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ground_n	faith_n	rule_n	scripture_n	4,181	5	6.7162	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69250	Newes from France containing tvvo declarations of two new conuerts from the Church of Rome to the reformed churches of France: the former made by Master M. du Tertrf [sic], Lord de la Motthe Luyne, late preacher amongst the order of the Capucins vnder the name of F. Firmin, &c. at Saumur on the 27. of May last: the latter by the Marquise Boniuet, Lord of Creuecœur, &c. at Rochell on the seuenth of August last. Both translated out of the seuerall French copies into English by E.M. of Christ-Church in Oxford. Whereunto is added an English letter sent from Paris by an English gentleman to his friend in England, touching the late surprisall and imprisonment of the Prince of Conde, which happened on the 22. of August last.; Declaration and manifestation, of the chiefe reasons and motives of the conversion of Master M. du Tertre, Lord de la Motthe Luyne.	Bonnivet, Henri Marc de Gouffier, Marquis de, d. 1589. Declaration de Henri-Marc de Gouffier. aut; Meetkerke, Edward, 1590-1657, attributed name.	1616 (1616)	STC 7372; ESTC S117179	43,123	84

resort and haue our refuge to the Saints and blessed ones and that a thousand other such like things which you beleeue and your Doctors teach and preach ought to be held for Articles of faith there not being any trace or ground of them in the sacred Scripture the true rule of that which ought to be beleeued and done Not being able I say to perswade my selfe that that was the true Church in the which the true faith and the doctrine of the Gospell was held and taught wherein the manners life and actions were so contrary and opposite vnto them and the corruption so great and vniuersally diffused and extended throughout But those were but small light and vaine Ideaes which went no farther by reason of the negligence as I beleeue in the which the watchings which I bestowed on my studies and other businesses kept me asleepe as also by reason of the age whereof I was which for that time did not giue me more liuely conceits thereof for want of some body that might haue heartened them on farther as indeed I was bred in the midst of them who beleeued and did the quite contrary Thus did my simplicitie hatch my ignorance wherein I liued fiue or six whole yeers since this first glimpse of light which did kindle in my soule and heart this desire and affection of the truth and to returne to this first spring and originall of the faith and manners of the Apostles and Disciples of the Sonne of God our Sauiour yet of that very Sauiour from whom by processe of time euen your Church hath swarued At the end of which yeeres finally it hath pleased that supreme goodnesse and maiestie which doth impart and communicate his graces and fauours to whom he thinkes good yea oftentimes to least worthy and capable subiects and makes the splendor of his euerlasting light to cast his beames on those soules that are deepest plunged into the obscuritie of darknesse to poure out on mine the amplitude and greatnesse of his heauenly and diuine benedictions and to make mee to see abundantly purely and to the full in their owne essence and naturall day both the truth and falshood and to harden strengthen and encourage my minde for to embrace valorously the one and to reiect the other against all the obiects and representations of humane reason the attractiue and alluring perswasions of nature the impetuous assaults of flesh and bloud and the strong suggestions and temptations of the deuill and the furious and bloudy combats of hell Whereupon I am and shall alwayes be obliged vnto him ouer and aboue all the obligations which I owe vnto him already in number almost infinite and I doe blesse praise wil praise him to al eternitie yea all the holy Angels of heauen and iust men of the earth which whereas the enuious hatefull and ill willers haue their foreheads wrinkled will be glad for me and reioyce at my departure and conuension This my change then hath no other scope and aimeth purely and simply as I haue already said at nothing but the glory of my God and the assurance of my saluation which I haue truly found out and sweare and protest that I could not haue attained vnto and wrought out in that state wherein I was vnderstand I pray you and hearken to the reasons thereof The two grounds and foundations of all Christian religion and consequently of euerlasting saluation are faith and charitie without which neither one nor the other can remaine and continue standing faith I say in Christ He that beleeues in me saith he shall not come into iudgement but he that beleeueth not is already condemned Not any faith whatsoeuer but such as God and the holy Scripture doe demand and require of vs not languishing dead grounded on humane inuentions and traditions but purely and simply on Gods word animated and quickned by the spirit of grace accompanied with good workes Charitie not fained dissembled in shew only but as the Apostle saith proceeding from a pure and cleane heart from a good conscience from an vnfained faith and a loyaltie not counterfeted The same S. Paul speaking of the first in the 1. Epist to the Corinthians chap. 3. saith it clearely and in very expresse termes According to the grace of God which is giuen vnto me as a wise master-builder I haue saith he laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon But let euery man take heede how he buildeth thereupon for other foundation can no man lay then that is