we call naturall reason The wisedome of the flesh saith Saint Paule is enmitie with God And therefore when God speaketh reason iudgeth his words to be heresie The papist doth attribute the merit of grace and the remissiof sinnes to the worke wrought for they say that a good worke before grace is auaileable to obteyne grace of congruence beecause it is meete and conuenient that GOD shoulde rewarde such a worke but when grace by this meanes is once obteyned then the good workes following doe deserue euerlasting life as a due debt For the first worke before grace God is no debter but beecause he is iust and good it therefore behoueth him to approue such a worke and to giue grace for such a piece of seruice but when grace is obtayned God is become a debtor and is constreyned of right and dutie to giue eternall life for now it is a worke don in grace and therefore it maketh gratious Now if a man of his own abilitie may performe a worke which is not onely acceptable in Gods sight but is also able to deserue grace of congruence get of right and duty eternall life what neede is there then of the grace of God of the forgiuenes of sins or of Christ himselfe he might well haue spared his bloude and bitter passion we are able to craue for our selues and to worke our owne saluation by our owne deseruinges But if the Pope with all his religious rable were not both blind and malicious they could not choose but see and would not let to confesse it to bee a most horrible blasphemy to thinke that there is any worke whereby to pacifie God when wee see there is nothing that could appease him but that inestimable price euen the death of his Sonne away then with these Popish satisfactions of workes of merits of vowes of ceremonies both before grace after grace throw them altogether with their first founders into the bottomeles pit of hell Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne sayeth the Apostle Rom. 14. and therefore he that would deserue grace by workes going beefore faith goeth about to please God with sinnes by heaping one vppon an other and therefore thou canst not deserue grace by thy workes The Pelagians doe grant asmuch of grace as the papistes do for they say that menne may haue a good purpose and a loue of grace of their owne naturall strength for say they God hath giuen good Lawes and a manne may keepe them of his owne naturall strength or else the commandements were giuen in vayne And may not infidelles and misbeleeuers attayne to this merite of congruence for the Papistes doe grant that it commeth of naturall strength and yet it should not follow of congruence that they shall receiue grace nor yet attayne to the remission of sinnes for howe should a man without a speciall grace abhor his sinnes for if men may doe good before grace then we may gather grapes of thornes and figges of thistles we see now that the first parte of Christianitie dooth consist in the knowledge of our selues and of our owne vnworthinesse The seconde part if thou wilt be saued thou must not seeke thy saluation in thy workes but in Christ that was crucified and dyed for thee for God hath reuealed vnto vs that hee will bee vnto vs a mercifull father and without our desertes seeing wee are able to deserue nothing will freely giue vnto vs remission of sinnes righteousnesse and life euerlasting for his sonne Christes sake This is our beliefe touching Christian righteousnesse against these horrible and monstrous blasphemies of papistes concerning their merite of congruence and worthines of works Christian righteousnesse is Christ apprehended by faith and dwelling in the hearte but to giue a true rule of Christianitie first wee are to consider that a man must be taught by the Lawe to know himselfe and to vnderstande that all haue sinned and haue need of the glory of God Rom. 3 and that There is not one righteous no not one Psal 14. when a man is thus humbled by the lawe and brought to the knowledge of himselfe then followeth true re entance and heere hee beeginneth to sigh and to seeke out for succour and vtterly dispayring of his owne strength hee findeth this comfortable consolation Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee beleeue in Iesus Christ who hath taken thy sinnes vppon him whose stripes haue made thee whole This is the beginning of health and saluation by these means we are deliuered from sinne iustified and made the inheritors of life euerlasting not for our owne workes and deserts but for our fayth whereby we lay hold vppon Christ When we haue thus laide hold vpon Christ by faith through whom we are made righteous nowe followe good workes and that is to loue God aboue all thinges call vpon him giue thanks vnto him prayse his holy name confesse his goodnesse mercie towardes thee beginne nowe to loue thy neighbour as thy selfe doe vnto him as thou wouldest bee done vnto helpe the needy comfort the afflicted giue almes to the poore These be good workes indeed for this hearing of masses this worshipping and offering to Idols this going on pylgrymage to the holy Crosse to Saint Patrickes Purgatory this giuing to lasciuious priestes leaue this to the Papistes the generation of Antichrist and the rest of that holy rable of the Popes Vermine that dares take those priuiledges to themselues that doe properly belong vnto Christ alone he onely forgiueth sinnes hee onely giueth righteousnesse and