he would praise and thank him R. ABBOT a Psal 76.11 Vow and performe vnto the Lord your God saith the Prophet all ye that be round about him M. Perkins verie truly saith that these words whether we call them an exhortation or a commandement did concerne the Iewes onely as touching ceremoniall vowes but as touching the spirituall intendment of them of praise and thanksgiuing do generally concerne both them and vs. M. Bishop like old True-pennie neuer but like himselfe runneth away with a peece of this answer and setteth himselfe to proue that which M. Perkins denieth not that the words respect both the Iewes and vs. We acknowledge so much M. Bishop we say they concerne onely them in in those duties or deuotions that were proper to them onely but in common they concerne both them and vs in those duties and deuotions that belong to both We cannot doubt but that the Prophet had reference to the condition of that time did inuite both the Priests and the people to that outward seruice of sacrifices and offerings in the exercise whereof it pleased God in his wisedome then to traine them vp But because we heare God so often professing that he respected not their naked and bare sacrifices and seeming so to reckon of them as if he had neuer giuen commandement of any such namely when they were destitute of that inward pietie and obedience and deuotion which God would haue to be exercised thereby therefore we must conceiue that the Prophet here also looked further then to outward seruice and in coÌ„mending to them the exercises thereof did call them to inward affections of praise and thankesgiuing vnto God Seeing then the outward solemnities and ceremonies which were the externall matter of their vowes were but instructions and inducements to spirituall offices and duties which in the right vse of vowes were principally vowed thereby therefore in the spirituall construction of those ceremonies we are to learne what is the true and proper matter of Christian vowes And because God as he is the same God so as touching spirituall worship is alike worshipped from the beginning to the ende we cannot doubt but that in the example and practise of the faithfull in those times we may behold as in a glasse what the duties are that by their vowes are recommended vnto vs. What we find amongst them we know the same belongeth to vs what we find not amoÌ„gst them their vowes giue vs no warrant or example of it Now what applications constructions they made of those sacrifices offerings and other ceremonies which they vowed vnto God we may see by many phrases speeches which the Scriptures purposely vse to shew the meaning of them Many examples thereof we haue in the Psalmes b Psal 4.5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousnesse c 50.14.23 Offer vnto God thankesgiuing and he that sacrificeth praise he honoreth me d 51.17 The sacrifices of God are a contrite spirite a contrite and broken heart f 107 22. Let them offer sacrifices of praise g 115.17 I will offer to thee a sacrifice of praise h 141.2 Let my prayer be in thy sight for incense and the lifting vp of my hands an euening sacrifice Thus saith Ionas i Ion. 2.9 I will sacrifice vnto thee with the voyce of thankesgiuing and Osee k Osc 14.13 We will render vnto thee the calues of our lips The vow of humbling or afflicting themselues by fasting what it imported appeareth by Gods reprouing of them for that l Esa 58.3 in the day of their fast they sought their owne will as giuing to vnderstand thas by their fast they were to be instructed to the forbearing of their owne desires to the renouncing of their owne wils to the subduing of their owne corrupt and euill affections to the eschuing of crueltie oppression and violence that they might make way to the workes of mercie which God did coÌ„mand them as in the Prophets words there is shewed m Ver. 6. Is not this the fast that I haue chosen to loose the bonds of wickednesse to take off the heauie burdens and to let the oppressed go free and to breake euery yoke Is it not to deale thy bread to the hungrie to bring the poore that wandreth into thy house c. In briefe the Prophet Micheas sheweth the signification of this humbling and of all their sacrifices n Mich 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what the Lord thy God requireth of thee Surely to do iudgement and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe to walke with thy God The vow of the Nazarites was the principall vow of all the rest What the intention thereof was is expressed in the first description of the ceremonie of it o Num. 6.2 to be separated to the Lord. Now this was the common condition of all that people to be separated to the Lord as God himselfe giueth them to vnderstand p Leuit. 20.24.26 I am the Lord your God which haue separated you from other people therefore shall ye be holy vnto me for I the Lord am holy and I haue separated you from other people that ye should be mine But God by a speciall vow of ceremoniall obseruations whereby in outward things for the time they were diuided from the common conuersation of themselues and their owne people would giue a spectacle and example to the rest of them of putting off those carnall and earthly affections by which they should be like to other peoples for preseruing of spiritual integritie and holinesse towards him And therein is exemplified the condition of all the faithfull of whom our Sauiour hath told vs that q Ioh. 15.19 they are not of the world but he hath chosen them out of the world and therefore are r 2. Pet. 1.4 to flie the corruption that is in the world by lust and to hearken to the voyce of God Å¿ 2. Cor. 16.17 Come out from among them and separate your selues saith the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you These are then the vowes that belong to vs vowes of prayer of praise and thankesgiuing of denying our selues of mortifying our owne affections of mercie and compassion towards our brethren and in a word of keeping our selues holy vnto God euen those vowes whereof we reade many examples in the Psalmes and other Scriptures t Psal 27.8 Thou saidest seeke ye my face and my heart answered thee O Lord I will seeke thy face u 79 9.13 Helpe vs O God of our saluation for the glorie of thy name c. So we that be thy people and sheepe of thy pâ—sture shall praise thee for euer and from generation to generation we will set forth thy praise x 80.17 Let thy hand be vpon the man of thy right hand and vpon the sonne of man whom thou madest so strong for thine owne selfe so will not
we go backe from thee reuiue thou vs and we will call vpon thy name y 86.11 Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walke in thy truth z 119.33.34 Teach me the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it vnto the end giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy law yea I will keepe it with my whole heart a Ver. 106. I haue sworne and will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Thus doth Osee the Prophet instruct the people of God b Osc 14.3 Take you wordes and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all our iniquitie and receiue vs graciously so will we render the calues of our lips These vowes are recommended vnto vs in the new Testament when we are taught c Mat. 16.24 to deny our selues and to take vp the crosse of Christ that we may follow him d Col. 3.5 to mortifie our earthly members e Rom. 6.13 to giue our selues vnto God our members as weapons of righteousnesse vnto God f Cap. 12.1 to offer our bodies a holy liuely and acceptable sacrifice vnto God g 1. Cor. 6.20 to glorifie God both in our bodies and in our spirits as being both his h 2 Cor. 5.15 to liue vnto him which died for vs and rose againe These vowes we made to God in our baptisme and we professe the continuing and renewing of them from time to time in coming to the table of the Lord as also in our daily prayers and meditations and in all those promises which the remembrance of our owne waies draweth from vs euery while Of these the Prophet Esay spake in the section before of these the Prophet Dauid here saith Vow vnto the Lord your God and performe the same all ye that be round about him Now then it is true that vowes are to the honor glory of God and that we are to consider the dreadfull maiestie of God that we may be moued carefully to performe the vowes that we haue made vnto him and that these vowes are such as may be made by all sorts of men inhabiting the earth and what of all this either against M. Perkins or against vs As for S. Austin he confirmeth all that hath bene here said of the exposition of these vowes that the things that we are here willed to vow are i Supra sect 1. ex August in Psal 75. to beleeue in God to trust in him to liue a good life to hope to receiue of him eternall life and such like as we haue seene before Now it is true that he saith further that k Ibid. Alius vouet castitatem coniugalem vt praeter vxorem suam noÌ„ nouerit aliam c. Alij vouent experti tale contugium nihil tale vltra patiâ—â—lij virginitatem ab ipsi ineuâ—te aet â—te vouint alâ—j voueÌ„t domum suam hospâ—talem omnibus sanctis alij vouent relinquere omnia sua c. some vow chastitie in mariage by keeping theÌ„selues the husband to his owne wife onely or the wife onely to her owne husband some hauing bene married vow not to marrie againe some from the beginning vow virginitie some to vse their houses for hospitalitie to the Saints some to distribute all their goods to the poore some of which vowes we question not the rest are afterwards to be considered of But that which M. Bishop citeth of his exhorting men not to forbeare vowing for the necessitie of the performance thereof but for that to trust to the helpe of God to proue that he tooke those words to belong to his auditors and not onely to the Iewes it is a proofe needlesse because we acknowledge so much in such sort as hath bene said before As for that which he further addeth of setting contraries together that each may more liuely appeare in his kind it is but the liuely setting forth of his owne indiscretion folly M. Perkins to shew what may be vnderstood by vowes in the place here haÌ„dled alledgeth a speech of Dauid in a former Psalme l Psal 56.12 Thy vowes are vpon me O God that is the vowes which I haue made to thee are lying on me to be performed I will render praises vnto thee In which place we see that the Prophet expoundeth vowes concerning praises to God whereupon M. Perkins alledgeth that vowes likewise in the other place may be construed of praises and thankesgiuing