take vpon mee to be a censurer of bookes much lesse of an Appeale to Caesar if the Author haue any just cause for which to Appealâ— to Caesar and which is just and fit for Caesar to judge no doubt but hee shall finde a just Caesar to doe him right But the points you seeme to propose to me are matters of Faith wherein the Author seemeth too suspicious of his owne cause that like to fraudulent Merchants who haue run themselues into many mens debt and danger hee appeales to Caesar to haue a protection for his person But blessed be God wee haue a Caesar The Defender of the Faith not a protector of oppugners and vnderminers of the Faith And for matters of Faith our Caesar knowes they ought to be pleaded onely at Gods barre and tryed at the Common Law of the holy Land the Scriptures Nor will hee giue way for any Prohibition out of any Court of Chancery or conscience which may inhibite the proceeding of Gods cause in Gods Court by any prerogatiue whatsoeuer Therefore in such causes causes of Faith I say to appeale to Caesar giues to speake plainly a strong suspition of the weakenesse at least of the cause For so did Heretickes in times past to maintaine their heresies they had no other way but to patronize themselues vnder Caesars wings Thus did the Arians so mightilie preuaile against the Orthodox professors by the onely helpe and authority of Caesar. Not that I impute heresie to the Author of this booke onely for his appeale to Caesar. Let the booke like Baal plead for it selfe Asotus Sir you make me begin to suspect something Did Hereticks so as you say I pray you for my better satisfaction giue me some example of it Orthodoxus I will briefly Constantine the great he that restored the Church to a generall peace and calme sitting at the first Councell of Nice not as Iudge but rather as a Minister as himselfe piously confessed did for his part ratifie the Councels Decrees against Arius yet afterwards growing old hee was wonne by a woman his sister Constantia and she seduced by a sycophantizing Arian Priest to recall Arius from banishment that hee might againe declare his Faith whereof comming before the Emperour he made such a cunning confession as formerlie hee had done to the whole Councell of Nice which he had well nigh imposed vpon by his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in steed of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that the good Emperour suspecting no deceit tooke it to be in all points the very same with the Councels owne confession yet so as hee referred Arius to the determination of a Councell But the Emperour not long after dying Arius with his faction creepe into the fauour and protection of Constantines successors especially of his sonne Constantins who was by the same Arian Priest who had formerly inueagled Constantia about Arius perswaded to fauour and protect the Arians and the rather was the Emperour perswaded by this old Priest because Constantine had committed to him his last Will and Testament to deliuer it to his sonne Constantius which he did Thus Arius by his Appeale to Caesar and by the cunning insinuaâ—ion of his craftie confederate an old Court Priest got footing againe and had in all likelihood mightilie preuailed but that God in justice to that impious impostor and in mercy to his Church and children calling the cause into his superiour Court cut Arius short by a suddaine and strange infamous iudgement euen in hot blood as he was going with all his pompe and traine into the Cathedrall in Constantinople in despight of the good Bishop Alexander who all the night before and that morning continued his earnest supplications to God prostrate in the Temple to â—uert and preuent Arius from setting his wicked foote and proude Standard of triumph against Christ in that sacred place His deuout and zealous prayers were heard and Arius his infamous death strucke all his traine with a shamefull amazement and confusion I would this example might teach the Appealler to tremble before that God from whose Tribunall is no appeale but by speedie flying with repentance to his throne of grace and mercie in Iesus Christ. But for the Appeale here let me tell you thus much by the way which I dare be bold to auouch that as he thinks he hath done politickly so I know hee hath done very poorely to appeale to Caesar being such a Caesar as when his many waightie affaires shall lend him leisure to view the Appeale the Appealer will quickly find his owne errour and haue cause to repent his appealing to a Prince of such dexteritie and judgement as in humaine so also in diuine matters Asotus Sir I thanke you I am satisfied in this matter Now let me intreat you to performe your promise in resoluing some doubts ministred by this booke Orthodoxus If you instance any particular I am ready to doe my best indeauour Asotus Sir because this Gentleman my friend hath some more learning then my selfe and is somewhat acquainted with the booke I shall entreate him to propouÌ„d and obiect and your selfe to resolue the Obiections Babylonius Friend Asotus I