euerlasting life Good workes are outwarde signes of true faith which do not iustifie of themselues but are as testimonialles to the worker that he is already iustified so that workes are out the fruites of fayth good workes are all thinges that are done within the limites of the lawes of God in which God is honored and for which thankes are giuen to God That faith that bringeth forth good workes doth iustifie but the works doe not iustifie and this iustifying fayth is the free gift of God without our deseruinges for by this faith giuen vs thus by grace we attayne the benefite of Christes death which onely iustifieth vs so that good workes are the fruites of a good faith Fasting is a good worke but howe not to absteyne from the eating of fleshe and to pamper the panch with all sortes of fish till it be ready to surfeit not to refraine from the eating of an egge and to make no conscience at the killing of a man not to make difference of dayes and to forbeare from butter cheese and milke but neuer to absteyne neyther fasting day nor other to liue in drunkennesse in whordome and in all manner of loath some sinne and wickednes not to fast in the honor of a Saynt and to liue with bread and water one day the next day to glut our selues and to ryot and reuell it out with all excesse And what are these prayers that are deliuered in a strange tongue that are
God doe not defend him This is the fruite of the Popes religion and these be the practises that are vsed by papistes lette euery man therefore looke well to his leader that he be not blinde for both the guids that are blinde and those that are blindly led shall altogether fall in the ditch it shall be no excuse to say I was thus taught by my ghostly father or this is the fayth that our forefathers haue dyed in When the worde of God is preached vnto men that be wicked vnto whom God hath giuen no grace to receiue it then are they nothing thereby amended but their heartes are the rather the more obdured and the more the word of God is preached vnto them so much the more obstinate they become and the more mischiefe they intend after this manner the heart of Pharao was hardened when the woorde of GOD was deliuered him by Moses hee hauing no grace to receiue it the more Moses indeuoured to expresse it the more sturdie was he to withstand it But what neede we trauell into Egypt to fetch presidents when wee haue so many home examples heere in Ireland where the truth of Gods gospell hath beene so long preached and the people euery day growne more obstinate then other that are rather giuen vppe to beeleeue lies legendes fables dreames visions olde wyues tales and a number of such other mockeries The Papistes haue euer more beene full of Myracles but in their Legende of Saintes and in many other foolishe Bookes they haue fayned them so grossely that they are ashamed to heare of them but GOD sometymes suffereth those that haue no loue to his trueth to bee deceiued by lying Myracles for as the children of the trueth shall naturally incline vnto the truth so the children of the Diuell whose heartes are full of lyes shall naturally consent to bee ledde away with lyes I might yet inlarge a great deale of other matter but my conclusion is that the whole glory of the Popes Church is nothyng else but trash 3 A Reuocation of all ouer sightes that through ignorance were published in that Booke I Am come to the matter that is most of all looked after and that I am sure is especially wisht for and that is A Reuocation of my ouersightes I know not how to behaue my selfe honestly in this businesse for to square in out to there contentments that doe desire it would wound mine owne credit to reitterate those things that might pleade my excuse would sooner breede a newe warfare of words then settle that quiet that I could wish but they say there is better safety in an vniust warre then in a patcht peace I confesse that if I had but halfe so farre ouershot my selfe as reportes were giuen out a Reuocation in wordes onely would bee too little to make amends for I would acknowledge my selfe to be worthy of shame and punishment both But because the booke is extant to be seene to answere for it selfe I thinke my best course will be to set down those oppositions that haue beene obiected against me aswell by those that were but misinformed by other mens reportes as of those that made malitious collections exhibiting those thinges against me for slaunders that were shamefull for them to bring into question if they had beene well aduised Me thinkes an easie perswasion might induce wisemen to beleeue that he that will vndertake to inuey against Poperie eyther by word or writing shall want no enemies in Ireland that wil both rayle and rage against him and will so ouer load him with lies and slaunders that if they can not breake his backe they will yet be sure to cracke his credit amoÌ„gst the rest of those vntruths that were obiected against mee one is howe I should affirme in my booke that there is neither ciuilitie nor humanity to be found amongst the Irish but that they are inclined to all maner of brutishnes And although I neede no other answere to this but to turne them to my booke that they haue so slaundered and belied yet for better satisfaction I say it is truth that I haue spoken of the manners and customes that are vsed amongst the Irish in some partes of the Country that