vnto God Against this M. Bishop excepteth ful wisely I warrant you as not likely that the Psalme fiftie sixe written first should be the exposition of the Psalme seuenty fiue which was conceited and vttered after But did not his vnderstanding serue to instruct him that Dauid though not expounding the latter Psalme in the former yet in the former expounding vowes to be praises doth teach vs how to expound vowes when they are mentioned in a latter Psalme or in anie other Scripture sounding to like effect And who but he is ignorant that Scriptures formerly written do often giue vs light and helpe for the vnderstanding and expounding of Scriptures that are written later His second exception is as good as that namely that Dauid in the latter Psalme speaketh to others in the former of himself And what then What should hinder but that by the name of vowes he should signifie the praises of God in speaking to others when he himselfe expoundeth vowes to be the praises of God in speaking of himselfe Albeit he mistaketh in making Dauid the author of the latter Psalme which is rather thought to be written in the time of Ezechias but questionlesse after Dauids time In his third exception his head being wild he telleth vs that the Prophets words in Psalme fiftie sixe confirme rather that which he taught before Where before when as the Psalme fiftie sixe is the former of the two Psalmes I thinke he cannot well tell what he meant by this speech But what is the thing confirmed That all considerate vowes are praises and parts of Gods worship What he meaneth by considerate vowes we know not but we take those onely to be considerate vowes wherby we vow those things which God hath warranted vs to vow Thus are vowes a part of Gods worship when we vow those things which he hath taught vs to be belonging to his worship Such were for the time the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Law not for themselues but for the spirituall dutie that was implyed in them and acted by them If they were not put to this vse God held them not for anie part of his worship Dauid therefore hauing respect to this signifieth that the thing which he properly intended by his vowes was praise and thankes to God This is all that Dauid sayth and was by Maister Perkins fitly alledged for that that he had in hand 6. W. BISHOP Let vs now come to the second point wherein we dissent They saith M. Perkins hold vowes made of things not commanded
repaired in his resurrection For they were not without this faith before that he was the Sonne of God but when it came to passe which he foretold that faith which when he spake vnto them was little and small and when he died in a manner none both reuiued and increased It was faith that made h Mat. 14.28 Peter vpoÌ„ Christes word to step into the sea to go to Christ vpoÌ„ the waters beleeuing that he should be safe but yet he beleeued it not infallibly the faintnesse of his faith made him begin to sink so that being vehemently afraid he cried out vnto Christ for help saying Maister saue me Therfore our Sauiour saith to him i Ver. 31. O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt In which sort when another time the disciples were afraid by reason of a tempest vpon the sea awaked him being asleepe saying vnto him k Cap. 8.25 Maister saue vs we perish he answered theÌ„ Why are ye fearefull O ye of little faith in both these places shewing that little faith such as now the faith of the Apostles theÌ„selues was doth not make a man so infallibly to beleeue as that he is thereby wholly voided of feare and doubt yet sheweth it selfe to be true faith in that the same feare doubt maketh him alwaies to runne to Christ as expecting succour and strength in him Such is the faith whereby the common sort of faithfull men do beleeue their owne particular Saluation truly and effectually to the comfort of their soules yet not so fully and infallibly as to be altogether freed from feare and doubt For it is to be obserued which was intimated before that matters of faith concerning our owne Saluation do consist partly in principles deliuered by the word of God and partly in conclusions thence deriued to our selues Now albeit faith sometimes do wauer stagger as touching the very principles themselues and immediate words of God yet because the truth Certaintie thereof is more easily and better conceiued they are for the most part more familiarly readily beleeued But the conclusions because of themselues they are vnknowne and haue their light only from the principles are not so firmly apprehended as the principles themselues whilest doubts haply may be cast least there be any errour committed in the application vse thereof It is a principle deliuered for assurance of Saluation l Act. 16.31 Beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ thou shalt be saued Hereupon the faithful man inferreth to himself I beleeue in the Lord Iesus Christ therfore I shal be saued In this either coÌ„fusely or expresly inferred he coÌ„forteth himselfe reioyceth in God in hope hereof cheerefully serueth God calleth vpoÌ„ his name in patience expecteth the reuealing of his Saluation And yet sometimes it falleth out that he questioneth his faith and not seeing such effects thereof as he supposeth there ought to be maketh doubt least haply he be deceiued and though the principle be true by which he first beleeued yet is ielous least he haue misapplied it to himselfe Thus sometimes by other temptations true faith is assaulted and greatly shaken so that he that greatly reioyced in the Saluation of the Lord by hastie cogitations is ouertaken and brought to say as Dauid in that case did m Psal 31.22 I am cast out of the sight of thine cies This was the manner of the Apostles faith at first and this manner of faith and assurance do we teach and do teach men to pray with the Apostles n Luk. 17.5 Lord increase our faith that from weaknesse of faith and slender assurance we may grow to strength of faith and full assurance as the Apostles did In the meane while therefore it is false and contrary to the word of God which M. Bishop saith that the faithfull haue not by faith assurance of Saluation vnlesse they beleeue it to be as infallible as the word of God it selfe Now for conclusion he confesseth that some either by reuelation from God or by long exercise of vertuous life haue a great Certaintie of Saluation but that he saith doth rather belong to a well grounded hope then to an ordinarie faith But we answer him that there is no well grounded hope but that which is grounded vpon ordinarie faith and beleefe of that that is hoped for For hope is the proper effect of ordinary faith and nothing else as we shal see hereafter but a patient expectation of that that we beleeue shall be and if we do not beleeue that it shal be we cannot be said to hope for it in that sence wherein the Scripture teacheth hope Of ordinarie faith it is that the Apostle saith o Rom. 5.1 Being iustified by faith we haue peace towards God through Iesus Christ our Lord by whom we haue accesse through faith vnto this grace wherein we stand and reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God thereby shewing that to reioyce vnder the hope of the glory of God is the effect of an ordinarie faith whereby we are assured of peace with God Of ordinarie faith S. Iohn speaketh where he saith p 1. Iohn 5.13 These things haue I written vnto you that beleeue in the name of the Sonne of God that ye may know that ye haue eternall life By ordinary faith therefore the faithfull are not vncertainly to hope but assuredly to know that they haue eternall life But it is here to be obserued that Maister Bishop affirmeth not onely of that Certaintie that is gotten by long exercise of vertuous life but also of that that s by reuelation from God that it rather belongeth to hope then to ordinarie faith writing he wist not what himselfe because if he be asked the question he will not deny but that whatsoeuer God hath reuealed is to be beleeued by ordinary faith because he saith afterwards that it is the Catholike faith that is ordinary â—aith to beleeue all that to be true which God hath reuealed Howsoeuer the reuelation be extraordinarie as we know he intendeth it yet it is ordinarie faith by which a man beleeueth such extraordinarie reuelation so as that neither that assurance that is had by this extraordinarie reuelation is altogether free from feares and doubts shaking sometimes the confidence of that which a man hath receiued immediatly from the oracle of Gods owne mouth or by speciall messengers directed from God for certificate in that behalfe Which is to be seene in the examples of Abraham and Isaac and Dauid and others to whom God hath giuen speciall promise of his protection and fauour and yet vpon occasions they haue bewraied great infirmitie in the apprehension thereof And if this befall to faith in those things that are extraordinarily reuealed much more we may assure our selues that it befalleth there where we haue no other but ordinary reuelation by the written word of God Therefore on euery side M. Bishops assertion is false that there can
