that honour to bée father of the faithfull therefore his children are said to be gathered into his bosome when together with him they are crowned with heauenlie ioy and rest the reward of his and their faith Luke 16. 25. The text And Abraham said vnto him Sonne remember that thou didst receiue ⸫ good things in thy life time and Lazarus likewise euill but now he is comforted and thou art tormented The note To be in continuall pleasures ease welth peace and prosperitie in this world is perillous and a signe of paines in the next Saint Hierome The answer You haue cited Saint Hierome at randon in a cause néedlesse we haue learned of the Apostle that God doth chastice euery child whom he receiueth and that they which in this life escape his rod are bastards and not children Séeing then Hieroms spéech is warranted by the word we acknowledge with you that continual pleasures ease welth peace and prosperitie are perillous and betokeneth that God deferreth the punishment of such to the next life Luke 16. 29. The text And Abraham said to him ⸫ They haue Moyses and the Prophets let them heare them The note Abraham had knowledge of things in earth which were not in his time as that they had Moyses and the prophets bookes which he neuer saw Augustin de cura promortuis cap. 14. The answer Augustines iudgement is that the dead know no more what we do héere then we know what they do there against which his iudgement he obiecteth this which you boldlie put downe for his assertion To which he answereth that this knowledge was extraordinarie either by relation of Moyses and the Prophets now dead and with Abraham or by ministerie of Angels which serue men héere who reueale to saints there so much as it pleaseth God to let them know What is this then to anie ordinarie knowledge of our affaires héere Which is the thing that you would faine persuade men to encourage them forward in inuocation of dead mē which you may the easilier get at their hands if you can assure them that the saints departed know their necessities and heare their praiers But how much better and trulier might you haue noted that God denieth to those to whom hée hath graunted his word extraordinarie instruction by the dead which would ouerthrow the credit of those fables whereupon your purgatorie is grounded Luke 17. 1. The text And he said to his disciples It is ⸫ impossible that scandale should not come but wo to him by whom they come The note Not of meere necessitie for then it were no fault but presupposing the great wickednesse of men it is impossible but there shalbe scandales and therefore it followeth wo to him by whom they come The answer If it were such necessitie as should exclude will then there were no fault but nowe as scandals as you tearme them are necessarie so you wilfullie and wittinglie runne into them and therefore wo to you To omit all other the séeking to murther the Lords anointed our most gratious soueraigne an horrible offence answer it and excuse it if you can Luk. 17. 19. The text And he said to him Arise go thy waies bicause ⸫ thy faith hath made thee safe The note And yet we see heere it was not onlie faith but also his thankefulnes and returning to giue glorie to God The answer We sée héere two things First the impudent boldnes of papistes that dare controll the spéech of our Lord and Sauiour Christ. Secondlie that though faith be accompanied with many other vertues yet Christ ascribeth the receiuing and embracing of safetie and such benefits as procéed from God to men to faith onlie and alone Luk. 17. 21. The text The kingdom of God commeth not with obseruation neither shall they say loe heere or lo there for loe the kingdome of God is within you The note Whiles they looke and aske for a temporall kingdome in pompe and glorie loe their king and Messias was now among them whose spirituall kingdome is within all the faithfull that haue dominion ouer sinne The answer If the kingdome of God commeth not with obseruation then how say you that it must alwaies haue a visible and a knowne succession of bishops in a place certaine which is directlie against this spéech of Christ. Luke 17. 23. The text And they will say to you Lo heere and lo there ⸫ Go not neither do ye follow after The note No man must run out of the Church after schismatikes to heare them preach Christ in corners Christs doctrine being open in al the world See annot Matthew 24. 23. The answer But all they are schismatikes who haue diuided themselues from the doctrine which Christ and his Apostles openly deliuered to the whole world therefore whether they preach openly or in corners men may not heare them nor go after them But you papists teach that whereof there is no commandement no
Rome The séeking of his glorie is the cause of all the mischiefes wrought by wars in the world at this present If we will not therefore be snarled in the snares of Antichrist we must séeke his onely glory that created vs as in the same treatise Augustine doth aduise vs. Ioh. 7. 20. The text The multitude answered and said ⸫ thou hast a diuell who seeketh to kill thee The note No maruell when these speake thus to Christ himselfe if â—eretikes call his vicar Antichrist The answer No maruell though sincere Christians be estéemed regarded and spoken of by papists and atheistes as Christ him selfe was by the Iewes As for any vicar of Christ we know none but euerie prince and magistrate within his owne dominion and euery pastor in his owne flocke Ioh. 7. 39. The text And this he said of the spirit that they should receiue which beleeued in him ⸫ for as yet the spirit was not giuen bicause Iesus was not glorified The note This was fulfilled on Whit sunday Acts 2. and afterward alwaies by imposition of hands in the Sacrament of Confirmation visibly in the primitiue church and inuisibly to the end of the world The answer Your sacrament of confirmation who instituted it What promise was giuen to it What signes were appointed What signification had they Who were authorised to minister it Whether the bishop alone Or euerie priest Iohn 7. 