are not yet so conformed from there vnciuill demeaners nor so perfected in the complements of humanity but that they retayned still their accustomed vncleanelines now if I should say that in some partes of England it selfe there bee many people that are both rude ignorant and verie clownish as it is well enough knowne there are so indeede could this be a disparagement to the whole realme But they will say I haue made no exceptions amongst the Irish but haue numbred them all to be in one predicament let me intreate them but to ouerlooke my Epistle to the Reader in that booke where they shall finde these wordes Doe not thinke mee to be so generall but that I doe make a great differnce betweene those that are rude vnciuile vnreuerent vncleanely and vntaught and those other againe that are milde modest kind curteous and that are euery way indued with wit reason and vnderstanding And I doe make the like exceptions betweene those that are irreligious superstitious Idolatrous seditious rebellious that do retayne Iesuites Seminaries and other Traiterous Priests then of those that contrariwise are professors of the Gospell that doe imbrace the holy Scriptures and doe indeuoure themselues in the seruice of God and in obedience to their Prince I hope I may reuoke this without any disgrace I haue beene charged with a lie and I renounce it A second obiection was that I had taxed the Irish in generall to bee more sauage and cruell then the Canibals This is as true as the first and needeth no other purgation then what is contained in the booke it selfe and first in the 36. page I say that those of the Irish that haue reduced themselues to ciuilitie were it not for their Religion are otherwise of very good conuersation and aswell in their manners as in the decency of their apparell they are very modest and comely And in the 17. page Although the vulgar sorte through their dull witts their brutish education can not conceiue what is profitable for themselues and good for their Countrey yet there be some others whose thoughts and minds are inriched with knowledge and vnderstanding that haue done good in the country and whose example heerafter may giue light to many others For I thinke that if these people did once vnderstand the preciousnes of vertue they woulde farre exceede vs notwithstanding our long experience in the soueraigntie of vertue You may see now I haue no such conceite against the Irish in generall as they haue fabled but that I thinke there be good amongst the bad and bad amongst the good I might therefore haue reuoked this accusation as he that reuoked a long relying letter but with one word Mentâ—ris yet I will not doe so but I will
him when euery one vseth his owne fancie to drawe him into what forme or â—auour he list and therefore it was merily spoken by an Irishe man who beholding an image that had beene paynted for Christ swore that it looked so like an Englishman that he loued it the worse Zenophon would needes perswade that if beastes could paynt they would portray out the image of God in the liknes of a beast when God spake vnto the children of Israell they sawe no similitude whereby they might fashion God into any shape or likenes they onely heard a voyce which voyce they were willed to obserue and keepe It is enough that wee beeleeue Gods promises but not to portray him out in similitudes nor to dispute of his wil and for those that haue beene curious to search out the cause of predestination they haue bin wrapped in intollerable doubts the which Saint Paul concludeth to bee all onely the will of God for the proofe whereof he brought in the evident example how Iacob was chosen Esau reproued both before they were borne and before they had committed eyther good or euill The papist seeketh his iustification in his owne workes the which being well considered is lesse then himselfe for the worke man is much more excellent then his worke nowe if the article of iustification bee once subuerted then is all christian doctrine ouerthrowne for who are they that doe impugne this christian righteousnesse but Iewes Turkes Papistes and hereticks for he that hath once lost Christ must necessarily fall into the confidence of his owne workes To forgiue sinnes to make righteous to quicken and deliuer from death and the deuill and to giue euerlasting life these are not the works of any creature no not of Angels but of the soueraigne maiestie the creator and maker of all thinges Christ sayeth the Apostle hath giuen himselfe but for what hath he giuen himselfe not for our good workes not for our vowes not for our pylgrimages not for our masâ—ing not for our holinesse nor for our righteousnesse but for our sinnes Gala. 1. Here is now a downe fall to the Popes pardons to purgatory it selfe to vowes masses and other abhominations this gunshot beateth downe Popery it layeth all works merites and all other superstitious ceremonies flat with the grounde for if our sinnes might be taken away by our owne workes merites and satisfaction or whatsoeuer otherwise what needed the sonne of God to be giuen for them Now if we did but consider of the greatnesse of the price that the sonne of God must needes be giuen for it would yet thinke of any other satisfaction whereby we might redeeme our selues we should be very iniurious to the precious bloud of Christ Wee might heere againe yet further consider that sinne is