therefore presume not of thine owne doing but of the grace of Christ It is no arrogancie but faith to acknowledge what thou hast receiued it is not pride but deuotion What word is here of Certaintie of Saluation but that it belongeth to a faithfull man to confesse himselfe much bound to God for calling of him to be his Which euery Christian must do hoping himselfe so to be and being most certaine that if he be not in state of grace it is long of himselfe and no want on Gods part The second place hath not so much as any shew of words for him thus he speaketh Let no man aske another man Tract 5. in Epis Ioan. but returne to his owne heart and if he find Charity there he hath securitie for his passage from like to death What need was there to seeke charity in his heart for securitie of his Saluation if his faith assured him thereof therefore this text maketh flat against him R. ABBOT The words of Austine or rather of Ambrose for he indeed is the author of them are these a August de verb. Dom. ser 28. ex Ambros de sacram lib 5. cap. 4. O homo nō audebas oculos tuos ad coelum attollere oculos tuos ad terram dirigebas subitò accepisti gratiam Christi Omnia tibi peccata dimissa sūt Ex malo seruo factus es bonus filius Ideo praesume non de operatione tua sed de Christi gratià Gratia enim saluati estis Apostolus ait Non ergo hìc arrogantia est sed fides praedicare quod acceperis non est superbia sed deuotio O man thou didst not dare to lift thine eies to heauen thou didst cast them to the earth and vpon the sodaine thou receiuedst the grace of Christ all thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Of an euill seruant thou art made a good sonne Presume therefore not of thine owne working but of the grace of Christ For by grace ye are saued saith the Apostle Here therefore is no arrogancie but faith to speake of that which thou hast receiued is not pride but deuotion To which words Maister Bishop answereth What word is here of Certaintie of Saluation when as expresly against his assertion it is affirmed that the faithfull regenerate in Christ doth presume that his sinnes are forgiuen him that he hath receiued the grace of Christ that he is made the child of God and that this is no arrogancie no pride no vnlawfull presumption but a matter of faith a matter of deuotion and a good presumption as he calleth it afterwards Now all these things he comprehendeth vnder the name of Saluation citing to that purpose the words of the Apostle By grace ye are saued For how doth the Apostle say By grace ye are saued as of a thing done already but for that we are made partakers of the forgiuenesse of sinnes haue receiued the grace of Christ and are become the children of God Therefore in presuming of these things as Ambrose willeth the faithfull to do we consequently presume and stand assured of our owne Saluation because in these things our Saluation is begun as appeareth by the words of Christ concerning Zacheus b Luk. 19.9 This day Saluation is come to this house because this man is become the sonne of Abraham And whereas M. Bishop saith we may not presume hereof because we know not our owne works or righteousnesse S. Ambrose telleth vs that this is not to be presumed of our owne works but of the grace of Christ the true calling whereof is such as maketh vs that whereunto we are called because we are thereby called not at the eare onely but inwardly and in the heart Therefore them that are thus truly called S. Ambrose willeth not coldly to hope according to the manner of M. Bishops hope where feare is as strong as hope but faithfully and deuoutly to presume that they are in the state of grace not with doubting to thinke that if they be not so it is long of themselues but to resolue that without themselues they are so indeed onely by the grace of God We may well thinke that it was a frostie morning that made M. Bishop to make so cold construction of so effectuall and plaine words But in the next place cited out of Austine he goeth beyond himselfe Let vs take the whole words as he hath them vpon these words of S. Iohn c 1. Iohn 3.14 By this we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Hereupon saith he d August in Ioan. tract 5. Quid nos scimus Quia transiuimus de morte ad vitam Vnde scimus Quia diligimus fratres Nemo interroget hominem redeat vnus quisque ad cor suum Si ibi inuenerit charitatem fraternam se uros sit quia transcit de morte ad vitam Iam in dextera est Non attendat quia mo lo gloria eius occulia est cum venerit Dominus tunc apparebit gloria eius Viget enim sed adhuc in hyeme viget radix sed qu est aridi sunt raini Intus est medulli quae vigis tintus sunt solit arborum 〈◊〉 fructus sed aestatem expectant Ergo nos 〈◊〉 c. What do we know That we are translated from death to life Whereby do we know it Because we loue the brethren Let no man aske of another man let him returne to his owne heart if he find there loue to the brethren let him be without doubt that he is passed from death to life He is now on the right hand Let him not regard that his glory is now hid when the Lord shall come then his glory shall appeare For he is aliue but yet as in the winter the root is aliue but the branches are in a manner dry Within is the pith that liueth within are the leaues within are the fruits but they looke for a sommer Therefore we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren Where we see both by the text it selfe and by the exposition of this auncient Father that by loue towards them that are our brethren in the faith of Iesus Christ we are to take knowledge and assurance of our being translated from death to life that is of our owne Saluation and that so as to be without doubt thereof and yet this wrangler doubteth not to say This place hath not so much as any shew of words for him The point in question is affirmed not in ambiguous and doubtfull words but euidently and apparantly and yet he goeth away with This place hath not so much as any shew of words for him nay this text maketh flat against him But why so I pray you What need was there saith he to seeke charitie in his heart for securitie of his Saluation if his faith assured him thereof But why doth he not answer to the point Doth not S. Austine teach the
a conuiction of guilt of death incurred thereby and yet could yeeld no remedie against death being afterwards b Heb. 7.18 disanulled because of the weaknesse and vnprofitablenesse thereof so farre should we be from thinking that of the ceremoniall law it should be sayd Do this and thou shalt liue The yong man demandeth of Christ c Mat. 19.16 What good thing shall I do that I may haue eternall life Now looke of what law our Sauior answereth him as M. Bishop hath cited before d Vers 17. If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements of the selfe same law doth he answer another to the same question vpon recitall of a briefe of the commandements e Luc. 10.28 This do and thou shalt liue namely of the morall law to which it hath reference f Leuit. 18.5 where it is first spoken as appeareth by that that followeth for declaration of it Of which also it is rehearsed by g Ezech. 18.11.13 c. Ezechiel the Prophet and is by the Apostle Saint Paul further alledged to shew the difference betwixt h Rom. 10.5 the Righteousnesse of the law and the Righteousnesse of faith Moses saith he this describeth the Righteousnesse of the lavv that the man vvhich doth these things shall liue thereby i Gal. 3.12 The lavv is not of faith but he that doth these things shall liue in them Of which law he saith k Rom. 3.20 By the lavv commeth the knowledge of sinne that it saith l Cap. 7. ver 7.16.22 Thou shalt not lust that he consenteth to it that it is good that he delighteth in it as touching the inner man that the m Cap. 13. v. 9. Gal. 5.14 summe thereof is Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe all which doe vndeniably point out vnto vs the morall law as both n August de spir lit ca. 14. Saint Austine and o Hieron epist ad Ctesiphont Saint Hierome out of the same and such like places haue expresly affirmed Of the same law therefore he saith p Gal. 3.10 So manie as are of the workes of the law are vnder the curse for it is written Cursed is euerie one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to do them And because no man continueth in all he concludeth hereof q Ver. 11. cap. 2.16 that by the law no man is iustified in the sight of God that by the workes of the law no flesh shall be iustified Now of the selfe same law doth he say that which M. Bishop hath cited for the cutting of his owne throat r Cap. 5.4 Ye are abolished from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law thereby teaching vs to resolue that Iustification by Christ and Iustification by the worke of the law cannot possibly concurre in one Now whereas the Apostle for auouching Iustification onely by faith in Christ taketh it for a ground that no man fulfilleth the Righteousnesse of the law M. Bishop that he may be wholy thwart and crosse vnto him affirmeth that by the helpe of Gods grace men are made able to fulfill the law to be iustified thereby Against which assertion to proue that the Righteousnesse of the regenerate and faithfull is not such as that it can answer the iustice and Righteousnesse required in the law M. Perkins alledgeth the common confession of all endited by the Prophet Esay Å¿ Esa 64.6 All our Righteousnesse is as a menstruous or defiled cloth For if the Righteousnesse commaunded by the law be most exact and perfect and no righteousnesse is performed by vs but what by our weaknesse and corruption is blemished and stained then can no righteousnesse of ours satisfie the commandement of the law But M. Bishop answereth that the Prophet speaketh these words in the person of the wicked of that nation and that time and therefore that they are madly applied vnto the righteous Where a man would wonder that he should be so mad as to imagine that prayer to be vttered in the person of wicked men or that wicked men should make mention or any their Righteousnesse vnto God And as for the time it fitteth not the age wherein the Prophet himselfe liued but was prophetically written in respect of a time long after succeeding He foresaw in the spirit the desolation of Ierusalem and the temple and that whole land and thereupon putteth himselfe into the person of the faithfull and maketh himselfe as one of them that should liue at that time This is verie apparent by the Prophets words t Vers 10. Thine holy cities lye wast Sion is a wildernesse and Ierusalem a desert The house of our sanctuarie and of our glorie where our fathers praised thee is burnt vp with fire and all our pleasant things are vvasted This prayer then was to serue for a direction to the faithfull that then should be to make their mone vnto God and to intreat mercie at his hands And very answerable to this propheticall prayer is the prayer of the Prophet Daniel made presently at that time For whereas M. Bishop to proue that the Prophet speaketh in the person of the wicked alledgeth those words u Esa 64 5. Lo thou hast bene angrie for we haue offended and haue euer bene in sinne the Prophet Daniel likewise saith x Dan 9.5 We haue sinned and haue committed iniquitie and done wickedly y Vers 7. O Lord Righteousnesse belongeth vnto thee and vnto vs open shame z Vers 10. We haue not obeyed the voyce of the Lord our God to walke in his wayes c. And whereas he alledgeth the other words a Esa 64.7 There is no man that calleth vpon thy name and standeth vp to take hold of thee the Prophet Daniel in like sort saith b Dan. 9.13 We haue not made our prayer before the Lord our God Both of them say We haue offended We haue sinned We haue not prayed as shewing plainely that they so spake of other men as that they implied themselues also Nay saith M. Bishop that is but the manner of Preachers and specially of such as become Intercessours for others who vse to speake in the persons of them for whom they sue Where he maketh the holy Prophets and seruants of God as verie hypocrites to God as he himselfe is as if they tooke vpon them to accuse themselues to God when they intended nothing lesse But to driue him out of this hole the Prophet Daniel saith of himselfe that in that prayer c Dan. 9.20 he confessed his owne sinnes and the sinnes of his people and why should Daniel the Prophet be sayd to confesse his owne sinnes and not the Prophet Esay or those iust and faithfull in whose person Esay spake Nay both the one and the other spake out of the true affection of the faithfull at all times who alwayes find in themselues defects and defaults whereby they find iust