pray you doe not impute that to mee which I was neuer guiltie of as matter of learning yet if as a friend you impose this taske vpon me to ease you I will the more willingly vndertake it prouided that where you see me faile you will supplieâ— and Master Orthodoxus pardon I shall onely act your part in propounding those particular pointâ— which you say are contrary to those which Master Orthodoxus hath taught you as being also the most materiall things in the booke Asotus Sir I thanke you I desire no more Babylonius Then to begin in order as they lye the first thing is about the losse of Faith and Iustification in the third Chapter and so consequently of falling away from grace totally in the fourth Chapter and if totally possibly also finally without recouery Now although the Authour doe not auouch absolutely his owne oppinion yet hee proues the affirmatiue from antiquitie of Fathers and from the authoritie of the Church of England vnto whose Articles and Homilies all the Ministers thereof haue subscribed Now we desire your resolution herein Orthodoxus True it is that the Authour is very cauâ—elous in auerring any thing in his owne opinion especially in points of such consequence therein I commend his wit as the Lord did the wisdome of the vniust Steward but his priuate conception hee fathereth vpon the Fathers and his mother Church yet it is to be concluded that what he goes about to proue by the Fathers and by the authoritie of the Church of England though most falsly by him forced and forged glosses himselfe is of the same judgement with them and by the way for the Articles and Homilies of the Church of England wee subscribed vnto them indeede but not to the priuate sense which any particular man may make of them Now
for losse of faith he must meane iustifying and sauing faith and not that faith of the Romane Church hee alledgeth the 16. Article in these words After we haue receiued the holy Ghâ—st we may depart from grace giuen fall into sinne and by the grace of God wee way rise againe and amende our liues Now in all due remembrance to my blessed mother the Church of England is it not as lawfull for mee her Sonne to take her in a good sense as for another in a bad And if it be lawfull for me to interpret her words according to the letter it is one thing recedâ—re a gratia another excidere one thing to depart aside as out of the way erroniously another 〈◊〉 fall quite away and to abandon the way at least for the time to fall quite away from grace nor doth the Article speake of a totall falling away but of such slips as are recouered by repentance against the Doctrine of Nâ—â—atus as is there expressed It being one thing to fall into sin of infirmitie another to fall away from grace totally But if by departing be meant a totall falling away then how doth this accord with the Scripture that saith If such as were once enlightned c doe fall away it is impossible they should be renewed againe to repentance Againe for the words of the Homilie alledged by the Appealer they containe a wholsome admonition to pietie and perseuerance therein but they mention no totall falling away from true and sauing grace in any one particular true beleeuer Therefore by departing is meant some other thing then any totall falling away from grace so that howsoeuer wee imbrace and adore the generall Doctrine of the Church of England our deare Mother yet whatsoeuer she saith we must not presently take it at the first rebound according to our priuate fancie which what it affects and inclines to it can easilie as the corrupt stomacke assimilate euen wholesome meates and cause them to corrupt or as the Naturall thinkes the bells ring that which hee imagines so apt is mans fancie to take words rather by the sound then by the sense to feede his pre-conceiued opinion yet as neither the Church of England her selfe auoucheth or concludeth any thing for Doctrine and matter of Faith but so farre as is consonant to the word of God so that her Doctrines are to be called the Doctrines of God rather than of the Church so neither are we to measure her Doctrines but by the onely line and rule of the Scriptures But by the Scriptures there is either no totall falling away from grace or if there be as from the common grace it must necessarily be finall too for it is impossible saith the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 such as fall away should be renewed againe to râ—pentance Therefore the Church of Englands words speaking of dâ—pâ—â—ting from grace and yet of returning againe cannot be understood of a totall falling away of particular persons from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 grace so that it appeaâ—es the Appeallâ—r hath wrested the words of the Article to his owne fancie he should first conclude out of the Scriptures that there is a falling away from grace totally But if the Scriptures teach the contrary let no man fasten such a reproach vpon the Church of England casting durt in his Mothers face as teaching otherwise then her heauenly Husband hath taught in his Word