owe vnto God and how these our debts and dueties are farre greater then our power and hability nay when as we cannot vnderstand how much we are indebted vnto him Thus far Granatensis Where hee plainelie teacheth that all our workes are not merites but dueties nay that no man knowes howe much hee owes to GOD and therefore can neuer challenge anie merite And againe in another place hee writes thus These sayeth hee foure other excellent and notable vertues do follow Inward and outward humility pouerty of body and soule patience in aduersity and tribulations and a pure intent in good works that they all be doone onely for the loue of God without mingling of anie profit or respect either temporall or spirituall Thus farre Granatensis If wée must respect no profit neither temporall nor spirituall in dooing of our good works then not the saluation of our soules which marke in Poperie their blinde guides taught all men to aime at And in another place against merites hee writes thus most plainelie Againe sayeth hee hee that is about to pray on the one side must know that he deserues no good thing and on the other he must beleeue that although he haue no merites yet God of his infinite mercy and goodnesse will giue him that that shall bee most profitable to his saluation Therefore man must be content whether he receiue at Gods hands much or little and receiue all things thankefully whatsoeuer God doth accounting himselfe vnworthy of all things God giues him and to be ready to do all things that God commaunds him And to giue God his due thanks not so much for those things which hee hopes to receiue as for these which he hath receiued already Thus farre Granatensis where hee plainely confesseth that there is no merites in man for which he can challenge to receiue anie thing at Gods hands Lodouicus Viues of good works writes thus Praepar anim ad r and. 35. Take heede againe and againe least that it euer come into thy mind that thou canst profit or do any good to God neither flatter thy selfe of thy good worke as though by it thou hadst bound or demerited God vnto thee which thought is most hurtfull and oftentimes the marrer of all good works To take which from our minds our Lord said After that yee haue doone all these things say that ye are vnprofitable seruants Ferus also of the trust in our workes writes thus Fer. in 2. Act. Againe by this sound it is foreshewed that the holy spirit cannot be receiued vnlesse the hart be first shaken So when the Lord was about to come to Elias there went before him a wind that ouerthrew the mountaines then after a fire and an Earthquake The same thing God doeth in vs before he come to our heart first hee sends a mightie wind ouerthrowing the mountaines that is he ouerthrowes all things which seeme great and takes away all trust but yet the Lord is not present for there are many which haue nothing wherein they may trust and yet they haue not God But this is the first steppe of his comming Then followes the earthquake when man vnderstands what he is and when he considers the misery of the world then the holy Spirite is nearer but yet hee is not present Thirdly the fire of the conscience followes and then the Lord is not farre off For it is a great matter to feele sinne After the fire followes the noise of a soft ayre that is the grace of God making ioyfull a terrified conscience Thus farre Ferus Where he plainelie teacheth that all mountaines what great good workes wee haue doone soeuer must first bee ouerthrowne in vs wée must haue no trust in our selues before God come to vs and that this is the first steppe of his grace Let them that trust in their workes here take heede to themselues and see by Ferus his iudgement how farre they are from the grace of God God hath not so much as made one steppe to come vnto them Oh what a miserable case are all such in then And againe vpon that place Whosoeuer shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saued Our name sayeth hee is sinne vnrighteousnesse lying vanity c. The name of God is that hee is onely good true mighty iust mercifull and wise c. Of this Name Christ saieth Father I haue declared thy name vnto men He therefore that accuseth his owne name and cals vpon the name of God that is desires helpe by the goodnesse truth mercy and power of God he shall be saued whether he be Iew or Gentile So Dauid called vpon the name of the Lord O Lorde in thy name saue me and in thy power iudge my cause and in thy righteousnesse deliuer me And againe in thee O Lord haue I put my trust I shall neuer be put to confusion deliuer me in thy righteousnesse Here thou hast the perill and the remedy death and life are sette before thee take heede least thou forget thy selfe Call vpon the Lord while he is neare Hitherto he hath terrified them threatning like a people and he hath foreshewed them generally the medicines whereby euilles may be driuen away Nay after