glory of his grace And what of that Marry then hath charitie the principall part therein saith he for the directing of all to the honour and glory of God is the proper office and action of charity But therein he deceiueth himselfe for the Apostle hath expressed it as the very proper office and act of faith y Rom. 4.20 to giue glory vnto God and therefore Moses and Aaron at the waters of strife are said z Num. 20 12. not to haue sanctified the Lord that is to say not to haue giuen him glory because they beleeued him not For a 1. Iohn 5.10 not to beleeue God is to make him a liar which is the reproch and dishonour of God but to beleeue God is to ascribe vnto him truth and power and wisedome and iustice and mercy and whatsoeuer else belongeth vnto him Therefore Arnobius saith that b Arno in Psal 129 Bene facere ad gloriam hominis benè credere ad gloriam Dei pertinet to do well belongeth to the glory of man but to beleeue well concerneth the glory of God c Chrysost ad Rom. hom 8. Qui mandata illius implet obedit ei hic autem qui credit conuenienteÌ„ de eo opinioneÌ„ accipit cumque glorificat atque admiâ—atur nuâ—lo magis quà m operuÌ„ demonstratio Jlla ergò gloriatio eius est qui rectâ— factuÌ„ aliquod praeâ—titeriâ— haec autem Deum ipsum glorificat ac quâ—â—ta est tota ipsius est Gloriatur enim ob hoc quòd magna quaedam de eo concipiat quae ad gloriam eius redundant By works saith Chrysostome we obey God but faith entertaineth a meete opinion concerning God and glorifieth and admireth him much more then the shewing forth of workes Workes commend the doer but faith commendeth God onely and what it is it is wholy his For it reioyceth in this that it conceiueth of him great things which do redound to his glory And whereas our Sauiour in the Gospell teacheth vs that our good works do glorifie God saying Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heauen he saith that it is of faith that our good works do glorifie God d Jbid Ecce hoc fidei esse apparuit Behold saith he it appeareth that this commeth of faith M. Bishops argument therefore maketh against himselfe and proueth that we are iustified rather by faith then by charity because it is faith principally that yeeldeth honour vnto God The last place alledged out of Austine is nothing against vs for although we defend that a man is iustified by faith alone yet we say that both faith hope and charity must concurre to accomplish the perfection of a Christian man whereof anone we shall see further 23 W. BISHOP The third of these trifling reasons is peruersly propounded by M. Perkins thus Faith is neuer alone therefore it doth not iustifie alone That this argument is fondly framed appeareth plainly in that that Catholikes do not deny but affirme that faith may be without charity as it is in all sinfull Catholikes we then forme the reason thus If faith alone be the whole cause of iustification then if both hope and charity were remoued from faith at least by thought and in conceipt faith would neuerthelesse iustifie But faith considered without hope and charity will not iustifie ergo it is not the whole cause of iustification The first proposition cannot be denied of them who know the nature propriety of causes for the entire and totall cause of any thing being as the Philosophers say in act the effect must needs follow and very sense teacheth the simple that if any thing be set to worke and if it do not act that which it is set too then there wanted some thing requisite And consequently that was not the whole cause of that worke Now to the second proposition But their imagined faith cannot apply to themselues Christes righteousnesse without the presence of hope and charity For else he might be iustified without any hope of heauen and without any loue towards God and estimation of his honour which are things most absurd in themselues but yet very well fitting the Protestants iustification which is nothing else but the plaine vice of presumption as hath bene before declared Yet to auoid this inconuenience which is so great M. Perkins graunteth that both hope and charity must needs be present at the iustification but do nothing in it but faith doth all as the head is present to the eie wheÌ„ it seeth yet it is the eie alone that seeth Here is a worthy peece of Philosophy that the eie alone doth see wheras in truth it is but the instrument of seeing the soule being the principall cause of sight as it is of all other actions of life sense reason and it is not to purpose here where we require the presence of the whole cause and not onely of the instrumentall cause And to returne your similitude vpon your selfe as the eie cannot see without the head because it receiueth influence from it before it can see so cannot faith iustifie without charity because it necessarily receiueth spirit of life from it before it can do any thing acceptable in Gods sight R. ABBOT He may indeede very iustly call them trifling reasons if at least trifles may carie the name of reasons As for this reason it is not peruersely propounded by Maister Perkins but in such sort as some of Maister Bishops part haue propounded it vpon supposall of our assertion that faith can neuer be alone But as he propoundeth it himselfe the termes of his argument being declared the answer will be plaine and he shall be found a Sophister onely and no sound disputer It is therefore to be vnderstood that remouing or separating of things one from the other is either reall in the subiect or mentall in the vnderstanding Reall separation of faith and charity we wholy denie so as that true faith can no where be found but it hath charitie infallibly conioyned with it Separation mentall in vnderstanding and consideration is either negatiue or priuatiue Negatiue when in the vnderstanding there is an affirming of one and denying of another and the one is considered as to be without the other which vnderstanding in things that cannot be really and indeed separated in the subiect is false vnderstanding and not to be admitted Separation priuatiue in vnderstanding is wheÌ„ of things that cannot be separated indeed yet a man vnderstandeth the one and omitteth to vnderstand the other considereth the one and considereth not the other Thus though light and heate cannot be separated in the fire yet a man may consider the light and not consider the heate though in the reasonable soule vnderstanding reason memory and will and in the sensitiue part the faculties of seeing hearing smelling c. cannot be remoued or separated one from the other yet a man
and frailty it becommeth defectiue and faulty if God call it to precise and strict examination iudgement Euen as elsewhere he saith againe y Ibid cap. 11. Omnis humana iustitia iniustitia esse câ—nuincitur si districtè iudicetur Prece ergò post iustitiaÌ„ indâ—get vt quae succumbere discussa poterat ipsa iudicis pietate conualescat All the righteousnesse of man is conuicted to be vnrighteousnesse if it be strictly iudged it needeth therefore praier after righteousnesse that that which being sifted might quaile by the meere piety of the Iudge may go for good Where I hope that M. Bishop though he will say much yet will not say that Gregory meant that we should pray that the righteousnesse which we do of our owne strength by the piety and clemencie of the Iudge may stand for good And if he dare not so say then it followeth that of that righteousnesse which in this life we attaine to by the gift of God Gregory saith that it is found to be defectiue and to come short of perfect righteousnesse and thereby to be vnrighteousnesse if seuere and strict account be taken of it which more peremptorily he affirmeth elsewhere saying z Ibid. ca. 18. Si remota pietate discutimur opus nostrum paena dignuÌ„ est quod remunerari praemijs praestolamur c. Restat vt postquaÌ„ bonuÌ„ opus agitur lachrymae expiationis exquâ—raÌ„tur quatenus ad aeterna praemia meritum recti operis subuebat humilitas postulationis If we be iudged without mercy our worke is worthy to be punished which we expect to haue rewarded Therefore the teares of expiation as he speaketh are required that humble praier may lift vp the merit of our good worke to the obtaining of eternall reward So that howsoeuer he commend Iob as well he might sure I am that both Iob and he condemne M. Bishop as a proud Pharisee maintaining the righteousnesse of man against the righteousnesse of God to the impeaching of the glory of God Which he doth also by his quillet of attributing good workes principally to the grace of God not wholy but principally that so he may reserue some place at least to the free will of man because he cannot endure that no part of glory should redound to man To be short it appeareth both by that that is said here and that that hath bene a Sect. 4.44 45. before alledged that Gregory doth not bereaue man only of that perfection that shall be in heauen but also of that that is required by duty ought to be in him here vpon the earth 50. W. BISHOP Now before I depart from this large question of iustification I will handle yet one other question which commonly ariseth about it it is Whether Faith may be without Charity I prooue that it may so be first out of these words of our Sauiour Manie shall say vnto me in that day Lord Lord Math. 7. haue we not prophecied in thy name haue we not cast out diuels haue we not done many miracles to whom I wil confesse that I neuer knew you depart from me all yee that worke iniquity That these men beleeued in Christ and perswaded themselues assuredly to be of the elect appeareth by their confident calling of him Lord Lord and the rest that followeth yet Christ declareth manifestly that they wanted charity in saying that they were workers of iniquity 2. When the King went to see his guests Math. 22. He found there a man not attired in his wedding garment and therfore commanded him to be cast into vtter darknesse This man had faith or else he had