50. The text Nicodemus said to them ⸫ he that came to him by night who was one of them doth our law iudge a man vnlesse it first heare him and know what he doth The note Christ hath alwaies some good euen amongst the wicked which secretly serue him and by wise delaies auert the execution of vniust lawes against him and his people as Nicodemas and Gamaliel The answer Christ hath his amongst euery sort of men and often worketh great benefit to his church by the weakest of those that beare good will to his truth Iohn 8. 7. The text ⸫ He that is without sinne of you let him first throwe the stone at hir The note We cannot conueniently reprehend or condemne other mens faults if our selues be giltie of the same or other greater Cyrill in Io. See annot Matt. 7. 1. The answer You are great clarks that are so liberall of your fathers in matters néedlesse And yet neither Christ nor Cirill meant that none should reprehend others but such as are faultlesse themselues But onely they meant to discouer the hypocrisie of men which neuer looking vpon them selues how great soeuer their faults be yet are seuere censurers of others Iohn 8. 1â— The text And Iesus said ⸫ Neither wil I condemne thee Go and now sinne no more The note Saint Augustine by this example of our master prooueth that clergiemen specially should be giuen much to mercie and that they ought often as the cause and time require to get pardon of the secular magistrates for offenders that be penitent Epist. 54. The answer How wel you follow this which you alledge out of Augustine it is manifest in that the secular magistrates are stirred vp by you to extreme cruelties and most horrible bloodsheds and murders as all the world can witnes If euer mercie were exiled from men sure it is banished from amongst papists Which néedeth no proofe for in all places where the heresie of poperie is fauored and vpheld with the sword of authoritie experience teacheth it Your horrible tragedies my hart panteth to thinke vpon and my pen trembleth to record There are in all countries so many witnesses of your horrible cruelties that it is néedlesse to set downe any examples Iohn 8. 26. The text Iesus said to them ⸫ The beginning who also speake to you The note So read S. Cirill S. Ambrose and S. Augustine expounding it of Christs person that he is the beginning or cause of all creatures The answer If you would haue had your reading maruelled at you should héere haue brought vs some other fathers For for these we thinke you are beholding to Erasmus and Bezaes annotations whence you borrowed them But that you professe of purpose to follow the old Latin translation and therfore could not translate otherwise it had béene no hard matter to haue shewed that you willingly erre with them whom you follow Iohn 8. 31. The text Iesus therefore said to them that beleeued him the Iewes If you ⸫ abide in my word you shall be my disciples in deede The note Onely faith is not sufficient without perseuerance or abiding in the keeping of his commandements The answer Onely fire is not sufficient to warme a man standing by it without heate and in the like order you do but abuse men in diuorcing things inseparable Iohn 8. 36. The text If therefore the sonne make you free you shall be free in deede The note Man was neuer without free will but hauing the grace of Christ his will is truly made free as saint Augustine saith from seruitude of sinne also tractatu 41. in Euang. Io. The answer If you meane such fréedome of will as is in thraldom and seruitude of sinne to serue sinne willingly we will easily grant that man was neuer without it If you meane otherwise you abuse saint Augustine for that he meant not Yea when we are fréed by Christ he speaketh thus in the same treatise Partly libertie partly seruitude libertie is not yet whole pure and full bicause full eternitie is not yet It is strange that you are not ashamed to abuse men thus with the fathers Iohn 8. 39. The text If you be the children of Abraham ⸫ do the works of Abraham The note Not onely faith but good works also make men the children of Abraham according as saint Iames also speaketh of Abrahams works cap. 2. The answer If you gather no better consequences at Rhemes none of mine shall learne Logike there Howe holdeth this Do the works of Abraham if yée be the sonnes of Abraham ergo to do the works of Abraham make men the sonnes of Abraham It is a shame for children to glorie in the goodnes and vertue of their parents and not a whit to resemble them therein This is it that Christ reprooueth the Iewes for As for Iames speaketh of iustifieng by works but of being made the children of Abraham by works I finde there iust and iumpe nothing Iohn 8. 44. The text You are of your father the diuell and the desires of your father you will do He was a ⸫ man killer from the beginning he stood not in the veritie bicause veritie is not in him The note Augustine compareth heretikes in their spirituall murther by driuing Christian men out of the church to the diuell that droue our parents out of paradise Cont. Lit. Petili lib. 2. cap. 13. The answer The diuell did bereaue our first parents of their happy estate by making them beléeue they should be more happie and blessed euen so you with the swéete name of the church do allure draw and entise