Babylonius But where doe the Scriptures teach that a man cannot fall away from grace and saâ—ing 〈◊〉 after he once hath it Orthodoxus In many places and that so pregnantly and definitiuely as the very Aduersaries of this truth confesse it may be waued and taken indifferently either way whither for a penny as we say their OpinioÌ„ or Gods Truth Babylonius But if Scripture say and gainsay how shall we beleeue them or how shall we reconcile them Orthodoxus Very easily for as there is but one truth so if wee first pitch vpon that truth where wee finde it clearely and positiuely laid downe in the Scripture then whatsoeuer places of scripture seeme to contradict yet the sense thereof must of necessitie bee reduced to that positiue truth For the purpose 1 Iohn 3. 9. Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne for his seede remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because hâ— is borne of God Here is set downe a positiâ—e truth Whosoeuer is borne of God doth not commit sinne and the reasons are annexed first for the seede of God remaiâ—eth in him and secondly because he is borne of God he cannot sinne But this seemes a hard and a darke saying doe not Gods 〈…〉 sinne yoâ— surâ—ly for In many things we 〈◊〉 all saith Saint 〈◊〉 but the same Apostle cleares the sense in his 5. Chapter of the Epistle Verse 16 17. There is a sinne vnto death and there is a 〈◊〉 not vnto death now Gods children commit sinne which is not vnto death whereof ver 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not vnto death he shall aske and he shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death But of the sinne that is vnto death of that the Apostle speakes ver 18. Wee know that whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is not vnto death Now Gods child sinneth not vnto death that is falleth not from faith as Saint Augustinâ— vnderstands this sin vnto death neither totally nor much lesse finally for the seede of God remaineth in him The seede of God is the holy Spirit of God by which as a holy and liuing seede wee are begotten and borne of God This seedâ— is that annointing whereof the Apostle speakes 1 Iohn 2. 27. The annointing which yee haue receiued of â—im abideth in you and therefore yee shall abide in him Therefore none shall be able to seduce you v. 26. Now if thâ— the annointing abide in vs if the seede of God remaines in vs how then can we fall totally much lesse finally from grace for the Spirit of grace remaineth in vs. So long as this seed of God remaines in vs and being once receiued it abideth with vs Gods regenerate cannot so degenerate as by falling from grace to cease to be his sonnes He that is of the blood royall yea who is descended immediately from the Kings owne loynes cannot cease to bee the Kings sonne for the seede and blood of the King is in him And yet though a Kings sonne may degenerate from his Fathers vertues notwithstanding his Fathers blood bee in him yet the bâ—gotten of God as they haue his seede alwaies remaining 〈◊〉 them so it is an actiue quickning and pregnant seede springing vp to life eterâ—all wherin Gods child groweth in grace till he be a perfect man in Christ Iasus Againe this seede of God is immortall as the Father is immortall Now as a mortall father begets a mortall son So the immortall God can beget no sonne but is immortall as his Father is It is impossible for the
that all other graces are radically in faith and spring from it They make all other holy graces to be inherent in sauing faith as the natiue qualities of it essentiall and inseparable not as accidents which are seperable Saint Augustine saith What is it to beleeue in him By beleeuing to loue him by beleeuing to affect him by beleeuing to goe vnto him and to be incorporated into his members And againe Paulus fidem c. Paul approueth and commendeth that faith which worketh by loue which cannot be without hope therefore neither is loue without hope nor hope without loue nor both without faith And which we cited before Faith is so on the soule as a good roote which bringeth forth the fruite S. Chrysostome saith Faith is the foundation of the most holy religion the bond of charity the supply and succour of loue it confirmes sanctity it strengtheneth chastity it gouernes all sexes it promotes all degrees it obserueth all offices faith keepeth the Commaundements practiseth the precepts accomplisheth the promises And much more to this purpose according to his fluent golden elegancy Saint Ambrose There are in faith great prerogatiues what be they piety iustice sobriety charity discipline or good gouernment And to conclude with St. August In ipsa fide sunt omnia opera quae diligit Deus in faith it selfe are all those workes which God loueth Nor need this poynt seeme so strange Morall Philosophy can teach vs that there is such an inseparable combination of all moral vertues as he that hath one hath all And shall wee deny then this inseparable conjunction of Spirituall graces whereof Faith is the Radicall and principall Though it is a marveile that these