laid which is Iesus Christ Now if any man build vpon this foundation gold siluer c. Where you see cleerely how vnder the metaphore and comparison of a materiall edifice and building which that it may be firme sound and lasting hath necessarily neede of a good strong foundation of firme and hard stones laid very farre and deepe in the ground he declareth signifieth and giueth cleerely to vnderstand that the true faith and beleefe in Iesus Christ our Sauiour such as he teacheth and sheweth vs in his writings is the true sure and onely foundation and the solid and setled ground-worke of all Christian religion and consequently by a necessary sequele of euerlasting saluation according to my proposition which for this first point remaines enough by this place and sufficiently proued As also no man doth deny it and call it in question but all generally doe admit and receiue it for a certaine and assured ground Let vs come to the proofe of the second point thereof to wit of Charitie I had need of more time then the shortnesse of this discourse can affoord mee for to relate all the places of holy Scripture making for this purpose That namely is manifest and cleare by the very words of our Sauiour when as being asked of that Doctour of the Law or Scribe and Pharisie which was the first the greatest and chiefe commandement thereof and hauing made answer that it was to loue God with all his heart with all his soule c. and his neighbour as himselfe he addeth that in these two points were comprised and contained closed and shut vp the whole Law and the Prophets and consequently by a necessary sequele and infallible conclusion all religion grounded and saluation established as on two solid and firme foundations without the which neither one nor the other as I haue already said can remaine and continue standing Now let vs see whether those two grounds and bases of saluation be or can be found in your Church and in the state and condition from whence I am departed to the end that from thence you may know and iudge whether I haue had iust cause and lawfull occasion to doe this or no and that the tongues that make themselues malicious and slanderous may cease from their calumnious assaults and pursuits And to begin with the faith and beleefe in Iesus Christ wee haue amongst many others three things to be considered in him 1. his person 2.

beholden and indebted to them whence it is not very hard to consider acknowledge and iudge whether the true humilitie which is essentiall to Christianitie and so beseeming it yea the fairest and richest ornament of a true beleeuer can be in them who not onely maintaine and wilfully defend such a doctrine but doe glory therein and doe oppugne and persecute euen to the fire and bloud those which on the contrary forsaking themselues and all that can come from their owne strength and merits haue no other refuge prop foundation and assurance for their eternall saluation then in the meere bountie grace mercy and free pardon of God in Iesus Christ his Sonne his merit and intercession Hee should neuer haue done that would relate shew and set to view all the abuses and errours touching the points of faith necessary to saluation Gather only and iudge out of that little which the shortnesse of the time this discourse giues me leaue to speake whether the first ground and foundation of saluation premised and supposed to wit a true faith and beleefe in Iesus Christ such as the Scripture declareth and requireth of vs is and can bee found in your Church in which is taught and preached a doctrine so diametrally contrary and opposite to it yea against all reason and whether I haue had iust cause and occasion to withdraw my selfe from thence and you also are bound to doe the like in case that you and I desire to worke out our saluation But that which is worse and more to be lamented euen with teares of bloud if it were possible is that for the most part amongst those of your Church there is no more any faith or law or God or religion at all but by a lamentable euent permitted notwithstanding by Gods prouidence for the iust punishment of their deserts are fallen into a grosse ignorance of matters of God I will not say into Atheisme and is fulfilled in them compleatly and in all points that which the Apostle S. Paul hath sometimes spoken of the Gentiles Pagans and Idolaters in the first to the Romans namely that hauing knowne God they glorified him not as God neither were thankfull but became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkened professing themselues to be wise they became fooles and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to a corruptible man c. And who then would not withdraw himselfe from men so blinded and giuen ouer to errour and the darkenesse of ignorance Now if their faith be such or for to speak aright more properly their vnbeliefe so great what can bee hoped and looked for of the other I meane of the manners of their life indeede it is very likely that such as is the doctrine such will be the life and manners namely peruerted and corrupted c. And this is it which now in order I am to shew to you and set to your view Let vs begin with charity the loue and affection towardes God and our neighbour the true ground of all Christianity and the second firme and assured foundation of eternall saluation as wee haue said and declared before As for the first the true testimony the certaine and vndoubted proofe thereof amongst many that might be giuen and alleaged is an heartie and louing zeale and affection to his honour worship and