not bene admitted vnto that table which signifieth the Sacraments yet wanted charity which to be the wedding garment besides the euidence of the text is also proued where in expresse termes Apoc. 1â— The garments of Christs Spouse is declared to be the righteousnesse and good works of the Saints And that with great reason for as S. Paul teacheth 1. Cor. 13 Faith shall not remaine after this life With what instrument then trow you will the Protestants lay hold on Christs righteousnesse That charity is that wedding garment S. Hierome vpon the same place doth witnesse saying That it is the fulfilling of our Lords commandements And S. Gregory doth in expresse words define it Hâ—m â—8 in Euang. Can. â—2 in Mat. Tract â—â—m Maâ—â— Math. 25. What saith he must we vnderstand by the wedding garment but charity So do S. Hilary and Origen and S. Chrysostome vpon that place 3. The like argument is made of the foolish Virgins who were part of the Kingdome of God and therefore had faith which is the gate and entrance into the seruice of God Yea in the house of God they aspired vnto more then ordinarie perfection hauing professed Virginitie yet either caried away with vaine glorie as S. Gregory takes it or not giuing themselues to the workes of mercy spirituall and corporall as S. Chrysostome expounds it briefly not continuing in their former charitie for faith once had cannot after the Protestants doctrine be lost were shut out of the kingdome of heauen albeit they presumed strongly on the assurance of their saluation as is apparent by their confident demaunding to be let in for they said Lord Lord open vnto vs. Iohn 12. 4. Many of the Princes beleeued in Christ but did not confesse him for they loued more the glory of men then the glory of God What can be more euident then that these men had faith when the holy Ghost saith expresly that they beleeued in Christ which is the onely act of faith and yet were destitute of charitie which preferreth the glorie and seruice of God before all things in this world R. ABBOT That there may be faith without charitie we make no question but the question is of that faith whereby we are iustified or wherin standeth our iustification before God It is to be knowne that faith is of diuers sorts there is a faith which is called a Tit. 1.1 the faith of the elect as being peculiar vnto them and for which men are called b Ephe. 1.1 faithfull and there is a faith by which the c Iam. 2.19 diuels also are said to beleeue and yet are not to be called faithfull There is a faith whereby we d Ibid. beleeue that there is one God and there is another faith whereby e Iohn 14.1 we beleeue in God There is a faith whereby Simon Magus f Act 8.13.21 beleeued whose heart was not right in the sight of God and there is a g Act. 15.9 faith whereby God purifieth the heart There is a h Iam 2 20. dead faith and there is a i Gal. 2.20 faith whereby we liue and Christ liueth in vs. There is a k 1 Tim. 1.5 faith vnfained and thereby we vnderstand that there is also a fained faith There is a faith that consisteâ—h in l
giuing to vnderstand that that former was not the whole meaning of Christes words r Beda in Luc. cap. 17. We are vnprofitable seruants because the sufferings of this time are not worthy of the glory to come as in another place which crowneth thee in mercy and compassion He saith not in thy merits because by whose mercy we are preuented that we may humbly serue him by his gift we are crowned to reigne with him What M. Bishop no more faith no more trust in you do you alledge Authors when they condemne your doctrine euen in the places whence you cite them Leaue of leaue of Act. 26.14 it is hard for you to kicke against the prickes You fight against the Gospell of Christ against the truth of God and do not you doubt but it will preuaile against you and the conquest thereof shall be your vtter confusion if you hold on your course 5. W. BISHOP And thus we fall vpon the third property of M. Perkins meritorious worke which is That it be done to the profit of another and say that albeit God in himselfe receiue no profit by our workes yet doth he in the administration of his holy common-weale the Church wherein good mens seruices do much pleasure him And in this sence it is said of S. Paul That by cleansing our selues from wicked workes 2. Tim. 2. Math. 5. we shall become vessels sanctified and profitable vnto our Lord. Againe God is glorified by our good workes That seeing your good workes they may glorifie your Father which is in heauen Finally God doth reioyce at the recouerie of his lost children Ioh. 15. ver 8. Luk. 15. If then good men trauailing painfully in Gods Vineyard do yeeld him outwardly both honour ioy and commoditie that may suffice to make their worke meritorious R. ABBOT As touching this condition we contend not with Maister Bishop concerning his exposition thereof Merit must be done by the will and for the vse and behoofe of him at whose hands it must merit So Christes obedience by the will of the Father to the praise of the glory of his grace did merit and deserue at his Fathers hands in our behalfe Onely it is to be added that it must fully satisfie the vse and behoofe whereto it is intended and not faile in any point thereof Now because a Aug. Euâ—hirid cap. 64. Sic spiritu Dei extitantur vt etiam spiritu suo c. tanquaÌ„ filij hominuÌ„ quibusdaÌ„ motibus humanis deficiant ad seipses c. the children of God are so moued by the spirit of God as that by their owne spirit as the sonnes of men through humane motions and affections they sometimes faile and fall backe to themselues and therefore do not so entirely and perfectly serue the vses of the Lord to yeeld either glory to God or loue to their brethren as they ought to do therefore neither do they attaine to this condition of merit nor can in any sort bind God to repay them for that broken seruice that they haue done nay if he would call matters to strict reckoning and account he hath rather occasion of quarell against them for disgracing and defiling the works that he hath wrought in them 6. W. BISHOP M. Perkins fourth property is That the worke and reward be equall in proportion If he vnderstand Arithmeticall proportion that is that they be equall in quantity to wit the one to be as great or of as long continuance as the other then we denie this kinde of equality to be requisite to merit there is another sort of proportion called by the Philosopher 5. Ethic. Geometricall and the equality of that is taken by a reasonable correspondence of the one vnto the other as when a good office is giuen vnto a Citizen of desart it may be that the honour and commodity of the office is farre greater then was the merit of the man yet he being as well able to discharge it as another and hauing better deserued it is holden in true iustice worthie of it In like manner in a game where maisteries are tried the prize is giuen vnto him that doth best not because the value of the reward is iust as much woorth as that act of the man who winneth it but for that such actiuitie is esteemed woorthy of such a recompence Now the crowne of heauenly glory is likened by Saint Pule vnto a Garland in a game where he saith 1. Cor. 9. 2. Tim. 2. That we all runne but one carieth away the prize And he that striueth for the maisterie is not crowned vnlesse he striue lawfully It is also resembled vnto places of honour Math. 25. Ioh. 14. I will place thee ouer much And I go to prouide you places Grace is also in many places of Scripture compared to seede Math. 13. 1. Ioh. 3. For the seed of God tarieth in him But a little seed cast into good ground and well manured bringeth forth abundance of corne Briefly then such equality as there is betweene the well deseruing subiect and the office betweene him that striueth lawfully and the crowne betweene the seede and the corne is betweene the reward of heauen and the merit of a true seruant of God And thus much of M. Perkins first Argument more indeede to explicate the nature and condition of merit then that his reason nakedly proposed did require it R. ABBOT The proportion that maketh merit or desert must be Arithmeticall wherein the worke must fully equall the reward though not in greatnesse and continuance yet in value and woorth If the one in that sort do not counterpoise the other the one cannot be said to be deserued by the other But there is no proportion at all either Arithmeticall or Geometricall betwixt that that is finite and that that is infinite therefore none at all betwixt the worke of man and the reward of heauen the one being euery way finite the other in continuance infinite So then Maister Bishops Geometricall proportion and reasonable correspondence is excluded also because a Fulgent ad Monim lib. 1. TantuÌ„ ibi graetia diuinae retributionis exuberat vt inceparabiliter atque ineffabiliter omne merituÌ„ quamuis bonae ex Deo datae humanae voluntatis operationis excedat the grace or gift of Gods reward as Fulgentius saith doth so much there abound as that incomparably and vnspeakeably it exceedeth all the merit of the will and worke of man albeit it be good and giuen vnto him of God There is no reasonable correspondence where the one incomparably and vnspeakeably exceedeth all the merit and desert of the other The same is imported by Saint Bernard who hauing said that mens merits are not such as that life eternall is due vnto theÌ„ of right giueth reason therof beside that that I mentioned before b Ber. in Annunciat Ser. 1. Quid sunt omnia merita ad tantaÌ„ gloriam For what are all merits to so great