person to forsake the faith of their first Apostles and conuersion at the voice of a few nouellaries seemeth to wise men a very bewitching and senselesse brutishnes Such is the case of our poore countrie Germanie and others The answer That Rome hath forsaken the faith and doctrine taught by their first Apostles Paul and Peter as this Epistle doth most euidently testifie at the voice of their most proud prelats and that other countries haue from thence tasted of the same cup séemeth not to wise worldlings but to the spirit of God and to those that are thereby led and guided a very bewitching and yet withall the iust iudgement of God vpon those that had not or haue not any loue to the truth Thus haue you most manifestly your note returned vpon your selues For Paule and Peter were out of all doubt the Apostles of God and the doctrine deliuered by them voide of all filth and corruptions Galat. 3. 7. The text Know yee therefore that they that are of ⸫ faith the same are the children of Abraham The text This faith wherby Abraham was iustified and his children the Gentiles beleeuing in Christ implieth all Christian vertues of the which the first is faith the ground and foundation of all the rest and therfore here and else where often named of the Apostle The answer Sée your foule shifts when we say faith iustifieth then you vrge against vs a dead faith voide of all Christian vertues yea you go farther for you affirme that all faith and so consequently a true liuely faith may be without charitie Againe on the contrarie side when the force and plainnes of the text driueth you to confesse iustification by faith then faith implieth all Christian vertues So when it may serue your turne things inseparable as true faith hope and charitie must be separated and againe for the like aduantage things distinct must be confounded and one must imply and comprehende an other But for answer we confesse that faith is accompanied with all Christian vertues but neither they nor faith do iustifie by their owne vertue or merit as qualities inherent or resiant in vs. But faith is said to iustifie bicause by it we apprehend and lay hold vpon Christ and his righteousnes which is thereby made ours by Gods imputation And this office is proper to faith and not to any other vertue Galat. 4. 3. The text So we also when we were litle ones were seruing vnder the elements of the world The note That is the rudiments of religion wherein the carnall Iewes were trained vp or the corporall creatures wherin their manifold sacrifices sacraments and rites did consist The answer If the corporall creatures vsed in the multitude of their sacrifices sacraments and rites were an argument of their seruile estate vnder the law then consider the great heape of rites and ceremonies in your church and sée whether they doo not serue to bring Christians into seruitude and bondage againe by making them to serue vnder the elements of the world againe Naie the state of the Iewes was lesse seruile and more tolerable both in respect of number and multitude of ceremonies and in respect of the commander For the greater the dignitie of the commander is the more tolerable and better is the condition and state of the seruant Galat. 4. 14. The text And your tentation in my flesh you despised not neither reiected but as an ⸫ Angell of God you receiued me as Christ Iesus The note So ought all catholike people receiue their teachers in religion with all dutie loue and reuerence The answer The name of catholike being to true catholikes applied wée imbrace your note Galat. 4. 29. The text But ⸫ as then he that was borne according to the flesh persecuted him that was after the spirit so now also The note This mutuall persecution is a figure also of the church iustly persecuting heretikes and contrariwise of the heretikes which be the children of the bond woman vniustly persecuting the catholike church Augustine epist. 48. The answer The text is plaine that he that is after the flesh persecuted him which is after the spirit a plaine figure of your persecuting church The casting out of the bondwoman and her sonne done by Abraham may be drawne by Augustin or some other father to that purpose that you alledge it Galat. 5. 17. The text For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh for these are aduersaries one to another ⸫ that not whatsoeuer things you will these you do The note Heere men thinke saith Saint Augustine the apostle denieth that we haue free libertie of will not vnderstanding that it is said to them if they will not hold fast the grace of faith conceiued by which onely they can walke in the spirit and not accomplish the concupiscences of the flesh in cap. 5. Gal. The answer The text is plaine against both libertie and abilitie of will And Saint Augustine as you know confesseth that when he wrote this he did not vnderstand that the words were verified of them which were vnder grace and not vnder the law Bicause that though such do not consent to the concupiscence of the flesh against the which in spirit they long yet they would not haue any of those corruptions of the flesh if they might and they do not whatsoeuer they would bicause they would want them and can not But then they shall not haue them when they haue not corruptible flesh Do yée not sée what a patron you haue of S. Augustine and are you not ashamed to alledge that as his which you know he himselfe hath reuoked Galat. 5. 21. The text Which I foretel you as I haue foretold you that they which ⸫ do such things shall not obtaine the kingdome of heauen The note Saint Augustine sheweth hereby that not onely infidelitie is a damnable sinne The answer Wherein we not onely agrée with Saint Augustine but also say farther that willing ignorance the mother of popish deuotion in the which you were woont to nussell your followers is a great and damnable sinne Galat. 6. 9. The text And doing good let vs not faile For in due time we shall ⸫ reape not failing The note The works of mercy be the seede of life euerlasting and the proper cause thereof and not faith onely The answer This is plaine blasphemie to place the proper cause of eternal life and saluation not in Christ but in our selues and in our owne works of mercie which you here most plainely do Your reason is taken out of the metaphor of séede and sowing The vanitie of it is in this that you racke the metaphor beyond the scope and meaning of the apostle For the apostle exhorteth them to liberalitie especially towards their teachers and instructers in the faith To incourage men therunto he telleth them that they shall be as sure or more sure of the rewardes promised of God then the sower shall be to reape that which