least any should bee affraid to come vnto God he plaies the Preacher of the Gospell and settes the mediator before their eyes who alone hath manifested to the world the name of his father vnto whose power also the Father hath committed all things By whom onely and alone we also haue accesse vnto the Father Thus farre Ferus All men that will bee saued must accuse their owne name that is their owne righteousnesse before the Maiestie of God and they must call vpon the mercie of God and his trueth and goodnesse by the mediation onelie of Iesus Christ Here is death and life set before euerie man by Ferus his iudgement Cap. 3. Againe of the Iewes hee writes thus The people also did lie lame before the Temple They had the Priesthood the Temple the sacrifices examples of things to come but they onely trusted in the externall things they neuer entred into the Temple to consider what those externall things meant Some went in as the Prophets by the shadowes gathering the things signified but the lame people followed them not Thus farre Ferus Such like were our forefathers who put much trust in externall thinges and they deuised of man neuer knew what they meant And how coulde that profit them seeing the trust in externall thinges and which God commanded could not profit the Iewes And againe hee writes thus Neither can any externall thing sanctifie vs or cleanse vs but onely that hee with his Spirite and his bloud cleanseth vs. Thirdly he is iust and iustifieth vs when hee communicates vnto vs his merites and righteousnes with the which being clothed we dare appâ—are before God So the Psalmist testifieth I will make mention of thy righteousnesse onely And againe In thee O Lord haue I put my trust I
liuely verified and expressed when as he said Come vnto me al that trauell and bee heauy loden and I will refresh you Matth. 11.28 This was that caue wherein also Elias hid himselfe 1. King 19.11 till the mighty strong wind that euen rent the mountaines and brake the rocks before the Lord and the earthquake and the fire were past And vntill that soft small and louing voice was heard And if Elias was glad to hide himselfe in this caue vntil all these sharpe stormes of Gods wrath were past how much more all other Christians how holie soeuer they be And a refuge from the tempest Not onely Gods wrath outwardlie doeth punish vs but euen the stormes and huge tempests which by reason of our sinnes Sathan doeth raine often euen in our owne heartes And these raging tempests also Iesus Christ doeth pacifie and swage in vs he is a refuge or hiding place Of these Dauid complaines Psalm 93. ◠The waues of the sea are mighty and rage horribly but yet the Lord that dwelleth on high is mightier No doubt Dauid here speakes not of the waues of the earthlie seas which hee neuer medled withall but of the waues and sea of his conscience which by reason of his sinnes dailie vexed him And for the waues of this sea that wee might bee deliuered from them maie verie fitlie spiritually that prayer the Apostles made in the tempest of the other sea wherein they were bee vnderstood Saue vs Lord wee perish And hee rebuked the Sea and the winds Mat. 8.25 and there followed a great calme Hée that was of power to controll and pacifie the stormes of the sea can also controll and make calme those stormes of conscience of all them that are in trouble and seeke to him for succour euen with one word now as he did then He is as riuers of waters in a drie ground All mens hearts by nature are as a Wildernesse euen as a drie ground wherein no goodnesse dwelles He onely is the heauenly deaw that fell vpon the hilles of Sion Psa 133.3 that makes both Hermon of the Gentiles and Sion of the Iewes fruitfull Hée is that fountaine of all good graces and blessings of whose fulnesse wee all haue receiued euen grace for grace Ioh. 1.16 euen most francklie and fréelie all that we haue Iohn 15.1 He is that Vine into whom whosoeuer is not grafted brings forth nothing nothing that is acceptable or pleasant to God Hée makes our works grapes and our almes and prayers wine in Gods sight which otherwise in Gods sight were but al vineger and stinking Elder berries Therefore whosoeuer lacks anie spirituall gift either heauenlie wisedome or the gift of faith or of the holie Ghost let them begge it of him and without all doubt they shall not returne emptie awaie And as the shadow of a precious rocke in a weary land This our life is a pilgrimage and we are all here but as pilgrimes and in this the seruice we doe to our God how slothfullie how negligentlie how wearilie and how vnperfectlie doe wee it when wee haue doone the best we can Luk. 17.10 Psal 130.3 We must all say as our Sauiour Christ taught vs wee are vnprofitable seruants and wee must saie with Dauid O Lord if thou wilt marke what is done amisse who may abide And with saint Iohn If wee euen the Apostles of Christ say wee haue no sinne wee