seruice and to the true obseruing of his lawes and ordinances and the entire and perfect fulfilling of his holy will as farre as our weakenes and frailtie can suffer vs and the estate and condition of our corrupt and infected nature can permit and beare it If you loue mee saith our Sauiour speaking of this loue to his Apostles and Disciples and to vs in their persons and in the 14. of S. Iohn keepe my commandements He that hath my commandements and keepes them hee it is that loues mee And this hee repeats many and diuers times and amongst others that well beloued and fauoured Disciple in the second Chapter of his first Catholike Epistle confirmes it He that keepes his word the loue of God saith he is truely accomplished and perfected in him As on the contrary the true and infallible signe of the want the defect of the loue of God is not to care for to keepe and obserue his lawes and precepts as besides reason it selfe which is cleere and plaine for it our Sauiour in the same place before alleaged of the Euangelist Saint Iohn doth say Hee that loueth mee not saith he doth not keepe my words and the same Saint Iohn in the fore-cited places He that saith I haue knowne him and yet doth not keep his precepts and commandements he liar and the truth is not in him As for Gods honour worship and seruice it is double and of two sorts externall outward and of the body such as he prescriheth vnto vs in his word namely that Liturgy or outward and publike seruice wherewith hee will be honoured euen publikely in his Church consisting of the duties of piety and the externall actions of religion which doe shew and testifie some humilitie deiection submission affection and acknowledgement of the minde towards his diuine maiesty Internall inward in the soule and inmost part of the minde by a true acknowledging of his immense and infinite excellence perfection and greatnesse and of the sundry and innumerable obligations wee owe him with an humble submission a most deiected humilitie and low deiection before his supreame maiesty honouring adoring fearing respecting cherishing and louing him with all the strength and power of our soules the faculties of our mindes and the affections of our hearts as our onely blisse and chiefe master and Lord from whom we hold by meere dependance and free bountifull and liberall communication all what wee are what wee haue and what wee can at any time challenge looke and hope for both in this life and in the other referring in the meane time and giuing ouer our selues and all what belongs to vs or concernes vs our liues persons goods health honours affaires and other the like wholly to his diuine prouidence to the end that he may do with them as he shall thinke fitting and according to his pleasure and sacred will as belonging wholly to him with a true confidence certain firme hope and an vndoubted assurance of his diuine goodnesse infinite mercy and promises of saluation and this is the chiefe honour worship and seruice that God wishes desires and demaunds of vs as sheweth very wel the Sonne of God himselfe Iesus Christ our Sauiour answering to the question of the Samaritan woman The true worshippers saith he shall worship the Father in spirit and truth and such are those he desires demands and seekes after And hee giueth the reason thereof Because God is a spirit therfore his worship ought to be spirituall internall and in the truth of the heart answerable to his nature by so much more noble

the Law And in the fift chapter verse 1. Therefore being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ There is iustification by faith And as for the imputation of the merit of Christ hee sheweth it there also in the fourth chapter when as telling how God had imputed to Abraham his faith for righteousnesse hee addeth Now in that that this was imputed to him for righteousnesse c. This faith is not an idle imagination or false illusion and perswasion or fantasticall speculation in the beleeuers braine as your Doctors doe slanderously say but an holy assurance and firme confidence in the bounty and mercy of God by the which we beleeue that according to the truth of his infallible promises hee will be gracious and mercifull vnto vs in Iesus Christ his Sonne freely for his sake pardoning vs all our faults Such a beleefe is not idle nor fruitlesse in those who haue it but fructifieth vnto all manner of good workes righteousnesse godlinesse holinesse loue c. Not for to merit and obtaine that pardon which is already wholly gotten but for to shew towards God that we acknowledge this so vnestimable a benefit This faith is not from our selues but is a speciall gift of God who hath giuen vs freely through his Sonne not onely to beleeue in him but also to suffer for his sake as saith S. Paul Philip. 