being was but that it is by Gods perswading vs Gods mouing vs Gods working in vs there being nothing therein to be attributed to our selues Wherby he destroyeth the nature of merit as I haue shewed e Sect. 3. before to that purpose acknowledgeth the vouchsafing fauor and grace of God in receiuing vs to immortalitie and life with him for where merit and desert is there termes of vouchsafing can haue no place Now that which Bellarmine translateth of men shewing themselues worthy of the wil and counsel of God may well be vnderstood according to the phrase of the Apostle instructing vs f Col. 1.10 to walke worthy of the Lord g 1. Thess 2.12 to walke worthy of God who hath called vs vnto his kingdome and glory that is to say as is fit for them to walke who haue receiued so great mercie at the Lords hands to the very same purpose as elsewhere he saith h Phil. 1.27 Let your conuersation be such as becometh the Gospell of Christ. In which sort Iohn Baptist saith i Mat. 3.8 Bring forth fruits worthy of repentance that is such as are fitting and beseeming them that professe to haue repented So then men shew themselues worthy of the will and counsell of God in behauing themselues as is agreeing to them that professe to know the will and counsell of God without any necessitie of merit to be imported thereby The words of Irenaeus are these k Iren. lib. 4. cap. 27. Bonus agonista ad incorruptelae agonem adhortatur nos vt coronemur pretiosam arbitremur coronam videlicet quae per agonem acquiritur sed non vltro coalitaÌ„ Et quaÌ„tò per agonem nobis aduenit tantò est pretiosior QuaÌ„to autem pretiosior tantò eaÌ„ semper diligamus Sed neque similiter diliguntur ea quae vltro adueniunt quà m illa quae cum multa sollicitudine adinueniuntur The good combatant exhorteth vs to the combat of immortalitie that we may be crowned and may thinke the crowne precious as being attained by fight and not of it self accruing vnto vs. And by how much the more it commeth by fight so much the more precious it is and the more precious it is so much the more we may loue it But the things are not in like sort loued which come of their owne accord as those which are attained with much care In all which what is there to M. Bishops purpose He onely sheweth that God hath appointed that not with our ease and idlenesse the crowne of life shall voluntarily come vnto vs but that wee with labour and trauell must striue to come to it that in the attainment of it it may be the more ioyfull and precious vnto vs. What is this other then we also teach who yet cannot find hereby that our labour and trauel doth merit and deserue the crowne of life The case is all one as if a Prince hauing a subiect falne froÌ„ him and gone into a far country should of meere grace fauor send for him to come again by letters patents granting him his pardoÌ„ and assuring him place of honor state vpon his returne home who being to passe through the midst of the enemies of his Prince must vse much fighting and trauel and paines and vndergo many dangers both by sea and land for the atchieuing of this honor WheÌ„ he cometh to his iorneys end he hath no title to pleade for his place but onely the free donation and gift of his Prince By his labor paines he hath gained himself the possession of it he might for the meane time lay it before him as a reward to comfort and encourage himself in the iorney that he was to make but merit he can alledge none no right can he alledge whereby to claime it but only his Princes gift Euen so it is with vs. We were falne from God and he hath called vs to him again and giuen vs the promise of eternall life By much combat and trauell we must attaine to it and yet when we haue done all we can plead no merit we can make no claime but onely by our Princes gift by the free and mercifull promise and bountie of Almightie God And hereby appeareth the answer to the place of Basil that l Basil orat in princip Prouerb Omnes nos qui viam Euangelicam incedimus mercatoreâ— sumus pâ—r opera mandatorum nobis possessionem coelestium comparantes we all who walk the way of the Gospell are merchants getting by the works of the commandements the possession of heauenly things For by the works of the commandements we obtain the possession but not the right and title of heauenly things They are the way wherein we walke to attaine to that which God of his free mercy bestoweth vpon vs. Wherin because we yeeld our labor in the one to receiue the other S. Basil so farre fitly compareth it to a kinde of merchandize or exchange though not intending that in the merite of the one should be the purchase of the other As for the other place it is none of Basils being taken out of a counterfeit addition which m Erasm epist. praefixa libro Basil de Spir. sancto Erasmus well obserued and by good arguments declared to be no part of Basils work n Basil de Spir. sanct cap. 24. Homo saluus fit per iustitiam operum A man saith he is saued by righteousnesse of works But the Scripture saith o Ephes 2.8 Ye are saued by grace through faith not of works least any man should boast r Basil in Psal 43. Vide quomodo sermonem clauserit Post mille virtutes vnde seruari orat Ex misericordia benignitate Whatsoeuer the author might meane in that he saith we are sure that his words accord not with the phrase and stile of the holy Ghost And that the true Basil was farre from that mind appeareth plainly by the note that he giueth vpon the words of the Psalme p Arise O Lord helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy mercies sake q Psal 44.26 Behold saith he how he endeth his speech After a thousand vertues whereby doth he pray to be saued Euen of mercie and goodnesse And vpon another of the Psalmes he saith Å¿ Idem in Psal 23. Retributiones quae putantur propter solam Dei benignitateÌ„ hominibus praestantur Vniuersae siquidem mortalium iustitiae â—e praestita quidem ab ipso bona adaequant nedum futura quae humanam cogitationem transcendunt Rewards as they are thought to be are yeelded vnto vs by the only mercy goodnes of God for all the righteousnesses of men cannot equall the benefits which he hath already bestowed much lesse those that are to come which go beyond all the conceit of man He saw well that the Prophet after thousands of vertues could haue no hold of saluation but only by Gods mercie He saw well that albeit Gods
loue of that righteousnes for which we fight in fighting against it So death of it selfe the wages of sin becometh to the faithful as a poison broken into a medicine and as a serpent that hath lost his sting a Bern. in Cant. Ser. 26. Iam non stimulus sed iubilus I am cantando moritur homo moriendo cantat Vsurparis ad laetitiam mater moeroris vsurparis ad gloriam gloriae inimica vsurparis ad introitum regni porta inferi fouea perditionis ad inuentionem salutis There is no sting but song saith S. Bernard man now dieth singing and singeth dying O thou mother of mourning saith he thou art turned to ioy thou enemy of glory doest now serue to giue glory thou gate of hell art vsed for an entry to the kingdome of heauen and thou pit of destruction for the finding of saluation S. Austin saith thereof that b Aug. de pec mer. remis li. 2. cap. 34. MorteÌ„ cerporis propter peccatum homini Deus inflixit post peccatorum remissionem propter exercendam iustitiam non ademit Et paulò priùs eam fidelibus euenire vt eius timore vinceÌ„do exerceretur fortitudo iustitiae God inflicted death for the punishment of sin and after forgiuenes of sins he still left it for the exercising of righteousnesse that saith he the fortitude of righteousnesse might be exercised in ouercoming the feare thereof The like hath bene noted out of him c Sect. 2. before concerning other iudgements laid vpon mankind in the beginning by reason of sinne Now as of these so of all other afflictions after forgiuenesse of sinnes we resolue that they forgo their former condition and propertie and cease to be reuengements and punishments for sinne but haue other respects and vses for which they are continued The examples so strongly vrged by Master Bishop make nothing against this First the Israelites murmure God to Moses threateneth wholly to destroy theÌ„ promising to make of him a mighty people Moses prayeth vnto God to withhold that wrath from his people to forgiue the trespasse God saith d Num. 14.20 I haue forgiueÌ„ it according to thy request but he addeth Notwithstanding as I liue all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord for all those men which haue seen my glory my miracles which I did in Egypt in the wildernes and haue tempted me these ten times and haue not obeyed my voice certainly they shall not see the land wherof I sware vnto their fathers Here is the forgiuenes of a sin saith M. Bishop and yet a punishment ensuing after But we answer him that this example altereth the question cometh not within the compasse of that wherof we speake For it is one thing to speake of the forgiuenesse of a sinne to the whole body of a people and another thing to speake of forgiuenesse to one particular man Forgiuenesse of a sinne to a whole people is not absolute but onely in a respect it is not simply the taking away of a sinne but the taking of it away in some sort and therefore though it be the excluding of one punishment yet nothing hindreth but that it may leaue place for another yea and though in common there be a forgiuenesse yet in particular there may stil remaine an imputation of the sinne euen as amongst this people were many reprobates and cast-awayes who though they were forgiuen and freed in respect of the destruction then threatened yet being void of repentance and true faith found otherwise spiritually no benefite at al of this forgiuenesse God saith not here simply I haue forgiuen it but I haue forgiuen it according to thy request Moses request was according to Gods threatening Gods threatening was wholly to destroy that nation In this respect God said I haue forgiuen it namely so as not at once to destroy this people according to my wrath and indignation conceiued against them And this Lyra very well obserued e Lyra in Num. ca. 14. Benè dicit iuxta quòd non totaliter dimisit sed quantum ad hoc quòd non deleret totum populum simul He saith well saith he according to thy request because he did not wholy pardon it but onely as touching the not destroying of the whole people at once Now albeit in this respect he did forgiue it because he did not wholy forgiue it therefore he voweth to glorifie himselfe throughout all the earth by making them an example of his iudgement vpon vnthankfull men with whom no sights nor sayings can preuaile to make them obedient to the voyce of God Therefore he would forbeare to destroy them in that sort and to their seed he wold make good the promise of the land of Canaan but as for them he would weare out the whole multitude of them that not one of them shold haue the enioying or sight thereof This he laid as a iudgement in common vpon that generation of men which had so infinitly from time to time prouoked him as that they made him f Psal 95.12 to sweare that they should not enter into his rest But yet in the bosome of that multitude we cannot doubt but many there were who truly repented and obtained forgiuenes both of this of all their other sins yet together with the rest were depriued of entrance into that holy land For God doth not except particular men from generall and common plagues and when he striketh a nation with famine sword pestilence or other calamity both one and other good and bad are subiect vnto it g Cyprian contra Demetr Intrae vnam domum boni mali interim coÌ„tinemur quicquid intrae domum euenerit pari sorte perpetimur donec c. We are shut vp together in one house saith Cyprian and whatsoeuer befalleth within the house we suffer it all alike Onely he so ordereth that what is to a nation in common for reuenge punishment becommeth in particular to the repentant and faithful a helpe and furtherance of saluation And so was it with the beleeuing Israelites who though by a common iudgement they were excluded corporally from the Sacrament and signe yet were thereby spiritually edified and learned with Abraham and Isaac and Iacob so much the more to meditate to desire long for the spirituall and euerlasting rest Albeit in respect of the faithfull also it is to be vnderstood that Gods chastisements oftentimes lye vpon them after forgiuenesse of sinnes though not for punishments to theÌ„selues yet for exemplary admonitions to others h Tho. Aquin. 12. q. 87. art 6. ad 3. Vt edificeÌ„tur in poena qui scaÌ„dâ—lizati sunt in culpa that as Thomas Aquinas speaketh they may be edified by the punishment that were scandalized by the sinne And thus S. Austin rightly saith that i Aug in Joan. tr 124. Productior est poenae quà m culpa ne parua putaretur culpa si cum