deceiue our selues and there is no trueth in vs. The best of vs all Ioh. 1. Epi. 1.8 Exod. 17.12 in our prayers are euer weary and in some thing halting as was Moyses and therefore needed to haue Aaron and Vr to helpe to hold vp his armes and besides these to haue a great stone put vnder him to beare the waight and wearines of his whole body and that was no doubt Iesus Christ Our forsaking this world Gen. 19.16 is like to Lots going out of Sodome when as he prolonged the time the Angels caught him with his wife and his two daughters by the hands the Lorde beeing mercifull to him Gen. 6.8 Luke 1.28.46 Rom. 3.14 and so they brought him forth and set him without the City Euen Noah himselfe found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And likewise the blessed Virgine as the Angell told hir and as she hir selfe confessed and all the Saints of God that all mouthes should bee stopped as saint Paul teacheth and that all glory and power might be giuen to GOD alone Now Iesus Christ is that great and precious Rocke whereon all the saints doe rest and repose themselues in their thousands of imperfections in all their sinnes and works to their God in this their pilgrimage hee beares all their imperfections as a mightie rocke for his sake our prayers and almes all our works though all of them imperfect done wearilie and lazilie and not with such seale and perfection as Gods law requireth are accepted A thousand maie sit vpon a rocke Exod. 25.17 and it will ease the wearinesse of them all He is that golden table which was called the propitiatory which couered the whole Arke Art thou a péece or a part of Gods arke or Church then Iesus Christ must couer thee whosoeuer thou art and this our king is our hope 1. Col. 1.27 he makes all his Christians sure of their saluation for what should make them afraid he is a hiding place from the winds of Gods wrath hee is a most safe refuge and hauen against all the stormes and tempests of our sinnes and conscience hee is a most plentifull fountaine of all heauenlie graces still watering the drines and barrennesse of our hearts and euer making vs springing and fructifying in all good works and lastlie in our manifold imperfections and works euen in our best works wee doe in the seruice of our God he is a Rock for vs most assuredlie to relie rest vpon what will we more shall we anie more doubt of our saluation Let vs rather beleeue the Prophet Esay then all the doctrines of men whosoeuer he that beleeues this cannot doubt anie more Therefore let euerie one remember ruminate vpon these foure vertues and principall effects of our heauenlie king and Sauiour and neuer hereafter doubt anie more Stella makes this difference of the godlie and of the wicked Stella in 2. cap Lucae The iust saieth hee reioice in death they desire it and passing out of the bonds of this body they reioicing triumph but the wicked do contrary for euen as theeues which feare the Iudges and officers so these wicked men being reprooued of their owne consciences flie from death fearing least they should appeare before the Iudge And no doubt the ioie of the godlie is grounded vpon this rocke they reioice in the Lord euer euen in death as Saint Paul teacheth them Granatensis de perfectione amoris dei ca. 15. Granatensis of the certaintie of our saluation writes thus A fourth thing
disputing of the works of God saith That it is a farre greater worke to iustifie a sinner then to create the world For the creation of the whole world is such a worke as hath his limits and hath an end as all other things created haue but the iustification of man is as it were the participation of the diuinitie and glorie of God which is an infinit thing The Papists opinion of free-will being true the iustification of man is not such a great work as Thomas Aquinas here makes it But as the world had no power of it selfe to create it selfe no more hath man to his regeneration His regeneration is more by Aquinas his iudgement then the creation of the world Oh that this opiniō were engrafted in euery Christiā it would make him thankefull to God! Lib. 2. de ieiunio cap. 15. Againe the same Granatensis in another place declares his iudgement of mans regeneration and naturall habilitie or power most manifestlie by this example Euen as that vvhich springs againe ceaseth to be that which it was before and takes a new essence so that nothing now remaines in it which was in it before As when a tree growes of seede the seede ceaseth to be and the tree taketh another essence so man when he is borne spiritually the whole olde man which hee was before dyeth which was the Sonne of wrath and hee becomes to be another newe man the Sonne of grace and so is free both from fault and punishment This is Granatensis opinion of mans naturall force and habilitie which by so manie examples he hath made manifest vnto vs I would to God all true Catholiques would be of the