1.29 God hauing thus iustified vs freely through faith in his Son he sanctifieth vs also through his spirit which is the second benefit that wee haue obserued to be gotten for vs in Iesus Christ and which he hath merited and obtained for vs by his death as we haue said and doth bestow it vpon vs by the vertue and efficacie of his Spirit of regeneration and sanctification by the which mortifying daily more and more the naturall corruption in which we all are borne he makes vs by little and little to renounce and to die to all sinne for to liue to righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of our life vntill that in the end he doe sanctifie vs fully when as after this life hee shall receiue vs into that other in his heauenly glory This is briefly that which concernes these two great benefits of our Lord accordingly as the Scripture and Gods holy word doe shew and teach vs. It is a pitifull thing to see after how many sorts and manners Satan hath lamentably spoiled sophisticated falsified peruerted and corrupted in your Church by your Pastors and Doctors this doctrine being so wholsome and full of comfort touching these two benefits of Iesus Christ our Sauiour first by extenuating as much as they could and can the greatnesse of these graces and fauours secondly by taking from him and robbing him of all what they can for to attribute it to the merits either of themselues or of others and to their owne satisfactions and papall Indulgences They extenuate the greatnesse of grace two wayes first by lessening and diminishing the greatnesse of our offence and sinne secondly by debasing the excellencie and perfection of Christs merit They doe lessen and diminish the greatnesse of sinne first in denying that originall sinne deserues eternall death contrary to that which the Apostle teacheth vs to the Rom. 6.23 that the wages of sinne is death and to the threatning of the Law which sounds thus Cursed is he whosoeuer doth not continue and perseuere to obserue all things written and deliuered in the booke of the Law Secondly by their distinction of sinnes veniall and mortall teaching that there are some pettie sinnes which doe not deserue eternall death and damnation but rather pardon which is directly against that very sentence of S. Paul that the wages of sinne is death and that menace of the Law Cursed is hee c. They debase the excellencie of Christs merit when they teach first that he hath not satisfied for those sinnes and offences which they call veniall but onely for those that are mortall contrary to that which Saint Iohn hath in his first Catholike Epistle chap. 1.7 That the bloud of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sinne Secondly that as for mortall sinnes he hath only changed the eternall into a temporall punishment which is by them affirmed and maintained not onely without any ground vpon the holy Scripture but also is much repugnant to the goodnesse and mercy of God who in so doing would pardon but by halfes Thirdly that by the death of Iesus Christ wee obtaine only remission of the guilt and not of the punishment which is as much as openly to mocke with God and to disanull altogether the merit of our Lord for what is it I pray you to remit and pardon the guilt but not the punishment As if a Master should say to his seruant a Lord to his subiect a King to his vassall that had grieuously wronged and offended him Goe thy wayes I pardon and forgiue thee thy fault but I will punish thee howsoeuer when I see time for that that thou hast done according as thou deseruest What pardon would that be nay would it not rather be a mocking of him It is euen so with God according to them They doe take from Iesus Christ and rob him as much as in them lieth of the glory of his merit for to attribute it to the merits of another when as refusing the true pardon of God by faith in the bloud of his sonne they will themselues deserue of God by the power of their workes this pardon and the fruition of life euerlasting wherein they doe iust like a wicked malefactor who being in the hands and power of his Iudge ready to be executed would refuse the grace and pardon of his Prince and would make no vse of it but would thinke that hee could merit yea would stifly maintaine that hee had iustly merited by his good deeds both his freedome and the expiation of the punishment which was prepared and made ready for him and to be one of the chiefe officers and best furnished houshold-seruants of his Lord wherein besides the intolerable arrogance whereof they cannot nor you cleare themselues they fall into a grosse foule and palpable ignorance first in that they thinke that they can of themselues doe any worthy thing and such as can deserue at Gods hands that which they thinke they doe deserue although notwithstanding it stands so that of our selues as of our selues we are not able to thinke any thing but all our abilitie is and proceeds from God as speaketh the Apostle in the second to the Corinthians chap. 3. yea euen all the most iust actions of man which God worketh in him through his grace are so marred infected and tainted with our naturall corruption that they are all as saith Esay 64. as a menstruous cloth Secondly when as for a refuge they say that those good workes which they doe are not from themselues but from the grace of God working in them for it is

little to the purpose for to presume to merit of him by such workes it is as if a vassall that had receiued as a free gift from his chiefe Lord al the goods that he possesseth would challenge to merit of him yet more then he hath receiued for hauing giuen him some apple peare or other fruit which he had gathered vpon these grounds there being farre lesse proportion betweene all the good that we doe through the grace of God and the remission of our sins or life euerlasting which they thinke and pretend to merit by their workes then there is betweene an apple and many large possessions For to merit it is required that there be a proportion betweene that which we doe or giue and that which we challenge thereby to merit it is also required that that whereby we doe merit do come from our selues and be not giuen vs by him from whom wee pretend to merit for to merit by grace it is to merit without merit it is not to merit at all it is to renounce all merit grace and merit being in such sort