storie saith f 2. Sam. 24.1 The wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he moned Dauid against them in that he said Go number Israel and Iudah Here therefore necessarie it was and standing with the glorie of God by Dauids prayer that the sin of the people shold be forgiuen as well as Dauids sin Dauid prayed for them He offered a burnt offering as it were to tender vnto God the mediation of Iesus Christ that for his sake he might be mercifull vnto them Vpon this it is said g Ver. 25. The Lord was appeased towards the land the plague ceassed from Israel This maketh plainly against M. Bishop because it proueth directly that the forgiuing of the sinne was the staying of the plague not that the plague continued after the forgiuenesse of the sinne 11. W. BISHOP Our fourth reason The Prophets of God when the people were threatened with Famine the Sword the Plague or such like punishments for their sinnes did commonly exhort them to workes of penance as fasting prayer haire-cloth and the like to appease Gods wrath iustly kindled against them which being performed by them God was satisfied So for example sake the Niniuites at Ionas preaching doing penance in sack-cloath and ashes turned away the sentence of God against them M. Perkins answereth that famine the plague and such like scourges of God were not punishments of sinnes but corrections of a Father Reply This is most flat against a thousand expresse texts of the Scripture which declare that for the transgressions of Gods commaundements he hath sent those punishments vpon the people of Israel And what is the correction of a father but the punishing of a shrewd sonne for some fault committed yet in a mild sort Or doth the Schoole-master which is Caluins example whippe the scholer or strike him with the Ferula but to punish him for some fault So that great Rabbins seeme not to vnderstand what they say themselues when they admit those scourges of God to be the corrections of a Father but not the punishment for a fault As though fathers vsed to correct those sonnes who neuer offended them or masters to beate such scholers as commit no faults But saith M. Perkins these punishments be tending to correction not seruing for satisfaction what senslesse ryming is this by due correction of the fault the party is satisfied in iustice and when he that hath offended doth abide such punishment as the grieuousnesse of his offence did require there is both due correction of the offender and due satisfaction vnto the party offended M. Perkins finally flieth vnto his old shift of imputatiue satisfaction that forsooth our sufferings do not satisfie but the party punished by faith layeth hold on the satisfaction of the Messias and testifie the same by their humiliation and repentance Reply As we first graunt that all satisfaction hath his vertue from the grace of God dwelling in vs which is giuen vs for Christs sake so to say that Christs satisfaction taketh away all other satisfaction is iust to begge the principall point in question therfore an old triuants trick to giue that for a final answer which was set in the beginning to be debated looke vpon the forenamed example of the Niniuites of whō it is not certaine that they had any expresse knowledge of the Messias and therfore were farre enough off from laying hold on his satisfaction But most certaine euident it is in the text that God vpon the contemplation of their works of penance tooke compassion on them and was satisfied as by turning away the threatned subuersion is most manifest R. ABBOT It is an old saying a Tertul. adu Marc. lib. 4. Propter quod venimus hoc age Do that that we come for M. Bishop buildeth here beside his groundworke He propoundeth a Satisfaction to be made for sinnes past and pardoned that is after the forgiuenesse of the sins and bringeth vs arguments to proue a satisfaction for the obtaining of that forgiuenesse But we will take them as they come though by their owne grounds they be worth nothing there being no satisfaction to be made by a man as we shall see hereafter so long as he continueth in mortall sinne and still continuing in it vntill by forgiuenesse it be blotted out The Prophets denounce famine sword pestilence M. Perkins should not haue made any question but that they denounce them as the punishments of sinne as fruites and effects of Gods curse according to the law So did God accordingly execute them in fury and wrath for iust reuengement vpon a rebellious and vnthankfull people The point of question stood not in this neither needed M. Bishop to bestow so much paines for the prouing of it Yet it is to be obserued that although God in generall denounced and executed the same by way of reuenge and punishment yet in particular he had alwaies a respect to the calling and sauing of his elect turning those common iudgements to be vnto them occasions of repentance turning vnto God to obtaine of him remission of their sinnes and euerlasting life To them therefore vpon their repentance the nature of punishments was altered and they became meanes either to receiue them presently to endlesse blisse or to further them in the way wherein they were to walke for the attainement of it Of this enough hath bene said already but the matter here is this The Prophets denouncing such plagues do withall call the people to repentance to fasting to praying to putting on sackcloth and ashes This being performed saith M. Bishop God was satisfied Therefore he will haue vs to vnderstand that the doing of these things was a satisfaction that is the paiment of a iust price vnto God by which they merited the turning away of his fearefull and heauie wrath But this argument of his followeth not because we know that a man in fauour may hold himselfe satisfied towards another vpon his humbling of himselfe who yet receiueth not a satisfaction that is a iust and sufficient recompence for the debt that is owing him or the wrong that is done vnto him The seruant that ought his maister b Math. 18.24 ten thousand talents when he was called to paiment fell downe at his Maisters feete and besought him for patience His Maister herewith was appeased and satisfied and forgaue him all the debt and will any man hereupon say that he made his Maister satisfaction for the debt So is the case betwixt God and vs. We humble our selues before him we pray we intreat him to forgiue vs. He is herewith satisfied that is contented and appeased and remitteth the trespasse Shall we now hereupon say that our humbling of our selues our intreatie and praier to forgiue vs is the paiment of our debt This is a mad conclusion as we take it but such prety knots will serue at Rome to tye the Popes trinkets together and they hold fast enough there because no man must
falsly and corruptly a better name then if they had bene called sonnes or daughters as making the name of sons and daughters an inferior name to that that should be giuen to Eunuchs it is altogether improbable and vnlikely which he conceiueth The name of sons and daughters is the coÌ„mon name of all the faithfull and not a name of meaner quality belonging onely to some inferiour sort Thus saith God concerning all his people e 2. Cor. 6.17 Come out from amongst them and separate your selues and touch no vncleane thing saith the Lord and I will receiue you and I will be a father vnto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord almightie S. Austin then might not say that the Eunuches should receiue a better name then the name of sonnes and daughters because the highest honour that God giueth to theÌ„ who touch no vncleane thing is to receiue them for sonnes and daughters Therefore Clemens Alexandrinus not vnderstanding the words of any speciall place aboue the sonnes and daughters but of a preheminence aboue them who for not doing the things there specified are reiected from being sonnes and daughters saith f Clem. Alexan. Serom. lib. 3. Si verbo obedierit Eunuchus et sab bata custodierit per abstinentiam à peccatis fecerit mandata honorabilior erit ijs qui absquerecta vitae institutione solo verbo erudiuntur If the Eunuch obey the word and keepe the Sabboths by abstaining from sinne and fulfill the commandements he shall be more honorable then they who without ordering their life and conuersation aright are onely taught and instructed by the word Another place S. Austine alledgeth to his purpose out of the Reuelation of S. Iohn where he setteth downe his vision of g Reuel 14.1 a Lambe standing vpon mount Sion and with him an hundred fortie and foure thousand hauing his Fathers name written in their foreheads Of them it is said anone after h Vers 4. These are they which are not defiled with women for they are virgins these follow the Lambe whither so euer he goeth these are bought from men being the first fruites vnto God and to the Lambe In the applying of which place to virgins according to the flesh we cannot but find a great want of that circumspection and iudgement which S. Austin is wont to vse and take him to haue bene much blinded caried away with preiudicate and partiall affection that could not discerne his owne error therein Surely it is no light token of vnheedinesse that he reckeneth all to be defiled with women that are not corporally virgins What shall we hold the Patriarkes the Prophets the Apostles to be defiled with women because they were maried men Would he account that a defilement which the holy Ghost pronounceth to be i Heb. 13.4 an vndefiled bed Againe it is to be noted that of these hundred fortie and foure thousand it is said before that they were k Reuel 7.4 sealed of all the tribes of the children of Israel The numbers accord and so l Origen in Exo. hom 1. Ex singulis tribubus duodexa milliae c. qui se cum multeribus non comquinauerint sed virgines permanserint Origen referreth them both to one and if Origen will not serue M. Bishops maisters of m Rhem. Test Annot. Reuel 14.1 Rhemes acknowledge as much giuing a marginall note thus Christ and the same number of elect that were signed Chapt. 