same iudgement with him Ferus part 2. pass Ferus also in this matter agreeth with Granatensis The spirit is willing but the flesh is weake as though he should say I know that you haue a willing mind but the weaknes of the flesh hinders your willingnes The spirit would doe that which it ought but the flesh is backward and slowe it delightes in nothing but in those which seeme profitable for it it will neuer watch nor pray willingly it is afraid of aduersitie it flyeth from the Crosse it is offended at it it denyeth it to conclude it doth nothing that is good But contrariwise the spirit is bold and valiant it watcheth it prayeth it endures aduersity it makes confession of the faith boldly For the spirit as often as it is compared with the flesh signifieth the nature of man with the best motions thereof without the helpe of the holy ghost Therefore the spirit is willing and desires willingly those things that belongs vnto it and moues vs to all goodnesse But the flesh is weake because it euer takes not vpon it the yoke of the spirit according to that That good which I woulde doe that I doe not and the euill which I would not doe that I doe And againe the flesh fighteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh that you cannot doe that which you would What shall I vse manie words To that which is good though we haue a willing spirit yet the infirmitie of the flesh hinders it and ouercomes it but to that which is euill though we haue but a sluggish spirit yet the flesh stirs it vp and pricketh it forward Hence it is that Iudas and the Iewes sleepe not but are most vigilant and watchfull because they make haste to that which is wicked But the Apostles sleepe because they are admonished to doe that which is good Therefore it remaines that as much as we trust of the zeale on our mind so much we ought to be affraid of the infirmitie of the flesh Ferus here plainlie teacheth that the flesh euer euen in her best motions resisteth Gods spirit and therefore what part of reward can mans frée will challenge at Gods hands And after we are all like Peter before Gods iudgement come when as yet we doe not know our owne frailtie and weakenesse we are woont to be proud of our strength and as it should seeme to be verie feruent in the zeale of God but when Gods iudgement beginnes to draw neere we faint and melt away as waxe doth before the fire and as the dust that the winde driueth from the face of the earth Peter therefore is a figure of those that will go about to doe any thing without the grace of God To whom that euer hapneth that both they make Christ a lyer and also that they neuer bring to passe that which they go about They make Christ a lyer who said Without me you can doe nothing And they themselues doe not stand to their word and resolution For Paul saith I doe not the good which I would but the euill that I would not that I doe And a little after Heere also we see how that man is able to doe nothing For euen as yron although it be harde of it owne nature yet is soone battered of stones vnlesse it be hardned in some liquor So the minde of man although it bragge that for the loue of truth it will despise all dangers yet it is ouercome when perils assault it vnlesse it be strengthned with the holy ghost And againe This is the surest way that can be to continue in as great humilitie as a man can still to waite on Gods mercie and not to bragge himselfe on his owne merits or to iudge others And againe it is to be marked Fer. part 4. pass that there were seauen great wonders done in the death of Christ which also as yet meete altogither in the iustification of euerie one The Sunne was darkened at noone day the vaile was rent the earth quaked or mooued the rockes were clouen the graues opened the dead rose vp and the Gentiles confessed These seauen things I say are done nowe also and ought to be done in euerie sinner First it is necessarie that all worldly things doe vanish away doe displease him and be remooued out of his sight And this is that a great darkenesse be made when as the things of this world must neither haue colour nor light in his eies Secondly his inward and hidden things must be reuealed that is he must see his sinnes and acknowledge his owne filthinesse And that is the vaile to be rent vnder which such things were hidden that they appeared not to be vncleane Thirdly he must quake for feare at the viewe of the filthinesse of his sinnes and of his conscience and that is the earth to quake for no man feares nor is troubled in conscience vnlesse he see his sinne and the grieuousnesse of it Fourthly the cleauing of the rockes followes and that is contrition of heart and a hatred and misliking of sinne and he which before was a rocke now is rent in sunder and so the rocke yeeldes waters of weeping and teares Fiftly the graues are opened when as the mouth is opened by confession makes manifest that which was hidde