opposed amongst themselues that they can by no meanes stand together for if it be by workes saith the Apostle then is it no longer by grace if it be by grace then is it not by workes else grace is no longer grace This spirituall pride is seene yet more cleerely herein that not being content to merit pardon and Paradise through good workes commanded by God they thinke and pretend to merit yet somewhat ouer by their workes not commanded which they haue forged for themselues of supererogation as they call it a name that witnesseth throughly their pride whereby they thinke that they bestow vpon God somewhat ouer and aboue that which he requires and demands at their hands or then they are bound to giue him as if God asking and requiring of vs that wee should loue him with all our heart with all our soule force and strength and our neighbour as our selues which is the vpshot of the whole Law we could doe any thing beyond that And yet what ar these goodly workes of supererogation that are of so great a merit They will come to this to weare a frocke an habit a cord the sandals of a Monke a Capuchin c. to goe bare-footed not to weare a shirt to vse the discipline and chasten the body to vse an haire-cloth to weare the cord of S. Francis Dominicke c. to be of the brotherhood of the Rosarie of the Beades c. and other the like workes in truth not commanded nor appointed by God but of which also one day iustly and with good right he will say Who hath required this at your hands In vaine doe they honour me with their workes and their feare towards me is an humane commandement inuented by men And yet notwithstanding what is it that they make account of or commend in your Church but these workes of supererogation Is it not therein that you put all the marrow and iuice of pietie deuotion perfection holinesse and seruice of God And what doe you make for the most part of all the workes commanded and ordained by God in respect of those which men haue inuented but hay and chaffe which no man regardeth 2. They rob Christ of the glory of his merit in that they teach that wee must our selues satisfie for the temporall punishment of our sinnes and offences our Sauiour hauing by their saying onely taken away the eternitie thereof Whereupon they haue deuised and kindled in their braine the imaginarie fire of Purgatorie which they set in the very next place and as it were in the suburbs of hell for therein after this life to satisfie in our owne persons the iustice of God for our sinnes as if the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinne were not a soape and lye as it were strong enough for to wash away all this filth and that we needed another scouring more rugged and purgatiue of fire altogether as hot and violent say they as hell-fire it selfe for they must needs know much certaine and assured newes thereof in particular by the relation of so many soules as returne from thence as they say But to what end I pray you Is it for to haue Masses sung for to haue seruices and obits said for the dead for their deliuerie from this so boiling a fire Alas poore fooles that suffer your selues to be deceiued and cousened by these tales fables and gulleries and to be muffled by these weake terrours and humane inuentions No no it is for to fill their purse and belly and to make good cheere at your cost and vnder the name and pretence of the poore deceased But though it were true that there were such a fire and place appoinred by diuine iustice for the satisfaction of sinnes after this life whereof notwithstanding wee haue not nor can they produce any true sound and cleere ground and testimonie in the Scripture is there any thing amongst all those which they giue and offer you for to deliuer you yea also for to keepe you quite from the comming therein such as are anniuersarie Masses and obits testamentarie legacies and foundations c Is there I say any of these things yea any other that might possibly be deuised or imagined which can counterpoise the greatnesse of these torments which they faigne to be in this pretended and supposed Purgatorie Truly if that which the Deuill maliciously said of the holy man Iob be true though spoken by him to a very bad end Skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will giue for his life how much more shall it be true in this respect and what will not men giue for to free themselues from such a fire and to redeeme themselues from such torments if possibly it could bee done Truly they wo●●● giue all their goods euen to their very shirt yea euen to their skinne And thus it is and vnder this faire cloake and pretence that they cosen folkes and deceiue and abuse poore silly people squeesing out and drawing to themselues all their goods and substance for to make their owne hearts merry withall and to make their flesh-pot to boile An horrible wickednesse beyond all comparison and more then detestable mischiefe and impietie for to make way for their auarice and gluttonie vnder pretence of pietie deuotion and compassion towards the deceased No no if it were so as I haue said before which notwithstanding is not that this Purgatorie and the fire thereof were true nothing of this world nor any humane action would be able and sufficient to bring deliuerance and freedome and to counteruaile the paines and torments and we ought therein as saith our Sauiour but to another sense then they vrge and alleage him for to satisfie the rigour of Gods iustice euen to the vtmost farthing and to the smallest fault before we should come out from thence which notwithstanding