7. Now how could Austine vnderstand virgins according to the flesh amongst the tribes of Israel amongst whom there neuer was anie such profession of virginitie Therefore as touching this place we will oppose Ambrose against Austixe who expounding the words of S. Paul n 2. Cor. 11.2 I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure virgin to Christ saith thus o Ambr. in 2. Co. cap. 11. Virgines vult eos esse in fide vnde corruptores fidei zelatur ab his vt in die iudicij incontaminatos eos assignet iudici Christo Hinc est vnde in Apocalypsi Ioannis legitur Hi sunt inquit qui cum mulieribus non sunt coinquinaâ— virgines enim pernianserunt Hi sequuntur agnum quocunqueâ—erit In mulieribus errorem significauit quia error per mulierem coepit sicut Iezabel mulurem dicit propter vxorem Achab quae zelo Baal Dei Prophetas occidit cùm intelligatur idololatria qua corrumpuntur mores fidei veritas Nam si mulieres mulieres intelligas vt ideò putes virgines dictas quia corpora sua intaminata seruauerunt excludis ab hac gloria sanctos quia omnes Apostoli exceptis Ioanne Paulo vxores habueruÌ„t He will haue them to be virgins in the faith by reason wherof he is iealous in their behalfe of corrupters of the faith that he may at the day of iudgement present them vndefiled vnto Christ the Iudge Hence is it that we reade in the Reuelation of S. Iohn These are they that haue not defiled themselues with women for they are virgins c. By women he signifieth error because error began by the woman euen as he nameth the woman Iezabel chap. 2.20 because of Ahabs wife who in zeale of Baal slue the Prophets of the Lord whereas he meaneth idolatrie wherewith the manners of men and true faith are corrupted For if we vnderstand women of women indeed so that therfore we thinke them to be called virgins because they kept their bodies vntouched we exclude the Saints from this glorie because all the Apostles except Paul and Iohn had wiues Thus S. Ambrose expresly and by good reason reiecteth that exposition of S. Austine and sheweth that virginitie in that place is not corporally to be vnderstood but spiritually of being free from the corruption of heresie idolatrie the entisements whereof are like the entisements and allurements of harlots in which respect the city of Antichrist is called p Reu. 17.1.2 the whore of Babylon with whom the kings and nations of the earth coÌ„mit whoredome and fornication and therefore they that hearken to such entisements and breake their faith to God they are said to be defiled with women according to the phrase that Moses often vseth of q Leuit. 20.5 going a whoring after other Gods As on the other side * Orig. in Leuit. hom 12. Anima fidei simplicitate puritate actuum incorrupta probatur virgo by synceritie of faith and puritie of conuersation the soule saith Origen is approued for a virgin and vncorrupt So the author of the Commentaries vpon the Reuelation which go vnder S. Austins name expoundeth the name of Virgins in the same place to import r Aug. in Apoc. hom 11. Virgines hoc loco non solùm corpore castos intelligamus sed maximè omnem Ecclesiam quae fidem puram tenet sicut dicit Apostâ—lus Desponsaui vos c. nulla haeriticorum adulterina commixtioâ—e
obit Theodos Ambrose by c Hieronym in chronico Hierome by d Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 26. Socrates by e Theodoret. lib. 1. cap. 32. Theodoret by f Sozomen lib. 2. cap. 32. Sozomen who all declare that Constantine was baptized at Nicomedia amidst many Bishops there and that newly before his death which was g So it is by the computation of Funccius but Sozomen hist lib. 1. cap. 16. saith that Iulius the second after Syluester was Bishop of Rome at the time of the Nicene Councell which being so Syluester must be dead at least thirtteene yeares before Constantine was baptized seuen yeares at least after the death of Syluester with this leud tale I say Adrian maketh his onset for Images then proceedeth to the contaminating and prophaning of the Scriptures alledging that God made man according to his Image as if thereupon it should concerne vs to make images and worshippe them that Noe and Abraham set vp altars vnto God that Iacob erected a stone and powred oile vpoÌ„ it called it Gods house that the same Iacob worshipped vpon the top of his rod as if worshipping of Images were to be prooued by examples of hauing no Images to worship that Moses made the brasen serpent and the Cherubims and h Si IsraeliticuÌ„ populum per inspectionem oenei serpentis seruatuÌ„ à sua peste credimus Christi verò Dei et seruatoris nostri omniumque sanctorum figuras contemplantes et venerantes dubitamus nos seruari if saith he the people of Israel were saued from their plague by looking vpon the brasen serpent doe we doubt but that we are saued beholding and worshipping the Images of Christ and of all the Saints as if there were the like reason of that which God in one kinde for speciall cause commaundeth and that which in another kinde man of his owne head fondly presumeth without God For further proofes he citeth out of the Psalmes i Psal 95. vulga Confession and beauty are before him k Psal 25.8 Lord I haue loued the beautie of thy house and the place of the tabernacle of thy glory l Psal 26.13 My face hath sought after thee thy face Lord will I seeke m Psal 44.14 The rich of the people shall make their supplication before thy face n Psal 4.7 O Lord the light of thy countenance is sealed vpon vs. Can we hold him for other then a graue and reuerend Prelate that could dispute so substantially so wisely so learnedly for the worshipping of Images May not we be taken for blinde buzzards that cannot see the same sufficiently prooued and warranted by these texts or rather are we not to take him for a lewde cosiner and peruerter of Gods word who would thus detort and wrest the Scriptures to that whereto they giue no semblance of approbation or liking As he dealeth with the Scriptures so doth he with the Fathers He alledgeth amongst others one place vnder the name of Basil in which the words are which M. Bishop here citeth which yet is certaine to haue bene written by another a long time after the death of Basil AmoÌ„gst other words there are these o Confiteâ—r deinde sanctam Mariam quae secundum carnem illum peperit hanc Deipara vocans I confesse holy Mary who brought forth Christ according to the flesh calling her Deiparam the mother of God which there is no maÌ„ so blind but seeth that they are purposely set down against the NestoriaÌ„ heresie and that without doubt after the time of the Ephesine couÌ„cel when that name of Deipara was first publikely auouched to the churches vse which was holden about 50. years after Basils time Yea and it was yet long after that also before these words were written inasmuch as there is affirmed the worshipping of images whereas there is no example of the worshipping of images then to be found in any Church throughout the whole world Some other of the Fathers he handleth in the same sort citing them all either falsly or impertinently whilest either he impureth to them that which they neuer wrote or impudently forceth to the gracing of the worshipping of images that which they spake onely of the historicall and ciuill vse Yet vpon these silly grounds the Councell proceedeth and they professe their beleefe to be p Constant iuxta teuorem literaruÌ„ quae ab Adrianâ— c. missae sunt hominibus consentio c. câ— hac fide ad tribunal Christi proficiscar c. Elias perfectò eas adorans qui verò secus consitentur eos anathematizâ— according to the tenour of Adrians letters perfectly worshipping images saith Elias Cretensis and I pronounce anathema to them that professe otherwise yea q Staurat Imagines recipio amplector honore velut arrbaboneÌ„ existentes mea salutis secùs autem sentientes anathematize I receiue embrace and honour them saith Stauratius the Bishop of Chalcedon as being the earnest of my saluation and I accurse them that thinke otherwise See here the worthy companie of M. Bishops learned men much respecting what the grounds and proofes were that they would conclude vpon In the third action after the receiuing of some other penitents they reade the communicatorie letters of Tharasius lately before chosen Patriarch of Constantinople to the Patriarchs and Bishops of Antioch and Hierusalem and their answers to him wherein they signifie their consent to the worshipping of images For proofe they care not it is enough to say they professe it and the rest of that act is nothing but voyces of approbation of that which they say In the fourth action they fall roundly to their businesse and bring foorth their proofes such as they haue and happie is he that can bring foorth a place that but speaketh of an image that is argument good enough for the worshipping of them First because they would haue it knowne that they had a Bible amongst them they bring it foorth and there they reade some few places out of Exodus Numbers and Ezechiel concerning the making of Cherubims to which they adde the place to the Hebrewes mentioning r Heb. 9.5 the Cherubims of glorie ouershadowing the mercie-seate Hereupon Tharasius giueth this worthie obseruation Å¿ Animaduertamus viri sacerdotes quia vetus Scriptura diuina habuit Symbola ex haec assumpsit noua Cherubim gloriae obumbrantia propitiatorium Sancta Synodus dixit Rectè domine itae est veritas Let vs marke that because the old Testament had diuine signes the new hath from thence taken the Cherubims of glorie couering the mercie-seate the whole Synod answering Verie right so the truth is indeed A companie of very wise men that could not see that the new Testament no otherwise speaketh of the Cherubins then as of a matter pertaining to the old and therefore what should hence be gathered for auouching images in the new Tharasius goeth yet further t Si vetus