a mightie tyrant that is not to be vanquished by the power of any creature but by the infinite power of Iesus Christ the son of God that gaue himselfe for it Then what doe the papistes that doe thinke to ouercome sin by their owne workes and merites but in establishing their own righteousnesse doe deface and plucke downe the glory of God and most perniciously doe set at naught the precious bloude of Christ which he so freely hath giuen vnto vs. But our Papistes I thinke are vtterly ignorant of the grieuousnes of sinne do dreame it to be of no great force nor power but that it may easily be put away by good workes by a popes bull or by a priests blessing Then they make certayne distinctions between sinne sinne some to be greater and some to be lesser when there is no sinne how sleightly so euer accounted of but is rewarded with death daÌ„nation if Christ be excluded neither is their any other meanes whereby to repayre it but by the sheading of his most precyous bloud Why then thou foolish holy Pope wilt thou beare me beleeue thou canst make mee righteous with thy Bulles with thy pardons with thy indulgencies or with thy other traâ—h that am euery day euery houre euery minute and euery moment a sinner committing sinne against the almighty himselfe that in grieuous and haynous maner as contempt of God blaspheming his holy name despising his holy worde prophaning the Sabboth day with a number of other like concerning the first table admit that I haue not committed murther theft whordome and such other sinnes actuall agaynst the seconde table yet in my heart what sinne haue I omitted but that I am a sinner and a continuall transgressor of all the commaundements why then if my sinnes be so infinite so horrible and detestable who could repayre them who could satisfie for them but he that hath paid the price with his bloud But will you see now the subtiltie of Sathan to those that beegin to lay holde on Christ by faith to them he seemeth feareful putting them in minde of the grieuousnesse of their sinnes and of that which is a small fault hee maketh a very Hell and dryueth them as much as he can to despayre of Gods mercies neuer ceasing to accuse their consciences and all to make them to flie from their anchor holde to them on the other side that hee in snareth to trust in their own works and merites them he lulleth asleepe in securitie they make sinne no sinne they thinke to repayre it but in going to a Saints shryne in setting vp a holy candle or in forbearing to eate egges on Friday There is nothing more contrary to the nature of flesh bloud then to be reprooued in those thinges wherein they think themselues to deserue greatest prayse to say they be sinners vnrighteous wicked the children of wrath when they thinke they haue made themselues righte us and holy by their good workes by going on pylgrymage by praying to Saints The wisedome and righteousnesse of the flesh is growne so proud and stately that they cannot indure to heare of the righteousnesse of grace and faith but that righteousnesse which knoweth not the righteousnesse of Christ is double sinne and therefore these holy sinnes that are committed bearing the shew of righteousnesse are farre more daungerous then those fleshly sinnes indeede that all the world doth acknowledge to be monstrous and the more wise righteous and holy menn are without Christ so much the more hurt they doe to the gospell If wee shoulde compare blasphemers publicans and harlots to those holy hypocrites we should finde them the more likely to obteyne grace for they when they offende haue remorse of conscience and doe not iustifie their wicked doinges but the other dare affirme their idolatries their wicked worshippinges their other abhominations to bee the workes of righteousnesse acceptable vnto God and thinges auaileable to saluation So long therefore as the opinion of righteousnesse abideth in men so long there is also abiding incomprehensible pride presumption securitie contempt of the grace and mercy that is promised in Christ The doctrine of the gospell taketh from men all glory
wisedome righteousnesse and giueth them to God alone to whome they belong the gospell is a doctrine concerning Christ which is neyther law nor worke but our righteousnes sanctification redemption That he might be made an oblation for the sinnes of the whole world that our sinnes might be forgiuen for his sake and not for the workes of the law nor our owne righteousnesse we acknowledge and confesse that there is nothing in vs that is able to deserue grace and the forgiuenesse of sinnes but that at wee obteyne it by the free mercy of God onely for Christes sake whereby we doe not seeke to set forth mans worthinesse but Gods mercy offered vnto vs in Christ For Christ and the Law cannot agree together in the conscience the one must giue place and he that cannot beeleeue that God will forgiue him his sinnes for Christes sake how can he be leeue that his sinnes shall be forgiuen for the workes of the law which no man yet was euer able to performe They that doe mingle the law and the gospell together doe perueit both for either Christ must remayne and the lawe giue place or the law must remayne and Christ must giue place For he that will needes couple the law with the gospell doth not onely blemish and darken the knowledge of grace which Paul so often speaketh of but also he taketh away