Philosopers Aristotle and Tully haue escaped the fiery purgatory-Index sith not even Romes owne Gratian for saying no more in Divinitie then those in Morality hath had the grace to escape their Singe or Spunge For where he saith Sed commodo c. But how can I haue such a faith to remoue mountaines and not charity Sith he that hath one vertue hath all I could not haue it but miraculously All these words must out as may be seene in Collat. censurae in gloss iuris canonici vum 84. Such a hatred they haue to the living saving faith as though a Princesse they will not allow her any necessary attendance coÌ„comitancy of other graces Whereas Bernard saith To beleeue in God is to hope in him and to loue him And Hieronymus Osorius Faith containeth all religion and piety for all vertues are by faith consorted and combined together and with it are connexed and intwined in a most holy knot But Deleantur haec verba let these words be cancelled saith the Index expurgatorius Also these words of his Ergo cùm fides c. Therefore seeing faith doth governe the whole soule and drawe it to the studie and loue of Gods word it followeth necessarily that it is proved not only in beleeving but also in obeying And those words also of Osorius must passe their purgatory Tune igitur verè fideles sumus cùm Dei verbo audiontes sumus Therefore then are wee truely faithfull when wee are obedient to the word of God I will conclude with the golden saying of our Royall Paraphrase vpon the Reuelation God by faith onely iustifieth man which notwithstanding is done according to his workes because they as the fruits of faith cannot be seperated from it and be are witnesse of the same to men of the earth I might seeme to haue digressed all this while from the point of freewill in speaking of faith But partly you haue moued me and the more willingly haue I followed you it being very pertinent to set forth discouer the Councell of Trents egregious hypocrisy in her Doctrine of grace and freewill For vnto what is the will stirred moued assisted by grace Parturient montes we expect some wonderfull consequent Thereby forsooth the will conceiueth faith by hearing the word and prepareth and disposeth it selfe to iustification And what faith is this thus conceiued Nascetur ridiculus Mus behold a ridiculous Mouse in steede of a young Mountaine For of their freewill is conceiued by hearing not that iustifying sauing liuing faith whereof the Apostle Faith commeth by hearing Rom. 10. 17 that faith whereof rightcousnesse is ver 5. that which beleeueth to righteousnesse ver 10 that which beleeueth In D. Iesâ—m in the Lord Iesus ver 11 but this conceiued faith of Rome is a bare historicall implicit generall dead faith like that of the Deuils no grace but such as euery wicked man may haue as their * fideles fornicarii c. their faithfull fornicaters adulterers c. And that grace of God their first grace whereby they say the will is first moued to conceiue a dead faith is with them but an ordinary common grace in deede no grace and by their owne confession no sauing sanctifying iustifying grace at all Yea and though they stile it a preparatory grace yet it neuer bringeth a man to true iustification sith they disclame that liuing sauing faith the onely faith whereby instrumentally we are iustified The summary conclusion then is that seeing the Trent Councell hath in her Doctrine of freewill so slily vndermined and ouerturned the fundamentall doctrine of saluation consisting in the iustifying sauing liuing faith powerfully wrought by the sanctifying grace of Gods Spirit in the heart euen in the whole man the soule with all the faculties from which faith as from a liuing and fructifying roote doe spring all other holy graces therefore for any man to goe about to excuse the Councell of Trent in the point wherein for the maine she is altogether to be condemned yea executed with Anathema Maran-atha I see not how such a one can be excused from being a reconciled confederate in all that damnable Doctrine of Trent about freewill Is this the way to make vs beleeue the Apppealers profound protestations that he is a Protestant of the Church of England while he so religiously pleadeth for the Councell of Trents mystery of iniquity and that flatly against the Doctrine of the Church of England Doth he thus perswade vs hee is no Papist Fy Maister Mountagu for shame learne not thus of your Councell of Trent to equiuocate with your brethren yea with your Mother Church of England You hold with the Step-mother of Rome in her most damnable Doctrines whereby she vtterly euacuates Christ Iesus and the whole mystery of our saluation and yet you are no Papist Why Because forsooth you doe not hold those Doctrines to be Popery but catholicke with those of the Church of England If you can bring no better arguments to proue you a good Protestant these you haue brought will sufficiently conclude you to be a reconciling reconciled English Romane-catholicke Babylonius Sir to trouble you no longer for this time and for a conclusion of the first part of this Appeale