Christ with al his benefites The law indeed was giuen to vtter sinne death and damnation whereby to driue vs to Christ The Law is our schoolmaster to bring vs to Christ saith the Apostle Gala. 3. and our Sauiour himselfe in the sixt of Iohn Do not thinke that I will accuse you to my father there is another that accuseth you euen Moses in whome you trust One place of Scripture conteyning some threatening of the law beateth downe all consolations besides and so shaketh all our inward powers that it maketh vs to forget iustification grace the gospell and Christ himselfe The law no doubt is holy righteous and good consequently the workes of the law are holy righteous and good yet notwithstanding a man is not therby iustified before God but made the rather subiect to the curse And although there be nothing more necessary then the lawe and the workes thereof yet by the same a man may be brought to the deniall of Christ for of the lawe many times commeth a trust and affiance in workes and where that is there can bee no affiance in Christ the righteousnesse of the lawe is to fulfill the law according to this saying of the Apostle He that shall doe these thinges shall liue in them but the righteousnesse of sayth is to beeleeue according to this saying The righteous manne dooth lyue by fayth Now the Papistes that doe so much indeuour to establish the righteousnesse of workes doe thereby tread downe the righteousnesse of Christ for although it be true that workes must followe faith yet in the worke of our saluation there must bee no medly we must relye in the one or in the other now faith worketh not but beleeueth in Christ who is our propytion and remission of sinnes but the effect of the law is not to make righteous and to giue life but to shewe forth sinne and to destroy and although the lawe sayeth Hee that shall doe these thinges shall liue in them yet I would but see a Papist that could poynt me out but one man that had so performed the workes of the law to merite eternall life by his owne deseruings who so euer seeketh to make himselfe holy by the lawe what canne he imagine but that God beeing angry must needes be pacified with good works what workes can he now performe wherin he findeth not some imperfections his fasting his praying his worshipping his sacrificing he thinketh still that he hath omitted somewhat or that he haâ—h not done them as hee ought they cannot therefore quiet his conscience If our reward should be according to our workes there should no man be saued when our best deedes compared to the law are damnable sinnes neither by it is any flesh iustified as it appeareth in the 3. to the Rom. for the fulfilling of the law is onely to beleeue in Christ neyther is it written in the gospell hee that worketh but he that beleeueth shall be saued and therfore they that doe seeke heauen by works are such as doe not vnderstand the treasures that are layd vp for them in Christ There is no man so foolish to condemne good workes as the Papist most slaunderously reporteth but wee condemne confidence in good workes that should eyther iustifie or make righteous whereby the precious bloud of Christ should be made altogether vnprofitable for those that doe seeke their iustification by Lawe or workes what is it else but a flat deniall of Christ But here commeth reason now to debate the matter who hearing of iustification by fayth beginneth to storme what sayth it are all my good workes then nothing worth haue I fasted haue I prayed haue I bin charitable in bestowing my money to build chappels to builde chanteryes to giue perpetuities to massing priestes to buy Coopes vestments Crosses and chalyces are all these nothing worth haue I laboured in vaine In any case therefore when wee come to debate of these matters away with reason which is an vtter enemie to fayth and leaneth not to the righteousnesse of fayth but to it owne righteousnesse or at the least to the righteousnesse of the lawe now wher Law and reason are once linkt together there fayth looseth her virginitie for mans reason taketh more pleasure in measuring of God by her owne imagination then by his worde and doth those with better will and greater zeale that shee her selfe hath chosen then those that God hath commaunded And therefore if with the papist we should goe about to measure the thinges appertaining to fayth and saluation but according to the rule of reason wee should finde both great absurditie and many impossibilities for who can beleeue the articles of the Christian fayth that Christ the sonne of God was conceiued and borne in the wombe of the virgine Mary that he was borne and suffered the most reprochfull death of the Crosse that the dead shall rise at the last day and howe absurde and foolish dooth it seeme to reason that in the Lordes Supper the body bloude of Christ should spiritually be offered vnto vs or that the Sacrament of baptisme should be the receiuing of the holy Ghost or if we had no better speculation then to looke with the eyes of reason how could we see or beleeue the blessed trinitie but how foolish and impossible did it seeme in the iudgement of reason when God sayde vnto Abraham that he should haue a son of the withered and barren body of his wife Sara we may therfore conclude and that vndoubtedly that in the searching out of thinges that are diuine there is nothing more vnreasonable then that which